released today, “If the goods are not defective, the buyer will pay the return shipping.” about news Trade ministry made an official statement.
Ministry of Commerce regarding the developments:The news does not reflect the truth” and made this statement made: “In some media outlets and social media posts; With the regulation that will be implemented as of January 1, 2024, news and contents are included stating that consumers who use their right of withdrawal in online purchases, unless the goods sold are defective, have to pay the shipping fee for the return of the goods. Establishing a more effective consumer protection system against new sales and marketing techniques resulting from the growth of electronic commerce transactions and therefore the volume of distance contracts, and the regulations of the European Union Directives, which constitute the source of our current consumer legislation, and the Law on Consumer Protection published in the Official Gazette No. 31796 dated April 1, 2202. In order to comply with the changes made by the Law on Amendments to the Law on Amending the Property Ownership Law, some changes have been made in the Distance Contracts Regulation with the regulations published in the Official Gazette dated 23.08.2022 and numbered 31932.
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Among the aforementioned regulations, the implementation of the regulation stating that the return costs can be covered by the consumer in exercising the right of withdrawal, provided that it is stated in the preliminary information and does not exceed the initial delivery costs, was published in the Official Gazette dated 04/11/2023 and numbered 32359. It has been postponed until 1/1/2025 with the change in regulation, and the news in question is unreal.
The seller is obliged to cover the cargo return fee in the exercise of the right of withdrawal in distance contracts until 1/1/2025, which is the date when the said regulations will begin to be implemented. It is absolutely not possible for consumers to pay return shipping costs.
In accordance with the Law on Consumer Protection No. 6502, for sellers who request or collect return shipping fees from consumers who exercise their right of withdrawal in distance contracts, especially in e-commerce. An administrative fine of 1,371 TL will be imposed for 2023, the penalty amount in question It will be applied by increasing the revaluation rate as of January 1, 2024.”