The e-commerce system in Turkey is flawed

E-commerce has developed globally as a system that puts the user at the center. In Turkey, however, for some reason, this equation is operated in reverse. The user is not at the center of the shopping experience; on the contrary, they have become the weakest link in the system. The fundamental reason for this is the structural injustice between payment and delivery. In almost all e-commerce transactions in Turkey, payment is made first, and then the product is shipped. It might sound ordinary, but this process is dangerous precisely because it normalizes the problem.

SHOPPING OR A MORALITY TEST?

The consumer loses control the moment they pay. Whether the ordered product will arrive, whether it will be undamaged, whether it will be the correct product… all of this depends on the seller's initiative. In other words, the moment money changes hands, the fate of the purchase is entrusted to the seller's morality.

Even glancing at complaint websites is enough to see why this system is flawed. There are thousands of cases involving products never being delivered, arriving broken or defective, consumers being harassed during return processes, or even being unable to find anyone to contact. This shows that the system is problematic not just because of a few bad-faith sellers, but by its very structure.

HOW DO THINGS WORK AROUND THE WORLD?

In global markets, e-commerce is built on trust. For example:

• Large platforms like Amazon create trust mechanisms in favor of the user between payment and delivery. Payment can be transferred to the seller only after the goods are received and approved.

• In countries like Germany, systems corresponding to the “open and check your package” model, such as cash on delivery or bank transfers after the goods arrive, are still common.

• AliExpress does not transfer the payment funds to the seller immediately after the purchase. The payment is processed only after the buyer confirms that they have received the product and are satisfied.

• In Russia, many e-commerce platforms have adopted a post-delivery payment model that allows the consumer to see the product first and then make the payment.

• In China, major platforms like JD.com use their own cargo systems to deliver products based on the buyer's approval, and payment is triggered only after this approval.

• In Iran, cash on delivery is still common due to trust issues; the user can pay with cash or a POS device after receiving the product.

• In Dubai and the UAE in general, e-commerce is structured on the basis of trust from the luxury segment to the lowest segment; in many purchases, payment is transferred with a delay, and regulations favoring the buyer are at the forefront.

The common point of these systems is that they protect the buyer. Because consumer trust is essential for e-commerce. In an insecure environment, neither loyal customers are formed nor sustainable growth is achieved.

WHY MUST THE SYSTEM IN TURKEY CHANGE?

The current practice in Turkey harms all parties in the long run. Sellers erode trust in the sector for the sake of short-term profit, platforms are overwhelmed by the burden of complaints, and users are disappointed with every purchase. Yet, the solution is not complicated:

• Payment systems must be restructured.

• Payment should take place after the product is received, and if possible, with the buyer's approval.

• Intermediary platforms should treat payment functions as “escrow.”

• With advanced cargo integrations, product delivery confirmation should become the payment trigger.

In conclusion

The nature of e-commerce includes speed, convenience, and trust. In Turkey, only “speed” exists among these three, but it serves the wrong purpose. Today's structure has created a system based not on the consumer, but on the seller's conscience. This system will either change or consume itself and end. The choice is ours, but the path is clear: Product first, payment later. Because the order of trust cannot be changed.

Lawmakers in Turkey must now address this structural problem seriously. The necessary legal infrastructure for a world-class payment-delivery order that protects the consumer must be established as soon as possible. Otherwise, e-commerce in Turkey will continue to produce distrust instead of trust.