Long-awaited news for online shopping
The decision requiring consumers to cover shipping costs for returns in online shopping has been postponed by 1 year.
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Due to the congestion at shipping branches following returns in online shopping, a change was made to the return process, and it had been decided that the shipping cost for returns would be covered by the consumer.
This regulation was set to take effect as of January 1, 2025.
NEW DECISION FROM THE MINISTRY OF TRADE
In a statement regarding the matter yesterday, the Ministry of Trade stated that global developments and updates in European Union (EU) legislation are being closely monitored and integrated into domestic law. In this direction, it was announced that regulations were made in the Law on the Protection of Consumers No. 6502 and the provisions of the Regulation on Distance Contracts with the aim of ensuring a fair balance between sellers and consumers and protecting our consumers at universal standards.
POSTPONED BY 1 YEAR
In the Ministry's statement, it was said, “An amendment has been made regarding the changes in the Regulation on Distance Contracts, which were planned to enter into force on 1.1.2025, to instead enter into force on 1.1.2026. With this amendment, the limitations regarding goods and services for which the right of withdrawal can be exercised and the provisions regarding the possibility of return costs being covered by the consumer have been postponed, ensuring that our consumers continue to exercise their right of withdrawal without showing any justification and without paying any penalty clauses.” Thus, the reflection of return costs to the consumer in e-commerce has been postponed by 1 year.
GRIEVANCES WILL BE PREVENTED
The following statements were included in the announcement:
“As the Ministry of Trade, following the regulations; it is aimed to prevent consumer grievances caused by the artificial increase in demand for generally low-quality and unsafe products through attractive offers such as free shipping, free returns, and opportunity discounts in foreign-origin e-imports, which do not have a legal representative in our country including tax and whose business volume has increased very rapidly in recent times. Besides this, considering the possibility of sellers in the domestic market being subjected to unfair competition, the protection of our domestic market is aimed.”