The Ministry of Commerce announced the postponement of the reflection of the cost of returns in e-commerce on the consumer for a year.
The statement of the Ministry of Commerce stated that the innovations brought about by the technological era have brought about radical changes in trade methods and shopping habits, including cross-border economic relations such as electronic export and import.
The statement read: “Due to factors such as the ability of e-commerce to provide a wide range of products to consumers quickly, easily and at a lower cost regardless of the limits of time and place; and the absence of rental costs for sellers, the lower the costs of inventory and financing, the higher the e-commerce becomes than the total retail trade.” “It is noted that its share increases every year compared to traditional trade.”
The statement stressed that this increase in the volume of e-commerce and the uncertainty resulting from the inability to monitor and examine goods or services with sellers or service providers increases the importance of distance contracts that contain protective regulations for consumers who are parties to e-commerce, and made the following statements:
“We are continuing our regulations carefully in order to prevent harm to our customers due to the increase in the volume and importance of e-commerce, the increase in e-imports and the additional uncertainties arising from poor quality and unsafe products.”
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In line with this important transformation, the statement stated that as the Ministry of Commerce, it has been incorporated into the local law by closely following the global developments and updates in the European Union legislation, and in this regard, it aims to ensure that fair balance between sellers and consumers in the Consumer Protection Law No. 6502 and the provisions of distance contracts and ensuring the universality of consumers and it was emphasized that the regulations were drawn up to maintain standards.
In this context, an amendment has been made to the Distance Contracts Regulation so that the changes that were expected to come into effect on January 1, 2025 will come into effect on January 1, 2026. The statement read: “With the amendment, the restrictions on the goods and services for which the right of withdrawal can be exercised and the provisions stipulating that the costs of return can be covered by the consumer through the contract have been postponed, allowing our customers to continue to exercise their right of withdrawal without providing any justification and without paying any penalty.”
“The Ministry of Commerce has also issued regulations, so that the harmonization process in the sector works more healthily and effectively with attractive offers such as free shipping, free returns and opportunity discounts in electronic imports of foreign origin that do not have legal representation including taxes in our country, which has rapidly increased its business volume in recent years, and aims to prevent consumer complaints resulting from artificially increasing demand for poor quality and unsafe products.
In addition, considering the possibility that the local market will turn into an unbalanced and unregulated e-commerce market in terms of local markets and sellers, considering the possibility that the local market will turn into an unbalanced and unregulated e-commerce market, and also considering the possibility that sellers in the local market will face unfair competition, and aims to protect our local market.
He added: “Our work will continue without slowing down to protect our consumers and producers who contribute to our economic well-being by contributing to production and employment in the local market.”
