Recent Development
Effective 1 January 2019, higher fines will be imposed for violations of the Law No. 6502 on the Protection of Consumers (“Consumer Protection Law“). The fines were increased according to the revaluation rate of 23.73%.
In particular, the following violations will be subject to the fines mentioned below:
- Use of unfair terms or failure to use 12-point bold type with clear language in consumer agreements, failure to provide a guarantee certificate or to provide explicit and legible safety information to consumers for goods deemed potentially harmful to consumers or the environment will be subject to a fine of TRY 339 (approximately USD 62) per violation;
- Failure to comply with the obligations on consumer loans and housing finance agreements and agreements concluded outside the workplace will be subject to a fine of TRY 1,707 (approximately USD 314) per agreement or transaction; and
- Deceptive or misleading representation through mass media advertising will be subject to a fine ranging between TRY 8,546 to 341,921 (approximately USD 1,576 to 63,067) per violation.
Conclusion
Companies should take note of the increased fines and their potential effects on their operations in Turkey, and take steps to ensure compliance with the Consumer Protection Law.
