The decision in favor of the seller increased, the consumer mostly complained about consumer arbitration committees

Mahmut Şahin, Chairman of the Consumers Union, assessed consumer complaints in 2022.

Mentioning that 100 percent of the complaints are about goods and services every year, Şahin said that this year they experienced the opposite situation.

Stating that only 38 percent of complaints in 2022 were about received goods and services, Şahin said:

“Every year, banks ranked first and GSM operators ranked second. Complaints about distance sales, internet services, furniture, appliances or electronic technical services would change places. This year, consumer arbitration committees ranked first with 32 percent. So it’s amazing.

The consumer arbitration committees, which were established to protect the consumer, were the institutions most denounced by the consumer.

The complaints are related to the district arbitration commissions attached to the district governments. 32 percent of the 14,763 complaints we received are related to district referee committees.”

‘MOSTLY DECIDED IN FAVOR OF SELLER’

Stating that most of the decisions of the district arbitration committees were in favor of the seller, Şahin stated that consumers complained to the arbitration committees about the decisions made in favor of the seller, contrary to the Consumer Law.

Şahin pointed out that the cost of withdrawal comes at the beginning of these decisions and said:

“The consumer receives a subscription service, and when he unsubscribes, the district arbitration committees entered into a voluntary race to pay a withdrawal fee, even though the law says ‘when it is more than a year, no subscription fee is paid. withdrawal’. They made decisions against the consumer.

The complaints are as follows: ‘This is written in the law, but why did the arbitral tribunal decide?’ Arbitration committees have always ruled in favor of the schools regarding the reimbursement of private schools during the pandemic period when there is no school. They were all opinion decisions, from an opinion article. The district arbitration committees have actually lost their qualifications, a change is definitely needed. We have nothing to say to the provincial arbitration committees, it is an institution where consumers do not complain by working and researching experts in this field, and making decisions in accordance with the law”.

SECOND MAJOR COMPLAINT ARRIVED AT LAW OFFICES

Şahin stated that second-order complaints are made up of law firms with 30 percent, and that some law firms threaten people with execution, imprisonment and the ruin of their records, adding that this is a problem of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations and which has produced a result that will shake the reputation of the profession.

Explaining that the third place in complaints is remote sales, Şahin said that landlord-tenant issues are in fourth place.

Şahin added that they have constantly conveyed to the Ministry that the decisions made by the district arbitration committees are not in accordance with the law and the law, and that they expect a move in the direction of closing the district arbitration committees and putting their duties in the provincial arbitration commissions. (AA)