May 2025 – The provisions regarding liability for return costs in the context of exercising the right of withdrawal were amended by the Regulation Amending the Regulation on Distance Contracts published in the Official Gazette on 24 May 2025 and the changes will come into force in 2026. The main points of the amended provisions are summarised below:
- With the amendment, return costs have been removed from the list of costs that can be charged to the consumer following prior notification. This prevents consumers from being held responsible for return costs when they carry out the return process through the carrier specified in the seller's prior notification.
- Prior to the amendment, mobile phones, smart watches, tablets and computers were listed as products for which consumers could not exercise their right of withdrawal unless otherwise agreed. With the amendment, these products have been removed from the list and are now considered products for which consumers may exercise their right of withdrawal.
- A requirement has been introduced to include information in the prior information form provided to consumers before concluding a distance contract, stating that consumers must apply to a mediator before filing a complaint with a Consumer Arbitration Board or initiating a lawsuit in a consumer court.
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