Arbitration committee or court?
In consumer disputes, the competent authority for application is determined by the amount of the dispute: for disputes below the monetary limit, which is updated annually according to the revaluation rate, application to the consumer arbitration committee is mandatory; claims above this limit are heard directly by the consumer court. Applications to the arbitration committee are not subject to fees and legal representation is not mandatory — however, a loss of rights may occur if the legal nature of the claim is not properly established.
How to apply?
Applications can be made online via the Consumer Information System (TÜBİS) on e-Devlet (Turkey's e-government portal) or in person to the committees at district governorships. The request must be clearly stated in the petition; evidence such as invoices, contracts, receipts, correspondence, and photographs should be attached. The committee renders its decision based on the file, arranging for expert examination if necessary.
Decision and appeal process
Arbitration committee decisions are binding for the parties and can be enforced through execution proceedings based on a judgment. An appeal against the decision can be made to the consumer court within fifteen days from the date of notification; the appeal does not automatically halt the enforcement of the decision, but a stay of execution can be requested from the court. The decision rendered upon appeal is final. For your specific request, you can seek support from our consumer law page.
Which disputes go to the arbitration committee?
The committee's remit covers every dispute arising from a consumer transaction under Law No. 6502: defective goods (a faulty phone, damaged furniture, a defective car), defective services (incomplete renovation, a cancelled tour, a botched installation), refusal of the right of withdrawal in distance sales, goods lost in shipping, subscriptions that are not cancelled, bank charges such as file fees and card fees, unfair terms in timeshare and private-school contracts and doorstep sales. Purchases made for commercial or professional purposes are not consumer transactions; such claims are pursued through commercial law routes.
If the amount in dispute is below the monetary threshold on the date of application, the committee route is mandatory; a claim filed directly with the consumer court is dismissed on procedural grounds. Above the threshold the claim goes directly to the consumer court, and the fee exemption continues there. The competent committee is the district committee at the consumer's place of residence or where the transaction took place; in Antalya separate committees sit at the Kepez, Muratpaşa and Konyaaltı district governorates, so consumer disputes in Kepez are usually filed with the local district committee.
Optional rights and time limits for defective goods
Article 11 of the Law grants the consumer four optional rights: free repair, replacement with a non-defective equivalent, refund by rescinding the contract and a price reduction proportionate to the defect. Repair and replacement may be demanded from the manufacturer and importer as well as the seller. A defect that appears within six months of delivery is presumed to have existed at delivery, shifting the burden of proof to the seller. The limitation period for movable goods is two years from delivery, but it does not apply where the defect was concealed or the seller acted with gross negligence. The chosen right must be stated clearly in the application; once exercised it cannot, as a rule, be changed before the committee.
Practical notes before and after the application
Notifying the seller in writing before applying both creates an opportunity to settle and shows the committee that the defect was reported in time. Notice can be given by e-mail, registered correspondence or a customer-service record; for purchases without an invoice, card statements and message records serve as evidence. The petition should set out the timeline, the amount claimed and the right chosen; requests for additional documents lengthen the process. The committee decides on the file and, as a rule, within six months; where an expert is needed on a technical point, the cost is borne by the losing party.
If the decision is in your favour and the seller does not pay, the decision is enforced through enforcement proceedings based on a judgment at the enforcement office — no separate lawsuit is needed. If the decision goes against you, the fifteen-day objection period must not be missed, and the objection must show concretely where the committee erred. In complex situations — the threshold, evidential problems or a seller based abroad — advice before applying ensures the right forum and the right amount; our Kepez office assists with consumer law applications.
Resources
- Law No. 6502 on Consumer Protection, articles 66-70 (arbitration committees, application and appeal) — mevzuat.gov.tr
- Regulation on Consumer Arbitration Committees
You can access the current versions of legislation texts through mevzuat.gov.tr .