Scope of a consumer transaction
The Consumer Protection Law (no. 6502) protects persons who acquire goods or services for private purposes. An air conditioner bought for a home is covered; the same unit bought on a company invoice for a beach bar generally is not. This distinction determines which body hears the dispute and which time limits apply. Residential tenancy disputes are governed by separate rules of the Turkish Code of Obligations and are not treated as consumer cases.
Defective goods and services
For defective goods the consumer may choose withdrawal from the contract, a price reduction, free repair or replacement with a non-defective item. For a defectively performed service, such as a poorly fitted kitchen, the options are performance of the service again, free repair of the result, a proportionate reduction or withdrawal.
Claims for defective goods are time-barred two years after delivery, even if the defect appears later; for homes and holiday properties the period is five years. A manufacturer's warranty is a separate undertaking and does not shorten these statutory periods. Service reports, correspondence and photographs should be kept from the outset.
Competent bodies: committee, mediator, court
Disputes below a monetary limit that is revised every year must be brought before the consumer arbitration committee (tüketici hakem heyeti). The application is free of charge and may be filed online through e-Devlet, at the committee for the consumer's place of residence or the place of purchase. Either party may object to the decision before the consumer court (tüketici mahkemesi) within 15 days of notification; an objection does not by itself suspend enforcement.
Above that limit, mediation (arabuluculuk) is a precondition for filing a case at the consumer court. Antalya has dedicated consumer courts, so such claims are not filed at the general civil courts.
Off-plan residential purchases
Advance payments for apartments still under construction are common in Antalya. In a prepaid housing sale (ön ödemeli konut satışı), the consumer may terminate within 24 months of the contract date without stating a reason. The compensation the developer may retain is capped by law as a percentage that increases over time, and no amount may be claimed where the developer has failed to perform its own obligations. Defects that appear after handover are subject to the five-year limitation period that applies to homes.
Subscriptions and package holidays
A consumer may terminate an open-ended subscription, or one with a term of one year or more, such as internet, television or gym membership, without giving reasons and without a contractual penalty. Under a discounted fixed-term arrangement, the early exit charge is capped at the uncollected part of the discounts or devices provided, so the final invoice should be checked line by line.
In package holidays, the tour operator is liable for loss caused by services not provided or not properly provided, and the law expressly allows reasonable compensation for wasted holiday time. Problems should be reported in writing to the guide or hotel during the trip and documented with photographs. For a meeting at the Konyaaltı office, the contract, receipts and correspondence should be brought together.