Call from the Diyarbakır Trade Provincial Director to the consumer

Chairman of the Diyarbakir Consumer Arbitration Board and Trade Provincial Director Zafer Atik stated that if there is a difference between the cash register price and the label price by businesses, if the price in favor of the consumer is not applied, consumers should keep the product’s label image and cash register receipt in their complaints and in case of identifying non-compliant practices, administrative fines are imposed by Trade Provincial Directorates, and consumers also have the right to apply to Consumer Arbitration Boards for the price difference against the consumer. Zafer Atik, Chairman of the Diyarbakir Consumer Arbitration Board and Trade Provincial Director, said that one of the biggest problems consumers face in markets and stores where people shop is that the price at the cash register is different from the label price. Atik pointed out that when consumers encounter similar situations, due to not knowing their rights, they either pay the price difference or return the product. The basic rights granted to consumers are regulated in the Law on the Protection of the Consumer. According to this regulation, ‘In case of a difference between the price indicated on the label, tariff, and price lists and the cash register price, the price in favor of the consumer shall be applied.’ With this regulation, consumers have the right to request the application of the price in their favor when they encounter such a situation. Although the basic regulation regarding the label price is this, there is also the Price Labeling Regulation, which regulates this issue in more detail. According to this regulation, except for exceptions, it is mandatory to label the goods offered for retail sale in a way that can be easily seen and read. Atik also mentioned that these labels must not contain misleading and deceptive information and must be clearly identifiable as to which product they belong to. In this regulation, it is regulated that in case of a difference between the label price and the price at the cash register, the price in favor of the consumer shall be applied. If the product is on sale, it is mandatory for the label to show both the discounted price of the product and the price before the discount. If there is a difference between the cash register price and the label price by businesses, if the price in favor of the consumer is not applied, consumers should keep the product’s label image and cash register receipt in their complaints and in case of identifying non-compliant practices, administrative fines are imposed by Trade Provincial Directorates, and consumers also have the right to apply to Consumer Arbitration Boards for the price difference against the consumer. Consumers should be aware that they can apply to Consumer Arbitration Boards and Trade Provincial Directorates in case of any consumer disputes that may arise and that their rights will be protected by these institutions.