This is the English version of a Turkish article. The original, with further detail and linked petition templates, is at İnternetten Alışverişte Mağduriyet: Ne Yapmalı?.
Two periods govern online shopping: the seller must deliver within thirty days at the latest, and the consumer has a fourteen-day right of withdrawal. Where payment was by card and the goods never arrived, a chargeback can be requested from the bank. And if the site turns out to be fake, this is no longer a consumer dispute but the offence of fraud.
You ordered and paid — and nothing arrived. Or what arrived bears no resemblance to the photograph. The seller does not reply, and the site has gone.
This article covers your rights under distance contracts, how the chargeback mechanism works, and when the marketplace is liable.
How Long Does the Seller Have?
Under the Distance Contracts Regulation the seller or supplier performs within the period promised, running from when the order reached them. That period cannot exceed thirty days.
If the seller fails to perform, the consumer may terminate the contract. On termination the seller must refund all payments received within fourteen days of the notice of termination reaching them.
Where performance becomes impossible, the seller must inform the consumer within three days of learning of it and refund all payments within fourteen days at the latest.
The Right of Withdrawal
In distance contracts the consumer may withdraw within fourteen days without giving any reason and without paying a penalty.
The period runs from the day the goods are received, or, for services, from the day the contract is made.
But the right does not exist for certain goods:
- goods made to the consumer's specification or personalised
- goods liable to deteriorate or to expire quickly
- goods unsuitable for return on grounds of health or hygiene whose packaging has been opened after delivery
- audio or video recordings and software whose packaging has been opened
- services performed instantly in an electronic environment and intangible goods delivered instantly
Notice of withdrawal must be given in writing or on a durable medium, and a record of it kept.
The Chargeback
This is the most effective tool in practice, and the least known.
Where payment was made by credit or debit card and the goods were not delivered, or something different was sent, an objection can be made to the issuing bank. The bank then starts the transaction dispute process with the card scheme.
What to submit: the order confirmation, the payment receipt, correspondence with the seller, evidence that the goods did not arrive or arrived different, and the courier tracking record.
The time limits are set by the card scheme's rules and are short, so apply to the bank as soon as you notice the problem.
Article 30 of the Consumer Protection Act may also bring in the rules on linked credit: where the goods or services are not delivered at all or not delivered properly, the seller and the credit provider are jointly and severally liable.
| Situation | What to do | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Not delivered within 30 days | Terminate and claim a refund | The seller, then the arbitration committee |
| Delivered but you changed your mind | The right of withdrawal (14 days) | The seller |
| Delivered defective | The consumer's optional remedies | The seller, then the arbitration committee |
| Paid by card, nothing arrived | A chargeback | The issuing bank |
| Seller unreachable, site gone | Report the offence | The prosecutor |
| Bought through a marketplace | Rely on the platform's liability | The platform, then the arbitration committee |
There is no chargeback for payments made by bank transfer — which is why paying by card protects you when buying from a seller you do not know.
Is the Marketplace Liable?
Where you bought through a marketplace, liability may not rest on the seller alone.
The Electronic Commerce Act (no. 6563) and the rules made under it impose obligations on intermediary service providers: verifying the accuracy of the seller's details, passing on consumer complaints, and liability in defined cases.
In particular, the intermediary must supply the consumer with the seller's identity and contact details. Where those details are missing or false, its own liability arises.
So put your complaint in writing to both the seller and the marketplace, and keep the correspondence.
If the Site Turns Out to Be Fake
The site you paid has disappeared and its contact details were false — this is no longer a consumer dispute but fraud.
- Tell your bank and start the chargeback; if you paid by transfer, ask for a recall.
- Complain to the public prosecutor. Using information systems as the means is an aggravating element.
- Preserve the evidence: screenshots of the site, the domain details, the IBAN, the order number, the correspondence.
- Notify the Ministry of Trade and the marketplace, where there was one.
What to check before buying: the site's contact and corporate details (trading name, address, registry number), whether a distance sales contract is provided, whether the payment page uses a secure connection, and whether the price is far below the market.
When goods do not arrive or arrive different, the most effective tool is a transaction dispute with the issuing bank. The time limits are short — apply the day you notice. Under a distance contract delivery must be within thirty days and refunds within fourteen.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the seller have to deliver?
Thirty days at the most. If the seller fails, you may terminate, and all payments must be refunded within fourteen days.
Can I return anything I change my mind about?
Within fourteen days and without giving a reason, except for personalised goods, perishables, opened hygiene items, opened recordings and software, and services performed instantly online.
What is a chargeback?
An objection to the bank that issued your card, which starts a dispute with the card scheme where goods were not delivered or were different. There is no equivalent for bank transfers.
Is the marketplace responsible?
It can be. Intermediary service providers must verify and supply the seller's identity and contact details, and are liable where those are missing or false.
What if the website was fake?
That is fraud, not a consumer dispute. Start the chargeback, complain to the prosecutor, and preserve screenshots, the domain details, the IBAN and the correspondence.