In the statement made by the Ministry, it was stated that with the arrival of the summer months and the 9-day Eid al-Adha holiday, there are some issues that consumers who try to choose among the intense advertising and promotional activities carried out by organizations operating in the tourism sector should pay attention.
In the statement, which pointed out that it is seen that consumers are victimized by copying the photos and names of the websites of hotels and tourism facilities, which are frequently preferred by consumers, and with attractive offers via e-mail and text message, the points that should be considered in order for consumers who will book a holiday to not experience victimization are listed as follows:
“The accuracy of the facility pictures, corporate logos and signs in the content of the offer received through communication channels such as social media, text messages or e-mail should be questioned. Before the purchase decision, it is checked whether the preferred travel agency or tourism facility is registered with the relevant public institutions and organizations. should be done.
In this context, consumers can inquire whether travel agencies and tourism facilities are certified, and how many stars the tourism facilities have at ‘www.kulturturizm.gov.tr’ and ‘www.tursab.org.tr’ addresses.
Checking that the address, title and contact information are included on the websites of the travel agency or tourism facility, especially in the contracts signed by distance route, and that the websites are registered in the Electronic Commerce Information System (ETBIS), and the preference of travel agencies’ own website instead of purchasing via social media. It is necessary to pay attention to the payments.”
Package tour has the right to terminate
In the statement, it was stated that consumers could not participate in the tours they planned in advance due to some problems experienced in the normal flow of life, especially as a result of the reservations made long before the start date of the package tours, and it was reminded that in such cases, the consumers have the right to terminate the package tour contract.
Accordingly, the consumer has the right to terminate the package tour contract and to receive a refund of the package tour price without any deduction, excluding legal obligations such as mandatory tax, provided that the consumer is notified at least 30 days before the start of the package tour with a written or permanent data storage. If it is done less than 30 days before the start of the tour, a certain amount or rate can be deducted, provided that it is stated in the package tour contract. expression was used.
In the statement, it was noted that, without prejudice to the provisions of the Travel Agencies and Travel Agencies Association Law regarding compulsory insurance, the package tour organizer is responsible for all kinds of damages suffered by the consumer due to the failure to perform the contract at all or properly, and the following statements were included:
“The consumer can also claim an appropriate compensation for wasted vacation time. In addition, it is considered that the discretionary insurance application offered to consumers by various travel agencies, which allows the cancellation of package tour or hotel accommodation reservations a certain period before the start of the reservation, without paying any penalty, is to the benefit of our consumers.”
Can be applied to consumer courts and arbitration committees
Emphasizing that consumer arbitration committees and consumer courts are authorized in the resolution of individual consumer disputes, the following was noted:
“Consumers can apply to the consumer arbitral tribunal for disputes with a value below 66 thousand liras for 2023, and to the consumer court for disputes above this amount, in order to compensate their losses, if they become victims due to the practices of the companies.
Provincial consumer arbitration committees under the provincial directorate of commerce are authorized within the provincial borders, and district consumer arbitration committees within the district governorship are authorized within the district borders. In districts where a consumer arbitration committee has not been established, applications can be made to the district governor’s office.
