Türkiye’s Trade Ministry has fined an electronic device repair company in Bursa a total of 1,524,540 lira after consumers complained through CİMER, the presidency’s public communication centre, that it had falsely presented itself as an authorised service provider.
Ministry press adviser Bekir Kaplan announced the penalty on social media on Oct. 14. The fines were imposed on Elektrofoni Bilişim by the Bursa Provincial Trade Directorate, which said complaints about the firm had risen markedly this year, prompting ongoing inspections.
A tablet, a cracked screen and a 2,300-lira bill
In one case described by the ministry, a customer sent a tablet with a cracked screen, still under warranty, by cargo to the company’s branch in Bursa’s Osmangazi district, believing it was an authorised service centre. The firm quoted 56,000 lira for the repair. When the customer asked for the device to be returned unrepaired, the company demanded 2,300 lira in service and shipping fees.
According to the report, staff told complaining customers they could complain wherever they liked because the company was well protected.
On Oct. 6 alone, the company was the subject of six separate CİMER applications. Inspectors acted on two of them and asked the company for information and documents, while the other four applicants were asked to complete missing paperwork.
Kaplan said the ministry protects consumer rights, does not ignore any complaint and applies administrative sanctions where violations are found, adding that inspections will continue.
What consumers can do
The case shows that complaints filed through CİMER can lead to inspections and fines. Anyone in Türkiye, including foreign residents, who sends a device for repair may want to confirm with the manufacturer or official distributor that a service centre is genuinely authorised before handing over a product still under warranty. Applicants should also make sure their complaint includes all required documents, since incomplete applications cannot be acted on straight away, as the four pending files in this case show.
Sources
Photo: GrandEscogriffe / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
