The Law of Georgia on the Protection of Consumer Rights came into effect on June 1, 2022, and the enforcement of the law began on November 1, 2022. During the enforcement process, the National Competition Agency identified several issues that needed to be clarified in order to ensure the timely and effective enforcement of consumer rights. According to the amendments to the law:
1. In the case under distance and off premises contracts purchases, without specifying any reason, the consumer will not have the right to return the sports or cultural event ticket, unless the trader himself determines the possibility of returning the ticket and terms and conditions.
2. From August 1, 2023, in case of non-delivery or incomplete delivery of information from the trader, after proper notification, the Agency will impose a fine on the trader. The amount of the fine is 500 GEL. If, during a period of 1 year from the imposition of the fine, a trader commits a violation repeatedly, trades shall be subject to a penalty of 1,000 GEL.
3. It was determined - When a trader fails to execute or improperly executes a decision of the Agency, the minimum amount of the fine to be imposed on the trader shall be 600 GEL. (The amount of the fine should not exceed 2 percent of the trader's annual turnover during the previous financial year).
The adopted amendments are in compliance with EU law and are aimed at bringing Georgian legislation closer to EU law.
The draft law was authored and initiated by the Committee on European Integration of the Parliament of Georgia. Various local and international experts and other interested persons participated in the work process.
