Competition Agency receives 509 consumer rights complaints in 5 months

The Georgian National Competition Agency on Monday said it had launched investigations on 285 issues related to protection of consumer rights out of 509 complaints it had received between November 2022 and March 2023. 

In the reporting period, the Agency reached 83 agreements in 123 cases on conditional liability, with the deals made in favour of consumers.

The agreements were reached with traders to undertake an obligation to change internal business policies and restore the rights of consumers who were allegedly harmed as a result of their [former] trading policies”, the body said.

It also added fulfilment of the obligations would be “actively monitored”.

Image: Competition Agency

The Agency said 65 cases had shown violations of the rights of consumers, while seven cases had been dismissed. Nine traders were fined in 20 cases for failure to fulfil obligations imposed by the body. 

It added 63 percent of applications received from consumers had been related to online shopping and 37 percent to local purchases. 

The wholesale and retail trade sector comprised 65 percent of the complaints, while transport and warehousing made up 16 percent, construction five percent, art, entertainment and recreation four percent and other activities 10 percent.

The majority of complaints - 85 percent - were received in the capital city of Tbilisi, followed by the Black Sea region of Adjara with six percent, the western region of Imereti with four percent and the eastern region of Kakheti with two percent.