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Turkey6 min read

How shopping agents read your return policy

Turkey's distance-selling return rules changed on January 1, 2026, and in May 2026 the Council of State annulled several exceptions. A guide to bringing your policy in line with the current rules and rewriting it in terms agents can compare.

"30-day returns," "free returns" and "free return shipping" are among the most common constraints in the tasks people give shopping agents. If an agent can't verify that you meet that constraint, it leaves you off the list. That makes your return policy more than a legal document. In the agent channel, it's comparison data.

For merchants selling to consumers in Turkey, the timing matters too: the return rules for distance sales changed twice in 2026. In this article, we cover what changed, how agents read return policies, and how to make your policy both current and comparable.

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. For your specific situation, consult the current text of the regulation and your legal counsel.

What changed in 2026?

Some of the 2022 amendments to Turkey's Distance Contracts Regulation (Mesafeli Sözleşmeler Yönetmeliği) were postponed several times before taking effect on January 1, 2026. An amendment made in 2025 also took effect on the same date. Under the current text of the regulation, these are the key rules for sales of goods:

  • The right of withdrawal lasts 14 days. The period starts on the day the customer receives the goods. The customer can also withdraw between placing the order and delivery.
  • The customer returns the goods within 14 days. This period runs from the withdrawal notice. The previous text allowed 10 days.
  • The seller refunds within 14 days. This period starts on the date the goods are handed to the carrier the seller designated for returns. If the customer uses a different carrier, it starts on the day the goods reach the seller. The full amount collected, including delivery charges, must be refunded in a single payment, in a way that matches the payment method the customer used.
  • Return shipping can't be charged to the customer. If the customer sends the goods back with the carrier the seller designated for returns, the customer can't be held liable for the return cost. If the seller didn't name a carrier in its pre-contractual information, it can't charge for return shipping either. If the designated carrier has no branch where the customer is located, the seller must collect the goods from the customer at no extra charge.

Then there's a court ruling. In a decision dated May 6, 2026, Turkey's Council of State (Danıştay) annulled three exceptions added in 2022: registration-required vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, sales made through live auctions, and goods installed by the seller or an authorized service provider. Stores that sell products requiring installation (such as major appliances and air conditioners) need to review their right-of-withdrawal disclosures in light of this ruling.

Some exceptions haven't changed. In cases such as goods prepared to the customer's personal specifications, perishable goods, and goods that aren't fit for return for health and hygiene reasons once the packaging is opened, the customer can't exercise the right of withdrawal unless agreed otherwise.

How does an agent read a return policy?

An agent reads your page, not the law. Whatever the customer's legal rights, an agent can't verify a term that isn't on the page, and it won't count a term it can't verify as met. The problems we see most often:

  • Buried policy. The return terms sit in the middle of a long distance sales contract or inside a PDF.
  • Unclear start date. The page says "returns within 14 days," but it's not clear whether the period starts at the order date or at delivery.
  • Conflicting channels. 30 days on your site, 14 days in your marketplace store, and yet another period in Merchant Center.
  • Outdated wording. Phrases such as "return shipping is paid by the buyer" that may conflict with the current rules.
  • Hidden exceptions. Non-returnable products are listed only on the general policy page and never mentioned on the product page.

Spell it out even if you think you already meet the legal minimum. "Free returns within 14 days of delivery with our partner carrier" is a concrete fact an agent can use in a comparison. To an agent, a right that's never written down doesn't exist.

Turn your policy into numbers: structured data and feeds

Google supports declaring a site-wide return policy with hasMerchantReturnPolicy under Organization. For a store in Turkey, a typical mapping might look like this:

  • Country: TR for applicableCountry; returnPolicyCountry for the country the item is returned to.
  • Window: a finite return window (MerchantReturnFiniteReturnWindow) for returnPolicyCategory, and the number of days for merchantReturnDays: the statutory 14 days, or the longer window you offer.
  • Method: ReturnByMail as the returnMethod for returns by shipment; ReturnInStore if you accept returns in store.
  • Fees: customerRemorseReturnFees for returns under the right of withdrawal, itemDefectReturnFees for returns of defective items; FreeReturn if returns are free with your designated carrier.
  • Refund: FullRefund as the refundType for a full refund.
  • Exceptions: MerchantReturnNotPermitted in the product's Offer for products that can't be returned at all (such as made-to-order items). For products where returns depend on a condition (such as hygiene products that can be returned if unopened), state the condition clearly in the text of the product page.

Two caveats. First, according to Google's documentation, return settings you enter in Merchant Center or Search Console take precedence over the structured data on your site, so the dashboard and the page must say the same thing. Second, agent channel feeds also ask for return information. In OpenAI's product feed spec, the return policy link (return_policy), whether returns are accepted (accepts_returns) and the return window (return_deadline_in_days) are separate fields.

A good return policy page fits in six lines

Put a summary at the top of your policy page that both a customer and an agent can understand in a single read:

  1. Window and start: "30 days from the day you receive your order."
  2. Method: "With our partner carrier, using the return code on your order page."
  3. Cost: "Returns with our partner carrier are free."
  4. Refund: "No later than 14 days after you hand the item to the carrier, in a single payment to the card you paid with."
  5. Exceptions: "Opened personal care products and made-to-order items." Repeat the exception on the relevant product's page too.
  6. Defective items: "Defective items follow a separate process," with a link. Defective goods and warranty claims are governed by different rules from the right of withdrawal, so don't mix them up.

Then carry the same information into your structured data, Merchant Center settings, agent feeds and marketplace stores. The goal is the same numbers on every channel.

The bottom line

Your return policy is one of the first places shopping agents look when deciding which stores to drop. The 2026 changes already give you a reason to review it. Rewriting it in terms agents can compare while you're at it saves you from doing the same work twice.

Specoria asks shopping agents about your store using real buyer constraints like "30-day returns," and shows which unverifiable term got you dropped, tracing it back to its source. Request a free readiness report to see where your store stands.

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