Car galleries did not comply with the price limit for used cars

SHAFAQNA Türkiye – Setting the selling price of used cars above the zero list price was prohibited until January 1, 2024. The application, which covers advertising of all individuals and legal entities, began to be implemented from July 15, 2023.

It was noticed that some galleries did not fulfill the application. On the website of the Turkish distributor of the car sold by the operator, who set the price of 2 million 90 thousand Turkish lira for a used car, it was shown that it was 1 million 562 thousand Turkish liras.

RESTRICTIONS WERE NOT OBSERVED, PRICES ARE STILL HIGH

From July 15, 2023, the restriction on setting the sale price of used cars above the price of a new car came into force. A statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce on July 6, 2023 indicated that checks on used car advertisements would be strengthened and fines of up to 300,000 Turkish Liras would be applied to those who did not comply with the restriction.

As of July 15, 2023, when the app was launched, some used car sellers were seen not complying with the restriction. At the Kagitan car dealership, the recommended selling price on the website of the Turkish distribution company was 1 million 562 thousand 675 Turkish liras, and it was seen that a car with the same characteristics was sold for 2 million 90 thousand Turkish liras.

The owner of the vehicle said that “nothing will decrease” in regards to the price of the vehicle. On the other hand, those who came to the shopping center in Bagcılar, where car galleries are concentrated, to buy used cars, stated that there was no change in prices.

“PRICE DEFINITELY DOESN’T DECREASE, ON THE BIT, IT IS INCREASING”

Car dealer Osman Özer said: “It didn’t materialize at all, on the contrary, prices began to rise more. If this is implemented, it will be better for car dealers and for the country. The price, of course, did not decrease, but, on the contrary, increased. Even if it is being implemented, some traders are doing something among themselves, trying to somehow implement it. When there was a 6,000 km limit for a new car, they would get out of the car and come and sell the car. It didn’t have any effect, I don’t think it will,” he said.

Ufuk Çelebi, who visited car dealerships to buy cars, stated that the restriction was not respected at the moment and said: “The application could have been launched, but either the dealers are not aware of it or we are not aware of it.”

Celebi expressed his claims on this matter in the following words:

“Unfortunately, no one is doing this right now. I visited Beylikduzu yesterday and Bagcilar today. I look at the zero price, 620 thousand TL, here (car gallery) they wrote 655 thousand TL, this is a very absurd situation. I think it needs to be reworked. The app could be running, but either the gallery owners don’t know about it, or we don’t know about it.

There should be a state mechanism and control, not our complaints. I’m looking for a new car, we visited galleries. New cars worth 700 thousand TL in the dealership here cost 750 thousand TL. The dealer does not have a car, the queue, they say to wait 3-4 months.

“THEY SAY THIS JOB CAN’T CHANGE”

Declaring that he wants to buy a car, Aslan Karapinar said: “We have just started looking, but have not yet seen such prices. There are no changes in prices. We have been looking seriously for several days, but it still seems that the used hands are above zero. The sellers do not believe in this business, they say: “Zeros will also rise in price”, so they don’t look at second-hand very much, they tell us that this business will not change,” he said.