The Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency (GCCA) reported a dramatic rise in consumer dissatisfaction during the first seven months of 2025, recording 733 formal complaints, making it a 45% increase compared to the same period last year. Moreover, the agency handled over 2,300 phone inquiries related to consumer rights.
The majority of complaints (67%) originated from online purchases while 33% involved in-store transactions. Regionally, Tbilisi accounted for 79% of all cases, with smaller shares in Adjara (5%), Imereti (4%), Kakheti (3%) and Kvemo Kartli (2%).
As the agency declared, the most frequent issues included refund requests (245 cases), demands for repairs of defective items (231) and poor service (125). A smaller number concerned with delivery delays (44) and misleading practices (26).
In response, the GCCA identified 87 legal violations across 13 cases involving group consumer rights. As a result of current enforcement, 40 traders were fined a total of GEL 33,000 for failing to meet regulatory obligations. In addition, 94 commitment agreements were signed under which companies pledged to revise internal policies and compensate affected consumers.
The retail and wholesale sector remains the most problematic, comprising 73% of all cases, followed by transport and warehousing (10%) and various other sectors (17%).
