The Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency (GCCA) has reported a significant rise in consumer protection activity in 2025, with applications up by 47% compared to last year. Between January and August, the agency received 838 applications and handled 2,570 hotline calls.
GCCA stated that the most complaints continue to come from Tbilisi (79%), followed by Adjara (5%), Imereti (4%), Kakheti (3%) and Kvemo Kartli (2%), with the remaining share from other regions. Online trading remains the primary source of disputes, making up 67% of applications while 33% come from in-store purchases.
Consumer demands most often involve refunds (286 cases), repair of defective goods (262), restoration of rights to services (138), timely delivery of items (57), prohibition of misleading information (28) and unconditional product returns (20). The remaining 47 complaints addressed other violations. Sector-wise, the wholesale and retail trade leads with 74% of cases, followed by transport and warehousing (10%) and other sectors (16%).
The GCCA reviewed 147 cases of consumer group rights violations, identifying 98 breaches. To restore consumer rights, the agency facilitated 106 commitment agreements in 115 cases, requiring traders to adjust internal business practices and compensate affected customers. Enforcement actions were also taken against non-compliant traders. Fifty businesses were fined across 89 cases, with total penalties reaching GEL 104,742.
