Continuing its efforts to raise social awareness with determination, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) has delivered another noteworthy program as part of its “Science Café” meetings. The talk titled “5 Questions 5 Answers: Consumer Rights and Being a Conscious Consumer,” prepared by the BEUN Science Communication Office, brought together citizens in the Karaman district of Zonguldak.
In line with the decisions and incentives of the Council of Higher Education, the “5 Questions 5 Answers Science Talks,” conducted by the BEUN Science Communication Office established under the leadership of BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, once again contributed to raising public awareness on consumer rights through this program.
Experts in Their Field Met at the Science Café
The program was moderated by Asst. Prof. Dr. Melek Toparlak Şahin, Coordinator of the BEUN Science Communication Office, while the guest speaker was Prof. Dr. Asuman Koç Yurtkur, an academic from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at BEUN. The event, which attracted strong participation from the residents of Karaman, received great interest.
Consumer Rights and Their Reflections in Daily Life Explained
During the talk, Prof. Dr. Asuman Koç Yurtkur addressed the concept of consumers and consumer rights in a clear and accessible manner, sharing comprehensive information with the participants. She emphasized that consumers are individuals who purchase, use, or benefit from goods and services for non-commercial or non-professional purposes, and highlighted that everyone who shops in daily life is, in fact, a consumer. The concept of “defective goods” was also explained in detail, referring to situations where a product does not meet the promised features, fails to provide the expected benefit, or contains deficiencies in use. In such cases, it was underlined that consumers have legal rights such as returning the product, requesting a replacement, demanding free repair, or asking for a price reduction.
Legal Remedies and Conscious Consumer Behaviors Discussed
The event also covered in detail the application procedures for the Consumer Arbitration Committee. It was stated that applications can be submitted via the e-Government system or directly to the relevant institutions, and the importance of preparing all required documents completely was emphasized. Additionally, citizens were informed that they can call the Alo 175 Consumer Advisory Line to resolve issues quickly. Within the scope of conscious consumer behavior, key points such as correctly identifying needs before shopping, comparing products in terms of price and quality, and keeping receipts and invoices after purchases were highlighted.
Strong Engagement from Participants
At the end of the program, participants had the opportunity to ask experts directly about the issues they were curious about. Questions were particularly focused on procedures to follow in cases of defective goods and ways of seeking legal remedies. The explanations provided by Prof. Dr. Asuman Koç Yurtkur shed light on the problems participants encounter in their daily lives. The event concluded with a commemorative group photo, while BEUN’s approach of engaging with society and bringing science into the public sphere was once again widely appreciated. Continuing to connect science with society, BEUN sustains its efforts through Science Café events, not only producing academic knowledge but also transforming it into value that directly touches citizens’ lives.
