Payment Exceeding 7,000 Turkish Lira for Pastries Cart Owner: “Claims Accuse Me of Overcharging”

A receipt that circulated on social media in Turkey has sparked widespread controversy after a mobile pastry vendor in the city of İzmir forced a group of customers to pay more than 7,000 Turkish lira for a single order.

Following rising criticism, the Ministry of Trade announced the launch of an urgent investigation into the incident, which occurred in the early hours of the morning.

The cart owner, Baran Akçakalı, stated, “A large group of over 50 people, including social media influencers, arrived at the cart around 2:30 a.m. during a live broadcast and requested large quantities of food.”

He added: “They ordered approximately 100 pieces of pastries and drinks and insisted on adding an extra estimated amount to the original bill. They promised to cover the full payment, bringing the total to 7,600 Turkish lira, of which 6,900 was paid via electronic payment device.”

He continued: “The group left satisfied, only to return later and make claims accusing me of overpricing and exploiting them.”

Inspection and Immediate Fine

The Ministry of Trade confirmed that inspection teams quickly moved to the cart’s location and recorded a violation under the category of “unfair pricing,” in addition to requesting all sales and purchase receipts for verification.

The inspection revealed that the cart did not display a price list or any explanatory labels for the products, which constitutes a clear violation of the Consumer Protection Law. Consequently, an immediate administrative fine of 47,490 Turkish lira was imposed on the vendor.

Ongoing Oversight

The ministry stated in its announcement that it will continue “intensifying monitoring operations to prevent unfair commercial practices and ensure the protection of consumers’ rights as well as compliant traders.”