Consumer protection in Cambodia

The Consumer Protection Law 2019 applies to business activity in Cambodia, including activity by profit-making and nonprofit organizations, unless another law provides separate rules. It covers goods, services and rights in immovable property. A consumer uses them personally or for domestic or household purposes. Purchases for resale, production or commercial use fall outside this consumer definition. Consumers have rights to information and education, fair choice based on price and quality, a hearing and settlement by the competent regulator or the Royal Government, and a claim for compensation. The CCF is a Ministry of Commerce body that investigates complaints, controls advertising and fraud, raises awareness and coordinates with other institutions. The NCCP is chaired by the Minister of Commerce and has 12 members. The CCF serves as its secretariat and enforcement body and has 25 municipal and provincial branches. Businesses must not make misleading claims about goods or services, price, value, quality, origin, quantity or fitness. Dishonest sales, bait advertising, accepting payment without the intention or capacity to supply, coercion, threats, pyramid selling and false trade descriptions are prohibited. Information required under applicable Prakas, meaning ministerial regulations, generally uses Khmer. Prakas No. 185 requires labels to be visible, readable and durable in Khmer; a QR code may provide more detailed information in a foreign language. Product safety and defects can create liability for the manufacturer, supplier, distributor or retailer. A consumer may choose a replacement with a new or similar product or a refund, even if the current price or exchange rate has changed. Warranty terms should identify the guarantor, covered goods, repairs, spare parts, software updates, warranty period and conditions. A business may supply goods without a warranty only after publicly disclosing that limitation in advance. Online sellers must disclose their legal name, registered address, contact details, an effective communication method, terms, fees, payment arrangements, cancellation or termination rules, delivery, exchange and refund conditions, and the actual goods or services offered. The information must be sufficient for a purchasing decision and capable of being retained. The listed e-commerce information rules do not cover securities, foreign-exchange services or insurance. Service information standards cover accommodation, leisure and recreation, treatment and care, maintenance and parking, including the applicable price. The listed service-term rules exclude professional services such as accounting, auditing, architecture, engineering, legal and notarial services. A standard-form contract must have a Khmer version, although a foreign-language version may also be provided. The wording must be clear and understandable. Substantial clauses should be highlighted or explained before acceptance. A provider must not unilaterally make a material change, interpret the contract arbitrarily, terminate it arbitrarily or limit liability for a statutory guarantee. A consumer may ask for clarification and time to consider the terms. Complaints may be made to the NCCP or the competent sector regulator, and rescission or ratification may follow the procedure in the Civil Code. The CCF accepts complaints through an online form or a downloadable form with upload functions. Individuals, consumer associations, organizations, ministries and regulators may submit complaints. The form requests information about the complainant and provider, including age, nationality, contact details, an identity-card or passport field, purchase date and location, the product or service, a brief description of the issue of up to 200 characters, previous contact with the provider, lawsuit or lawyer status, and invoices, photographs or other evidence. A telephone number or email address is required. Contacting the provider first is recommended but is not stated as a statutory precondition. The complainant may authorize the CCF to share the complaint and documents with the business or relevant institution for mediation or investigation. The acknowledgement states that submitted information is a public record and is not confidential, so only verified facts should be provided. The reviewed materials state no general filing fee and no general CCF filing deadline. The CCF can investigate on its own initiative or after a complaint from an individual, association, regulator or other institution. Its powers include inquiries, inspections, sampling, demands for documents, temporary restraint of non-compliant supply or distribution, and searches under criminal procedure by qualified judicial-police investigating officers. Under Prakas No. 184, a person under investigation may apply for a negotiated settlement before the offence is concluded. This settlement is unavailable for a repeated Consumer Protection Law violation within three years or for a criminal case. Written terms may include compensation, require NCCP approval and become enforceable; non-compliance may be taken to a competent court. Possible decisions include warnings, correction or republication at the violator's expense, suspension, revocation or cancellation of a licence or registration, and a management ban lasting two to five years for specified repeated violations. Maximum penalties include 20,000,000 Riels for dishonest quality or origin acts, 10,000,000 Riels for information-standard breaches, 50,000,000 Riels for bait advertising, payment accepted without intent to supply, coercion or misleading business activity, and 80,000,000 Riels for pyramid selling or false trade descriptions. Serious health or safety harm may lead to six months to two years of imprisonment and a fine of 1,000,000 to 4,000,000 Riels. Disability or death may lead to two to five years of imprisonment and a fine of 4,000,000 to 10,000,000 Riels. An affected person may ask the NCCP to review, modify or revoke a decision within 15 days after notification. The NCCP may decide the review within 30 days. A court appeal may be filed within 30 days after notification of the last decision. A consumer association must register its sector association with the Ministry of Interior and obtain prior approval from the relevant sector regulator. It may provide independent counselling, facilitate settlement and represent consumers before the NCCP or a court. Financial-service complaints generally use sector-specific procedures. The National Bank of Cambodia's framework states that the Consumer Protection Law does not cover the non-bank financial sector. Licensed banks and financial institutions follow the Prakas on Resolution of Consumer Complaints. A complaint may be made verbally or in writing within 60 days after the consumer becomes aware of the issue, and the institution must receive and resolve complaints from consumers or their representatives, including complaints forwarded by the National Bank of Cambodia. The National Bank operates five headquarters hotline lines and 21 municipal or provincial lines; its 2024 report recorded 423 complaints and inquiries. The National Bank's interest-rate ceiling Prakas limits interest on loans from microfinance institutions and rural credit institutions to 18% per year. Insurance complaints use the Insurance Regulator of Cambodia's procedure, which provides an online complaint channel, the telephone number 071 258 0896 and the email address gad@irc.gov.kh. The reviewed material does not verify a general IRC filing deadline or fee. For internet services, the Telecommunications Regulator of Cambodia's Guidelines on Minimum Information Disclosure Requirements for Internet Service Provision and Complaint Handling Mechanism, dated 20 February 2026, require providers to publish prices including tax or VAT status, installation, router and relocation fees, required documents, application procedures, coverage, maximum connection waiting time, billing and payment information, and invoices or receipts. Providers must give outage notices and offer a 24-hour hotline, email or chat, a complaint process, a maximum resolution timeframe, a ticket ID and a written or electronic evidence-based resolution. An unresolved complaint may be escalated to the Telecommunications Regulator through 6789 during working hours, the MPTC Speed Test App, the website or an in-person visit to Street 102, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh. From 1 January 2026, a mobile number that has expired for no more than 180 days may be reactivated by topping up without re-registration. The main balance remains available for 180 days, and the provider must send at least two SMS reminders and an app notice before final termination. The reviewed sources identify no dedicated energy-consumer complaint mechanism, so no exclusive CCF procedure should be assumed for energy disputes. CCF information standards expressly cover accommodation, leisure, treatment and care, maintenance and parking, while no separate specialist pathway for the travel or health-product interface was verified. The CCF's published Prakas list includes a cooling-off-period regulation for distance or door-to-door sales, but its exact period and exceptions should be checked in the official Khmer text before relying on them.