Dubai: If you're not happy about the smartphone, furniture or big ticket item you've just purchased, or you were disappointed with the service at a local restaurant, it may be a good idea to complain to the establishment.
And if you're still left unsatisfied, the next course of action may be to file a complaint with a government office. Chances are that you might get a favourable response.
The Dubai Economy reported on Thursday that its Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection (CCCP) division resolved 105,258 consumer complaints it had received from 2010 until the first half of 2017.
The department logs about 15,000 complaints every year through its contact centre, Ahlan Dubai (6000545555).
Most of the disputes involved businesses in the services industry, accounting for 35 per cent, followed by merchants dealing with electronics (22 per cent) and cars (12 per cent).
There were also complaints from consumers who weren’t too happy with their purchased textiles and personal items (8 per cent), furniture (3 per cent) or car rental providers (1 per cent).
Among the complaints sorted out, the biggest chunk (about 22 per cent) were related to product failure, while 18 per cent involved buyers trying to secure a cash refund.
About a tenth of the disputes stemmed from non-compliance with agreements, while six per cent were related to commercial fraud.
Some consumers (5 per cent) also sought authorities’ help to secure replacements of items purchased, while others (4 per cent) griped about being charged extra fees.
There have also been consumers who complained about merchants or businesses for not complying with the price list (approximately 3 per cent), as well as those who claimed that their seller did not honour the warranty terms (2 per cent), or that the products purchased had defects (2 per cent).
Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, CEO of CCCP, assured that they are committed to raising Dubai’s reputation as the local and global trading hub.
“The CCCP sector is keen to promote transparency and facilitate the relationship between traders and consumers through an ideal environment with a high culture of awareness and neutrality in buying and selling in accordance with the highest quality standards and practices,” Lootah said in a statement.
