Business | Investment
Things buyers should know
You've just bought a brand-new dishwasher and when you turned it on, the internal wiring short-circuited, ignited and started a fire.
- By Cleofe Maceda/Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:10 March 15, 2008
You've just bought a brand-new dishwasher and when you turned it on, the internal wiring short-circuited, ignited and started a fire.
You'd run for your dear life, of course. That's the most sensible thing to do. But what about the appliance you just bought? What if the seller refuses to replace it?
Fortunately, you can now run to the Consumer Protection Department for help, not for the treatment of your burns, but to complain about your obviously defective appliance.
Apparently, not many people are aware of the existence of that department, or any UAE law that protects the rights of consumers. A colleague said he'd not even heard of it until last Thursday, when the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a forum about it.
It turns out the UAE never had specific consumer protection laws until 2006, when the Consumer Law, or Federal Law No. 24, was issued. A lawyer says there were probably some parts of other laws which did offer some form of protection to consumers in the UAE, but the federal law was the first measure aimed specifically at addressing consumer welfare.
With this law, consumers can now complain about a host of issues - from defective or unsafe products, lack of price tags, warranties and invoices to misleading advertising and labelling.
The latter reminds me of an airline promo. Once I got a bit excited when I heard about a firm offering a fare of less than Dh100 to my dream destination. I asked someone to book online, but I later learned the flights were limited to certain months and the actual charge was more than Dh100. Talk about truth in advertising. Add this to the list: "75 per cent off" sale that never ends.
Apart from prohibiting false advertising, an important aspect of the law is that it ensures, among other things, the right of consumers to be protected against unsafe products.
Recall
Last year, about 2.3 million dishwashers were recalled in the United States following 135 reports of dishwasher fires that resulted in product and/or property damage. Four injuries were reported, including three incidents of smoke inhalation.
In case of a defective product, a consumer in the UAE can either have the item replaced or repaired, or seek a refund. In some cases a consumer may be entitled to a substitute product till the item has been fixed.
There are more rights a consumer should be aware of. Awareness is the first line of defence against deception and fraud. It can help you avoid rip-offs and ensure that your hard-earned money is well spent.
For suppliers, it pays to be honest and trade fairly. Recalling or repairing defective products will always entail an additional financial burden. And while the penalty for violators may not seem very much to some larger companies, they're bound to get bad publicity every time an unhappy customer cries foul. This will definitely lead to a loss of consumer confidence.
Awareness is the first line of defence against deception and fraud. It can help you avoid rip-offs and ensure that your hard-earned money is well spent.
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