Jet ski fans cry foul over mystery ‘damage’ fees

Sharjah: Jet ski fans are allegedly being taken for a ride by Sharjah rental operators who demand thousands of dirhams in compensation for ‘damage’ to jet skis when customers return to the shore.

Customers have reported several cases where the operators had allegedly threatened to call police and seize their ID if they disputed the damage claims or refused to pay up, despite having had an accident-free ride.

According to them, “fake police in plain clothes” had at times turned up and demanded they pay on the spot.

The “scam” is targeting riders who pay about Dh100 per hour for jet skiing in the lagoon area, they added.

An Arab father said his teenage son had returned home from an outing with friends to collect Dh1,000 after an operator “threatened to drag them to the police if they didn’t pay for an existing scratch on the Jet Ski they weren’t responsible for.”

“The children were very scared. They [rental operators] had kept my elder son’s ID and he had come home to fetch the money,” he said.

Another parent said he was asked to pay around Dh7,000 for unexplained mechanical problems allegedly caused by his son.

“The operator showed no proof of this and after threatening us with police action and refusing to hand back our IDs, we negotiated it down to about Dh2,000.”

Meanwhile, a Russian expat added that he was “forced to pay Dh1,000” for damage even though his jet ski was running fine and he had caused no accidents.

The customers said they had eventually caved in to the demands as they had no technical expertise about the workings of jet skis to refute the claims, adding they had paid up to escape the alleged intimidation and harassment.

A top Sharjah Police official has urged the public to refer such cases to them.

“People shouldn’t be scared. If they [rental companies] seize the victims’ ID, no worries — people can leave it with them and come to us to report the case,” Brigadier Abdullah Mubarak Al Dukhan, deputy director of Sharjah Police, told Gulf News.

“We’re in charge in case of accidents and similar problems.”

He advised customers to check the jet ski before hiring and refuse to pay if there’s a disputed damage claim.

“The jet ski should be insured and both parties should have a contract between them. It’s totally prohibited to rent out to people under 18. If this is the case, the jet ski rent company will be shut down,” said Brig. Al Dukhan.

However, rental operators gave conflicting accounts when Gulf News yesterday went undercover at Al Mamzar Lagoon, a popular spot for jet skiing.

One operator said the jet skis and riders were not insured and financially responsible for accident repairs.

Rental contracts also did not mention insurance, and made no reference to any non-accident-related damage or misuse.

A couple of operators also allowed under-18s to rent rides. Children as young as three were permitted to ride, accompanied by an adult, in at least one case.

A representative from Dolphin jet skis said: “We have a [third-party] expert who determines if there’s damage and calculates the repair cost, just like there are experts for cars. We don’t charge customers arbitrarily, but we’ll keep the ID until it’s all sorted out.”

But an official from Fun Drive rentals said there were no clear rules governing disputes and he himself estimated the nature and cost of any damage on site, with customers expected to pay upfront as per the rental contract.

Brig. Al Dukhan said the rental companies, estimated to be at least 10 in Sharjah, are licensed by the emirate’s economic department. Each one is allowed to operate up to seven jet skis, he added.

It was not immediately clear if similar complaints have been raised in Dubai, where jet skis are regulated by the Marine Agency of the Roads and Transport Authority.

Overseeing of the fast vessels has also variously been reported to come under the scanner of the Dubai Maritime City Authority. The minimum legal age for riding jet skis has also been mentioned separately as 14 and 16.

Customers meanwhile called on the UAE Consumer Protection Society and the Ministry of Economy to look into the reports and take any necessary action.

It is required by law to wear life jackets on jet skis, with riding prohibited at night. Dubai has over the years narrowed down the locations where the leisure activity is allowed, with Sharjah operators in Al Mamzar cashing in on spill over demand.