Dubai Economy Sees Commercial Complaints Dropping 35 Percent In 2020

All complaints and inquiries came through smart channels

The Commercial Compliance& Consumer Protection (CCCP) Sector in Dubai Economy received 500 commercial complaints during 2020, a decrease of 35% compared to the previous year. The Sector also received 609 business enquiries, thus taking the total transactions business protection transactions handled in 2020 to 1,109.

All commercial complaints and business inquiries received in 2020 came through the smart channels of CCCP. The Consumerrights.ae website accounted for 89% of the complaints while the remaining  came through the Dubai consumer app. Together, the app and website accounted for all business enquiries received.

Mohammed Ali Rashid Lootah, CEO of CCCP, said: “Sustained awareness initiatives by the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection Sector have succeeded in enhancing investor confidence in Dubai and subsequently, in bringing down the number of complaints from businesses.The ‘Commercial Compliance Manual’ that we launched in June last year also contributed to increasing awareness among traders on their rights and responsibilities. The Manualexplains the most important points the trader should focus on to avoid interruptionsand create a competitive economic environment. The business community can refer to the directory, available in Arabic and English, by visiting the Consumerrights.ae website.”

Lootah added: “We will continue to strive to resolve any business complaints amicablyand uphold the principles of fairness and transparency to protect the rights of all parties concerned.Business owners in Dubai shouldstay away from any violation that might invite punitive action, and also abide by and apply best practices and standards that will enhance the work environment in Dubai and ensure sustainability of their business.”

A majority (39.6%) of the commercial complaints received in 2020 came from the services sector, followed by the decoration & construction ( 27%), foodstuffs (10.6%), accessories (5.6%), electronics (4.6%), shipping (4.6%), and equipment rental (4%). The remaining were distributed to the automobile, furniture, document clearance, labour supply, and transportation sectors.

Non-compliance with the agreement terms was the cause of 70.6% of the complaints, while 13.8% were about commercial fraud, 4% about unauthorised activity, 3.4% about after sales service, and 3% were aboutfailure to adhere to specifications and standards. The remaining were distributed as store policies incompatible with laws applicable, additional fees on a service/product,non-compliance with warranty terms, mismatches in price list, and VAT.

Merchants can file their complaints relating to services provided by commercial establishments in Dubai, along with the necessary documents and evidence,through the consumerrights.ae website or through the Dubai Consumer app available on Apple, Google, and Huawei stores. If the complainant is from outside the UAE, the documents must be certified by the competent authorities in their respective countries.

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