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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Most consumer plaints against car dealerships

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The number of consumer-related complaints has declined by two per cent in the first half of 2017 on a year-to-year basis, according to the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP). The maximum number of complaints were regarding car dealerships/ services and electric/ electronic appliances, followed by aluminium, blacksmithy (gold) and carpentry workshops. There was a 12-per cent dip in the submitted reports regarding foods, coffee shops, beauty parlours and barber shops and their services.


The decrease in the number of complaints and reports in the first half of 2017 as against the same period last year is a clear evidence of the increasing awareness among consumers and traders about the rights guaranteed under the Consumer Protection Law.


PACP’s Anti-Commercial Fraud Department received 79 reports and recovered an estimated amount of RO 4,817.5.


The Head of the Anti-Commercial Fraud Department in-charge, Al Fadhl bin Naseer al Yahmadi, said the number of reports submitted in the first quarter was 50, and the second quarter, 29.


A total of 56 reports were received through the call centre, 16 via the customer service centre and seven on the PACP website.


Al Yahmadi said a majority of the reports were regarding misleading commercial advertisements, fraud and counterfeiting in services and commodities, weight and size manipulation and price difference.


He said the recovered amounts in light of these reports were from various sectors such as cars and car services, electric/ electronic appliances, phones and phone services, watches, jewellery and accessories, among others.


The authority will launch an initiative titled ‘In Touch With You’ in the mountainous areas and villages of North Al Batinah Governorate. The campaign, which will last until February 2018, is part of directorate’s efforts to directly communicate with consumers and use all possible means to convey PACP’s message to all sections of the community.


Abdulrahman bin Salim al Qasimi, Director-General of Consumer Protection, said this initiative presents awareness messages by outlining rights and basic duties to consumers in a simple manner and discuss consumers’ concerns by dealing with traders and finding out what problems they are facing in the markets.


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