Dubai Economy has seen consumer complaints in the emirate declining by 12% during the first nine months of 2021 compared to the corresponding period in the past year. Competitive complaints resolution channels and growing consumer awareness are also enabling residents and visitors to continue shopping confidently in Dubai and claim their rights.
The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector of Dubai Economy received 40,526 consumer complaints during January-September of this year while the same period of the previous year had seen 46,216 complaints. The total consumer feedback received by CCCP during the said period also included 1,140 observations and 838 enquiries.
Nearly 93% of the consumer complaints received during the first nine months of 2021 came through the smart channels, including the Dubai Consumer App and the Consumerrights.ae website, provided by Dubai Economy in line with the strategic goal of enhancing business competitiveness and accelerating digital transformation in Dubai.
“We engage with consumers across all possible venues and encourage them to raise their complaints on purchases made in Dubai. The smart channels we provide have not only made it easier to raise a consumer complaint and get it resolved, but also elevated the experience of shopping in Dubai to a new level,” commented Mohammed Ali Rashid Lootah, CEO of CCCP.
A happy, confident shopping experience will reinforce Dubai as a retail and tourism hub, especially at a time when more visitors are arriving for the Expo 2020, added Lootah.
Services topped the list of sectors that accounted for the consumer complaints s received during January-September 2021 with 34.57%, while Electronics (13.99%), e-Commerce (10.58%), Readymade garments & accessories (7.4%) Shipping (6.52%), Cars (5.94%), Furniture (5.94%), Car rental (4.63%), Decoration and maintenance of buildings (3.62%), Textiles and personal items (2.8%), Auto repair workshops (2.67%) and Salons (1.34%) came next, respectively.
Refunds (25.19% of the complaints), failure to comply with the purchase agreement (15.8%), defective product (14.57%) and commercial fraud (11.76%) were the top reasons for the consumer complaints received during the first nine months of 2021. Non-compliance with after-sales service (5.7%), exchange (3.9%), non-compliant commercial activity (3.3%), shop policy inconsistent with the law (2.29%), refuse to repair device (2.11%), non-compliance with terms of promotion (1.95%), annoying promotional calls (1.8%), price increase (1.47%), failure to adhere to price list (0.68%), Value Added Tax (0.26%) and fraudulent gold & diamond transactions (0.15%) were also among the list of complaints received.
The largest share of consumer complaints (26%) raised during January-September 2021 came from Emiratis. The top five nationalities among complainants also included Indians (14%), Egyptians (11%), Jordanians (6%) and Pakistanis (4%).
Consumers can submit their complaints to Dubai Economy through the Dubai Consumer app available on the Apple, Google, and Huawei stores, on the Consumererrights.ae website, or by calling 600 54 5555.
|