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DUBAI / WAM
Commercial complaints in Dubai showed a remarkable decline in 2019, as sustained campaigns by Dubai Economy to reach out to traders and resolve their complaints amicably helped improve relations within the business community and enhance business competitiveness in Dubai.
The Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection (CCCP), sector in the Dubai Economy received 770 commercial complaints in 2019, which showed a 54 percent decrease compared to the 1,657 complaints received in 2018. The CCCP also received 476 enquiries, bringing the total transactions it handled to 1,246.
The smart channels of CCCP accounted for 55 percent of the commercial complaints received in 2019. Around 13 percent came through the smart application and 42 percent were filed on the website. The smart application also accounted for 73 percent of enquiries received. Sector-wise, services led with a share of 39 percent of the complaints, followed by foods (16 percent), and decoration and buildings (12 percent). The remainder was distributed among various sectors.
Failure to adhere to the agreement terms and contract was the leading cause of complaints in 2019, in addition to commercial fraud and non-adherence to the declared activity. Most of the companies involved in the complaints were those owned by Emiratis, Indians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, and Saudis, reflecting the investor profile in Dubai.
Mohammed Ali Rashed Lootah, CEO of CCCP, said, “We are pleased with the continuous year-on-year decline in the number of complaints we receive from merchants in the emirate. It indicates the success of our awareness campaigns rolled out on conventional, as well as digital platforms. Certainly, these campaigns will continue to help us achieve the highest level of satisfaction and happiness among the groups targeted.”
Lootah added, “Dubai Economy has a big responsibility, especially since Dubai has the highest concentration of international trademarks. Therefore, we are keen on adopting a fair and transparent system to protect the rights of merchants and consumers alike.”
Businesses can file their complaints to the Business Protection section in the Dubai Economy with a copy of the documents needed to validate their claim. If the complainant is from outside the UAE, the documents must be certified by the competent authorities in the respective country. Complaints can be submitted through consumerrights.ae or the Dubai Consumer application available on the Apple, Google and Huawei stores.