Dubai Economy extending its consumer protection services to free zones in Dubai will substantially improve the consumer experience and enhance transparency and competitiveness among companies in Dubai, said Mohammed Ali Rashed Lootah, CEO of the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in Dubai Economy.

Participating in the latest round of the ‘Market Dialogue’ organised by Dubai Economyunder the title‘Consumer Rights in Free Zones under the Focus of Dubai Economy,’ Lootah highlighted the benefits of the agreement signed recently between Dubai Economy and the Dubai Free Zones Council to expand consumer protection services to the free zones.

The agreement is already in force and CCCP has started receiving complaints from customers of free zone companies, said Lootah, adding that consumers and corporate customers in free zones can submit complaints regarding sectors that are not regulated by other bodies. He also called on the public and consumers to be on alert against any negative practice, for example, price manipulation or commercial fraud, and raise such issues with Dubai Economy.

Lootah said all any consumer, including residents of Dubai as well as other emirates, tourists, and visitors, can submit complaints even after they leave Dubai. He said: “We received complaints from 80 different nationalities in 2019. For example, we frequently receive complaints from outside the country relating to security deposits on car rentals, and we have resolved many of these complaints.”

Lootahreminded that in the event of an e-commerce purchase the consumer should look for authorised websites and beware of unlicensed social media platforms in order to avoid being cheated. Consumers can inform Dubai economy about any negative e-commerce of an online site or company that has a store or headquarters in the free zones, and the CCCP inspectors will follow up on such alerts.

Consumers in general must be aware of the terms of purchasing and consumption to preserve their rights and avoid being deceived, added Lootah. Consumers should read terms and details relating to the product and purchase carefully, ask questions before buying.

“Consumers can communicate with the CCCP and submit their complaints through either of these channels – by calling 600 54 5555, through the ‘Dubai Consumer’ app available on the Apple, Google, and Huawei stores, or by visiting the Consumererrights.ae portal. They may also submit complaints relating to price hikes on Price.ded.ae. The complaints must be accompanied by supporting evidence and any relevant paper or electronic purchase invoice must be presented as a basic proof of purchase. Chinese consumers can submit their complaints in Chinese language through the ‘WeChat.’ We also receive consumer complaints in several other languages such as Urdu, Hindi and Farsi, as well as Arabic, English and French.”Lootah added.

Lootah urged free zone companies to support the efforts to enhance consumer awareness and protect consumer rights by displaying posters that explain the process to submit complaints. CCCP will launch consumer awareness campaigns in the free zones in cooperation with the Free Zones Council. The aim is to introduce consumers to the new opportunity to protect their rights and enhance their customer experience. Lootah pointed out that this would enhance the trust and cordial relations between the merchant and the consumer.

Lootah stressed that the agreement does not include commercial complaints, but merchants in the free zones can raise their complaints to Dubai Economy if the company against which the complained is located outside free zones. If the company against which the complaint is raised is within a free zone in Dubai, there are competent authorities that can be approached, such as the International Arbitration Centre, among others.

Lootah also referred to the consumer-friendly standards initiative launched by Dubai Economy last year. Currently in its final stages, the initiative provides certain optional criteria to improve the consumer experience. The initiative was designed based on international best practices and has attracted prominent companies. It will be announced during the final quarter of 2020.

The latest round of the Market Dialogue was organised in partnership with Al Bayan newspaper and was broadcast live on Zoom as well as Dubai Economy’s Instagram page.