The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in Dubai Economy received 171 commercial complaints during the third quarter of 2020, a 16% increase over the same period in 2019. CCCP also received 169 business enquiries, bringing the total transactions it handled to 340 during the same period.

All commercial complaints and business enquiries in Q3 2020 came via the smart channels of CCCP, with the consumerrights.ae website accounting for 86% of the total incoming commercial complaints. The Dubai Consumer app accounted for the remaining 14% of the complaints and also for 100% of the business enquiries.

The largest share of commercial complaints - 54% of the total — came from the services sector, followed by the decoration & construction sector (14%), building materials sector (12%) equipment & accessories rental as well as freight sectors at 5% each, and electronics (3%). Cars as well as furniture each accounted for 1% of the complaints.

Failure to adhere to agreement terms and contracts were the leading cause for commercial complaints in Q3 2020, constituting 72%. Commercial fraud had a share of 15% among the complaints, followed by violations relating to after-sales service (5%), specifications and standards (2%), permitted activity (2%), and non-compliance of the shop policy with the law  (2%). Additional fees on a service or product and non-compliance with guarantee terms each had a share of 1% among the complaints.

Mohammed Ali Rashed Lootah, CEO of CCCP, said: “Maintaining a safe commercial and economic environment in Dubai is critical to the emirate remaining an attractive destination for international brands. The Commercial Compliance & Commercial Protection Sector endeavours to increase awareness among merchants, support the sustainability of their business, and protect their rights so they don’t resort to practices or violations that would attract punitive measures.”

Lootah added that the increase in the number of commercial complaints in Q3 2020 was due to the market reopening and commercial activities resuming in various sectors, following COVID-19 and its repercussions. “We constantly strive to resolve any commercial complaints amicably, in addition to following a fair and transparent system to protect the rights of the parties involved. We call on all business owners in the emirate to adhere to the best practices and sound standards that will enhance the commercial environment in Dubai.”

Earlier this year, the CCCP launched the Commercial Compliance Manual, to enhance compliance awareness among merchants and customers alike. The manual highlights the most important points that merchants must focus on to avoid interruptions to their business in addition to improving and developing the economic environment. The Arabic and English versions of the manual is available for reference on the Consumerrights.ae website.

Merchants can file their complaints against any commercial establishment in Dubai by providing the necessary evidence and documents through the Consumerrights.ae website or through the Dubai Consumer app, available on Apple, Google, and Huawei stores. The facility is available only for complaints relating to services. If the complainant is from outside the UAE, the documents must be certified by the competent authorities in their respective countries.