Eid Al Fitr shopping: How Dubai inspectors prevent price hikes, protect consumers
Over 95 per cent of businesses in Dubai adhered to rules and regulations around price mechanisms and consumer protection during the holy month of Ramadan. This resulted in a drop in consumer complaints, a senior official told Khaleej Times on Tuesday.
'We did not stop inspections during Ramadan as my team visited the market to monitor the prices of goods. Approximately 95 per cent of the market followed the rules. Therefore, we didn't have many complaints related to price hikes. There were minor cases, but they were mainly related to construction and maintenance sectors,' said Ahmad Ali Moosa, director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade (DCCPFT), a part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
'To be honest, we did not have many violations. We had just a few complaints against cold calling and car rental firms not returning deposits. This drop in complaints gives us confidence that businesses are obeying the rules and regulations of consumer protection,' Ahmad said in an interview.
Khaleej Times joined a team from the DCCPFT for an inspection tour of a shopping mall led by Ahmad to ensure market readiness for Eid Al Fitr. The team visited a hypermarket and shops selling sweets, confectionary, shoes, kanduras and jewellery.
Ahmad and his team personally checked the prices of frozen items, rice, drinks, and other basic consumer goods that Dubai residents use.
Carrying their inspection devices to check prices, the inspectors checked the items' original and discounted prices under loyalty schemes that were put on display, to make sure that they were aligned and protect consumers' rights.
When the team found that a couple of retailers had not put price tags, the inspectors asked them to. Ahmed told the team to visit the retailers again in a few days to ensure that the price tags were added. 'Today, we issued only a warning. If they fail to put a price tag during the next inspection, they will be fined.'
The team also checked the licenses of the retailers and promotions.
'We don't inform the market that we are coming for inspections; they are random. However, we have an internal daily and monthly inspection schedule to visit several sites and inspectors immediately upload any feedback and evidence that they get from the market. In case of violations, they immediately take action. And we can also track and monitor where our inspectors are moving.'
He stressed that the aim is to educate businesses and not to fine them. 'We are enabling and enhancing the experience of businesses in Dubai.'
Ahmed noted that each inspection typically lasts between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on the size of the outlets.
The team monitors prices to ensure there are no hikes. He stressed that the DET wants to ensure that prices are transparent to the people, and that businesses are obeying the rules and regulations.
'Such practices bring confidence to the consumers. They realize the government is upholding rights, especially during the business shopping season such as Eid Al Fitr. We are looking at the fair trade aspect of it as well.
'We are making sure that there is no manipulation in the market, and that businesses are following all the rules.'
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