The formation of a special team to safeguard consumer rights by the Department of Economic Development in Dubai will help strengthen the consumer protection movement initiated by the government. However, this should not be done in isolation.
Most consumers in the UAE are not clear about their rights. In most cases, they are at the mercy of the salesman’s and customer service agent’s interpretation of their rights. Despite repeated campaigns by the DED, most retailers still do not adhere to the exchange policy, the return of goods policy and their customer service obligations.
Since most consumers are expatriates, they do not fight back against these violations and silently accept what is given. Customer service is the biggest source of consumer frustration in the UAE. The government could engage the consumers, retailers and the media in a nationwide campaign to promote consumer rights. For that, all the seven emirates should draft a common code relating to consumer rights so that all consumers could follow a common policy guideline. In this regard, the federal government’s Ministry of Economy could take a leadership role.
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