DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has revoked the discount permits of three shopping outlets and imposed fines of QR5,000 on each for violating provisions of the consumer protection law.
The violations included a failure to separate between discounted and non-discounted items and to display price tags.
Some of the erring outlets offered discounts on less than 80 percent of their products, in violation of the provisions of the Ministerial Decree No. 5 of 1984 on sales via discounts, the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
The ministry urged consumers to verify the prices of items before and during promotions.
Customers have the right to access the shop’s goods statement which reveals the prices of goods prior to and following discounts as well as the approved discount percentage.
Consumers are also advised to request detailed invoices, indicating original and reduced prices.
Following a massive inspection campaign, the ministry fined 14 outlets for violations ranging from charging customers higher than the declared prices and a failure to use Arabic in advertisements and product descriptions as well as breaching discount terms and conditions.
The surprise raids targeted several shopping outlets in shopping malls to ensure their compliance with the provisions of Law No. 8 of 2008 on consumer protection, said the ministry.
The inspection campaign came as part of the ministry’s efforts to monitor commercial activity and crack down on price manipulation and consumer rights violations.
Violators of Consumer Protection Law No. 8 of 2008 are subject to administrative closure and a minimum fine of QR3,000 and up to QR1m.
The ministry said it will intensify inspection campaigns to crack down on all violations of the consumer protection law and refer the violators to competent authorities who will take appropriate legal action against them to protect consumers’ rights.
The ministry also urged consumers to report any violations and forward complaints or suggestions via hotline: 16001; email: [email protected]; the ministry’s accounts Twitter MEC_QATAR; and Instagram MEC_QATAR; and its applications on smartphones available on iPhone and Android devices.
The Peninsula
