Dubai Economy’s Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector has fined those behind a website that offered specialised courses without a license.
According to the CCCP, the website offered courses in a Dubai, given by an unqualified lecturuer. The course certificates were also unaccredited, the authority said.
CCCP also requested that the website’s content should also be removed with immediate effect.
In addition, the CCCP said the hotel that hosted the course programme was also fined by Dubai Economy after it failed to verify the authenticity of the website or the organisers’ capability to conduct the programme, which violatedd commercial rules and regulations.
The government authority said the action was taken as part of CCCP’s efforts to streamline and regulate e-commerce, and protect the rights of vendors as well as consumers. The close monitoring of e-commerce activities also ensures transparency and competitiveness across business activities in Dubai, it said.
“The website had invited individuals and companies to attend various specialised courses and offered to provide certificates for the same too,” said Mahir Al Marzouki, head of Electronic Compliance section.
“Our investigation showed that not only that the website was unauthorised but also that the certificates were unaccredited and the lecturer was not qualified to conduct the course.”
Mahir Al Marzouki, Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection’s head of Electronic Compliance section at Dubai Economy.
Al-Marzouqi added the closure of the website meant suspension of around 600 courses that the website was planning to roll out. With five slots in each course, the total fees collected would have been $9 million (AED 33 million).
“We have managed to protect thousands of consumers, enhancing Dubai’s reputation as a safe destination for purchasing goods as well as services.”
Al-Marzouqi reminded hotel operators that it’s their responsibility to ensure that the organiser is licensed and qualified for hosting a similar education programme.
“The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection sector handles complaints relating to e-procurement and websites with the same importance seriousness we accord to issues linked to conventional business activities,” Al-Marzouqi said.
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