Consumer complaints in Dubai fell last year despite a rebound in the number of shoppers following the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic.
The Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in the Department of Economy and Tourism received over 60,000 comments from shoppers in 2021 as retailing in Dubai recovered as shops reopened.
Consumer complaints dropped 2 percent last year compared to 2020, indicating an improved awareness on consumer rights among merchants as well as shoppers, a statement said.
The 60,732 consumer comments recorded last year included 58,167 resolved complaints.
A vast majority of the complaints received in 2021 came from the services sector, which continues to evolve as a key economic activity in Dubai, accounting for 34.4 percent of the total. Electronics (13.6 percent), e-commerce (10.8 percent), Readymade garments and accessories (8.1 percent) and shipping (6.2 percent) were also key factors.
Refunds (25.3 percent of the complaints), failure to comply with the purchase agreement (15.5 percent), defective product (11.7 percent) and commercial fraud (14 percent) were the top reasons for the consumer complaints received in 2021.
Mohammed Ali Rashed Lootah, CEO of the CCCP sector, said: “We are committed to ensuring that the shopping experience in Dubai is well-aligned to the customer happiness that the city promotes as an integral element of its competitiveness.
“Shoppers in Dubai, including visitors, tourists and residents, are constantly being reminded of their consumer rights. We have also made it easier for them to connect with us instantly and have their complaints and concerns resolved amicably.”
He added: “The decrease seen in consumer complaints despite visitors returning in large numbers to malls and markets in Dubai in 2021 underlines an increased awareness among consumers as well as merchants.
“Such shared knowledge and mutual trust have a major impact on Dubai sustaining its reputation as a retail hub and tourist destination,” added Lootah.
Emiratis accounted for 24 percent of the consumer complaints while the rest were mostly from Indians (14 percent), Egyptians (11 percent), Saudis (4 percent) and Jordanians (4 percent).
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