In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Commerce takes strict measures against fake goods in the markets. That is why the minimum period of original goods warranty is fixed at 2 years.
During this time, if the purchased item is damaged, the consumer has the right to file a claim with the commercial warranty provider as per the warranty regulations.
A person has inquired as to how the facility 'Protection of Consumer Rights' provided by the Ministry of Commerce can be utilized, does this law apply only to vehicles or is it also applicable in case of malfunction in mobile phones etc. What can be done?
The Ministry of Commerce says that the purpose of the Consumer Rights Protection Act is to ensure the implementation of the warranty system for purchased commercial goods for which rules have been formulated by the Ministry.
Through 'Consumer Protection Rights any consumer is entitled to lodge a complaint against any product purchased if the facility is not provided as per the warranty provided to him'.
The Ministry of Commerce has also launched the 'Balagh Bharkan' app. The app is also available on the Play Store. Through the app, any user can file a legitimate complaint about the lack of proper response from the merchant on any defect in the item purchased.
It should be noted that the purpose of the Consumer Rights Protection Committee of the Ministry is to ensure the implementation of the rights and duties of traders and buyers.
On the website of the Ministry of Commerce, under the title of 'Aarf Haqq' i.e. 'Know Your Right', important points have been explained, according to the law of the Ministry of Commerce, the goods sold in the kingdom must be sold to the consumer with at least 2 years of industrial warranty. Warranty must be given.
It is the duty of the organization providing warranty for the goods to rectify the technical defect or provide a replacement to the consumer within a maximum period of two weeks.
For example, if a person buys a car worth 100,000 riyals. Due to technical fault, the vehicle has been sent to the warranty company where its rectification is delayed, the company or the dealer is obliged to provide the customer with a replacement vehicle until the warranty is rectified.
As per the law, the company is also obliged to provide the replacement vehicle to the customer of the same value or more than the value of the vehicle purchased. Regardless of whether the value of the purchased vehicle has decreased after use.
The Ministry of Commerce has also issued a toll-free number 1900 to register a warranty complaint against any commercial product under the Consumer Protection Act, while any consumer can report the product purchased through a smart phone app called 'Balag Bharkan'. A complaint can be filed.
Complaints filed are processed immediately. It is taken care by the concerned investigation committee that the matter is dealt with as soon as possible as per the warranty given to the consumer.
