Every now and then, Qatari forums and media outlets address issues related to citizens’ problems.
These issues are often related to health, education and services provided by individuals, companies or government authorities.
Some of us facing these problems do not know how to deal with them or how to recover our money, especially if it is the first time we are experiencing such painful and unusual situations.
Due to the growth the country is witnessing, numerous companies and people of Asian and Arab nationalities now exist in the country. Ten years ago, most of the work of home maintenance, construction and other such jobs were done by workers of certain nationalities.
Back then, all our needs of construction, maintenance and procurement were done honestly, and verbal agreements were mutually respected.
We did not hear of or face problems with construction companies and workers that we experience nowadays.
Citizens are now crying out on radio and in police stations and courts to recover their rights and financial dues from people who do not show any mercy in their dealings.
Unbelievably high prices are being imposed on us. However, we accept them. It is as if the citizens are paying tax for getting high salaries. These companies see us as prey.
They have got bold enough to quote these high prices without hesitation, and if you don’t accept them, someone else will, so you don’t get to even open your mouth, as these companies only know the language of numbers and profit, even if it is ten times the normal profit.
Despite all this, you don’t get what you pay for, and you don’t find any integrity or quality in what you get.
For example, if you contract with any of these companies, they will drain you dry, as they will force you to make a huge down payment in order to finish the job in the estimated time, and of course, you have to pay.
In order to pay these large sums of money, you must either get a bank loan or have savings that cover the expense of building or maintaining your home.
After the first instalment is paid, the company will deploy an uncountable number of workers in the first week, then they start reducing the numbers so that only one or two workers remain on the job.
Lengthy wrangling then starts between you and the company. Even after hearing their flimsy excuses, seeing the poor quality of their work and the bad way they treat you, you are forced to pay the second instalment.
Most of the contractors do not do what the customers want, and the customers are surprised by what is accomplished as compared to what is mentioned in the contract.
At the end of the day, you find yourself going to police stations and courts to get justice. Nearly every Qatari family is suffering this.
Almost the same thing happens when you sign a contract with self-employed labour. They insist on the first instalment, and they can disappear with your money and you won’t see them again because they have already contracted with more than one customer.
The question is how are we going to get back our rights? We need a deterrent law to face these merciless people who only speak of profits and manipulate and inflate prices at will.
