DOHA: The consumer rights watchdog has launched a massive crackdown on shopping centres amid complaints that many businesses are taking customers for a ride by announcing false promotions.
The clampdown is also aimed at making sure that no retail outlet launches a promotion without a nod from the Ministry of Business and Trade. Inspectors of the Consumer Protection Department (CPD) affiliated to the trade ministry have been given orders to raid major outlets indiscreetly.
The CPD is in a belligerent mood as an increasing number of people have been complaining that many major outlets are launching promotions which are basically aimed at cheating customers.
The CPD has been under the public scanner for quite a while and is widely accused of not doing enough to prevent retail outlets from preying on customers.
A major public complaint is that some outlets increase the prices of certain products and then announce ‘special offers’ which ensures sales without the customer realising that he has been a victim of price manipulation.
These are misleading promotions and one can produce purchase vouchers at the CPD with a complaint if there is a suspicion of fleecing, say knowledgeable sources.
And, arguably for the first time, the CPD is deploying women inspectors to run checks on beauty salons and see if they comply with rules regarding display of prices for their various services and if so, whether they are following the tariff list.
The CPD move apparently follows customer complaints that some salons do not stick to the price lists they display in their premises to comply with government rules.
The municipal ministry has women inspectors who regularly visit beauty salons but their brief is to check compliance with health and safety rules.
There have also been complaints that some outlets charge a two percent commission instead of one, on purchases made using credit cards. “No outlet is allowed to charge more than one percent on a purchase made using a credit card,” said a knowledgeable source.
There are some who even claim that outlets at times charge one percent commission on purchases they make using an ATM card, which is illegal.
According to CPD rules, no outlet can offer discounts on products and services and what can only be offered in a promotion (special offer) is ‘buy-one-and-get-one-free’.
In other words, outlets are not alowwed to give price discounts as part of a ‘special offer.’
They can offer another item or a different product free.
The Peninsula
