The Ministry of Business and Trade and out of its role in protecting the consumers’ rights and interests, and pursuant to the articles of the law No. (8) of 2008 on Consumer Protection, had punished a well-known car agency accredited in the State of Qatar, for not reporting the defects existing in its cars, which is considered a violation of the provisions of Article No. (14) of Law No. (8) of 2008, which stipulates that “the supplier shall, upon discovering a defect in the product or the service that may hurt the consumer upon using the product or benefiting from the service, notify the competent authority in the ministry, as well as the consumer of the potential harm and the ways to prevent this harm, and to withdraw the defective product from the market immediately, with the keenness to announce it” .
The Consumer Protection Department had also raised a criminal case against another agency for not providing good services after sales, failing to provide appropriate spare parts as well as not guaranteeing the service, as stated in the provisions of Article (11), which stipulates that “the supplier must determine in a clear way the description of the service he provides, as well as its advantages, characteristics and price. He must also guarantee the service for a period of time commensurate with the nature of the service, and refund its price to the consumer, or offer the service again in a proper way. ”
On the other hand the Department of Consumer Protection imposed a penalty on a Petrol Station for charging the consumer a higher price than the price mentioned on the commodity. The department imposed accordingly a penalty as stipulated in Article (10) of the Law, taking into account the provisions of Law No. (19) for the year 2006 onCompetition Protection and the Prevention of Monopolistic Practices, that states that it is not permissible for “Suppliers to conceal or abstain from selling any commodity with intent to control the market price, or require the consumer to buy a specific quantity thereof, or buy another commodity therewith, or charge a higher price than that advertised.”
HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, Director of the Consumer Protection Department, explained that the ministry will be resolute in the face of anyone who neglects the obligations stipulated by the Law No. (8) of 2008 on the Consumer Protection, for the benefit of the consumers.