The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has defamed the owner of an Est. specialized in the trade of fabrics and ready-made clothes in Dammam, following his involvement in violating the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law and for the failure to abide by the terms and conditions of the discounts licensing. The said Est. offered sales without specifying the period, or the percentage of discounts, and the absence of displaying the prices before and after the sales. This is considered a clear misleading towards the consumers.
The Ministry published the content of the judicial ruling, issued by the Criminal Court in Dammam, which imposed a fine and publishing the verdict in two local newspapers at the expense of the violator.
The Ministry of Commerce and Investment carries out inspection tours to monitor the compliance of establishments with the rules and conditions of conducting commercial discounts and to verify that they are licensed, besides ensuring that the declared prices do not differ from the ones with the cashiers, also to ensure that all the products are included in the discount lists. MCI commits to refer the violators to the concerned authorities for taking the legal measures as per the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law.
The Ministry provides e-service for issuing discounts licenses to commercial establishments online. This is part of MCI keenness to verify the validity and reality of the discounts, and to ensure the absence of manipulation or misleading towards the consumers, besides eliminating all false and misleading offers.
The Ministry of Commerce and Investment confirms the continuation of addressing those violating the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law by taking stern measures and imposing the legal penalties against them, in view of the fraud and deception towards the consumers. The Rules & Regulations related to Anti-Commercial Fraud Law stipulates penalties that may reach to three-year imprisonment, fines up to one million riyals or both , Defamation in two local newspapers at the expense of the violator, deportation of the illegal labors from the Kingdom, besides the suspension and prevention of practicing the same commercial activity.
MCI calls on all consumers to lodge their complaints or observations through MCI Consumer Call Center (1900), or through the application of a Commercial Violation Report, or via the Ministry's website.