As the Ministry of Commerce and Investment is carrying out proactive inspection rounds to verify the conformity of the household electric appliances to the approved standard specification, MCI inspectors have carried out 1370 inspection tours on the markets and outlets, selling household electric water heaters in different regions of the Kingdom, especially with coming of winter season. These inspection tours resulted in detecting 113 commercial institutions in violation.
The Ministry's inspection tours aim at verifying the conformity of the offered electric appliances to the standard specifications, and to ensure that the commercial establishments, or selling outlets do not possess, offer or display any non-conforming appliances to the consumers, since they pose danger to the safety of users.
MCI would seize any devices not conforming to the approved Saudi standard specification, due to the risk and damage they may cause to the consumers. All legal penalties would be imposed on non-compliant establishments according to the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law. This law stipulates that offering or displaying any products contrary to the said law, will lead to a fine of up to one million riyals, or Imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or both, besides defamation against the offenders in local newspapers.
MCI would like to urge all consumers to ensure that the electric heaters include the data label and the price tag. Also to ensure that the voltage is 220-250, with the availability of a thermometer to indicate the water temperature, in addition to a led that glows when the voltage is applied, as well as the electric water heater should be equipped with a suitable tool for fixing and installing, and to verify as well the absence of any apparent defects in the electric device.
MCI would like to instruct the consumers to ensure that there is no discrepancy or inconsistency between the data written on the carton and the one written on the device itself. The manual or instructions should be written in Arabic, a two-year warranty should be granted as well. Meanwhile, MCI recommends buying electric devices from a reliable and well-known Est.
MCI calls on all consumers to lodge their complaints and observations against any non-conforming electric appliances, through MCI Consumer Call Center (1900), or through the application of a Commercial Violation Report, or through the Ministry's website.