The Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in the Department of Economic Development saw a 30 percent increase in consumer complaint during the first quarter (Q1) of 2018 compared to the same period last year as more and more consumers continued to come forward and raise their concerns with the authorities as well as merchants.

CCCP, while continuing its efforts to enhance the role of DED in consumer protection and reinforcing Dubai’s reputation as a safe shopping destination for residents as well as tourists, received 270 complaints a day on average in a total of 8,166 complaints in first three months of the current year as compared to 6,275 complaints during Q1, 2017.

The Consumer Protection section in CCCP dealt with 1,007 issues out of which consumer complaints accounted for 81 percent. The rest included 1,062 notes and 779 enquiries received from consumers. Complaints received from inside the UAE accounted for 37 percent and the nationality-wise breakdown of complainants is as follows: India (13 percent), Egypt (10 percent), Saudi Arabia (7 percent) and Jordan (5 percent).

The services sector had a 33.9 percent share in the total complaints received while 16.7 percent were from the electronics sector, 10.7 percent relating to e-commerce, 7.9 percent regarding automobiles, and 6 percent about car rentals. Textiles and personal items (3.5 percent ), furniture (3.1 percent ), shipping (2.7 percent ), clothing and accessories (2.6 percent ) also featured among the complaints while 10 percent were from various sectors.