A mechanic checks an engine in an oil change and puncture repair shop in Jeddah. — Okaz photo RIYADH – The Consumer Protection Association (CPA) is offering workers rewards for exposing the fraudulent methods used by businesses to con consumers out of their hard-earned cash, reported Al-Watan Arabic newspaper on Wednesday. Dr. Naser Al-Twaim, President of the CPA, said he came up with the plan because he wanted to expose the criminal behavior of some merchants. He said this reminds him of the Arabic saying: “Only a master thief knows how to deal with a master thief.” Al-Twaim said workers at auto repair shops have been giving him information in return for rewards. For example, one worker told him that mechanics spray a chemical solution on old tires to make them look brand new. They have been cheating motorists in this manner for years, he said. He said that only the collective efforts of the authorities can effectively tackle commercial fraud. A decision has now been taken to set up a center for quality control to monitor goods and services and combat price manipulation. He said the body will initially look at creating a price index for basic goods and services and later for other products. He said the CPA is now in the process of getting official approval for these measures. In addition, the CPA will establish data centers to monitor prices all over the Kingdom and make comparisons with other countries. This will allow consumers to make informed choices, he added. He said consumers also have the power to boycott products that are overpriced. This follows the example of Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, who told a group of people to boycott merchants when they complained about the high price of meat. Ibrahim Al-Khamis, the owner of an auto shop, admitted that some businessmen were overcharging for their engine oil, despite getting discounts from wholesalers. For example, he sells a one-liter can of oil for SR15 and others sell the same product and brand for SR20, while the wholesale price is less than SR9 a can. He said many merchants raise prices whenever they feel like it because they know consumers will not complain. Apart from fighting fraud and overpricing on the part of businessmen, the Consumer Protection Association recently called upon food outlets in the Kingdom to list the calorie content of their food items in order to protect the health of the nation's consumers. The CPA called for food items to be labeled in colors similar to traffic lights. Healthy foods would be marked green, moderately healthy foods would be marked orange, while high calorie content fast foods would be marked red. The CPA also called for all food and beverage packaging to be clearly labeled with calorie content, protein, fat and carbohydrate percentages. The association said that it would urge the public “to boycott those companies which refuse to list the calorie content of their food items.” __
