RIYADH – The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued four preliminary verdicts against three car dealers for violation of their commitments to customers as per the law for commercial agencies. After the expiry of the regulatory period, these verdicts will be deemed as final and the names of violators will be publicized, the ministry said in a press statement on Wednesday. The statement said that these decisions were taken following an order of Commerce Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah to constitute a commission to take punitive measures against violators. According to the law, it is the duty of the dealer to ensure the good condition of spare parts, guarantee of products and ensuring their maintenance. Earlier, the ministry summoned a number of automobile dealers for their involvement in various violations and carried out investigations before referring the cases to the commission to take penal action. The ministry also slapped fines on eight dealers for violations, such as failure to display price tag, commercial details in clear terms, and details of contracts with dealers, besides forcing customers to sign purchase contracts in languages other than Arabic. The statement said that the ministry is keen to protect customers from all types of practices that deprive them of their rights. The ministry took these measures after the findings of a recent poll conducted among the customers. According to the survey, nearly 61 percent of customers are not satisfied with the services being extended by car dealers in the Kingdom. It was revealed in the survey that only 11 percent of clients have expressed their satisfaction over the standard of services being rendered to them.
