The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has penalised eight automobile repair workshops for violating the country’s consumer protection law, it has been announced.
The violations were detected when the ministry carried out a surprise inspection campaign targeting automobile agencies and car repair workshops across the country in a bid to monitor the compliance of suppliers (auto agencies and repair workshops, in this case) with their obligations under Law No 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection, the MEC said in a statement on Wednesday.
The inspection campaign comes within the framework of the MEC’s efforts to monitor markets and commercial activities, crack down on price manipulation and uncover violations in a bid to protect consumer rights, the statement noted.



The MEC said the eight workshops were fined for failing to display a list of services and their prices, which represented a violation of Article 11 of Law No 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection.
The law stipulates that “the supplier shall clearly define the service, its characteristics and price. The supplier shall also provide a warranty for a period of time corresponding to the nature of the service and the amount paid by the recipient of the service or shall properly perform the service again”.
Violations of Law No 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection can result in administrative closure and financial penalties ranging between QR6,000 and QR1mn, according to the statement.
The MEC stressed that it would not tolerate any violations of the consumer protection law and its regulations, and would intensify its inspection campaigns to crack down on such offences. The ministry will refer those who violate laws and ministerial decrees to the competent authorities, who will, in turn, take appropriate action against the perpetrators in order to protect consumer rights.
The MEC has urged all consumers to report violations or submit complaints and suggestions through the call centre: 16001, email: [email protected], Twitter: MEC_QATAR, Instagram: MEC_QATAR and the ministry’s application on iPhone and Android devices: MEC_QATAR.
Related Story