Victory for buyers : Consumers reclaim BD290,000 over past two years through complaints system

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce recovered BD290,000 for consumers over the past two years, while arranging replacements worth BD75,000, according to a written reply from Minister His Excellency Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro to MP Dr Muneer Seroor.

The figures cover 2023 and 2024, during which the ministry’s Consumer Protection Directorate received 7,868 complaints in the first year and 7,153 in the second.

A further 1,302 complaints were registered between January and March this year.

Most cases concerned faulty electrical goods and vehicle-related issues.

Fakhro noted that complaints fell by roughly 9 per cent in 2024.

Goods and services

That year, more than BD120,000 was recovered for consumers, while goods and services worth over BD45,000 were replaced.

In 2023, the recovered amount exceeded BD170,000, with replacements totalling more than BD30,000.

By law, the ministry has up to 60 working days to examine a complaint. However, the directorate typically contacts both the complainant and the business within three days to assess the issue and determine the next step.

Working days

Resolution times vary. Most complaints are dealt with within 15 working days.

• Around 42 per cent are completed within one week

• 19 per cent within eight to fifteen days

• 15 per cent within sixteen to thirty days

• 12 per cent are resolved on the same day they are received

The directorate may also refer cases to the courts when necessary. In both 2023 and 2024, 212 complaints were handed to the Public Prosecution.

In 2023, six shops were shut down by administrative order.

Arrangements

To reduce delays, the ministry signed service level agreements with eight commercial entities that frequently attract complaints.

These arrangements led to a 35 per cent reduction in average handling times for those firms.

As for cases that take longer, Fakhro said the directorate follows a graduated process. Staff first attempt to broker a settlement between the parties. Failing that, the matter proceeds through formal steps: an initial letter, a notice, a final warning, and then a binding decision.

If the business fails to comply, the case is referred to prosecutors.