MAKKAH — A number of people in Makkah have complained that markets and malls are using misleading tactics through sales announcements and advertisements to attract customers, and that such practice deceives people. This adds to the complaints of negative practices that affect the credibility and ethics of businesses. Speaking to Al-Madinah newspaper, a number of people called on the Ministry of Commerce to ensure that businesses do not print and distribute sales promotion circulars unless permission is granted from the ministry. This may ensure that such businesses honor what they promote. Failure to do that should be accompanied by stiff fines and penalties. Khalid Al-Qubori, a Makkah resident, noted that a leading supermarket announced sales on food items, but the prices at the checkout counters had not changed, and no reductions were in the offing. When he inquired about this discrepancy, the answer by the department managers was that they have nothing to do with the lowering of prices and it is the responsibility of the head office in Jeddah, which did not inform them of any change in prices. Al-Qubori called on the chambers of commerce and industry and the Ministry of Commerce to intervene to protect consumers from looting their rights and manipulating their needs. Another resident, Ahmed Al-Harbi, said, “This exploitation came as a result of the existence of gaps in some laws and regulations of economic transactions and any company that had plans to make sales on its stuff should have taken a license to make reductions. A circular must be distributed to print houses to not print any ad without a reduction license. This procedure would reduce exploitation and manipulation that are taking place in the field of advertising, especially considering that many print houses that print such ads know that they are in violation of regulations.” Hisham Al-Sayed, a businessman and board member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Makkah, said that printing houses must commit to not printing any brochure or promo ad unless the advertiser holds a permit and a letter from the competent authority to conduct discount sales, and believes that this is the correct procedure to preserve the rights of both producers and consumers. Al-Sayed believes that this step would significantly reduce such exploitation and fraudulent promotion of some products. Yasser Abu Al-Faraj, Assistant Secretary General of Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that this problem is complex as there are shops and companies that get permits to conduct sales and others that do not get permits. Abu Al-Faraj pointed out that the role of the Chamber of Commerce is limited to issuing official sales ads permits based on the directions of the Ministry of Commerce without having any authority to follow up and ensure the accuracy of implementation of the sales promotions. Abu Al-Faraj called for granting the Chamber of Commerce the authority to follow up the implementation of promotions through field surveys on establishments that have had promotional sales licenses. Abu Al-Faraj noted that the chamber had received many complaints from citizens regarding this issue but it did not have the power to take any action against the violators. He advised all consumers who are victims of deceptive ads to submit an official complaint to the Department of Anti-Commercial Fraud within the Ministry of Commerce to eliminate such unethical practices. — SG
