The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set up several digital channels to enable the Kingdom's citizens and residents to report abuse by the Saudi commercial or industrial sectors. With the invitation of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah, reports of any noncompliance with the government's published regulations, may be submitted through Twitter (@SaudiMCI), by calling 1900 or via the Ministry's Android or iPhone apps. Access to all the Ministry's services and social media accounts is easy through the website http://mci.gov.sa/en. To help in understanding what type of abuse can be reported, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has created a graphic describing instances when reports are warranted. These include: • Companies not following the rules in regards to maintenance, spare parts and warranties. • Differences between the weight printed on a product's label and the product's actual weight. • Refusal of a retailer to sell a product or give a receipt. • Receipts that are not in Arabic. • Retailers selling expired, rotten or counterfeit products. • Displayed merchandise without price tags. • Contractual conflicts. • Retailers not following their published sales policies. • Retailers not providing correct change in currency. • Shops placing the notice, “Sold merchandise cannot be returned or exchanged.” • The forced selling of one product with another, i.e. mobile phone only sold with additional accessories. • Finding that the price at the cash register is different than the retailer's displayed price. • Retailers adding extra fees for paying with a credit card. • Fake discounts or requiring purchases in order to enter contests. The Ministry's goal is to respond rapidly to the reports, sometimes within minutes, and to protect consumers' rights.
