Dubai: A resident, who was hoodwinked into buying a brand new iPhone 5s that turned out to be a refurbished phone, is warning consumers to be cautious when buying gadgets from unauthorised dealers.
“There were flaws in its functionality. I noticed that it was dropping calls, it wouldn’t receive calls and would not switch off,” Ahmad told Gulf News.
Ahmad said he repeatedly contacted the agent who sold the phone to him as brand new but he was ignored. Ahmad had the phone checked by a third party and he was told that the phone was refurbished, which means it’s an old phone fitted with some new parts.
“The iPhone came in a new packet, in a shrink wrap and it didn’t have any labels saying otherwise,” Ahmad said.
Ahmad contacted the Consumer Protection Department of the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) and he was advised to contact Apple’s Service Centre to certify that the iPhone was indeed refurbished.
Ahmed contacted the Apple Service Centre but they could not be of help.
“The Apple Service Centre refused to review the device because it is not a model number authorised to be sold in the UAE. I contacted the retailer and they have absolved themselves of responsibility. It is almost impossible to get such a technical inspection which the Consumer Protection Department asked me to get for them to review this case,” Ahmad said.
Gulf News contacted Apple but an official said Apple does not comment on individual consumer issues.
When contacted, the Consumer Protection Department did not comment on the matter as “once a complaint is submitted to DED, the details are discussed directly with the complainant”.
Najah, who mans the shop where Ahmad bought the iPhone, admitted to Gulf News that the phone Ahmad had bought was indeed refurbished. He said he would resolve the issue with Ahmad right away.
“If I’m stuck with this phone I am fine. But I want to make sure it doesn’t happen to other people. If tomorrow you went to a mall and you bought a gift and you assume that it’s new but later find out that it’s refurbished, what do you do?” Ahmad said.
Meanwhile, the DED confiscated and destroyed as many as 4,700 used smartphones that were being sold as brand new in June. The products, worth Dh7 million, were confiscated from 18 shops in Naif Souq and Satwa.
Mohammad Ali Rashid Lootah, Executive Director, Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Sector, assured the public that their rights are protected in Dubai.
“Consumers shouldn’t worry about buying products in Dubai because if they become a victim of any kind of commercial fraud, the Department of Economic Development will intervene to protect their rights,” Lootah told Gulf News.
“Selling a refurbished phone as a new phone without appropriately informing the consumer is illegal and a commercial fraud,” Lootah said, adding penalties for this vary based on the magnitude of the fraud but starts from Dh5,000 and involves confiscation of all unauthorised goods.
