Sunday 1 June 2025
The General Directorate for Consumer Protection in North Al Batinah Governorate succeeded in reaching an amicable settlement between a consumer and a commercial company specializing in shipping and customs clearance, resulting in the recovery of more than 7,500 Omani Rials for the consumer. This is part of ongoing efforts to restore and safeguard consumers’ rights whenever they are violated, by all available means.
The details go back to receiving a complaint by the directorate, stating that a consumer contracted with one of the shipping and customs clearance companies to purchase and ship a vehicle from the United States of America to the Sultanate of Oman, and he paid all amounts related to the purchase and shipping of the vehicle. After the vehicle’s arrival, the company delayed delivering it to the consumer, which led to the accumulation of customs fees. The company then contacted the consumer to demand payment of additional customs fees and forced him to pay them despite the absence of such a condition in their contract.
Accordingly, the consumer filed a complaint with the administration, which took the necessary administrative measures. The investigation revealed that the company delayed delivering the vehicle to the consumer by one month after its arrival at Sohar Port. After discussions between the parties, a settlement was reached, and an amount of 7,800 Omani Rials was recovered for the consumer.
It is worth noting that the legal guarantee according to Article 19, Clause 5 of the executive regulations of the Consumer Protection Law issued by Royal Decree No. (66/2014) states that "The provider is prohibited from failing to provide the goods upon the agreed delivery date, failing to perform the agreed service, or failing to complete it within the specified time."
The Consumer Protection Authority urges providers to comply with the applicable consumer protection laws and to fulfill the requirements and obligations imposed on them, as this preserves consumers’ rights when supplying any goods or services.