Q: Dear Sir, We paid AED 7000 to a tourism company for a holiday package. They were replying to our messages for a few weeks but now all their contact numbers are closed and they don't respond to our emails. They are not providing any of the services mentioned in the contract. We request you to guide us on how we can file a complaint against this company and get our money back. Thank you

س: مرحبًا، اشتركتُ أنا وزوجي في باقة سياحية مع شركة مسجلة في الإمارات العربية المتحدة يوم الأحد الماضي. وقّعنا عقدًا ودفعنا مبلغ 13999 درهمًا إماراتيًا مقابل الباقة. قررنا لاحقًا إلغاء هذا الاشتراك واسترداد المبلغ. البند الذي يوضح سياسة الإلغاء يقول: "يحق استرداد مبلغ الاشتراك إذا تسلمنا طلب إلغاء الاشتراك خلال 7 أيام من تاريخ التسجيل/الدفع بعد خصم 30% رسومًا إدارية وتكلفة الخدمات المستخدمة، إن وجدت." لم يمضِ سوى 3 أيام منذ اشتراكنا، ولم نستخدم أيًا من خدماتهم بعد. تبلغ رسوم الاشتراك 13999 درهمًا إماراتيًا، ولم نتلقَّ نُبلغ بوجود رسوم إدارية منفصلة. الشركة لا تريد رد المبلغ. أليس من غير القانوني حرمان العميل من هذا الحق؟ يرجى مساعدتنا في حل هذه المشكلة. لقد قدمنا مؤخرًا إلى الإمارات، وتعرضنا أيضًا لعملية احتيال وسُرقت منا جميع مدخراتنا وأموالنا عبر مكالمة احتيالية. شكرًا لكم مقدمًا على أي إرشادات تقدمونها.

Q: A holiday tour operator is not refunding me the amount paid because the tour got cancelled due to delayed visa receipt.

س: سيدي/سيدتي العزيز، لقد حجزت تذكرة طيران عبر الإنترنت من وكالة سفر في دبي. بعد الحجز، تم خصم المبلغ من بطاقتي، ولكن لم أتلق التذكرة بعد. عندما اتصلت بخدمة عملاء وكالة السفر، أخبروني أنه سيتم توفير التذكرة في الصباح. لاحقًا، أرسلوا لي بريدًا إلكترونيًا يفيد بأن التذكرة غير متوفرة لدى شركة الطيران ويمكنني إما إعادة جدولة التذكرة أو استرداد المبلغ. لقد طلبت استرداد المبلغ وأجابوني بأن المبلغ سيتم تحويله إلى حسابي خلال 25 يومًا. لقد مر ما يقرب من شهرين ولم أتلق المبلغ المسترد بعد. يرجى اقتراح كيفية المضي قدمًا!

Q: Hello respected lawyers. I am a part of the contract with another party and I want to send some of them a legal notice from any emirate but in the contract, it is mentioned that Dubai Courts are selected for any dispute. Should I choose Dubai only? Thank you, Sir.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I went for a session at a fitness studio in Dubai. Before booking an appointment, you have to pay for the session. They send you a payment link and then you can book a session. So I did this, I paid using the payment link they sent to me. I booked my appointment for tonight at 7:30 pm. I was unable to make my appointment due to client meetings running overtime. I work in a law firm myself, so you can understand how it is sometimes. They sent me a message on WhatsApp that they would mark me as a “no show” and then they sent me a screenshot of their booking and cancellation policy, which they should have informed me of before, but failed to. Their booking & cancellation policy states that "no show" is 100% fees applicable. My argument is that I deserve a refund of my money as they did not inform me of such a policy PRIOR to anything. What can I do to get my money back?

Q: Good morning, I bought a push car for my infant, and it broke after 2 weeks of use. It was an expensive item from a reputable online store. Repair is not possible due to torn wires inside the mechanism. I requested a replacement or refund, but the shop cited "wear and tear due to usage," claiming no spare parts were available and denied my request. I replied saying this is a very low-quality product if it breaks after 2 weeks of normal usage. I want to stress the fact that it is a baby product. It should be of the highest quality and safety. Am I eligible for a refund? Is there any law to protect me as a customer? Thank you!

Q: Hello, I would like to get your opinion on this matter. I subscribed to an annual subscription of an online community and paid for the first month. Within 20 days, I sent an email requesting to terminate my account. Now, after 5 months, I have received a legal notice stating that I am required to pay for the entire year, even though I haven't used the service. How should I approach this situation? Thank you!

An interview-format article covering the topic of contracts in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

The Law sets up the legal framework for the protection of consumer rights in the UAE. The Law establishes the Higher Committee for Consumer Protection and the Consumer Protection Department, and sets up the fines for breach of its provisions.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.

The provisions of this Federal Law, known as the "New Consumer Protection Law", govern Consumer Protection regulations in the United Arab Emirates. The New Consumer Protection Law repeals the previous UAE Consumer Protection Law (Federal Law No. (24) of 2006 on Consumer Protection).

The provisions of this Cabinet Resolution No (12) of 2007 Concerning the Executive Regulations of Federal Law No (24) of 2006 on Consumer Protection.