Q: I had signed up with an immigration consultant for immigration to Canada. According to the contract I would be refunded the full amount if my application did not get through in a year. I had asked for a refund and they have only approved 2560/- out of around Dhs 9500/-. I need help to resolve this issue. Thanks.

Q: Hi, I have a dispute with one immigration consultancy firm in Dubai. I have signed an agreement with them for seeking their services two years ago. However, later I came to know that they have not provided complete information for qualification on the first instance due to which my case does not qualify at all for Canadian immigration. Now, I am asking for cancellation of the agreement, which they refuse claiming it was my mistake. Kindly advise regarding the right forum and the way to proceed legally with my case. Regards, Mudassar Farooq

Q: Hi, I'm L. My story is I paid for consultation services going to Poland for a work permit. I initially paid AED 3k last Jan. 30 and said the other amount which is 3k will be paid on Feb 28. I'd sign an agreement after the initial payment then just 2 days I realized I need the money, so I asked for a refund. I called the agent I was talking to, which she says at first that she was working for 12 years on that company, did not know about refund and have to wait for a week to answer the question. But then 1 week had passed, I called again and it was not her who answered the call, and told me she was on vacation. So, I decided to go there and ask the reception regarding the refund and she answered that she doesn't know. Before I went there to ask about a refund, I have already read it. There is refund but should be within30 days from the 1st day of signing the agreement. So I told her I have read that there, how come you don't know? And I already sent a notice that they should answer my questions regarding refund and hoping I could get. The notice letter which told them to answer my questions regarding a refund, I made it myself though browsing. Let's get back to the story, so the receptionist there gave me emails and numbers to contact, it was written there contract department and legal department. Well, before she gave me those emails, the agent I was talking to had given me the legal department email address which I sent the notice letter. So the receptionist told me to wait for their response but a week had passed, and no reply at all. This agency was sending me a notice to pay the remaining balance which confuses me because I was refunding the money. Then sent me a legal notice after a week which now I didn't ignore. For the first time, their legal department had a response but a legal notice. What is this?. So I replied to that, I had a long message that I request a refund and will not expect to pay anything because just 2 days of initially paying I request for a refund because I need the money to help my loved ones and we are on a pandemic situation. My questions are, were actually two and both paid on the same date but he's the only one who receives email that he needs to attend a civil dispute on Dubai courts on April 21, any help or actions he can make? For me any legal actions I can make before they send me email against me which clearly I should be the one submitting a complaint.

Q: Hello Dear, My wife and son's tourist visas got rejected. The sponsor (travel agency) told me it was because of security reasons. My wife never came to the UAE. I called 800 5111, They told me the rejection reason was that the full Arabic name was missing. So the agent was lying to me, I lost my son's birthday on 24 Dec and time because of this. They didn't want to refund me, how can I take my money back?

Q: Hi. My husband and I subscribed to a tourism package with a registered company in the UAE last Sunday. We signed a contract and paid an amount of AED 13999 for the package. We later decided that we want to cancel this subscription and get a refund. The exact clause that describes the cancellation policy is: “Subscription cancellation request received 7 days enrollment/payment date may be eligible to receive a refund after deducting 30% administration charges and cost of the utilized services if any.” It’s only been 3 days since we purchased it and we haven’t used any of their services yet. Their subscription fee is 13999 and we were not informed of a separate administration charge. They are not willing to refund. Isn’t it illegal to deny that right to a customer? Please help us sort this out. We’ve recently moved to the country and have been scammed of all our savings and money through a scam call as well. Thank you in advance for any guidance you can provide.

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

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, We are from the UK. We made a pre-booking at a hotel in Dubai for eight days. We paid for the entire stay online and received a confirmation text from the hotel for our reservation from March 21st, 2023 at 12:00 am to March 29th, 2023. However, upon our arrival at 2:00 pm today, the staff informed us that rooms are only available at 2:00 pm and requested we pay an additional 360 dirhams for an extra day or wait until the following day. Despite a lengthy conversation, the staff did not provide us with a room, and my wife, one-year-old daughter, and I had to spend the night in the hallway. After a long journey and feeling tired, we were disappointed with the treatment we received from the staff. We intend to take legal action against the hotel and its staff.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, In January 2013, I subscribed to a tourism package with a registered company in the UAE. We signed a contract and paid AED 11,000 for the package. However, the company has not been providing us with the promised services. We have decided to cancel the subscription and request a refund. The company initially said that we would be eligible for a refund after 6 months, but now they are saying that we will only be refunded after 1 year, and that is only if management approves. The exact clause that describes the cancellation policy is: “A subscription cancellation request received within 7 days of the enrollment/payment date may be eligible for a refund after deducting 30% administration charges and the cost of any utilized services, if any.” Their subscription fee is 11000 and we were not informed of a separate administration charge. They are not willing to refund. Isn’t it illegal to deny that right to a customer? Thank you in advance for any guidance you can provide!

Q: I seek your legal advice regarding a dispute with a company over deceptive practices and breaches of commitments. I was invited to collect complimentary gifts (movie voucher, hotel stay, dhow cruise, smartwatch) after attending a 30-minute session. During the session, Mr. [---] offered an Umrah package, including visas, 4-star stays with breakfast, and transfers for my family, plus 3-star stays for five relatives. Under pressure, I paid AED 9,000. However, the written agreement differed from the oral promises. When questioned, Mr. [----] assured me of an email reflecting the verbal commitments, but it matched the written terms. Upon follow-up, Mr. [----] denied the commitments, and the manager dismissed the issue. I reluctantly proceeded with the services but was later informed only a 6-night facility could be availed annually. I feel misled and overcharged for services not delivered as promised. Could you guide me on legal action to seek a refund or compensation?

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 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.