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'm a landlord and had taken services from a company for repairing the AC in my townhouse. The guy working for the company asked me to transfer the money to an alternate account to expedite things. He was not able to fix the problem and was also very rude to our tenant. In the end, he returned the parts and we ended up fixing it from another vendor. Now they are not returning my advance of AED 1300. How do I sort this out? Do I need to make a police complaint or legal case? Don't want too much of a hassle but need my money back.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I booked a flight ticket online from a travel agency in Dubai. After the booking, the amount was deducted from my card, but I have not yet received the ticket. When I contacted the travel agency's customer service, they told me that the ticket will be provided in the morning. Later, they sent me an email saying that the ticket is not available with the airline and I can either reschedule the ticket or get a refund. I requested a refund and they replied that the amount will be credited to my account within 25 days. It has been almost 2 months and I have not yet received the refund. Please suggest how I can proceed further!

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.

With the introduction of the new procedures for obtaining a power of attorney (POA) remotely in the UAE, after it was mandatory to appear in person in front of the notary public as a global rule to ensure the identity and intention of the person requesting a POA, we put between your hands this brief guide for how you get it done.

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).