Toyota Qatar/Facebook
Toyota showroom
With reporting from Riham Sheble
Qatar’s main Toyota/Lexus showroom on Airport Road has been closed for one month for violating consumer protection laws, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce has said.
The closure of the Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros. dealership, which took effect yesterday, May 28, also affects two Toyota dealers on Salwa Road.
الوزارة تغلق معرض سيارات بسبب الغش التجاري pic.twitter.com/Ottv0tu0kk
— الاقتصاد والتجارة (@MEC_QATAR) May 28, 2015
According to the MEC, which posted the closure on social media, Toyota had apparently been selling cars to consumers as brand-new, without telling them that they had been in accidents before and were repainted/repaired before sale.
In addition to the main showroom, two Toyota dealers – Altadamon Motors and Trading Co. and Al-Tariq Automobiles Trading Co. – have also been shut for a month.
Other companies
This is the fourth company in Qatar to face such a closure in the past six months.
In January, Domasco Honda’s main showroom at TV Roundabout was shut for a month for the same offense.
And two weeks before that, the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealership on Al Matar Street, near the old airport, as well as the Nissan dealership on Salwa Road, near Ramada Junction, were hit with the same penalty.
MEC/Facebook
Closed Honda dealership.
Each time, consumers expressed disappointment in the dealerships, saying their trust had been rattled when it came to buying cars in Qatar.
However, some in the auto industry have suggested that the transgressions may not be as serious as they sound.
Speaking to Doha News, one staffer previously said that scratches and dents can occur while vehicles are being transported to Qatar via ship. The cars are then repaired once they get to the dealership.
Still, companies that do not make consumer aware of prior repairs are apparently violating Article 7 of Law No. 8 of 2008.
This provision obligates suppliers to provide information on the type, nature and components of a product on its label. According to the law, suppliers are also prohibited from describing, advertising or displaying products using false or deceptive information.
Toyota’s service centers and other locations appear to be unaffected by the latest closures.
To file complaints about suspected breaches in the consumer protection law, residents can call the MEC at 8005000 or email info@mec.gov.qa.
Thoughts?
(The post Qatar shuts main Toyota showroom, two dealerships for ‘commercial fraud’ is from Doha News.)