The Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) in Muscat recently succeeded in securing a refund of RO17,699 for a customer who had purchased a new vehicle from a dealer and encountered a fault with it.

In the chronicle of this case, CPA initially received a complaint from a customer who alleged that she had bought a brand-new vehicle from an automobile dealership. Following the acquisition of the vehicle, she noticed unusual noises emanating from it and promptly took it back to the dealership. However, the dealership's technicians asserted that there was nothing irregular with the noise.

Subsequently, the consumer lodged a complaint with CPA against the dealership. CPA conducted a thorough inspection of the vehicle and forwarded a report to the manufacturing company. During the inspection, it was revealed that the vehicle had a manufacturing defect. Consequently, both parties reached an agreement to resolve the matter, wherein the consumer would return the vehicle in exchange for a full refund.

This resolution was executed in accordance with the provisions outlined in Article 16 of the Consumer Protection Act. Article 16 stipulates that a customer has the right, within a fifteen-day period following the receipt of any product, to seek a replacement, return, or refund of the product's value without incurring any additional costs if the product is found to be defective.

CPA emphasized the importance of service providers adhering to consumer protection laws and regulations, upholding their contractual commitments, and safeguarding the rights, well-being, and safety of consumers. Furthermore, service providers were urged to ensure the safety of vehicles through pre-sale technical inspections to prevent post-purchase defects.