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Fake products worth Dh12 million seized

DED's inspectors trained to familiarise themselves with developments in methods of forgery.

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A total of 353,000 duplicate articles worth Dh12 million was confiscated from 157 flats and warehouses during the third quarter of this year, said Ibrahim Behzad, director of the intellectual property protection at the Department of Economic Development-Dubai (DED).

Complaints & Responses Fake iPhones returned: A consumer bought 25 pieces of iPhones worth Dh70,000 from a website. But, when he received the order, he was startled to find that the devices were all fake with all the phone covers were open. He contacted the website manager to get his money back, but the trader refused to repay him, as her was in doubt over the authenticity of the claims made by the consumer. After the Consumer Complaints Section verified that the mobile phones were not genuine, the section contacted both parties and demanded the trader to refund Dh70,000 to the complainant. The case file has also been transferred to the Intellectual Property Rights Protection Section so that necessary legal action can be taken against the trader. Shared responsibility: A man claimed that he purchased a 65inch TV of a popular brand from a trading shop. However, upon reaching home, he found that the screen was cracked. He went back to the shop an hour after he made the purchase to get the TV replaced but the outlet refused to replace it under the pretext that the crack would have happened during transportation. The complaints section communicated with both parties after it became obvious that the damage is a joint responsibility which should be borne collectively by the trader and the consumer. The section said the workers at the shop had failed to guide the consumer on how to properly load the TV on his vehicle, and the consumer did not get the TV transported by the shipping company of the trading shop. Accordingly, both parties were asked to bear half the loss. Car engine replaced: A man filed a complaint against a car workshop. He had asked the workshop to get a full car test done and to arrange an examination report indicating the failures and repair costs. The workshop provided the report and the costs were estimated at Dh12,000. The complainant agreed to the estimation and requested the workshop to proceed with fixing the failed parts. But, when the man received his car, he was surprised to hear an abnormal sound from the engine. When he contacted the repair shop, he was told that there was a breakdown in the car's engine and was advised to get the engine replaced, despite the fact that such a problem had not been mentioned in the examination report. Subsequently, the complainant demanded his car engine be replaced and the workshop bear the replacement costs. The Consumer Complaint Section got in touch with the man in charge of the garage shop and asked him to bear the costs for replacing the car's engine because the problem was not mentioned in the examination report. The manager agreed to fix the error at his expense.

"The number of violations noted during the period stood at 1,363 following 1,999 inspection visits to different parts of the city including Naif market, Gold Souq, Karama Shopping Complex, Bur Dubai market, the Grand market and Al Rifaa Street," he said adding that most of the seized products comprised perfumes, cosmetics, vehicle spare parts, mobile phones and accessories."
"The seized and confiscated pieces also include leather bags, watches and accessories," he said and pointed out to the ways and means of confiscation, which, according to him largely depends on the accuracy and smartness of the inspectors. "The fraudsters who function from flats are very cautious while dealing with customers, he added. Often, the seizures are made by inspectors who disguise themselves as customers.
On improving and upgrading officers' performance during inspections, he said the DED conducts training courses outside the country at various companies of noted brands. The courses, according to him, are held following agreements with these firms. The training helps DED's officers familiarise with the latest developments on methods of forgery, counterfeiting and the difference between the genuine and duplicate items.
"It has always been the endeavour of the department to create a sense of awareness among consumers to avoid buying duplicate goods, particularly perfumes, cosmetics, electrical equipment and automobile spare parts which pose health hazards on the users, which will in turn discourage the trade of duplicate products.
"The DED works with keenness to protect trade brands and the rights of their owners from duplication and fraud," he said, and praised the cooperation between the department and the anti-economic crimes department at the Dubai Police, and their continuous coordination, which eventually is in the interest of the consumer."- salah@khaleejtimes.com

Data essential for successful e-systems
developing electronic systems or systems for government departments and institutions as well as private companies depend mainly on data.
It is impossible to create an effective and viable system unless the required data is available.
Also, there is a requisite to have well-studied, programmed and clear procedures. The e-system is capable of handling such data in a way that could serve such institutions and companies, which will in turn help save time and efforts of employees.
The e-system will also help employees assume their duties more accurately.
"We, at the DED, have been always keen on gathering all data required for decision making through the database of the Department of Economic Development, or through questionnaires and opinion polls generated from the DED's customers," said Aisha Al Muheiri, Senior Director of Development.
"Therefore, the public should cooperate with us in developing electronic systems and upgrading them in order to meet their needs since a customer is the primary recipient and first beneficiary of the service rendered."
Creating a system which does not fulfill the expectations of a customer must not be established in the first place.
There are a bunch of electronic systems developed and enhanced by companies that have been which proved unsuccessful. The reason for that has been attributed to failure to collecting sufficient data. - salah@khaleejtimes.com