Incoming Cars & Consumer Protection
Dr. Yousef Alsharif
twitter.com/dryalsharif
10 March 2023
Recently, the issue of the incoming car trade has spread remarkably in a number of regions of the country, and away from the positives that this trade generates from commercial opportunities and raising the status of the car trade sector in successful attempts to make our country a destination for incoming cars, but it is completely rejected in order to achieve that goal to underestimate consumer rights and go to import cars «written» or «broom», or submerged due to floods and difficult weather conditions in the countries belonging to them, or even those cars affected in a way Serious due to accidents.
The problem does not stop there, it is the right of dealers to display their goods, and customers also have the right to choose what suits them from these cars if they can be repaired and re-placed as they were in order to be in a suitable and technically appropriate condition for use on our streets and roads, but dealers, car showrooms or even auction shows do not have the right to hide important facts from buyers regarding the condition and condition of these cars, which is a clear violation of consumer rights.
We often hear about fraud incidents in the field of incoming car trade, and the question is: how long will this market remain without clear and explicit regulation? How long will the status of cars, their technical condition and their record of accidents remain vague and unannounced?! While it is possible to know the record of cars registered within the country of accidents, whether minor or serious, through the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and such a matter I frankly consider it a great achievement for our government system in controlling the car sector registered in the country, and controlling any transgression or manipulation in its records, but with regard to incoming cars, we really need a strict pause and organized work to ensure market control, protect consumers and the reputation of this important trade in our homeland.
One of the proposals that I find useful is to create a system or website in which all cars imported into our country are recorded in all their details and condition upon arrival in the country, whether their purpose is to sell in their condition or even sell them after repair, which gives the consumer the right to see the condition and date of the car before buying, and I also suggest making a circular with a pledge of allegiance form that obliges the office or car showroom to have a warranty on the car sold for a certain period, as most of the technical defects in those cars It may appear after a period of use and experimentation, and since I am not an expert in the field of cars and I cannot dictate to this sector any advice or suggestions that are not considered, but we must point out that there is a problem that I believe we can find a solution to the satisfaction of all parties.
The trade of incoming cars, spare parts and repair is an important and large topic that affects our national economy tremendously, and what I find in this sector of gains and ability to make our country a mediator between East and West, between Europe, America, Canada and African countries, makes us responsible for protecting a vital sector of this size and these achievements, and it is true that I am one of those who always call for the open market and open the doors to trade in full freedom, but this does not prevent the need to develop thoughtful and effective regulatory mechanisms to protect everyone, especially since there are problems in This sector may affect other sectors, such as the insurance sector, which bears the damage of the presence of unusable cars on our streets, and also the lack of regulation of this matter may harm the interests of the banks that finance these cars, and for this we must find radical solutions before resorting to the judiciary, courts and lawsuits.
twitter.com/dryalsharif
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Lawyer and media writer
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