'Fake mobiles, computer accessories biggest industry killer'

Business may not boom for much longer for retailers thriving in the sales of fake IT and telecom products as Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED) plans to crack down hard in the coming months to curb this menace.

The government body’s Consumer Rights Department has also urged consumers to come forth and lodge complaints against such sellers in a bid to get the community involved in this clean-up drive.

Speaking exclusively to Emirates 24|7, Adel Ibrahim Alhelou, Head of Consumer Protection Section, Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Sector, DED, said: “The sale of fake items in the market is one of the biggest problems we are continuously combatting in Dubai.

“While the major shopping malls are not the issue, it is the smaller shops that are fuelling the sale of fake products here.”

When quizzed about the most lucrative industry that is plagued with fake products, Alhelou did not hesitate to say it was the mobile phones market.

“Fake mobile phones and accessories is the biggest industry that needs to be combated here,” he said. “Batteries and battery chargers are the most common buys, followed by the computers market.

“The latter gains with its biggest sales in fake laptop chargers, followed by software piracy.”

However, when asked, Alhelou said it was difficult to say how much the market was worth with no industry study to fall back on.

Crackdown on sellers

Such products are openly sold in markets in Deira, Karama and Bur Dubai. Alhelou did not deny the statement.

“The Al Ain Centre in Bur Dubai has been under scrutiny and we make regular visits to the mall to control the sale of fake computer accessories there,” he revealed. “It is gradually coming under control and we are quite positive in a few months, things will be much more streamlined.”

He added that daily visits by officers from the Consumer Rights department have been ongoing and the raids on many of these smaller retail culprits are curbing the fakes industry “much more effectively".

“Consumers should also be aware of the danger they are putting themselves and their families in by fuelling such a market with their purchases,” he said. “There have been cases of short circuits, fires breaking out with fake chargers, batteries blowing up in mobile phones. Why risk it?”

When asked if more vigilance is required in stopping the products from entering the country, Alhelou explained: “The UAE has an open-border policy to benefit the market here; however, there are criminals that take advantage of this and slip such products in. A crackdown is underway to curb it at the hub.”

Alhelou, meanwhile, has urged the community to step up vigilance on their parts and utilise the assistance of the Consumer Rights department by calling in.

“We do our best to close any consumer complaint within four working days and there are thousands out there taking advantage of this service,” he said.

Alhelou said the number of complaints has been steadily growing annually, as more and more are calling in for government help.

“We started out in 2009 with just 400 complaints annually, which increased to 2,900 in 2010, 6,000 the following year and expect to hit 10,000 by end of 2012,” he said.

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