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The Committee on Engineering and Durable Products of the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) held a meeting to approve the Code of Honor that will ensure protection for the rights of consumers, producers, and markets.
Saeed Al-Alfy, Chairman of the CPA, noted in his speech that the Code of Honor, which has been unanimously agreed upon by all producers, is a real springboard toward a balanced policy that motivates producers and traders to recognize and respect consumer rights.
The Code will also stimulate competition among producers while keeping in mind certain rules such as improvement of commodity standards/quality and extending consumer rights to cover the right to purchase original products carrying original brand names of the manufacturers who own the intellectual and industrial rights attached to these products. This will also ensure that consumers will not be deceived into buying counterfeit commodities that were not produced by the original manufacturers. Al-Alfy pointed out that it was suggested to appoint a coordinator for manufacturers to deal with the CPA in handling complaints and avoiding future reoccurrence.
The Code most significantly provides for setting the warranty period for not less than one year, organizing aftermarket services through manufacturer/authorized maintenance centers, and offering lists of authorized dealers and maintenance centers. Such lists should be enclosed with the sale documents along with user’s manuals that include guidelines for the safe use of the product and lists of spare parts and their codes.
The Code of Honor also outlines the cases where commodities can be replaced as well as the scope of maintenance and reparation services during the warranty period. An annual list will be issued of the companies that are committed to the Code. The list will be updated annually to add or omit companies, and will be available for consumers to use when buying a durable domestic appliance.
Major participating producers and companies confirmed that this Code will not only protect consumers but will also develop the markets of their products for the best of national industry and expand the market share of the companies that stick to the Code. It will also protect markets from informal activities of unknown origins that offer fake products or aftermarket services. The increasing complaints in this regard prove that nonqualified maintenance centers work behind the back of original manufacturers and jeopardize consumers’ lives.
Issuance of official certificates for factories that commit to the Code of Honor and adhere to protection of consumer rights is currently being considered.
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