Consumer Complaints in the UAE: Refunds, Repairs and Where to Complain

This guide is for residents and visitors whose problem is with a licensed UAE shop, website or service provider: a faulty phone, a repair that drags on, a gym that will not refund, an order that never arrived. It covers what the consumer protection law lets you demand, how to complain to the seller, and which authority takes the complaint in each emirate. Fake sellers, banks, insurers, landlords, telecoms and schools belong to other regulators, listed under Complaints That Go Elsewhere. The guide is part of the wider expat guide.

At a Glance

What the Law Lets You Demand

The rules sit in two texts, both published by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 5 of 2023, sets the principles. Its Executive Regulation, Cabinet Decision No. 66 of 2023, sets the detail. Under Article 3 of the law they apply to all goods and services in the UAE, free zones included, and to online sellers registered in the UAE.

A faulty product

Article 12 of the law says that when a malfunction is found, the supplier "shall repair or replace the same, return the Good and refund its Price". Article 27 of the regulation gives the choice to you, not the shop: where the fault comes from storage, handling, installation or another cause the supplier is responsible for, you may choose a refund, a replacement or a free repair. The supplier must also provide an alternative item, free of charge, until the repair or replacement is done. If it does not, it must reimburse what an alternative costs you for that period.

These rights cover defects and faults. They do not cover damage you caused: the law's definitions exclude a defect that "resulted from the action of the Consumer".

A repair that drags on

The supplier must set a completion period for a warranty repair in writing. Under Article 17 of the regulation, if the repair takes more than seven days, it must give you a similar item to use at no charge, or agree another form of compensation with you, unless the fault was your doing. Article 16 of the law puts the same seven-day duty on commercial agents and distributors.

Before any repair, Article 26 of the regulation requires the supplier to record the item's condition and get your consent to the cost and the repair time. Afterward it must give you an invoice listing the parts replaced and guarantee the repair and the parts for at least 15 days.

A fault that keeps coming back

• Article 13 of the law. If the same malfunction happens three times in the first year after you received the product and substantially affects how it works, the supplier must replace it with a new one at no cost, or take it back and refund its value.
• Article 28 of the regulation. During the warranty period, once the supplier has made two failed attempts to repair a recurring fault (three for a vehicle), or the attempts take more than 15 days each, you are entitled to a new item of the same category and specifications or its value at the time of purchase. The fault has to stop you using the product, wholly or partly, or affect its market value or safety. Where you had partial use of the product and three or more repairs failed, the refund is made after deducting depreciation.

A service not delivered, or done badly

Article 13 of the regulation requires a provider to guarantee its service for a period that suits the service or the period agreed with you, whichever is longer. It applies to any paid service, such as a gym membership, a repair or an event. If the provider breaches that duty, you choose one of three remedies:

• the full price back, if the service was not provided or not completed;
• part of the price back, in proportion to what you did not receive;
• the service provided again, correctly.

Where a service was done badly for a reason attributable to the provider, Article 29 of the regulation gives you a redo at no extra charge, and the full price back if the provider refuses, fails or delays. If a repair or maintenance job damages your item, the provider pays for the repair or compensates you for the value of the item or the damaged part.

Invoices, prices and card fees

• Invoice. The seller must give you a dated invoice at no extra cost, in Arabic (another language may be added), showing its name and address, the item or service, the price and the warranty period (Law, Article 8; Regulation, Article 6).
• Price. Prices must be displayed clearly, and Article 19 of the law prohibits charging more than the advertised price.
• Credit cards. Article 5 of the regulation bars a seller from adding any amount to the price because you pay by credit card.
• Used goods. A seller of used or refurbished goods must show the item's condition clearly on the item and at its premises, and state it in the contract or invoice (Regulation, Articles 6 and 7).

"No Refund, No Exchange" Signs

Article 21 of the law voids any term in a contract or on an invoice that exempts the supplier from its obligations. Article 34 of the regulation lists terms that are void in particular. Item 10 is the phrase "Goods sold are neither returnable nor substitutable". Item 11 is "Not refunding the price of commodity or the consideration of service to the consumer". Item 6 is any waiver of a right the law gives you.

The regulation allows the no-return phrase in three cases only:

• you knew about the defect when you bought the item and accepted it as it was, and the invoice shows this;
• the item's nature or packaging means it cannot be returned or resold, unless your reason is a manufacturing defect or the item not meeting the standard specifications or the agreed ones;
• the goods are perishable (unless they were already spoiled or unfit to eat on the day you bought them), made to your own specifications, or are books, newspapers or magazines.

Read this strictly. The remedies in the law attach to a defect, a fault or a service not delivered as agreed. Nothing in the law or the regulation gives you a refund because you changed your mind about a product that works. There, the shop's own return policy decides, so read it before you pay.

First, Complain to the Seller in Writing

Start with the seller. Dubai's consumer rights portal advises raising the problem with staff, then a supervisor, and considering a reasonable settlement such as an exchange instead of a refund. You need the paper trail for the authority in any case.

• Collect the proof: the invoice or e-receipt, the contract or membership agreement, the warranty document, proof of payment, and photos or videos of the fault.
• Write, don't only call. By email or through the seller's app, state the fault, the date you found it and the remedy you choose: repair, replacement or refund.
• Set a short deadline. When it passes, file with the authority.

Which Authority Handles Your Complaint

In Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ajman, what decides it is where the seller is licensed, not where you live: each emirate's economic department takes complaints against the businesses it licenses. The federal ministry takes complaints from the other emirates.

The ministry's service card states the split: it receives complaints "from all emirates except Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ajman", where the customer goes to the emirate's economic department. Two of the ministry's four emirates also list a local service. Sharjah's Department of Economic Development shows "Consumer Protection Complaints" on its website (free line 800 80000), and Fujairah Municipality runs "Submitting a Complaint from a Consumer" (80036).

Dubai: DET Consumer Rights

The service is open to residents and visitors, and DET says all consumer complaints are free. The business must be licensed by DET, and the complaint must come from the person named on the invoice, contract or receipt, or someone holding their power of attorney. You file through the DET Unified Portal. If you have no account, you create one with an Emirates ID, passport or Unified ID, using the phone number you gave for your UAE visa, entry permit or Emirates ID, because the portal sends an SMS code to it. Then choose "Submit consumer complaint".

A DET employee contacts you within two working days to check the details, and you have two working days to send any extra documents. DET then mediates a settlement with the business and sends the settlement details to both sides by SMS and email. If the business does not carry it out, a follow-up team enforces it or takes administrative action. DET says a case closes between four and 10 working days after it is opened.

DET does not accept purchases made in other emirates. It also lists these as outside its consumer service:

• businesses licensed by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, contracting and engineering firms, and the construction of UAE citizens' homes;
• banks, installment, finance and insurance companies;
• telecom and internet companies, and water, electricity, energy and gas suppliers;
• airlines, and transport, transit and parking companies;
• medical and cosmetic clinics, and institutes, schools and universities;
• domestic worker and manpower offices;
• spoiled food, salon hygiene and gold inspection, and complaints about product quality, safety and standards;
• VAT and other tax matters, contracts between companies, and "Compensation claims for damages".

Abu Dhabi: ADDED Through TAMM

The complaint is a TAMM service called "Consumer Protection", run by the Department of Economic Development. It covers "practices or violations committed by licenced establishments/shops in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi", including commercial fraud, unsatisfactory after-sale service and poor servicing. You log in with UAE PASS, attach documents such as the purchase invoice, contract, payment receipt or maintenance receipt, and receive a reference number, then a notice of the action taken. TAMM lists no fee and a completion time of 20 working days.

Ajman: Department of Economic Development

Ajman's service card says the seller's commercial license "must be issued from the Emirate of Ajman and not from other emirates". You apply through the department's website or smart app with the purchase invoice or contract, plus the warranty certificate, payment receipt and photos of the product where they are needed. The card lists the service as free, with a delivery time of four working days. It does not cover tourism and real estate activities, banks, insurance companies, contracting, or recruitment offices for domestic workers. The department's number is 800 70.

The Other Emirates: The Ministry of Economy and Tourism

The ministry's service is called "Resolve Consumers Complaints". Its service card lists no fee, the ministry's website and smart app as the channels, and an average of eight working days. You supply the seller's details, a summary of the complaint and a copy of your documents, such as the purchase invoice or contract. The ministry tries to settle the complaint amicably and tells you the outcome through its system. The card says that otherwise "the complaint shall be referred to the competent courts". The call center is 800 1222, also on WhatsApp.

What to attach, and following up

The three services ask for much the same: the seller's details, a summary of the complaint, and the invoice, contract or payment receipt. Add photos, messages and repair job cards as evidence. Under Article 35 of the regulation an authority may refuse a complaint that lacks the required particulars or documents, or where you do not supply them in the time it sets. A missing invoice is not always the end: Dubai's portal says you can still register a complaint if the company refused to give you one, and the law obliges the seller to issue it.

For follow-up, Abu Dhabi's TAMM issues a reference number, Dubai's DET shows the status on its website, and the ministry reports the outcome through its system.

Complaints That Go Elsewhere

If a gym or a debt collector threatens a travel ban over an unpaid membership, see the travel-ban question in the AECB credit score guide.

Online Purchases and Marketplaces

The same rights apply online when the seller is registered in the UAE. A seller with no UAE license is a different matter: Article 25 of the law says the ministry and the local authorities are "not considered responsible" for online trade by suppliers unlicensed inside the country, and the UAE government portal says the law does not apply to purchases from e-commerce businesses registered abroad. Check where a seller is licensed before you order.

• Sales through platforms. Article 40 of the regulation, as replaced by Cabinet Decision No. 166 of 2026 (issued 24 September 2026), says the regulation applies to goods and services traded through modern technology means. It also holds a supplier responsible for goods or services offered or sold through a third party on its electronic platform or by any other modern technology means, without prejudice to the general rules of liability.
• Returns. Article 7 of Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on modern technology-based trade gives an online buyer the right to return goods or ask for a replacement when they arrive defective, incomplete, damaged or not as described, when they arrive too late to be of use, or when delivery breaks the seller's published terms. You lose the right if you used the item beyond checking it for defects or if you miss the return period set in the relevant legislation. It also does not cover food or consumables with a shelf life of three weeks or less, or books, films or programs that can be used only once.
• No arbitration clause on small orders. Under Article 9 of the same law, an online contract worth less than AED 50,000 may not include one.

In Dubai, DET says you can complain about a website if you have an e-bill and the website is licensed in Dubai.

Car Dealers and Workshops

Cars follow the same rules, with three failed repair attempts instead of two before the repeat-fault rule in Article 28 of the regulation applies; attempts that take more than 15 days each also count. If a car under warranty cannot reach the authorized workshop after a failed first repair, the supplier pays for transport or sends technicians to you. The law defines a supplier as a juristic person, meaning a business, so a sale between private individuals is not covered: see buying a used car.

What the Seller Risks

Two sets of penalties exist, and neither is compensation for you.

• Criminal penalties. Article 29 of the law sets imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of AED 10,000 to AED 2,000,000, or both, for breaching the core duties: honoring warranties (Article 10), repairing, replacing or refunding a faulty product (Article 12), issuing an invoice (Article 8) and not using void terms (Article 21). Article 30 sets up to six months, a fine of AED 3,000 to AED 200,000, or both, for a second group that includes charging above the advertised price, and doubles the penalty for a repeat offense.
• Administrative penalties. The regulation's first addendum lists a notice, an administrative fine, a closure or suspension of 24 hours to 90 days, and finally revoking the license. Cabinet Decision No. 166 of 2026 provides for a new schedule of violations and fines. Until it is issued, the existing schedule stays in force where it does not conflict with the decision.

When a Complaint Ends and Court Begins

The complaint services mediate. They can press a business to repair, replace or refund. Dubai's service lists "Compensation claims for damages" as outside its scope, the ministry refers a complaint it cannot settle amicably to the courts, and neither the ministry's nor TAMM's service card offers compensation.

Article 24 of the law keeps your right to claim compensation, under the legislation in force, for personal or material damage caused by using a product or service, and voids any agreement that takes it away. It excludes damage caused by misuse. In practice that claim goes to court, so keep the complaint record and the seller's written replies as evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a "no refund" policy legal in the UAE?

Not as a blanket rule. Article 34 of the Executive Regulation voids the phrase "Goods sold are neither returnable nor substitutable" except for items you accepted with a known defect noted on the invoice, items whose nature prevents return, perishables that were sound when sold, made-to-order goods, books, newspapers and magazines. Outside those cases, a faulty product must still be repaired, replaced or refunded. The law does not give a refund for a change of mind about a product that works.

Can I get a refund on a gym membership?

Yes, where the gym fails to deliver the service it guaranteed: Article 13 of the regulation lets you choose the full price back, a proportional part back, or the service provided properly. Terms that let only the gym end an open-ended contract, or that charge you a penalty out of proportion to its real loss, are void under Article 34. The regulation does not give a refund because you stopped going; there, the contract's cancellation terms apply.

How do I file a consumer complaint online in Dubai?

Go to consumerrights.gov.ae, choose "Submit a complaint", and log in to the DET Unified Portal, creating an account with your Emirates ID, passport or Unified ID if you have none. Attach the invoice, contract or payment receipt. A DET employee contacts you within two working days. The business must be licensed by DET.

How do I check the status of my complaint?

Dubai's DET shows the status on its website and sends the settlement details by SMS and email. Abu Dhabi's TAMM gives you a reference number when you file. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism reports the outcome through its complaint system, and its call center is 800 1222.

Does Dubai's DET handle a shop licensed in another emirate?

No. DET's process includes a jurisdiction check, and it does not accept complaints about purchases made in other emirates.

Can I complain to DET about a real estate developer?

No. Businesses licensed by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency are outside DET's consumer service, as are banks, insurers, telecoms, airlines, schools and clinics. For rent and deposits, see the Dubai rental disputes guide.

What is the Ministry of Economy and Tourism's consumer hotline?

800 1222, also on WhatsApp. The ministry's complaint service takes complaints from every emirate except Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ajman, where the customer goes to the emirate's economic department: 600 54 55 55 in Dubai, 800 555 in Abu Dhabi and 800 70 in Ajman.

Can a tourist file a complaint?

Yes in Dubai: DET's service is open to residents and visitors, and an account can be created with a passport. The portal sends an SMS code to the phone number you gave for your visa or entry permit. Abu Dhabi's TAMM service needs a UAE PASS login.

Can a shop charge extra if I pay by card?

Not for a credit card. Article 5 of the Executive Regulation says the supplier must not add any further amount to the price when a credit card is used.

Can I complain about an online store or a marketplace seller?

Yes, if the business is licensed in the UAE. The regulation holds a supplier responsible for goods or services offered or sold through a third party on its electronic platform, and Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 gives you the right to return goods that arrive defective, damaged or not as described, within its limits. The ministry and the local authorities are not responsible for online trade by sellers with no UAE license, so a complaint against one may go nowhere.