There has been a lot of consciousness-raising recently about consumer rights in Bahrain. The Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry has even started monitoring Instagram and social media advertisements for overhype and not delivering on the promise. As the market evolves, new ways of marketing and paying are being evaluated as double swiping of credit and debit cards have been discontinued.
In fact, I would say Bahrain’s consumers are not as quick to assert themselves as the ministry would like. Many moons ago – in the ‘90s actually – I remember writing about how I had found a sliver of hard plastic in my hummus at a popular restaurant chain. At 8.30 a.m. after the newspaper reached readers, the phone rang. It was a polite officer from the ministry asking me to name the restaurant (I hadn’t done so in the article) – that quick was the response! When I declined, she reminded me that Bahrain had strong laws but it was up to consumers to use them and create an environment of accountability to strengthen the hand of the ministry.
Today, there are blogs aplenty offering whingeing platforms and also an official electronic complaints portal called Tawasul where you can report your complaint to the ministry and get a response on action taken.
While preparing this column, I did go through some of the complaint boards – and what I found was surprising. For most consumers, it would seem that the very act of being heard online is enough. Most of them vent about poor customer service, the rudeness of sales people or poor quality of goods. Having made their complaint, they seem to dissolve into the ether of the Internet! There is rarely an appeal for a product to be replaced or a demand for cash refund for poor service.
Did you know, for instance, that no Bahrain business can deny customers the right to exchange or cash refund, whichever the customer asks for? That this “No exchange or refund” policy cannot be placed in legal documents such as invoices or displayed in the shop premises? Like consumers in the UK, Europe or the US, we too can insist on our right of refund in cash, if an item we bought turns out to be unsatisfactory, provided terms and conditions are met, such as presenting original bill, no wilful damage or soiling of the item and other reasonable rules.
Most businesses seemed to have cottoned on to the Bahrain consumer’s attitude and except for a couple of them, I saw hardly any responses from the companies being complained about who maintain a stoic silence.
Now business owners will say I’m inciting consumers but the point I want to make is that if the consumer protection process becomes a participatory one between consumers, businesses and the government, it will stimulate the commercial scene.
Simple truth: Once you are assured that you can return goods if dissatisfied, you won’t hesitate to buy more. If a business knows it is accountable for goods and service quality, it will try to improve itself.
While people need to stop treating our consumer protection laws as more than just an agony aunt platform and flex their muscles, businesses too must realise that strong consumer protection is not about victimising them.
Look at how the Central Bank of Bahrain enforces accountability with financial institutions or the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority with the telecoms industry – both of which touch our lives daily and Bahrain has such a robust banking and telecoms sector. They have certainly not suffered from having strong laws implemented to protect consumers.
Let’s be aware, be realistic, be careful – and be persistent.