Five shops have been fined by the Department of Economic Development for manipulating prices during the Black Friday sales weekend.
Inspectors from the commercial compliance and consumer protection sector hit retailers with on-the-spot fines during a three-day sale in November.
The DED did not release any information on which shops were fined, or the value of the financial penalties.
“We compare prices before and during promotional sales to ensure that consumers are not cheated and transparency is maintained across retailing in Dubai,” said Mohammed Ali Rashid Lootah, CEO of the CCCP sector.
“It’s part of the market monitoring we do to foster trust between consumers and merchants and enhance retail sector competitiveness and business in Dubai.”
Compliance officers visited 213 shops during the November sales, issuing 79 fines in total for a range of violations.
During the three-day super sale in Dubai from November 22-24, many shops were promising up to 90 per cent off original prices.
More than 1,500 outlets around the city had signed up to the sales scheme.
Five shops were found to have tampered with before and after sale prices, while five others did not have the required permission to take part in the official sales event.
The DED can issue fines of up to Dh500 for not keeping an approved price list during sales or special offer events.
Retailers can be hit with a further Dh2,000 fine if the price list approved by DED is unmatched with the prices placed on displayed products.
Sales conducted without DED approval can lead to a Dh10,000 fine.
Field visits are regularly conducted by inspectors as part of protecting consumers from deceptive marketing and inaccurate sale prices.
Consumers can use the Smart Protection service available on the‘Dubai Consumer app to report violations or submit their complaints to the DED.
Complaints can also be submitted by calling the Ahlan Dubai number on 600 54 5555.
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