11 Consumer Protection Law articles that save buyers’ rights

CAIRO – 22 February 2018: The new Consumer Protection Draft law, that the Egyptian Parliament is currently discussing, seeks to shield buyers from unfair trade practices, counterfeit advertising and contract rip-offs. Egypt Today provides you with the 11 main articles of the law that protect your rights as a consumer;

1- Businesses have an obligation to provide proof of purchase to consumers for goods or services, i.e. receipts. If the business refrains from issuing a receipt, it shall pay a fine of no less than LE 30,000 ($1,698.30) and no more than LE 1 million.

2- A fine of no less than LE 30,000 and no more than LE 1 million shall be imposed on the businesses that don’t declare the prices of their goods, or for those that sell trade goods that incite racism or religious hatred.

3- Misleading ads entail a fine that ranges from LE 50,000 to LE 1 million.

4- The producers and companies are prohibited from announcing fake sales or sharing misguided information of prices under the pretext of taxes. They are also warned of changing the expiry date.

5- It’s prohibited to declare a project, without getting the license and setting the date of the project’s delivery. The producers and companies are obligated to declare the cost of services and products.

6- The producers are obliged to provide spare parts even after the warranty period as long as the product's actual life is valid.

7- It’s prohibited to import, produce, trade, or even advertise products that may abuse citizens and differ between races, colors, or religions.

8- It’s forbidden to advertise competitions on products without getting the approval of the Consumer Protection Agency.

9- The consumer has the complete right to replace the damaged or defective Item within 30 days not 14 days.

10- Street vendors are not allowed to sell their products at homes without getting the permission of the consumer him/herself.

11- This law grants the authority of judicial seizure to some workers in the Consumer Protection Agency.

Atef Yaacoub, head of Egypt's Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) stated that this draft law overcomes the flaws in the current law, stating that the current law does not provide consumers with enough protection.

He said that the CPA received 38,000 complaints last year, compared to 13,000 in 2011.