MUSCAT: The Consumer Protection Department in the Governorate of South Al Batinah in Rustaq has recovered OMR 55,567 from consumer-related complaints in 2021. The total number of complaints and communications received by Consumer Protection reached 721.

Salem bin Muhammad Al Abri, Director of the Consumer Protection Department in the Governorate of South Al Batinah in Rustaq, said, “The number of complaints in 2021 amounted to 577, while the number of complaints reached 144. Complaints were received in several ways — through the website, 434 complaints were received; 110 complaints from the auditors’ hall; 32 complaints from smartphones and one complaint from the hotline.

He added that the complaints received are higher than the reports by 80 percent, and the largest number of complaints was in June with 72 complaints, while the reports did not exceed 20 percent, and the largest number received by the Consumer Protection Department in the Governorate of South Al Batinah in Rustaq during the month of October 2021 with 25 complaints.

He also indicated that ‘other services’ topped the list of complaints received by 13% in 2021, and were represented in the refusal to return the ‘deposit’ and complaints about the phone, sanitary ware and ceramics, then followed by the electrical and electronic appliances sectors, and then aluminium workshops, blacksmithing and carpentry.