MUSCAT : The case originated from a complaint submitted to the Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) by a consumer who had entered into a contract with the establishment for the installation of acrylic glass, with a total value of RO 462, paid in full via bank transfer to the account of one of the company’s employees.

According to the case details, the employee later informed the consumer that the required materials were unavailable and committed to refunding part of the amount. An amount of RO 256.300 was subsequently refunded. However, when the complainant was asked to visit the establishment to receive the remaining RO 205.700, the refund was not made, prompting him to formally demand the return of the outstanding balance.

Following established procedures, the Authority examined the complaint and held a meeting with the owner of the establishment, who stated that the consumer had transferred the full amount to the employee’s personal account without following the company’s official payment procedures, noting that the employee owed previous amounts to the establishment. As a result, those sums were deducted, only part of the payment was refunded, and the remaining balance was withheld. The establishment further offered to complete the service only if the consumer paid the full contract value again.

The court ruled to convict the defendants of the misdemeanour of failing to properly provide the service and imposed a fine of RO 300 on each defendant, ordering them to pay legal expenses, and referred the civil claim to the competent civil court.

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