MUSCAT : Consumers buying online are entitled to an invoice as proof of their purchase and a reference in the event of a dispute, an official at Oman’s Consumer Protection Authority said, stressing that online transactions do not diminish this right.

Khalid bin Salim Al Siyabi, the authority’s official spokesperson and director of its market regulation and monitoring department, highlighted the importance of invoices in safeguarding consumers’ rights when shopping online.

Speaking in an interview, he said consumers were also entitled to know when their purchases would arrive. Licensed stores were required to clearly specify delivery dates, he added.

Failure to receive orders and delays in delivery were among the prominent complaints raised by online shoppers, Al Siyabi said.

He warned that purchases from unlicensed online stores could make complaints harder to pursue, potentially leaving consumers without an essential means of protecting their rights.

Some complaints originated from transactions with unlicensed sellers, he said, complicating efforts to follow up when problems arose.

Al Siyabi also said clothing and abaya complaints topped the e-commerce reports submitted by women.

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