(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Some automobile distributors have asked for more time to comply with the instructions of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) to end monopolistic practices while several others have already implemented the directives, the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
The Committee for Competition Protection and Prevention of Monopoly Practices at the MEC said that it had reviewed the progress of the implementation of the official circular (issued in June) in this regard and taken steps for its smooth accomplishment.
One of the key points stressed by the committee was protection of the customer's right to take his vehicle to a workshop of his choice for repair and regular maintenance works. Some distributors had made it mandatory for the customer to have vehicles serviced at the dealers' workshops to be eligible for manufacturer's warranty.
Dealers were asked to review the terms and conditions of warranty documents and remove phrases and clauses that limited such options. They were also advised to remove ambiguous wordings that could be an issue of dispute and rephrase such clauses in a way that eligibility for warranty was not linked to servicing or repairing vehicles at the workshops of the distributors. This also included the routine periodical maintenance.
In addition, the English version of the warranty document should be exactly the same as the Arabic version.
"A number of car dealers have already complied with these instructions and are allowing their customers to take their vehicles to workshops of their choice for maintenance works without having any adverse effect on the validity of their warranty. However, customers should keep a record of such maintenance works, indicating that they were done in accordance with the requirements and the timings specified by the manufacturer of the vehicle in order for the manufacturer's warranty to remain valid."
According to the MEC, vehicle dealers who have complied with the new regulations are: Al Jaidah Automobiles (Chevrolet), Al Mannai Company (GMC, Cadillac), Domasco (Honda, Volvo, GAC), Al Mana Motors (Ford, Lincoln), Al Tayseer Motors (Suzuki), Taleb Commercial Company (Daihatsu) and Ibin Ajayan Automobiles (Skoda, Seat).
"Meanwhile, a number of car dealers have conveyed their initial approval of the procedures but are awaiting the response of the manufacturing companies, in particular regarding the rephrasing of the conditions and the procedures of printing new warranty booklets and documents and distributing them to their clients. These dealers have asked for a grace period to finalise their negotiations with the manufacturers and accordingly modify their situation to comply with the new regulations," the statement added.
In June this year, the MEC had urged car dealers in Qatar to give their customers the option to choose the centre where they would want their vehicles serviced.
Manufacturer's warranty will be valid for vehicles which are not serviced or repaired at the distributor's workshop, the MEC had said.
"Distributors can deny warranty only if it is proved that the vehicle has been damaged due to the repair or maintenance work undertaken outside or when such work did not comply with the set technical requirements. Under all circumstances, this could not be used as a justification to nullify the warranty of the whole vehicle."
The official circular stressed that warranty could not be considered as null and void in case of the customer using modified spare parts that agree with the manufacturer's technical standards.
For the vehicles already sold, dealers had been advised to provide the owners with revised warranty documents that meet MEC regulations.
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