E-commerce websites and satellite television stations allow for advertisements that deceive consumers into buying products that falsely promise added beauty, power or health.
Manufacturers are exploiting consumer ignorance and emotions to make a quick profit, without any concern for their safety. Hamda Al-Ghamadi has bought one of these fake products.
“I was once lured into buying a gel cream that would remove pregnancy stretch-marks. I phoned the salesman and bought the cream. I was surprised to find it was only 70 ml, not at all sufficient. I learned the hard way that this was commercial fraud and lost a large sum of money.”
Abeer Buqami dreamed of unifying the color of her skin. “Even though I fear these creams, I bought a bleach lightener via a website. After I used the product for just a week the color of my skin began turning gray.”
She stopped using the cream immediately. “I now believe the traditional way of buying is much better. At least that is supervised and controlled.”
Awatef Al-Jidani said she had been cheated through an ad on one of the satellite channels. “I bought a slimming belt. Upon switching it on I got an electric shock, but I never got my money back for this faulty and unsafe product.”
Dermatologist Dr. Nabeel Al-Shahri warns against the use of creams and skin treatments with unknown composition and content. Creams should be properly tested and should be prescribed by doctors.
Creams and other skin treatments that are not lab-tested according to industry standards could cause skin pigmentation, allergy, lack of skin pigment, skin atrophy, protruding blood vessels, skin cancer or organic diseases, like liver and kidney diseases, if the products are used for a long time.
“We face a lot of problems from the use of drugs with unknown origin, as well as using skin creams without consulting doctors,” said Al-Shahri. He pointed out that women rather than men use most of these creams.
He said the lack of awareness comes from people who refuse to talk about their experiences and medical conditions. They ought to speak out via different media channels to prevent others from suffering similar fates.
Economic consultant Fuad Buqari said electronic communication is an effective medium with everyone purchasing over the Internet. “Amazon is a leading online company that sells books and electronic media. The website also places advertisements so many companies can sell their products. This reduced companies’ costs and saved clients time to look for desired products,” he said.
Buqari added Western countries have fixed rules to e-trading, as well as strict rules to protect consumer and companies’ rights. If products lack quality or do not meet a consumer’s satisfaction, they can be returned.
In the Arab region, consumers buy from respectable companies only. “We need to see laws that protect the relations between seller and buyers.” Buqari expects Gulf States to issue a unified law concerning this matter.
Lawyer Ayman Flata said: “The law and judicial system require material proofs like checks, genuine bonds, transfers and any other means. But e-trading can pose a real problem if the only proof of communication is e-mails, because the law doesn’t consider this to be proof.”
He added: “Customers can file complaints against website owners and punishment will depend on the nature of the complaint. For instance, the website may not be licensed to practice trading.”
Ihsan bin Saleh Al-Mutaz, professor at Um Al-Qura University, said: “Rules for e-trading are the same as for traditional trade. People can trade in all goods on the condition of prior knowledge of the product and compensation by both parties to the agreement. If the product is allowed lawfully, the buyer knows about its origin, and the price, then the product has met the sales conditions.
Al-Mutaz added that e-trading is a means to transport satisfaction, just like in verbal communication. Both parties have to agree on what can be achieved through electronic means.
“We should encourage people not to be too hasty in making an electronic purchase unless the products are known, like books. People make quick buying decisions because of the tempting methods of the price offer and the exaggerated description of the product. But when they get it, most of the time, they regret buying it.”
“Consumers should be careful when buying a product, especially when it is medicine that concerns the healing of cancer, inflammation and hair loss as well as organic medications. If these were effective remedies, the maker would be a Nobel Prize winner,” he said.
Ads tempt women into buying fake stuff
