DAMMAM, 20 January — Promotions and advertisements on the Internet take the user into a glittering world where everything is accessible with no effort. It is a world without poverty and full of unlimited hopes. However, the moment the user signs off the Net and returns to the real world, reality returns and he is the same person, troubled with all the problems of normal existence.
Every day those on the Net receive lucrative offers. Sometimes they are to receive free CDs or a free mobile phone. Free Visa and Mastercards have become routine. Hundreds of lottery sites give users free cash to play lotteries on their site. Of course, the cash is not hard currency but a word written in the promo mail. Every day Net users open mails which say: "Your last chance to win a million dollars" or "You are a winner."
Unfortunately, all these promises and offers are useless for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the offer is valid only in the United States and Canada. This is often the case with free CDs and credit cards. Sometimes the user finds that the guarantee to become a millionaire requires him to give his credit card number and a few dollars to play a lottery. These promos and advertisements are grossly misleading and the time has come to put a stop to them.
With e-commerce gaining ground every day, the Net has become a marketplace. It is time now to secure and protect the rights of consumers — as is done in the marketplaces of developed countries.
There, a consumer is protected against misleading advertisements by groups and entities who monitor advertisements and promotions and take legal action against false promises and incorrect information. Such protection should be available to all Net users — especially those who are naive enough to believe everything they read in their e-mails.
***
