RIYADH: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) last year received 1.2 million calls through its Consumers Complaints Center.

The ministry responded to these calls and made the necessary follow-up, with all complaints being referred to the appropriate authorities, according to an MCI official.

According to annual statistics, the rate of consumer satisfaction reached 72 percent from the complaints received through the toll free number 1900, via fax, the MCI website and social networking sites.

The majority of complaints focused on violations of noncompliance with warranty terms; lack of spare parts and maintenance; contractual disputes; non-replacement of items or refunds; lack of a price tag on the product; defects in products; differences between the price tag and the cashier; overpricing related to foodstuffs and luxury items; and false promotion in advertisements.

The complaints involving the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law were the highest with 74 percent, those related to supply and provision reached 24 percent followed by complaints against property and real estate, commercial concealment and financial fraud.

The ministry received the most complaints from Riyadh, followed by Makkah, the eastern region and then Madinah.

According to the official, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has been doing its best to pursue, follow up and analyze consumer complaints continuously to recognize the most important obstacles facing the consumer, and then find proper solutions.

In addition, the ministry monitors changes in the patterns of notifications and complaints to see the impact of awareness campaigns and public policies adopted to protect the consumer.

The Consumer Notification Center is specialized in automatically receiving and finishing the complaints about any irregularities, where smart devices are used to perform the work as soon as possible.

Since MCI is interested in facilitating and speeding up all transactions, consumers are requested to lodge their complaints through the MCI website by using their smartphones. Consumers can easily attach photos or send the location, besides reviewing the recalls of goods and learning about campaigns launched by MCI, including news related to consumers.

MCI has reconfirmed its mandate to consider all consumer complaints and notifications, promising that it will do its best to follow up on such cases in record time, indicating its intention to redouble efforts in order to provide an organized business environment that preserves the rights of consumers and protects them from any harmful practices.