You have seen the sign at the till: Goods sold are neither returnable nor substitutable.
As a general condition imposed on a customer, that sign is null and void under UAE law
— and has been since the current executive regulation came into force.
Here is what UAE consumer protection actually gives you, what it does not, and the
phone number to use — which is not the one most guides print.
The sign, precisely
Cabinet Decision 66 of 2023 lists conditions that are null and void when imposed on a consumer. Item ten
on that list is fixing the phrase “Goods sold are neither returnable nor substitutable”, with three narrow
exceptions:
| Exception | Condition attached |
|---|---|
| You knew about the defect and accepted the item as-is | This must be evident in the purchase invoice |
| The nature, properties or packaging prevent return or replacement | Does not apply if the reason for return is a manufacturing defect, non-conformity with standards, or inconsistency with agreed specifications |
| Perishable goods, custom-made goods, books, newspapers and magazines | Perishables are excepted only if they were not already unfit for consumption at the date of purchase |
The very next void condition on the same list is “not refunding the price of commodity or the
consideration of service to the consumer”.
Now the precise part, because the sloppy version of this claim is also wrong. UAE law does not
give you a change-of-mind cooling-off right on an in-store purchase. You cannot buy a shirt, decide
you dislike it, and demand your money back as of right.
What the law does is stop a retailer using that sign to escape its statutory duties on defect,
malfunction, warranty and misdescription. The sign cannot be a blanket waiver. And note the first exception
carefully: if a shop wants to sell you something as-is because you know it is faulty, that acceptance has to
be written on the invoice — not merely announced on a laminated card by the register.
What you are actually entitled to when something fails
This is the machinery most people never see, and it is more generous than its reputation.
| Situation | Your entitlement |
|---|---|
| The item malfunctions | Repair, replacement, or return and refund; for a service, free re-performance |
| The same malfunction recurs three times in the first year, affecting functional performance | Free replacement with a new item of the same type and specifications, or return and refund |
| The failure is due to preservation, storage, handling, installation or another cause the supplier is responsible for | You elect: refund, replacement, or free repair |
| Your item is away for repair for more than 7 days | The supplier must give you a similar alternative item, free, for the period |
| Repair fails three times or more and you have partly used the item | Refund of value, less depreciation |
| A service is not provided, or is deficient | Full price back, or the portion for the unused part, or correct re-performance — and if the supplier refuses or delays, the full price paid |
| Goods sold without a proper product warranty | Must be taken back and refunded if the defect appears within 30 days of appearing, apparent or hidden |
Two more that rarely surface. Your warranty period is extended by any time you could not
use the item because of covered repairs or a maintenance delay caused by the supplier. And where a defect
affects efficiency or creates a risk, the supplier must notify the authority and consumers, stop trading the
product and recall it — and recalled or returned goods may not be re-sold or listed on e-commerce
platforms.
Three rules retailers break routinely
No credit-card surcharge. The supplier must “not add any further amounts on the value of
commodity, if credit cards are used”. It must also state clearly whether debit cards are accepted and the
value of any discount.
The price-drop refund. If a discount is due to begin within one week of your purchase,
the supplier must tell you at the time of purchase. If it does not, you are entitled to be refunded the
difference within thirty days of the purchase date. Almost nobody knows this exists.
Used or defective goods must be flagged. Used, renovated or defective items must be
conspicuously marked as such on the item and at the premises, and described in the contract or invoice.
Advertising a warranty without handing over the warranty document is prohibited outright.
On invoices, the law requires a dated invoice carrying the supplier’s trade name and address, the type of
good, price and quantity — and the invoice shall be in Arabic, with other languages
optional.
Correction: the number is 800 1222
A great many guides give 600 522225 as the consumer complaints line. That number appears nowhere on the
Ministry’s site or on the government portal.
The number both give is 800 1222, also shown as a WhatsApp contact.
Correction: your complaint probably does not go to the Ministry
This is backwards in almost every guide, and it changed with the 2023 reform.
Cabinet Decision 66 of 2023 provides that the competent authority — your emirate’s
economic department — “shall receive, entertain and follow up the complaints of consumers”. You may file
with the Ministry only in cases determined by agreement between the Ministry and that authority.
The Ministry’s own Undersecretary described the reform as granting local authorities inherent legal
competencies in receiving complaints, imposing administrative sanctions and hearing grievances. So the
default route is your emirate; the Ministry is the exception.
When you file, the authority records the complainant’s name, address and capacity, the filing date, the
respondent’s details and activity, the type of offence, and the evidence. It may refuse a complaint missing
those particulars — so put them in from the start.
If you want to challenge a decision, a written grievance goes to the Minister or the head of the
competent authority within 15 working days of notification, with supporting documents. It
must be decided within thirty days, and silence counts as rejection.
Which law actually applies
Most guides cite Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 alone. That is incomplete. The operative framework is:
| Instrument | Role |
|---|---|
| Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 | The consumer protection law, which abrogated the 2006 law |
| Federal Decree-Law No. 5 of 2023 | Amended it, replacing Articles 5, 16, 22 and 35 — the change that devolved enforcement |
| Cabinet Decision No. 66 of 2023 | The executive regulation, issued 3 July 2023 — where almost all the operative detail sits |
Two further decisions from this year are published on the Ministry’s legislations page and appear in no
consumer guide we have seen: Ministerial Decision No. 74 of 2026, on prohibiting price increases for land
transport and port operational services during emergency circumstances, and Ministerial Decision No. 82 of
2026, adopting a technical guide for calculating increases in land transport, handling, customs clearance
and delivery prices in line with fuel prices. We are naming them and stopping there — we have confirmed the
titles and dates, not read their operative articles.
What is covered
The law reaches all goods and services sold by suppliers, advertisers and commercial agents across the
UAE mainland and free zones, including e-commerce platforms registered in the UAE.
It does not cover purchases from e-commerce businesses registered outside the UAE. That
is the single biggest practical gap, and it is the one most likely to affect anyone shopping across borders.
The rights the law itself grants are broader than the returns question: a safe purchasing environment,
correct information, free choice, respect for religious values and customs, just and prompt settlement of
disputes, fair compensation for damage — and privacy and security of your data, including not using it for
promotional and marketing purposes.
For higher-value purchases where the amounts justify it, our guide to
arbitration in the UAE covers
the route beyond a consumer complaint. Shoppers may also want our guides to
buying gold in
Dubai and to the
cost of living
in Abu Dhabi, while businesses on the other side of the counter should read our guides to
trade licence types and
business setup — the
obligations above attach to the licence, not to the size of the shop.
Primary sources: the Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s published English texts of
Federal
Law No. 15 of 2020 and
Cabinet
Decision No. 66 of 2023, from which every article cited above was read; the Ministry’s
consumer
protection legislations page and
consumer
complaints page; and the UAE Government portal on
consumer
protection. This article is general information, not legal advice.
