Law & You - 2010 No. 8

By ARAB NEWS

Q. My eldest son was studying at a reputed school in Riyadh. Now the Boys Section is closed because the school does not have a license. The school authorities said they would open it again after a few days. The owner never bothers herself about our problems or about the future of our children.

She told us that we can transfer our children to another school but this is not easy as it is the middle of the academic year. Why does this country tolerate this practice? The school management has cheated us. Which school is better for our kids?  I wish the Ministry of Education would give us guidelines. We are expatriates in this country and those who cheated us are the citizens of this country.

 

A.  Which foreign school is this? How can it be so “reputed” and functioning without a license? This is fraud and it is a punishable offense. Your embassy must have a say here, and should get involved in all steps. The Ministry of Education — together with your embassy — should be referred to every day until they help you solve this problem. Together with the other parents, you must go to the ministry and your embassy. Do not give up until they find a solution.

 

Q. I have doubts about the efficiency of the consumer protection authority. One month ago I purchased a WiFi network package from a reputed organization in Jeddah. They promised a particular speed and service. But from day one I have not been receiving the services promised. I have filed several complaints by phone and e-mail, but there has been no response from them. I paid for a one-year subscription, and I am one month into this contract. How can I address my grievance? Are there any consumer courts or any organizations available in the Kingdom? I would like to bring this to the public notice to let people know of the poor service of this company rather than just getting my money back. I need your help. — P.S.K.

 

A. The relevant authority here is the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. They have a Consumer Protection Department that deals in these matters. If you are persistent you can get results. People usually don’t bother out of laziness, the complicated procedures and/or delays on the part of the administration. Try them before you give up.

 

Answers given by  Muhammad Jaber Nader

Questions may be sent to Arab News by e-mail (arabnews@arabnews.com), fax (02)2836228, or regular mail (P.O. Box 10452, Jeddah 21433).

Comments
Post your comment

required

required (email will never be displayed)

Please enter the following characters in the box provided (case sensitive). This helps us prevent automated programs from creating accounts and sending spam.

All comments are subject to approval

Terms and conditions

Latest comments