3,267 complaints against car companies in 2016: CPA

Ahmed Amer
5 Min Read

The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has announced that the number of total complaints filed against car companies in 2016 reached 3,267, whereas 2,327 complaints were received in 2015, in addition to 940 complaints moved from 2015.

In the annual report obtained by Daily News Egypt, the CPA explained that the total number of complaints resolved over the past year reached 2,526, including 1,749 made last year, and 777 filed in 2015 that were resolved last year.

The agency has categorised “resolved complaints” during the period from January until December 2015.

The first category included complaints that were resolved by removing the reason for the complaint. Those amounted to 1,434.

1,092 complaints were marked resolved through miscellaneous methods.

The reasons for the complaints varied in the first category, from defects to late delivery of cars and more.

The report revealed the financial value borne by companies to resolve these issues was estimated at EGP 144.2m, where the number of replaced cars reached 77. On the other hand, cars returned for a reimbursement reached 165, cars delivered to customers reached 197, and cars with defects that were fixed reached 995.

Regarding the “miscellaneous methods” category, the number of decisions made by the CPA under the title “Sufficiency of procedures” reached 221. The category titled “no violation detected” reached 199, while there were 126 cases where complaints were waived, in addition to 546 varied cases in the “removing complaint reason” category.

The report said that the CPA has carried out campaigns for the examination of cars and their parts, where random samples were taken and examined. Moreover, several meetings with car companies and showrooms were held. Other meetings were held with members of the Association of Car Manufacturers regarding the complaints filed against them.

The car complaint administrations detected the selling and purchasing of cars, as well as the increase of some cars’ prices, which involved an analysis of these numbers. Companies were asked about the reasons for the increases. The CPA has referred a number of car companies to the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) for tax evasion.

Ashraf Adel, head of the complaints department at the CPA, said that the authority was able to bring back about 108,500 cars of more than 60 models from different brands. The process was carried out in coordination between the CPA and the concerned car companies. Measures were taken to remove the reasons for the complaints.

Adel explained that the CPA has referred 11 companies and exhibitions working in the field of cars to the ETA with the charge of tax evasion, after it was proven that their cars had two prices.

Atef Yakoub, head of the agency, said that this year has witnessed the implementation of summoning cars from about 33 brands, without harming the production company, while also resolving problems once complaints are made.

Yakoub told Daily News Egypt that the agency operates according to a system where “no one is above the force of law”. Major companies were punished over the past period and referred to public prosecution, with the only thing taken into consideration being the protection of consumers’ rights.

He added that the agency has referred more than six companies working in the field of selling cars to the ETA for tax evasion after two prices were detected for their cars. The CPA has examined “model 4”, which was used for the cars’ customs release, and the price of the car was figured out after the payment of customs.

Yakoub stressed that the CPA will continue to monitor the market and preserve the rights of citizens.

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