Fix customer's phone or go to jail, court tells salesman in Oman

Sur: A Sur court handed a mobile phone store clerk a three month suspended sentence in prison and fined him OMR 2000 for a consumer’s lost phone.

The customer bought a new phone worth OMR240 from a local mobile phone store which came with a one year warranty. After several days passed the touch screen failed and the consumer sent his phone to the store to get it repaired under warranty.

According to the consumer protection law, if an item is sent for repairs and the consumer doesn’t get the item back in three weeks, then that item should be exchanged for a newer one.

However, the store clerk did not give the consumer a new phone or the old one back, which forced him to file a complaint, requesting that his phone is exchanged for a newer one or a refund.

The judge ruled that the store clerk had a month to either exchange the phone or reimburse the consumer his money, however, if he fails to do so, the clerk will face three months in prison and a fine of OMR 2000.