Doha: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce published yesterday a survey it conducted in October on customer satisfaction in Qatar’s automotive sector.
The survey, answered by 4,000 people, covered subjects including the prices of new and used cars and whether showrooms offer accurate product information to customers. It also polled the nature of the warranty and after-sale service.
Some 94 percent of those polled said car prices were high compared to the rest of GCC. Between 81.28 percent and 92.85 percent said service costs were high during warranty or after it. As for car spares, 95.08 percent said they were expensive compared to other GCC countries.
Some 73.89 percent felt car showrooms did not give right information to customers. However, 72.28 percent felt official car agents had accurate information about service centres and their locations. Mechanics in service centres were considered highly skilled by 51.3 percent. The remaining said they were not.
The majority of those polled — 63.7 percent— were confident about the quality of spares sold by official agents, compared to those sourced from the market. However, 78.68 percent said that during service agents usually change a number of parts except the faulty spare. 70.86 percent felt they were not fully informed on reasons behind recalls of certain car brands from time to time.Continued from page 1
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce is preparing a guide on the responsibilities and rights of customers and dealers in the automotive sector. The guide aims to regulate the interaction between dealers and customers in all aspects from sale, warranty, service and recalls.
The survey was part of the Ministry’s commitment to the public interest in the framework of the consumer protection Law No 8 for 2008.
QNA
