Doha

New vehicles cost more in Qatar than in other GCC countries, according to a vast majority of respondents in a new official survey.
More than 4,000 people took part in the survey, which was conducted by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) recently to ascertain the level of consumer satisfaction pertaining to the country's automobile sector.
The survey covered a number of subjects, including the prices of new and used cars, whether showrooms offered accurate information about their products to customers, warranty and after-sales services, the official Qatar News Agency reported.
Around 94% of the survey participants said the prices of most new vehicles in Qatar were higher than those in the other GCC states, while 95.08% felt that spare parts were more expensive here as compared to the other Gulf countries.
Meanwhile, between 81.28% and 92.85% of the respondents felt that service costs were high in Qatar, whether during warranty or after its expiry.
Some 73.89% felt that showrooms did not present customers with accurate information about cars, whether used or new. However, an equal number - 72.28% - said the official agents had clear information regarding service centres and their locations.
Most consumers - 74% - said the dealers gave them good treatment while selling a vehicle, but when it comes to maintenance and after-sales services, things become hard.
Around 75% of the participants in the MEC survey felt that limiting the warranty of a vehicle by making people buy directly from the authorised distributor adversely affected consumer rights.
Accordingly, 91.42% of the participants said the approval of workshops other than those of the official agents for maintenance and servicing works, without affecting the warranty, would reflect positively on the market and also reduce the cost of after-sales services.
Moreover, around 70% said the terms and conditions for new vehicles' warranty did not give consumers a fair deal.
Regarding new vehicles, around 76% of the respondents said the authorised distributors negate the warranty as soon as a customer gets maintenance work done in other places. The same applies to used vehicles (77%).
Regarding the quality of work, around 59% said technicians at the authorised service centres were not adequately qualified, while 51% thought that mechanics at independent workshops were sufficiently skilled, according to a statement from the MEC. Besides, around 92% of those who buy used vehicles often get their cars checked at independent workshops.
Around 63% expressed confidence in the quality of spare parts provided by the official agents while 77% said dealers did not approve of the warranty of parts sold in other shops. Besides, the dealers also do not agree to instal spare parts bought from other places, according to 78% of the participants.
Meanwhile, some 66% said the authorised service centres had sophisticated equipment when compared to other workshops. However, 73% felt that spare parts were not readily available in Qatar and procuring them could sometimes be a time-consuming process.
A majority of the respondents, 78%, said sometimes the service centres replace complete systems or modules rather than replacing only the defective part, which they felt was unnecessary.
Some 70.86% of the respondents felt they were not fully informed on reasons behind the recalls that take place from time to time.
The survey was launched last month to improve the services offered to consumers in the automobile sector.
The MEC is now preparing a guide on the responsibilities and rights of customers and dealers in the sector. The guide aims to regulate the interaction between dealers and customers in all aspects - from sale to warranty, service and recalls.

Warranty issue

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce had earlier issued a directive allowing owners to take their vehicles to a workshop of their choice for repair and regular maintenance works.
This was in light of the fact that some distributors had made it mandatory for customers to have vehicles serviced at the dealers’ workshops to be eligible for manufacturer’s warranty.
While many distributors have already complied with the directive, others are in the process of doing so, it is learnt.