How a firm took a customer for a ride

When the salesperson from a water purification company recently demonstrated the “invisible impurities and chemicals” in the water his family has been consuming, Sharjah resident Anubhav Baijal did not want to think twice about buying the water filtering system on offer.

“When he used some electrodes in both the tap water and the bottled water, the water turned dirty. He showed a newspaper cutting regarding the refilling of the water bottle with the normal tap water and reselling of it and told us that water in Sharjah contained bacteria, fungi and algae and many other impurities and is unsafe to drink. He also explained some diseases which can occur if this type of water is consumed,” Baijal told Khaleej Times.

“His demonstration convinced me to some extent. We wanted to take some time and think over the deal but he insisted that we make the order immediately. He said if we buy instantly and pay the full amount after the demo, they would give us the system for a discounted price. So we paid them through cheque.”

On enquiring with someone in the municipality, Baijal realised he was fooled and wanted to cancel the order immediately. “The salesman asked us to talk to his manager, who never responded to our calls. We understood their intention and withdrew the money in the account. Though I told the salesman not to deposit the cheque, they deposited it and it bounced. When I called them later, they kept avoiding me. How can they deposit the cheque without delivering the product and when I told them that I want to cancel the order?” When contacted, a representative of the company in Sharjah said the company’s policy did not allow them to cancel an order. “As per company’s contract, we can deposit the cheque within four days after receiving it. If the client has not read these, it is not our responsibility,” he said.