The authorities warn firms not to exploit the spike in demand for jet ski gears during peak tourist season.
he authorities in Sharjah have warned over 20 jet ski rental companies against taking advantage of an uptick in demand during the peak tourist season by charging customers an exorbitant amount for damaged gears when they seek to return them.
The authorities, including police, municipality, and the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD), have warned these companies not to exploit the spike in demand for jet ski gears and indulge in unethical business practices.
The authorities have jointly launched a crackdown against any violation by these companies. Plans are afoot to take necessary legal measures.
The move comes in the wake of complaints from several customers, who were purportedly harassed by these companies such as seizure of their ID cards on the pretext of damaged jet ski gears.
Customers pay Dh100 per hour for a jet ski gear and the compensation for any ostensible damage to a device is Dh1,000.
Customers are penalised for improper use of jet ski gears, which reportedly led to their damage.
Mohamed Khatir is one of the complainants. His son and daughter, who had taken a jet ski gear on rent, have been asked to cough up Dh1,000 for purported damage to the contraption. The company had threatened to call the police on an alleged trumped-up charge that there was a scratch on the gear, which reportedly existed earlier, and the customer must cough up Dh1,000 as compensation.
“Though my children were not responsible for the damage, I had to pay for the alleged damage,” said Khatir.
The rental companies allegedly target teenagers and women to make a fast buck out of them.
An Asian expatriate family, who complained to the authorities, said that they were forced to pay Dh3,000 for unidentified mechanical defects, as the company claimed they were caused by their son.
A Sharjah Police official has urged the public to report such cases and nobody should be scared if a rental company holds back an ID card on the grounds of realising its compensation for a damaged jet ski gear.
He has advised customers to inspect the jet ski gear and ensure that there was no defect in the device while renting it. He has suggested that a jet ski gear should be insured and there must be a mutual contract between a rental company and a customer.
A manager of a rental jet ski company said the riders were responsible for bearing all expenses for repairs, if a gear was found to be damaged.
“We keep our customers’ ID cards in a bid to ensure that if there is a dispute over a damaged jet ski gear, it can be settled amicably,” he added.
A SEDD official said over 20 jet ski rental companies were operating in the emirate and all of them held valid licences. Each company is allowed to operate up to 10 jet skis.
A Sharjah Police official said jet ski rental companies were not allowed to hold customers’ passports and IDs. “They are also forbidden to force customers to pay up for damaged jet ski gears, according to a recent decision issued by the Sharjah Executive Council (SEC),” he added.
Jet ski rental companies are under the scanner of the Sharjah Police and the Sharjah Municipality following a litany of
complaints about the seizure of ID cards. Some customers said they were asked to leave their passports or Emirates IDs in a bid to ensure that they were obliged to pay for repairs in case of any damage of a jet ski gear.
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“The customer must not pay compensation against any damage because jet ski gears must be covered by insurance, according to the regulations issued by the SEC. The companies don’t have the right to seize passports or ID cards. This practice is illegal,” he said.
“Rigorous inspection drives will be carried out in coordination with the SEED to ensure that these companies are abiding by the rules,” a Sharjah Police official said.
The authorities are closely looking at the records of the jet ski rental companies, especially those against whom customers filed several complaints.
Thabit Al Turaifi, Director-General of the Sharjah Municipality, said that the civic body set up an office dedicated to monitoring these companies’ activities.
“We are looking at the complaints filed against these rental companies. One of the most recurring complaints is the companies’ refusal to receive a jet ski gear after a customer returns it on the grounds of damage to the device. The recently issued decision of the SEC aims to address these concerns and a strict adherence to ethical business practices,” he added.
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