Refund, repair or replacement: faulty goods rights in Dubai

Short answer

• A supplier must repair or replace a defective product at no charge, or take it back and refund you.
• If the same fault returns three times in the first year, you can get a like-for-like replacement or a refund, as reported.
• If a warranty repair takes more than seven days, the supplier should lend you an alternative free of charge.
• Reports differ on whether you or the supplier chooses the remedy. Go to the store first, with your receipt.

If something you bought in Dubai is faulty, UAE law puts the duty on the supplier to repair it, replace it or refund you, at no charge. A store's own policy doesn't remove that duty. Start at the store with your receipt, and escalate to Dubai's consumer protection service if that fails.

This guide covers faulty goods. If you've simply changed your mind, the position is different: read can a Dubai shop refuse a refund?

Which law applies to faulty goods in Dubai

The rules come from federal law, so they aren't Dubai-specific. There are three pieces to know:

• The law: Federal Law No. 15 of 2020, amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 5 of 2023 (u.ae).
• The detailed rules: the Executive Regulations in Cabinet Decision No. 66 of 2023, in effect from 14 October 2023 (CMS).
• Who it covers: suppliers on the mainland, in free zones, and e-commerce businesses registered in the UAE (u.ae).

The same u.ae summary says the law doesn't cover buying from e-commerce businesses registered outside the UAE. So check who you actually bought from before you assume these rights apply. A familiar brand name on an overseas website doesn't make the seller a UAE business.

Many of the top search results on this subject are news stories from before 2020, when a different law applied. If an article doesn't mention the 2020 law, treat its details with care.

What the supplier has to do

Here's how the main situations are described in the sources we checked. The article numbers come from a newspaper legal column and law firm notes rather than our own reading of the law, so we attribute them.

The penalties are serious on paper. According to u.ae, a supplier who fails to repair or replace a defective product can face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to AED 2 million.

Same fault three times: how the rule works

The three-fault rule is the one people most often ask about, and it's narrower than it first sounds. As Khaleej Times reported it in 2021, these all need to be true:

1. It's the same malfunction, not three different problems.
2. It happens three times within the first year after you received the item.
3. It substantially affects how the product works.

A worked example makes this easier to check. Say you buy a washing machine in March. The drum stops mid-cycle in May, again in August and again in November, and the machine can't finish a wash. That looks like the pattern the column describes. If instead it had a door fault in May and a noisy pump in August, that's two separate faults, so the three-fault route may not fit, although your right to have each fault fixed still stands.

Keep every job sheet. Without them, it's hard to show that the same fault came back. That example is ours, for illustration, and the column doesn't deal with every kind of product.

Do you choose the remedy, or does the supplier?

This is where the sources differ, and we can't settle it for you.

• Khaleej Times reported in May 2026 that consumers may choose replacement, repair or refund, regardless of store policy, and that clauses waiving these rights are void.
• A Khaleej Times legal column from February 2024 describes repair or replacement first, as what the supplier offers.

We haven't been able to read the law text ourselves to resolve it. In practice, it makes sense to state what you want, in writing, and to expect that a first-time fault on a repairable item may be met with an offer of repair. If you want a refund and the store refuses, that's a question for the consumer protection service.

How long a warranty lasts

There's no single number. According to Pinsent Masons, warranty periods must suit the kind of item and be stated upfront, and the warranty runs from the date you receive the original item or its replacement.

Two practical points follow from that:

• Ask what the warranty period is before you pay, and get it on the invoice or warranty card.
• If you get a replacement, ask the store to confirm in writing when its warranty starts.

What can void your claim

Khaleej Times reported in May 2026 that misuse voids coverage, and that shoppers should keep receipts and report defects promptly. So:

• Report the fault as soon as you notice it, and keep a dated record.
• Don't try your own repair first. It gives the supplier room to argue misuse.
• Keep the receipt, or a digital copy, along with the warranty card and any job sheets.

Dubai's Consumer Protection head told Gulf News in August 2026 that shoppers should go to the store first, and that a complaint needs a receipt.

What to do, step by step

1. Stop using the item if it's unsafe or getting worse, and photograph the fault.
2. Go back to the store with the item and the receipt, and say what you're asking for.
3. Put it in writing. An email or message with the date, the fault and what you want gives you a record.
4. Ask for a job sheet if the store takes it for repair, and note the date. If it goes past seven days, ask for the free alternative.
5. Escalate if the store refuses or goes quiet. Follow the steps for a consumer complaint, and check who handles what if the shop isn't in Dubai.

If the item turned out to be fake

Counterfeit goods have their own rule. Khaleej Times reported in July 2025 that Article 7 of Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2023 requires a refund or exchange at the choice of a customer who bought in good faith. There's more in the refunds guide.

What to check before you act

• Was the seller registered in the UAE? If not, this law may not apply.
• Do you have the receipt and warranty card, or copies?
• Is it the same fault each time, and do your job sheets show that?
• Did you report it promptly, and did you avoid anything that looks like misuse?
• Is your issue with a shop in Dubai? Other emirates have different channels.

Questions people ask

We can't take or pursue complaints. File only through the authority's own channels. Dubai Police have warned about fake consumer protection sites in search results. Check the web address, and never share an OTP or install a remote-control app.

General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and fees change, so check the sources below. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Sources

1. Consumer protection law (u.ae) checked 5 November 2026
2. UAE law: product that malfunctions three times in the first year (Khaleej Times, 7 Nov 2021) checked 5 November 2026
3. The UAE's new consumer protection rules: key provisions (CMS, 4 Oct 2023) checked 5 November 2026
4. UAE consumer protection regime revamped (Pinsent Masons, 6 Oct 2023) checked 5 November 2026
5. Consumer protection in the UAE (LY Lawyers, 27 Oct 2026) checked 5 November 2026
6. Eid Al Adha shopping: 5 tips (Khaleej Times, 8 May 2026) checked 5 November 2026
7. Can shoppers claim a refund for defective online purchases? (Khaleej Times, 18 Feb 2024) checked 5 November 2026
8. Bought faulty school supplies in Dubai? How to file a complaint (Gulf News, 20 Aug 2026) checked 5 November 2026