Warranty Complaint in Qatar: What the Law Requires From Sellers

Warranty disputes usually start with a repair that drags on or an agent who says the fault is not covered. Qatar's Consumer Protection Law has specific duties for sellers and agents, and this guide sets them out. We read the law on Al Meezan and the Ministry's contact page in September 2026. The law text is short on detail, since it leaves many rules to an executive bylaw that we did not read, and we mark those gaps.

What the law says about warranties

Law No. 8 of 2008, listed on Al Meezan as in force, says the following.

• Article 9: subject to the trade agents law, each trade agent or distributor must execute all guarantees offered by the producer or its representative on a commodity. If executing a guarantee takes more than 15 days, the agent or distributor must provide a similar commodity for the consumer to use, free of charge, until the guarantee is executed.
• Article 12: the supplier must include, in its contracts, a commitment to repair, maintenance, and after-sales service, and to the return of the commodity within a defined time limit after a defect is discovered.
• Article 16: the supplier is liable for damage from use of the commodity, for failing to provide spare parts for durable goods within a defined period, and for the lack of warranties, whether advertised or agreed with the consumer, under rules in the executive bylaw.
• Article 5: if a commodity is defective, the supplier must refund, exchange, or repair it free of charge.
• Article 11: for services, the supplier must guarantee the service for a period appropriate to its nature, and refund the consumer or repeat the service correctly if it does not meet the guarantee.
• Article 16 also says that for locally produced goods, the producer and the seller are jointly liable.

What the law does not say

The text we read gives no standard warranty length, no list of what a warranty must cover, and no rule for how long a seller has to complete a repair, apart from the 15 day trigger for a replacement in Article 9. The duration and terms are therefore whatever the warranty card, contract, or advertisement states. Read them before you complain.

Steps to follow

• Find the warranty card, the invoice, and any advertisement that promised the warranty. Article 16 covers warranties that were advertised as well as agreed.
• Report the fault to the seller or authorized service center in writing, and keep a copy.
• Log every visit or drop-off, with the date, the job number, and what was said.
• If the repair passes 15 days, ask in writing for a similar item to use, citing Article 9, and note the answer.
• Ask for a written reason if the claim is rejected, for example if they say the fault is not covered.
• If the fault is repeated, ask for an exchange or refund under Article 5.

Complain to the Ministry

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry lists its call center on 16001 and +974 4042 2222 for international inquiries, the email [email protected], and a live chat. Its e-services page lists a Report a Complaint service for products, services, and pricing, using a National Authentication System login. According to The Peninsula in January 2025, the Ministry's app takes your full name, QID number, the establishment's name and location, and supporting images. We found no published response time.

For the general refund route, see our guide to a store that refuses a refund.

Real problems people run into

• The seller says the manufacturer handles it. Article 9 puts the duty to execute guarantees on the trade agent or distributor, so ask who that is in Qatar.
• The repair has taken weeks. Ask for the replacement item that Article 9 describes once 15 days have passed.
• The fault is not covered, they say. Ask for that in writing, with the clause that excludes it, and check it against what was advertised.
• Parts are not available. Article 16 makes the supplier liable for not providing spare parts for durable goods within a defined period, but we could not verify what period applies.
• I bought it overseas or online. We did not verify how the law applies, so ask the Ministry on 16001.
• I lost the invoice. Ask the store to reprint it, and check the card statement and the warranty registration.

What we could not verify

• The executive bylaw's rules on warranty content, length, and spare parts.
• Which importers count as trade agents for a given brand.
• How long the Ministry takes to act on a complaint.
• Rules for online purchases, used goods, or goods bought abroad.