Dubai: An expatriate family is in a state of shock after a brand new oven they purchased just a day before exploded in the kitchen.

The family of Dinesh Bhatia, a Dubai based Indian businessman, was celebrating his birthday on December 7 when the incident took place at their apartment in Al Barsha.

“It was my birthday and there were some guests at home to celebrate the occasion and we were heating some regular food items, we were not even baking anything and after 15 minutes in use suddenly the oven glass shattered and the handle flew off, hurting my wife, who was in the kitchen with my six-year-old son,” said Bhatia, who is unable to get over the incident even after 10 days.

Bhatia, a long-time resident of Dubai, says though his family was fortunate to get away with only small injuries, it could have been worse.

“This is very scary, fortunately my wife got away with only minor burns on her right hand and my son escaped unhurt, but he is still scared and is reluctant to enter the kitchen. For the first few days after the incident he refused to enter the kitchen. The point is, it could have been worse and such a faulty product should not be allowed to be sold in the market, the relevant authorities should look into the matter,” said Bhatia, who is seeking compensation and an explanation from the manufacturer about the cause of explosion.

Though, the 37 year old informed the dealer about the incident and got the oven replaced, he hasn’t received any explanation or compensation from the dealer or the manufacturer.

“I spoke to the sales guys, wrote to the main dealer of the product in Dubai, but I haven’t heard anything from them so far. A couple of days back, when I visited the dealer from where I purchased the oven, a sales executive told me that I might get a compensation of only Dh500 for the horrid experience we went through. I think this is totally unacceptable, this is not about money, I was expecting them to come back officially and address our concerns, but so far I haven’t heard from them,” said Bhatia, who belongs to a trading family based in Dubai since early 20th century.

Bhatia, who has lived all his life in Dubai, said he has never heard of such a case before and wants people to be aware.

“I want people to be aware of this and be careful about the products they choose. I never heard of an oven blast before and just to think of having such a product in the kitchen is scary. My wife is uncomfortable using even the replaced oven, we don’t want to run the risk of having another blast,” added Bhatia, hoping the authorities will take a note of the incident.

Consumer hotline number

Consumers rights in the UAE are protected under federal law number 24 of 2006. In cases of any violation, consumers can register a complaint with Department of Economic Development (DED) through their hotline number (+971 600 545555), an email (consumerrights@dubaided.gov.ae) or fax (+971 4 450 3996).

Consumers can also visit the DED’s Consumer Protection division near Dubai Clock Tower to lodge their concerns.

Whatever the medium one chooses to lodge a complaint, consumers are required to provide their name and contact details, full details of the retailer/service provider and a description of the case to be lodged.

The complainants should present all supporting documents related to the case at the time of lodging the complaint.

Once the complaint is lodged the Consumer Protection division will provide the complainant with a unique case number which should be quoted during all the follow up correspondence until the case is resolved.

DED constantly reminds the consumers their rights under the federal law and how they can claim these rights.

Consumers in the UAE have the following rights:

Right to safety: To be protected from products, production processes and services that may cause harm to health and safety

Right to know: To know the accurate information concerning the goods and services (eg: origin of the products, expiry date and ingredients for food products).

Right to choose: Right to have multiple options of good quality items and services at competitive prices.

Right to representation: The right to express opinions on improving goods, services, prices and availability.

Right to be informed: The right to gather knowledge, skills and awareness relating to consumer rights and responsibilities through continuous awareness program