q In December 2014, I moved from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and called Etisalat to inform them of the move and to request to have my connection moved to my new address. I was told that they did not cover my new address in Dubai and so I asked for my account to be closed. Etisalat said there would be a fee, which I agreed and I made what I thought was my last payment. In July, I received a message that my Etisalat account was overdue by Dh1,600 and to settle it immediately. I contacted Etisalat care on email and explained my situation. Until now, my complaint has not been resolved and I have spoken to seven people without any resolution. Today, I received an email from a legal firm telling me that I had until midday to pay a sum which is now more than Dh2,000. Where do I stand from a legal perspective? I can prove that I contacted Etisalat in December to inform them I was moving but the conversation regarding my details of changing address and cancelling my account was done by phone. I don’t think that I should have to pay because someone did not do their job properly. What would you advise?
a Since you personally called and asked for your account to be closed you have good grounds to lodge a complaint with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), which oversees the work of all communication companies in the UAE. The authority has the power to go back to the calls made by you to Etisalat and double check what was said. You should also submit all the correspondence you possess that can help prove you made the request ahead of moving home. Legally, you’re in the right and so the TRA complaints section should help you sort out your problem with Etisalat. Visit www.tra.gov.ae.
I was deported from Dubai in October last year as I overstayed my visa. I want to know if I can obtain police clearance from Dubai while living outside the country? Also, would my deportation and not having an Emirates ID mean my police clearance is rejected?
Once a person is deported for any reason related to violating the country’s laws and regulations, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs will not retain any identification documents of the person, as it only holds documents of residents of the UAE. Therefore, you will not be able to obtain a clearance letter or any similar letters from overseas. To obtain such documents, you need to be resident in the country. To find out the status of your deportation and if you wish to file a case for cancelling any travel ban, you must hire a lawyer to submit an appeal on your behalf, after which a committee will review your case and make a decision.
Yousef Al Bahar is an advocate at Al Bahar and Associates Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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