A man who sold two luxury watches online as genuine, only for them to later be discovered as counterfeit, has been ordered by the Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Court to repay Dh129,000 and pay an additional Dh10,000 in moral damages to the buyer.
The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by the buyer, who claimed he was deceived in what the court described as a clear case of fraud.
The buyer found an advertisement on social media offering the two high-end watches for sale. After negotiating a price, he transferred the money to the seller’s bank account. It was only upon receiving the watches that he discovered they were counterfeit.
A criminal complaint led to the seller’s conviction before the buyer pursued a civil case to recover his funds and seek compensation for the harm caused.
As part of the proceedings, the court appointed a financial expert from the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department to examine the transaction. The expert’s report confirmed that the deal had been conducted through WhatsApp messages between the parties.
The report detailed that the first watch was priced at Dh68,000 and fully paid, while the second watch, valued at Dh81,000, had Dh48,000 transferred via bank payments, totaling Dh129,000.
The court concluded that the watches were counterfeit and that the buyer suffered both financial loss and psychological distress due to the deception. Exercising its discretionary authority, the court ordered full repayment and awarded Dh10,000 for moral damages.
