u/Eastern-Tip4047

I run an electronics trading company in the UAE and recently purchased 25 mobile phones from another electronics trader in Deira.

The supplier issued an invoice for 25 units, provided 25 serial numbers, and the transaction was completed accordingly. I counted 25 phones at their counter before the bag was handed over to me.

Later that night, the supplier contacted me claiming that their employee had accidentally placed a 26th phone inside the parcel. I told them I would check, but I could not find any additional unit.

By then, the stock had already been delivered to my customer. The customer also checked and confirmed that they only received the agreed 25 units.

The supplier sent me CCTV footage showing a stack of phones being placed inside a bag, followed by the bag being handed to me. However, the footage does not clearly establish that there were 26 units inside, and I did not open and recount the bag after receiving it because I had already counted 25 phones on the counter.

The supplier has now said they may file a complaint. They keep mentioning that the value may be deducted from their employee’s salary, but this was an internal packing mistake on their side, and I have no possession or knowledge of the alleged extra device.

My documents only show the purchase of 25 phones, and the customer also received 25.

Could they realistically file a theft or breach-of-trust complaint against me based only on this CCTV footage? What should I do now to protect my company?

Should I send them a formal written response, file an incident record, or consult a lawyer before they escalate?

Any guidance from someone familiar with UAE commercial or criminal law would be appreciated.

Small business owner in Dubai here, and I honestly need to vent and ask if anyone else has faced similar issues dealing with business accounts.

We’ve been dealing with Etisalat Business since 2023. Over time, we’ve purchased SIM plans, services, and devices for resale. Earlier transactions were smooth, which is why what happened recently has been so frustrating.

In November 2025, we placed an order for around 200 Samsung A16 devices. We were shown one model, but on delivery day, a different model arrived. We rejected the shipment and had to spend hours at the warehouse sorting out returns and refunds. To resolve the situation quickly, our account manager suggested replacing part of the order with 16 iPhones of equivalent value. We agreed, completed the transaction, and moved forward.

Fast forward to now, for months we had an overdue amount of around AED 8,200 sitting on the account. We believed this was related to VAT adjustments because of how billing cycles work.

Only yesterday did we discover this amount appears linked to two additional iPhones that were allegedly processed under documentation carrying our company stamp and a partner’s signature. The issue? That partner does not handle operations or purchasing decisions, and we were never aware of these extra devices. Now our lines have been disconnected. We cannot properly communicate with customers, receive calls, or operate normally, and for a small business, this is a disaster. At this stage, I’m less frustrated about the money and more frustrated about process failures, accountability, and the fact that communication services were suspended while this dispute is still unclear.

Has anyone else dealt with something similar in business accounts? What was your next step, escalation, legal route, consumer protection, or internal complaints?

Hello,

Looking for anyone selling chair for Home Office purpose

Location: Dubai or Sharjah