Dubai: The Dubai Civil Court of First Instance has ordered a seller to hand over a luxury car and transfer ownership of a distinctive licence plate to a buyer, ruling that a sales agreement concluded through WhatsApp messages constituted a valid and binding contract.
The dispute centred on a transaction worth AED1.3 million, involving a luxury car and a special licence plate.
The court relied on WhatsApp correspondence between the two parties, together with evidence showing that the buyer had paid the full purchase price by bank cheque, to conclude that a legally enforceable sales agreement had been formed.
According to court documents, the buyer claimed that he had agreed to purchase the vehicle and licence plate from the defendant for AED1.3 million.
The agreement was reached through WhatsApp messages, in which the buyer wrote: “I bought the car”, specifying its details, “in addition to the licence plate”, identifying the plate number, “for AED1.3 million. Is there confirmation?”
The seller replied: “Yes… confirmed.”
The buyer subsequently issued a bank cheque for the full value of the deal, which was cashed the following day.
However, the seller later refused to hand over the vehicle or transfer ownership of the licence plate, prompting the buyer to file a lawsuit.
The defendant argued that the case should be dismissed, claiming that the contractual relationship had not been established. He also requested that proceedings be suspended pending the outcome of a criminal case he said was linked to the dispute.
The court rejected those arguments, finding no evidence justifying suspension of the proceedings and noting that the defendant was the beneficiary of the cheque used in the transaction.
To verify the facts, the court appointed a committee comprising an information technology expert and an accounting expert.
The technical expert confirmed the authenticity of the WhatsApp conversation and verified that the disputed messages had been sent and received from the relevant phone.
Meanwhile, the accounting expert confirmed that the AED1.3 million had been deducted from the buyer’s account and found no evidence that ownership of either the vehicle or the licence plate had been transferred, nor that the purchase price had been refunded.
In its judgment, the court stated that UAE law recognises offer and acceptance as valid expressions of contractual intent, whether made verbally or in writing.
The court found that the buyer’s message constituted a clear offer and that the seller’s response amounted to an explicit acceptance, resulting in a valid contract, particularly as the agreed amount had been paid in full the following day.
The court also noted that the defendant failed to provide any evidence that he had fulfilled his contractual obligations, returned the funds or proven his claim that the transaction was fictitious.
Accordingly, the court ordered the defendant to deliver the 2021 Cadillac Escalade to the buyer, transfer ownership of the special licence plate through the competent authorities and pay court costs, expenses and legal fees.
Source: Emirates 24|7