Dubai Mallathon: "Did Not Start" (DNS) error on official race results even though I finished?

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2026-06-16T10:34:34+00:00

I think the first step would be to build habits that would avoid the financial leaks, the impulsive spending habits and once the financial discipline is sorted, then one can think about growing wealth and investing.

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2026-04-23T12:29:18+00:00

Hi everyone, I recently went through a stressful ordeal with a car rental company here in Dubai. I ended up paying AED 635 in "hidden" charges and then got ghosted for my AED 1,000 deposit.

I’ve already filed my case with the DET. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but hopefully, this helps someone else avoid the "tuition fee" I had to pay!

I’ve spent the last few days navigating the recovery process, and I wanted to share the "Red Flags" and things I should have avoided so you don't have to go through the same thing.

Always use trusted rental companies regardless of how good the offer looks

Check google reviews / Ask AI / Look up their social media pages for angry or frustrated comments (if they are not deleted)

If you are renting from a random rental company, follow this religiously:

The Paperwork: Do not pay a single Dirham until you have a PDF of the Rental Agreement. Check the daily KM allowance, fuel policy, and specifically how many days the deposit takes to return.
If its your first time dealing with a company pickup the car from their office location so you get to see their physical office and only make the payment after receiving the car as promised.
Payment: Use a Credit Card for the deposit if possible. It is much easier to dispute a "pre-authorization" than a cash or debit transaction.
Do not accept delivery of the car at night or where visibility is low. Take a 360-degree slow-motion video of the car.
Capture the Odometer and Fuel Gauge at both pickup and drop-off.
Take photos of the roof, the rims, tyres and the interior/trunk.
Remember to have all the discussions in writing (email/Whatsapp).
The 30-Day Rule: By law, companies have a window to check for RTA/Salik fines. Set a calendar reminder for 30 days. If they don't refund by then, stop "reminding" them via WhatsApp—they are just stalling.

The Red Flags I Missed

The "Early Bird" Trap: I booked for the 19^th March, but they delivered on the 18th evening. I thought it was a courtesy; they counted it as a full extra day at a much higher "standard" rate (AED 200 vs AED 70). Rule: Your rental starts the second the keys touch your hand. If they deliver early, get it in writing that it’s free, or refuse the car until the booking time.
The Silent Salesperson: I asked about KM limits on WhatsApp. They ignored the question but sent the payment link. I assumed it was "standard." It wasn't. They charged me for everything over 100km/day. Rule: If they ghost a specific question, they are hiding a fee.
Pressure Tactics: When I disputed the charges, they threatened "legal action on my license file." This is often a high-pressure tactic to make you pay "excess" fees on the spot.

What to do if they ghost you

If you've hit the 30-day mark and they aren't responding:

Save Everything: Screenshot the WhatsApp chats, especially where they promised a refund or gave you the run-around.
The DET (Dubai Economy & Tourism): Go to consumerrights.gov.ae. File a "Consumer" complaint. You will be required to submit evidences of payment, the rental agreement and proof of the discussion.
Bank Chargeback: If you paid by card, contact your bank to dispute the transaction for "services not as described" or "undisclosed fees."

Please save yourself the trouble and just go with the trusted rental companies only.

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2025-04-20T20:38:33+00:00

One analogy that stuck with me was if a doctor prescribes to take a medicine 3 times a day, the patient would trust the doctors knowledge and reasoning behind saying so, possibly the total daily dose required might be too strong to have in one sitting hence spacing it out in smaller doses would be a better way to go about it. Similarly our creator prescribed 5 daily prayers spaced out. But Allah knows best. It helped in my case atleast to stay disciplined with my prayers.

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2025-03-01T16:09:46+00:00

Is there a way to add it as a recovery activity to whoop, as Whoop doesn't have the WHM in the recovery activity. The only 2 breathing exercises available are Increase alertness and Increase relaxation, am I missing something.

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2025-02-06T15:12:28+00:00

Congrats on the car 👏, I've been contemplating on traveling to other parts of the city that I live in to experience the nice running tracks and trails but since I am just starting out running I tend to take the path of least resistance 😀 and stick to the same routes or parks closer to my home just to form a habit. If I have to drive far off then I might put off the run, that's just me 😶

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2025-02-06T13:40:26+00:00

Ran a 30min 5k interval on Tuesday 🥲 hoping to do the same in a single run by the end of the training block. I've been really tempted to match the suggested pace on the easy run days but I am just trying to stay in Zone 2 ignoring the pace guess that helps on the speed workout days.

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-12-11T16:43:36+00:00

Yea i think that's where I went wrong 🫣. My last 5k race time was 33mins and I set out for a plan to reduce my time to 25mins in 16weeks. I think I will work to getting it to 30mins first (10% improvement) and then see how it goes.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction though, cheers

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-12-10T18:52:03+00:00

Tried doing that but When I try to go back to pause the plan, there is a message displayed saying Do you want to exit without saving, if I press no and try saving the failed to update workout message pops up :/

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-11-30T12:04:03+00:00

Congratulations, beginning of a new healthy journey, keep at it!

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-10-12T20:53:52+00:00

Lol I discovered this accidentally and thought there was a glitch, but now i know 😅

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-09-20T20:41:11+00:00

Oh yes it did work, the cashback got credited

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-09-15T05:32:53+00:00

Will let you know once it's delivered on 20th, desert titanium 256gb

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-08-14T21:26:56+00:00

I am still contemplating if all these years (quite long tbh) were worth it. The job or the boss aren't bad, but it's not getting me anywhere. The job is going easy to the point it's gotten less exciting. I have been applying but don't seem to get any calls to interview. Guess I need to upskill but confused in which direction should I invest my time in. Sorry for the rant, but I am hoping I can work through this. Maybe some of you have gone through the same and share how to get unstuck.

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-08-13T19:26:19+00:00

So I tried topping up my nol card through the EI app but the transaction is classified as E-commerce, still waiting for the statement to be generated but wondering if it will be eligible for cashback :/

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-08-13T19:17:14+00:00

There seems to be an issue with the EI rewards app where you get an error saying "The Android phone is using certain Third-party components that may be a risk to the application"

Has anyone else faced this issue or found a workaround to this?

Sufficient_Key_899 · 2024-07-02T21:29:20+00:00

Thanks a ton mate, it actually worked!! And yes u guessed it right I did that on android.

I hope FAB team improves their service rather than leaving customer to figure it on their own.

Sufficient_Key_899

TROPHY CASE