Valid & Invalid transactions

Being charged 'Processing fees' when buying on installments

Q: I am seeking guidance regarding a matter related halaal and haraam. 

I live in the United Arab Emirates, and we are not very well off, we struggle at times to buy things apart from the necessities. 

There are two fintech companies TABBY AND TAMARA. 

Tabby was shariah compliant initially when they started, splitting each bill into 4 installments and so was tamara. Tamara is still 4 installments. But tabby has now introduced installments in 6 months, 8 months and also 12 months and when they started here, there was a fatwa on their website too, they don't say that it is interest, there's an extra amount that they charge which they call processing/service fee, I want to know is that interest? I have multiple payments spilt across because I did not know it and just realised it, also because initially there were fatwa on the tabby website. For tamara, there is also a fatwa and they have mentioned names of scholars who have given fatwas 

All of the shariah resolutions are attached on their website too, so I want to know if what they calling the 'Processing fee' is not interest and allowed for me to use as it is really helpful, and if it is not, then I have multiple payments spread across both companies and I am not in a position to pay it all off as we struggle big time financially. As someone striving to act in accordance with the teachings of Islam, I want to ensure that my actions are pleasing to Allah Ta'ala. 

Being forced to take out insurance when buying a car on installments

Q: There is car company and they are selling their cars in the following manner: 

I pay a certain amount of the total and they give me the car but they don't transfer the car to my name. Then, after I pay the 9 installments, the car will come into my name. In the meanwhile, they ask me to take an insurance policy for 9 months to cover me from all risks in case something happens to the car. Is this type of deal correct?

Buying a closed box whose contents are unknown

Q: I would like to know if buying a box with the contents being unknown permissible or not. Example there are 5 closed boxes you cannot open before buying but the estimated value is R100 each. It can be worth more, it can be less. If the estimated value is R100 and it's on an auction platform, the bid can land upto R800 example or can cost you R100. 

Is this permissible to buy? 

Please note that each box will have something and none will be empty but it can be something with very low value. 

Confirming the sale upon delivery of the items

Q: A pharmacy takes orders, and then delivers the medication along with the invoice. At times the price of the items in the order is known to both the pharmacy and the seller. 

1. At times the purchaser just orders certain items, and receives the goods with the invoice. The price was not known till receiving the goods. With small items that they keep in stock, there is no issue with returns. 

1.1. Is this sale correct? 

1.2. If there was no issue with the item, but the purchaser is not happy with the price (since he only saw the price upon delivery), then what should he do? 

2. At times the pharmacy does not stock a certain item and has to order it. Again, the buyer sometimes doesn't know the price till he recieves the order. The pharmacy cannot take returns on specially ordered items. 

2.1. Is this sale correct without knowing the price before ordering? 

2.2 If the purchaser is not happy with the price (since he only saw the price upon delivery), what should be done? The pharmacy is not happy to take returns since they specially arranged for this item at their delivery cost etc.

 2.3 What type of sale is this classified as? 

3. The pharmacy supplied a medication/cream etc. that is close to expiry, expiring within 2 weeks. The buyer will not use that much of the item to complete it within that time period. Is the buyer entitled to return the item based on the expiry date? If the pharmacy says there's no issue with using the item past its delivery date, does this statement absolve them of taking the item back?

Informing the customers regarding the approximate thickness of the commodity

Q: I wanted to find out a fatwa regarding weights and measures in my business. 

We are steel traders. We buy steel a certain thickness say 0.2mm but the factories that produce it can’t get the exact thickness due to the production process. So the thickness varies from 0.195 to 0.205mm, sometimes more sometimes less. 

What is the ruling on this because we sell the product as 0.2mm. We sell as per the thickness that we order. We don’t order a lower thickness and sell as a higher thickness. This is purely a production tolerance level as the machines can never get it exact.

Confirming with the supplier the payment term for early payment discount

Q: I was receiving a 2.5% early payment discount. I contacted my Sales Representative and explained regarding the 2,5% discount not being allowed for me and to amend my pricing structure. 

1. I wanted to know if I should continue to make payment deducting that amount and then paying it over to the poor or some other institute that takes interest monies while my pricing structure is being amended?