Online transactions have increased since the lockdowns started. So have complaints.
Ann Credo-Cabochan, head of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Consumer Protection Group, said from only 522 complaints related to online transactions in 2016, the number rose to 10,323 cases as of the first half of the year.
It was a steep increase from the 848 complaints filed in 2017, 1,451 the next year and 2,457 in 2019, Cabochan said in a media briefing.
“It reflects consumer migration to online platforms which was very necessary during the lockdowns,” Cabochan added, noting this shows the heightened awareness of consumers on their rights to redress.
Most complaints involved products that were different from the ones seen on websites and the ones that are delivered. “They were not the same products, the qualities were different and the quantities were not the ones agreed upon,” Cabochan said.
“These were deceptive sales involving different representations by sellers of the products delivered to buyers,” she said, pointing out such is illegal under the Consumer Act, which also now covers e-commerce.
Cabochan said the DTI supports the passage of the E-Commerce Act that will put up a separate body to oversee this industry.
She said the Bureau of Internal Revenue has issued a revenue regulation calling for online sellers to register their businesses. Those with annual earnings of P250,000 or below are exempt from paying income tax while those with sales of P3 million and below are also exempted from the value added tax. – Paul Icamina
