DTI urges business establishments to give exact
change
By Atty. Maria Aurora R. Curaza-Maquiling &
Marson Jan S.
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 2 (PIA) - The Department of
Trade and Industry – Caraga Regional Office urges business establishments to
give the exact change.
Consumers have been clamoring against the
practice of distributors, suppliers, sellers and retail stores on shortchanging
or giving insufficient amount of change by reason of lack of coins in their
cash registers. Some establishments give candies instead of the exact change.
There is shortchanging when vendors give less
change than what is due in a transaction, telling their customers that they do
not have coins available.
Shortchanging and the giving of candies as legal
tender are considered as unfair or unconscionable sales act or practice which
are punishable under Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the
Philippines.
Under Article 52 of the Act, an act or practice
shall be deemed unfair or unconscionable whenever the producer, manufacturer,
distributor, supplier or seller, by taking advantage of the consumer's physical
or mental infirmity, ignorance, illiteracy, lack of time or the general
conditions of the environment or surroundings, induces the consumer to enter
into a sales or lease transaction grossly inimical to the interests of the
consumer or grossly one-sided in favor of the producer, manufacturer,
distributor, supplier or seller.
Any person who shall violate the provisions
shall upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not less than P500 but not more
than P10,000.00 or imprisonment of not less than five months but not more than
one year or both, upon the discretion of the court.
Consumers are encouraged to file consumer
complaints against establishments for shortchanging. They can file their
complaints at the nearest DTI Provincial Office. (DTI-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
