COMPLAINTS against online businesses have declined after the easing of quarantine restrictions, which allowed sellers to normalize their operations, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
Trade Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo said in a virtual briefing on Monday that the DTI received around 12,000 complaints involving online transactions in 2021, lower than the 16,000 complaints logged in 2020.
In the first two months of 2022, the DTI received 2,059 complaints involving online transactions, she said.
Ms. Castelo said the top three online platforms were Lazada, Shopee, and Zalora.
“In 2020, the online platforms couldn’t deliver because of the lockdowns. They didn’t have personnel going to work. The consumer complaints really rose in 2020. For 2021, the complaints declined. The online platforms were able to normalize operations especially because we also considered, in DTI, that online platforms are also selling essential goods. They also sell food, clothing, and grocery items,” Ms. Castelo said.
Ms. Castelo said more employees of online platforms returned to work, which allowed for the faster resolution of complaints. She added that consumers have also grown more knowledgeable about e-commerce since the start of the pandemic.
“We hope the number of complaints goes down in 2022 from 12,000 last year. We will continue to provide consumer education,” Ms. Castelo said.
The DTI also warned online businesses against selling prohibited and unlicensed products over digital platforms.
Ms. Castelo said Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 22-01 was signed on March 4, directing online platforms to verify whether products sold by their merchants are licensed and regulated.
Under the JAO, all digital platforms are provided a three-day “safe harbor” period, during which they may take down an online post that has been flagged for violating the law.
“In case of a prima facie violation of any pertinent laws or regulations committed in an online post by the online seller or merchant, e-retailer, e-commerce platform, e-marketplace, and the like, the concerned authorized agency shall issue a notice giving the violator a maximum period of three calendar days from receipt thereof, within which to take down such post, without prejudice to the filing of appropriate administrative actions all violators,” the JAO said.
“Failure to enact, or strictly enforce, such internal mechanisms or rules shall be construed as an intentional and overt act that shall aggravate the offense charged,” it added.
Ms. Castelo said laws applicable to brick-and-mortar stores also cover online businesses.
“A price tag required to be pasted on items you buy in stores are also required to be pasted on the products that you buy online or through published price list. Buyers no longer have to ask for the price from the seller, who will almost always say that a private message is sent. This is a clear violation of the Price Tag law,” Ms. Castelo said.
Signatories to the JAO include the DTI, the Departments of Health (DoH), Agriculture (DA), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), and the National Privacy Commission (NPC). — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
