The Department of Trade and Industry, the leading agency that champions consumer protection, said majority or 99.70 percent of all consumer complaints processed in 2020 have been resolved via mediation.
Amidst the pandemic that affected the lives of many Filipino consumers, the DTI last year received and processed a total of 62, 279 various consumer complaints on violations of various laws.
These laws include Republic Act 7394 or Consumer Act, Republic Act 7581, as amended by 10623 or the Price Act, Non-delivery of Balikbayan Boxes, Business Name Law, Price Tag Law, Guidelines on the Concessions on Residential Rents; Commercial Rents of MSMEs, Guidelines on Refund of Payments Made for Events Affected by the State of Public Health Emergency, Lemon Law, Republic Act 10962 or the Gift Check Act and Republic Act 10909 or the No Shortchanging Act.
Among these, concerns on Consumer Act ranked first with a total of 27, 973 number of complaints filed before the DTI.
The nature of complaints received in violation of the Consumer Act of the Philippines are Deceptive, Unfair and Unconscionable Sales Acts and Practices, Liability for Product and Services, Misleading Advertisement and Fraudulent Sales Promotion Practices, Consumer Product and Service Warranties, Consumer Product Quality and Safety, among others.
“The DTI assures the consuming public that all their concerns and complaints will be acted upon especially now that most transactions are done online. We also urge the public to assert their right to redress whenever they purchase defective products or they are provided with unsatisfactory services,” said DTI - Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo.
As DTI implements the “No Wrong Door Policy”, it likewise received and processed complaints outside its jurisdiction. Apart from receiving complaints via email, the DTI also received and processed complaints from walk-in clients.
Consumers are encouraged to exercise their right to information and double-check the product before making a purchase. In case of any defect or other concerns, coordinate immediately with the seller before filing a complaint with the concerned DTI office. In filing a complaint, consumers may visit the DTI website for the step by step process: https://www.dti.gov.ph/konsyumer/complaints/