Danzil, Norberto Jr. C.

BSAc 3

Law 2a 12:30-1:30 tths January 26, 2013

After liberalization of economic policy, consumer goods have flooded the market as never before. Both foreign and local companies are introducing new products and brands with glossy and fancy packing as the middle and lower income groups are taking loans to-Companies still do not pay attention to the quality of their products and also do not value customer satisfaction. Very often a customer may get taken in by a misleading advertisement making tall claim as to the high quality and after-sales service. The consumer may discover later that the goods purchased by him are not up to the claims made by the manufacturer. A consumer can complain against unfair trade practices, defective goods and overcharging. An unfair trade practice means any deceptive or unfair practice, false claims regarding quality of goods and services and bargain sales without reduction of prices, false and misleading advertising, all come in the ambit of the Consumer Act of the Philippines. As a consumer, we encounter a lot of fraudulent sales agreement in our everyday living but because of unawareness of our rights, we merely just ignore those circumstances that cause the enrichment of other people. We have this business which is a small grocery store in the province wherein we retail grocery items in our barangay. One day, a salesperson went in our store and talk to my parents if they are interested to get a franchise of these kinds of frozen goods to sell in the public. It is also included in the contract that a refrigerator will be given for those frozen goods to put things on. My parents all in all paid P18,000, compose of P10000 of cash and P8000 check. Payment is done in the morning, knowing that the seller will comply all the responsibilities and requirements included in the contract, my parent are rest assured about the goods they will deliver. Later in the afternoon, the goods were delivered and they just dropped by the products in the front of the store and then leave. My parents started to start to count the goods which are 50% less than what is stated in the contract, and there was no refrigerator. They tried to contact the supplier but the number they included in the receipt does not exist. My parents quickly went to the bank thinking that the check is not yet encashed and indeed it was not, they cancelled the check. But still the P10000 cash is expensive enough for the goods because it will still cost P130 per pack which very far different in SRP which is P60 per pack. My parents not reported the issue knowing the fact that there is negligence on their side that believing that those company logos, uniforms, and well labeled vehicles are authentic enough and knowing later that it was a scam. We suffered the loss for this kind of transaction following the rule of caveat emptor but being trapped once in a swindler act of a SCAM is enough to learn the lesson of being meticulous and be more careful in any contracts you were engaging into.