Local online sellers were once again reminded to display the prices of their products following posts of Filipinos supposedly employing new strategies in selling after the government’s advisory.
A regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry shared a meme as its reaction over online sellers reportedly disclosing the prices but not the items themselves.
“Good Vibes muna tayo. Kayo naman, supportahan natin ‘yung mga mahal nating online sellers na masunurin sa price tag law at may business permits,” DTI’s North Cotabato office said in a Facebook post.
The meme included a post of a supposed online seller that reads: “For Sale!!! For only P120 PM ME FOR THE ITEM.”
The agency responded, “Ang sabi namin, idisplay ang price kasama ng product, hindi baliktarin.”
Good Vibes muna tayo.😅Kayo naman, supportahan natin yung mga mahal nating online sellers na masunurin sa Price tag law at may business permits. 😉#DTICotabatoProvince#SuperConsumer
Posted by DTI North Cotabato on Thursday, June 4, 2020
The post amused Filipinos, including Facebook users who appeared to be online sellers or those who knew one.
“Suprays! Hype po talaga ang diskarte ng online seller (with laughing emoji). Ganyan po kami kadiskarte at kadisiplina’t masunurin,” an online user commented.
“Naisip na din nila, binabalak mo,” another online user said as she tagged a friend.
“Hahaha eh paano naman kasi eh may mga seller na nanunulot kung alam na ang price hahaha,” commented another Filipino.
DTI earlier reminded online sellers to abide by Republic Act 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines and display the prices of their products as mandated.
Another regional office of the agency earlier shared a meme to send its message across as it reminded the public about the provision on price tag requirements.
RELATED: PM is the key? DTI reminds online sellers to display prices on online platforms
Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said in an interview that failure to disclose the prices can be an evidence of profiteering under Republic Act 7581 or the Price Act.
Profiteering is defined by the law as the “sale or offering for sale of any basic necessity or prime commodity at a price grossly in excess of its true worth.”
One of the factors considered under the initiative is when the product “has no price tag.”
Castelo said that product-related laws, despite them being created several years ago, still apply to the e-commerce industry since they “do not make any distinction whether it’s a physical store or a virtual store.”
“Hindi ipi-PM (personal message) at hindi sikreto (ang presyo),” she added.
Since lockdown measures were implemented in a bid to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19, businesses were encouraged to shift online to continue earning profits amid the strict stay-at-home guidelines.
