QC shops warned against shortchanging buyers

GOOD news for Quezon City shoppers who feel shortchanged every time they make a purchase and receive candies instead of their exchange change.

In a proposed ordinance filed by Councilor Julienne Alyson Rae Medalla, all owners of businesses in the city who fail to give their customers their correct change will be penalized and their permits to operate revoked.

“All business establishments in Quezon City will be required to give the exact amount of change to their customers,’’ a provision in the measure stated.

Medalla said she had observed that the cashiers in some shops would not always give their patrons their exact change, especially if it involved coins.

Right to exact change

“If taken for granted, it will deprive consumers of their right to receive [the] exact change [from the total amount of] the product or services that they purchased,” she added.

Based on the proposed ordinance, all business establishments in the city should put up a sign visible to all consumers which states: “Please demand your exact change.”

Medalla said that should the owners of the shop fail to post the sign, they would be fined P1,000 for the first offense.

Penalties

Those found to have violated the ordinance a second time will be fined P3,000 in addition to the temporary suspension of their license to operate.

For the third offense, they will be fined P5,000 in addition to the six months suspension of their license to operate.

Under the proposed ordinance, habitual commission of the same offense may lead to the non-renewal of the establishment’s business permit.