Going out of your house to get food or groceries isn’t just a hassle; it can also pose a risk to your health, as COVID-19 is still very much around. With the help of technology, ordering essentials online is made easy. Just a few taps and a delivery driver will leave your goods at the doorstep—that is, if you don’t cancel your order.
We know you don’t mean to cancel and we know you have your reasons, but doing so often means your delivery driver has to pay for the cost of your order. It’s happened countless times, and the government is taking steps to lessen the number of clients or consumers bailing on thier orders. There is currently no penalty for cancelling an order, but you may soon have to pay the price if a certain bill gets passed.
A bill has been filed in the Senate in order to protect riders and drivers who end up paying for the price of unclaimed goods or food.
Authored by Senator Lito Lapid, Senate Bill 1677 will impose a jail time of one month and one day to up to six months if a customer cancels orders at least three times in one month.
Additionally, customers who cancel too many times will also have to pay a fine not exceeding P100,000.
"Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon lalo’t nasa gitna tayo ng pandemya, lahat naman tayo ay gustong kumita. Kaya humahanga tayo sa mga gaya ng service riders na gumagawa ng paraan para kumita sa legal na paraan at malaki pa ang naitutulong nila para hindi na lumabas ng bahay ang ating mga kababayan," Lapid said in a statement.
Aside from customers being penalized for repeated cancellations, delivery service providers would also be required to set up reimbursement arrangements for drivers should customers cancel orders.
If a provider cannot comply, they’ll have to pay fines not exceeding P500,000 and twice the unreimbursed amount to their driver or rider.
Should a driver or rider pay for the unclaimed goods using money from their own pockets, delivery service providers must be able to reimburse them within the day.
According to Lapid, he filed the bill following the delivery industry’s boom during the pandemic, as community quarantines forced consumers to stay at home.
Pranks orders and no-show customers are nothing new in the realm of delivery services, and the proposed bill would require customers to submit proof of identity and address to prevent such orders or customers. Said submission of requirements is subject to the Data Privcay Act of 2012.
"Kaya para masiguro na hindi na sila maloloko pa ng mga biglaang pagkansela ng order, dapat masiguro na ang mga umoorder ay magbibigay ng totoong pangalan at address," Lapid said.
