Exact Change Act 2016

[Jollygoodfellow]

Interesting if it comes in and if it will make any difference  :photo-109:

 

 

Shortchanged? Exact Change Act may soon become law

 

We often hear department store cashiers or even public transport drivers reciting this halting and stale excuse: "Sorry po, kulang ang barya ko. Walang panukli. Okay lang po ba?"

 

More often than not, most consumers do not make a big fuss when they get shortchanged, especially when they are in a hurry or considerate enough to think about the person next to him in a grocery store.

 

They just walk away and sometimes never count their change.

 

What consumers do not realize is that unclaimed change – whether big or small – means more money for business establishments.

 

According to Rodolfo Javellana Jr., president of the Union of Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC), it is necessary for all business establishments, retailers, and public utility vehicle drivers to give due change to consumers and commuters.

 

Javellana said: "Just think of a supermarket serving 1,000 customers a day and all of them get a change short of P1. Just for a P1 change, which is not given back, that’s extra income of P360,000 a year for a single establishment."

 

Javellana said consumers should be protected against unfair and deceptive practices.

 

Some consumers, however, do not tolerate this trade malpractice.

 

John Concepcion relates how he always argues every time he was overcharged or shortchanged by establishment cashiers.

 

"I always felt I was ripped off every time I was shortchanged. No matter how small it was, it matters to me," Concepcion said.

 

Some cashiers, Concepcion disclosed, will even ask him if he would like to donate his change to charity – making it appear that there is an unwritten policy that each customer should follow.

 

Berbom Murillo, meanwhile, recounts his experience with jeepney drivers who deliberately shortchange passengers.

 

Murillo, who commutes daily, said: "The minimum fare is supposed to be P7.50. But most of the time, when I give P10, I only get P2 instead of P2.50."

 

Murillo added that what irks and bothers him more was when these drivers take advantage of their passengers.

 

"The most irritating thing is, the driver wouldn't even inform me that he doesn’t have 50 centavos as a form of courtesy," he said.

 

Recent published reports have quoted Rep. Mark Villar of Las Piñas City as saying that he was confident that his bill, the Exact Change Act, would pass into law before 2016.

 

The House of Representatives recently approved on third and final reading House Bill 4730 or the Exact Change Act – which seeks to prohibit business establishments from giving insufficient change or no change at all to consumers.

 

Villar, chairman of the House Committee on Trade and Industry, said the State should protect consumers from trade malpractices and from substandard or hazardous practices.

 

According to Villar, the practice of giving insufficient change or giving no change at all to consumers is something that is "often taken for granted."

 

If passed into law, violators will be fined from P500 to P25,000 or 3% up to 10% of the gross sales of their business establishment.

 

Also, a suspension for three months or revocation of the license to operate of the business establishment shall be imposed for succeeding offenses.

 

http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2015/07/09/exact-change-act-may-soon-become-law.html

[Dave Hounddriver]

When I read the title I was expecting a law that says you must give exact change.  Its not up to the vendor to keep change, that is a courtesy to his customer.  Some of us got used to this in Canada years ago when the government realized they could force people to pay the exact amount when riding on a city bus.  Other businesses followed suit and the mind set of many people changed to realize their own responsibility.

 

In short, its not up to anyone else to give you change.  Its up to you to give the correct amount.  But this is a culture of blame so it will always be someone else's fault.

[sonjack2847]

A vendor in our local market owed me 4 peso change and never had it,so she gave me a 5 peso coin even without me asking. So I gave her the 5 peso back smiled and said you can keep it for being honest.

[scott h]

Election season is coming up, I think we will find a whole slew of bills coming out (more than normal lol) so the pols have their names in the papre

[Gratefuled]

If they would just eliminate the small insignificant centavo from the price of an item, that would help. I recently received a bunch of 1 centavo coins. I usually just get the 5, 10 and 25 centavo coins.

I'll save them and return them on my next chance.

Taxi drivers are notorious for not having the correct change. That is why I always make it a point to even give them the 5 centavo part of the fare.

Most jeepney and taxi drivers do not have much if any change, early in the morning. A jeepney driver will usuyally make you wait until more customers pay the correct fare before he gives you back your change. Many times you have to remind him. " Hey CAMBIO"

Another reason why I make sure that I have enough coins with me to give exact amount.

I know it's trivial but I hate the idea of being ripped off intentionally.

Oh, and I don't mind giving a tip when deserved but I don't like them giving themselves a tip.

[scott h]

I'll save them and return them on my next chance.

 

We put them in a jar, and at Christmas time when the kids come singing at the gate, we will give them a handful.

[Thomas]

"The most irritating thing is, the driver wouldn't even inform me that he doesn’t have 50 centavos as a form of courtesy,"

A politician (!!!) complaining about 50 centavos from a poor trike driver,

while POLITICIANS SCAM MILLIONS THEMSELVES...   :bash:

 

I don't bother about 2.5 pesos, but I would bother if someone would try to scam me at 2.5 millions   :mocking:

 

But I agree it's to bad when a biger shop (claim to) don't have change often.

[Gratefuled]

 

I'll save them and return them on my next chance.

 

We put them in a jar, and at Christmas time when the kids come singing at the gate, we will give them a handful.

 

I thought about this. Saving them and giving to the street kids that approach me. My neighbor laughed and said they (street kids ) would only throw them at me. So, back to returning the centavos to cashiers. They have to accept them.

[Vince Runza]

When I worked in retail (in the US), you got into more trouble if the register was over than if it was short. That's because retailers don't want a reputation for being thieves.

[Gratefuled]

When I worked in retail (in the US), you got into more trouble if the register was over than if it was short. That's because retailers don't want a reputation for being thieves.

Yes, and most stores have cameras over the checkout cashiers aisle to make sure cashiers do not do any friends any favors by not charging them for items. They also have what they call "mystery shoppers"  who pretend to be customers in order to make sure employees are courteous to real customers.

There is a such thing as " Customer Service"  and " Public Relations" in the US.

Something I miss here.