With the buying frenzy happening all over the place during the holiday season, let both the buyers/consumers and sellers/producers be aware of their rights and responsibilities and obligations and accountabilities, respectively.
The dictum of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) should be the guiding norm by all buyers/customers/consumers in making purchases of goods and products to ensure quality and suitability and get their money’s worth. Among others, said principle includes checking the purchased item/product, its expiry date, freshness/quality and warranty thereof; ensuring that you get an exact change, reviewing the return and exchange policy, checking the name/contact details of seller/producer, etc.
On the other hand, the seller should be guided by its obligations such as ensuring that there is a prominent price/discount tags on the product, explicit reminder regarding return/exchange policy within reasonable days after the purchase, giving of exact change to a buyer, labeling of expiry dates, etc.
As a buyer/customer/consumer, you do not want to end up being duped into buying a substandard, expired, or defective item/product.
As a seller/producer/manufacturer, you do not want to be saddled with customer/consumer complaints regarding nonconformance with the quality and suitability of an item/product.
The government primarily, through the Department of Trade and Industry, also plays a major role to ensure, among others, that goods/products are reasonably priced, their quality and warranty are in order, and that customers/consumers are reminded regarding their rights/responsibilities, complaints are promptly acted upon, etc.
As the saying goes: it takes two to tango!
Ergo, a buyer/customer/consumer should be “empowered” to know his/her rights/responsibilities to avoid being cheated in making purchases, while the seller/producer/manufacturer should be “straightforward” to prevent consumer complaints regarding quality and suitability of the products being sold.
Emiliano M. Manahan Jr., advocate and author