DTI warns Aklan consumers on dubious sales promos, text scams
by Venus G. Villanueva
Kalibo, Aklan (15 October) -- If it sounds too good to be true, it's not true at all.
This is the warning of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here to Aklanon consumers as the Christmas season is fast approaching, and they become exposed to various sales promos and other sales gimmicks of establishments or persons aiming to earn more at the expense of unsuspecting shoppers.
The DTI aired this warning as part of the agency's information drive over media outlets here in observance of Consumer Welfare Month, held the entire month of October.
The DTI also warned against text scams which had victimized a number of Aklanons here.
"Don't be deceived by any text messages declaring you a winner of a raffle promo you have not joined. Take note that text scams usually come from an 11-digit cellphone number. Contests through text usually have only 4-digit numbers," the DTI here emphasized.
The DTI also warned Aklanons against buying products which do not bear the Product Standards logo.
"This Christmas season, people should be careful when buying Christmas lights which might be substandard or fake, as these may cause accidents. Let us not always be price conscious, but be quality conscious. Choosing an item because it is cheap is not always practical", the DTI stressed.
With the observance of Consumer Welfare Month, the DTI advised consumers to exercise their rights. However, they were also reminded that they have responsibilities as consumers as well.
"Be careful, don't be fooled by overwhelming market strategies. Be a critically-aware consumer. A well-informed consumer is a vigilant consumer," DTI-Aklan stressed. (PIA) [top]
