Prepaid cellular cards

Q. Arline Adeva writes: "A customer of mine returned a scratched Globe prepaid card because the PIN got scratched along with the protective silver covering. After listening to the details of what happened to the card, I replaced it with a new one. Then, I called up the dealer of the card and told them what happened. Ms. Paz, the person I talked to, suggested that I go directly to the Globe Telecoms Service Center at SM City to have the card replaced.

"After a lengthy discussion, Ms. Paz finally told me to leave the card with them and they would try to see what they can do about it.

"I had second thoughts about leaving the card with them. What I want is to correct the matter to ensure the proper handling of similar cases in the future."

A. Chapter 1 of the implementing rules and regulations of the Consumer Act, specifically Rule III, Section 2, provides that a sales act or practice is considered unfair and unconscionable when the consumer transaction was entered into and the consumer was unable to receive a substantial benefit from the subject of the transaction.

In this case, the communication company is the authorized dealer of Globe Telecoms, which falls under the jurisdiction of the National Telecommunications Commission. The Department of Trade and Industry has referred the matter to the NTC for proper action.

Edgar Inductivo writes: "Kudos to CWTRG, especially officer-in-charge Luis Catibayan of the Bureau of Import Services and Pete Mendoza of the Philippine Shippers Bureau for the immediate release of our door-to-door shipments from the Bureau of Customs in December 2002.

"I filed a complaint with their office about the closure of Unimovers Phils. where six of our packages from Canada were consigned in December 2001. The BIS and BSP followed up the release of our packages which also benefited other OCWs from Canada through the release of their cargoes consigned to Unimovers Phils."

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(You may send your consumer complaints and comments to the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection, DTI Bldg., 361 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City. Call us at our consumer hotlines at 896-5740 or 890-4938 or e-mail us at www.e-reklamo.net.ph)