Consumers must be vigilant while shopping online – DTI

MANILA, Philippines — With the growing popularity of e-commerce in the Philippines, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) cautioned Filipinos to stay vigilant when shopping online.

The DTI said the advent of technology has given consumers the capacity to instantly purchase their goods online and have them delivered at their doorstep.

The agency said consumers who have access to the internet and own a gadget like smartphone, iPad, or laptop resort to this method because of convenience.

However, the DTI is reminding the buying public to be vigilant especially when engaging in an online transaction.

“We cannot deny the fact that technology created a more advanced environment where consumers now take part in digital transactions. So we encourage the buying public to be wiser and more alert in order not be taken advantage of by unscrupulous online sellers,” Trade Undersecretary Teodoro Pascua said.

To ensure their protection, the DTI urged the public to always check the website if it has a Secured Socket Layer Certificate which protects personal information such as credit card number, addresses and password sent to the website.

The agency also asked consumers to take note of the lock icon in the address bar to confirm legitimacy of the website and choose “cash on delivery” as mode of payment whenever possible.

Online retail has accounted for 1.3 percent or $1.3 billion of total Philippine retail sales of $100 billion in 2016.

Its share is expected to increase to 4.7 percent or $9.7 billion of the projected retail sales of $206 billion by 2025.