Law protecting delivery riders from bogus transactions sought

A proposed measure that would forbid delivery riders from paying for orders they receive and would punish those who deliberately punch fake orders has been filed in the House of Representatives.

Pinuno party-list Representative Howard Guintu made the proposal under House Bill 3784, which prohibits service providers from requiring delivery riders or drivers to advance any monetary amount for the fulfillment of orders.

The bill penalizes any food, grocery, and pharmacy delivery service providers found in violation of the measure with imprisonment of up to six months and/or a fine not exceeding P100,000, along with the revocation of their licenses and permits.

Customers found to be using another person's personal information, canceling confirmed orders, placing hoax orders, or refusing to pay confirmed orders shall also be imprisoned for up to six months and/or fined up to P100,000.

The service provider should pay the delivery riders or drivers the service fee due them in case of cancellation of confirmed orders.

“Delivery riders and drivers lose money when they receive fake or hoax orders or when customers cancel their orders even though the items ordered have already been paid by the delivery riders or drivers. These fraudulent acts result in a waste of time, effort, and money on the part of the delivery riders or drivers," Guintu said in a statement.

"Even worse, customers make fake or hoax orders use fake names, contact numbers and/or addresses, making it difficult for them to be traced and held accountable for collection,” he added.

The bill also provides that service providers are mandated to require their customers to submit a valid proof of identity and residential address upon registration.

Procedures for the verification of identity shall be implemented by the service providers. —VBL, GMA News