A LEGISLATOR has filed a bill seeking to protect food and grocery delivery riders from canceled orders.
Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo A. Garbin, Jr. filed House Bill 6958 on June 4, which if passed will be known as the Food and Grocery Delivery Services Protection Act.
The bill prohibits all customers from canceling confirmed orders for the delivery of food and grocery items when the order has been paid by or is in the possession of the delivery rider or otherwise is in transit to the customer.
The measure also covers instances where customers order food and grocery items for the purpose of pranking, which causes financial injury to the delivery riders and their service providers.
Violators are fined P100,000, directed to reimburse the value of the food and grocery items, and pay the service provider double the value of the canceled transaction.
The only exemptions from the prohibited cancellation of orders are: when the customer uses a credit card and the payment is still credited to the service provider despite cancellation; the customer remits to the service provider any payment as a pre-condition for the cancellation of order; and the delivery of the items will be or was delayed for at least an hour from the expected time of arrival and such delay was not caused by the driver’s negligence.
In the case of unreasonable cancellation of orders, the food and delivery service company is directed to reimburse the delivery riders within 24 hours by way of bank deposit or such other acceptable fund transfer mechanism. Violation of this role penalizes the company with a P5,000 fine, payable to the delivery rider.
Food and delivery service providers will also require their customers, prior to registration, to submit a valid proof of identity and residential address or proof of billing. Violation of this role will render the Food and Grocery Services provider liable for a fine of P1 million per violation.
The bill has been lodged with the House committee on trade and industry. — Genshen L. Espedido
