Six-year jail time, PHP 100,000 fine await consumers who cancel food delivery orders

Consumers who cancel confirmed order may face imprisonment and pay a PHP 100,000 fine once the proposed House Bill 6958 or the Food and Grocery Delivery Act secures approval. 

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House Bill wants to penalize consumers who cancel confirmed orders

AKO Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin has filed the said bill seeking to penalize those who cancel online food orders, forcing delivery riders to shoulder the payment in most scenarios. 

Six years of jail time await offenders, including a PHP 100,000 fine. Violators will also be demanded to pay for the value of the items. 

This covers instances wherein customers order food and/or grocery items for the purpose of pranking or those who have no genuine intention of availing of the service which causes damage and undue duress to the Delivery Riders and their corresponding services, the bill reads.

Those who shame, demean, embarrass, or humiliate the delivery riders across any platform may have to spend at least six months in jail. 

The only exemptions from the prohibited cancellation of orders are: When the customer uses a credit card and the payment will still be credited to the service provider despite the 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.

Customers may also be required soon to submit a valid proof of identity and residential address or proof of billing. Video calls may also be used to verify the identification of the customer. 

Source: CNN Philippines