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No expiry dates for Gift Checks, Gift Certificates, Gift Cards


P.O. Box 1161, QCCPO, NCR, Philippines 1100

Cell No.    : +63 917-812-5546

Email        : labankonsyumer@gmail.com

                  : dimagibavic@gmail.com

                  : dmagiba@pldtdsl.net

Facebook: Laban Konsyumer Inc.

 Website     :  www.labankonsyumer.com

LKI PRESS STATEMENT 2020-076

December 8, 2020

NO EXPIRY DATES FOR ALL GIFT CHECKS, GIFT CERTIFICATES, GIFT CARDS 

    Consumer advocacy group Laban Konsyumer Inc. (LKI) reminded all traders and consumers that gift checks, gift certificates or gift cards  or GCs should  have no    expiry dates  printed  on them.  This prohibition is expressly provided in Section 5 of Republic Act No. 10962 or the Gift Check Act of 2017.  The updating, upgrading or changing of GCs do not authorize the issuers to affix an expiry date.

When  the GCs shows an expiry date ,  these  GCs are issued to customers under a loyalty,rewards or promotional programs  as provided in Section 6 of the law. The misuses and abuses of the said GCs with expiry date   proliferates  in the market  because said   GCs do  not bear in prints  the approval and permit  number of the loyalty , rewards or promotional programs granted  by the Departmentt of Trade and Industry. This is a circumvention of the absolute prohibition of the Gift Check Act as well as Sec. 2 Rule II of DTI DAO 19-03 Series of 2019 .

Dimagiba explained that based on Republic Act. 10962, an Act regulating the issuance, the use and redemption of gift checks it is clearly stated in Sec 5 as prohibition that the following acts should be and shall be unlawful, and included in this is issuing a gift check that bears an expiry date. The law imposed a hefty fines of Php 500,000.00 to Php 1, 000,000.00.

Laban Konsyumer called on DTI “to  implement and enforce the rules and guidelines, as well as the word of law regarding the many misuses and abuses of gift checks, as it is stated that those who do not comply and violate should be penalized. The violating parties should return the unused value of GCs with expiry daates  within 90 days of the violation and there will be succeeding and applicable fines. We ask government to protect consumer welfare by making sure that all establishments follow these rules strictly, especially given the circumstances of the pandemic where consumers have hard a vey hard time going out and using the GCs.”

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