Philippine Lemon Law signed, to take effect on July 30

President Benigno S. Aquino officially signs the Philippine Lemon Law that basically gives people assurance that their newly-purchased vehicle meets the standards set by the manufacturer. It will take effect starting the end of this month.

Image credit: freep.com

This Philippine Lemon Law of 2014 “seeks to protect consumers in the sale of motor vehicles against sales and trade practices that are deceptive, unfair, or otherwise inimical to the consumers and the public interest.” The bill makes sure that cars have until the first 12 months or 20,000 kilometers (whichever comes first) that a warranty will be honored.

The DTI or Department of Trade and Industry also plays a huge role in this new law. It will act as a judge that will have the final say regarding the consumer’s complaints. If the complaint has been proven, it will “rule in favour of the consumer and order the car manufacturer, distributor, authorized dealer or retailer to either refund the purchase price of the vehicle or replace it with another model that is either the same or of similar value, plus collateral damages.”

On the other hand, if the complaint has been denied, DTI will demand the consumer to be the one to pay for the costs used for the process of verification.

The new law will be implemented on July 30, 2014 wherein all vehicles bought on this day will be qualified for the 1 year warranty.

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