This is part of Take Charge of Your Money, a partnership between INQUIRER.net and Citibank to help readers handle their personal finances well.
Q: I recently bought a laptop at an online forum for buyers and sellers. It seemed like a good deal—it had all the features I am looking for and it costs 50 percent less than the exact brand new unit. The seller advertised it as “slightly used” but “in good condition.” Now that I am using it, I found that the DVD drive is not working, and it runs so slow. I want to return it, but wondering if that is possible since I bought it at a secondhand market. Please advise. – Tim
A: Shopping in this 21st century has certainly become more convenient for everyone—with just a click of a mouse, you can buy anything and everything on the Internet from books to apparel to plane tickets to music to gadgets and more.
While this may be good, one must be cautious about buying on the Internet, especially if what you're buying are secondhand items or items with no warranty. Come to think of it, this caveat is also for those buying at real brick and mortar stores.
Secondhand items may seem to be “in good condition” to the seller, but since this is subjective, what is “good” to the seller may not be “good enough” for the buyer. This is because there are no set product standards when it comes to secondhand goods. With brand-new goods, manufacturers have to comply with standards set by the Bureau of Product Standards.
Most likely, sellers of secondhand items also do not offer warranty, which is a written guarantee from the seller that the product is of good quality and that the seller is responsible should the item be found defective during the warranty period. The warranty is for the protection of the buyer. All ethical manufacturers offer warranty to buyers of their products.
If your laptop came with a warranty, the seller should replace the unit or repair the unit at no cost on your part as long as it is brought to the seller within the warranty period. However, since the laptop was bought at a secondhand market online, you might not be able to avail of a similar benefit. It is worth a try to raise the issue with the seller, but there is no guarantee that you can have the laptop repaired or replaced. Buying a product without warranty is on an “as is where is” basis, wherein it is presumed that you have inspected a product before buying, and after ascertaining its quality, pushes through with buying the item, warts and all.
Your case is a clear example of why buying cheap is sometimes not a bargain. You may have to bear the cost of repairing the laptop and upgrading it, which may bring the cost up to almost the same price as a brand new unit.
Here are our tips on how to avoid similar incidents, and how to be a wise buyer:
1. Know your rights as a consumer. The Consumer Act of the Philippines protects buyers against deceptive sales acts which includes selling a product that is of inferior quality than what is advertised. 2. Inspect a product before buying, and if possible, test all features to check if they work well. 3. Ask the seller relevant questions such as: * How does the product work? * What happens if it does not work? Do you accept returns? * Does it have warranty? * What is the total price inclusive of tax, shipping, handling fee? * Where can I bring the product for repair? * Are parts easily available in the local market should replacement parts be needed? 4. Deal with reputable sellers. For brick and mortar stores, it is easy to see and check if they are reputable. For online sellers, check out the feedback section in their websites or in the forums for buyers and sellers. You may also turn to the call center of the Department of Trade and Industry (02) 751-3330 during office hours to check on a seller. 5. Make sure there is after-sales service. Sellers should ensure that products that need repair but are out of warranty can be serviced. 6. File a complaint if needed. If, after all these, you feel the need to file a complaint, do so by calling the DTI call center or fill out the complaint form found at their website on http://www.dti.gov.ph.
Caveat emptor—let the buyer beware. Let's be vigilant in all aspects before buying anything.
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