DTI warns vs selling of 'mystery parcels'

Whether it’s from a neighborhood store or an online marketplace, many Pinoys are buying “mystery parcels” for the chance of getting something more valuable for the price they paid.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)  warned the public against the selling of these “mystery parcels”, saying this can be considered as fencing since these can be considered as stolen goods.

The “mystery parcels” in this case are unclaimed or undelivered parcels being sold for as low as P50 apiece, according to Dano Tingcungco’s report on 24 Oras on Monday.

After the items are returned by the delivery rider to the online platform, seller or courier, the stickers with the names and addresses of the recipients are removed before being sold as “mystery parcels”.

“Unless the owner says inabandona na, siya pa rin ang may-ari nung item. Kung sino man nagtanggal ng waybill at nagbenta that can be charged as nakaw na item,” said DTI Assistant Secretary Amanda Nograles.

(Unless the owner says he or she abandoned the item then he or she is still the rightful owner. Whoever removes the waybill may be charged with selling stolen goods.)

One seller claims she has a source where she buys these parcels for 45 pesos each which she then in turn sells for 50 pesos - a profit of 5 pesos per parcel. She claimed it was not illegal since she ordered the items online to be sold.

“Meron kaming online monitoring unit...pwede yang ipa-takedown, show cause or bigyan ng notice of violation,” Nograles said.

(We have an online monitoring unit. We may take this down, issue a show cause order or issue a notice of violation to violators.)

The Anti-Fencing Law prohibits buying, receiving, possessing, or selling an item that a person knows, or should know, was derived from the proceeds of robbery or theft.—Sundy Locus/RF, GMA Integrated News