Police raided the office of an online seller after customers complained the seller replaced the gadgets with stones.
The Manila Bureau of Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) and District Intelligence Division Special Mayor’s Reaction team (DID SMaRT) conducted a surprise inspection at Apollo Electronics and Accessories Corp. on the second floor of 1120 Otis Building in Paco, Manila, this Tuesday afternoon.
This is due to a complaint by a concerned citizen that the online seller has a modus operandi and does not have a business permit.
It was here that authorities found boxes of items wrapped in the packaging of a well-known logistics parcel.
When police opened it, they discovered chunks of rock inside the package. Others are cell phones.
According to Police Lt.Col. Rosalino Ibay, chief of DID SMaRT, the company sells cellphones, gadgets, and other electronic items.
The online seller allegedly sells branded cellphones, but the buyer receives a different brand or stone.
“Lumalabas na mayroon silang false information sa mga nilalabas nila sa mga commercial nila na ‘yun ay malakas. At tumambad din sa amin na madaming return items sila doon sa establisyemento na pinasok namin,” said Ibay.
Police raid office on online seller allegedly replacing gadgets with stone
He added that Apollo Electronics and Accessories Corp has 35 online selling partner sites of well-known parcel logistics.
He also said that there are many complaints against the company due to the wrong items received by buyers. For example, instead of branded smartphones, what they receive are ordinary android phones.
The company’s staff and the owner refused to give a statement, but when Ibay talked to them, he allegedly explained to them that they only use the packed stones to increase the seller’s ratings.
So they will investigate the recipients who are placed on the parcel with only stones, maybe because they are just fictitious names and are used to have good comments and ratings on the seller’s site.
“They have one address na kung saan doon lang bumabagsak but using different names at ‘yun ‘yung pinakikita nila na mataas ‘yung rate nila sa pagkuha sa kanila ng mga parokyano nila,” said Ibay.
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