Ethics of returning an identical item to another store

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Taschenrechner
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Ethics of returning an identical item to another store

Post by Taschenrechner »

Two scenarios. The first involves a purchase and return of toothpaste, and the second an expensive television.

At the beginning of the month, you walk into Target and buy toothpaste. Later in the month, after already using the toothpaste, you realize that Wal-Mart is selling the toothpaste for cheaper. Although you are still within the return period, Target will not do a price adjustment/partial refund. Therefore, you decide to buy the toothpaste at the cheaper price from Wal-Mart and return it to Target with the first receipt. The two tubes of toothpaste from both stores are completely indistinguishable. Is it ethical to go about this return?

Now, lets say the same situation applied with a much higher valued item like a television. You buy it early in the month at Target, but find the same exact television at Wal-Mart on sale later that month within the return period. You decide to return the Wal-Mart purchased TV to Target and pocket $50. Would this change your answer to the return being ethical?
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Burning ghost
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Re: Ethics of returning an identical item to another store

Post by Burning ghost »

I wouldn't have a problem doing that.

As to the second. I would have no problem with this either.

It would become more of an issue to me if we were talking about locally owned shops rather than huge companies. I have done something similar to this, although with MUCH higher profit! I did not go out of my way to purposely make the profit, it was only after I suddenly realized the situation I was in that I could get something for nothing quite easily that I took it. IF it had not been a huge company I would not have done it. If it was a family owned shop I would have acted completely differently. Note, what I did was not illegal!

In the above example I imagine it would be classed as "illegal" because they could accuse you of not returning the same product (I guess product number could catch you out?) Anyway I don't care about the law. The moral question stops with me not some law I didn't write.

Is it ethical? I can justify such a move by saying the rich companies are being needlessly greedy. Although I would not go out of my way to take part in this as a huge scam. The same situation holds for my real life situation. I did not go out of my way and plan the whole operation. It just so happened I noticed I could get something for free, from a very well known and rich company, so I took it.

In my mind I am essentially talking about the item that matters to me the most. WHO is losing out? If some huge company loses out they probably won't care.

Just thought of another example. I was at a self-checkout counter with a large amount of groceries (around $50 probably) and my brother called me. I answered and proceeded to fill my bag and walk out of the supermarket whilst talking to him. Halfway home I suddenly realized I had forgotten to pay. I shrugged, thought it was funny and felt pretty good about the mistake (zero guilt). IF I had done the same in a family shop I would've returned and made the payment.

Interesting situation to investigate. There are many different aspects to this we could play around with.
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Re: Ethics of returning an identical item to another store

Post by Gertie »

Re the toothpaste -

I can't imagine there being a return policy on partly used toothpaste unless there's somethig wrong with it.


Re the TV -

There's the issue of having entered a contract in good faith, and then finding a bad faith way to exploit it.

However, under a capitalist system the contract isn't about the inherent worth of the object being exchanged being agreed upon by both parties, it's about who can get the best deal for themselves (exploit the other). I don't set those rules, the seller does, it's their game we're playing.

So I wouldn't have a moral problem with returning the TV and getting it cheaper later. If the terms of the contract allow it.

Being naturally inclined towards prioritising consequentialism, I'd assume that the $50 isn't going to go into the pockets of the low paid workforce, rather the pockets of shareholders, so my own major concern wouldn't be an issue, I'd probably be pleased with myself. Like I do when I access Murdoch content 'illegally', but wouldn't try to do the same to the BBC.

-- Updated July 31st, 2017, 4:38 pm to add the following --

BG -
It would become more of an issue to me if we were talking about locally owned shops rather than huge companies. I have done something similar to this, although with MUCH higher profit! I did not go out of my way to purposely make the profit, it was only after I suddenly realized the situation I was in that I could get something for nothing quite easily that I took it. IF it had not been a huge company I would not have done it. If it was a family owned shop I would have acted completely differently. Note, what I did was not illegal!
Agree.
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Taschenrechner
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Re: Ethics of returning an identical item to another store

Post by Taschenrechner »

Interesting replies, thanks. It sounds as though that there is some Robin Hood inspiration in your responses. Do you think that your consumer ethics change based on the success of the seller? If so, why? For example, is it because their (the large seller) loss is unnoticeable, or is it motivated out of taking away from those who are greedy?

I like what both of you hit upon though, regarding the motive. If you set out to take advantage of the seller, then it could be deemed unethical. However, if you are just trying to capitalize on an opportunity of benefit, then the motive is different.

I asked this question to a friend and they said: "Returning an identical product that the store should be able to re-sell is technically deceptive, so it would be reasonable for someone to think that it shouldn't be done. But it's not a harmful form of deception -- so it's reasonable to think that it's morally innocuous in this case." They also said that if the item is fungible, allowing for the seller to recoup their losses, then it is ethical. Thats an obvious point, but it changed my thinking regarding the situation.

As Burning ghost said, a lot of different aspects you could play around with.
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Burning ghost
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Re: Ethics of returning an identical item to another store

Post by Burning ghost »

In my case I had two items and two receipts having made only one payment. My thinking was quite simple. They made a mistake and I took advantage knowing it was a large company who wouldn't suffer any huge financial loss. They sent a letter to me asking politely that I return one of the items just before I moved out. It was quite clear from the letter they were appealing to my sense of morality.

I guess you could kind of think of it as taking something from a greedy company. I sold the second item a a drastically reduced price so I go the product for a more reasonable price and someone else got one for the same price as me. My view is that two people got a discount and the company funded this discount accidently.

The main point is figuring out who really suffers. In my case no one suffered. The law protects companies not individuals. I don't care, in a moral sense, about what the law is. My judgement is my judgement. My morality is not imposed upon me by governmental rules I had nothing to do with implementing.

I also know tha tmany people used to apply for a credit card and then go abroad and max it out. After 2-3 years they would return home and get another credit card from the same company and do the same thing. They could do this because after a certain period of time the credit card company would wipe individuals from their records.

If you look closely enough into "trade laws" and such you'll soon see that many companies exploit customers. Many things we would assume to be illegal are in fact completely legal, or so far removed from common knowledge that the average joe cannot do much to fight back. For these reasons I have NO PROBLEM taking a little bit of money from large companies (which undoubtedly partake in screwing people over somewhere along the way.)

When it comes to me seeing someone find money I would not claim it is mine if it wasn't. Some people would though.

I also dislike the attitude that people should be rewarded for being honest. Once I dropped my wallet and someone picked it up and handed it in. There was not much money in it, but someone looked disgusted at me when I said I didn't care who'd handed it in and that I didn't want to reward them. I foun dthis idea horrible. Why reward someone for doing what is obviously the righ thing to? When I see someone fall over and I help them up, I don't then hol dmy hand out expecting a reward. I find this kind of "reward" mentality repulsive.
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Gertie
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Re: Ethics of returning an identical item to another store

Post by Gertie »

Interesting replies, thanks. It sounds as though that there is some Robin Hood inspiration in your responses. Do you think that your consumer ethics change based on the success of the seller? If so, why? For example, is it because their (the large seller) loss is unnoticeable, or is it motivated out of taking away from those who are greedy?

I like what both of you hit upon though, regarding the motive. If you set out to take advantage of the seller, then it could be deemed unethical. However, if you are just trying to capitalize on an opportunity of benefit, then the motive is different.
My point is a little different. Capitalism is a competitive system, not one based on the inherent or agreed worth of an item or service. Sellers compete against each other to make as much money as they can, and try to get as much money from the buyer as possible, in order to enrich share-holders and the people running corporations (the people at the sharp end working in shops are 'human resources', a necessary expense in the game, who they will get as cheaply as they can). Greed, not morality, is a key feature of the system, and my role as a buyer is to pay as little as I can in this essentially adversarial game. Tho there are pockets of ethical practice and some fair trade where I'd feel morally obliged to act in good faith. And I feel bad that I don't buy more Fair Trade goods, rather than going for the best deal for me. The greatest inequity is a global system which exploits poorer countries via rich country trade cartels.

So I feel no moral obligation to act in good faith towards the system as such, except in terms of a personal one-to-one transaction. That's more emotionally salient when I'm dealing with a small family business than a large corporation, which has an effect on my attitude, and I'd be more concerned about the consequentialist effects. But if I thought the family business was being overly greedy/ripping me off, that would change my attitude too.
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Re: Ethics of returning an identical item to another store

Post by Spectrum »

Morality is all about personal moral & ethics within one's conscience.
As with conscience, one establishes one's own moral Law, is own judge, jury and persecutor.

Within my own personal moral law and conscience, I will not return either the toothpaste nor TV. It is not ethical by my own personal moral law as as an absolute moral law by reasoning.

Let say if it is 'morally right' to do return the two products, then when every one is doing it, the scam will soon be discovered and the perpetrators are likely to be discovered. e.g. via the serial and batch numbers of the products.
Not-a-theist. Religion is a critical necessity for humanity now, but not the FUTURE.
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