Do you agree with my company's policy?

[Yossarian]

I work for a toy manufacturer. We have a factory outlet store that is open to the public. I would like to buy stuff, without using any kind of employee discount, and resell it on ebay. HR says no way. Do you agree with them?

 

[sygyzy]

I voted no based on your silly summary.

 

[amdskip]

You are going to buy it from the store?

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: amdskip
You are going to buy it from the store?

yeah. anyone can go in and buy it at the same price I would.

 

[nageov3t]

seems shady, even if you're not using your employee discount.

 

[BigJ]

Can your wife/gf/brother/first born child buy and sell it in their name?

 

[mugs]

Would you buy it on your own time, during store hours, when the product is on the shelves and available for purchase by anyone else?

 

[cjgallen]

How much profit are you making?

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: mugs
Would you buy it on your own time, during store hours, when the product is on the shelves and available for purchase by anyone else?

yep. like during my unpaid lunch break, for example.

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: cjgallen
How much profit are you making?

irrelevant!

 

[suse920]

Originally posted by: Yossarian
I work for a toy manufacturer. We have a factory outlet store that is open to the public. I would like to buy stuff, without using any kind of employee discount, and resell it on ebay. HR says no way. Do you agree with them?

no, but why would you need their permission if you are acting as a regular customer

 

[Mo0o]

Just get someone in your family to do it.

 

[DeadByDawn]

If it's not a written policy somewhere, I wouldn't have even asked. Just do it.

 

[cjgallen]

Originally posted by: Yossarian

Originally posted by: cjgallen
How much profit are you making?

irrelevant!

Hand over fist, eh? now I see why they won't let you do it!

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Yossarian

Originally posted by: mugs
Would you buy it on your own time, during store hours, when the product is on the shelves and available for purchase by anyone else?

yep. like during my unpaid lunch break, for example.

Then I personally think it's a dumb policy, but apparantly they feel it is more important to have the product available for customers to buy than to allow an employee to make a few bucks on the side.

 

[axelfox]

Your mistake was asking.

That is, if you asked.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

3 words

Conflict of Interest

If the company I worked for sold computers, and I sold computers on the side (even if I bought them from the company I work for) it would still be a conflict of interest as I would essentially be competing with my own company.

 

[rh71]

If it's legit, why your own toys ? Why not something else ?

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong
3 words

Conflict of Interest

If the company I worked for sold computers, and I sold computers on the side (even if I bought them from the company I work for) it would still be a conflict of interest as I would essentially be competing with my own company.

You are on the right track. .. but I'm not sure if its exactly true.. he is after all selling THEIR toys...

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: rh71
If it's legit, why your own toys ? Why not something else ?

because they often offer extreme discounts to clear stuff out.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong
3 words

Conflict of Interest

If the company I worked for sold computers, and I sold computers on the side (even if I bought them from the company I work for) it would still be a conflict of interest as I would essentially be competing with my own company.

It's an uninformed HR department covering their ass.

If he's selling the product on e-bay and THEY AREN'T (which isn't said in the OP) then there's no conflict of interest AND the company is getting free marketing and expanding their consumer base, which they should be grateful for.

It's a stupid illogical bureaucratic decision. Welcome to corporate America.

 

[Caminetto]

Quick guess is that the company is more concerned that you will be using their resources or time, eventually. Even if you say it will be on your lunch hour using your own laptop etc. to post up at ebay, the potential for abuse is their concern. I have seen this kind of thing before and 9 out of 10 people will end up using or abusing company assets.

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: djheater

Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong
3 words

Conflict of Interest

If the company I worked for sold computers, and I sold computers on the side (even if I bought them from the company I work for) it would still be a conflict of interest as I would essentially be competing with my own company.

It's an uninformed HR department covering their ass.

If he's selling the product on e-bay and THEY AREN'T (which isn't said in the OP) then there's no conflict of interest AND the company is getting free marketing and expanding their consumer base, which they should be grateful for.

It's a stupid illogical bureaucratic decision. Welcome to corporate America.

they don't have an ebay presence. I suppose I can see the point, kind of. but it's kind of like the piracy argument. if I sell a product at 50% off, someone may buy it from me that would normally have bought it at retail from one of our big customers. but if the price hadn't been low would the person have bought it in the first place?

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: Yossarian

Originally posted by: djheater

Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong
3 words

Conflict of Interest

If the company I worked for sold computers, and I sold computers on the side (even if I bought them from the company I work for) it would still be a conflict of interest as I would essentially be competing with my own company.

It's an uninformed HR department covering their ass.

If he's selling the product on e-bay and THEY AREN'T (which isn't said in the OP) then there's no conflict of interest AND the company is getting free marketing and expanding their consumer base, which they should be grateful for.

It's a stupid illogical bureaucratic decision. Welcome to corporate America.

they don't have an ebay presence. I suppose I can see the point, kind of. but it's kind of like the piracy argument. if I sell a product at 50% off, someone may buy it from me that would normally have bought it at retail from one of our big customers. but if the price hadn't been low would the person have bought it in the first place?

The point is they DIDN'T buy it in the retail store AND they DID buy it, which means they DIDN'T buy a competitor's product.

What's so hard to understand about that.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong
3 words

Conflict of Interest

Ding! ding! DING!!!