If you evade rules on promotions, you're a thief

[Craig234]

Sometimes companies have promotions with limits, typically '1 offer per customer'.

If you evade the liimit such as by creating multiple e-mail accounts and pretending to be different people to get multiple items against the rules, you are stealing.

It's their right to put the limit - and evading that is dishonest, the same way as any other dishonest activity such as shoplifting or switching price tags on an item.

It's funny how it doesn't 'seem' the same to some people, but it is.

It's all about dishonesty to get a deal the seller did not offer. If they wanted to sell more than one to you at the price, they would.

Just a PSA for people who haven't throught it through and realized they're stealing.

 

[Doppel]

I agree it is in principle stealing the service or product.

 

[tcG]

Sounds like fraud or something related, not theft.

 

[Craig234]

Sounds like fraud or something related, not theft.

Fraud is morally theft, when it involves deceipt to pay less for something than allowed.

Grabbing a $100 bill someone leaves exposed is theft.

Selling someone something for $100 lying about what it is when it's really worthless is fraud and theft.

It's just one type of theft.

 

[techs]

So in Texas they can legally shoot you for this?

 

[DaveSimmons]

So in Texas they can legally shoot you for this?

I'd be OK with that.

The people doing rebate, promotion and price-matching fraud make honest customers like me pay a little more to subsidize their theft.

That's stealing from me. So in Texas, BLAM!

 

[pontifex]

i throught it through and you might be on to something there.

 

[Gillbot]

Tell that to everyone in FS/FT selling sealed new in box CPUs for a profit.

 

[Craig234]

Tell that to everyone in FS/FT selling sealed new in box CPUs for a profit.

I'm not familiar with those deals, with what terms of an offer are being evaded, to comment on those; but a mod is sanctioning anyone who points out stealing there.

 

[AFurryReptile]

Tell that to everyone in FS/FT selling sealed new in box CPUs for a profit.

That's more like scalping tickets than theft. I see this as less morally bankrupt than stealing outright.

 

[akahoovy]

Sometimes companies have promotions with limits, typically '1 offer per customer'.

If you evade the liimit such as by creating multiple e-mail accounts and pretending to be different people to get multiple items against the rules, you are stealing.

It's their right to put the limit - and evading that is dishonest, the same way as any other dishonest activity such as shoplifting or switching price tags on an item.

It's funny how it doesn't 'seem' the same to some people, but it is.

It's all about dishonesty to get a deal the seller did not offer. If they wanted to sell more than one to you at the price, they would.

Just a PSA for people who haven't throught it through and realized they're stealing.

What is stealing? An infraction against society's ever changing value on resources? Everyone cuts corners.

What's eating you Gilbert Grape?

 

[Craig234]

That's more like scalping tickets than theft. I see this as less morally bankrupt than stealing outright.

Ya, if that's the case, that falls short of theft.

Now scalpers who buy more tickets than are allowed, that's theft.

 

[Gillbot]

That's more like scalping tickets than theft. I see this as less morally bankrupt than stealing outright.

I disagree, they are not for resale.

 

[Craig234]

I disagree, they are not for resale.

In which case it is theft.

 

[Gillbot]

You see it all the time in FS/FT. NFR software, hardware and etc... People grab items under certain programs for pennies on the dollar, then they try to flip them at retail price for a large profit. Not only is it profiteering, but it ruins the programs since that's not what they are meant for.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The company is selling it at a price they can afford to, so no, it's not stealing if you pay for it. Though it may be unethical. If you take it without paying, then that's stealing.

Companies have often lost sales to me due to these limits though. If I need say, 6 hard drives to do a raid array and they have a 5 per customer limit, then I just go to another store if they don't have a similar drive for a similar price.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I see you post things like this, then wonder exactly what your signature means considering most of the 'predatory' comes from the businesses themselves and governments they subsidize.

Let's not pretend like businesses are squeaky clean entities that never do wrong. In fact, there are far more that have wronged other companies, employees and customers than the other way around.

Does it make taking advantage right? No, but it sure helps take your mind off the guilt.

I'm not sure I've ever done this, but I suppose all those early taking advantage of online pricing mistakes (which are also posted here) may be on the unethical side. Heck..Hot Deals is what brought me to this site way back in 2000 or something.

I'm pretty sure I helped bring down The American Store. On the flip side. Onsale (now newegg) gained a loyal customer when they followed through on some crazy orders that they could have easily backed out of.

 

[SKORPI0]

Tell that to everyone in FS/FT selling sealed new in box CPUs for a profit.

Oh, you're talking about Intel Retail Edge summer program that ended?
Got a i7 3930K for $208 (producer level) which would be a nice upgrade for my 9 month old i7 3820. Never had intentions of selling.

 

[Gillbot]

Oh, you're talking about Intel Retail Edge summer program that ended?
Got a i7 3930K for $208 (producer level) which would be a nice upgrade for my 9 month old i7 3820. Never had intentions of selling.

[]http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/7639/img0060om.jpg[/IMG]

Just browse through there, there are LOADS of them for sale, here and other forums.

 

[Newbian]

You see it all the time in FS/FT. NFR software, hardware and etc... People grab items under certain programs for pennies on the dollar, then they try to flip them at retail price for a large profit. Not only is it profiteering, but it ruins the programs since that's not what they are meant for.

I believe that's called capitalism.

 

[Craig234]

The company is selling it at a price they can afford to, so no, it's not stealing if you pay for it. Though it may be unethical. If you take it without paying, then that's stealing.

Companies have often lost sales to me due to these limits though. If I need say, 6 hard drives to do a raid array and they have a 5 per customer limit, then I just go to another store if they don't have a similar drive for a similar price.

No the company is not 'selling at a price they can afford to'. And it's not your call.

There are a variety of reasons they limit quantities - a leading reason is when an item is a 'loss leader' in which case they are choosing how much loss they want to take per customer for the promotion; another is when quantities are limited and they want more cusotmers to get a chance to get the item; another is when the profits are simply not what they'd like them to be for larger quantities. That's their call.

Whether you're stealing the item entirely or paying less than the rules allow, you're stealing.

Your reaction to the limits is the right one when you go to another seller if you don't like the limit.

It's not just 'unethical' - theft is generally unethical - it's theft.

 

[Craig234]

I believe that's called capitalism.

No, it's not. It's called theft and fraud.

 

[Craig234]

I see you post things like this, then wonder exactly what your signature means considering most of the 'predatory' comes from the businesses themselves and governments they subsidize.

Thanks for noticing my sig. I have plenty of issues with various practices of companies, probably best discussed in another forum. It's not inconsistent to both oppose stealing from a company, and to oppose bad practices by that same company. I don't like some things Wal-Mart does, but I don't encourage stealing from them either.

Let's not pretend like businesses are squeaky clean entities that never do wrong. In fact, there are far more that have wronged other companies, employees and customers than the other way around.

Does it make taking advantage right? No, but it sure helps take your mind off the guilt.

You're right, it doesn't, and it shouldn't take your mind off the guilt.

I'm not totally opposed to an action that counters a wrong action - stealing back something stolen from you is ok in my book - but saying 'Wal-Mart sucks to it's ok to shoplift" I disagree. There's a case by case question whether you are simply doing an additional wrong, or doing a justice by undoing a wrong.

I'm not sure I've ever done this, but I suppose all those early taking advantage of online pricing mistakes (which are also posted here) may be on the unethical side. Heck..Hot Deals is what brought me to this site way back in 2000 or something.

I'm pretty sure I helped bring down The American Store. On the flip side. Onsale (now newegg) gained a loyal customer when they followed through on some crazy orders that they could have easily backed out of.

An argument that a store benefited by being nice when you rip them off is not persuasive.

It sounds like you stole from 'The American Store', whoever that is?

 

[PhoKingGuy]

 

[Red Squirrel]

No, it's not. It's called theft and fraud.

You just described a vital part of capitalism.