Is this stealing?

[Banana]

Someone raised an interesting issue in this thread:
http://forums.anandtech.com/message...18766&highlight_key=y&keyword1=newegg

When a vendor accidentally sends you a wrong item that is more expensive than the one you paid for, is it stealing if you don't tell them about it?

I'll admit that once, the grocer accidentally did not charge me for an item, but bagged it anyways. I find out about it when I got home, but did not return the item--too much hassle, I rationalized

Was it theft?

1YP

 

[Locutus of Board]

Your IP has been logged and the authorities will be knocking on your door momentarily.

I'd suggest you stay where you are and cooperate.

 

[snakesnfrogs]

no it was not theft if it was given to the cashier and they simply skipped it and stuck it in the bag---you did nothing wrong.

 

[bigbootydaddy]

if amazon.com sends you something accidently, its not stealing, i think legally its claimed as a "gift".

 

[Helpless]

...unless they want it back

 

[warcleric]

Helpless: even if they want it back, you do not have to give it to them. If someone sends something you did not order it is yours no matter what. This is to prevent companies from shipping out items and then demanding payment. A practice that used to be common.

 

[gittyup]

Sometimes a vendor will send you a better model, for example, if the lower end model you ordered is not in stock.

 

[Amused]

No, it's not legally stealing. However, I believe it is morally stealing, and I have always corrected retailer's errors, even if they're in my favor. Most often, the shop or person will thank me for my honesty, and tell me to forget about it.

What's "legal" is meaningless. It's what your conscience tells you that means something here. Ask yourself if YOU would like to know were the tables turned. I personally couldn't live with myself were I to know I received something I didn't pay for.

If you don't do unto others as you would have them do unto you, why would anyone expect others to do the same?

 

[kranky]

warcleric, that's not entirely correct. Your example only applies when you have ordered NOTHING. It does not apply when you order item A and receive item B by mistake, nor when you order item A and receive 100 of item A by mistake.

 

[Shudder]

I ordered 2 $10 from sega.com and they sent me 20 instead.

But they charged me 200 bucks

But Best Buy took the games back for 35 for one and 25 for another. After a few times of doing that I didn't mind the error from Sega.

 

[pepo]

hehe dude i'd say that if they don't see it then that's thier problem ;-]
YOU DID NOTHING WRONG

 

[AaronP]

my friend ordered some stuff like a memory stick and a harddrive once, and his order arrived in this huge box, and it had like 1800 bucks worth of stuff, motherboard, scsi hd, all kinda of cool stuff.

it didn't include his memory stick or harddrive, but he never called the company, and they never contacted him. So he made out pretty good there.

There's no moral problems there either. At least not to me or him.

 

[Viper GTS]

There's no moral problems there either. At least not to me or him.

The only problem is your morals then.

Viper GTS

 

[Amused]

I just have to add this:

Folks, would you like this to happen to you if you were a seller? Or would you like the buyer to be honest and point out your mistake?

You can't expect others to be honest with you, if you're not willing to be honest with others.

The lack of empathy and selfish situational ethics in this world amazes me.

 

[geno]

If you have to ask, then it proabaly is stealing

 

[AaronP]

ahh, ViperGTS is trying to impose his morals onto me. Well, you can bite me.

 

[AaronP]

ya know what, when you deal with these companies, if they make a mistake in their favor, you call them and have to dick around for the longest time, and get the run around for ages until they come up with an adequite solution. However, they make a mistake in our favor, and we're suppose to be ultra accomidating to them? yeah right.

 

[Amused]

<< ahh, ViperGTS is trying to impose his morals onto me. Well, you can bite me. >>



Well, I guess you'll never mind when someone does the same thing to you?

Viper is telling you your morals are lacking, because he has to live in the same world with you. Lack of honesty should ALWAYS be pointed out. Social pressure is much more effective than any law.

 

[Amused]

<< ya know what, when you deal with these companies, if they make a mistake in their favor, you call them and have to dick around for the longest time, and get the run around for ages until they come up with an adequite solution. However, they make a mistake in our favor, and we're suppose to be ultra accomidating to them? yeah right. >>



They're that way, because of dishonest people, Aaron. All that &quot;d!cking around&quot; is called loss prevention. Which makes you part of the problem, not part of the solution.

 

[AaronP]

I just gave you a 1 in user rating Amused One.

 

[Amused]

<< I just gave you a 1 in user rating Amused One. >>



Gee, that's mighty big of you. Especially for someone who doesn't allow himself to be rated.

What's the matter, Aaron? Are you pissed that you exposed your dishonesty to everyone, and we called you on it?

 

[AaronP]

uhh they never bothered to contact my friend. its not like he lied or anything. why is it dishonest? People are busy in their lives, are we supposed to drop everything for some sloppy company?

You people are so young and naive.

 

[Amused]

<< uhh they never bothered to contact my friend. its not like he lied or anything. why is it dishonest? People are busy in their lives, are we supposed to drop everything for some sloppy company?

You people are so young and naive. >>



I'm 33, Aaron. Old enough to know that dishonesty is no less dishonest if the person you've stolen from doesn't know it happened.

That's called &quot;situational ethics,&quot; Aaron, and it's wrong no matter how much you try to rationalize it. It is no less stealing if the victim doesn't know he's been stolen from.

Simply returning a box full of merchandise you didn't pay for is not &quot;dropping everything.&quot; It takes a few minutes at the most.

Gee, and you wonder why companies d!ck around so much when you have a problem... Because they have to protect themselves from people like you.

 

[AaronP]

ohh you're from Illinois. That explains it. Let me tell you something. THE BEARS STILL SUCK. And the Cubs are gonna choke like mofo's.

 

[Amused]

<< ohh you're from Illinois. That explains it. Let me tell you something. THE BEARS STILL SUCK. And the Cubs are gonna choke like mofo's. >>



I grew up in Southern California, and lived in the South (GA, SC and NC) for ten years. I couldn't give a rat's @ss about the Bears or any other pathetic team here. I'm only in this friggin place because I'm making money here.

Try again, Aaron.