I frequently find myself in situations or hear about certain situations that make me think, "What would so and so do?" or "how would so and so handle this?" Sometimes Ryan and I even have a different view point on some things. So, I am going to lay out a few scenarios from time to time and ask you what you think or what you would have done.
#1. You are at the grocery store shopping for a roast. The price tag says the meat is $4.49/lb. and you are looking at a three lb. roast. The catch is that the total price is listed at $ .13. Do you grab the roast, take it to the counter and make them give it to you at that price? OR do you bring it to their attention so that they can fix the obvious error?
#2. You are at the park in the middle of a VERY LARGE CITY. Hundreds and hundreds of people frequent this park on a daily basis, but no one is there at the moment. You are playing with your child when you discover a very nice, very clean coat in your child's size. You know there is no way the people are coming back for it, or are they? You know that if you don't take it, someone else will. What do you do, take the coat or leave it?
#3. You are at Target and are buying a few very expensive items. Your total bill should be over $300. You are at the checkout and while the lady rings you up, you are chatting with her and not paying much attention to the price. You swipe your card, pay for your things and leave. As you are walking out to your car, you realize that your receipt does not reflect the price of the items you have. It should be at least $80 more. Do you leave it as is (their mistake) or go back in and pay for what is in your cart?
Two of these are no brainers to me. I know what I would have done. One is a little harder for me. Not sure where I stand. Ryan and I disagree. I wont tell you which one until I get your feedback. I am very interested in what you all will have to say! I hope you'll leave some feedback for me!
7 comments:
Interesting questions, Suzanne. These sound like scenarios for an ethics class. Here are my gut reactions . . .
1. I'd definitely put the roast in the cart and then see what comes of it at the register. I'd point it out to the cashier and see what it rings up as. If it rings up that way and the cashier has no issue with it I'd buy it and see it as a special provision of the Lord!
2. I'd leave the coat. First of all, the mom & kid COULD come back for it. If I were in the mom's shoes who forgot the coat I'd feel dreadful that 1) I forgot such a nice coat and 2) that because of my negligence it was taken. Also, though we are certainly in need, we always have had coats and money to buy clothes. There are others less fortunate and if anyone WERE to take the forgotten coat I'd hope it would be someone who could truly benefit from it.
3. (I HAVE had that happen to me before at Target but not with expensive items. I accidentally left without paying for $1 bandaids once. But I didn't realize it until I was in the car and I had both kids with me. NO WAY was I going back in.) I think I'd go back in and just question it at the customer service counter (if I didn't have crying kids with me that is) or call them from home. It could have truly wrung up cheaper - maybe something was on sale that you didn't notice? I've had things ring up cheaper than expected before.
Sorry to be so long-winded. :) Now I'm uber-curious about your feedback on these!
1. I actually think stores need to stick to the marked prices. We once found gigantic Tonka trucks at Target for $5 that were normally $25. Our nephews got some sweet presents for Christmas that year! So I'd ask that they gave me the roast at the marked price. The catch is that I don't pay that much per pound for a roast normally, so I'd need a deal to buy it. I would leave it at the store if they didn't at least reduce the price.
2. I'd leave the coat, and hope that others would do the same until the proper owner could get to it. I'm idealistic like that.
3. If I forgot to pay for an item, and could find what it was, I would go back. I might wait until Michael got home and then go back, or call the store and ask what they would like me to do. I'm not sure why this is different than the roast situation for me, but it is.
Hey, you live in a big city! You never know - 20/20 could be right there taping an episode of "what would you do" - have you seen that? we feel like old folks when we watch 20/20, but it is very interesting! They set up social experiment type situations and tape people's reactions.
I went to school when Mr. Dobbertin was the principal at Bethany and I love reading your blog. You are truly Salt and Light in the world! I like your questions.
1. I'd also point out the price discrepancy to the cashier if it was the package of meat I was going to buy, mis-price aside. Usually the computer rings things up at the correct price, so I would pay the right price, not the mis-marked price unless it was their strict policy for making an error.
2. I would take the coat and leave a note or two where the coat was left or nearby leaving a message to the effect of "Did your child leave something here today?" and leave only my cell number and first name or "good Samaritan" etc. so that some weirdo wouldn't be able to trace me. I'd be concerned someone else would have the finders-keepers mentality. Then I'd keep it in a safe place. My mom lost a $20 when my family was dead broke and got reunited with it that way. It was truly a blessing from the Lord!
3. I'd check my receipt for special markdowns first, then missing items. I've had that happen at Target SOOOOO often! If they did miss something, I'd be sure to remedy it as soon as possible (and I've also had the door buzzers catch cashier errors too if they didn't ring something up - really embarrassing)!
Thanks for letting me give my input!
1. I would never pay that much per pound for a roast and a lot of times when the sell by date is approaching, they mark down the price. So I would take it to the counter and see what it rings up as. By law stores are supposed to only charge you what it rings up as so if it rings up as .13 I would say there is nothing wrong with buying it.
2. I would leave the coat or perhaps sit by it and pretend it was mine (so nobody else would steal it) while I kept my eye out for someone looking for it. But when it's time for me to leave, I would leave the coat there.
3. Once I got home I would look at the receipt. (In fact something similiar as happened to me before) If I wasn't charged for something, I would go back and pay for it. But if I was charged for everything and something just rang up cheaper than I thought it was going to be, then I don't worry about it. Oftentimes they lower prices in their systems before changing the tag on the item. Anytime something rings up cheaper than expected I point it out at the register and the clerk always says, "It was lowered again" and I get a surprise deal!
1. I'd would probably ask the butcher about the price to avoid any unnecessary hassle/potential embarrassment at checkout. I would HOPE that they would give me the marked price as it is their mistake. Having worked in a grocery store in the past, I know that the customer would have received it at the marked price. ;)
2. I would either leave the coat there or leave a note informing the person that I'd taken it to the police dept. for them to identify and pick up. I definitely would not take it home to keep.
3. I would make sure that all of my items were scanned and then go from there. If an item didn't ring up, I would call the store or bring it to their attention the next time I was in. I ALWAYS go back if I am overcharged for something to receive a refund. Therefore, I feel that it would be right to bring an item that was not charged to their attention and then go from there.
ok, I deleted my first answers b/c I am dumb and didn't understand where you were in #2 until after I commented. I hope that doesn't make you think my answers don't count b/c of my stupidity. =)
#1- I think the list price makes it obviously a misprint. I would tell someone but not try to get it for that price. what if it was a local farmer on the side of the road, would you try to rip him off? just b/c its a big store doesn't mean you aren't taking that much money from them.
#2- Take the coat and leave a note. I almost think if you have been there for a while and no one has come back, you are obligated to do that. Someone will take it and you are almost turning a blind eye to their thievery.
#3- go back in. pay for your stuff. A cashier mistake doesn't have a price. Again, big store doesn't make it any less important.
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