MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Should Alan give the laptop back?

Former_MSE_Wendy · 1 July 2008 at 1:50PM

Thanks to MoneySaver Ben Clay for this idea and here's this week's hypothetical situation for you to cogitate on:

Should Alan give the laptop back?

Alan went into a shop to buy a laptop, and instead of it ringing up at £399 it was just £3.99. He spotted this at the check-out and was aware of the error but keep schtum. After he'd paid, the manager came up and admited, that the laptop was legally his, but it was an obvious error by a trainee cashier on his first day.

Click reply to have your say.

Previous MMDs:
Should you foot the bill?
Would you ask for new shoes?

Thanks to MoneySaver Ben Clay who came up with this in the nerdy note discussion from last week.

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LouLee2008 · 1 July 2008 at 2:00PM

yes because you were happy to pay the £399 before and it was only a mistake,

saintscouple · 1 July 2008 at 9:36PM

Nope, as a large company they can absorb the cost, but i would point out to the manager that the error lies with the person that programmed the price in to the till.
But i would use the laptop to send a thank-you email.

exel1966 · 1 July 2008 at 9:56PM

Never look a gift horse in the mouth ! I'd go back and try and buy another !!!

A_little_stressed!! · 1 July 2008 at 10:05PM

I'd ask what discount he'd be willing to offer me if I returned it. No guarantee that I would return, but gives the manager an option!

teeb · 1 July 2008 at 10:11PM

Depends, for me. If it was a big chain I'd walk out. If it was a small place I'd sit down and think.

Alan walked in expecting to pay £399. He could at least ask the manager for a discount (bearing in mind he could walk out at any point).

toadhall · 1 July 2008 at 10:22PM

nope, their mistake my gain

stephenjacquie · 1 July 2008 at 10:46PM

Alan noticed at the till that the amounts did not match - he may not have a legal responsibility to point this out but I think he has a moral responsibility!

If it was the other way round and he was overcharged he wouldn't be happy if the manager said "their mistake, my gain" now would he.

I believe there's an old phrase "sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander"

Also I don't think the morality of an action should depend on how big the company is but on how developed my conscience is!

I guess I'm going to get flamed but hey - at least my five pence worth didn't cost someone £395.01

Stephen

lynxptc · 1 July 2008 at 10:56PM

If the sale has gone through then the laptop is yours. Why offer to hand over all that extra cash - it would just be throwing money away.

I know a lot of people would though because of morals and them thinking they are doing "the right thing".

In real life though this would never happen. A cashier would never take £4 for a laptop, even a trainee. They'd know something was wrong.

weegie.geek · 1 July 2008 at 11:15PM

Morally wrong to keep the laptop, but being an amoral sonofa!!!!! I'd be tempted.

It's very hypothetical though, surely the cashier would realise? I've done shopwork myself (and in a high street computery type stuff retailer as well) and you can more or less turn your brain off, but that's quite a difference.

If it'd been the cashier's mistake I'd give it back. Nothing worse than that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realise you messed up. If it'd been the shop's mistake, and the item actually rang up at £3.99 I'd maybe dig my heels in.

What's a trainee cashier doing on the tills by themselves anyway? Especially on their first day. They should be buddied up with someone who's keeping an eye on them.

Mamzie · 1 July 2008 at 11:15PM

No way I would have been able to pay just £3.99... but I would appreciate a discount or gift for paying the right price which I was already expecting to pay.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Should Alan give the laptop back?

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