Ethical question

[Bike Chick]

I would definitely call and speak to the manager. I don't think I would enjoy wearing the jacket if I didn't and would feel so guilty I'd probably donate it to charity to alleviate my guilt. I would not drive back to the store though since it was their mistake. I'm curious to hear what they have to say.

[Skierchickie]

It seems pretty clear to me. Always listen to your gut. You were prepared to pay for the item when you looked at the amount on the tag, so the cost being tacked on later shouldn't really make a difference. Whether it's a large amount or a small amount shouldn't really matter - temptation can be strong, but this seems pretty black & white to me. Whether a group of young girls at the store think you're crazy or not seems pretty irrelevant.

I'm sure they'd save you a trip and take your credit card info over the phone. Hopefully they'll offer you a discount for your trouble, but maybe not.

Kudos for being honest - too many people wouldn't be, and would be proud of themselves for "winning". It's a sad fact.

[uforgot]

Call. You won't enjoy wearing it anyway if you feel guilty. I had a similar situation. My school reimbursed me for 3 graduate hours, but taking the class was a grant and didn't cost me anything. So there I was with a $225 check, reimbursement for something I didn't pay for in the first place. My principal told me to just be quiet and keep it, but I couldn't. I took the check to the superintendent and told him that I didn't pay for the class. He told me to keep the check. I earned the money by gaining the credit hours which benefit my students. They only reimburse $75 per hour and it doesn't matter how much it cost me. I took the check and bought a bike rack and hitch for my car with a cleared conscience.

[Tuckervill]

I once took home one of those small electric sanders with the pointy thing on the end--worth about $20--for free. I didn't notice until I got home and looked at the receipt and it wasn't on there. I considered taking it back, but like you, it was a long way and it was only $20 and it wasn't my error to begin with. It looked to me like she scanned the thing and it apparently didn't go through, but she didn't notice, and neither could I.

This was about 5 years ago. I don't feel guilty about it at all.

However, every time I use the sander, I think about how I got it for free. It would be so much worse for me if it were a $130 jacket! I would feel a twinge every time I wore it--I might not even get around to wearing it, which really would be a shame if I really liked it.

I know you're going to call, so when you do, make sure you come to the defense of the cashier and ask the manager to treat them fairly.

Karen