I was talking to my friend today and she was telling me how she bought a bunch of needed items as well as a comforter for her son at a home store, and when she got home she realized the (teenaged) clerk had not charged her for the $159 comforter. She works full time and the home store is a town away so she has no intention of going back to pay for it.
So, in this situation, is she justified?
My first instinct was to feel bad for the clerk, but then I realized there isn’t any way (I don’t think) that they can tie the “missing” comforter to him. But it still feels icky.
Or am I being silly since it was the store’s fault?
I’d go back and pay. This happened to me during move-in. It’s a karma thing for me.
No moral ambiguity whatsoever-your friend needs to call the store, explain what happened and offer to pay. Period.
I wouldn’t go back and pay because it’s out of town. Instead, I would call the store and explain the situation and tell them that I would like to mail them a check. They would probably be able to explain how to address the envelope.
No question-I would call. I bet the store would take a credit card number over the phone.
I would definitely call the store and offer to pay. Your friend should be able to pay by credit card over the phone. This is not a big deal for nearly all of us adults, but could be a bad situation for the teenage clerk if the item is missing and not paid for.
Ditto what everyone else said. I’d call the store and pay. This is something that should be easily remedied over the phone and doesn’t require a trip back to the store. My husband mentioned he was going back to the grocery store today b/c when he paid last night, he asked for $20 cash back. He got $40. He thought maybe he had put in the wrong amount, and actually asked for $40. I’m not sure at what point he was second guessing himself, but the store emails us a receipt so he when he got home, he checked his email. Sure enough, he’d only asked for $20 so he was going back to the store to give them the $20. The poor kid was probably upset last night when his register was off by $20. He would’ve called the store but he was there right b/f it closed so it wasn’t open by the time he got home .
I would definitely call the store. My mom was a bank clerk so I know it’s a big deal to have your drawer be short.
So, next question- do I tell my friend what I think? Or is it none of my business?
Btw, this has been my best friend for 25 years.
How would she feel if the mistake was made by her teenage child?
Character is who you are when no one is watching. There is no right way to do something that you know is wrong? She needs to make it right!!
There’s no moral ambiguity here. It is absolutely wrong not to do anything. Your friend has something that she hasn’t paid for. She should call and give a credit card number.
I agree it’s wrong not to do anything. So, would you call out a friend in this situation? I mean, I’m sure my morals aren’t perfect, so by telling her what she’s doing is not ok, am I suggesting that my morals are “better” than hers?
Happened to me recently, noticed it right after leaving the store. Went back in and paid. Clerk was very appreciative.
Someone told me today that she never buys her young teen a ticket when they travel by train. She just has him look down when they come to collect tickets, so he looks younger. That’s icky too.
agree with posts 3 and 4, and others. Difficulty paying is no excuse, it is just trying to find a way to rationalize skipping out. What if she got home and found they had overcharged her $159? Would she let it go because they were out of town, or would she expect the store to make it right?
A check or money order could be mailed, or the c.c. over the phone.
There is no moral ambiguity here. It was an honest mistake, but the person got much more than they paid for. If your friend is unsure what the right thing to do is, then your friend hasn’t much clarity on right and wrong.
How is this morally ambiguous? If you gave the store a $100 bill for a $5 towel when you thought you gave them $10, would you expect them to return the proper change to you or could they keep it since the error was your fault?
That $159 loss will be passed on to you, and anyone else who shops there, in the form of higher prices. I would definitely say something. It’s not okay to leave somebody’s teen in that position.
She doesn’t need to go back but she does need to call and either pay by cc or if she prefers not then to mail a check. I’d tell her this way, “You know you are certainly right that you don’t need to drive back there to fix their mistake but I was thinking that maybe can still call the store and offer to send a check or just give em your cc”
Absolutely, she needs to pay for the comforter. What type of example is she setting for her children? Maybe she told you because she knew that you would tell her to do the right thing?
I wouldn’t tell her in a way that says my morals are better. Nor would I tell her the steps she should take.
In my own way, I’d stumble through, “About the comforter, I’d be uncomfortable and either return it or call them to pay.” Done. I said it and now it’s on her. If she argued back, minimized, I’d just repeat that it makes me uncomfortable.
Maybe that doesn’t seem too different, but it says how I’d feel, what I’d do, not what she should.
And if she didn’t pick up on this, I’d be uncomfortable in the relationship.
It’s tough. But it’s a $159 error. Not a gift or a concession. Not a small change error. The karma, as another said.
I’d try, “Hey, I was thinking about your story about the comforter. I agree it is too far to drive, but it occurred to me after we talked that you could just call them and handle it over the phone.”