Thievery or not?

[Nitzylpick]

See this discussion on hot deals hereand let's keep the debate going here.

As you can see I totally disagree with the anandtech moderators comments. I am not saying it was wrong to lock the thread however.


It's thievery at it's worst

Anandtech Moderator

 

[kranky]

After reading your posts in the other thread, you seem to be a disciple of situational ethics. You made the point that "no laws were broken" so everything was OK. Didn't the person returning the item represent that he bought it at CompUSA? Oh, just because he didn't come right out and say so, then that's the store's mistake, I guess.

If stores began an third-degree interrogation of each person trying to return an item ("Did you buy this item from us? How much did you pay? When did you buy it?...) you would probably be the first in line to puff up your chest and proclaim outrage over the way "you were treated like a common criminal".

It's too bad that you don't see what is wrong here. You undermined your argument totally when you tried to defend the person by saying if anyone ever stacked coupons, etc., then they should keep quiet. I doubt very much that if you had your car stolen, you'd agree with the thief's excuse that he once saw you shoplift a pack of gum when you were 10, so you have nothing to complain about.

 

[luv2chill]

nice post kranky

l2c

 

[JBAR]

I think I'll go give those hot deals folks a piece of my mind.



Careful, there JBAR.


AnandTech Moderator

 

[stonerdave]

Personally, I hate compusa, and I really hate best buy, but I don't condone stealing from those places.

Pretty soon these places are going to wise up, and hot deals will be a fading memory of the early years of the Internet.

 

[Viper GTS]

I think I'll go give those hot deals folks a piece of my mind.

Doesn't learn very fast, does he...



Viper GTS

 

[madthumbs]

It is stealing or; dishonest gain. Furthermore what is being stolen is tangible. Because of people like this, we all pay more for stuff. People like that steal from all of us, not just the store.

 

[Pyxis]

No doubt about it, he was stealing. I hate it when people don't realize that in the end they just end up screwing the consumer.

 

[ToBeMe]

Pretty cut and dry........STEALING!!!!!!:| That's why we have to pay more everywhere we shop!!!!

 

[Nitzylplick]

All you people who keep claiming theivery are way off base IMO. CompUSA dicates how they handle returns. If they are foolish enough to take an item back with no receipt and give someone $200 above what it has been sold for, I fail to see the theivery. I have heard no arguements that prove it to be theivery other than blanket statements.

Stores do not have to accept returns without a receipt and can give you however much money they want if you don't have one. As I must stress, CompUSA controls the situation not the person returning it. Any intelligent business has a return policy that without a receipt you are basically SOL. Which I wholeheartedly agree with (probably to your dismay kranky ).

Didn't the person returning the item represent that he bought it at CompUSA? Oh, just because he didn't come right out and say so, then that's the store's mistake, I guess.

I dont' follow your arguement here...

It's too bad that you don't see what is wrong here. You undermined your argument totally when you tried to defend the person by saying if anyone ever stacked coupons, etc., then they should keep quiet. I doubt very much that if you had your car stolen, you'd agree with the thief's excuse that he once saw you shoplift a pack of gum when you were 10, so you have nothing to complain about.

What does a stealing a car have to do with this situation? I really can't follow your logic (or lack thereof). I think you were missing the point here. My point was to make sure those people weren't crying foul (edit) ifthey do things of questionable ethics themselves.

Please somebody formulate some logic that I can follow to see how this man was a theif!

Edit: Yes this is Nitzylpick too (or 2?, just at home for the potentially confused) not trying to back myself up on the sly. Not that I would have been able to pull it off with you guys...

 

[gittyup]

let's keep the debate going here

For what purpose. I think the consensus is that it is stealing.

 

[Nitzylpick]

So you would be saying that any consensus is always correct?

 

[skywhr]

Your a common thief, your buying something for $99 and then getting $300 worth of stuff, how is that not stealing?

 

[Static911]

wat is stealing? how does everyone define the word "stealing"? This case is interesting. But if you cut all the crap away, he is stealing because he is taking something ($) that is not his. True, IT IS COMPUSA's fault.

However, this is the fine line. After they screwed up, he walked away with more money than HE should have. He should have gone and returned it.

I guess it depends on your ethics; hell, my father taught me to return money/stuff that isn't mine. I once had to return a PENNY ($0.01) back because the cashier gave too much change back.

STatic911

 

[AndrewR]

I wouldn't call it "thievery", especially not "at its worst" (which I would construe to involve murder or physical harm to the victim), but I would call it fraudulent. Stupid for CompUSA to do what they did, however. If you try the same thing at a department store, they'll give you the "lowest price of the season" so you usually end up being screwed if you are legitimately trying to return an item for which you paid full price.

 

[Modeps]

Thievery... indeed. get bent anyone who thinks otherwise.
It was said in the previous thread that "he didnt have any intention in getting back more money than he paid" whatever. if not, why the hell did he post it, bragging. I hate it when people raise the prices because they are dishonest, even if it is against a crapgiant like CompUSA.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Someone asked for a logical arguement:

Stealing is the act of 'taking away a person(s) assets without that person(s) consent OR the act of intentionally deceiving another person(s) for personal gain.'

The person intentionally deceived CompUSA for personal gain.

Logical conclusion is that person stole. There are many types of theivery, FRAUD being one of them.

 

[chemos]

my thoughts>

1. nothing was stolen. compUSA paid him $300 for a drive (or whatever it was) back.

2. if compUSA wants to avoid this in the future, they would REQUIRE a receipt when taking back items. no, they don't have to do a background check on every customer bringing an item in. simple.

3. there's an awful lot of people in here yelling "thief!!" for a bunch of napster-grubbin thieves.

 

[Aihyah]

well its unethical behavior hope he's not religious.

 

[tim0thy]

definitely not right, but he shouldn't be so proud to brag about it either...

 

CompUSA screwed up.
The employee should have done his job to the fullest.
But he did not, and he did not follow policy to the T.
Otherwise he would have not gotten that money from the clerk.
So he made out from a mishap on the vendors side.
whoo de doo. Why dont you call up CompUSA and tell them to hire some employees that know what they are doing.
And any of you out there would take what he got and ran.
No one will admit it openly though.

 

<< there's an awful lot of people in here yelling &quot;thief!!&quot; for a bunch of napster-grubbin thieves. >>


Hehe. That's true.

 

hahahahahh
So So true.
can anyone say *cough*warez*cough*
*cough*hypocrites*cough*

 

[Namuna]

The issue isn't about Thievery, it's about Ethics and common sense.

We could debate FOREVER about the technicality of this situation and whether thievery is the right term to call it.

There is NO dispute, however, that what was done WAS UNETHICAL and common sense tells us so. The person utilized a loophole in CompUSA's store policy for self benefit...And BRAGGED about it.

 

[Thorn]

It's fraud, not theft (as AndrewR has already pointed out). Where petty theft will get a person a fine and probation (misdemeanor), fraud is a felony (in most states) and carries with it a minimum of 12 months if prison time is the sentencing of the court (though it almost never is in these cases). The bad part is, if you're found guilty of a felony (even if you only get probation) you can never vote or legally own a handgun... though I'm sure you could run for mayor of DC and get elected.