Ethics/Morals

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Cruyff14

Cruyff14

TheBrownDog
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Aug 16, 2011
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We were talking at work this morning between the four of us in our pod about, for lack of a better term, 'stealing'.

Last year the misso and I were getting petrol, and I went in to pay and accidentally told the attendant - who was on the phone - the wrong pump number. He put it through and whatnot and I thought it was a bit cheaper (I think around $5 or $10) than what it would have been. Anyway, drove off down the road and realised I said the wrong pump number. We didn't go back. Girl at work judged me.

This morning another colleague said she ordered some clothes from Portman's and was getting them delivered to her partner's work. They stuffed her around and took three weeks to arrive. Turns out they sent two of everything. She plans to keep them. Same girl said you have to give them back. I'd have kept extra garments too, ftr.

Where is the line drawn here with ethics/morals? If someone handed me back extra change at Kmart, I would tell them. But for example with online shopping sending you extra things (their error), I wouldn't bother about telling them.
 
From one person: never
Fortunately gaining from a large company unintentionally: no problem
 

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No way I would send the clothes back, it's just an inconvenience that you shouldn't have to deal with.

As for the petrol, it's not like you were trying to do be dodgy so play on. Plus by the time you had turned around and gone back, i'm not sure how the attendant could have dealt with it?
 
Jobe Watson said:
I once ordered a large Zinger combo at KFC and they gave me two burgers for the price of one. Ate both of them.

If every now and then life decides to hand you a sneaky freebie, you take it.
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Is it really free if you spend the next 5 hours on the can?
 
I wouldn't care about the petrol if it's an honest mistake and only cost a few dollars. I'm sure Shell or BP can cope. I don't advocate driving off without paying or sneakily filling up jerry cans from someone else's pump while they're waiting to pay, though.

I find it funny how people are about little things, though - especially when it comes to food. If you get a takeaway food order and something is missing or you get a lunch from a cafe and they accidentally charge you for 3 coffees instead of two then most people will make some degree of fuss, whether it's just correcting the error or doing full bunta. But if the opposite occurs and you get 4 bits of chicken in your 3 piece box or a cafe forgets you had coffees as well as your sandwiches the same people go into 'shhh, don't say anything, just walk away slowly before they notice' mode. I'd high 5 in the KFC example but if it was a small local cafe I'd correct the bill and pay the extra $8 or whatever - unless they were kents and their coffee was awful in which case * them.
 
the ethics of business can be summarised in -- the ethics are, uh -- y'know the thing about e--

AAAAAHHHHHH

billy-madison-06_510.jpeg
 
I always wondered whether it was a thing to deliberately tell the servo attendant the wrong pump number. Never seen or heard of it happening until reading this thread (albeit not deliberately).

As someone else said, if life chucks you a freebie every now and then, take it. Was waiting for a Maccas order a couple of years ago, and you know how they stupidly give you the frozen/cold stuff first, then go and prepare your food? Well they gave me my frozen coke, which I gave to my misso who then went to our table while I waited. When my food was finally ready, they noticed I wasn't in possession of a frozen coke anymore, so they made me another one. Meh.
 

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Misso,ee,0,0,7,590201


One time at the Hungry Jacks drive thru they forgot to get me to pay before handing me my order.

I could have done the honest thing and told them I hadn't paid but once I had my order I was out of there.

I never went back to that Hungry Jacks just in case they had me on their Most Wanted list.
 
Aussie_boy said:
No way I would send the clothes back, it's just an inconvenience that you shouldn't have to deal with.

As for the petrol, it's not like you were trying to do be dodgy so play on. Plus by the time you had turned around and gone back, i'm not sure how the attendant could have dealt with it?
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Yeah, that's what we all agreed re: clothes. Would cost you money, and you'd not be reimbursed either.

Ahern2Boof said:
I always wondered whether it was a thing to deliberately tell the servo attendant the wrong pump number. Never seen or heard of it happening until reading this thread (albeit not deliberately).

As someone else said, if life chucks you a freebie every now and then, take it. Was waiting for a Maccas order a couple of years ago, and you know how they stupidly give you the frozen/cold stuff first, then go and prepare your food? Well they gave me my frozen coke, which I gave to my misso who then went to our table while I waited. When my food was finally ready, they noticed I wasn't in possession of a frozen coke anymore, so they made me another one. Meh.
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Yeah as mentioned, genuine mistake. And if he was doing his job properly, and not on the phone while serving, he'd have probably noticed.
 
little things here and there like some mentioned already are ok however...

I once paid for $35 worth of Chinese food online by credit card last winter and the guy came to my door and said that will be $35 and i said i had already paid by credit card and he said he had made a mistake by giving the first delivery there food assuming they were the ones that had paid by credit card.

If i was the first delivery i would of corrected his mistake, been honest and paid up , knowing if i don't then he will have to go back and have to tell his boss of that mistake and the fact those kind of people don't mind firing people on the spot.
 
Stealing is never on.

If a business makes a mistake though I reckon it's play on. I've accidentally given too much change once or twice through a lack of focus at work and they never comeback. Businesses cope with it. As long as they're not making some massive mistake they'll survive. Just think of all the times it's the opposite and they overcharge people via card (who probably won't even notice), or they screw up their order.
 
I have a mate who borrowed 7,000 off me 4 years ago and hasn't paid it back. Yesterday I found a shopping bag which he left in my car a couple of weeks ago. There was a couple of hundred dollars in there. He hasn't mentioned it so I don't think he realises it. Do I keep it, considering that it's looking unlikely I'm going to get my money back or do I say something to him?
 
Another one. My car is salary packaged and I have a Caltex Star card that I use for fuel. Is it ok to fill a jerry can with fuel for my lawnmower and use my Star card?
 
I was at a pub a couple of weeks back for an after work drinks function that they hold every month. I'm just there to make an appearance, so I order a pot of (I think) Little Creatures pilsner. The bartender went to the taps said "It was dark ale right, right?" I corrected her, then she poured me a pint, instead of a pot (oh, well).

I paid with a $20 and received $30-something change, so I gave the $30 back. I think that was the decent thing to do, but she wouldn't have wanted to make too many mistakes like that over the course of a night, because there'd be plenty that would just stick it straight in their pocket and walk off. A mistake like that (if it was picked up) would come out of the employee's salary, not the business'
 
Lets throw this in here

Stratton_Gun said:
Don't drink it but if I did, it wouldn't stop me
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On the Boycott of Coopers. I have to agree. I don't drink anymore but if I did and I drank Coopers no amount of protest/upset would stop me.

But it does ask the question. What have you deliberately chosen to stop buying/boycott/never buy based on a companies outside political influences? Palm Oil is the big one of the last 10 years , so how many read the label to see if has Palm Oil and put the product back?

I don't recall making any purchasing decision , apart from comparing price on Australian Made to other companies, based on any companies policies. If I like it I buy it if I don't I wont. Companies could harbor child-murderers and if the chocolate made me feel all gooey then I'm buying the chocolate.
 
raskolnikov said:
I have a mate who borrowed 7,000 off me 4 years ago and hasn't paid it back. Yesterday I found a shopping bag which he left in my car a couple of weeks ago. There was a couple of hundred dollars in there. He hasn't mentioned it so I don't think he realises it. Do I keep it, considering that it's looking unlikely I'm going to get my money back or do I say something to him?
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Finders Keepers. He obviously left it there deliberately as a down payment ;)

I have one rule in lending money. I only lend it once. If you pay me back and ask again I will lend you the same money back. The minute you stop paying me back I will write it off . But the next time you come and ask, bringing your hungry children as emotional blackmail , I will say no.
 
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