What would you do? Hypothetical

[PhilNH5]

There is a post over on the gardenweb tractor site about being undercharged for an item. I was amazed at the number of respondents who think an error on the part of the retailer is to bad as long as it favors them.

As an example. I bought my Toro Wheelhorse garden tractor 4 years ago. Toro was offering 6 months same as cash. I did the paperwork and took delivery of the tractor.

After approximately 6 months the owner of the dealership/hardware store called and asked if I heard anything from corporate Toro. I said no. He said that the store forgot to file the papers and then lost them. Could I come in and redo the paperwork. I said sure. Went in and offered to pay outright as the 6 months I was expecting was over. He said no take another free 6 months. So redid the paperwork. He thanked me and I left. End of story.

Never occurred to me to not handle it this way. So I was wondering how TBNers feel? Do you see retailer errors as "gifts" or do you make it right?

Phil

 

[Bird]

Phil, I've been both overcharged and undercharged lots of times, so as a result, I look over receipts pretty closely, look at the change I'm given when paying cash, etc., and I do believe it's actually cost me money because I think I've had to correct more errors that were in my favor than the other way around. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[GaryM]

I would make sure the correct price was charged and paid. It's the honest thing to do. Well we already knew that didn't we?

Now if I discovered the problem when I had already returned home, I would call the salesmen/dealer and tell them that I had found a discrepency. I'd offer to take care of it the next time I came by.

That's the way I'd want to be treated.

 

[Docsknotinn]

I was in the dealer just the other day to buy hydro fluid. There was a elderly Farmer doing has dog gonned best to get the owner to take 20 cents because he had been undercharged when he had been in the past spring. There are always those who feel they should get something for nothing. I cant imagine theese folks that are running the registers are makeing more than minimum wage and just getting by. Takeing advantage of an error could also cost someone their job. I guess I also figure it just averages out by giveing back the undercharges I hope I appease the overcharge gods and Just pay for what I get and get what I pay for. Dave

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> Do you see retailer errors as "gifts" or do you make it right?</font>

To me, it depends :

For example, if a kid behind the counter makes incorrect change and hands me way too much, I'll give the kid a quick math lesson and hand back the change. I've been overcharged and under charged in many stores and always point it out when it happens. I figure it's good Karma.

EXCEPT... at a certain McDonald's in downtown South Bend, IN. We eat there about twice a week. We get the correct order about every other time. Sometimes we don't get enough food and sometimes we get more than we can eat. I've given up trying to correct it, and it is like an adventure for us... you never know what you are going to get and you find some interesting combinations that you may never have tried(their bacon ranch salad with California cobb dressing is great!) So, I figure I do enough business with them that it evens out in the end. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm the kind of person that would have a guilty conscience if I thought I got away with something. And I would hope most folks would do the same for me. Call me a sap, but I sleep well most nights /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Bird]

David, that reminds me of the last time we took our kids to Six Flags. We went to a concession stand and ordered hamburgers, hotdogs, fries, and drinks for the 4 of us. Prices were posted on a big menu board, so I had quickly added up in my head what the bill should be. The kid at the cash register came up with a price that was considerably less than half what it should have been, so I told him I thought he'd made a mistake. He tried again and came up with a new number that slightly more than half what it should have been, so I told him he still didn't have it right. And older employee, presumably the manager, came over to ask what the problem was; I told him what we'd ordered and the bill was way too low, so the kid tried a third time and came up with a number that was 75-80% of the right amount; the older man just shook his head, said "that's close enough" and I paid it. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif At the least the food order was right. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Bob_In_MN]

OK--all you honest abe's are going to cause me to make a trip this week.

Last week I went to Gander Mountain to purchase my fall/winter work and hunting gear. By the time I was done I had my cart full of waders, boots, fleece and gloves. When I went to check out, the cart was so full that I didn't realize how close I was to the counter and accidently bumped into it. I didn't think anything of the little accident and paid my $360 and left the store.

When I got out to my vehicle I unloaded everything and at the bottom of the cart (the shelf under the basket) was a pack of Gummy Bears (Gander Mountain's version of this is called Camp Grup). Well--I needed to get to my afternoon appointment so I threw the pack in my car and left. When I got back I gave the pack to my office manager to give to her son.

Now I have to drive back to Gander Mountain this week and give them the $1.29 (or whatever the actual cost) so I can sleep at night.

Thanks a lot you guys /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Bob

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> Do you see retailer errors as "gifts" or do you make it right?</font>
I do not see retailer errors as gifts. If I notice it, I make it right. The last time I bought filters for my TC25D, I called ahead to (1) Make sure they had what I needed and (2) Pull the stuff from the shelves before I arrived.

I walked up to the parts counter, gave them my name, and they had everything ready. When I got home, I checked the parts against the invoice. I usually do not do this. Rather I just count the items to make sure I got everything. Except this time, I needed to respond to someone on TBN who had posted a question about the cost and part numbers for NH filters. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

They had not charged me for one of the filters. I called them up, told them about it and told them to charge the same credit card I used for the original purchase. The person I was talking to was a bit surprised that I even called.

I treat people, including businesses, the way I would want to be treated.

 

[Richard]

A lifetime ago, I worked in the jewlrey business for a large firm. They had a warranty against loss of stone, as long as you met certain maintainence requirements.

One day, a couple came in & handed a 1 carat diamond loose stone over to us. Said they were selling their car & cleaning it out. They found the stone under the seat. Seems a year or more prior, they'd "lost" the stone and we replaced it without question (upon reviewing their paperwork) and they were just 'returning it back'.

As I recall, the manager was befuddled as to how to account for it in inventory though!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[PhilNH5]

Mike
That was one of the replies on the gardenweb tractor forum - would you be so inclined to accept the error if it was in the retailers favor?

Phil