If You Accidentally Steal Something Do You Go Back And Pay For It?
Yesterday, Hits 1′s afternoon DJ Human Numan came to The Morning Mash Up to vent about an “awful thing” he did. The day before he had accidentally walked out of the grocery store with the newspaper under his arm without paying for it. Once he realized it he felt so horrible that he couldn’t sleep that night. He then went back to the store last night to pay for the newspaper.
Nicole can’t believe he went back to pay for the paper. She thinks that if you accidentally walk out with something it’s a freebie. Especially in Numan’s case since the paper was only a $1.50. Ryan agrees that with something small like the paper you don’t have to go back and pay for it, but next time you go by that store maybe throw a little extra money in the tip jar.
Stan believes the karma will come back your way and would bring anything he took or received by accident back. Plus, he’s a dad. What kind of example is that to set for his kids? If it’s a bigger kind of thing, Ryan would either bring it back and return it or go back and pay for it.
However, Rich and Ryan agree that if it’s something that would directly effect a young cashier (i.e. their drawer being short), or if it’s a mom and pop store you should definitely bring it back. If it’s one of those “big box” stores, then Rich and Ryan say enjoy the freebie. Those corporations make a butt-load of money anyway.
What would you do if you accidentally walked out of the store with something? Would you consider a freebie or go back and pay for it?
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12 comments
My husband and I always shop at Lowes, the home improvement store. On one of our trips we forgot to pay for a $75 container of deck stain. It had been on the bottom of the cart. With as much money as we have spent there, we just considered it a discount.
Absolutely disagree. If you get something without paying for it (regardless of how the error is made), you have to go back and pay for it. It’s dishonest.
Until I had a kid I would have agreed. This past Saturday something like this happened to me. After a misunderstanding between me and my friend, she gave me money and I thought she was paying me back, but she was giving me her part to pay for the lunch we just had at a local tea parlor. I paid for what I thought was my part but was really hers, so I didn’t end up paying for my part. It has bugged me all weekend, so I am going back today to pay my $20. Plus, I want to set a good example for my 3 year old.
I would agree with Stan, it will come back to haunt you at the worst possible time.
This happened to me and I didn’t return the item. It was a jacket and I didn’t realize I hadn’t paid for it until I looked at my receipt after I got home. It was in a Sam’s club where they don’t bag your stuff up and I guess the cashier assumed it was already my jacket. This was at least 18 years ago, but I still feel guilty. The bad thing about it is that I wore the jacket ALL the time and loved it! The next spring my husband was cleaning the outside of the house with clorox and the jacket was hanging in the garage and the clorox got all over my jacket and ruined it!
I actually had this happen to me. I paid for some stuff went to my car to go home. In the basket under the seat flap thing there was some nail polish. I had thought about it for a second and decided that I should go back in and pay. I went to the same cashier that had just rang up my stuff and she was looking at me like I was CRAZY. But I would have felt bad and drove myself crazy. Thinking everytime I went in there I’d be the girl who stole nailpolish but had money for everything else I bought…
If it was just a $1.50 newspaper, I would consider it my lucky day. A lot of people don’t realize that not EVERY newspaper on the stand sells, and what happens to them when they don’t sell? The go in the trash!
What happened to being honest.. That is shop lifting.. that person you got a $1.50 newspaper only makes a fraction of what that newspaper cost.. Do you think the newspaper gave him credit for a stolen paper (no they get charged for what they dont turn back into the newspaper).. This might not seem like much to you but I run a business, it takes alot to make a business succeed and you are encouraging people to do the wrong thing. Come on guys, I expect better from you.. Shame on you, did your parents not raise you any better than this.. How would you feel if it was your news stand or store? God help us if you have kids and teach them your belief system!! Even if you are talking about a giant like Sams (walmart)… YOU ARE STILL A THIEF.. I mean you realized what happened.. (make it right)!!!!
I think what ever it is should be taken back…..just my opinion.
i think you should always return it. i work in a pharmacy and actually had this happen. i forgot to scan one of the codes and ended up giving the customer a 300 dollar medication. if they hadn’t come back to let me know and pay for it, i would have lost my job. ever since then, i return anything that is accidentally given to me. i don’t want a kid to be fired like i almost was.
i am appalled by Rich’s comment saying “it’s only $1.50″. As a small business owner myself, that $1.50 adds up VERY quickly. people are struggling to make ends meet these days and have to watch each $1 they spend now. He’s lucky to have a job and get a steady paycheck. That “$1.50″ might not mean much to him NOW, but if he was out a job and struggling, trying to support a family, I bet it would matter to him then.
That’s right that Americans should help out other Americans. That’s what this country is all about and unfortunately we have people like Rich Davis bringing us down. (I know he didn’t take the paper, i would never want him to be my customer knowing what he thinks now.)
you should pay for it bad things can happen if you dont trust me!!
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