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We live in rural Alabama. On Saturday, my wife visited the local Dollar General to pick up some supplies. When she got home, she unpacked her bags and found that all of the items she went to get were there, along with 2 items that she didn't intend to purchase: a can of lighter fluid and a roll of tape.
Neither of them were needed, as we don't have a lighter - or a need for one - and we've got plenty of tape. Later that day we went out and we stopped at the same Dollar General she got these items from, to return them. She explained to the cashier that she was in earlier, bought some items, but these two items were not hers and in checking the receipt, she wasn't charged for them. The cashier and another person in line were amazed that she brought them back. My way of thinking is, if they weren't something I paid for then they should go back to the store, without question. Other folks in the store now in line to check out were all saying things like, 'If they're in my bag, their mine!' almost to the point of acting like they were trying to embarrass my wife for her honesty.
I fully agree with what my wife did. There's no way I would have kept those items. They weren't mine. I didn't pay for them... how hard is that to figure out?
So, for kicks, I've asked this question and put it in the form of a poll to see just how honest folks that read this are..
We have done that numerous times over the years or gone back to the store to pay for an item that did not get scanned.
If we do not earn it or pay for it we do not want it.
A lot of the reason why I would return them has to do with the setting. It's (I assume) a local Dollar General that you and your family shop at frequently. If I kept the stuff, I'd feel guilty--every time I went in there, my mind would go back to those extra items. Also, I'd wonder if the cashier remembers the situation (someone may have come in to complain about their missing items), and the cashier might realize you accidentally ended up with them and said nothing. When you live in a small town, such familiarity with the locals acts as a sort of "peer pressure" to behave, because in most cases everybody knows everybody.
My mom once had something heavy fall off a shelf and break her toe in the local supermarket (the only grocery store we had for about twenty miles). The store manager was freaking out, believing she was going to sue him and/or the store. Instead, she scolded him, pointing out that she'd known him since he was a child and that she'd never be able to show her face in that store again if she sued him. THEN where would she be able to buy her groceries? He paid the doctor bill for her toe and that was all she wanted. She's been one of his favorite customers ever since, obviously. I'm sure the manager at the dollar store will be similarly pleased to see you every time you come in.
There is a hoary old joke about prostitution where the punch line is "Now we have determined what you are, all we are doing is haggling on the price." There is no way I would compromise my moral structure for a roll of tape and a can of lighter fluid. I once contacted a company where I had purchased an item that cost around $1,000. The reason? They had forgotten to bill me.
It isn't about the value or lack of value of the items, but about which way you want to point your moral compass. If you make your living in an industry that you know rips people off or engages in deceptive practices as a routine, you might not worry about keeping a few items that aren't yours. Being in business for myself, one of my most valuable assets is dealing with my customers completely honestly and fairly.
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