Honesty

richlevy · 08-09-2009, 10:05 AM

I had a moral exercise on Friday at our local Giant. At the supermarket, I was in the self-checkout lane and requested $20 cash back. The dispenser looked empty. When the dispenser deposited my cash I did a count since instead of a single $20 bill it dispensed $5 bills. The total came to $27 dollars.

I turned the $7 over the the cashier supervising the self-checkout. She took note of the time. I asked her what would happen to the money. She said that the money would be held if a customer came back for it, otherwise the store would get the money.

Now I liked the idea of them giving back the money to the customer. I must admit that if the money was unclaimed and did not belong to the store, I would have liked to get it.

The only thing I knew for sure is that I was not entitled to the money, so I returned it.

classicman · 08-09-2009, 08:01 PM

You did your part. Good for you. What the company does is well ... up to them. Not really sure what other options they have. They know it isn't yours and they may or may not be able to figure out whose it really is.

Pie · 08-09-2009, 08:15 PM

Perhaps the machine had a glitch, and the money was legitimately the store's.

ZenGum · 08-10-2009, 02:05 AM

Good call, Rich; if you are going to sell your integrity, honesty and self respect, make sure you get a lot more than $7 for it.

Queen of the Ryche · 08-10-2009, 02:44 PM

Had a client tell me a story the other day about his wife - she went to the bank, made a withdrawal, he teller gave her $200 too much. As soon as she realized the mistake, she approached the teller, who claimed loudly "I did not make a mistake." The sweet little old lady is trying to give the teller the money, and she gets all pissy and tells the lady, "Well you'll have to get back in line." So this sweet little old lady gets back in line, waits her turn, gets back to the same teller, who again tells her "I did not make a mistake." A manager comes over to see what the problem is, little old lady explains she's trying to give back the extra 200 bucks. The manager insists that her tellers don't make mistakes, so the poor flustered lady goes home with the extra cash, and tells her hubby about it.

I don't know about you, but the first time the teller tried to save face by yelling at me, I would have said FINE and skedaddled, leaving her to realize her drawer was short at the end of the day.

Clodfobble · 08-10-2009, 03:11 PM

Meh... I bet admitting any kind of counting mistake in front of a line of customers is a firing offense anyway. They figure it's better to lose the $200 than have a loss of trust in the tellers.

Sheldonrs · 08-11-2009, 12:45 PM

I once went to an ATM to withdraw $60.00. I typed it in correctly and the receipt was correct but the money dispensed was 2 $20.00 bills and 1 $100.00 bill. When I tried to call the bank to ask where I should bring the money, they just kep transferring my call around and I got disconnected twice. I just kept the money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by richlevy

I had a moral exercise on Friday...

I exercise my morals all the time. That's why they're so flexible.

Beest · 08-17-2009, 01:29 PM

A friend told me a similar story about getting too much from an ATM, few days later when the bank found it's numbers didn't add up they tracked the transactions, and just debited the extra money from his account. Same thing could happen to the little old lady.

I once deposited a large amount of small change and was surprised they took my word for how much was there and didn't count it, they just put it seperateley and counted it later and debited my account by the difference.

monster · 08-17-2009, 02:12 PM

This method of checking and "correcting" deposits drive me fucking nuts.

DanaC · 08-17-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Good call, Rich; if you are going to sell your integrity, honesty and self respect, make sure you get a lot more than $7 for it.

.....depending how close in the month to PayDay you are...:P

sean · 09-15-2009, 02:02 AM

if you'd turned the money over to the police and not the store, they wld have returned it to you if they failed to find the owner.

the store had no right to it, and you could have challenged them on that.

footfootfoot · 09-15-2009, 09:46 PM

Morality question:
You are a partner in a law firm and your client insists on paying cash for a service your firm rendered. He hands you cash for a $500 invoice and as you count it out you realize that one of the hundreds is actually two hundreds that are stuck together.

Q: Do you tell your partner?

Cloud · 09-15-2009, 09:58 PM

of course, and you either return the money promptly, or advise the client and negotiate a credit to his account

I realized yesterday that I sorta stiffed the rental car agency their $90 fee when I dropped the car off. The dealership had made the arrangements, and I told them to add it to my bill there. But they didn't. I was in a hurry to get my car (and in a horrible bad temper) and I just wanted out of there, so I left without mentioning it.

Although I was tempted just to see if anybody would notice, I decided I might need these folks' help again someday. I called them today and told them I was sending them the dough, anyway. Really don't need any negative energy coming back to me!

sean · 09-15-2009, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Morality question:
You are a partner in a law firm and your client insists on paying cash for a service your firm rendered. He hands you cash for a $500 invoice and as you count it out you realize that one of the hundreds is actually two hundreds that are stuck together.

Q: Do you tell your partner?

I'd keep the extra and give it to the poor, as your cash distributing client is obviously operating under the radar of the IRS...

classicman · 09-16-2009, 07:26 AM

ASS-umption there sean.

08-09-2009, 10:05 AM	#1
richlevy King Of Wishful Thinking Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Philadelphia Suburbs Posts: 6,669	Honesty I had a moral exercise on Friday at our local Giant. At the supermarket, I was in the self-checkout lane and requested $20 cash back. The dispenser looked empty. When the dispenser deposited my cash I did a count since instead of a single $20 bill it dispensed $5 bills. The total came to $27 dollars. I turned the $7 over the the cashier supervising the self-checkout. She took note of the time. I asked her what would happen to the money. She said that the money would be held if a customer came back for it, otherwise the store would get the money. Now I liked the idea of them giving back the money to the customer. I must admit that if the money was unclaimed and did not belong to the store, I would have liked to get it. The only thing I knew for sure is that I was not entitled to the money, so I returned it. __________________ Exercise your rights and remember your obligations - VOTE! I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. -- Barack Hussein Obama

08-09-2009, 08:01 PM	#2
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	You did your part. Good for you. What the company does is well ... up to them. Not really sure what other options they have. They know it isn't yours and they may or may not be able to figure out whose it really is. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

08-09-2009, 08:15 PM	#3
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	Perhaps the machine had a glitch, and the money was legitimately the store's. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

08-10-2009, 02:05 AM	#4
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	Good call, Rich; if you are going to sell your integrity, honesty and self respect, make sure you get a lot more than $7 for it. __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

08-10-2009, 02:44 PM	#5
Queen of the Ryche is fleeing the scene Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Beautiful CO Posts: 1,510	Had a client tell me a story the other day about his wife - she went to the bank, made a withdrawal, he teller gave her $200 too much. As soon as she realized the mistake, she approached the teller, who claimed loudly "I did not make a mistake." The sweet little old lady is trying to give the teller the money, and she gets all pissy and tells the lady, "Well you'll have to get back in line." So this sweet little old lady gets back in line, waits her turn, gets back to the same teller, who again tells her "I did not make a mistake." A manager comes over to see what the problem is, little old lady explains she's trying to give back the extra 200 bucks. The manager insists that her tellers don't make mistakes, so the poor flustered lady goes home with the extra cash, and tells her hubby about it. I don't know about you, but the first time the teller tried to save face by yelling at me, I would have said FINE and skedaddled, leaving her to realize her drawer was short at the end of the day. __________________ Once, in an interview, Chuck Norris admitted that he was not the most awesome thing ever. He declined to elaborate; but I believe we all know that he was referring to the existence of chocolate covered bacon. I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.

08-10-2009, 03:11 PM	#6
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Meh... I bet admitting any kind of counting mistake in front of a line of customers is a firing offense anyway. They figure it's better to lose the $200 than have a loss of trust in the tellers. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

08-17-2009, 01:29 PM	#8
Beest Adapt and Survive Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, Mi Posts: 957	A friend told me a similar story about getting too much from an ATM, few days later when the bank found it's numbers didn't add up they tracked the transactions, and just debited the extra money from his account. Same thing could happen to the little old lady. I once deposited a large amount of small change and was surprised they took my word for how much was there and didn't count it, they just put it seperateley and counted it later and debited my account by the difference.

08-17-2009, 02:12 PM	#9
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	This method of checking and "correcting" deposits drive me fucking nuts. __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

09-15-2009, 02:02 AM	#11
sean you ask me Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 56	if you'd turned the money over to the police and not the store, they wld have returned it to you if they failed to find the owner. the store had no right to it, and you could have challenged them on that.

09-15-2009, 09:46 PM	#12
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	Morality question: You are a partner in a law firm and your client insists on paying cash for a service your firm rendered. He hands you cash for a $500 invoice and as you count it out you realize that one of the hundreds is actually two hundreds that are stuck together. Q: Do you tell your partner?

09-15-2009, 09:58 PM	#13
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	of course, and you either return the money promptly, or advise the client and negotiate a credit to his account I realized yesterday that I sorta stiffed the rental car agency their $90 fee when I dropped the car off. The dealership had made the arrangements, and I told them to add it to my bill there. But they didn't. I was in a hurry to get my car (and in a horrible bad temper) and I just wanted out of there, so I left without mentioning it. Although I was tempted just to see if anybody would notice, I decided I might need these folks' help again someday. I called them today and told them I was sending them the dough, anyway. Really don't need any negative energy coming back to me! __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

09-16-2009, 07:26 AM	#15
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	ASS-umption there sean. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

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