OT----Opinions requested on a moral dillema

Harold,

Things like this irk me, but it's not a big enough deal to get in a major hassle over. Been there, and done that. I would have made a comment nicely to both the clerk and the customer saying something like, "Boy, it'd be easy to mistake those two pieces for one part wouldn't it?" That way the guy would have the opportunity to gracefully extricate himself by saying something like, "Oh... whoops!"

If the clerk didn't get it after making myself clear, or she didn't care, I would let it slide.

If these had been iron pipe fittings, would this have been on topic?

Peter

Plainly, the guy was a thief; and not a very smart one to pay for his larcenous purchase with a credit card. I would not have confronted him and give him a chance to correct the "mistake". Instead, after he left, I would have called the store manager to the clerks location and explained the situation in such a way as to not embarrass the clerk. The manager could then do whatever store policy recommends when thievery is discovered on credit card purchases.

Bob Swinney

As the owner of the Home Depot chain, I actually encourage this type of activity in my customers. It lessens my horrible guilt of what I am doing to the American worker. Next year, to show my patriotism, I will try to sell more goods made in the USA. My goal is to break the 1% barrier of USA made items. I know this goal seems fantastic and impossible, but someone has to try it. Wish me luck!

Dixon Home Depot CEO

I don't think it's absolutely clear cut that the guy was a thief, and certainly not clear enough to secure a conviction. I have assembled components in hardware stores to make them easier to carry, or to make sure I've got the right number of each. I've even had shop assistants assemble items for me, but usually when the same assistant is making out the receipt. But if the cashier missed some assembled items I would point out the error to them, unless I was in a complete daydream, which is always a possibility. If I'd been there, I don't think I would have done anything due to the lack of certainty. How do I know the store doesn't have a 2-for-1 deal on elbows and connectors?

Chris

Gee! I didn't know you could get *both* of those together for one price! Where did you find 'em?!

m

Like Christopher, I am not 100% sure that the guy was a thief. He may be a forgetful person. Sometimes I forget stuff in my shopping cart and never take it home after I pay for it, and sometimes cashiers forget to scan some UPC, sometimes one thing falls into another and does not get scanned etc.

There is not enough information to conclude that he was stealing, and very unlikely that anyone would be interested in prosecuting him.

i

Politely: "Excuse me, Mam, but I believe that those are two parts that have been assembled." Someone, you, me, others, WILL pay for those parts eventually. I also don't care for blatant thievery and people's naiveté being taken advantage of. Especially like that, intentionally. Just doesn't set well. Respectfully, Ron Moore

Dixon. That's an odd nickname for someone named BOB NARDELLI. You sound like a nice feller, though. I'm sure your stockholders will feel the same. Respectfully, Ron Moore

I wouldn't have been sticking my nose in the other man's business to begin with.

Jon

If you're so inclined, mention it to the BIG Guy. Might sound silly but everyone has a free will and can choose to do inequities. Brother's keeper? ...yea-but, he needs to be nudged by somebody else.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

You went back and nailed ten pieces of plywood together and brought that up to the checkout counter?

:^)

Sorry harold, just couldn't resist!!

Jim

Hum - I do that all the time - Bought 6" 3/4" bolts - nuts and two washer types screwed together. Tin Barn. Counter - and had all part numbers and prices on a paper. The lady went down the bolt and coast accounted each out. My prices and numbers were a waste of time.

I think the first issue was the lady. The second was the poor moral person that let here make the mistake. Some checkers do that for people anyway - that is one of the things that managers look for - presents to dad - or to friends... ring up this and not that.

Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

Didja see the Nardelli interview on Charlie Rose several months ago? Ackshooly, Charlie Rose was not the interviewer--he was Nardelli's fukn

*concubine* for the hour. After the break, I do believe Rose slid under that big round table and blew Nardelli, and blew him properly, cuz after the break Nardelli had this big shit-eating grin on his face, and Rose was dabbing himself w/ a napkin.

It thus appears that Home Despot, contrary to my previous ignerint-assed philistinic assertions, is the Savior of America and of America's Culture. Silly me.

---------------------------- Mr. P.V.'d formerly Droll Troll

"Tom Gardner" wrote: If you're so inclined, mention it to the BIG Guy. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You mean go to church and PRAY for this guy?

| As the owner of the Home Depot chain, I actually encourage this type of | activity in my customers. It lessens my horrible guilt of what I am doing to | the American worker. Next year, to show my patriotism, I will try to sell | more goods made in the USA. My goal is to break the 1% barrier of USA made | items. I know this goal seems fantastic and impossible, but someone has to | try it. Wish me luck! | | Dixon | Home Depot CEO

Yeah, right. Gimme a f'in break. Wrong is wrong. Regardless of whether you think the person purchasing the parts was stealing, two wrongs don't make a right. If you think you're screwing some "evil corporation" you're sorely mistaken. Costs like this get passed on to the customer, which in this case is you, so count yourself as someone paying for that type of thievery, not the company.

Hell, I'd even pray for you , Leo! We did a cost/benefit analysis on prayer and...

I think I would have politely told the clerk that she missed the bar codes on the ells and pointed them out. As far as the customer, if he honestly didn't realize the situation he would apologize, pay for ALL of the merchandise and leave embarrassed after thanking you for noticing the mistake. If he raised a fuss he would be pointing out his true nature as a thief and his position beneath contempt. Considering the location of this Home Depot and the number of Meth soaked scum balls in the area surrounding it, probability is he knew exactly what he was doing. I know a lot of the checkers down at Chehalis and they are still learning. Still better than Tumwater.

Gary

I'm a real skeptic. I vote the guy in front of Harold was scamming for sure.

Whether I would actually say anything or not is a real hard question. There is so much crime in this world that if I go out of my way to hang somebody up over $3 in a Home Depot (themselves a pretty despicable outfit) it won't really help anyone. I'm grateful I have enough money to buy what I want when I want it, that's for sure. I think maybe I'd try to generate some compassion for the guy who felt compelled to do petty crime. I also don't feel too sorry for Home Depot, if they paid their help a little better she would have been sharp enough to spot the trick.

Wrong is wrong, yes, but you have to pick your battles.

What did you do, Harold?

GWE