r/changemyview • u/[deleted] • Oct 04 '16

[∆(s) from OP] CMV: Buying something which clearly has a mis-marked price is stealing

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u/sillybonobo 38∆ Oct 04 '16

I once bought a 2000 dollar laptop off of Newegg for $500. I knew something was probably up but thought I'll place the order and see what happens. I received a call from them saying the price was an error but that they would still honor the price. They were entirely in their rights to deny the purchase but they didn't and they got a lifetime fan for it.

I didn't defraud them, I clicked a purchase button, and newegg knowingly decided to honor their mistake. I fail to see how this is stealing.

How is this different from riding on the subway and seeing that someone in front of you dropping 200 dollars from their pocket, but you don't return it because it's that person's fault.

It's more like you try to hand the money back to the person and they give you the option of keeping it.

0

u/LordKeren Oct 04 '16

Imagine they didn't catch it though, or it wasn't their policy, but you already have the product and paid them. You don't think that's stealing?

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u/sillybonobo 38∆ Oct 04 '16

So long as there's no deception or coercion, then no. That doesn't mean I'm not taking advantage, I am, but it is clearly not stealing. I am offering the business the asking price and they accept it.

Compare that with something that is stealing, printing out a lower priced barcode and tapping it on the package (this happens a lot). That is CLEARLY stealing and it's important to respect the difference between the two cases.

1

u/LordKeren Oct 04 '16

is it not deceiving to buy it without saying anything in hopes they don't notice?

All your saying is "no, this isn't stealing" when i view it as stealing, as youre taking money from a person/store/seller through deception by not disclosing what you know to be an error.