# A minor ethical quandry **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 27, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649 "2013-07-27T03:37:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/21 "2013-07-28T03:07:20Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > What it sounds like to me is, how much effort should I go to to correct an error that the Amazon rep should have caught if _she_ hadn’t made a half-assed effort at doing her job? Kind of. Though it wasn’t an Amazon rep, it was a rep at the company that fulfilled the order I placed on Amazon, through their Marketplace program. Here’s the thing. I do this stuff every day. My company doesn’t sell through Amazon, but there comes a point where fiddle-fucking around with $20 orders becomes way more costly than it’s worth. That was my point of reference when I started and deleted my original email. There was never any ambiguity in my description of the problem. I sent pictures of the box and told them that the tape on one end was split when it was delivered and that the line was not in the box. It should have been trivial for the rep to look up the order and see that there were two packages sent by two different carriers. In the case of my job, I would have had to go to the person who issues credits and tell her that an item was missing and we need to issue credit. Once the customer informed me that it arrived, I would have to go back to the same person and tell her to re-charge the order, because I didn’t bother to check it to see that the line was never in the received package to begin with. That conversation probably wouldn’t go so well for me. I did send the email as quoted above, mostly due to the posts of **WhyNot** and **Colibri** , who pointed out that this wasn’t my decision to make. I was filtering it through my own experience, and that wasn’t a fair or ethical way to make the decision. The seller is probably closed on weekends, so I haven’t got a response yet. I’ll update the thread when I do. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/22 "2013-07-29T21:04:56Z")
Good on ya, **Jake** , for doing the right thing. In fairness to some others in the thread, I, too, read your first couple of posts as looking for a way to justify keeping the line without paying. Perhaps you were just playing devil’s advocate. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/23 "2013-07-29T22:57:23Z")
> [@stoplight](#): > > I imagine you bought more then one can of cat food. Simple, not worth the effort to pay for it cuz the machine went wonky, take out the can you did not pay for and leave it behind, less then a 69 cent effort.\ Hah - isn’t it funny how our brains work? That never even occurred to me - I wanted four cans of catfood, so I went home with four cans of catfood. Leaving one behind would totally have been the best option. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/24 "2013-07-29T23:07:11Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Hah - isn’t it funny how our brains work? That never even occurred to me - I wanted four cans of catfood, so I went home with four cans of catfood. Leaving one behind would totally have been the best option. You’re not the only one. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/25 "2013-07-30T11:56:54Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > The rep fucked up. If she couldn’t see the shipments against the transaction, then I’m wrong and the company has some serious operational problems. Quite possibly - or the shipping company made it into two shipments without their knowledge (you said the box was opened - this could have been after it left their offices.) > [@](#): > > The issue is resolved from my perspective. I already copied the email to this thread and I’m waiting for their response. There was no reel, the item in question is line. Don’t those come in reels? Or spools, whatever you call the plastic doohickeys? > [@](#): > > But thanks for treating me like someone who was trying to run a $20 scam. I appreciate it. You’re reading too much into what I wrote, sorry. I was just answering the question in _your_ OP: “What would you do?” That’s what I’d do. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/26 "2013-07-30T17:01:27Z")
[Spool](http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Fishing-Line/Monofilament%7C/pc/104793480/c/104719680/sc/104457780/Cabelas-Salt-Striker8482-Line-1-lb-Spool/742873.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fmonofilament%2F_%2FN-1100384%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104457780%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104793480) [Unspooled spinning reel](http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Fishing-Reels/Spinning-Reels%7C/pc/104793480/c/104760180/sc/104837580/Pflueger-Supreme-Spinning-Reel/1254593.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fspinning-reels%2F_%2FN-1102842%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104837580%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104793480) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/27 "2013-07-30T17:15:31Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I think all you need to do is to do the right thing according to what you received. So call them and say you got the missing item, offer to pay, and let them decide on how to deal with it. Agreed. By doing so, you put the ball in their court. ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/28 "2013-07-31T04:33:13Z")
No response, not even a “Don’t worry about it, buy more stuff from us!” which leads me to believe my initial assumption that they probably didn’t want to hear from me about this again was correct. Still, correct or not, it wasn’t my choice to make. I don’t necessarily feel good for doing the right thing, because whoever got that email was probably like, “Jesus dude, leave us alone! Get a fucking hobby!” To which I would have answered… “I fish.” ---
**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/29 "2013-07-31T18:25:11Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > And you may be right, but that’s not your call to make, ethically speaking. If he made an error, it’s unethical to hide his error from his company by not reporting, and it’s immoral in my book to decide (if there is indeed heat) that he’d rather avoid the heat than take your money, as that’s a violation of his free will. His work won’t get any better if his errors are hidden from him. > > And I also think it’s a stretch to think he’d get heat, anyhow. I just don’t see it likely for a conversation to go any way other than, “Hey, boss, remember that guy who said he didn’t get his spool? He got it. He called to pay for it so I reversed the credit.” “Oh, cool. Nice of him to do that.” (or “What a numbnuts…I KNEW that spool was in there!”) > > I would call them back and explain that I’d found the part I’d reported missing and offer to pay for it. This, exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/30 "2013-08-15T01:27:41Z")
So here we are, two weeks later. Never heard back in response to my offer to re-pay for the credit. Three guesses for what I found in my mail today. Yep, another $20 spool of fishing line that I wasn’t charged for. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/31 "2013-08-15T03:48:41Z")
I’m guessing you’re just going to leave bad enough alone at this point. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/32 "2013-08-15T04:51:09Z")
Correct. As far as I can tell, contacting them about these $40 in unpaid goods can only end in one of two ways. 1. Two more spools of free line. 2. A $60 debit, which would necessitate another complaint from me, which would result in a $60 credit and three more spools of line. Lather, rinse, repeat. Ultimately, I can only imagine further interaction resulting in a horrific and infinite feedback loop that ends with my apartment being filled with 200 yard spools of fluorocarbon fishing line, like so many tribbles. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/33 "2013-08-15T05:27:13Z")
Were I you at this point, my entire response to this would be to say, “Fuck it, I’m going fishing.” And then go. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/34 "2013-08-15T08:50:43Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > So here we are, two weeks later. Never heard back in response to my offer to re-pay for the credit. Three guesses for what I found in my mail today. > > Yep, another $20 spool of fishing line that I wasn’t charged for. :rolleyes: I think at this point, you’re good. You made your error known, and this is how they chose to deal with it. You expended as much energy trying to fix the situation as you expended (accidentally) causing it. Now it’s their error, full-stop. You’re not, in my book, ethically bound to point out to them their mistakes which were \*not \*triggered/caused by your actions. At this point, it’s either their goof or their desire to keep you an extremely happy customer, or they’re trying to get rid of hot spools before the feds close in on their warehouse. 😉 So enjoy your spool in good conscience, my son… Go forth and catch some durn fish! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/35 "2013-08-15T19:37:47Z")
Are durn fish in season? Better check your local laws! Good eatin’, though. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/36 "2013-08-15T21:20:49Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Are durn fish in season? Better check your local laws! Good eatin’, though. I believe durn fish are the ones that aren’t biting. So if you catch them, you’ve obviously got (lots of) great line. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649/37 "2013-08-15T21:40:47Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > It’s possible that the rep may have just assumed that the second shipment got mis-delivered or stolen off your doorstep and credited you for that reason, and not because of confusion about the number of shipments. They may even just have a no-questions-asked policy over low-dollar items. Seconded If you want to do them a favor, leave them good positive reviews and if they have their own site leave positive reviews on google, yelp, link them on FB, do something that reflects positively on their business. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-minor-ethical-quandry/664649.md?page=1)