# Honesty doesn't pay, literally **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 7, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360 "2018-02-07T14:16:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/1 "2018-02-07T14:16:40Z")
I have a warranty that covers all my home appliances and recently my washer broke. It wasn’t fixable so I had a choice between getting a replacement or a cash payment. The model they chose was worth more than the cash payment so I went with that. This happened just before the holidays and just before the northeast had a bad cold snap. Those two factors ended up delaying us getting the replacement for weeks and when it finally came the installer said he couldn’t do it because the connectors were too old (something none of the other technicians who had come never mentioned) which delayed things more days. The end result was a waited over a month (and had to call them many many times) but I had a new washer I was happy with. A few days ago I get a check from a company I don’t recognize made out to me. I googled them and see they are in the warranty business (but not the company I have been dealing with). That’s when it hits me, it was the exact amount of the cash they offered. I started to think maybe because of all the aggravation maybe they were trying to make it up to me but decided to call and double check. It turns out it was indeed an error but she told me if I had cashed it, since the other company issued the check they would have never known and never caught it and thanked me for my honesty. I guess doing the right thing is its own reward and the wrong thing is worth a few hundred untraceable bucks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/2 "2018-02-07T18:29:54Z")
Takers eat better, but givers sleep better. You did the right thing. And “money got by the devil’s ways will burn your hand when you spend it.” Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/3 "2018-02-07T20:49:52Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Takers eat better, but givers sleep better. > > You did the right thing. And “money got by the devil’s ways will burn your hand when you spend it.” > > Regards, > Shodan Not my experience in either instance. That’s the problem with cliches. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/4 "2018-02-07T21:10:26Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Not my experience in either instance. That’s the problem with cliches. “Cliches and internet quotes are always totes accurate and reliable.” – Abraham Lincoln ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/5 "2018-02-08T18:57:59Z")
No, that’s completely wrong! What Lincoln said was that Internet quotes **aren’t** reliable! ---
**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:** [February 8, 2018, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/6 "2018-02-08T19:46:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No, that’s completely wrong! What Lincoln said was that Internet quotes **aren’t** reliable! No, no, that was Babe Lincoln - the power hitting, baseball playing pig who said that about the web. Charlotte’s, to be precise. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/7 "2018-02-08T20:51:47Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > No, no, that was Babe Lincoln - the power hitting, baseball playing pig who said that about the web. Charlotte’s, to be precise. Some pig! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2018, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/8 "2018-02-09T07:47:01Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > Some pig! Terrific. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/9 "2018-02-09T13:20:39Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Terrific. Crunchy! ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/10 "2018-06-15T03:21:48Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Crunchy! When you have a pig like that, you don’t want to eat it all at once. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/11 "2018-06-15T03:40:17Z")
If you work someplace that sucks honesty doesn’t pay. Telling new hires about all the stupid, fucked up bullshit they’ll have to endure _as it they endure it_ will see you getting the minimum possible raise, regardless of any extra responsibility you’ve taken on _trying to fix the problems your bosses made_. Far better to tell the bosses that their leadership is impeccable and you have no idea why so many people are quitting. If I wasn’t I’d say that there’s a special place in hell for managers who only promote sycophants. But I am an atheist, so fuck the fucking fuckers. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/12 "2018-06-15T04:01:14Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > No, no, that was Babe Lincoln - the power hitting, baseball playing pig who said that about the web. Charlotte’s, to be precise. > [@74westy](#): > > Some pig! > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Terrific. That’ll do, that’ll do. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/13 "2018-06-15T11:59:04Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > If you work someplace that sucks honesty doesn’t pay. Telling new hires about all the stupid, fucked up bullshit they’ll have to endure _as it they endure it_ will see you getting the minimum possible raise, regardless of any extra responsibility you’ve taken on _trying to fix the problems your bosses made_. This [SomethingPositive](http://somethingpositive.net/sp06142018.shtml) (webcomic) is for you. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/14 "2018-06-15T12:35:32Z")
I recently left my old job and moved back to the States. The boss promised to pay out pending overtime as well as unused personal and vacation leave, but the Treasury could not get the check ready before I left. I waited a few weeks and on the normal pay day an amount was direct deposited that didn’t make sense, and seemed like an overpayment. I realized the amount deposited indicated they had deposited a month’s salary to cover time I was not there and did not work, but they hadn’t sorted out the unpaid leave. And it took several weeks of emailing back and forth to get the numbers I needed to determine the net amount I needed to refund them. Was nearly $2500 in the end. And had I said nothing… not sure they ever would have figured out the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/15 "2018-06-15T12:42:53Z")
I would have honorably returned the check! 🙂 … … Why is my nose suddenly touching my monitor screen? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/16 "2018-06-15T15:17:28Z")
You don’t know how right you are. I was paid €850 too much for November last year and reported it to the pay office since I had to figure the municipality does not give out Christmas bonuses, and I was told they’d send an invoice for the amount and correct the amount paid out so that it doesn’t affect my taxes, which is well and good since I didn’t actually earn that money to begin with. Anyway, fast forward six months and at this point I still haven’t received an invoice, and also no payslip or indeed any money for the month of April, which of course should have been paid out three weeks ago. I E-mailed them another copy of my timesheet for April and got no response, but I’m going to be livid if they just decided to dock my pay without any warning and I end up owing €300 back taxes for last year because of it. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/17 "2018-06-15T16:47:53Z")
Sometimes it does. Told this story here before but here it goes again: A few years back a friend of mine received and paid his Comcast cable bill. The next week he was looking at his bank statement and it seems that Comcast ignored a decimal point because they had charged him $5,149 instead of the $51.49 on his bill. He calls them up and they fix it over the phone, refunding the $5,149 to his bank account, minus the $51.49 for his bill, and everything was square. Then the next month, something peculiar happens: his Comcast bill showed a credit of $5,097.51. Being an honest person, he dutifully calls Comcast and explains the mistake. The friendly Comcast customer service representative assures him it is all cleared up. The next month, same thing happens again; new Comcast bill comes in the mail showing a credit of $5,046.02. Again, being an honest person, he dutifully calls up Comcast and explains the error, even going so far as speaking to the manager, who of course assures him the mistake has been fixed. This goes on for at least 6 months, each time my friend dutifully calling them to explain the error, each time going further up the management chain, each time receiving assurance the mistake has been fixed. After another few months and at least 9 or 10 total attempts to rectify the problem, my friend figures he’s done his due diligence and is now just enjoying his free cable (I figure at this point there’s still several years left on that credit). ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/18 "2024-02-24T04:16:15Z")
> The SEC claims that Loudon, who is based in Houston, Texas, listened in on several remote calls held by his wife, a BP merger and acquisitions manager who had been working on the planned deal in a home office 20ft away. The regulator said Loudon went on a buying spree, purchasing more than 46,000 shares in the takeover target, TravelCenters of America, without his wife’s knowledge, weeks before the deal was announced on 16 February 2023. TravelCenters’s stock soared by nearly 71% after the deal was announced. Loudon then sold off all of his shares, making a $1.8m profit. **Loudon eventually confessed to his wife** , and claimed that he had bought the shares because he wanted to make enough money so that she did not have to work long hours anymore. **She reported his dealings to her bosses at BP, which later fired her** despite having no evidence that she knowingly leaked information to her husband. She eventually moved out of the couple’s home and filed for divorce. > **[US man accused of making $1.8m from listening in on wife’s remote work calls](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/23/us-man-accused-of-making-18m-from-insider-trading-wife-remote-calls-working-from-home)** > > Regulator charges Tyler Loudon with insider trading in case that could fuel arguments about working from home Both the husband being honest with the wife and the wife being honest with her employer had negative consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/19 "2024-02-24T22:28:52Z")
I thought this thread was going to be a semi-pitting of a former Doper who refused to pay for membership. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2024, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360/20 "2024-02-25T12:20:38Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > the installer said he couldn’t do it because the connectors were too old I’m curious about this. The connectors where too old? What did they mean by _that?_ This is all pretty universal stuff. Unless he meant the hoses where too old. It’s standard to just use new ones on a new machine, and if the installer didn’t have a dozen of them in his truck, that’s really poor performance. And any home or hardware store will have them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honesty-doesnt-pay-literally/808360.md?page=2)