Return it, no question.
I suppose it depends on how far away I was from the store. If I did make it home, it depends on if I was heading that way next time I go in.
[QUOTE]
Who mentioned firing?
Cite?
Let me ask you this. Suppose I am at your house and you give an an old jacket that you no longer wear. When I get in my car I find a piece of jewelry that has both real and sentimental value to you. Is it mine? Now suppose I have purchased the jacket from you for a small sum. Now do I own the jewelry? In either case am I obligated to return it?
…can’t help but notice, none of you count the change as soon as it’s handed to you?
In the store, I absolutely tell the clerk when they’ve made an error in my favour. If I’ve left the store, forget it. Not worth the hassle of returning.
/Ms Cyros
Some of you can rationalize all you want to, but money overpaid to you isn’t yours. Honesty isn’t relative. You are either honest or you are not. If you keep the overage, you’re not.
Give it back. Because I don’t always have good transportation, I’ve been known to hang on to things I received mistakenly – either money or goods – for up to a week before I’m able to take them back. But I always return what isn’t mine.
Why should I have to go to the trouble of walking back to the store because someone else screwed up? Like I said, if I screwed up, I’d be more than willing to accept the consequences (which might not have to include firing, I’m sure the boss would allow you to pay the difference yourself to balance the drawer).
I’m sorry, I’d keep it. The fault is with the cashier for not checking what he gave me.
Return it. If I’d gotten home before noticing I’d probably keep it but I’m still in the car and it’s only fair that I give it back - it’s a minor mistake that can be corrected easily enough.
The clerk made an error. it wasn’t a fault, it was a mistake. Not returning the money would be the real fault, to me.
StG
It’s not my money. It’s not a windfall. It must go back.
I’d return it. Profiting off an innocent error isn’t something I could feel decent about. Besides, when she was a teenager, my sister was disciplined at a cashiering job for being a couple bucks off in her register. I would hate to think someone else was dealing with the same thing when I could have fixed it.
It is not a question of who is at fault. The question is whether you have any claim to the money. On what do you base that claim? That someone mistakenly gave it to you? If your brother mistakenly gives me something of yours that you value highly, can I claim ownership, citing his mistake as proof?
Justify and rationalize how you will. As a child, I learned what was acceptable, and what I teach my own child.
Would you not treat others as you would have them treat you?
Yes. If I give someone too much change I expect them to keep it.
In my experience growing up - Yes.
Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers.
I’d give it back, no question.
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal]
No. The jewelry is yours. I can ask for it, but if you refuse on the grounds that It was part of what I sold to you, then it’s yours.
As for the cite, well I made that ‘fact’ up, (so sue me) but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the ‘once you leave the shop it’s yours’ rule is part of British law.
I’ve seen many a sign in many a shop which reads something along the lines of “check your change before you leave. once you leave all liability on our part is void”
I’d give it back without question.
I’m amazed and a little disturbed by many of the answers here, and I’m no saint.