Re: The Morals of the story or lack thereof. (too long)

[Michael Weishaar <mweishaa@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: jim.powell@domain.elided
> 
> Then Michael Weishaar Says >>> More Snipping <<<
> 
> I tend to agree that the scenario seems to suggest the publisher was confusing
> first edition prices with the reprint.  At *this* point you can be let off the
> hook.  Unless of course you were just verifying that they would unknowingly let
> you steal from them.

I can't speculate why they priced the book the way they did.  It had a
publish date of 1998, and a different ISBN number.  Perhaps they (as
well as everyone else) was quoted a lower price by the publisher, then
the price went up.  Maybe they actually ordered, and got, books at that
lower price.  I don't know, and I can't speculate on it.
 
> >>>No, I didn't say "Hey, this book is way underpriced" but I did give them
> plenty of opportunity to check on the actual price of the book.  They had it in
> stock, so they should have known the price.<<<
> 
> Now it appears that you *knew* that this wasn't close to the real value of the
> book.  If this is true, then you stole their money.  

I don't know WHY they priced the book the way they did.  I asked them,
on more than one occasion, if that was the correct price.  What am I
supposed to do, say "Isn't it supposed to be more?"  What about the
people who pre-ordered the book?  They knew the list price was $85.  

> Let me tell you a story.
> I'm not holding myself up as a moral authority.  I have my problems, vices and
> moral burdens.  Theft just doesn't happen to be one of them.
> 
<snip story>
> I could have paid the cheap price.
> Instead I told her to void the sale, call the manager and take the next person
> in line.  It cost me alot of money to do that.  

I have done similar things on many occasions, but I am not going into
that in order to "defend" myself.

> Yes there were several places you could have done the right thing.  But you made
> your choice.  You decided what type of character you were willing to have.  Now
> you've told the rest of us too.

Now my entire character is in question?  My, how things snowball.
 
> >>>So now I have 3 copies, at an average price of $29.99.  What am I going to do
> with them?  Hey, maybe I'll sell them for $40 and make a little money - NOT.<<<
> 
> Why?  Do you think its wrong to profit at someone else's expense?  Could have
> fooled me.

It isn't like I was going around hoarding up all the books I could get
my grubby hands on at a cheap price, then sell them for a profit.  I
bought one book, and I got a great deal on it.  I didn't want the other
two, but since they sent them to me at a cheap price, why shouldn't I
keep them?  If they would have contacted me, and said "There was a
mistake in the pricing" I wouldn't have cared.  I already had a copy, I
didn't *need* 2 more.  Since they were sitting on my doorstep, I am
going to give them to my friends.  I could have saved myself $60 if I
sent them back, but I didn't.

>  >>>A week after I got it at such a good deal, it was still advertised at that
> price on their web site.  Who knows, maybe they got a deal on them too, since
> there was obviously some miscommunication on the price between the publisher and
> the distributors somewhere along the line.<<<
> 
> Maybe.  Probably at first.  But at some point you knew the real story didn't you
> Michael?

I can't say that I still know the real story.  I don't know that much
about the publishing business, I don't know what they got their books
for.   All I know is that they had an advertised price *after* the book
came out, and they sold a book to me for lower than the suggested retail
price.  If they don't have a big issue with it, why do you?  I am in an
odd situation because I have several copies of it.  I could sell it to
my friends for what I paid, but i am going to give them to them.  Maybe
it is my subconscious compensating for a guilty conscious, maybe I am
just a helluva guy, maybe I am a totally immoral bastard - but I am not
going to discuss my morality any further on a digest that is supposed to
deal with cars.

Michael
At lunch, the total came to $6.02, and the cashier said "Don't worry
about the 2 cents."  
Woo-hoo, I struck again!

------------------------------