Ethics question: free game from Amazon

RanchLizard

RanchLizard

CAGiversary!
I got a free game, and I'm wonder what your opinion is on the ethics of this:

I recently jumped on an Amazon lighting deal for $15 that is normally $40 (SingStar ABBA). Then, an hour or so after I placed my order, I decided to try to cancel the order since I didn't want it anymore. However, the order was in a state where I couldn't cancel it, like "getting ready to ship" or whatever. Oh well, I thought, it was still a good deal and I could give it as a Christmas gift.

However, the status later that day gave an estimated delivery date after Christmas. So I called customer service. I told the guy that I wanted to cancel it, and he said that's no problem; he would issue a refund and then I could re-order and choose faster shipping to get it by Christmas. (He didn't completely understand; I didn't want to reorder with faster shipping; I just wanted to cancel.)

Regardless, after the phone call, I started watching the status. First the top of the order said that a refund is being issued. Then the refund was processed. Then my credit card statement showed a $15 charge and $15 credit. And all the while, the order was still shipping. (It looks like the CSR did a refund instead of a cancel.)

So now the game has showed up, obviously, and they refunded my money. Should I do anything?

I'm sure some people will say just don't do anything. And some people will say to call them or email them and let them know. This is clearly a mistake on their part, but I was just wondering what other people would think.
 
Well, for starters, what the hell? You payed money... For ABBA... but that's beside the point.

At this point, I think it's them screwing up, and this is only going to cost you time. If it eats at your conciense, shoot them an email, but I doubt they will follow up on it too heavily (I wouldn't be surprised if they said keep it)
 
I'd just send them an email to let them know they made an error. More than likely, they'll let you keep the game or give you a giftcard for wasting your time if they wanted it returned.
 
Yep shoot em an email to let them know what's up. I'm betting they say keep it rather than have pay to ship it back.
 
I'd email them and ask them what you should do with it. My guess is that they'll set up a RMA for the item and have you send it back to them.

I'd do that, if I was in your shoes. I'm sure others will have a different opinion on it than I do.
 
It's $15. This is just silly to worry about ethics. Seriously. You didn't like go in to buy a pack of gum and walk out with a sack of money with someone's name on it.

It's $15 and it's SingStar ABBA, I think the world will forgive you.
 
Karma, dude. (ha! brought it up anyway!!!)

same thing happened to me w/ a laptop recently. I kid you not. I called HP customer service 3 times to try and return it, they finally said just keep it. Pretty sweet.
 
I'd really want SingStar ABBA. :whistle2:( I'm mad I missed out on the deal. I would have called back, since I'm a nice guy; however, I have taken advantage of price errors before.
 
The right thing to do is contact Amazon.

But in reality? Don't bother.



FFS it's an ABBA game, the shame of owning it should be penance enough.
 
If you take the time to contact Amazon, it'll give them the opportunity to decide on what to do with it and fix their mistake.

It's the right thing to do, as it's Amazon's mistake to decide if they want to correct or not. If they do ask for it back, then send it back to them. If they don't, then the matter is done with.

The people making comment about not contacting Amazon about the mistake in their favor would probably be the first ones contacting Amazon if the mistake wasn't in their favor, such as a double-charge or a charge without getting the game. It works both ways, even though some people think that it doesn't.
 
my thought is that its a large corporation and the 15 dollar loss isnt gonna hurt there pockets, but as many people before have said.......its abba....if you dont want the game at all and plan on leaving it sitting around since you said it was just a christmas gift then shoot them an email......if not and u have any thoughts of using it at all just keep it and move on and they can chalk it off as a loss. I guarentee you they arent sitting around at the amazon headquarters right now thinking oh my god you guys what are we gonna do about this missing singstar abba unit.....so yeah lol
 
[quote name='shrike4242']If you take the time to contact Amazon, it'll give them the opportunity to decide on what to do with it and fix their mistake.

It's the right thing to do, as it's Amazon's mistake to decide if they want to correct or not. If they do ask for it back, then send it back to them. If they don't, then the matter is done with.

The people making comment about not contacting Amazon about the mistake in their favor would probably be the first ones contacting Amazon if the mistake wasn't in their favor, such as a double-charge or a charge without getting the game. It works both ways, even though some people think that it doesn't.[/quote]

My thoughts exactly.
 
if i dropped a 50 dollar bill with my name and phone number on it i would want someone to contact me and give it back..........but they probably wouldnt....and even though i would want them to i wouldnt expect them to...and maybe i should start being more careful with my 50s :D

But dude if it is going to eat at you a 15 dollar game isnt worth it......wait til you rob a bank to let something eat at your conscience and make you questions morals......to each his own however
 
I look at it this way. If I made a deal with a fellow CAG here to sell them .. lets say a used copy of Ratchet and Clank and for whatever reason I'm not paying attention and throw Heavenly Sword in there too, I wouldn't just think "Oh my mistake. It's their's now". I would want Heavenly Sword back.

It's easy to think that Amazon is some big, faceless corporation but they're entitled to their property and compensation for it just as much as we are. Just because they are a corporate entity whose soul purpose it is to make a profit doesn't make them inherently evil.

The bottom line though is, it's your property now and it's yours to do what you want with it. Sure you can keep it. But the right thing to do is to return it.
 
[quote name='AceSXE']my thought is that its a large corporation and the 15 dollar loss isnt gonna hurt there pockets, but as many people before have said.......its abba....if you dont want the game at all and plan on leaving it sitting around since you said it was just a christmas gift then shoot them an email......if not and u have any thoughts of using it at all just keep it and move on and they can chalk it off as a loss. I guarentee you they arent sitting around at the amazon headquarters right now thinking oh my god you guys what are we gonna do about this missing singstar abba unit.....so yeah lol[/quote]It's still an inventory discrepancy, regardless of the dollar amount. If it's a $15 game or a $1500 TV, it's still an inventory mistake, and one the OP should give Amazon the chance to fix.

If it was a $1500 item, would that make it any different?

[quote name='AceSXE']if i dropped a 50 dollar bill with my name and phone number on it i would want someone to contact me and give it back..........but they probably wouldnt....and even though i would want them to i wouldnt expect them to...and maybe i should start being more careful with my 50s :D

But dude if it is going to eat at you a 15 dollar game isnt worth it......wait til you rob a bank to let something eat at your conscience and make you questions morals......to each his own however[/quote]There's a difference between you losing an item, and someone making a mistake in trying to fix an issue you asked to be fixed. The game wasn't lost, it was mis-shipped. Plus, if I found your "mythical" $50 with your name and phone # on it, I'd call you for it. Not everyone would, though there should be at least someone that would. Why don't you try it and see what happens?

It's Amazon's property and theirs to do with as they want, as the OP didn't pay for it, as he has a credit to match the charge for the game. Plus, he asked to have the ordered canceled, so that gives up his ownership on the item.

If Amazon wants it back, they'll pay for it to come back. If they don't want it back, then they can make that decision to have the OP keep it.

I think the "robbing bank" statement is a little bit ridiculous, though. :whistle2:s
 
Even if Amazon "pays" to have it returned, the OP has already spent more time on this than he should. Don't think for a second that this corporation would do the same for you. You owe it nothing. Time is life. Life is short and definitely not free. People will tell you to return it based on some arbitrary moral principals. These corporations have the same rights of a human being but have zero moral principals. Why should you offer yours?
 
FYI, I emailed Amazon and got this response:

Greetings from Amazon.com.

Thank you for letting us know you have received the original shipment. We appreciate your honesty and apologize for the inconvenience.

Please return the package at your earliest opportunity.
Click to expand...
There was also a link to some RMA stuff to print out. However, at the top of the page, it says this:

Important Message
Because your return is not the result of our error, shipping costs associated with your return will be deducted from the amount of your refund.
Click to expand...
Now I think it might be more hassle than it is worth. This actually is the result of their error, and I'm just trying to help them out by sending it back. It looks like they might end up charging me to return it or something.
 
[quote name='regis100']Now I think it might be more hassle than it is worth. This actually is the result of their error, and I'm just trying to help them out by sending it back. It looks like they might end up charging me to return it or something.[/quote]

You should watch American Gangster.
The best things don't always happen to the honest people.
 
The made a Singstar ABBA?!

also, that's very nice of you to return it. I guess there's some good left in the world.
I would have kept it without thinking twice.
 
[quote name='manthing']The right thing to do is contact Amazon.

But in reality? Don't bother.



FFS it's an ABBA game, the shame of owning it should be penance enough.[/quote]

This.
 
You may want to give them another call/e-mail pointing that incorrect statement out. It's probably either an error or a form statement.
 
Edit: Paying for their mistake seems a little unreasonable... You might try giving them a call to verify what the email stated...
 
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[quote name='regis100']FYI, I emailed Amazon and got this response:

There was also a link to some RMA stuff to print out. However, at the top of the page, it says this:

Now I think it might be more hassle than it is worth. This actually is the result of their error, and I'm just trying to help them out by sending it back. It looks like they might end up charging me to return it or something.[/quote]

Thats what you get for being a goody little 2 shoes.
 
I was in the "Send it back" group, but based on the response that they sent you, I would say to just keep it, or sell it or something. It is obviously their error (even if the error did result from your indecisiveness), so they should offer to pay for the return shipping. The fact that they would force you to pay for their sake is a little irritating, and honestly, if they aren't going to bother to give you the same respect that they were showing them, then why bother? I'd base my decision on how much the shipping costs are. If it's like, $2, and this is really going to bother you, then I'd say go ahead... However, if they try to charge $6 to send back a $15 game, then screw it.
 
Hmm, that's kind of shocking. It's not your fault and you shouldn't be expected to pay for shipping. I'm starting to reverse my original position. :lol:
 
I would've been on the keep it and get on with your life group. I had a feeling that if he did email Amazon, they would ask for him to return it and than make him pay the shipping fees. I now say you keep it and never return it but don't open it up either so it shall forever collect dust.
 
I would call again and explain that you are not going to pay for their mistake to send it back. I respect your honesty but they must make it equitable (free) for you to return the item.

(Oh and I do believe in Karma)
 
Crap like that comes up every topic like this. People today seem to think that everyone is completely devoid of morals and ethics. I blame this on the lack of religion and/or philosophy in so many people's lives. They have zero concept of objective right and wrong. Their lives are ruled by an extremely rudimentary code of "I'll do whatever gives me physical pleasure/makes me mentally happy/increases my wealth/whatever, and I will not bother with things that do the opposite."

It is completely confusing that Amazon actually requested the OP to pay shipping, but that was obviously some kind of mistake or oversight. This situation was clearly created by their error. I'm sure another e-mail (which won't be this massive time drain some folks seem to think) would clarify the issue.
 
Have any of you ACTUALLY called Amazon?
Have you?

You know what happens, right?

2007022402010601.jpg

::SHUDDERS DEEPLY::

This reason alone makes me NEVER want to call them. EVER.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Crap like that comes up every topic like this. People today seem to think that everyone is completely devoid of morals and ethics. I blame this on the lack of religion and/or philosophy in so many people's lives. They have zero concept of objective right and wrong. Their lives are ruled by an extremely rudimentary code of "I'll do whatever gives me physical pleasure/makes me mentally happy/increases my wealth/whatever, and I will not bother with things that do the opposite."

It is completely confusing that Amazon actually requested the OP to pay shipping, but that was obviously some kind of mistake or oversight. This situation was clearly created by their error. I'm sure another e-mail (which won't be this massive time drain some folks seem to think) would clarify the issue.[/QUOTE]


truth is absolute confirmed
 
[quote name='regis100']FYI, I emailed Amazon and got this response:

There was also a link to some RMA stuff to print out. However, at the top of the page, it says this:

Now I think it might be more hassle than it is worth. This actually is the result of their error, and I'm just trying to help them out by sending it back. It looks like they might end up charging me to return it or something.[/quote]Email them or call them and they'll fix it. I've had this happen before when it's something that was their error, and they fixed it immediately. Just email them or call them, explain what happened, and they'll fix it. You won't be paying for shipping.

[quote name='Cao Cao']You may want to give them another call/e-mail pointing that incorrect statement out. It's probably either an error or a form statement.[/quote]It is an error. See above.
 
[quote name='lilboo']Have any of you ACTUALLY called Amazon?
Have you?

You know what happens, right?

2007022402010601.jpg

::SHUDDERS DEEPLY::

This reason alone makes me NEVER want to call them. EVER.[/quote]

I spoke with her this morning, and yeah I had to call back and speak to somebody who understood what I was asking.
 
Honestly, this is why I was going to say 'keep it'- trying to do the right thing and return the game will likely result in hurdle-jumping to avoid paying for the return.

I work retail, and I know that yes, sometimes, I must bag items I didn't ring up. And you know what? I don't care. If you come back to pay for it, thanks for being nice- but honestly, you're making my job harder, becuase now I have to skim the reciept and verify the lack of charge, and if it was a few days ago, I have to check with management because it's likely been marked out of inventory and paying for it now will screw it back up again... in other words, unless you haven't left the counter yet, you should probably keep the thing. Consider it your reward for noticing and wanting to make it right.

That's just how I feel about it, anyway- if it's weighing on you, make the return- techincally, it's the correct action.

As for the whole ABBA thing... girls like ABBA. You could talk girls into coming over to sing the ABBA songs. It's not all bad. ;)
 
I'd email them and send it back. (And I'd send a second email in your case, since it sounds like they didn't catch that it was their mistake.)
 
[quote name='EdEddandEdge']I would call again and explain that you are not going to pay for their mistake to send it back. I respect your honesty but they must make it equitable (free) for you to return the item.

(Oh and I do believe in Karma)[/quote]

Please present proof that Karma exists.
 
They screwed up, yay you. I got a CD for free that way several years ago. I ordered from Sony's site, and it never came when it said it would. So I told them it was late, then they apologized, then the CD arrived, and I wrote back to tell them it arrived (never heard back from them) then my CC got refunded. So, Happy Chanukah to me. A Free CD.
 
[quote name='lilboo']Have any of you ACTUALLY called Amazon?
Have you?

You know what happens, right?

2007022402010601.jpg

::SHUDDERS DEEPLY::

This reason alone makes me NEVER want to call them. EVER.[/quote]

Is that the AOL, Dell or (insert other American company that outsourced their customer service dept to India)'s customer service centers training manual cover pic?

I've dealt with CSR's that I couldn't understand before. The meanest way to deal with them(and not get your problem resolved) is to speak in gibberish or fake their accent.
 
Man Amazon was not itself this holiday season. They messed up two of my orders and I have never had a problem with them. I'm in the same boat as the OP but I have an extra Active Outdoor Life. But after my wife spent 4 hours (no exaggeration) with their incompetent CS representatives who lied to her a few times I'm seriously thinking of keeping it.
 
[quote name='jlarlee']Man Amazon was not itself this holiday season. They messed up two of my orders and I have never had a problem with them. I'm in the same boat as the OP but I have an extra Active Outdoor Life. But after my wife spent 4 hours (no exaggeration) with their incompetent CS representatives who lied to her a few times I'm seriously thinking of keeping it.[/quote]

and selling it to me! get that guilt off your chest :cool:
 
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