Moral Issue - Accidental theft of a game

L

lordxixor101

CAGiversary!
Ok, this will sound like an odd story, but I think it's believable, when you hear the whole thing.

A friend of mine asked me on a trip to Gamestop, about a month ago, to pick up some cheap games for his Xbox. It was 3 games, one being Phantasy Star Online for $2. He never picked them up from my house, so one day, I popped the 3 of them in, PSO being last, and played around.

Eventually, at the end of the week, said he wasn't paying for them. So, took the cases back to the store for my $8.

Problem, about 3 weeks later, I pop open my Xbox, and what do I see, PSO disc still in there. After going through my games, I am 99% sure I returned an empty box to Gamestop (they didn't open them there).

Now I do business at this one (it's the mall one, so probably the one i go to the least in the area), but I like the store. It was unintentional, but I feel rather stupid walking in there with a game (and I'd really hate to get an employee in trouble over $2, especially if he covered his tracks).

Morally, you don't steal, and I hate to see morality with a price tag. If this was a $50 game, I'd take it back right now, no questions asked. But, being $2, I almost wonder if I'm causing more harm than good.

Plus, my wife is a very moral person and she says just forget about it, thought I was nuts to even think of taking it back (and she's someone who finds money in a store, and will take it to the security office, in cases someone is trying to find it).

So, probably just keeping it, but wondering what your thoughts are.
 
You have an unpaid for game, accidental or not. Return it. You won't feel stupid, and you'll be doing the right thing. Missing games = loss = higher prices. If you do decide to keep this unpaid-for game, do not post that decision here on CAG.


And i'm moving this thread to Shopping Discussion as it belongs there over in General Gaming.
 
Since you obviously feel bad enough about the situation to post a thread, the next time you are going to GameStop bring the disc and give it back (don't go out of your way or anything though). I bet the clerk will just tell you to keep it anyway.
 
Id prolly keep it but if you feel bad return it. But that money thing i always take people's money when i find it.
 
Dude, Karma. You have the opportunity to right a wrong so why wouldn't you? $2.00 or not, it's their money, not yours.
 
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Whoever didn't check that game case is gonna get in big trouble or already is in big trouble by now. It would be worth alot to them if you returned the game. They might even be thankful enough to repay you somehow, because a mistake like that might cause them to loose their job.

So yeah, definately go return the game. If nothing else, you know you did the right thing.
 
Your friend's an ass for having you buy games for him and then telling you that he's not paying for them.

Oh... that wasn't the point? Yea I'd just return the disk. If you want the game just buy it. Like you said it's only a couple of bucks.
 
The next time you're in there, bring the game with you and see if they want it back. I wouldn't lose sleep over it though; it was an honest mistake.
 
I voted no, because that's what I would do. But you seem to actually be bothered by their stupidity. Where I'm from you pay for your mistakes, in this case, theirs is only $2, an amount you can actually count the pennies on.
To ease this conscious of yours, those games are $2 each for a reason. They take up room on the shelves. It's a wonder some of those old Xbox titles haven't been pennied out.
OP don't be a pussy, but if you still feel bad or can't shake the guilt every time you walk into the store, then buy something frivolous from them... like so:
322316b.jpg
 
I would return it because I know most of the gamestop clerks in this area and they know I am not a thief and they would understand. Also I would do it as soon as possible if you are going to return it to keep their inventory from being off.
 
[quote name='daminion']Your friend's an ass for having you buy games for him and then telling you that he's not paying for them.
[/quote]

Yeah, I'm still stuck on this part.
 
Well, I really don't think it's a "stolen" game. You paid for it. You didn't go in and accidentally shove an N64 game down your pants.

I voted to take it back. Only because you will feel good and if you shop there often then you probably know some of the employees. They will likely appreciate the honesty. I don't think you would have any reason to feel embarrassed. You simply made a mistake. The dude should have checked it, but believe me a $2 missing game isn't going to have an LP investigation.

Plus, it's PSO on xbox. ewwwww.
 
It was an honest mistake on forgetting to put the game in the box when you took it back. I say bring it with you next time you're going over there. It's no big deal.
 
[quote name='blackhole82']It was an honest mistake on forgetting to put the game in the box when you took it back. I say bring it with you next time you're going over there. It's no big deal.[/quote]

This.

Alternatively, if you really feel dumb returning a $2 game, just buy something there they make $2 on to offset their "loss."
 
donate $2 to a charity. at least you're cancelling out this theft with a good deed.

but honestly, i think you should just call first. chances are they wouldn't have a hissy fit over a small amount, so you can save yourself time, money, and rid yourself of guilt at the same time.
 
[quote name='PaddyTheChump']Just give it to them next time you're there and tell them you gave them an empty case by accident.[/quote]

This. Otherwise they may simply think that you planned to take it all along and simply feel bad about it now.

Good intentions don't always turn out well in this world.
 
[quote name='javeryh']Since you obviously feel bad enough about the situation to post a thread, the next time you are going to GameStop bring the disc and give it back (don't go out of your way or anything though). I bet the clerk will just tell you to keep it anyway.[/QUOTE]

This.
 
[quote name='punkmaggit']Dude, Karma. You have the opportunity to wrong a right so why wouldn't you? $2.00 or not, it's their money, not yours.[/quote]

I think you mean right a wrong, right? Freudian slip, I know, it happens to all of us sometime.

As for retuning lost money that you find, if there's no one around and I don't see someone scrambling around looking frantic looking for money they dropped, then I use the old term 'finders keepers'.
 
It's obviously seems to bother you, so go back and explain what happened. Odds are good that, by this point, nobody there is going to care and/or look at you like you're a goof for worrying an old, nigh-worthless game of which they probably have a number of copies rotting in the drawer. If they take it back, hey, good on ya'. If they don't want it back, either:

1) accept the fact that you're human, mistakes happen, they understand that and officially don't care about the game, so keep it, or

2) buy some magazines while you're there. When you're ready to leave, toss the disc on the counter, throw the magazines on the floor, some glitter on yourself and run out the door.
 
[quote name='Sinistarr']It's obviously seems to bother you, so go back and explain what happened. Odds are good that, by this point, nobody there is going to care and/or look at you like you're a goof for worrying an old, nigh-worthless game of which they probably have a number of copies rotting in the drawer. If they take it back, hey, good on ya'. If they don't want it back, either:

1) accept the fact that you're human, mistakes happen, they understand that and officially don't care about the game, so keep it, or

2) buy some magazines while you're there. When you're ready to leave, toss the disc on the counter, throw the magazines on the floor, some glitter on yourself and run out the door.[/quote]

Problem solved! Lock this thread up now!
 
Don't even tell them you are leaving it. Just walk in and pretend like you are looking at the counter and leave the disc and walk away. Employee doesn't get in trouble and Gamestop gets their game back. Problem Solved.

Edit: Oops. Posted this a little late. :)
 
Ironically, I was in a GS today and I heard the complete opposite from 2 clerks. A family apparently traded in a 360 earlier. They were talking about how great the condition of the 360 was, film protected still, etc. And then, they mentioned how they found Top Spin 3 in the disk tray that wasnt part of the trade, and they were talking about who should keep it. -_-

Anyways, I suppose its your decision. If you do feel that guilty, I would go with everyone else and call the manager. Honestly, I wouldnt know what to do since I've never been in the situation, as much as I would like to say that I would return the game, I havent encountered this yet so I cant make judgement.
 
Just return it, man. Or go there with it, tell em whats up, and offer it back to 'em. If they say no, cool. If not, you don't gotta worry about it any more.

Recently a friend of a friend forgot a game with me when he moved, I found it last week, didn't know I still had it. Well, before he moved he was kind of a jerk about things here and there, but still I gave him his game back. Not worth the drama.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']I think you mean right a wrong, right? Freudian slip, I know, it happens to all of us sometime.

As for retuning lost money that you find, if there's no one around and I don't see someone scrambling around looking frantic looking for money they dropped, then I use the old term 'finders keepers'.[/QUOTE]

finders keepers doesn't really apply to this situation though. it isn't something that was randomly dropped by someone you probably don't know and have no idea whose it is. the op obviously knows who it belongs to and feels some guilt for having a game he didn't pay for, even if it wasn't on purpose. i would say just call the store up and ask to speak to the manager on duty. explain the situation to them and see what they say and just do whatever they tell you to do. more than likely it will not be an extremely big deal since everyone makes mistakes, you and the employee didn't notice it, so it couldn't have been too huge of a problem. i doubt the employee who did the return will get in trouble either over a $2 game, they will likely just tell everyone that is capable of doing returns to open the case to make sure it is there, which is actually helpful to them since they will at most lose a $2 game instead of a $50 game from someone dishonest.

as for the person who posted about the people that traded in a system with a game in it, it is a little bit different in this case as well. the family who traded it in obviously didn't notice the game in there and the fact that even if gamestop took their information for the trade-in, it is still a matter of privacy as well as the people using their gas and time to go back up there to get the game just to trade it in again. it makes me think though, did the employee's actually hook up this 360 to make sure it still worked even? everything on the outside could have appeared fine and the system still could have red-ringed, but that is completely another topic.
 
Best thing to do is call, explain your situation, and see what they say. Odds are, they're just going to tell you to keep it and that it was their fault.
 
If you went to this Gamestop and purchased a copy of Guitar Hero III used, got home and discovered it was not in the case, what would you do? And would you feel bad about it? Honestly, stop being a douche and return it already.
 
[quote name='aojeda']If you went to this Gamestop and purchased a copy of Guitar Hero III used, got home and discovered it was not in the case, what would you do? And would you feel bad about it? Honestly, stop being a douche and return it already.[/quote]

What the fuck is wrong with you?
 
It is a simple mistake, and I'm sure that the store of alot of copies rotting away in the cases behind the counter. Why not keep it? The game is virtually worthless to them and would be akin to how some people "upgrade" their bad condition copies of games with a nicer "used" copy.
 
[quote name='Gourd']Good intentions don't always turn out well in this world.[/quote]

Smart advice. No good deed goes unpunished.

PS - This is the one thing I like about Hank Hill - when he obsesses over minutia and actually causes more shit by trying to do the right thing.
 
Another thing to consider is that the guy who processed your return covered his tracks already, and bringing up the issue could get him in trouble (instead of fixing something) by exposing his mess-up AND cover-up.
 
1st I'd lose that "friend" and 2nd, I wouldn't go out of my way to return it, just bring it in on the next trip to the area. It's a $2 game and you won't be losing anything. You may even get on their good side in the store and have it benefit you in the future.
 
If they haven't shrunk it out of the system by now (probably not, if it wasn't that long ago), just take it back in, explain the situation, and no-harm no-foul. If you don't want to get the employee in trouble (though I doubt they'd get in that much trouble, considering it'd most likely just be, "Make sure you double check the game before returning it"), don't mention their name. If they have shrunk it out of the system, they'll probably tell you to keep it.

Either way, good karma will come your way. Just drop it back when you're over that way.
 
If you feel embarrassed about returning it, buy another $2 copy of PSO, hand him a 5 and say keep the change. That pays them back for it.
 
[quote name='darkslime']If you feel embarrassed about returning it, buy another $2 copy of PSO, hand him a 5 and say keep the change. That pays them back for it.[/quote]

No, don't do this. It'll make their drawers over, which is not a good thing, especially when it's $3 and up. I always hate when people leave their change at my work. Of course, the sales associate could pocket the money him/herself, but is that really paying GameStop back? No.
 
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