Ethical dilemma: extra item in with order, send back or keep?

[RootAnn]

So, I just received an order of homeschool and other materials from a big organization. On the top of my stuff was something I didn't order. This is the second time this has happened from this particular company. Both times, the item has been religious in nature.

 

The first time, I dutifully called to report it and hey sent a postage paid slip so I could send it back. This is a hassle for me since I have to find a box (original is usually way too big and also beat up in the mail too much to resend) and haul the item to the post office. (The items, so far, have been big enough that they won't fit in our mailbox.)

 

When I saw this extra item, I told myself I wasn't going to call them- that obviously they have an issue in their warehouse they need to fix OR they are purposefully trying to evangelize by sticking these things in people's orders.

 

But, I looked up how much this item sells for and it is rather pricey plus is currently listed as out of stock.

 

What would you do / have you done? Does it matter how much the item is worth? Does it matter what the item is?

[zoobie]

Legally, if they send it to you, it's yours. (Unless you're obtaining it by fraud.) If you want to call them, tell them if they want it back, they need to send you a postage paid envelope and arrange a UPS pickup at your door. You shouldn't need to go out of your way repeatedly to remedy their errors.

[catz]

Legally, you're under no obligation.  Since this has happened once already, I'd do nothing personally.  There are not enough hours in the day and I already have to schedule the phone calls I need to make.

[Miss Mousie]

Interesting question.  My first thought was to send it back, of course.  But ... it *is* a hassle ... and I *would* suspect evangelizing.  But ... as you say, it's a high-priced item.

 

I guess I would still send it back, but maybe I wouldn't be in a rush to do so.  And I suppose I'd make sure customer service knew it was the second time and I'm getting a little tired of supervising their warehouse for them!  ;)

 

 

[Calm37]

Yes, I would call. Zoobie is so right. If they want it back, they can have UPS come by for it.

[Guest]

I would send it back. I've had this happen a couple of times. For me, it would weigh on my conscience. It is a hassle- I agree, and I see nothing wrong with letting them know that in your email and perhaps asking for them to send a padded envelope or whatever for you to return it. You shouldn't be out of pocket to remedy their mistake, but I would still encourage contacting them and letting them know about the error. It would not matter to me how much the item was worth or anything else. If they don't want the cost of having you send it back, then that's their prerogative and you can sell it or whatever, but at least then you let them know. 

[Reefgazer]

I'd call to report it, and ask for a prepaid label and package in which to send it back (preferably UPS so that you can call for a pick-up).

[luuknam]

In my conscience, cost does matter. I vaguely remember having something like this happen to me once (but not religious), and I kept it because it was like a couple of bucks and not worth my or their hassle, imo. With repeat mistakes by the same company, the dollar amount my conscience would care about would go up over time though.

[QueenCat]

I would call or email. Let them know you will send it back if they send a prepaid label, with packaging and they arrange for UPS (or something like UPS) to pick it up from your house. Ethically, I couldn't keep it without giving them the option to get it back easily. But I wouldn't be willing to take it somewhere for them since it was their mistake.

[happi duck]

I agree with others...

I'd call but insist on packaging in addition to a label.

 

I think USPS also has pick up but I'm pretty sure if it's just a book you could leave it for your letter carrier to take.

[Mrs_JWM]

Now I want to know what it is... :)

 

Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

[Miss Mousie]

Now I want to know what it is... :)

 

 

 

The Big Book of Christian Ethics is my guess....  ;)

 

Heh.  Now I'm imagining a surveillance chip tucked behind the DVD sleeve.  Collecting data for the second edition, of course.

 

 

 

My brain is everywhere but where it should be today.

[Arcadia]

Email the company and they should pay for return shipping or let you keep. I had that happen with Amazon and Office Depot. Some they ask me to keep, a hard to find book Amazon paid for shipping back. I just cut down the box I have or just put any bubble wrap I could find in my house into the original box.

[TravelingChris]

I would call and return it..

[JustEm]

I would offer to return it if they provided money for packaging, not just postage. Then I'd just hold onto it until I was near a post office and run it in real quick. No need to stand in line if the postage is already paid.

[zoobie]

I agree with others...

I'd call but insist on packaging in addition to a label.

 

I think USPS also has pick up but I'm pretty sure if it's just a book you could leave it for your letter carrier to take.

USPS will schedule pickups for priority mail.

[TranquilMind]

Legally, if they send it to you, it's yours. (Unless you're obtaining it by fraud.) If you want to call them, tell them if they want it back, they need to send you a postage paid envelope and arrange a UPS pickup at your door. You shouldn't need to go out of your way repeatedly to remedy their errors.

 

I would do this, since it has happened before.  I would return it, but I want them to pick it up. 

[SKL]

Since it is a pricey item, I would inform them and send it back if they wanted.  I know it's a pain, but it seems the right thing to do.

 

If it was a small thing, I would assume they threw it in as a promotion.

[justasque]

I agree with the rest - call to get return instructions, but explain that this is the second time, you are a busy homeschool mama, and you can only return if they provide all that is necessary - packaging with a pre-paid postage label and at-door pickup.  Several companies offer such services and it's up to them which they prefer to use.  Stand firm.

I would also consider choosing a different company for future services, or, if you must use them, doing so by phone and asking them to add a note to your order to please pack carefully as you will not be able to return any unordered items.

[Guest]

Even if it was sent by accident, that doesn't justify me stealing by keeping it. For me, it's a moral dilemma that is easy, but inconvenient, to solve. But I will insist restaurants charge me for drinks they miss and have driven back to the store to return a $4 item that was not scanned onto my receipt too.

 

If the management or store insists I not pay or return it then fine, but simply not saying anything isn't an option. It's effectively theft once you know, even if the initial fault wasn't yours.

 

Now I DON'T think it is unreasonable to ask them to make it as convenient as possible to ship back, but that's about it. Sucky or not, expensive or cheap, I can't justify not saying anything when I know something is amiss. I wouldn't want someone doing that to my business, even if the lesson needs to be more careful handling from my warehouse.

 

My conscience won't do it.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[gardenmom5]

how many times have you ordered from this company how many of those times has this happened?

 

 

this isn't the first time this has happened.   I wouldn't invest any of my own money in return shipping.  if they want it back - they can pay for it.   postage is nice - but boxes and packing material also cost money.

 

I'd also let them know - these mistakes are making me rethink ordering from them because of the hassle it causes.

 

I don't know what the item is - but just becasue it's listed for a lot doesn't mean it costs them a lot.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2016 by gardenmom5

[luuknam]

N/m.

Edited October 3, 2016 by luuknam

[mamiof5]

I would call them or email them. I'd also let them know it's not the first time it happens and I don't appreciate the extra hassle to return their stuff. But, I'd definitely contact them

[MEmama]

I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't attempt to return the item. That kind of thing would literally weigh on me for years.

 

Really, it's not a big deal to take it to the post office or have the mailman pick it up with the rest of your mail. Why would it be okay to keep it? Would you be okay with them keeping an item you had accidentally sent, having made no effort to reach you?

[Guest]

If someone broke into your house, and you happened upon them and while they fled, they left some expensive tool or something, would you consider it theft to keep it? Would you go to the police and say: "Hey, when you catch this guy/gal that broke into my house, could you please return this to him/her?".

 

Not that I think the two situations are equivalent (by a long way), but I don't think it's as simple as "if it's not mine, it's theft if I keep it".

I'm a Christian and wouldn't keep the tool. And no, they're not equivalent. Knowingly keeping an overage is (inadvertently but still essentially) stealing from the business who had to pay to obtain the stock and where the bottom line impacts the margin for all other customers, even when the accident is the fault of the business. That's different than a criminal violating my property and dropping something along the way. But I still wouldn't keep the tool and use it. If it wasn't needed in investigation I'd donate it.

 

This is a classic application of the golden rule - if the tables were turned how would you want your customer to behave? It doesn't matter if the business would write it off and tell them to keep it (that's happened to me multiple times) it is still on me to contact them once the error has been found, so they can choose how to process their property and mistake.

[happypamama]

Legally, if they send it to you, it's yours. (Unless you're obtaining it by fraud.) If you want to call them, tell them if they want it back, they need to send you a postage paid envelope and arrange a UPS pickup at your door. You shouldn't need to go out of your way repeatedly to remedy their errors.

I agree. Their mistake should not cost YOU serious extra hassle. I would make a reasonable attempt to return it to them first though. I'd call and offer to send it back if they made it easy for me. Amazon sent me (well, DD) a CD. CD was fine, but the case was broken, and DD feels it won't hold together and protect her CD well. I explained the whole thing to Amazon and requested a new one. They sent me a new one and a return label for the old one. In that case, I can reuse the packaging, and it's easy enough for me to drop it at a UPS place. Not serious extra hassle. I think when it comes to serious extra hassle, the company needs to step up more.

Edited October 3, 2016 by happypamama

[OneStepAtATime]

Even if it was sent by accident, that doesn't justify me stealing by keeping it. For me, it's a moral dilemma that is easy, but inconvenient, to solve. But I will insist restaurants charge me for drinks they miss and have driven back to the store to return a $4 item that was not scanned onto my receipt too.

 

If the management or store insists I not pay or return it then fine, but simply not saying anything isn't an option. It's effectively theft once you know, even if the initial fault wasn't yours.

 

Now I DON'T think it is unreasonable to ask them to make it as convenient as possible to ship back, but that's about it. Sucky or not, expensive or cheap, I can't justify not saying anything when I know something is amiss. I wouldn't want someone doing that to my business, even if the lesson needs to be more careful handling from my warehouse.

 

My conscience won't do it.

If you mean legally, no it isn't theft.   Legally, they sent something she did not ask for.  Legally it now belongs to her.  

 

If you mean ethically, well, that depends on the individual's interpretation but yes I would do as others have suggested, I would feel obligated to contact the company, ask for a postage paid box to be sent to me and the company to arrange pick up of said package.  If they say then just keep the item, so be it.

[happypamama]

Also, no, it wouldn't matter to me how expensive the item was, although it might to the company. A small item might not be worth it to them to return, but you should ask. JCPenney sent me an extra hand towel, which is a small item, and when I called them, they told me just to keep it. I would not have felt that it was okay to keep it without asking them.

 

I feel that if we don't tell companies what they did wrong, they won't know how to correct their steps or retrain their employees and thus improve. Also, getting a religious item I did not request (even though I'm Christian), unless they specifically included a note to say something like, "We would like to share this favorite item with you as a thank you," would be a turn-off, and if it might lead to you no longer ordering from them, I would tell them that. It sounds like they deliberately sent you those items, rather than a simple "oops, we sent you five instead of four" or "oops, we accidentally included the Singapore workbook along with the textbook because we so often do that."

[Guest]

I'm not speaking legally, I'm talking about the basic principle of property ownership and theft from a moral standpoint. Just because something is legal doesn't mean it is *right*. Legality is not the final arbitration of moral uprightness by any stretch.

 

I'm a Christian, my accountability is to a standard of holiness, not legality. My advice follows that in this case, though some things are certainly more nuanced this is simply inconvenient, not so much morally complex.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[magnificent_baby]

Like previous posters, I would call and let them know but also request front door pickup. I would not go out of my way to return, as the mistake was on their end. I disagree that it's stealing if you refuse to drive to have to mail it back. 

[mumto2]

Over the years I have received extra or wrong several times. The response has always been to keep it and pass it along to others. I would call. Like others have said emphasize that mailing it back is really difficult and they need to facilitate it.

[Anne in CA]

I would return it on the condition that they give me a credit for my expense with the packing materials and arrange for pickup. 

[EmilyGF]

I would tell them so they can deal with problems in their warehouse and make their own decision. If the company is not willing to pay for shipping/packaging, to me that says the company does not think the cost required to get it back is worth expending so I would not send it back.

 

As a private person, if I left my sweater at someone's house, I might tell them to not bother getting it back to me because the cost of shipping is higher than the value of the sweater to me. I'd be quite happy to pay for someone shipping glasses, though. But the company should make that decision.

 

Emily

[TechWife]

I'm not speaking legally, I'm talking about the basic principle of property ownership and theft from a moral standpoint. Just because something is legal doesn't mean it is *right*. Legality is not the final arbitration of moral uprightness by any stretch.

 

I'm a Christian, my accountability is to a standard of holiness, not legality. My advice follows that in this case, though some things are certainly more nuanced this is simply inconvenient, not so much morally complex.

I agree. Legal and ethical are not always the same thing, legal and Biblical aren't always the same thing.

[Outdoorsy Type]

I would contact the company, but I would tell them nicely that their errors are causing you to look to other places to buy from. I have had wrong orders and extra items and have always been told to keep them. I think it's ridiculous to expect a customer to go to great lengths to fix a suppliers error.

[RootAnn]

Now I want to know what it is... :)

 

Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

 

It was a Rainbow Study Bible from CBD. Listed for $46.99.

 

how many times have you ordered from this company how many of those times has this happened?

 

I've ordered five times in the past two years and this is the second time it has happened.

 

Thank to everyone for their comments & suggestions. I did call them this afternoon. I happen to have an Amazon box that is only a bit big for it, so I'll use that. They are sending the prepaid label to me. The person I talked to was very apologetic & added a comment on my account that my next order will ship free. (I don't usually order from them unless I have a free shipping code, so it is mostly a moot point. But, it shows they understand it is a hassle for me.)

 

I have received free sample type items before - but they have all come with little notes saying the items were free. Can you see why I thought perhaps they were just evangelizing?  :huh:  :lol:

[idnib]

I would let them know so they can do whatever needs to be done if they'd like their item returned with minimal hassle and no cost to you. I would also let them know if it happens again I would stop ordering from them because of this repeated extra step.

 

I couldn't in good conscience keep it, and personally I am anti-evangelism so I would do it to either discourage them or hopefully end up on a "do not send extra materials" list if they included this item on purpose.

 

ETA: I posted at the same time as your update!

Edited October 3, 2016 by idnib

[OneStepAtATime]

It was a Rainbow Study Bible from CBD. Listed for $46.99.

 

 

I've ordered five times in the past two years and this is the second time it has happened.

 

Thank to everyone for their comments & suggestions. I did call them this afternoon. I happen to have an Amazon box that is only a bit big for it, so I'll use that. They are sending the prepaid label to me. The person I talked to was very apologetic & added a comment on my account that my next order will ship free. (I don't usually order from them unless I have a free shipping code, so it is mostly a moot point. But, it shows they understand it is a hassle for me.)

 

I have received free sample type items before - but they have all come with little notes saying the items were free. Can you see why I thought perhaps they were just evangelizing?  :huh:  :lol:

:hurray:

[Catalytic]

I have received random things from Amazon several times.  A USB record(!!!) player, twice some kitchen items, and once a $500 AV component.  Each time, it's a nightmare trying to get it back to Amazon.  It takes several phone calls/chats, wastes a lot of my time, but I cannot in good conscience keep something (esp a $500 something!) that isn't supposed to be mine.  I've been told to keep the item, trash the item, sell the item...ugh.  Anyway, I would (and do) force the issue to return it.

[December]

I have received random things from Amazon several times.  A USB record(!!!) player, twice some kitchen items, and once a $500 AV component.  Each time, it's a nightmare trying to get it back to Amazon.  It takes several phone calls/chats, wastes a lot of my time, but I cannot in good conscience keep something (esp a $500 something!) that isn't supposed to be mine.  I've been told to keep the item, trash the item, sell the item...ugh.  Anyway, I would (and do) force the issue to return it.

 

If they tell you to keep the item, why do you feel it would be wrong to do so? 

[Rockhopper]

I truly can't imagine that even a very intentionally evangelical business would add a $55 item into an order, unrequested, as a means of proselytization.

 

I mean, it's still a business with a bottom line to attend to. A tract, maybe. An inexpensive flyer/booklet, yes. (Although these approach seem quite likely to create ill will rather than softened hearts, and I would guess most wise business owners would know that.) A moment of prayer over an order, yes. But not a high-end Bible.

 

Besides, what would they do to choose who received their evangelistic efforts? Run some sort of complex (expensive?) algorithm on customer purchase lists to determine who most likely isn't a Christian? :-) I think Occam's razor on this is inefficiency or inaccuracy in the packaging/shipping process.

 

I'm glad you were able to find a return box without too much headache and that they are sending you a label. I have had return situations that have been IMO unfairly onerous or expensive to me and it IS frustrating.

 

 

[Zebra]

I almost asked you if it was CBD, because this has definitely happened to me.

 

I think it was some sort of $10 bible reading journal (or something like that), and I got 2 of them I didn't order.   I didn't order anything like them, just homeschooling curriculum.

 

I generally have good experiences with CBD, but this is a weird trend.

[RootAnn]

I truly can't imagine that even a very intentionally evangelical business would add a $55 item into an order, unrequested, as a means of proselytization.

 

I mean, it's still a business with a bottom line to attend to. A tract, maybe. An inexpensive flyer/booklet, yes. (Although these approach seem quite likely to create ill will rather than softened hearts, and I would guess most wise business owners would know that.) A moment of prayer over an order, yes. But not a high-end Bible.

Well, I didn't know how high end the bible was until I looked it up on their site. It was in its own box, which should have been a clue, but most of our bibles are soft cover and either hand-me downs, gifts, or freebies. We have only one that came in its own box and it is the huge family bible type book.

[Amber in SJ]

I also received unsolicited items from CBD.  In my case it was 10 copies of the Dover published Much Ado About Nothing.  Yep.  10 copies.  I called and they didn't want them back.  I donated 9 and kept one.  I didn't need 10 copies.  :)

 

Amber in SJ

 

[nd293]

I always return things.