so basically i bought a standard white macbook from apple on the phone, and i have been sent a 17" mac pro. the thing is i was charged for the cheaper computer, and even my shipping invoices say i was sent the small white one, so there seems to be no proof that they sent me the 17" pro!? After leaving it and stressing majorly about it all for a few weeks i have decided that i might sell it. The problem then is, what if whoever buys it off me ever has a problem with it takes it in to apple to be fixed, and then they trace the serial number and see that it's not on the system as being sold. Would that even happen?? Help me please someone!!
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ETHICAL CRISIS - i got sent a free 17" MP...
- Thread starter miccc83
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I'd call Apple and explain what happened. They may, just tell you to keep it as it's their error.
There's no ethical crisis involved. Call them and ask them what they want to do. They've not yet fulfilled your order properly.
Remind me not to send you something by mistake.....
Call Apple. Going off by history of people in a similar situation, they end up letting you keep the machine. Though I have seen that situation only for a higher spec of the same model, and not for a different model entirely.
So stealing is more ethical if its from someone with money than someone without? Personally, I think its just as bad either way.
I would have just called Apple when they sent me the wrong item.
The OP has stolen nothing. If I give you my iPhone and don't ask for it back, have you stolen it?
Apple doesn't realize their mistake, how are they supposed to ask for it back?
How did this attitude come up in our generation of they are entitled to everything or something is theirs if they find something or someone makes a mistake?
Call Apple OP. Again, chances are Apple will let you keep it going off past history. But, it is still the right thing to do to let them know they made a mistake.
All the more reason to keep it I say.
And anyway, if I accedently dropped my iPhone into your pocket and didn't realise, you still wouldn't have stolen it.
Well, if we have a contract that says you're to give me an iPod Touch 8gb and you send me a 32gb iPhone, then yeah, me not informing you of the mistake may be consider stealing. I'd also bet you'd be fairly pissed if you ran a small computer retailer and you sent me a 32gb iPhone instead of the 8gb iPod Touch I ordered and I didn't inform you of your extremely costly mistake; the size of Apple should'nt make a difference.
We're not talking about Apple sending him a machine with a slight speed boost or 4gb of ram instead of 2gb; he was sent a machine that is more than twice as expensive.
Yes, it would be stealing if I didn't do everything reasonable to return it to you. Your hypothetical situation is like the iPhone prototype situation. And I bet I know your opinion on that situation too......
Founders keepers, keeping things because someone could afford the loss, etc are not legal defenses. I dare you do something like what you're fine doing and go to court with that defense. I want to see how long you last before you're put in jail......
I'd call Apple and let them know. They'll probably not want to pay for shipping again both ways and will just let you keep it. Maybe they didn't have any more of what you ordered in stock at the moment as well so they bumped you up - especially if the SN match - or it is just a mistake in your favor, and by having called you can cleanse yourself of this ethical crisis.
We're not talking about a small computer retailer here, and sorry but that does matter. If it's someone who needs every little bit of money to make a living, it's completely different from a massive corporation like Apple who hasen't even noticed.
There's probably only a reletively small difference in the cost to Apple of building and manufacuring the two computers, BTW.
I didn't know the law distinguishes between a small business and a big corporation when it comes to theft......... Breaking into an Apple Store to steal a 17" MBP will not get you treated differently then breaking into small 3rd party retailer and stealing that same 17" MBP.
Appple isn't a 'someone' though! That is the thing. Their products are marked up in price to compensate for losses, payouts etc.. If i keep it noone is loosing any money at all. Thats how big businesses like that work.
It just can't decide whether it would be unbelievably stupid to give it back, as there is seemingly no reason to, or really stupid to keep it, when if i give it back the worst thats going to happen is they will send me the one i originally bought!
Again, so you're okay with stealing from someone if they have more money? You've pretty much proven you agree with my original question.
Stealing is stealing, it doesn't matter who its from; the law doesn't much care whether you steal Bill Gates car or Joe Average, you face the same charges and the same punishment.
What's your point? Stealing from a business is pretty much the same as stealing from a person. I fully understand the process of markup, as well as loss provisions, bad debts, etc. It doesn't change the fact that making a phone call to Apple is likely the most ethical solution.
I would call them. You won't feel guilty about screwing Apple. Although I really doubt they will let you keep it. Shipping isn't that much and especially if the difference in money is $1300.
But if they realize it's their mistake and they're feeling generous....
EDIT
But if they realize it's their mistake and they're feeling generous....
EDIT
If you really think a company wont lose money from selling something way below the actual price, then I don't know what to say. And last time I checked Apples stocks are really high. Why would they feel the need to inflate their prices?
So you're fine with the rest of us absorbing the cost for keeping a product you didn't pay for( you paid for a MB, not a MBP).
I really do hate the rationalization people do in order to justify keeping something that isn't theirs......
It seems there are no ethics involved at all, considering you ask this question.
As nice it may be, that you get a better model (spec-wise) than you ordered, it is still not right. What would you do, if you ordered the 17" uMBP and only got the 13" MB?
As nice it may be, that you get a better model (spec-wise) than you ordered, it is still not right. What would you do, if you ordered the 17" uMBP and only got the 13" MB?
Woah, I've done nothing wrong. IMO, taking advantage of a mistake isn't theft, espeically since the OP still paid for the computer anyway, just a lower price than he/she usually would have for the machine they got.
And let's face it, anyone in a situation like the OP is in won't go to jail for not saying.
As for the prototype iPhone, I believe Apple was wrong to launch a criminal investigation against the Gizmodo editor, especially since the guy who found it did call up Apple, but that's a different matter entirely.