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Ethical dilemma - dodgy practice
- Thread starter iphonepiephone
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The iPod will have a serial number attached to it. Once plugged in that serial number best match the casing.
Your friend is kind of a douche to be honest.
Your friend is part of the reason we pay so much for certain items.
No, let him fall. If you really call this dude a friend, which I can't see why you would, but if you must then let him fall and take the punishment.
At least in the US, if you know of this crime, and it is a crime, you're also liable. You're basically doing it with him since you know about it and you don't say anything.
Dilemma?
Surely it is a no brainer that your *cough* friend *cough* is a twunt?
I'd turn him in.
At the risk of getting on some kind of moral high horse here, why would you want someone like that as a friend?
Types like him give those dodgy shops down Tottenham Court Rd their reputation…
Surely it is a no brainer that your *cough* friend *cough* is a twunt?
I'd turn him in.
At the risk of getting on some kind of moral high horse here, why would you want someone like that as a friend?
Types like him give those dodgy shops down Tottenham Court Rd their reputation…
In the U.S., a shop that did this wound up in big trouble with the owner in jail. It's called fraud. I wouldn't have any 'friends' like that. I'd write an anonymous letter to Apple and let them deal with it.
I would turn him in and sacrifice the friendship.
You say it would be unfair to reveal his identity to the retailer - why? Unfair to the retailer, to all the customers that have to absorb the higher costs? Fairness to your "friend" isn't an issue here, IMO.
You can always make an anonymous tip to the retailer, or to the local police (if they've got the resources to follow it up, and not just let it die on someone's desk).
You say it would be unfair to reveal his identity to the retailer - why?
Unfair to the retailer, to all the customers that have to absorb the higher costs? Fairness to your "friend" isn't an issue here, IMO.You can always make an anonymous tip to the retailer, or to the local police (if they've got the resources to follow it up, and not just let it die on someone's desk).
"Ethical Dilemma" - no, ethically his actions are wrong. You knowing about these actions and doing nothing is wrong.
"dodgy practice" - no, illegal practice.
For all of us who play by the rules and pay more for your friend's illegal actions, I am disgusted. You need to reevaluate your choice in friends.
"dodgy practice" - no, illegal practice.
For all of us who play by the rules and pay more for your friend's illegal actions, I am disgusted. You need to reevaluate your choice in friends.
are you sure about that? i didn't know there was such a strict legal interpretation of "guilty by association." it would be different if the OP was taking part in it, even if miniscule, but i have a hard time believing he could, in anyway, be liable himself simply by knowing what is going on.
Hi folks. I wanted to ask your opinion on something. I have a friend who runs a repair business, and he is a nice chap and all, but I know that sometimes when he needs parts for items, such as camcorders, iPods etc, he will go and purchase one from a specific retailer, take out said parts, and then return item as "faulty".
I know he is thinking about returning an iPod, which a customer broke, in order to have it refunded, by purchasing an identical model, and then returning it, having swapped them, for said reimbursement.
I have done many wrong things in my time, and I do NOT wish to sit in judgement of my friends, but I have asked him if he would consider NOT doing this, on many an occasion, to which I am just laughed at, and given the usual moral backwash "they make SO much money, they won't miss it" etc etc. I asked the person if I could have the broken iPod, in order to claim 10% off my new iPod @ the Apple store
Should I alert said retailer to the practice of checking the serial number on the returned box, with the physical iPod inside?. I feel awful for saying this, but I despise this facet of my friend's character, because he is a business, and this seems HIGHLY immoral AND unethical from a personal perspective, let alone a BUSINESS one!.
I would NEVER reveal his identity to said retailer - that would be unfair, but I am just not sure what to do, as I know this has happened before with "items".
thanks chaps!
Are you sure he's your friend (or shall I say you're HIS friend)? I sure as hell wouldn't snitch on a friend if what he was doing wasn't hurting me. Seriously, you have a problem with something someone else does but don't have a problem going behind their back to butt into their business? That's certainly an aspect of your character that you should try to improve, one which I bet you thought wasn't a problem. You asked him to stop and let your opinion be known which is all you can and should do. To go further and interfere imo opinion would be worse than what he's doing.
On second thought, just call the cops on his ass. You'll probably get more satisfaction out of it than your friendship has brought so far.
I tend to agree with you on this. I couldn't narc out a friend. He'll get his though, what goes around
If you feel strongly enough about this that you'd report this - then I'd recommend you tell him first. Tell him you're about to go to the company and inform them of this practice without mentioning your friend's name, so if he tries it again he's sure to be caught.
That way, you're stopping what he's doing, you're saving the company money, and you're not having to go behind his back. If he chooses not to be your friend after that - it's not much of a loss.
"IMO".
That way, you're stopping what he's doing, you're saving the company money, and you're not having to go behind his back. If he chooses not to be your friend after that - it's not much of a loss.
"IMO".
The companies he is returning items to are IDIOTS if they don't notice something like this. There really is no dilemma for you. Just sit back and let him get burned. Just dont get mixed up in it. He may be able to do it once or twice but he will get caught.
A very wise point. Don't take sh*t, even from your friends. If he's the kind of person who knows what you feel and doesn't care, how much is your friendship really worth?
That's easy for you to say when you're not involved.
A situation like this is not easy no matter how you look at it.
It's very possible that some of us reading and participating in this thread have been in comparable dilemmas.
I wouldn't turn in a friend; but, frankly, he's going to get burned. Especially with Apple.
Turning him in guarantees an end to the friendship. It's essentially your choice to give him a warning and THEN turn him in, which may or may not preserve the friendship, or simply try to discourage him, and then give him a stern told-you-so when he gets caught.
Turning him in guarantees an end to the friendship. It's essentially your choice to give him a warning and THEN turn him in, which may or may not preserve the friendship, or simply try to discourage him, and then give him a stern told-you-so when he gets caught.
I managed to turn this situation to both our advantages; I persuaded the person to let me have the iPod, with which I got a 10% reduction on the purchase price of my sparking new iPod touch 32Gb
I found this was the most sensible and amicable solution, and I don't WANT to lose a friend, but I WOULD rather help my friend lose his misguided sense of morality, by explaining what happens when people do this.
It's VERY hard for me, as he has helped me out SO many times, and I don't want to trash a long relationship, through what is his stupidity - I'd rather show him where he is incorrect, and help him see it is not ALL about getting things for free, "just because I can".
Kudos on the solution. My guess though is that nothing short of an epiphany will change his mind about the questionable morality of his actions.
