this post was submitted on 15 Oct 2025
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53
What would the moral choice here be? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 1 day ago by SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
33 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I ordered 4 pairs of shoes online. I received 3, 1 if which was damaged.

A few days later I called to complaint about the missing shoe and the damaged shoe. They tell me nothing they can do about the damaged shoe, but will pay me back for the undelivered shoe and that they knew already as the stock had actually run out and the return was already in process.

The transaction went through today, I received payment for all 4 shoes....

So basically I got 2 shoes plus a damaged shoe for free

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[–] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 13 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

I think about what I would want, if our roles were reversed.

If I was being paid minimum wage to toss shoes in a box and ship them to you, and I made this mistake in your favor, I would prefer that you enjoy it and don't inform my employer of my error.

If I'm a sole owner, I'm probably happy if you let me know about the error, but I'm probably most concerned that you give me 5 stars wherever you are able. (And I hope that you consider some free shoes 5 stars worthy, but maybe leave off the bit about my being kind of shit at logistics.)

Either way, in your shoes, I probably leave a review
"5/5 great shoes and service for the price I paid."

[–] Olgratin_Magmatoe@slrpnk.net 32 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If it's a mom and pop store, then the right thing to do is notify them.

If it's a corporation, fuck their soulless bullshit.

[–] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 15 hours ago

A mom and pop store are less likely to send a damaged piece. They actually care about their customers.

[–] Perspectivist@feddit.uk 10 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

From a purely moral standpoint it seems rather obvious that the right thing to do is to contact them and let them know about the mistake. I'm quite literally unable to come up with an opposing argument.

[–] ILoveUnions@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

An easy opposing argument would be if they've done wage theft. Which near every large company has. Or if they've used unethical business practices (ditto)

[–] Perspectivist@feddit.uk 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

You’re shifting the question from "what’s the right thing to do?" to "does this company deserve honesty?" - which isn’t a counterargument, it’s a dodge. The idea that the company probably committed wage theft is pure speculation, and even if true, it wouldn’t justify dishonesty in return. That’s moral relativism, not ethics. The question here is simple: do you knowingly keep money that isn’t yours? Everything else is just rationalizing what one already wants to do.

[–] ILoveUnions@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I'm responding to you asking for a purely moral stance, with a possible counter argument. I'm not suggesting to take without checking, I'm suggesting check and it's very likely they have.

, it wouldn’t justify dishonesty in return

It would justify not going out of your way to return money to them.

That’s moral relativism, not ethics

There's no such thing as morals or ethics that are not relative. Stating that has no meaning. When discussing morals, you must be willing to debate the morals foundations themselves. Are you?

[–] Perspectivist@feddit.uk 1 points 9 hours ago

It would justify not going out of your way to return money to them.

I disagree. A moral universalist view would hold that taking what isn’t yours is wrong, full stop. You can argue there are degrees to it - that stealing from a cancer patient causes more harm than stealing from a megacorporation - but something being less bad than the alternative still doesn’t make it good or right. From a purely moral standpoint, the right thing to do is to let them know they overpaid. Treat others as you’d want to be treated yourself.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 55 points 1 day ago

~~Bank~~Corpo Error in Your Favor. Collect $200.

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

If it's a huge megacorporation, keep the money. If not, contact them.

[–] my_hat_stinks@programming.dev 34 points 1 day ago (1 children)

On your end there's not much to consider here. You can let them know they refunded the entire order, chances are they'll just write it off. If they ask you to send it back it should be entirely at their expense, do not pay to send it back.

On their end there's more going on. It sounds like they charged you for an item they knowingly did not ship then claimed the refund was already in progress when you complained. They also gave you a damaged item and claimed to be unable to refund that, which in most developed countries would be a breach of consumer regulations. This sounds an awful lot like that company is attempting to scam people.

[–] SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 day ago

Not in a developed country. This was a good experience by our standards lol

[–] yesman@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

Treat capitalists as you find them. Forget morality. What is advantageous and legal is automatically good. What is advantageous and illegal is a cost/benefit calculation.

[–] Hegar@fedia.io 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If the seller has enough capital for a customer service phone line, you have no ethical duty to let them know about two pairs of shoes.

The manufacturing cost of two pairs is negligible - there's no way it can meaningfully affect them at all. Whereas an extra 4 pairs worth of retail price could meaningfully affect you. Even if you only spend it on yourself, you create more happiness in the world by not saying anything.

If you feel guilty or really don't need the money, you can always treat a loved one, spend it on fair trade or independently made shoes or clothes, or find an anti-sweat-shop group to donate to.

[–] yermaw@sh.itjust.works 2 points 19 hours ago

Spot on. If its some individual on Etsy having a go, do the right thing. If its an international corporation fuck em. They can misplace thousands before they even notice.

[–] SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I could contact them and pay them, for 2 or 3 shoes.

I could forget about it.

I could donate the cost of 2 shoes somewhere I want. Theres a charity here that helps women victim of domestic abuse, particularly acid attacks. Or somewhere else.

[–] remon@ani.social 21 points 1 day ago

It's just 2 pair of shoes .... you didn't win the lottery. Just keep the shoes.

[–] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The last one sounds like a win-win for both you and society.

[–] SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 day ago

Thats what I'm leaning towards.

[–] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'd probably go with the last option.

The answer IMO depends a lot on what kind of shop it is. Basically how scummy they are. Their refusal to refund the damaged pair makes them sound kinda scummy.

[–] SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

All corporations are inherently evil to me.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is a corp? Hold the money as long as needed and if still there, the women could probably benefit most from it.

[–] Perspectivist@feddit.uk 0 points 23 hours ago

Then why are you even asking for the moral thing to do here?

[–] Libb@piefed.social 7 points 1 day ago

Contact them to at least let them know about the error regarding the refund. If they are not morons, they should let you keep the money. And if they ask you to send the money back, at the very least you will know you have done the right thing.

[–] Paragone@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Depends on YOUR relationship with your Eternity/karma/sow-reap-Law:

How would you want others to treat you, were your places reversed?

That's what you need to do, to be upright in your own soul.

_ /\ _

[–] Perspectivist@feddit.uk 1 points 23 hours ago

Thanks for being the only person making sense in this thread. This is such a depressing group of people to hang with sometimes..

[–] ace_garp@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

They may be trying to avoid the situation where you leave a negative review, which would cost them more than the cost of the shoes.

[–] zxqwas@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If they notice the poor guy processing your order will probably be yelled at, maybe fired.

[–] SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If I tell em they notice for sure.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ya, don’t say or do anything. No brainer. There is no upside to doing anything here.

[–] ethaver@kbin.earth 3 points 1 day ago

but don't spend the money. I forget how long they have to request it back. it's called like unjust enrichment or something. basically accidentally paying someone too much is only a problem for poor people.