Is this ethical?

[crosses]

If a store has a limit of one per customer, is it ethical to buy one in the morning and then buy another one in the evening?

[PennyPincher]

I've done similar things multiple times. I don't think it's unethical. Just this week my fiancee and I were shopping. 12-packs of soda were just $1.98, but the limit was 2. So...we just got on two lines and paid separately. I don't think much harm is done there ~ plus, we spent over $70 on other stuff!

[xboxundone]

I think in these situations you common sense.... Most fo the places you aren't just going to buy the sodas or whatever is on sale i see no harm in going once in morning and once in afternoon or you and your wife going in seperate lines to get two of the deals as they put out the offers to bring people in

[lieweheksie]

I would say so- unless it is a smallish family owned type business- trust me thay factor this into the equation of how much to mark stuff down by- It's a Walmart- it's definitely OK
Don't abuse the sytem but buying 2 instead of one is not abuse
My defintion of ethical is doing the right thing, when no-one can see you or knows what you have done

[mom-from-missouri]

As a former retail business owner, no-its not if you use the items for your personal use. We tend to limit the quanities on sale items to keep competetiors from coming in and buying them all for their inventory to resale. Many times when items are put on sale, the store is getting a rebate from the vendor or manufactuor so that the store does not loose money. The items may actually be selling for less that the wholesale price. This sometimes temps other stores to come in and buy them all for their shelves--thus, a limit is placed.

[terry1156]

We have always taken the approach that if it is a seperate trip, then it is fair game. We don't think it is right to go through the checkout and then go back and buy another one. One per person means that if you go with your spouse or kids, they qualify.

[amomof4]

If I go to the store more than once during the sale, I will buy the items again. Although I don't recall just going to buy the items again.

[crosses]

The trip was a completely separate trip. I has stopped there in the morning and purchased the sale item, but had forgotten to get milk. So I picked up another one. But after doing it, I felt that it might not have been ethical.

[PrincessPerky]

You bought some extra stuffon the second trip and had to pay the gas to get there, I think it is fine. But I wouldn't arange my day to be able to stop twice.

And I do consider my husband and I seperate people, after all we could be living apart, just cause the government penalizes us for being married doesn't mean the stores have to too.

[Tree0164]

I do this all the time and I do not think that it is unethical. For example I was in Stop and Shop a few months back and they had Ragu on sale for 99 cents limited to 6 per customer. I was puttng them in my cart and a worker said that they don't limit what you can actually get. Heck I picked up 10 jars and all were 99 cents a piece. Alot of times the store say a limit of 6 so that you MUST think that it s a good deal and get the 6.

[Janean]

A good rule of thumb is to just ask if they mind if you come in a second time in one day for the "second" limit? And what about returning the next day? Just ask...

[akaivyleaf]

Well I'm bad then, because I don't even leave the store... I asked if it was transaction based, and I'll pay for it once, then have another transaction while I'm there, and pay for it again and so forth, until I get the quantity I want. I don't leave the store, and I don't come back.

[JLP]

Originally Posted by akaivyleaf

Well I'm bad then, because I don't even leave the store... I asked if it was transaction based, and I'll pay for it once, then have another transaction while I'm there, and pay for it again and so forth, until I get the quantity I want. I don't leave the store, and I don't come back.

Like another poster said, stores put limits on those types of items to keep other businesses from coming in and buying up their stock to sell at their own business.

Also, businesses know that sale items bring in traffic. They also know that the traffic leads to sales of higher profit items.

JLP

[CherylOK]

If you're concerned, ask. Your conscience will thank you!

[MargaretKur]

To buy or not to buy...what *does* your conscience say?

I personally wouldn't go back to the store the same day on purpose just to get more, and it's not just because I've been shopping there for 24 years. I just wouldn't feel right.

However, I see no reason why my husband and I wouldn't be considered separate customers since we're separate people. During one shopping trip I think it's ethical if we were to get into separate lines and therefore make separate transactions, or if my husband were to shop in that store later on the same day.

As someone else mentioned, if the sale were still in effect on a later date, no problem.

My, the fun a whole family might have with this...

Still, I say as well, let your conscience guide you and if you're not sure, ask the management. What was that quote again...reputation is what you do when other people know about it, but character is what you do when nobody else is watching?