Ethics Question

[trdhrdr007]

You are at an estate sale in a very high end neighborhood that is being run by a professional estate sale company. You've been over the whole house & haven't found anything worth buying. You noticed on your first pass through that there were a bunch of name brand sneakers/shoes & you decide to check them out before you leave. Nothing of interest except a pair of nearly new Timberland boots. You pick them up, notice they are caked with red clay in the soles & that they are priced a couple dollars more than you would like to pay. At that point you decide to check the size anyway.....when you do it turns out they are your size AND there is a $100 bill in one of them. Do you:

A) Pocket the money & leave the sale.

B) Pocket the money & start checking other shoes for cash.

C) Give the money to the professional that didn't check for hidden cash.

D) Leave the bill in the shoes & buy them.

E) Something else.

 

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[K1DDO1979]

I think D) leave the bill inside and buy them. Maybe I'd try them on first though to make sure they fit and the bill goes snug up in the toe! [emoji2]
Would take a quick look in the others also just in case!

 

[TommyB]

I completely agree with K1DDO1979. If they're selling used boots with $100 bills in them for $20, I'll buy all they have.

 

[captain flintlock]

I agree. I'd buy them in a heartbeat!! ☠ Even if they weren't my size!!

 

[OldSowBreath]

Garage sale - give the money back to the person holding the sale.

Estate Sale - Buy them with the $100.00 inside. I have zero sympathy for professional estate sales companies.

 

[tamrock]

So what did you end up doing ?

 

[diggummup]

Garage sale - give the money back to the person holding the sale.

Estate Sale - Buy them with the $100.00 inside. I have zero sympathy for professional estate sales companies.

Yeah, it's not like the owner of the estate would ever see it if it got handed over to the "estate sale specialist".

 

[trdhrdr007]

There are 4 estate sale companies here which is a lot for the population. I'm 100% certain that 2 of those companies would pass the money on to the heirs. Another one is too new for me to comment on. The last one (who was running this sale) is incompetent enough that it ends up costing the heirs a lot of money. I've got no idea if she's also criminal and/or unethical but fail to see how that could hurt the heirs any more than her incompetence. She also runs around with a certain social set & gets a lot of the higher end sales.

 

[TommyB]

The standard answer I give when someone asks if this ethical? Is if you have to ask, the answer is usually NO.
If it can appear wrong, It usually IS wrong. Let YOUR conscious be your guide.

 

[trdhrdr007]

The standard answer I give when someone asks if this ethical? Is if you have to ask, the answer is usually NO.
If it can appear wrong, It usually IS wrong. Let YOUR conscious be your guide.

I didn't ask "is this ethical". I laid out a situation & asked what other people would have done. I don't have any problem with what I did in this situation & am not looking for validation OR condemnation. I certainly didn't expect to get moral and/or ethical guidance from someone who picked option D.

 

[Beachkid23]

I suppose it would be no different then buying a jewelry box because you saw a gold necklace Inside it. I'd buy the item. And keep the $$. Also check all the others as well!

 

[captain flintlock]

I suppose it would be no different then buying a jewelry box because you saw a gold necklace Inside it. I'd buy the item. And keep the $$. Also check all the others as well!

You know it!! There's a level of responsibility on the seller/owners part to know what they have before they sell. That's why we all do what we do and we've taken the time to educate ourselves. ☠

 

[jeff of pa]

you didn't mention the price of the Boots.
If I come out ahead, I buy them also.

If they are trying to rip someone off by charging almost New Prices,
I'd take the hundred & walk.
The price is on the shoe not the Hundred Dollar bill, Right ?

 

[Peyton Manning]

I don't need $100 enough to deal with the question during the night as I sleep.

 

[ARC]

Damned if ya do... guilt.
Damned if ya don't... guilt.

Heh.

Just taking the bill... is theft.
But...
Buying the shoes with the bill in it.. IS a sale.
Fair trade.

Did they happen to have a sign that says "all sales final" ?

 

[jeff of pa]

I don't need $100 enough to deal with the question during the night as I sleep.

LOL I'm no big fan of Ethics Questions myself.

When asked an Ethics question, I always take the Low road on Purpose.
because everyone already expects to be told to do the right thing.

& what is the Right thing for You ?
maybe not the Right thing for Me.

MMM now my Brain hurts

Soon sleepy time too

 

[jeff of pa]

Damned if ya do... guilt.
Damned if ya don't... guilt.

Heh.

Just taking the bill... is theft.
But...
Buying the shoes with the bill in it.. IS a sale.
Fair trade.

Did they happen to have a sign that says "all sales final" ?

if it's a snot rag in the shoe & you take it , is it Theft ?
a $100.00 bill is just a snot rag till someone claims it.
sort of like the tree falling & nobody hears it.

 

[Peyton Manning]

no Jeff, hundys are coke sniffer tubes (as I hear it)

 

[jeff of pa]

no Jeff, hundys are coke sniffer tubes (as I hear it)

been too long since I owned a $100 dollar bill Jeff. I forgot that

 

[JimDon]

Buy the shoes and another $100 worth of items at the sale to resell. Proceeds for selling should At least Double the $100 and I would end up with at least $200 plus a pair of shoes for at least a $190 profit. The estate sale company will get hundred dollars for their efforts and get rid of some stuff. I'd sleep like a baby.