Dirty deeds done cheap: a question of morals

[Vlad!]

I bought a PS3 online recently, and of course it came with a sixaxis controller. The problem is, the controller was broken--one of the shoulder buttons was stuck, and I think it has some other issues as well because in FFXII I couldn't get the triangle or select buttons to do anything.

So I drove to Target and bought a new sixaxis. The surprise was, the darn things are like forty bucks. I want to return the broken controller, but the return policy for the online seller I bought from isn't very good. So a nasty thought occurred to me: what if I took the broken controller to Target and exchanged it for a functioning one, claiming that it was the one I bought from them?

AFAIK the end result would be the same--the store would RMA it back to Sony, who would reimburse them for the defective merchandise. Either way, Sony would be the one bearing the burden of the defective controller, which is how it should be. It would just make it easier for me to go through Target.

Thoughts?

[bethany]

See: 9th commandment.

[AldaForPresident]

Thoughts?

I was unaware there was anyone who has not done this at one time or another.

[Vlad!]

Haha, excellent, two very polarized responses. Nice. Bethany, your new name is Good Angel. AFP, you are now Bad Angel.

These replies were posted after I left work to go to Target to do the dirty deed. Which has been done.

Re: the 9th commandment. I don't really think I was bearing false witness against anybody. Maybe I was; I guess it depends on whether you interpret "false witness" or "false testimony" as just a euphemism for lying, or whether it is referring more to accusing someone of something he or she didn't do.

I do realize that, in general, lying is a bad policy. But what I said is true: I bought this thing, it's broken, and I would like to exchange it for a working one. The fact that I didn't buy this particular thing from Target is certainly a lie by omission, but as I said, the end result is the same, minus some hassle on my end. But if you want to color me guilty then I'll accept that, too.

 

[spacebrat311]

I would have done the same...

[NinjaRob17]

I would have thrown the controller across the internet and hit the seller in the face.

[Vlad!]

That was plan B.

[bethany]

Well, I would say that you were bearing false witness against Target by telling them, essentially, that they sold you faulty goods, when, in fact, they did not. I'd imagine there is some kind of cost to them to replace it, even if it is minimal.

[Vlad!]

Fair enough. Can't say I'm particularly torn up about it, though.

[bethany]

Also fair enough. I don't really feel that strongly about it, but it does seem a teensy bit underhanded to me. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, though.