I was having a talk with a person today where he was able to get a huge discount at a chain store because for one reason or another the company’s pricing system was not updated properly. Basically, $30 items would ring up at the cash register for about $5 only. Of course, he decided to buy a bunch and even went to different locations to do the same.
He was then saying in some ways he felt like he had robbed the store as the company must have lost a lot of money because of this error. This was interesting I thought because some would say it’s completely wrong whereas others would say you are simply taking advantage of what the business is offering.
In some ways I would say it is no different than being savvy shopper where you hunt down for certain products at particular store where on top of using coupons you would literally walk away with the item for free. I personally think it is wrong if you are specifically trying to fight for the discount when the business itself clearly recognizes that it is a pricing error where you try to use every technicality in the world to get it after.
Example, if you bought five of those items and they offer to sell you one at the incorrect price then that is usually satisfactory I would say. Trying to push it further is just a little too greedy I think even if you do save a lot. Kind of reminds me in like cartoons where people forget to write a “One free item per customer†clause and then you see this guy trying to get like a thousand free products which puts the company out of business.