Would you/could you be honest

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-18-2004
Would you/could you be honest
8
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 8:57am

Just curious what you would do in this situation. In Overland Park Kansas last week a gas station had a glitch in their system. After the station was closed for the night and they went to the pay at the pump with a credit/debit card system, the gas started selling for 19 cents a gallon. It's normal price was $1.83/gallon. One guy filled up 3 vehicles for less than $20. Now my question, would you have gone back the next morning, reported the error and paid the difference or would you have just said it was an error in your favor?

I ask because I know we are all in debt and savings in areas like gas would really help a lot, but is it fair to punish the station owner for a computer glitch?

DH and I talked about it and said we would have gone back and paid the difference when the station opened because a) it's the right thing to do and b) they had our credit card info and probably security and would have been afraid of getting caught anyway.

Just as a side note, the gas station owner lost over $2000 because of the error (no one went back to pay the difference). He did say though that he would have one unannounced hour a week where he would sell gas for 66 cents a gallon because he is a Phillips 66 station, but you will have to be there at the right time to get the deal.

Once again what would you have done? Just something to make you think. There is no right or wrong answer here.

Kellie

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-05-2004
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 10:34am

I would have gone back to pay the difference, showing him my receipt and what pump I was on, etc. It's not only the right thing to do, but as you said, he's got your credit card info, and at least around here, my name always shows up on my gas station receipts. :-D

Pat

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2005
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 11:18am
It seems to me that this would be one of those times when I would consider God to be testing me, if you know what I mean.
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Avatar for cl_beckymk
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 12:00pm

You know that would be tough, although I'm sure it would be a glitch but....sometimes the clerks don't let you get away with trying to do the right thing.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 12:46pm
I heard about this the day after it happened. The interesting part to me is HOW it happened - the owner's daughter was working there and set the prices. SHE set them at that price by mistake, so it wasn't a computer error. The owner was interviewed and said they were laughing about it...
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 1:25pm

When I was about 21 years old I got a paycheck from a part-time job that looked a little high. I was leaving soon and it was my second to last paycheck. I told them and they investigated, and it turns out they had over paid me.

A few years ago I gave a co-worker some money to buy me lunch. The cashier gave her $10 extra in change and she noticed on the way back, but gave it to me and said it was my lucky day. I made her take it back and return it (it was a short walk back).

Earlier this year my company gave me $40 extra dollars in my final healthcare spending account reimbursement check (they withhold money from your check and then reimburse you, making the $$ tax free, but they gave me back $40 too much). I called them up and they agreed that they made the error, but told me to keep it, so I got the persons name and I kept it (in case someone later said she should have asked me to repay it, I could at least say I offered).

I'd say based on my record I'd go back to the gas station and pay the correct amount. I agree with the poster that said she feels sometimes God is testing her. It doesn't matter to me that nobody would find out, *I* would know and I would just rather not live with that. For $10 or $40 or $100, it's just not worth it if it's not yours and it's gained at someone else's expense.

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Avatar for travinski
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-21-2004
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 4:39pm
Okay, I'll be honest. I would wait for them to phone me if they had my credit information. If they didn't call, I'd figure they could absorb the loss more than I could, LOL!

Travi

 

Avatar for boogriz
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 5:54pm

Well....if it was a station that was in my community or a regular place I gassed up - meaning one that I didn't use while say traveling or far away - I'd go back. If it was a one time stop in another town or a long drive away and the mistake was made...I'd say THANK YOU LORD for this gift; I really needed it today! and be on my way.

Guess that makes me bad, but sometimes when you are in need, gifts come from strange places.

B.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2001
Tue, 02-15-2005 - 5:55pm
Something like this has happened to us twice in the last year. Here in S. Florida we get bad thunderstorms in the spring/summer. Often in the late afternoon some really bad thunder and lightning will make the electricity go off/on quickly. Twice when we were filling up our cars the electricity went off/on, and we were not charged. We were using our debit card both times. We didn't go back and pay. It's not honest, but that's what we did.