To not tell them their mistake

[glitterglitters]

Question of ethics here

Basically I bought some maternity clothes online from a very well known retailer beginning with T.

Goods have arrived and are perfect.

Money had been allocated from my account for the transaction and appeared under "pending".

This has now vanished, nothing on my statement and cash hasn't come out.

Spoke to my bank who said that it's most unusual but it has indeed vanished, as if the retailer has cancelled the transaction. They said that as I have "Completed" emails I'm not in the wrong, haven't stolen anything but it's up to me if I contact the company or not.

The phone advisor basically hinted (though didn't say directly) that I'd got lucky and he's never seen it happen.

Should I contact the company and let them know the error or should I just play dumb and enjoy the clothes knowing that the owner of the company isn't innocent in such matters and they have more than enough cash.

I personally would leave it for a little while. I've had similar but came out a couple of weeks later.

Ah go on tell them!!
In my experience you will
Blow someone's mind thatbthe computer won't cope with it & they'll tell you to keep the stuff for free!
Either that or you'll pay for it and end up with double!!!

I was in maternity leave when the vat rate dropped to 15%. Because I had no friggin' idea what size:shape I was I used to order lots of clothes from M&S. they'd kept their prices the same, the discounted the reduced VAT rate on payment. Then when you returned the good they refunded the payment ..... except they also refunded the reduced VAT rate!!
So if you bought £117.50 of goods, you paid £115 & got refunded £120 !!!!

I tried to explain this on more than one occasion to about 6 senior members of staff instore, by phone and by email!!! To no avail! All told me it was too complicated to work out and to take the money!

Your ethics and principles are excellent! Though I suspect "computer will say no"!!

Regardless of if they were a big or small company, I would feel ethically obliged to pay. Worse case scenario is they realise what has happened and ask for the money when you don't have it.

If it's Topshop, well, the owner of that store knows a thing or two about theft!

e thought (wrongly!) That the company we'd used for lo's birthday party hadn't taken the money (£289!) Cue lots of dancing around and congratulating ourselves

Nice. Really nice.

If it's a big company I wouldn't. If it was a local small retailer I would.

The size of the company shouldn't matter, it's still theft.

That's like saying it's ok to rob big houses but not small ones.

Ooooooh! If it's Topshop don't pay it. Couple quid out of that awful mans pocket.

I'd leave it a day or so then I'd tell them. Its not something I'd give any thought to. Everyone has their own morals.

I would be the first to shout if someone charged me twice so would have to tell them if they did not charge me.

The thing is its not your fault its there's so it's not actually theft as you attempted payment when i was pregnant i ordered a mattress for a crib and moses basket they sent me a crib one twice i took it back and said it was wrong they changed it refunded difference didn't really get what had happened i thought i must of made a balls up and ordered wrong it was only after that I realised i hadn't actually paid for the moses basket mattress was still in shopping basket online so i got two mattresses for the price of one as the store made a mistake and sent a text saying my mattress was ready to collect in store a week apart. I didn’t go back it was too much hassle being heavily pregnant working full time and funny shifts then early labour. I can't say i feel guilty I've made mistakes when worked in the shop it was my fault not the customers.

If it was paid by PayPal they have just made some changes and the money doesn't actually get taken from your bank/credit card instantly (or within the 3 days) anymore its much longer.....

It IS theft at the point you realise you haven't paid. That's simply a fact.

And it also doesn't matter if it's a chain or an independent. Either you're happy to be morally and legally in the wrong or not.

I would wait a couple of days (so over the weekend) to ensure no money went out of my paypal.

I would then call because you should pay for goods you have.

@p1nkflam1ngos - do you honestly think that this will come out of the owner's pocket? Or out of share holders pockets?

It does NOT.

All losses, whether due to breakage, shoplifting or accidents like the one in the OP are called shrinkage, ^and is paid for by the customers NOT the owners or shareholders.

A percentage of the price of every item in Topshop (to use your example) is to cover losses due to shrinkage - so every time you buy an item in there, you are paying the costs of shoplifters, breakages and everyone who gets undercharged accidentally like the OP was.

So you are not encouraging the OP to 'stick it to the man' - you are encouraging her to take money out of the pocket of every honest customer.

It baffles me that people still think losses like this come out of profits or the owners pocket.

It may come out soon, it may not. I would keep the money and keep quiet if it doesn't. You paid in good faith, they didn't take the money then it's not your fault.

Mumsnetters strike me down, I'm a horrible immoral person!!! Go ahead and judge me if you want, I really couldn't care less

I'm sorry op I wouldn't contact the company, youve made payment they haven't collected it as of yet, I don't see the problem you haven't actively gone out your way not to pay

The retailer have up to 6 months to claim the money, so prepare for them to take it down the line

I would wait and see. It's not theft, OP had agreed to pay and made the funds available. It's not like she's received somebody else's delivery or misrepresented anything.

Years ago I signed up for a gym, you paid a joining fee upfront and then the monthly fee was actually a credit agreement. I gave my bank details, signed all the forms etc. They never debited any money. I asked for legal advice both from a solicitor friend and from the legal team of my company's employee assistance programme, and was told that as long as I had provided the correct details and given the company my permission to charge my account, it was their problem if they failed to do it. Free gym for 2 years until I moved cities.

I wouldn't contact them. It's their problem to rectify, not yours.

This happens every time that I order online from Dorothy Perkins - The payment shows initially as "pending" and then disappears entirely for days but it always ends up that I don't get charged until about a week after delivery.

I don't know if that's the "norm" though but I doubt that you will end up getting the items for free, they will take payment at some point.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius yes!
I don't understand all the people saying they wouldn't say anything if it was a big retailer?
You do realise people actually work in these places?
do you realise all things like this, including theft means that shops then can't afford to give staff hours, extend contracts?
Why is it ok to fuck over big companies but not little ones? Why is it different morally?

This happened to me 2 weeks ago (was it sat 28 jan)? I did some shopping at Tesco noticed a couple of days later it wasn't taken and not pending. Last monday I called Tesco and the guy checked the system using my bank no. No record of the transaction at all. They said has to be a case of "have it on Tesco". ☺

Kiroro, did you not notice how I said WE'D WRONGLY THOUGHT IT HADN'T COME OUT?
Jeez!

We all pay extra for shoplifters and thieves.

We used to teach children it was wrong to steal but obviously that message wasn't taught to many as lots are happy to take goods and services and not pay. Morals seem a thing of the past.