2fer1

[Sync]

You approach a drink vending machine... Cost of drinks in the machine is $1.00 for each drink... You put in $1.00 and make your selection... Two drinks fall out... What would you do?

[JohnnyJersey]

Depends on the situation, but ultimately I would have no problem taking them both. I might contact the vendor to inform them and offer to pay for the second drink if I did so, but to be honest, if I didn't, I believe it wouldn't be stealing on my part.

I might be rationalizing, but my thinking is that I did not intend to steal a can of soda, I intended to pay for one can and receive one can. The vendor's machine, which is the manner in which he selected to sell his cans of soda, malfunctioned. It is not the fault or responsibility of the customer to make sure the seller's machine is working properly. If I had the time and it wasn't too much of a burden I'd call the phone number on the machine.

Conversely, when I have put money in a machine and been stiffed, it's often too difficult to chase my money. Recovering a dollar after days or weeks by mail is not worth my time.

I firmly believe that buying from a vending machine, especially an isolated one at an unmanned place like a rest stop or street corner, has a risk - 99% chance you'll get the soda, 1% chance you'll get none or two. If it's easy to go to a desk or counter to return the extra or ask for a refund, I'd do it but if not, I move on.

It's like if I go to a store and there are 10 cans of soda on the shelf, and each one says "$1.00", but I find one that is mispriced as "$.10", by law that store has to sell me that one for 10 cents, and I would not be morally or legally wrong to hold them to it. The selling and dispensing of goods falls mostly on the seller, not the buyer.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents... or one dollar, as it were...

[Sync]

Wow, you thought through a lot of angles. It seems the more we rationalize, the easier it is to take that extra drink though - do you think?

So, that's one for "taking drink #2 ultimately would not be stealing".

What do others think? What is the right thing to do? What would you do in this very common situation?

[McCulloch]

I paid my money for the beverage. It offered me an extra one. If the waitress offers to refill my glass, I don't think that I am stealing so if the machine offers me an extra drink, why would it be wrong to take it?

If it were wrong, what would be the remedy? Put a dollar into an envelope and mail it to the vending company? Why should I pay for the stamp and the envelope for their mistake? Take a dollar, buy a stamp and an envelope and mail them the change? I think that the accounting concept of materiality comes into play here.

[Sync]

That's two who would take the second drink that fell - and so far, its all good...

Others?

What would you do in a situation such as this?

Thank you Johnny and McCulloch.

[lao tzu]

That's two who would take the second drink that fell - and so far, its all good...

Others?

What would you do in a situation such as this?

Thank you Johnny and McCulloch.

I'm thinking I'd mail it to you and then have Johnny and McC show up at your door as part of a reality TV show.

Okay, maybe not.

Honestly, I figure I'd give it away to someone nearby. It'd be warm by the time I got to it otherwise. Seriously, vending machines are much more likely to rip you off than hand you a bonus. How many times have we seen stories about one of those things falling on someone and killing them because they were trying to get it to cough up what they were owed?

If we're going to think about the moral implications of the vending machine trade, the mythical freebie softdrink is pretty far down on the list, in context.

As ever, Jesse

[ChaosBorders]

If it were wrong, what would be the remedy? Put a dollar into an envelope and mail it to the vending company? Why should I pay for the stamp and the envelope for their mistake? Take a dollar, buy a stamp and an envelope and mail them the change? I think that the accounting concept of materiality comes into play here.

As an accounting major, I support your view that materiality comes into play. It would cost the company far more to try and do anything about the extra soda you took than it would cost to replace it. Just the time to take your phone call would likely cost more. So any attempt to "do the right thing" and return the soda would almost certainly be more damaging to the company.

[Sync]

...any attempt to "do the right thing" and return the soda would almost certainly be more damaging to the company.

Is returning the soda "the right thing"? You didn't state what you would do. What would you do in this situation, Chaosborders? Thanks for the reply.

OK, so we have three, with probable gusts up to four, who are going with "I'd take the soda and run" - AND three threaders may now have an opportunity to appear in a reality TV show. Thanks for the opportunity, Lao - and for the reply.

Okay, others... What would you do?

Regards

[ChaosBorders]

...any attempt to "do the right thing" and return the soda would almost certainly be more damaging to the company.

Is returning the soda "the right thing"? You didn't state what you would do. What would you do in this situation, Chaosborders? Thanks for the reply.

OK, so we have three, with probable gusts up to four, who are going with "I'd take the soda and run" - AND three threaders may now have an opportunity to appear in a reality TV show. Thanks for the opportunity, Lao - and for the reply.

Okay, others... What would you do?

Regards

I'd take the soda. The company expects things like this to happen and plans accordingly. Trying to turn it in would not only waste my time, it would waste theirs, both of which are far more valuable than the cost of the soda.

If I knew someone in the immediate area who seemed thirsty, I would probably give it to them. If there wasn't, I would end up drinking it myself.

[Sync]

Confirmed. Four. Thanks again.

Who else has a take?