UncleCross
Member
Asking for a price match is not fraud. You should probably learn what that word means if you are going to try to use it.
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Wal-Mart scammed into price-matching the bogus 89.99$ PS4 listing on Amazon.
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Asking for a price match is not fraud. You should probably learn what that word means if you are going to try to use it.
CosmicQueso
Member
Knowingly using a false listing in order to gain that price match is fraud.
Go through the thread. Give it a read.
reptilescorpio
Member
Whoa that's straight up fraud to make a fake listing on Amazon.
Price matching an error I can understand, if the retailer decides to match. But to rig the system is unethical.
Price matching an error I can understand, if the retailer decides to match. But to rig the system is unethical.
prag16
Banned
So by extension, stealing from a megacorp stimulates the economy! Why didn't congress think of this!
DoktorEvil
Banned
How are rape apologists and Walmart related again, you absolutely ridiculous person?
prag16
Banned
As I argued earlier in the topic, for the person trying to get a price match, it IS basically the same thing from an ethical standpoint. Whether the impetus a blatanly flagrant price error at sears, or a fake listing on amazon, the buyer is attempting to enter into the transaction at walmart in bad faith.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
You can do that?
prag16
Banned
I don't know if you saw the discussion earlier in the thread...
But another comparison made was to software piracy.
The excuse here that people are using seems to hinge on the person asking for the price match NOT being the same person that put up the fake listing.
Interestingly this is very similar to the argument some people make when defending piracy: That only the cracker/sharer is in the wrong. Obviously that's bs; the person taking advantage of the "free" game copy via torrent or w/e isn't in the clear.
So why is the person taking advantage of the bogus price, and trying to enter into a price-match transaction at walmart in bad faith blameless, according to many here?
More money in consumer pockets stimulates the economy. Certainly moreso than in the coffers of a billionaire that use loopholes to avoid paying billions in taxes.
Faking a price is pretty fucking shitty. Knowing that the pricing was faked and trying to purchase the item is shitty too. Taking advantage of a pricing error however is within the territory of fair game.
Edit: I don't think there's anything wrong with taking advantage of a pricing error that is the company's fault. Creating a false price point or faking an image for example is not acceptable, regardless of whether or not it's another person or a large corporation.
Edit: I don't think there's anything wrong with taking advantage of a pricing error that is the company's fault. Creating a false price point or faking an image for example is not acceptable, regardless of whether or not it's another person or a large corporation.
Chaplain
Member
I think the following video goes hand-in-hand with how these type of situations can be unethical.
Is the Customer Always Right?
What do you think?
prag16
Banned
Of course that's true in some ways. But you're potentially traveling down a slippery slope now with this line of reasoning.
What the blue hell kind of science-fiction economics class did you take? This only makes any sense whatsoever if retailers got their goods for free and made 100% profit on every item they sold, which is preposterous.
If the customer's first transaction causes a business to eat a $300 loss on an item, using that entire $300 on more purchases would still barely scratch the surface of recouping the initial loss. Price of products =/= profit margin, you lunatic.
Fox Mulder
Member
they just have to train their employees better. No reason why a huge discount like this should slip through because of a third party listing on amazon.
They're not blameless. If you do this, you most likely know the risks and you're likely to get away with it. I just accept that they're probably not horrible people and that we've probably all strayed into a grey areas on issues like these. Moral absolutism on being a "good consumer" is totally laughable.
Also, for anyone who thinks I'm "mad" about not getting a PS4, you should see my legendary bitching about Destiny on PS4 in the Destiny thread.
Xamtheking
Member
It's in our nature to try to get through as many loopholes and tricks as possible; something like this will probably happen again.
Take note
No hyperbole
This is a good post right here
Take note
Bumblebeetuna
Gold Member
Ok, so last night I was putting out all the new games and movies and someone called asking if we price match Amazon on consoles. I said yeah, as long as they're new and ones we have in stock. He said awesome and hung up.
I immediately opened up CAG, Amazon, and GAF on my phone to see what kind of shenanigans I was about to be subjected to. I found nothing on any of them, so I went about my business, but constantly worrying about what this jackass was gonna come in and try to pull. Luckily I left at 2am and he never showed.
That Sears fiasco did more harm than good though. These idiots are going to make it impossible to do online price matches. I work for Walmart so I might come off as a little biased or whatever but this is stealing, just like the Sears stuff was. If Walmart posted some glitch price and you wanna take advantage, awesome. Their fault for making the mistake. But when someone does this, they're dicks. The people who allowed this sale will likely be in big trouble. They'd probably be fired at my store. It's sad that people don't think about that kind of stuff when they do this, and it's sad that thanks to stuff like this I have to look at every single price match and try to find the scam now.
I immediately opened up CAG, Amazon, and GAF on my phone to see what kind of shenanigans I was about to be subjected to. I found nothing on any of them, so I went about my business, but constantly worrying about what this jackass was gonna come in and try to pull. Luckily I left at 2am and he never showed.
That Sears fiasco did more harm than good though. These idiots are going to make it impossible to do online price matches. I work for Walmart so I might come off as a little biased or whatever but this is stealing, just like the Sears stuff was. If Walmart posted some glitch price and you wanna take advantage, awesome. Their fault for making the mistake. But when someone does this, they're dicks. The people who allowed this sale will likely be in big trouble. They'd probably be fired at my store. It's sad that people don't think about that kind of stuff when they do this, and it's sad that thanks to stuff like this I have to look at every single price match and try to find the scam now.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
The best thing about this is that people havent been doing it before.... shoot!
XxSlasherMcGirkxX
Member
Man this thread has been a good read.
Japanmanx3
Member
Lol I really meant it. I missed the WalMart thread by minutes, the WiiU thread by minutes, and this ps4 thread. The one that hurts the most is the Yoshitaka Amano The Sky going for $15 on Amazon smh. Saw the thread and didn't get all the details. Still tons of salt.
That would be true if I was actually talking about spending the money at the same business.
I wasn't.
Vestal
Gold Member
Its still up.. For both the PS4 and the Wii U
BlastProcessing
Member
But the loss will never make it to the Billionaire. The Billionaire has created a system where they aren't exposed to risk. Someone way lower on the totem pole will pay.
Still doesn't make sense. If the massive deficit you inflicted upon one retailer caused an okay profit at another, the latter retailer may hold you in esteem but you're still responsible for a net loss to the economy at large.
Netherscourge
Banned
Hope he can play his $50 PS4 in jail!
If you're American, what a surprise. Congratulations. You want to put someone in a violent American jail over something that is ultimately minor.
If you're not American, congratulations. You'd fit in nicely with the lowest common denominator here.
BlastProcessing
Member
DoktorEvil
Banned
From what I was told from another poster, trying to prosecute these people would be illegal.
Vestal
Gold Member
That law probably wouldn't hold up in a case like this. Since you can make the argument that your receipt showing the price you paid for the goods is proof of purchasing said item for the full retail price agreed upon during the transaction.
Netherscourge
Banned
What the hell does nationality have to do with theft?
There are other measures that could be taken than prosecution. Banning the system's serial number on PSN, for example.
Not that I think Sony would do this.
At the end of the day, all these people are really doing (aside from getting cheap video game systems) is getting people fired from their (admittedly shitty) jobs.
Yep. Good luck trying to make it stick, much less getting these people in a court room. Walmart honored the price. They will most likely not say shit because this is pretty much a PR embarrassment for them.
They're not.
People saying that Walmart deserved to be scammed are similar, because both are making ridiculously false statements.
Edit: For example, the post directly below this one.
ugh_the_boot
Banned
Oh boo hoo, lets all shed a tear for these mega rich corporations that got screwed out of a few bucks.
Yay to everyone that isn't Wal-Mart! YAY!!
Yay to everyone that isn't Wal-Mart! YAY!!
prag16
Banned
Yep. Not too dissimilar to the concept of the broken window fallacy.
Uh, I don't think rape and a PS4 scam are comparable at all. It's a flat ridiculous comparison that borders on offensive.
The logic comparison only serves to muddle anything substantial you're trying to say.
Really? I just assumed the listings would be done by now. A Wii-U would be nice . . .
I didn't equate it to rape (clearly), just took the example out to an extreme. Obviously the two are not the same in the slightest, and I'd never seriously make any such claim in the slightest.
Netherscourge
Banned
So Wal-Mart offers a program to match any LEGIT competitor's price, some bleep'holes create fraudulent ads with fake prices and manage to steal $400usd PS4s for way-below MFR and Wal-Mart is the big, bad corporate entity?
I'm sure a judge will side with the thieves...
I'm sure Wal-Mart will be too embarassed by thieves who comitted flat-out fraud to steal PS4s...
Please. These folks will be getting letters/summons/subpoenas from lawyers and possibly visits from police officers soon.
I'm sure a judge will side with the thieves...
I'm sure Wal-Mart will be too embarassed by thieves who comitted flat-out fraud to steal PS4s...
Please. These folks will be getting letters/summons/subpoenas from lawyers and possibly visits from police officers soon.
BlastProcessing
Member
The same could be said of someone who tag swapped. They would have reciept but the transaction would be based on fraudulent action. To be clear I am talking about this specific situation with the fake amazon sales, not price matching in general.
Fraud might be a better term than theft. Both involve a loss of property in this case. I don't think anyone is going to get arrested over this, but I do think Wal-Mart's lawyers would love to take a shot at anyone who did it. I heard they are pretty bloodthirsty.
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