Is it Stealing?

[NYboy]

Last night I met a friend for dinner. After we stopped at a dollar store. When I checked out the cashier gave me to much change. I pointed this out, the lady thanked me. My friend who was standing next to me, said when ever she got wrong change she kept it. I was pretty shocked, this friend makes over 100,000 a year. I told her taking something thats not yours is stealing. She believes if the money is handed to her its not stealing.

 

[PotterWatch]

I always hand it over but I have had people tell me the same thing as your friend. The extra money doesn't rightfully belong to me and the cashier who handed out the wrong amount would most likely get in trouble at the end of their shift when their drawer doesn't balance. IMO, to keep the money would be wrong.

 

[sourland]

Taking or keeping what is not yours is theft. JMO!

 

[babyrnlc]

I would consider it stealing.

Yesterday I was buying some feeders and waterers for the new chicks and they were priced separate (top and bottom) and she only rung them up together and I pointed it out. To me, if I would not have, I would have stolen the second part.

If it is not yours and you take it, it is stealing.

 

[drdoolittle]

I would also give the money back. In fact, a couple of months ago I was shopping at a petsmart, and when I went to check out, the cashier and I got to talking about my dogs, and she handed me my bags and said "Have a nice day." I got out to my van, and was putting the stuff init, and suddenly wondered if I had even paid for it. I went back in and said, "This may seem like a stupid question, but did I even pay for my merchandise?" The cashier said, "As a matter of fact, you didn't, and I was wondering what I was gonna' do about it." She was so thankful that I was honest and went back to pay---it was over $30 worth of stuff---her drawer would have been terribly off! I don't know why people just think they are entitled to keep or take something because the cashier wasn't paying attention.

 

[EweSheep]

Yes it would be.

 

[chickendude]

I always hand the money back if given too much change. But lets look at it at another angle. If the cashier is constantly giving the incorrect change and all customers are giving back the overpayment the employer will never know they hired an inadequate cashier. Also look at it this way....the cashier will most likely also give back short change and the customer may not pick up on it. So maybe we are doing a harm by giving back the money. Just a little food for thought.

 

[dipence71]

I had this happen to me once on a large scale, I was back to school shopping for my kids and when we got in the van she was digging in the bag for something we had just bought and found all the money I handed the cashier(plus she had given me change which I put in my purse). I took it back in the store and they refused to take it back telling me I must be mistaken. I explained I did not carry that much "extra" cash and I would not have thrown it in my bag of school supplies.
So I tried very hard to give them back the money and they refused, even called a manger over. I ask them cant you just count your drawer real quick and see that I am telling you the truth.

They continued to argue with me and so finally I gave up and said ok here is my number when you try to close out your drawer and see you are $200.00 ish short.
call me.

...They never called. I cannot believe this but I did everything in MY power to return it and my daughter was about 10-12 yo at the time just kept saying well they dont want it lets go get more stuff. So not only did they ruin a life lesson for my DD but made her think"" well they dont want it so I can get more stuff" (which she didnt) but still.

 

[Britney]

Any money that is short at the end of the day, the employees have to make it add up. So it is causing a minimum wage employee have to dig into his or her pockets to make it all add up. It is a karma/conscious thing. I often build up enough vacation and leave of absent time at my real job and work in a beauty salon because I love it so much, and when our drawer is short all of the other hair dressers have to make it add up. Hope that that answers your question.

 

[booker81]

When I was a cashier, we had to count our tills after the shift. If your till was more than $5 off, then you were watched closely, plus had to pay back what was missing. Too many times, and you were fired. This went for over or under counts. If you overchanged or shortchanged folks a lot, they would complain to the manager. The odds of over/shorting and equaling out after a shift are pretty small.