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It's unethical to use a store as a showroom and then order the item at a lower price from someone who doesn't have to cover the cost of maintaining said showroo

It's unethical to use a store as a showroom and then order the item at a lower price from someone who doesn't have to cover the cost of maintaining said showroom. Either take the gamble and order online sight-unseen, or pay the higher price involved in maintaining floor space and inventory.

lacklery 9y ago
comparing prices has been done way before online shopping just took more time and effort. there are of course things that can not be compared though like crafted and one of a kind type things.
Notorious_BLT 9y ago
Stores allow people to enter and leave without purchasing anything or declaring intent to purchase. Consumers are doing nothing unethical by entering the store, investigating items they are interested in, and then comparing them to options online. Blaming consumers for comparing the options available to them is ridiculous. Yes, this is inconvenient for the people who own those stores. No, the consumer isn't doing anything unethical.
- hfdgiutdryg 9y ago
  Yes, you are doing something unethical, and my claims carry exactly as much weight as yours. But if people continue to behave the way that you're suggesting is okay, we'll end up with very few brick and mortar options and we'll have to rely entirely on sight-unseen information in our purchasing decisions.
moate 9y ago
So you feel it's unethical to go into a store and compare prices? Disregard the ethics of 2 different sales channels being able to compete on pricing because of different distribution set ups, but in what universe is it the consumers job to make sure "joe from around the block" has a job at this specific store? Is it impolite to bust out a phone right in front of a sales rep and say "hold on, let me check amazon", sure. But there's no moral responsibility on the customer's part to do business with anyone because "hey man, it's more expensive for me to run this business". This isn't some surprise to retail. This has been going on for over a decade. You can't compete with the internet on price for (many) things. But you can compete on immediate availability, customer experience, etc. If you're fighting a price fight with the internet, gtfo of retail.
- hfdgiutdryg 9y ago
  So you feel it's unethical to go into a store and compare prices? As I said, it's unethical to use a store as a showroom and then buy elsewhere. It's a simple concept, and I believe you're being intentionally obtuse and disingenuous in your reply.

lacklery 9y ago

comparing prices has been done way before online shopping just took more time and effort. there are of course things that can not be compared though like crafted and one of a kind type things.

Notorious_BLT 9y ago

Stores allow people to enter and leave without purchasing anything or declaring intent to purchase. Consumers are doing nothing unethical by entering the store, investigating items they are interested in, and then comparing them to options online. Blaming consumers for comparing the options available to them is ridiculous. Yes, this is inconvenient for the people who own those stores. No, the consumer isn't doing anything unethical.

hfdgiutdryg 9y ago
Yes, you are doing something unethical, and my claims carry exactly as much weight as yours. But if people continue to behave the way that you're suggesting is okay, we'll end up with very few brick and mortar options and we'll have to rely entirely on sight-unseen information in our purchasing decisions.

moate 9y ago

So you feel it's unethical to go into a store and compare prices? Disregard the ethics of 2 different sales channels being able to compete on pricing because of different distribution set ups, but in what universe is it the consumers job to make sure "joe from around the block" has a job at this specific store? Is it impolite to bust out a phone right in front of a sales rep and say "hold on, let me check amazon", sure. But there's no moral responsibility on the customer's part to do business with anyone because "hey man, it's more expensive for me to run this business". This isn't some surprise to retail. This has been going on for over a decade. You can't compete with the internet on price for (many) things. But you can compete on immediate availability, customer experience, etc. If you're fighting a price fight with the internet, gtfo of retail.

hfdgiutdryg 9y ago
So you feel it's unethical to go into a store and compare prices? As I said, it's unethical to use a store as a showroom and then buy elsewhere. It's a simple concept, and I believe you're being intentionally obtuse and disingenuous in your reply.