But to the sales person working commission who just missed other sales giving someone the information they needed to make a purchase decision that they did online, it took money out of the pocket of someone working for a living.
Unethical in my mind.
My dad worked in retail sales much of my years at home. Base salary would not have kept us alive. Commissions were needed to make ends meet.
Stop being insulting. Your disregard for that commissioned sales person and only thought being for the store owner is why we are tagged as being only for the rich.
When I worked at Dell, I used to get beat on price by people within the same company. Not because they were doing anything unethical, but because there were different promotions within different divisions. I'd call a potential customer about a quote I'd sent them and they'd say, "Sorry, bought it cheaper at DHS (Dell Home Services)."
Retail sales is tough, and retailers offer floor salespeople, promotions, financing, and demo units all without any sort of ethical, moral, or legal commitment to buy anything. I'm sorry that it offends your sensibilities that some people shop on price alone, but your feelings are irrelevant when it comes to the reality of the market.