No different than when I have corrected a cashier as they wrong up a price incorrectly in my favor.
Again, “theft” is a very strong word, which includes legal consequences. Let’s put it this way: people use gas stations at all hours, including at late & early hours, often not paying attention to what’s going on their quickly inserted credit card, although yes, they should check out all the posted details I suppose (should they also check the amount of gallons received with those charged and who knows if either are accurate if the pump has been rigged, which does happen, too). Now I don’t know how many people went to the gas station NOT KNOWING that the price seemed very low, but who knows, maybe it was a promo or something they were not aware of — give those people the benfit of the doubt. As for those who “heard” about it — who knows how — and took advamtage of what MAY have been a mistake — again, how would they really know the price was not MEANT to be that low, I suppose you can say it was “unethical”. But in no way do it eqaute to the photo posted of “folks” looting a store during Katrina nor does it equate to entering an unlocked store laye at night(BTW: what people are checking doors at stores late at night to see if they are locked).
No this was a MISTAKE that people either MISTAKENLY or DELIBERATELY took advatage of: like I said, you snooze, you CAN lose.
Wrong up a price? You're a poet and didn't know it. :)
12 years ago I went to Home Depot to buy a hospital grade 20 amp duplex and a weatherproof outside single box as I was wiring a 30 amp protected circuit about 25 feet using #10 Romex from the panel to the outside wall.
It was to be used to power a motor home using a 100 foot #10 power cord housing a 30 amp protected panel.
When I went to check out, the clerk started to ring up 59 cents for the duplex since it was white in color like the typical contractor 15 amp grade.
When I informed her that she was costing the store a bunch of pennies she called a manager who said that if it was 20 amp it should be grey and would cost $5.00; I said, “No, it is actually $15.00” and it was clearly marked as to its purpose and price on the shelf where I picked it up.
Still not satisfied, he wouldn’t relent until I took him back to the shelf and pointed out the SKU along with the model and designation specs.
This was not just my sense of honesty at work, I had already been here in Nashville long enough to realize that there wasn’t a clerk in a single store of my experience who was on the right side of the counter.
After all this time my opinion hasn’t changed.