Ethics re: buying then returning stuff

[handsome]

A lot of students around here don't have money. Walmart and Target have a 3-month return policy, so I often hear cases of my friends taking advantage of them for stuff like can openers, mirrors and computer games like Counterstrike (for the cd-key). I have one friend "E" who is a buy/return maniac... he has bought/returned a screen projector, a laptop and even a Sonicare toothbrush. Yes, it's pretty sad. E, however, is heavily in debt due to a gambling problem. On top of that, he loves to spend lavish amounts of money on things he doesn't need, but he doesn't work to earn money, and any time he needs cash he just asks his parents.

I have another friend, "H" who I have mentioned before in my Uhaul story, who has caught the buy/return bug. He just bought a 42" Flat Screen Plasma TV for himself and his 2 roommates and he's planning to return it in 3 months (minus 1 day of course) for a full refund. He plays poker and is decently well off in terms of money.

Now..
1) Who is worse: broke guy "E" or cheap guy "H", or are they equally horrible? Or are their actions perfectly justified against these monster conglomerations?
2) How should one approach E if he's sick of this behavior? How should one approach H?

[STLantny]

I once had on about 500$ worth of clothes, between my shirt/pants, and puked all over myself at 3am, after a fun night. I returned everything, after I hosed them off and washed em. I felt terrible, after saying they didnt fit to the sales dude. Id never buy something with hte intention of doing it though.

[HopeydaFish]

1) Both are equally horrible. They are a waste of skin. They are parasites.

2) Why approach them? Do you think they'll listen to you? If their own conscience isn't making them stop, you won't either. Just don't be friends with retards like this.

[Alobar]

H better be careful, lots of places keep a database of how often you return stuff, im gunna laugh when they dont let him, or he fucks it up within the 3 months

I buy/return stuff on occasion. Usually tho its situations like where I think my motherboard went out, so ill buy a new one install it, and then realize it was my CPU that went out, so ill return the motherboard, etc.

I dont think ive ever bought something with the intent to use it for a while and then return it

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

A nice scratch on the 42" plasma ought to make for a nice lesson.

[mason55]

The scam my friends always pull is when something breaks, you go buy a new one, put the broken one in the box (usually computer parts that you can't really tell are broken) and return the broken one, saying it didn't work and you just want a refund.

[rusellmj]

I knew a guy who did this at Costco because they apparently have a no questions asked policy. If he needed a camera or video camera he would buy it then return it when he was done. He bought and returned an $1800 telescope when Hale Bopp came through.

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

I did this a few times with books when I was 15. Pretty lame to do it as an actual adult, or with something that can't be resold.

[mblax10]

When I was in college I was as unethical as your friends.

I bought an X-Box on release night and it had all kinds of problems. After a couple years it was barley even functional. I ended up buying a new one about a year and a half ago from Shopko and returned my original in the box. I bought a memory card from Walmart and returned it so I didn't lose the saves from my hard drive.

I also have "rented" numerous radar detectors and power invertors for road trips. One time I was on a lacrosse trip which was scheduled to be played outdoors. When we arrive at the school, there's still snow on the field and were playing indoors. I went to the local K-Mart and bought their nicest pair of sneakers $29.95 a pair, only to return them before I left town. I paid the price though. My feet badly blistered up. I couldn't walk for over a week without my feet hurting.

[handsome]

[ QUOTE ]
One time I was on a lacrosse trip which was scheduled to be played outdoors. When we arrive at the school, there's still snow on the field and were playing indoors. I went to the local K-Mart and bought their nicest pair of sneakers $29.95 a pair, only to return them before I left town. I paid the price though. My feet badly blistered up. I couldn't walk for over a week without my feet hurting.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you not feel shame?

Why does (mostly) everyone think this is ok? This is pretty much theft to me.