Styleforum › Forums › General › General Chat › Ethics Question regarding postal insurance claims
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Ethics Question regarding postal insurance claims

post #1 of 30
3/12/10 at 12:35pm
Thread Starter 
1. You are the seller of a particular item. You ship the buyer the merchandise using, this case, USPS.

2. The buyer never gets the merchandise and after 2 weeks you refund the money.

3. An insurance claim is filed and approved for the full insured (actual price that was originally paid by the buyer). The check comes and you cash it.

4. The package mysteriously re-appears on your front porch after being gone for 2+ months, no damage, no nothing, looks untouched.

Are you obligated to tell USPS you got the item back knowing they will want their insurance claim money back? should one keep his mouth shut and just go along his day?
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 30
3/12/10 at 12:39pm
A deuce question. You already know the answer.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 30
3/12/10 at 1:10pm
How much was it for? Because I'm sure it won't simply be a matter of going up to the nearest postman and saying, "Good sir, this is some insurance money I got from your wonderful institution but my package magically reappeared. Here you go!"
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 30
3/12/10 at 1:14pm
What does the insurance policy you bought say about this?

You lost your sale, your time, probably your postage paid, the use of whatever it was for two months, etc.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 30
3/12/10 at 1:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArteEtLabore14 View Post
How much was it for? Because I'm sure it won't simply be a matter of going up to the nearest postman and saying, "Good sir, this is some insurance money I got from your wonderful institution but my package magically reappeared. Here you go!"
in theory at least, the actual $ amount isn't relevant. It's an ethical question. So arguments like "oh they're a corporation and have lots of money" doesn't really hold up. As usual, this sounds like the same situation we see all the time: You really want to do something. (keep the money) You are fearful of and subservient to societies rules. (send it back) You want "permission" to do what you really want (asking anonymous and uninvolved people who you have a hunch will tell you what you want to hear instead of the people whose judgment of you, ie your family, isn't really relevant) All of which is to take the decision, and therefore responsibility for your actions out of your hands because it's a tough call and you don't want to make it. This one's on you OP. I'm not super ethical in that type of situation so I'd just keep it, but if you have any trouble sleeping at night worrying...
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 30
3/12/10 at 2:05pm
The USPS doesn't look kindly upon people who commit fraud. And when a Postal Inspector starts probing your body's orfices, it will feel like he is employing the full force and credit of the government of the United States of America, not just some quasi-governmental entity.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 30
3/12/10 at 3:11pm
are th chances high it will be discovered? if not keep the money and the product. it is nto seesn as criem unitl you are discovered.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 30
3/12/10 at 3:18pm
Ethical thing to do: return the money. You already know that.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 30
3/12/10 at 3:18pm
I'd return the insurance money. It's just not worth it.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 30
3/12/10 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakota rube View Post
The USPS doesn't look kindly upon people who commit fraud.
And when a Postal Inspector starts probing your body's orfices, it will feel like he is employing the full force and credit of the government of the United States of America, not just some quasi-governmental entity.
Rube, thanks for painting that vivid picture for us. I was enjoying my Friday morning donut . . .
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 30
3/12/10 at 3:54pm
I had the full force and effect of the US Govt introduced into me at the Pembina, ND point of entry in 1974. As far as I can tell my only infraction was waist-length hair.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 30
3/12/10 at 3:59pm
You could send the item in question to me.

That way you get to keep the insurance money and you don't have the item...which is basically what you were originally expecting
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 30
3/12/10 at 4:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakota rube View Post
I had the full force and effect of the US Govt introduced into me at the Pembina, ND point of entry in 1974. As far as I can tell my only infraction was waist-length hair.

I take it they weren't able to find the young woman it came from?
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 30
3/12/10 at 4:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakota rube View Post
I had the full force and effect of the US Govt introduced into me at the Pembina, ND point of entry in 1974. As far as I can tell my only infraction was waist-length hair.

Seems justified to me.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 30
3/12/10 at 4:32pm
I hate USPS. It's the single worst company I've ever dealt with in my life for anything. I've had an awful experience almost every single time I've gone into a post office. If it were UPS or Fedex or DHL I'd return the money. With USPS I'd keep it without thinking twice about it.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: General Chat
Styleforum › Forums › General › General Chat › Ethics Question regarding postal insurance claims