Several of you have asked me how the shoplifting matter of several weeks ago turned out, so I guess I’d better come clean and tell it all…
For those of you that are just coming into the story. I bought several items at one of my area hobby shops several weeks ago, and the guy failed to charge me for the most expensive item I bought. I didn’t realize this at the time, so I left.
On the way home, I pulled out the sales ticket and discovered that the guy didn’t charge me for the item which was worth about $20.00. My buddy that was driving asked me if I wanted to go back and pay the guy for the item, but at the time I was mad at him because he had recently lied to me about some work that needed to be done on a couple of my friends train engines and told him no.
A couple of days later, I posted what had taken place here on the forum and got mixed replies. Some people told me I should keep the item and forget it and not even look back while others said I should do the right thing and pay the guy, so always wanting to do the right thing I took the item back to the hobby shop with the sales ticket and told the guy what happened. He looked at the ticket, looked at me and said it was up to me, that if I didn’t want to pay for it he wouldn’t hold it against me, but if I did pay for it he wouldn’t hold it against me either. I pulled the money out and laid it on the counter and he pushed it back at me and said it was a reward for my honesty. This was not the response that I was expecting, but the older I get the more I find that people will surprise you sometimes…
good to here he was a nice guy about it .if you are a regular of his there is no reson he should think you took the item. and i bet it was a suprise to him that you came back to point out his mastake
It is definately best to do the right thing. Although maybe not immediately, somehow if you hadn’t done the right thing, you’d end up paying for it. When people say, “Go ahead, nobody will know.” I always say, “I’ll know and so will God.” Besides, you never know what difference, either good or bad, your actions will have on another person. The trust the guy is going to have in you is worth a lot more than $20.00.
“Things never turn out the way we expect them to, never”
I’m very happy this has worked well for you. I suspect many retailers are use to being ripped off, lied to, so on and so forth. If I were a store owner I’d be a very jaundiced and bitter person by now.
Glad it went so well. The respect you gained from that man was more than worth it. It’s great that he wouldn’t take you money! He may look at young people in a “different light” as a result of your clean, honest action.
Way to go, Trainluver ! I’m glad it turned out so well for you.! I admire your
honesty and courage in dealing with the matter. You took a risk that the
owner might get upset and confrontational, in order to do the right thing.
If he had thrown you out of his shop in anger, you still would have my respect.
Now, let’s all get back to having fun again model railroading !!! [{(-_-)}][angel][8D]
WAAAAAAY COOL!!! Glad to see things worked out! I bet you feel better from the experience and I bet the LHS guy feels the same way. Every now and then something happens which gives me hope for the human race and it makes me feel pretty good all over!
now see…being honest does have it’s rewards…your conscience is now clear and the guy isn’t so bad after all is he?..The good Lord is smiling at you right now and that little thing in your head that bugs you when something is wrong won’t be eating at you any more…Chuck
How 'bout that!?! Maybe things will be a little different between you two now. Sam, thanks for taking the “less-convenient” route. Had "the jerk"rightfully taken the $20 afterall…you STILL did the right thing. [^]