Ethical or not?

[PutTogether]

This thread delivers.

Moral/Ethical/Capitalism/'Merica questions aside - this thread absolutely proved how few people actually read threads before posting. He let the cat out of the bag EARLY, was in the middle of a completely separate argument by page two, and is STILL getting "dude, don't do it if it's your neighbor" responses.


PS - The people thinking you should hook your neighbor up with a 'good guy' deal certainly aren't socialists. It is much more likely that they are just good neighbors. I THINK you might have mentioned that you own and operate your own business......are you telling me you wouldn't consider giving your neighbor a break on pricing over some guy who walks in off the street? If you wouldn't, but someone else would.......are they a non-believer in capitalism?

[BakoJ]

Note to self- never buy anything from bako88- EVER.

No wonder your itrader is "0"!!!

(yes I only have 1, since I dont usually sell my stuff)

Lol my Itrader is zero because I haven't found anything that I have wanted. I don't sell my stuff either. And I'm not buying anything unless I'm satisfied that it's a good deal.

[BakoJ]

This thread delivers.

Moral/Ethical/Capitalism/'Merica questions aside - this thread absolutely proved how few people actually read threads before posting. He let the cat out of the bag EARLY, was in the middle of a completely separate argument by page two, and is STILL getting "dude, don't do it if it's your neighbor" responses.


PS - The people thinking you should hook your neighbor up with a 'good guy' deal certainly aren't socialists. It is much more likely that they are just good neighbors. I THINK you might have mentioned that you own and operate your own business......are you telling me you wouldn't consider giving your neighbor a break on pricing over some guy who walks in off the street? If you wouldn't, but someone else would.......are they a non-believer in capitalism?

Thanks, I think. Really this thread was intended to provoke thought and discussion and it truly became something else entirely.

I'd never screw over anyone. Not a neighbor, friend or stranger. Last year I sold a surround sound system on Craigslist. It had been sitting in the garage for a year. I got a call an hour after I sold it from the buyer who said two of the speakers were blown. I offered to meet him and return his cash. He said he wanted to keep the system so I gave the guy half of his money back and he kept it. He was happy with the deal and I was happy I didn't screw someone over. I believe in karma.

I hooked my neighbor up with a "good guy" deal on a PC today. I do it for lots of my friends and customers. However, there has to be a give and take. My time, products and services cost me money. I can't hook up a "good guy" deal to everyone. And that's really the point I was getting at. Whether it's the LGS who has a profit target they need to hit, the flipper who decides what price he wants to sell at or the small business guy who is scratching and clawing every day to support his family, our economy is a free market. I'm free to charge whatever I want. You're free to buy at whatever price you decide is fair and you can afford.

[LouDog]

Lol at the op back pedaling hard.

[PutTogether]

I hooked my neighbor up with a "good guy" deal on a PC today. I do it for lots of my friends and customers. However, there has to be a give and take. My time, products and services cost me money. I can't hook up a "good guy" deal to everyone. And that's really the point I was getting at.

Fair enough, and I believe I get what you are saying.

But remember, your original post used the term 'next door neighbor.'

I believe most people, and I count myself among that group, would consider 'next door neighbor' as being in the small group of people that should get a 'good guy' type deal without question.

Within the context of your thought experiment, If people seemed disappointed in what you were thinking about charging your neighbor, I believe the disappointment came from overcharging your neighbor BECAUSE he is your neighbor, (a person we now know you do give breaks to when he buys something from your business) as opposed to a fundamental misunderstanding of, or furious hatred of capitalism.

Short version:

People were thinking "dude, this is your NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, give him a good price, don't be a jerk. People were NOT thinking "dude, capitalism sucks, and you are morally obligated to sell at an arbitrarily low number because fair markets are BS."

[BakoJ]

Backpedaling? Nope. Truth. I don't give a **** what anyone on CG thinks of me. This is an Internet forum. BFD. What grinds my gears is how everyone wants to ***** and complain about gougers when they have the free will to NOT BUY what's being offered.

I wouldn't pay $55 for a brick of .22lr. But that brick might have value to a guy that wants to take his kid out shooting and he is low or out. Now, he doesn't feel like he is being gouged because he gets the ammo he needs and the seller gets to cash that he wants. There's nothing wrong with that.

As for the ethical dilemma I posed, if my neighbor wasn't smart enough to educate himself or decide to price check how is that my problem. Furthermore, how is it any different if he went to a LGS and paid a $100 premium because of their overhead?

All of this Kumbiya stuff and we should hook a guy up for exactly what I paid isn't how the world works. Don't like the price, don't buy it.

Well I'm off to bed. Got to gouge some customers/victims tomorrow.

[gti_20ae]

Backpedaling? Nope. Truth. I don't give a **** what anyone on CG thinks of me. This is an Internet forum. BFD. What grinds my gears is how everyone wants to ***** and complain about gougers when they have the free will to NOT BUY what's being offered.

I wouldn't pay $55 for a brick of .22lr. But that brick might have value to a guy that wants to take his kid out shooting and he is low or out. Now, he doesn't feel like he is being gouged because he gets the ammo he needs and the seller gets to cash that he wants. There's nothing wrong with that.

As for the ethical dilemma I posed, if my neighbor wasn't smart enough to educate himself or decide to price check how is that my problem. Furthermore, how is it any different if he went to a LGS and paid a $100 premium because of their overhead?

All of this Kumbiya stuff and we should hook a guy up for exactly what I paid isn't how the world works. Don't like the price, don't buy it.

Well I'm off to bed. Got to gouge some customers/victims tomorrow.

Just saying, if you decide to sell your RIA to your neighbor for $750, you do have to do a transfer at a FFL dealer. RIA 1911 is the most common/well stock 1911 at most gun shop, it would be funny if your neighbor saw the exact same gun on the shelve for $250 less.

[jdben92883]

If you charge your neighbor $750 for a readily available $600 gun, then you are no friend.

If your neighbor is dumb enough to go into the shop, see the same pistol in the case for $600 and still pay you $750, then he deserves you as his non-friend.

To answer your specific question of "I'm not ripping him off if it's a good deal to him, right? What say you?", yes you are ripping him off because it's not a good deal.

[Citadelgrad87]

Backpedaling? Nope. Truth. I don't give a **** what anyone on CG thinks of me. This is an Internet forum. BFD. What grinds my gears is how everyone wants to ***** and complain about gougers when they have the free will to NOT BUY what's being offered.

I wouldn't pay $55 for a brick of .22lr. But that brick might have value to a guy that wants to take his kid out shooting and he is low or out. Now, he doesn't feel like he is being gouged because he gets the ammo he needs and the seller gets to cash that he wants. There's nothing wrong with that.

As for the ethical dilemma I posed, if my neighbor wasn't smart enough to educate himself or decide to price check how is that my problem. Furthermore, how is it any different if he went to a LGS and paid a $100 premium because of their overhead?

All of this Kumbiya stuff and we should hook a guy up for exactly what I paid isn't how the world works. Don't like the price, don't buy it.

Well I'm off to bed. Got to gouge some customers/victims tomorrow.

Add OP to the list of people who don't read their own threads.

Again, YOU asked a moral question, then took offense when the responses questioned your morality. You're still trying to wrap yourself in the flag and claim people who talk gouging are anti capitalist.

I really cannot fathom the disconnect. You claim to want to spur discussion, that's exactly what you got. You did not ask anything about capitalism or gouging, you asked if it is moral to charge a neighbor a premium over what you paid so you can buy a more expensive gun.

I get that you now claim (of course we beleive you, you've proven how upstainding you are) you weren't ever going to do the deal, but you asked a moral question, and titled the thread "Ethical or not", then went all butt hurt when you didn't like the answers.

And make no mistake, despite the feeble denials, you are BUTT HURT. Transparently so.

[porky]

The op was not trolling and it wasn't a social experiment- the op posted his true intent and called it a troll post because of the backlash-

And don't worry about doing business with him- he's in BAKERSFIELD. If he wants to sell his meth for more than market - I say go for it heisenberg!

[Arcaeris]

All of this Kumbiya stuff and we should hook a guy up for exactly what I paid isn't how the world works. Don't like the price, don't buy it.

Well I'm off to bed. Got to gouge some customers/victims tomorrow.

You asked if it was ethical, and you get mad when people tell you it's not?

You can sell it to him for whatever price you want, and he can pay whatever price he wants. This is the free market.

If he found out you sold it to him for $110 too much (750-640 for your ammo and the gun), do you think he'll be mad? Of course he'll be mad. And all your arguments about being in sales and the free market won't make him not mad.

"The world" works however you choose to make it work. You have chosen the path of greed and being a dick. People like me, who have *****ed at you, think that a measly $110 is not worth losing the trust and friendship of another human being, particularly one who lives next door to you. It's only money, and the most important things in life don't cost money.

[RCJeeper]

As for the ethical dilemma I posed, if my neighbor wasn't smart enough to educate himself or decide to price check how is that my problem.

Maybe he didn't think you were a douche ...

[whipkiller]

I bought a new Rock Island 1911 and pick it up out of jail this Tuesday. It wasn't my first choice but the price was right and many Calgunners gave it great reviews.

What I really wanted was a S&W1911PC. Well, I went to another LGS and of course, they had the S&W that I want. It's a difference of about $350 but I know I'll keep the S&W forever. I love the fit and finish of it. To me, it's the perfect 1911.

My next door neighbor is looking for his first 1911. Last night, he asked if I picked up my RIA yet. He offered to buy my RIA because he wants one and knows I wanted that S&W.

So, he told me he didn't care about price. He does t know what I paid. I can throw in a value pack box of 100 rounds and I offered it for $750 for the package. He pays the fees. I'm not ripping him off if it's a good deal to him, right? What say you?

Backpedaling? Nope. Truth. I don't give a **** what anyone on CG thinks of me. This is an Internet forum. BFD. What grinds my gears is how everyone wants to ***** and complain about gougers when they have the free will to NOT BUY what's being offered.

I wouldn't pay $55 for a brick of .22lr. But that brick might have value to a guy that wants to take his kid out shooting and he is low or out. Now, he doesn't feel like he is being gouged because he gets the ammo he needs and the seller gets to cash that he wants. There's nothing wrong with that.

As for the ethical dilemma I posed, if my neighbor wasn't smart enough to educate himself or decide to price check how is that my problem.

Wow, real "Neighborly" of you. This speaks volumes about your character. If this is how you treat your neighbors, one can only imagine how you treat your customers.

Furthermore, how is it any different if he went to a LGS and paid a $100 premium because of their overhead?

Ummm, 'cuz he's your neighbor?

All of this Kumbiya stuff and we should hook a guy up for exactly what I paid isn't how the world works. Don't like the price, don't buy it.

It is with my friends and neighbors.

Well I'm off to bed. Got to gouge some customers/victims tomorrow.

I have a feeling you were being sarcastic here, but my guess is that this is probably closer to the truth than you think.

Whatever, eff your neighbor and bone his sister too, I'm just glad we're not neighbors.

You said earlier that you believe in karma, so at least you won't be surprised when this comes back around to you.

[BakoJ]

For those of you who persist with the personal attacks, that's cool. As Citadel said I'm butt hurt and transparently so. I'm not butt hurt but I'm disappointed that instead of a logical, intelligent debate, many of you decided to stoop to personal attacks. I expected better of CG, especially those of you who were preaching about morality and ethics while calling me a meth head or a scum bag. Way to go.

You've all had your say, I had mine. I suppose we'll agree to disagree.

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

OP, you asked the question. Now you don't like the answers. Time to go look in the mirror and ask yourself the question again.

If it helps any, consider this: Even if ethics were to allow you to do what you've proposed and still look yourself in the face in the mirror in the morning, remember that your neighbor knows where you live and when you're not home. Should the deal that you've inquired about take place, and your neighbor show the same level of ethics as the transaction that you propose (obviously, I don't know that he would sink so low), your further relations with him may not be of the best quality. If mere ethics don't prevent you from doing the deal, perhaps your sense of self-interest should.