Hey free TV!

[Monk]

So it goes like this.

The TV i have my xbox hooked up to was on its last legs, surviving over a decade and through five moves it was in relatively good shape, all things considered, but I still had some cash to burn so I decided to get a new tv to really enjoy the HD capabilities of my 360. So I bought it, and it came. However when i examined my bank statement I discovered i had, in fact, been charged twice.

More than a bit angry I called the retailer, they informed me the authorization phase of my debit card can sometimes cause a double charge, like what I had experienced. So i gave them my bank's phone number and they said they'd sort it out. When I woke up, however, i discovered that my bank had not only removed the "double" charge, but had also removed the legit charge to my account. I am now at the amount I was before I ever even thought about buying myself something nice, so here I sit with a free TV in my bedroom and I wonder exactly where do my obligations lie?

Am I supposed to call the bank and alert them? Call the retailer? I don't want to look like I stole this thing, but I didn't exactly do anything either.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Yes, but you are aware that a big mistake was now made in your favor. My conscience would compel me to notify my bank & the retailer of the error. I can't imagine that the retailer wouldn't discover the non-payment eventually. Honesty is its' own reward.

[pevergreen]

Would you be able to live with it?

Personally, it would be a ratio between how much I like the store and the size of the TV.

[Reverend Joe]

If you alert them they might charge you twice again... just drop it. Not so much for the reward, but so you won't have to deal with incompetence again.

[Aemilius Paulus]

I would stay quiet. In such times, who needs to spend more money. This may be God's reward for you, if you believe in religion. Seriously, their mistake, their problem. Not yours. If it was a person who made the mistake, one should always correct them. But this is a large company. Stealing is never OK, but not correcting mistake may be .

[Ramses II CP]

You know what the right thing to do is, so go do it. You expected the bank to correct an error that was not in your favor, why should they not expect the same of you? How could you look in the mirror in the morning knowing that your bank showed better values than you?

There may be times when the nuisance of correcting a minor error outweighs the value of the error itself (I wouldn't pick a penny up out of the street and spend my day trying to figure out who dropped it) but this is a simple matter and requires only the same kind of effort you already made for your own benefit.

And, seriously, god's reward? That one bears a little more thought.

[Andres]

You already know what to do Monk.

[InsaneApache]

If you don't rectify the situation, you could be accused of theft. Obtaining financial or pecuniary advantage is the phrase they use I believe. As an ex-retailer I can tell you that I guarantee that the shop will notice.

It's also the right thing to do. You know it makes sense.

[Monk]

If you alert them they might charge you twice again... just drop it. Not so much for the reward, but so you won't have to deal with incompetence again.

And that's exactly what happened.

edit: Okay, things should be set now. Just got off the phone, thanks for the advice everyone

[Reverend Joe]

And that's exactly what happened.

I knew it... somehow, I knew that would happen. Idiots will do as idiots will do.

[Gregoshi]

Idiots will do as idiots will do.

But why be an idiot for getting into legal trouble because of idiots?

A similar thing happened to me a number of years ago except I got a double refund on some returned items (several hundred dollars) after a very bad experience with the store. I went back to the store to point out the mistake to them. The lady at the customer service desk was flabberghasted that I would do such a thing but very appreciative that I did. Her reaction and gratitude alone was worth it.

Nicely done Monk.

[rasoforos]

And, seriously, god's reward? That one bears a little more thought.

Logisticus, The God of bad accounting skills.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Way to go Monk. Many times mistakes like that are held against an employee and the loss is taken out of their pay. About 20 years ago I cashed a paycheck just before Christmas and was over-paid $100. I went right back to the bank and told the teller she had made a mistake. She couldn't thank me enough and mentioned that the bank would have just taken the $100 from her pay. At that point in my life money was really tight, and like you I was sorely tempted to keep the windfall, it's the bank's tough luck they can afford it, right? I'm so glad I didn't do that especially after what the teller told me. Can you imagine how bad you would feel finding that out after you had splurged at someone else's expense?

[Rhyfelwyr]

Unless it would cause you such hassle that you would be justified in not going to such lengths for what ultimately is their own incompetence, you should give it back.

Now get on that phone.

EDIT: Must stop just reading reading the OP's before posting...

[Husar]

If you alert them they might charge you twice again... just drop it. Not so much for the reward, but so you won't have to deal with incompetence again.

Bollox. Why would they charge him twice again? They made a mistake the first time, they'd rather be more careful the next. And just avoiding the inconvenience is one of the worst arguments I know, I'm kinda lazy mself but I don't screw others over just because I'm too lazy.

[RoadKill]

All these angels on these forums

I would have kept the free T.V

[Reverend Joe]

Bollox. Why would they charge him twice again? They made a mistake the first time, they'd rather be more careful the next. And just avoiding the inconvenience is one of the worst arguments I know, I'm kinda lazy mself but I don't screw others over just because I'm too lazy.

Well, they actually did make the same mistake twice. It's not a matter of screwing anyone over, it's more a problem of getting frustrated to the point of throwing your hands in the air and saying "**** it."

@Gregoshi: I didn't know you could get into legal trouble; had I known that I would have just suggested he return the TV as well and order them to straighten out their own damn mess.

[Monk]

Well, they actually did make the same mistake twice. It's not a matter of screwing anyone over, it's more a problem of getting frustrated to the point of throwing your hands in the air and saying "**** it."

@Gregoshi: I didn't know you could get into legal trouble; had I known that I would have just suggested he return the TV as well and order them to straighten out their own damn mess.

That is the main reason i let my peers here at the .org give me some advice. I had suspicions that the retailer could claim theft, but i wanted to see if others would make that conclusion or if it was paranoia. In the end I sorted things out with a half hour conversation with my bank, followed by a second call to my retailer. I took matters into my own hands to sort out, as was suggested here. The bank assured me that on my next statement things will be returned to normal and the double charge would be gone, once and for all.

I would like to thank everyone again who offered me advice on this matter, it was much appreciated