ethical dilemma

So I was watching Nightline the other night and one of the stories was, surprisingly, about Christmas shopping. The reporter was talking to some 20-something chick who’s apparently an online shopping guru or something. They were in an electronics store and she was demonstrating this “awesome app” on her iPhone. I don’t remember what it was called, but let’s just call it the bar code app. Basically, the bar code app allows you to scan the bar code of any item you might wish to buy and see if you can buy it online more cheaply. So then, when it comes up more cheaply at Amazon, you depart the brick and mortar store in haste — the brick and mortar store that gives you free access to these bar codes but just lost your business — and go purchase said item online for less.

I’m sorry, maybe it’s me, but I have a bit of an ethical dilemma with that. I know that’s quaint and dusty of me — an ethical dilemma, how last century of you, Trace — but I think it’s kind of sneaky and exploitative to use the brick and mortar store not as a place where you purchase goods but as a kind of research tool to find where you can purchase for less the very same items that they are selling. If you do find it for less, why not approach the manager of the store and ask if they’ll match the price? Don’t we need brick and mortar stores? Do we want our entire lives to be conducted online?

The bookstore we used to visit every Saturday morning recently went out of business along with all its other locations in San Diego. And I’m sad about that, really sad. I’m sad that 3-dimensional life seems to be slipping away from us by inches. I’m sad that the printed page seems to be disappearing. I don’t mean to sound like that cranky old lady down the street waving her cane at life and proclaiming doom at every turn, but damn. We’re 3-dimensional creatures who still need to conduct 3-dimensional lives — which is really a different post, I suppose.

But back to my dilemma here. Am I the only one who thinks using an app like that is sneaky and, well, a bit ethically squinky? If you’re willing to ask the store to meet the lower price you found, I have no problem with it, if the store ultimately meets the price for you. Be blunt and tell them to meet the price or you will purchase it elsewhere. In this economy, I imagine they’d meet it. But if you scan the bar code in that store, find a lower price online, and then buy it there, my opinion is you’re exploiting that store and robbing them of your business, business they desperately need.

Is it just me? If so, I’m starting the cane-waving and fist-shaking decades ahead of schedule here.

Look. If the brick and mortar store ultimately goes away, where will you go to use your “awesome bar code app”?

8 Replies to “ethical dilemma”

  1. I think that’s suspect, and I agree with asking if the store will match the online price. All they can say is “no,” which, in this economy, I doubt they do.

  2. I think it’s incredibly slimy, and yours is the second site I’ve read about this in the few minutes I’ve spent online just now. Yes I shop at Amazon, but I do it at home. I wouldn’t dream of insulting the real life store (or, rather, the owners/managers/employees) by scanning barcode and then not buying. It’s hideous. These poor people who work in the stores will lose their jobs, bit by bit, and Amazon will make their money, rah rah. It’s appalling, and now I’m thinking I don’t feel so good about shopping at Amazon. And there are stores I just LIKE to go to. Physically go to. Walk around, really look at the merchandise, browse the bookshelves, or whatever. If I have a question, there is a human being there I can talk to. Real people ring up my purchase and we wish each other a good afternoon or happy holidays or something like that. We need that interaction.

    So, in a nutshell, I’m cane-waving and fist-shaking right there with you, tracey.

  3. I’ve seen this a lot and don’t like it much. I know that there are people who will go into a brick and mortar store to try out products (specifically camera’s) and then leave to shop for them online cheaper. I for one think this is stealing. I worked in a camera store years ago and made commissions off of sales. Even then, pre-internet, we had people that would come in and take our time to try the camera and ask all their questions only to go home and order the camera through a NY distributor’s catalog. They stole from me – my time, my possible commission, my knowledge, my time with paying customers, etc. Grrr! The barcode thing is a little different in that they don’t have to take a salespersons time to get the item and price but somebody’s paying rent for that place and somebody’s paying the employees to open the store and somebody bought the nice soft carpet to walk on and somebody is paying for the A/C or heat… So again, I say theft has taken place. **Steps off soapbox**

    And then there is shipping for online purchases, how does that factor in? I’ll match the online price and charge you an addition $8.99 to bag your item and if you want me to smile it’s another $2. 😉

  4. jayne — Exactly. I like having an actual store to walk into. When so many businesses are going out of business, I want to patronize the brick and mortar store now more than ever.

    We will sit on the porch of our yurts, Jayne, and cane-wave and fist-shake together.

    Brian — Your scenario is even worse! (And I say soapbox away!) Totally agree that someone who wastes your time like that when you’re on commission is stealing money from your pocket. Very scummy thing to do.

    I see your Grrrr! and I raise you a KAPOW!

  5. I saw a man doing this when I was at work this past weekend. He priced several items with him cell phone. He also asked me several questions about the items that he was price checking. So, he took my time away from other customers knowing full well that he was going to leave our store without making a purchase.

    Honestly, I wanted to ask he to leave when I saw what he was doing, but, being a small business, we need all the business we can get. I certainly couldn’t risk a potential scene making opportunity.

  6. Of course, asking the store to match the online price will drive those brick-and-mortar stores out of business, too. Just slower.

    Eventually, going to a store in person will be the sort of luxury where you pay to be let in.

  7. People were doing that years ago when I worked in the bookstore. Also, people go into bookstores to see what they want to put on their Kindles–one woman said that very loudly in the indie bookstore where I worked this past summer. (Kinda along what Kathi was saying.) Browsing has really started to go away–now most things are directed by searches and “other people bought” and “if you like this you might like that.” You might never stumble upon a gem one of these days.

    Everyone’s gonna have to decide what is the real value: having a real person assist you, or getting the cheapest price. It’s probably the Libra in me (and maybe the Librarian too) but I go for the good customer service and wish I had more money to spend! I can’t wait till I get paid so I can buy books for Christmas gifts to people next week.

  8. I love online shopping. Absolutely adore it. That said, I also enjoy shopping in person for certain things–books, cookware, etc–and I can not imagine walking into a store just to price an item I have no intention of buying there.

    However, that bar code app isn’t going away, and the only way I can think of for American bricks and mortar stores to fight it off is to shift their paradigm to one of negotiating prices. Some already do this–“We’ll match or beat anyone else’s price.” Promote that and good personal service and maybe a store stands a fighting chance.

    Sometimes I think we’re simply witnessing another cultural shift in the form of how we shop, much like the earlier shift from small local businesses to large chain stores. It’s sad when Borders closes because Amazon.com beats them in pricing and merchandise, but it was sad too when little independent bookstores closed because Borders offered a far wider selection at lower prices.

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