An Ethical Dilemma...Prev Topic Next Topic

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Please read the original post before voting.

Take the entire $9 in tickets

[ 38 ]

[ 76.0% ]

Take only the $5 in tickets that you put in

[ 3 ]

[ 6.0% ]

Contact a store employee

[ 4 ]

[ 8.0% ]

Other (Please explain)

[ 5 ]

[ 10.0% ]

Total valid votes

[ 50 ]

Discarded votes

[ 3 ]

jarasan

Harbinger

Maryland
United States
Member #44,102
July 30, 2006
6,607 Posts
Online

Mar 26, 2008, 7:08 pm

I see many lottery errors occur, it could be avoided by reading and understanding how you are using your money. This might explain why so many people get in over their heads when making money decisions for eg. sub-prime mortgages, high credit card rates, unproductive $50k autos, etc., fill in whatever. Do yourself a favor, be informed when you play, know the odds, cost, payout, date of draw, and number of tix. you should have. We may take this for granted but not everybody does. JMO.

FJB
Guru101

Indiana
United States
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January 7, 2007
1,961 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 7:13 pm

Quote: Originally posted by CaliWinner on Mar 26, 2008
Well, now that some people have posted, I'll go ahead and say what I did: I went ahead and took all 9 of the tickets.

To address some issues that have come up during discussion:

- the person who had put the money in was not standing nearby. If there was anyone nearby, I would have asked them about it, but no one was.

- I personally chose not to contact a store employee because I know from past experience that they have no control over the machine. It's overseen by an outside vendor. So in all likelihood, they would either a) say "so?", or b) just take the tickets themself. They have no way to get into the machine and get money out in case the person came back.

- I debated internally whether or not to leave the $4, in case the person came back, but all I could see happening was the next person to use the machine would get 4 free tickets instead of me.

All I could think of, though, for the next couple of days was what would happen if I won the Mega Millions jackpot on one of the first four rows on the ticket (i.e. on the other person's money). I would have felt guilty about that money for the rest of my life. So...I'm actually kind of glad I didn't win on Tuesday.

All I could think of, though, for the next couple of days was whatwould happen if I won the Mega Millions jackpot on one of the firstfour rows on the ticket (i.e. on the other person's money). I wouldhave felt guilty about that money for the rest of my life. So...I'mactually kind of glad I didn't win on Tuesday.

Actually, even if they did get their $4 worth when they were at the machine, that wouldn't mean they would have won compared to if they have left $4 in the machine and you would have won. The numbers aren't prechosen. Every second that goes by means a new set of results. You would win because you printed those ticket at that very moment. So you shouldn't feel guilty about taking away the jackpot from someone who left money in the machine. I would take all $9 in tickets.

Gonna win.
time*treat

United States
Member #13,130
March 30, 2005
2,171 Posts
Offline

Mar 26, 2008, 7:17 pm

Well, it's just a simple fact.
When I want something and,
I don't want to pay for it.

I walk right through the door.
Walk right through the door.
Hey all right! If I get by, it's mine.
Mine all mine!

In neo-conned Amerika, bank robs you.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be the name of a convenience store, not a govnoment agency.
RJOh

100

mid-Ohio
United States
Member #9
March 24, 2001
20,272 Posts
Offline

Mar 26, 2008, 7:29 pm

What is the ethical dilemma, you see something of value that doesn't belong to you but because you can take it and nobody will know, it's a dilemma? Is it ever ethical to take something that doesn't belong to you thinking if you don't a less ethical person will?

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
CaliWinner

Orange County, CA
United States
Member #59,369
March 14, 2008
28 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 7:51 pm

No, I know what some of you're saying -- that even if I had won, it wouldn't have necessarily been the same four tickets that they would have gotten if they had actually used the machine correctly. But karmically, I would have known that I had gotten that win through someone else's loss (small though it may be), and I would still have felt guilty about it. Some of you are surely thinking "What's the big deal?", I know And I probably would have gotten over it quickly if I had millions of dollars...

What is the ethical dilemma, you see something of value that doesn'tbelong to you but because you can take it and nobody will know, it's adilemma?

Hey, I didn't say it was a big dilemma Personally, I think taking something that doesn't belong to you is always a breach of ethics (and I freely admit that I did something not so great by taking it, but I didn't see any options that would have gotten the money back to the original person, so I figured I might as well profit). So, small as the monetary situation was, it did present me with a minor moral quandary as to what to do. I was just curious to see what other people would do if faced with the same situation.

Not a winner yet. But I will be!
MaddMike51

United States
Member #58,526
February 18, 2008
710 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 8:01 pm

Quote: Originally posted by CaliWinner on Mar 26, 2008
No, I know what some of you're saying -- that even if I had won, it wouldn't have necessarily been the same four tickets that they would have gotten if they had actually used the machine correctly. But karmically, I would have known that I had gotten that win through someone else's loss (small though it may be), and I would still have felt guilty about it. Some of you are surely thinking "What's the big deal?", I know And I probably would have gotten over it quickly if I had millions of dollars...

What is the ethical dilemma, you see something of value that doesn'tbelong to you but because you can take it and nobody will know, it's adilemma?

Hey, I didn't say it was a big dilemma Personally, I think taking something that doesn't belong to you is always a breach of ethics (and I freely admit that I did something not so great by taking it, but I didn't see any options that would have gotten the money back to the original person, so I figured I might as well profit). So, small as the monetary situation was, it did present me with a minor moral quandary as to what to do. I was just curious to see what other people would do if faced with the same situation.

Well,you could always go back to the scene of the crime and ask if there was a video camera trained on the lottery machine and if the answer is yes,ask to review the tape and start searching for the person that left the $4 credit so you can repay them and soothe your conciense.
spy153

United States
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December 15, 2005
1,200 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 8:26 pm

Quote: Originally posted by MaddMike51 on Mar 26, 2008
Well,you could always go back to the scene of the crime and ask if there was a video camera trained on the lottery machine and if the answer is yes,ask to review the tape and start searching for the person that left the $4 credit so you can repay them and soothe your conciense.

or, couldn't you have just printed out the credits/tickets (don't know how they work) then give that to the clerk?

Even if the clerk says, "go ahead and use it." I would feel better because I at least brought it to someone's attention first. Chances are, though, it could have been a regular that was there and the clerk might have known who it was so as to give it back to them. And if not, and all other options have been exhausted, then there is nothing we can do.

If I went up to some machine and it says there are credits for someone else still there, I would print them off and give it to the store clerk. It's their baby to worry about then.

voir-vous dans mes reves!
benmas

Rhode Island
United States
Member #56,008
October 28, 2007
439 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 8:31 pm

i have no problem with you taking the $4...if the original person was having trouble using the lottery machine than he could have asked the store clerk for help on how to use it ..since they didnt care that much leaving behind $4 then why should you go over all the trouble for returning $4..i mean if it was $50 or $100 then maybe its a different story and you tell somebody but $4 you take it since original owner didnt seem to care or he would have contacted the store himself
konane

USA
United States
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March 13, 2003
9,061 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 8:34 pm

Quote: Originally posted by JAP69 on Mar 26, 2008
If I seen the actual person using the machine before me leave and have credits left I would bring it to their attention.

Otherwise its mine to use.

Have fun and the best of luck to everyone!
CaliWinner

Orange County, CA
United States
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March 14, 2008
28 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 8:39 pm

Quote: Originally posted by MaddMike51 on Mar 26, 2008
Well,you could always go back to the scene of the crime and ask if there was a video camera trained on the lottery machine and if the answer is yes,ask to review the tape and start searching for the person that left the $4 credit so you can repay them and soothe your conciense.

Nah, for $4, it's not really worth it ;) I'm not losing sleep over it or anything, LOL.

My husband and I got bored and were discussing the legalities of the situation -- what if we had won, and someone found out that I had taken the $4. Could the person whose four dollars that was, try to sue for part of the winnings, I wonder? Would they have any legal standing? I thought not, since there's no way they could prove that even if they had bought the 4 tickets originally, that the winning ticket would have been among the four. So all they legally would have been due is $4...but they certainly could tie you up for a while with legal stuff...

Not a winner yet. But I will be!
time*treat

United States
Member #13,130
March 30, 2005
2,171 Posts
Offline

Mar 26, 2008, 8:48 pm

From a strictly legal perspective ... if you found $100, it would be considered taxable income, but the person who lost the $100 couldn't write it off as a loss.

In neo-conned Amerika, bank robs you.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be the name of a convenience store, not a govnoment agency.
benir4u

Sacramento,Ca
United States
Member #1,954
July 31, 2003
5,652 Posts
Online

Mar 26, 2008, 8:55 pm

I understand your dilemma because I am in Cali with you and know these machines that you speak of, you take the tickets because if you don't someone else will and the store employee is not going to know what to do because the money can't be refunded and they would probably tell you to do the same thing. TAKE THE TICKETS. LOL
MaddMike51

United States
Member #58,526
February 18, 2008
710 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 9:15 pm

Quote: Originally posted by CaliWinner on Mar 26, 2008
Nah, for $4, it's not really worth it ;) I'm not losing sleep over it or anything, LOL.

My husband and I got bored and were discussing the legalities of the situation -- what if we had won, and someone found out that I had taken the $4. Could the person whose four dollars that was, try to sue for part of the winnings, I wonder? Would they have any legal standing? I thought not, since there's no way they could prove that even if they had bought the 4 tickets originally, that the winning ticket would have been among the four. So all they legally would have been due is $4...but they certainly could tie you up for a while with legal stuff...

You could always claim that you didn't know there was $4 credit on the machine and was so surprised when the machine spit out $9 worth of tickets that you just figured it must be an of God!Which,in a way,it was.
weshar75

Mcminnville, Oregon
United States
Member #3,013
December 13, 2003
6,173 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 9:31 pm

The Select Market in Sheridan, Oregon has a Self-Serve Automated Terminal Machine. I buy from time to time Lottery out of them because you are not at the mercy of someone who may or may not know how to print tickets. The machine has warnings on it and when you go through the process of buying tickets it prompts you to validate choices and it does prompt a remaining balance after every purchase. Their are no refunds to the machines and all sales are final. The previous buyer ignored the machine and its warnings. The remaining balance is the next buyers gain you can take it for yourself. I would tip the $4 remaining to Tom the Head cashier and Deli Lady who has been nice to me when I get deli with deals she should not be making such as extra portions or substituting when she is not suppose too. This is also the same question that you could ask in a Casino environment should you take left over credits. My response is no. I always print the tickets and set them in the coin tray at the base of the machine. The reason being is the only two entities that own those credits are the player that got up and left and the Casino. Good luck and Good Day.-weshar75
TheGameGrl

A long and winding road
United States
Member #17,083
June 10, 2005
6,680 Posts
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Mar 26, 2008, 10:04 pm

Tried the honest way a few times- it never paid me back or made me think I did the RIGHT thing. My kids could have used a decent meal.

As to the casino scenario- Money found on the casino floor is technically their property, tickets found ON the machine, NOT there property. Unclaimed tickets are fair game. Casinos can only regulate if a player has his ticket stolen from his hands. If there are machines that still spew coins, those in the kettle are the customers, those that drop to the floor, casino money.

As to the auto lotto machines -consider it compensation for all the times the bill inserter jams and NO employee has the key to get your 10$ bill out! And then deliberately have a sign that says-no refunds for jams or malfunctions! Had that scenario happen too!

Count your smiles.

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