yes, I have given low tips too, but I wouldn’t consider it “guilty of”. Usually I tip 20% or more (if it was a small bill, I tip more … very large bills I’ll make it closer to 15%, as that’s the customary payment … it’s more about not punishing the wait staff at the cheaper place). However, if the service was really, really bad and I feel like the wait staff was responsible for this (rather than the kitchen), I will tip much less, but I will still pay. In this case I will tip around 10%. After all, I received services … they just sucked.

@parent post
As for “sale harvesting”, that’s a new one to me, especially as some stores will not give you full price on a return during the sale period. However, I know of a fairly scummy practice that occurred at a retailer that will remain nameless (as some of you will undoubtedly try it!). You buy in bulk on a sale, only to return most of it or all of it without a receipt a week later for store credit. Once you have enough store credit, you buy items you really want (or that you can sell or pawn for cash).

It’s a pretty simple scam, and it hurts people who need to buy those items at the lower price, but find that they are already out of stock. Basically poor people hurting other poor people. It also hurts the retailer. The store I worked at was operating in the red.

There are also scams involving rain checks …

I guess I don’t know what it’s like to be really, really poor. What do I know, I was just an underpaid grad student with five figures in student debt! No, I didn’t have any kids I couldn’t afford. Don’t cry for me. Gosh, I didn’t have to stoop to scamming retailers to get by. Hmm, no drug habit either! Maybe that was it!

I think that we may be becoming a society where even with good choices moral compromises may become a necessity (the Jean Valjean scenario), but as of a few years ago I would vehemently argue otherwise.

Some stores actually encourage customers to do this. I know Circuit City does if their computers are being finicky about giving customers the difference on an item they bought then went on sale within 30 days of purchase.

Heck, a lot of stores are okay with this as long as you aren’t returning it to get a better price *elsewhere*. With all the cut-throat competition boing around these days, stores are just happy to keep purchases within the company, period.

he’ll buy things and regularly return them within the return period (usually 90 days) and just buy the same thing again.

And the most annoying part is that he’s single, makes over 100k a year, pays little in taxes but is still as cheap as landfill-dirt.

The lowdown is that if you are going to spend time judging others’ actions, I would advise that you look in the mirror first.

Remember, while pointing the [index] finger at others, three point back at you.