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Charged For Broken Bottle of Liquor at Soriana


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It is easy to argue this point from two points of view:

1) Marketing: The store does everything possible to attract and keep customers; including breakage insurance and higher prices to maintain larger space, more employees, and even easier navigation through the aisles. It will cost more to shop there.

2) Personal responsibility: The shopper is a mass-marketing target and not valued as an individual. Prices are very low and amenities are minimal. Shelves may be crowded and the center aisles full of specials or re-stocking activity. Helpful staff are hard to find. If a customer damages something, payment is often expected.

These concepts may vary greatly NoB and SoB, as well as from store to store. However, in this case, knowingly placing a breakable item in the child seat was a willful act, easily avoided. As such, the customer is clearly at fault in either type of store. How the store handles the matter will vary by 1) or 2) above, as well as by the state of the shoppers conscience. We will each judge the latter for ourselves, as should the shopper upon reflection.

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Good post, RV.

Anyone ever seen a kid sitting in a child seat and leaning over to pull stuff off the shelves onto the floor while mama ignores the whole caper? If you were the store owner, what would you do? How far should "customer service" and forgiveness go?

Since most of us don't have personal shoppers, we have a lifetime familiarity with shopping carts, and if we don't know better by now than to put something in the child seat that will fall out......we should. Or pay up. :(

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Interestingly, my husband's cousin had a similar experience in Costco in Morelia. She'd checked out and was pushing the cart away from the checkstand when a bottle of wine slid out exactly the same way as the OP described. Immediately a store manager sent an assistant to get a new bottle and then handed it to her with a smile. She was very impressed, as were we.

Now Costco is a "chain" store, but they seem to be in a different category than Soriana, at least in terms of customer service. I've always been impressed by the quality of their employees and the pride they take in their work. Not to mention the vast array of products to tempt us.

Personally I think the OP's situation could go either way, from a store's standpoint. I do think it was unnecessary to demand payment for the broken bottle. The OP will never go back to that store, which means a loss of business far greater than the cost of the bottle of booze. But then I guess I'm thinking like an ex-pat from NOB.

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

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While shopping in Walmart I observed a "gentleman" attempt to pass by stacked boxes of liquor in the aisle. When he couldn't get through the first time he backed up his cart and pushed through, knocking two large boxes of bottles onto the floor. Several bottles broke and booze started running across the floor. The culprit continued to shop without even looking back. I watched the reaction of the young man stocking the shelves, which was one of disbelief. I do not know if he was charged for the damage, but think not since no one chased after him. I considered it unacceptable and disgusting behavior.

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I completely agree that it might have been much more customer service oriented to not charge for the broken bottle, and I would be super impressed by any store that did that and would be motivated to shop there more.

Nevertheless I stand by my original comment that if I had placed something in the shopping cart in such a way that it could slip out and break, I would feel completely responsible for the damage and would not only expect to pay for it, I would offer to pay for it. And I would not hold the store in any way accountable for my mistake and would certainly continue shopping there.

But the story of the "booby trapped" decorative box and the bottle slipping out ... in that case I would definitely think the store should absorb the loss.

And in NO case should the store berate the customer.

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Another Ethics 101 question:

I bought a bottle of gin, a bottle of scotch and a few bottles of wine from Paz. They placed the bottles is a carton in the shopping cart I was using so that I could take them to my car which was across the parking lot. When I picked the carton up from the cart all the bottles fell on the pavement and broke. Who do you think was at fault?

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Who do you think was at fault?

Both,Paz for loading the box past it's weight capacity and you for not picking it up from the bottom or being more careful?

In Mexico people learn to to be careful or accept the consequences of not being careful.

Don't plan on suing McDonalds here because their coffee's too hot and it burned you when you spilled it on your lap.

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Both,Paz for loading the box past it's weight capacity and you for not picking it up from the bottom or being more careful?

In Mexico people learn to to be careful or accept the consequences of not being careful.

Don't plan on suing McDonalds here because their coffee's too hot and it burned you when you spilled it on your lap.

Of course you are correct that carton should be picked up from bottom. I should have been more detailed and stated that I couldn't pick up the carton from the bottom because there was not enough room in the cart to get my hands underneath it. I spent my early childhood in a tough section of Brooklyn - people learn to be careful there too! Ethics should not, in my opinion, be situatational....

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Guest bennie2

why do this yourself? have it delieved. see how easy? my ancestors didnt come to america so i could be dragging boxes. dont do it here either.

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In Mexico people learn to to be careful or accept the consequences of not being careful.

Don't plan on suing McDonalds here because their coffee's too hot and it burned you when you spilled it on your lap.

Very good point and I suspect a few do not know this about Mexico.

Mexico has "limit liability" in so many cases that comparing NOB to Mexico is a bit hard to do.

For example if you are walking down the sidewalk here and land in an open manhole without a cover it is your fault for not watching were you were walking and you are responsible for the Dr. bill and suffering. Same when driving your car. I see where neglect to safeguard people from driving into open trenches or driving up an unmarked or unprotected freeway or road wall as potentially dangerous but drive with my eyes open and wonder why more people don´t damage their cars here.

Limit Liability make so many things cheaper and I personally take advange of the cost differences here compared to NOB daily and understand I am responsible for myself and my property much more here than I am when NOB.

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Sound familiar when limit liability made the cost of living cheap and kids had fun! See a parallel here?

"WERE YOU BORN IN 1940's,1950's,1960's,1970's

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE

1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!


First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.


They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a tin, and didn't get tested for diabetes.


Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.


We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.


As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.


Riding in the back of a van - loose - was always great fun.


We drank water from the garden hosepipe and NOT from a bottle.


We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.


We ate cakes, white bread and real butter and drank pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......


WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!


We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.


No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.


We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.


We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no text messaging, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!


We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.


We played with worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.


Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out any eyes.


We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!


Local teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!


The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!


This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!


The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.


We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned


HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!


And YOU are one of them!


CONGRATULATIONS!"

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I don't use the baby seat to hold anything I buy. Babies sit in them with leaking diapers and I don't want my purchases to share what is left behind. Baby or child seats in shopping carts are for babies and small children only in my not so humble opinion. On the original subject, my grandmother said " let your conscience be your guide".

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Sound familiar when limit liability made the cost of living cheap and kids had fun! See a parallel here?

"WERE YOU BORN IN 1940's,1950's,1960's,1970's

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE

1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a tin, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a van - loose - was always great fun.

We drank water from the garden hosepipe and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cakes, white bread and real butter and drank pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no text messaging, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We played with worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out any eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Local teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!"

Always nice to quote a source -perhaps - http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/hage5.html

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Actually, that appears everywhere, all over the internet. It first appeared years ago as an email forward. I have never seen it attributed to anyone.

The bottom line is high liability NOB has made many, many things cost much more as these costs are part of the retail price and insurance premiums that businesses pay to opérate at a profit.

When you live in Mexico where limited liability has the cost of many, many services and products cheaper and we all take advantage of these better prices in more ways than just paying at the store or cheaper rent and medical and medicines etc. it is hypocritical to complain and compare the NOB system and experiences with what you recieve here at reduced costs every day. IMO :018:

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Excellent point, AlanMexicali........but when did people not want to "have it both ways"? They love the color around them in Mexico and complain about the fireworks. They like the cheaper prices but want customer service and laws like they had NOB. They want safety and pay the policemen pittances; they don't want to live behind bars, but want security.

That's human nature, isn't it? Or is it just some humans' nature? :unsure:

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As one born in the 1930s, I have to ask:

Why did they take running boards off cars? They were so much fun to ride on.

Why did my folks let me learn to drive at age 7, first on tractors & old trucks in the field, then even the car on dirt roads? Oh yeah; so I could plow the driveway with the jeep in the winter as soon as I could reach the pedals.

Why did they give me a .22 rifle and let me wander in the woods, on foot or on horseback? Heck, the BB gun was almost as much fun.

Why did we not have safety bindings on our skis?

Why did they let me learn to fly as a teenager?

Older than dirt and I ate a lot of that too. :)

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There were always angry complainers but we just didn't pay as much attention to their demands...now as we try to placate everyone and make everyone equal...we seem to have more complainers, more angry people and less satisfaction....

Back in the middle ages the royals had a good idea...take zero responsibility; use whipping boys to take the rap and kill the complainers.

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