I'd call them and inform them of the mistake - they may just tell you to keep it.

Why should you have to pay for their mistake (the time and gas to return the items)?

I would go back. I have had things like this happen to me before. I use to have to drive a hour to go shopping. I have driven back 3 times. With my 2 and 4 yr. old. I too believe in the whole Karma thing. "What goes around comes around"

I'd call first too, and if they want you to pay for THEIR mistake, I'd do it at your convienience - on your next trip!

instead of going back, i'd call just call them. the reason all that stuff goes on sale is to get it out of the store as fast as they can so they can get new stuff in. they might tell you just to keep it because big stores make alot of money. everything in that store at "regular" price is marked up at least 200% or so. they sometimes give you stuff for their mistakes because they get plenty of profit off of everything else.

My mamma always said, "There are two kinds of people... caught and not caught." If I were to get away with a little something extra this time, I might be tempted to try to get away with something bigger next time.

While I'm always worried about the example I set with my grandchildren, I'm more concerned with what the Man Upstairs thinks of how I'm doing. Besides, it feels really good to do the right thing when no one down here is looking. It sure makes it easier ito sleep at night.

I agree with goign back, well calling first.

Imagine if it was your shop owned only by you and someone came in and purchased items. Your hired cashier accidently pushed the wrong discount button and poof! your till is all jacked up at the end of the day.

If we want others to be fair/honest to us we must start being fair/honest to others.

I agree with going back too! The girl that was on the checkout was new and don't forget shes somebodies kid. What if it happened to your kid or someone you know and the manager is angry with them?

When your children are older...you will THANK GOD that you were an honest and responsible mom. In this day and time....values are sooo important!! I had a cashier at Walmart give me $20.00 too much change. I just QUIETLY said "Dear, I think you may want to recount this or it's gonna cost YOU at the end of the day!"

I agree with the others that suggested calling. They may say keep it OR they may say bring it back at your convenience. Either way, you are covered!

PS and yes.....It would be STEALING to keep it without permission. You have already been a good mom to teach your little girl that!

Beth in KY

Oh these little dilemmas, don't ya love them? Sometimes I think the store does it to me on purpose to see what I'd do.
By biggest trial was one day at work--We get paid tips at the end of our shift and if a manager is not on duty when you get off, the next manager puts it in your box. One day I had been paid tips and left, came back the next day and around $60 was in my box with the "official" reciept of the payout. Everything was done by the book and the drawer was even, not short. I kept asking "are you sure?" I gave it back, saying I was pretty sure I had been paid and didn't want to keep what was not mine. Luckily, a couple a months later a customer's wallet went missing and I had been in the office by circumstance, and was suspected. It looked bad for me. I think the reason I got out of that was my honesty in the first issue.

If the store isn't close by, I would call the manager at the store and explain what happened. The manager could always put it on your charge card without you having to drive back to the store, or let you pay for it on you next trip. Doing the right thing is rarely the convenient thing to do, but this is a perfect time to teach your children a lesson about honesty.

I have had many occasions when the cashier made mistake and they do look at you like you're crazy when you correct their mistake. The last time was at Kmart. I had a paper gift certificate for $10. The call it a Rewards Certificate. I gave it to her to pay for part of my purchase and she looked at it and deducted the $10 from my balance and then handed me a $10 bill from the drawer. She was young and had never seen one of these before. It took a few minutes for me to explain to her that it was just like a gift card and if I took the $10 bill she would be short when she counted her drawer. Finally she put the money back in the drawer and said, "Oh, you're one of the good ones. I would have taken the money and run."

I wouldn't have felt good about handling the situation any other way. The more you practice a behavior the easier it becomes. I can only hope the next time it happens I do the right thing.

Being the "salt of the Earth" is not easy! Be proud of yourself.....we are tempted everyday because the enemy is out to steal, kill and destroy us!

Romans 13:7-10
7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

I guess I'd go with the call the manager first group - if he says no problem, you did the right thing and are off the moral hook.

Last year I had an interesting dilemna - I was running late for my hair appt. and stopped at a standalone ATM machine for cash. Before I even put my card in it, I noticed $40 in the thingy part that dispenses money. I took it, got my money, went to my appt., then stopped at the nearest branch (in same shopping center) and explained what happened and returned it. The cashier was bewildered and had to confer with a manager before deciding to take the money. I guess I don't exactly understand how someone could have gone to the ATM and left w/o their money or part of it. Anyway, I was hesitant to tell anyone for fear of ridicule (but here I'll just tell all 70,000 of you)! Just a strange story.

I agree with calling the store. If you are not close by it would be hard to get the kids back into the car and going back. My kids could never sit in a car for too long (now they stay home by themselves!).

I also agree that it would be stealing, but if you call the manager and explain everything, give them all of your information (receipt #, name, etc.), get the manager's name and say when you would be able to go back; that they would be happy with that.

I try to teach my two boys right and wrong about everything. I just hope that when they are out there without me (they are now 15 & 13), they have my voice in their heads saying if something is right or wrong. I hope that they are willing to listen to that voice, too!

You teach by setting examples. Kids take everything in. Mine still are taking all of my actions in and comment a lot on some of them.

Krama and honesty IS the best policy.

Nothing like having the devil on one shoulder and your gaurdian angel sitting on the other shoulder.

IMHO, you should go back to the store and speak directly with the manager. It is the right thing to do when setting an example for your kids.

Give the store the opportunity to fix the mistake with the poor clerk that defantly needs additional training.

Although this situation skirts the definition of stealing because you did pay for the items instead of "five finger discounting" it, it is what it is...

The question still remains, what can you live with after making your final decision on what to do next?

So did you call them? What happened?