Quote:
Originally Posted by Harmon
In the real world, of course, one cannot ignore the "convenience factor," nor can it be true that the product does not cost the seller something, if only the labor involved, to put up for sale. But under those circumstances, I think that an ethical seller would say something along the lines of "This product is in the public domain, and the identical product is available for free elsewhere. It is being made available here for charge of $X if you wish to have it immediately."
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I disagree. Retailers are under no obligation - legal, ethical, moral, or what have you - to inform consumers that the same product is available elsewhere for free or less money. That obligation falls squarely upon the consumer.
For example, I recently purchased a Kodak PlaySport pocket camcorder from Amazon for $109. I checked prices at all the usual tech stores before going with Amazon. At the time of my purchase, Target was selling the same exact item for full retail ($150). Was Target being unethical by not informing customers that the same item was available at Amazon for only $109?