This piece of happiness needs to be shared. There is a grocery product that I dearly love. The company recently raised its price one-third by packaging fewer pieces per bag. After about a month, the packaging again showed the LARGER count–which should mean that the price went back DOWN. I again purchased the product.

However, after my purchase I found only the lower count of pieces–appearing like overcharging followed by FRAUD!

The best response? Certainly not to call the police! I chose to telephone this small local company, where my call was answered by someone actually involved in the operation, possibly the owner. This person checked the packaging and found that indeed, the bag supplier had provided bags imprinted with the OLD amount, and the assembly line had not caught the change.

Am I satisfied? Yes! If the condition persists, that would become a problem, and grocers would probably discontinue carrying the product. Instead, I anticipate that my alert has already set in motion the corrective procedures. The company can monitor the bag supplier’s deliveries, and I can continue to enjoy this excellent product. Producer and consumer acting in good faith realize mutual benefit.

This is more than a story of polite cooperation. It also serves to demonstrate how citizens resolve differences without resort to government force. Good merchants know the value of fairness in keeping customers, and they are as responsive to me, the consumer, as they would be to officers of the law. We implemented constructive action instead of punitive (hurtful) measures. Law enforcement is freed to spend its time on intentional fraud.

Image by Rebecca Matthews from Pixabay 

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