Honesty dilemma...

[LiveCoug]

My wife has had a Nikon point and shoot camera for about 7 months. A couple of weeks ago, the camera stopped working, it would just say "battery exhausted" even if there were brand new batteries in it. It has a one year manufacturers warranty, so she asked me to send the camera back to Nikon to get a replacement. I sent it off, and get an email back saying that the warranty is void because the battery door was damaged and the cost to repair would be $90.

Now, I was pretty mad, so I called Nikon service department and yelled at the guy for 30 minutes about how the camera was not damaged and that it had never been dropped and we sent the camera to them in good physical condition. We went through a process to dispute the voided warranty claim and that was that. I then called my wife and told her the story. She says "well, it was damaged, a little piece had broken off a while ago, but the door still worked". Oops.

I assumed my dispute would be denied anyway, so I didn't think it would matter. Lo and behold, I get an email yesterday detailing that the dispute had been accepted and a repair would be completed for no charge. I feel bad about that as I had adamantly told the guy that nothing was wrong, physically, with the camera.

Should I call them up and 'fess up? Should I just let it be? I'm guessing I will have different responses from people here, so let's hear it. And no, I didn't get it from Costco....

[CardiacCoug]

I would just let things stand the way they are. Seems like the camera was defective and the warranty should be upheld by Nikon anyway. I'm not sure the details matter that much.

I did a similar "accidentally dishonest" thing after we moved here. I knew my wife had taken the kids to the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum a week earlier and my wife always buys yearly family memberships for stuff like that.

I never asked my wife if she got a membership, but I went to the desk and said something like, "I think my wife probably bought a membership last week, can you check for our name and see?" The lady couldn't find our name but said, "It takes a while for the new memberships to show up in the computer -- here are your wristbands" without charging me anything.

When I got home and my wife said she didn't buy a membership I felt like a schmuck. I probably should drop the cost of admission in one of those donation things next time we are there.

[LiveCoug]

My wife really wants me to fess up, but I'm trying to justify not calling. I figure I will call on Tuesday after they have already done the repair and sent it back to me.

[wuapinmon]

If the door broke, not due to negligence, I wouldn't worry about it at all. If she broke it, I'd call them and tell them you were wrong.

They'll probably let it slide, but being honest is the ethical thing to do if she broke the door.

[TripletDaddy]

My wife has had a Nikon point and shoot camera for about 7 months. A couple of weeks ago, the camera stopped working, it would just say "battery exhausted" even if there were brand new batteries in it. It has a one year manufacturers warranty, so she asked me to send the camera back to Nikon to get a replacement. I sent it off, and get an email back saying that the warranty is void because the battery door was damaged and the cost to repair would be $90.

Now, I was pretty mad, so I called Nikon service department and yelled at the guy for 30 minutes about how the camera was not damaged and that it had never been dropped and we sent the camera to them in good physical condition. We went through a process to dispute the voided warranty claim and that was that. I then called my wife and told her the story. She says "well, it was damaged, a little piece had broken off a while ago, but the door still worked". Oops.

I assumed my dispute would be denied anyway, so I didn't think it would matter. Lo and behold, I get an email yesterday detailing that the dispute had been accepted and a repair would be completed for no charge. I feel bad about that as I had adamantly told the guy that nothing was wrong, physically, with the camera.

Should I call them up and 'fess up? Should I just let it be? I'm guessing I will have different responses from people here, so let's hear it. And no, I didn't get it from Costco....

This is a really tough one. A real head scratcher!

[Tick's wife]

My wife has had a Nikon point and shoot camera for about 7 months. A couple of weeks ago, the camera stopped working, it would just say "battery exhausted" even if there were brand new batteries in it. It has a one year manufacturers warranty, so she asked me to send the camera back to Nikon to get a replacement. I sent it off, and get an email back saying that the warranty is void because the battery door was damaged and the cost to repair would be $90.

Now, I was pretty mad, so I called Nikon service department and yelled at the guy for 30 minutes about how the camera was not damaged and that it had never been dropped and we sent the camera to them in good physical condition. We went through a process to dispute the voided warranty claim and that was that. I then called my wife and told her the story. She says "well, it was damaged, a little piece had broken off a while ago, but the door still worked". Oops.

I assumed my dispute would be denied anyway, so I didn't think it would matter. Lo and behold, I get an email yesterday detailing that the dispute had been accepted and a repair would be completed for no charge. I feel bad about that as I had adamantly told the guy that nothing was wrong, physically, with the camera.

Should I call them up and 'fess up? Should I just let it be? I'm guessing I will have different responses from people here, so let's hear it. And no, I didn't get it from Costco....

get over your self-rightousness and let it be.

[LiveCoug]

get over your self-rightousness and let it be.

I need to hire you as my conscience.

[Tick's wife]

I need to hire you as my conscience.

lol

[RC Vikings]

Should I call them up and 'fess up? Should I just let it be? I'm guessing I will have different responses from people here, so let's hear it. And no, I didn't get it from Costco....

Nikon probably screwed over some other guy in a different dispute so you're even.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I think you should tell them. Chances are they may repair it anyway. Either way, why not tell the truth?

[LiveCoug]

get over your self-rightousness and let it be.

Little Devil on my shoulder

I think you should tell them. Chances are they may repair it anyway. Either way, why not tell the truth?

Little Angel on my other shouulder.

[TripletDaddy]

My wife really wants me to fess up, but I'm trying to justify not calling. I figure I will call on Tuesday after they have already done the repair and sent it back to me.

I am sure you have heard of "make-up sex."

Don't underestimate the reality of "righteousness sex." Call Nikon, make a big production out of it with your wife, tell her about your wrestle with your conscience (maybe even reference Enos directly), tell her you knew that it was the right thing to do, tell her how she was right all along, etc. Obviously do this later in the evening, even right before bed, if possible.

[Moliere]

My wife has had a Nikon point and shoot camera for about 7 months. A couple of weeks ago, the camera stopped working, it would just say "battery exhausted" even if there were brand new batteries in it. It has a one year manufacturers warranty, so she asked me to send the camera back to Nikon to get a replacement. I sent it off, and get an email back saying that the warranty is void because the battery door was damaged and the cost to repair would be $90.

Now, I was pretty mad, so I called Nikon service department and yelled at the guy for 30 minutes about how the camera was not damaged and that it had never been dropped and we sent the camera to them in good physical condition. We went through a process to dispute the voided warranty claim and that was that. I then called my wife and told her the story. She says "well, it was damaged, a little piece had broken off a while ago, but the door still worked". Oops.

I assumed my dispute would be denied anyway, so I didn't think it would matter. Lo and behold, I get an email yesterday detailing that the dispute had been accepted and a repair would be completed for no charge. I feel bad about that as I had adamantly told the guy that nothing was wrong, physically, with the camera.

Should I call them up and 'fess up? Should I just let it be? I'm guessing I will have different responses from people here, so let's hear it. And no, I didn't get it from Costco....

Nikon is a pretty big company gigantic corporation whose sole purpose in life is to make loads of money. I'm sure they won't miss $90 since they would probably just use it to pay for cadillac benefit plans to their baby boomer middle managementites or it would go to a golden parachute for their current CEO. Consider yourself a modern day Robin Hood and don't call them back.

[UtahDan]

Nikon is a pretty big company gigantic corporation whose sole purpose in life is to make loads of money. I'm sure they won't miss $90 since they would probably just use it to pay for cadillac benefit plans to their baby boomer middle managementites or it would go to a golden parachute for their current CEO. Consider yourself a modern day Robin Hood and don't call them back.

Clever, clever.

[Surfah]

My sister once rented a movie that apparently hadn't been returned. My mother got a phone call from the rental store with the past due charges and notice of a restriction on her account. My sister was adamant that she had returned the video and that the rental store must have lost it somehow. So my mom went to bat for her and after a long back and forth the rental company agreed to drop any fines and restrictions on her account. A few months later my sister found the movie in her bedroom. It never went back. I think it was justified in that it was The Mummy Returns and nobody else would have to suffer through it.