• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Stealing or not?

Is it stealing to use a competitor's rate with a third party vendor?

  • Yes

    Votes: 1 14.3%
  • No

    Votes: 6 85.7%

  • Total voters
    7

ksu_aviator

Democrats are the fascists
DP Veteran
Joined
Nov 7, 2010
Messages
7,640
Reaction score
2,827
Location
Your Head
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Very Conservative
I've come to find myself in a bit of a dilemma. The company I work for is knowingly using another companies negotiated rate at a national hotel chain without permission. So my question is, is this stealing? Is it stealing to present yourself to a hotel as an employee of brand x when you working for competing brand y?
 
I think fraud is a better term.
 
How does them being a competitor figure into the ethical equation?
 
I've come to find myself in a bit of a dilemma. The company I work for is knowingly using another companies negotiated rate at a national hotel chain without permission. So my question is, is this stealing? Is it stealing to present yourself to a hotel as an employee of brand x when you working for competing brand y?

Theft implies that you illegally deprived someone of their property.So I would say no.But it is dishonest to present yourself as brand x when you are really brand y.I would say that it is fraud.
 
This is fraud.
 
Yep, fraud, not theft.

Fraud is generally defined in the law as an intentional misrepresentation of material existing fact made by one person to another with knowledge of its falsity and for the purpose of inducing the other person to act, and upon which the other person relies with resulting injury or damage.

Theft occurs when one either knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over the property of another, or Knowingly obtains by deception control over the property of another, with intent to deprive the owner of his or her property,

They key issue is that although deception has occurred, there is no "taking" of "property." So, if you physically steal money, you are actually taking property. However, when you defraud the hotel of it's proper rate, even though there is a loss of profit you have not physically taken property.
 
I've come to find myself in a bit of a dilemma. The company I work for is knowingly using another companies negotiated rate at a national hotel chain without permission. So my question is, is this stealing? Is it stealing to present yourself to a hotel as an employee of brand x when you working for competing brand y?

hasn't the lodging company entered into a contract - with specified rate - of the customer
the company was not denied the ability to refuse to offer that rate
the party which writes the contract has an expectation of knowing what was intended to a greater degree than the other party to the contract
so, no harm, no foul


except
if the party seeking lodging knowingly misrepresents any information collected by the lodging company, then they may be engaging in fraudulent behavior
 
The other company probably bought a block of rooms at a discount rate but that doesn't mean the hotel can give other customers a discount, too. The hotel just wants to fill rooms, period.
 
It's fraud, not stealing ...
 
Not sure, for the company to tell all their employees to do it is probably a bad idea. For an individual employee to do it on their own initiative, probably not so much. After all, the hotel could always ask for identification and they give out so many varying discounts to different groups, I'd have no issue with this.

I had a somewhat similar situation. When I worked for a major global corporation, we had a corporate rate with Verizon Wireless. When they set me up, they put me on another major global corporations rate plan. When I pointed this out, the sales person said it didn't matter since both companies had the same actual rate. Technically I wasn't on my company's rate plan.
 
I've come to find myself in a bit of a dilemma. The company I work for is knowingly using another companies negotiated rate at a national hotel chain without permission. So my question is, is this stealing? Is it stealing to present yourself to a hotel as an employee of brand x when you working for competing brand y?

What you're presenting to us is that you walk into the national hotel chain and tell them you are an employee of "Y" and want their discounted room rate. First, I think there's more to this story.

Secondly, if the national hotel chain isn't asking for proof? They don't care.
 
It is incumbent upon the Hotel to check the credentials of the customers. If they're not checking, it's likely they have a liberal discount policy and are doing business as usual. That discount is probably pretty easy to get. Slippery, a move a politician would be proud of, but Sister Agnes would have qualms, pangs of guilt and buyer's remorse.
 
If more people use that same rate it turns into the market rate. No one has a trademark or copyright on price !
 
Back
Top Bottom