At what point, if any, is it immoral to buy the last of a product at the store?

[Preacher ✝]

Let's say you go to the store and you buy all of stock of a given product.

How many have to have been left before buying them all becomes immoral?

I think we can all agree buying the last one is not immoral because the alternative is to not buy any.

What about the last two? Three? Ten? Is there a line?

Vote and discuss.

 

[Troonos]

Never. A voluntary transaction of a legal consumer good is amoral.

 

[reptile baht spaniard rid]

The only way this can even conceivably get close to immoral is buying during panics for the purposes of gouging.

 

[TheArtilleryman]

Depends entirely on when your need turns in to greed. Are you buying them as an opportunity or do you genuinely need that many and you know you aren't potentially hurting other people by doing so (if it's an important living item like diapers or basic food products when there is a supply issue and there are many others who also need it, taking excess is obviously ethically dubious).

Then again, environment also matters and I'm picturing a small, friendly community where everyone cares about their neighbour as I say this. If you're in a city, go nuts I guess, it's all gonna be looted when things get bad enough anwyay.

 

[XL xQgg?QcQCaTYDMjqoDnYpG]

I'd be curious to see anyone actually attempting to robustly justify a stance that isn't "never"
Mostly so I can tear into it and rip it apart

That said, first reply best reply

 

[souschef]

Without specifying what the product is, there's no discussion

 

[Preacher ✝]

Without specifying what the product is, there's no discussion

It could be any product, by buying out the stock you are creating a situation where another shopper is unable to buy any. That's unavoidable with the last one, but when theres 2 or more it is avoidable, and its your choice. If a line exists where is it? Thats the debate.

 

[souschef]

It could be any product, by buying out the stock you are creating a situation where another shopper is unable to buy any. That's unavoidable with the last one, but when theres 2 or more it is avoidable, and its your choice. If a line exists where is it? Thats the debate.

But there's a huge difference between, say, a bag of potato chips and a flask of insulin

The situation also would play a huge role on my answer... I remember during covid people just bulk buying shit for no reason, leaving other buyers with nothing to buy... Then i'd argue that's immoral and assholish

Now, if i took the last bag of chips from the shelf, what difference does it make? Someone's bound to buy it. And no one will have a hard time because they didn't get it, unlike the other examples i've mentioned

 

[XL xQgg?QcQCaTYDMjqoDnYpG]

when theres 2 or more it is avoidable, and its your choice. If a line exists where is it? Thats the debate.

Like I insinuated, anyone who is foolhardy or overconfident enough to try to rigorously justify or defend the notion of "there is a line" in my vicinity is just looking to be torn into shreds
Especially since "I find this amoral action immoral" overlaps nearly perfectly with "this immoral must be prohibited" which overlaps perfectly with structural conditions that are anti-abundance

 

[The Last Stand]

I think we can all agree buying the last one is not immoral because the alternative is to not buy any.

What about the last two? Three? Ten? Is there a line?

Vote and discuss.

For groceries, I buy what I need. If there's two juices left and I want those two juices and I see them, I'm buying them. The store's scarcity of goods would have nothing to do with my want/need.

 

[myhairisonfire]

Depends on how much I need, how long it will be until I can purchase again, my ability to shop elsewhere, how in need others are compared to myself....

If you are buying to resell (scalping) or purposefully create scarcity, you should be shot in the street like a rabid dog.

 

[The Last Stand]

It could be any product, by buying out the stock you are creating a situation where another shopper is unable to buy any. That's unavoidable with the last one, but when theres 2 or more it is avoidable, and its your choice. If a line exists where is it? Thats the debate.

I don't think the world will end with somebody buying all 250 copies of Kinect Adventures from a retailer.

 

[SchloppyI.T.Man]

Don't buy the last of it if it's like the last 30-50% I guess?
I saw a woman almost clean house on some soda I wanted, walking away with like 8 2-Liter bottles of the stuff off the shelf.
I think she only stopped because I was staring and she asked if I wanted a bottle, or she was a small lady and it was on a high shelf and she was cleaning out to the back.
If you're buying that much, just ask the manager if you can buy in bulk.

 

[DragoonSierra]

I bought the last two bags of blueberry cereal recently because fuck I cant find that shit anywhere.

 

[Power Ranger Monster]

Depends on the proximity of others. If the aisle is empty or everyone has their back turned, go nuts.

 

[mutated dog leather]

the greeb of man . . ..

 

[The Last Stand]

I saw a woman almost clean house on some soda I wanted, walking away with like 8 2-Liter bottles of the stuff off the shelf.

You should've whopped her ass.

 

[Munchin' on Some Grindage]

Different situations should bring different outcomes.

Situation 1: If it's only you, go for it. It's all yours.

Situation 2: Let's say you're there with another person who wants the product as well. I'm not saying you have to give them most of the product or even 50/50 but throw them a bone at least and give them 1 or 2. It's just common courtesy.

Americans, if the other individual in Situation 2 is a dirty illegal, disregard the rules of Situation 2. Take it all on principle, even if you don't want it all.

 

[Persona Grata]

The only way this can even conceivably get close to immoral is buying during panics for the purposes of gouging.

Yeah I agree, I think the morality of it changes with the demands of the market and your intent.

If you fuck some kid out of pokemon cards because you wanted to resell them, that sucks. But if you just wanted to buy all the pokemon cards because you can? That's totally justified. Especially if there's not some cause for scalpers to snake everything. If it's just a regular ass day and you want all the pokemon cards? Eh, why not?

 

[The Last Stand]

Situation 2: Let's say you're there with another person who wants the product as well. I'm not saying you have to give them most of the product or even 50/50 but throw them a bone at least and give them 1 or 2. It's just common courtesy.

Sometimes, it's a dog-eat-dog world. Some people are selfish. Some people may "want" it more than you do.

If you are buying to resell (scalping) or purposefully create scarcity, you should be shot in the street like a rabid dog.

I remember when people bought ALL the toilet paper at COVID, then tried to resell them at high prices.