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20-May-2013 11:16

Is this unethical behaviour?

I have just used the resources & ‘part-tracking’ services of one UK online company (and also called them directly offline as they had a web-published Freefone 0800) & after ascertaining exactly which ‘part number’ I needed, I then further researched prices and availability online and bought/ordered the unit from another UK online website at a far lower price…

On the one hand I feel a bit soiled as I’ve ‘used’ Company A, but on the other hand feel rather chuffed that I’ve saved quite a lot of £$£$£ using Company B!

So…

Is this unethical behaviour & I’m a bit naughty or am I simply utilising the web – as perhaps it should be used - to (my) great advantage?

Answers on a postcard please…

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Comments
Contributed by Marc Kranat on 21-May-2013 14:44
Absolutely nothing unethical about it. I regularly use Amazon to find the right item (mostly books and consumer electronics), it’s easy to research, lots of reviews, once I have the right item, I then search elsewhere. Often I will end up coming back to Amazon, but not always.
I use a specialist company to search for HP server parts, but if I find the part cheaper elsewhere they will always match the price, I only have to ask.
www.marclouis.co.uk
Contributed by Peter Jones - Innovation Consultant at Blue Oyster on 21-May-2013 10:23
The way round this "guiltiness" is to find a way to use company A for something less expensive or strategic ?
Equally, if they are over-priced, this will happen to them a lot, and force them to re-examine either their product or their prices.

It is a marketplace, after all.

Would we not shop round street stalls in the same way ?

As "everybody" now checks out goods on the high street and then rushes home to get internet discounts, it's not new behaviour, but as you say, how ethical are we being ?
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