this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2024
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The police aren't supposed to be involved in business disputes? Isn't shoplifting a business dispute? But if a company steals from a customer, then it is a civil dispute? Do you see how that works?
Shoplifting is a crime, not a business dispute.
Right. But if a business steals from you, that's a civil matter, and the cops don't get involved.
Not adding pickles to a sandwich when you asked for it isn't theft, it's an innocent mistake. You don't need to threaten someone with jailtime over it.
Let me give you a real-world example. This actually happened to me. I'm a temp working for a large corporation. The corp decides that they aren't satisfied with my work. I get a call from my temp agency saying "Your contract has been terminated."
Okay, this sucks, but it happens. However, I have a bunch of stuff (which I own) on my desk, and now I can't go back and get it because my keycard doesn't work anymore. When I show up and ask for my stuff, they tell me to email somebody, and that person doesn't reply. I even ask a friend who works there to go by my desk and set if he can get my stuff, and he says that my desk has been cleared off, and it's likely in the trash somewhere.
So, I go to the police. The police tell me that it's a civil matter, not a criminal one, and I'll have to take the corp to small claims court.
Now. If I had taken something from the corp home with me (i.e. stolen it), which would it be? A criminal matter or a civil matter? You'd better believe that would be a criminal matter and police would be involved.
It's pretty simple. You need intent to permanently deprive to be theft, and there's little chance they can nail down anybody with that intent in that case. They're not out to make you whole, they're out to arrest people. Even if they could make a criminal case, you'd have to go through the civil courts to get restitution. Since it's not a situation where they can realistically make an arrest, your only options are civil.
That's theft you're talking about. A criminal offense in most places.
Getting your order wrong, unintentionally, isn't.
A business dispute wherein public safety or property theft are involved, sure... but not when someone is irate about their service. Unless that escalates to the former, it should not require police presence.
If I pay for X and don't receive what I paid for, is that not theft? If the police are going to get involved then it should go both ways as a company stealing from customers is every bit as wrong as customers stealing from a company
It could very well be an innocent mistake made by an over-worked, underpaid staffer.
Do you really think the best way to resolve that situation is to call some bored gun-toting police officer to wave their metaphorical dick at them so you don't have to be nice and ask for something instead of demanding satisfaction like a medieval fop?
Is money belonging to an individual not their property? What about wage theft claims, where a business doesn't pay employees or takes their tips? Why is that a civil dispute? Cops usually only protect businesses and now people are upset when they gave the same courtesy to someone alleging they didn't get what they paid for.
When they abuse power to give courtesy to themselves and no one else. "wHy ArE yOu MaD?"
They never show up for these, unless it's to assault and terrorize employees and protesters.
You really are quite the deluded boot licker, aren't you?
The only person acting like a bootlicker here is you