Originally Posted by Sin5Cents
People knew the value of the product they were receiving.
Correct.
Originally Posted by Sin5Cents
People knew that the price posted was mostly likely a mistake.
Probably, but reasonable people could have purchased the ticket believing they had just lucked out.
Originally Posted by Sin5Cents
People knew not to and discouraged other people from notifying any >live< person at Icelandair or Cheaptickets.
Correct, some did.
But you fail to make the connect between the ethical duty of the consumer and the situation which was presented. And exactly what IS the ethical duty of the consumer, if any? Paying the least possible price for the highest quality product? If so, then we all did good jobs.
Originally Posted by Sin5Cents
Withdraw more money from an ATM that was inadvertently dispensing $20 instead of $10 (i.e. $20 bills were loaded in the $10 bill slot)?
I once received an extra $5 from an ATM. Did I give it back? No. However, do they know that they gave me that extra $5? Probably, but I never heard from them; if I had, I would have given it back. Seriously. But in the moment, what am I supposed to do with that extra $5? Throw it away? Take time out of my day to schlep on over to the bank, explain the situation, yadda, yadda, yadda? Don't think so.
Would I, however, withdraw from an ATM dispensing $20 in place of $10's knowing full well that was what was going to happen? No.
I happen to recall an incident where just this thing happened, and people who had withdrawn more than they were entitled to, were later contacted by the bank to repay the money! The ethics of that situation seem much more clearcut, to me.
Originally Posted by Sin5Cents
Go back and purchase more of a grocery item if they learned that the self-checkout was only charging the sales tax for the item?
Never heard of such a thing happening - there's always a clerk looking at those things.
Originally Posted by Sin5Cents
Pump gas at a station where you could hear the gas flowing, but the cash dials were not moving?
Again, never heard of such a thing happening, so it's sheerly hypothetical.