Fraud (was Re: New to list - suggestions invited, please!)

[Erica Sadun]

>To the person who thinks it is unethical to buy a camcorder for 
>transcoding and return it within the unlimited return time for a 
>refund - this guy is broke. This is not illegal. It is within some 
>store return policy guidelines. Therefore it is not necessarily 
>unethical to get his job done this way. It is a matter of opinion. 
>The ethics of it is debatable.

This is not a matter of opinion. The ethics are not debatable.
This is wrong. It is fraud. It is an exploitation of an item's
value without actual purchase.

Returning equipment that is damaged or does not work as
advertised? Ethical.

Returning equipment that you "buy" for short-term use
because you cannot afford it? Unconscionable.

-- Erica