Lowe's guy wouldn't sell a FPE to a customer

[iwire]

The OP involved not only a direct code violation but a situation that was absolutely dangerous and absolutely could have caused a situation that could have harmed innocent people.

I agree it could. Selling a sharp knife to another person could cause harm to innocent people.

But the beauty of our capitalist system is that this HO can easily find the same product elsewhere and continue on his ill-advised repair.

There is no reason they should have to find it somewhere else, it was for sale here.

The employee did not call around to every other supply house in the county and make sure that the HO could not buy the product anywhere, he just wanted to make sure his hands were clean.

His hands are not clean, he trampled on the customers rights to harm himself and maybe his family.

Again I think it is using discretion which IMO is a good thing.

I do not want anyone using discretion when it comes to my rights to do stupid things.

If I am refused the purchase of something, let's say a set of brake pads, because the clerk thinks I don't have the skill to employ them properly, I'll think that guy is a jerk and just go somewhere else and purchase them.

That fine if you want to waste your time driving around, I do not.

Again I am sensitive to people trying stamp out rights (which I don't think this was a case of because the same product was available elsewhere),

I have right to buy it where it is for sale.

but in this case where the product was absolutely going to be installed in a way that would very likely caused harm I feel that the employee made the right call.

Maybe in this case they did, I still can not support it.

There are cases of pharmacists not filling certain scripts because they don't agree with them.

And IMO they should be fired.

While I may not agree with their judgment call I feel that it is their right to refuse service as long as the same product is available locally.

I feel that the business owner may have a right to refuse service, I definitely do not think an employee has a right to decide who gets to buy what.

If they have a moral issue with selling certain prescriptions they should own the pharmacy or find other work.

 

[mdshunk]

There's a beauty supply shop here that has a big stop sign on the door that saying something like they only sell to licensed cosmonauts, or some such thing. A plumbing supply house here only sells to plumbers and similar tradesmen. They won't sell to joe off the street. These are both examples of what Bob's saying are okay examples of trade exclusion. If a plumbing supply house sells to the public, but won't sell a gas furnace to joe off the street because they're afraid he'll blow up the block, this is a "not okay" example. They should rightly sell to everyone, or sell to pros only.

 

[wbalsam1]

........................................................
There are cases of pharmacists not filling certain scripts because they don't agree with them. While I may not agree with their judgement call I feel that it is their right to refuse service as long as the same product is available locally.

Fill in the word "pharmacist" with electrical supply clerk. Shouldn't this be an advertised company policy and not left to the discrimination, case-by-case, of an employee? Where's the standard? So if I develop the notion that AFCI's haven't been fully tested to my satisfaction I can refuse to sell them to customers for my own personal beliefs or superstitions?

 

[peter d]

There's a beauty supply shop here that has a big stop sign on the door that saying something like they only sell to licensed cosmonauts, or some such thing.

"Cosmonauts" are licensed but not electricians where you live? That's odd.

 

[wbalsam1]

"Cosmonauts" are licensed but not electricians where you live? That's odd.

That's the way NY State is. State licenses required for cutting fingernails, private investigators.....not for electrical inspectors, though.

 

[jaylectricity]

His hands are not clean, he trampled on the customers rights to harm himself and maybe his family.

I agree with you mostly but we already don't have the right to harm ourselves.

See laws concerning:
Seat belts
Helmets
Drug Use
Suicide attempts
Bridge jumping for fun

Anyone care to add more?

 

[growler]

I agree with you mostly but we already don't have the right to harm ourselves.

See laws concerning:
Seat belts
Helmets
Drug Use
Suicide attempts
Bridge jumping for fun

Anyone care to add more?

Those laws apply to everyone and not just the people that some policeman thinks is to dumb to drive without a seatbelt.

What if some car sales person decided that you couldn't buy a certain model of car because you have to many speeding tickets. It may be for your own good but the sales person does not have the right to make that decision.

 

[bradleyelectric]

I feel that the business owner may have a right to refuse service, I definitely do not think an employee has a right to decide who gets to buy what.

If they have a moral issue with selling certain prescriptions they should own the pharmacy or find other work.

I believe it should be the business owners right to decide whether he is going to give his employees that right. Not your right to decide how he should run his business.

 

[iwire]

I believe it should be the business owners right to decide whether he is going to give his employees that right. Not your right to decide how he should run his business.

I agree assuming there was a spelled out policy, not on a person by person basis.

 

[peter d]

I believe it should be the business owners right to decide whether he is going to give his employees that right. Not your right to decide how he should run his business.

True, but I doubt that is the case with Lowes or HD unless they have policies for their employees that we are unaware of.

 

[bradleyelectric]

I agree assuming there was a spelled out policy, not on a person by person basis.

Why is it your right to decide it has to be a written policy? Again I believe that should be up to the business owner. Of course it would be an odd business policy to inform employees that we sell widgets and they are free to decide who they would like to sell them or not to sell them to. I do believe that it should be up to the business owner to decide what he would like to do about an employee that does take it upon himself to implement such a policy.

That being said in my county you can only do electric work in your own home by passing a homeowners competency test that is designed to prohibit homeowners from passing the test, but homeowners are free to buy materials anywhere, but you can't purchase cooling equipment without a license.

 

[bradleyelectric]

True, but I doubt that is the case with Lowes or HD unless they have policies for their employees that we are unaware of.

I would be surprised to learn either big box mentioned has a written policy stating all employees must sell anything a customer wants to any customer.

 

[peter d]

but you can't purchase cooling equipment without a license.

Au contraire! I can buy any type of HVAC equipment cash at any distributor in my area, just like anyone can buy plumbing and electrical supplies at trade suppliers without a license. The only thing hat is restricted is the refrigerant itself. You need a license to buy that, and I believe that is a federal law.

 

[mdshunk]

You need a license to buy that, and I believe that is a federal law.

It is.

I remember a line from my Junior High School civics class teacher. "Businesses who fail to regulate themselves will be regulated."

Even if the business's self-regulation is hit and miss, and even arbitrary, it's still legal. We're free to like it or not like it, in much the same way we can buy our stuff from another vendor with more favorable policies.

 

[bradleyelectric]

Au contraire! I can buy any type of HVAC equipment cash at any distributor in my area, just like anyone can buy plumbing and electrical supplies at trade suppliers without a license. The only thing hat is restricted is the refrigerant itself. You need a license to buy that, and I believe that is a federal law.

Your not in my area are you? We did a credit union branch last year where the credit union said they had to purchase all materials from the suppliers directly for all trades in order to satisfy their tax free status.

This was brought to light after bids were in and their was no request for prices to be adjusted. Only actual material prices paid to suppliers backed out and checks cut directly from Credit union to suppliers.

York was trying to figure out how to handle direct purchase of the HVAC equipment from the credit union as they did not have a license to purchase it. They were threatening to withhold warrentying the units as they weren't selling them directly to a licensed installer.

 

[peter d]

Your not in my area are you?

Nope, I'm not. I also think it's quite silly to have a policy to restrict sales to people who have cold hard cash or credit card in hand. Which would you rather have in your hand? Cash, or extending a line of credit to a contractor who may pay his bill 3 months down the road?

 

[bradleyelectric]

Nope, I'm not. I also think it's quite silly to have a policy to restrict sales to people who have cold hard cash or credit card in hand. Which would you rather have in your hand? Cash, or extending a line of credit to a contractor who may pay his bill 3 months down the road?

I'd rather have cash than be strung out on credit. There are a lot of things that happen in this world that I think are silly. The fact that so many people believe that they are entitled to things or beliefs is a big 1. I do work for some customers that have cash in hand and others I extend credit to.

 

[peter d]

There are a lot of things that happen in this world that I think are silly. The fact that so many people believe that they are entitled to things or beliefs is a big 1.

I think I'm entitled to buy whatever I want for my own home, whether it's plumbing, electrical or HVAC supplies. I can't buy the refrigerant, but I know people who can.

And I think it's silly for Lowes, HD or a trade supplier to restrict sales. You can better believe if I found myself in that situation I would find a way to purchase that product.

 

[iwire]

Why is it your right to decide it has to be a written policy?

It is not my right, I believe that decision will already been made by the courts.

 

[bradleyelectric]

It is not my right, I believe that decision will already been made by the courts.

I do belive you are right, but I also know there has been discussions on here as to who we have chosen not to service. We feel we have the right to decide that.