Rooftop Tent Moral Dilemma... advice?

You're a dick buddy... I'd happily sell the fucking tent for $1,400-$1,500 to a person who'd enjoy it. I live in New Jersey, not the west... it's fucking hard to hit trails in my neck of the woods. I backpack... i.e. strap a heavy thing to my back and disappear into the wilderness for several days. I always wanted a RTT, stalked this website for years reading about them, read tons of reviews, and waited months to pull the trigger with a coupon.

I'm sorry you got a speeding ticket for speeding, got arrested or smoking trees while wearing that ridiculous hat, or voted for Hillary. I've helped more people and made more ethical split-second decisions over 11 years of service than you've impregnated socks.

... and yes she's smoking hot, and I'd honestly cut my thumbs off if would please her... she's the light of my life, and occasionally a pain in my ass... but I'm very lucky to share my life with her... just trying to make my lifestyle more inclusive for her... hence the fucking tent.

 

So this rant justifies the fact you got accurately called out about your moral decisions?

You started a thread about morals and got a lot of answers regarding morals. Doing the right thing isn’t about doing what is allowed or legal. It is about doing the RIGHT THING.

Patting your own back regarding all of the good you have done doesn’t justify the times when you are a douche. Returning the item after being used is immoral. Simple as that. If it was illegal would that help with your moral decision?

As is see it you questioned the possibility of doing something immoral. A person with strong morals knows what is right and wrong. Only someone without morals would question what others would judge him on if he took certain actions. Your focus is on what others perceive your actions are and if everyone supported your actions then you would have a clear conscience. This has nothing to do with morals. It is about your concern for being seen as being morally right by consensus.

 

Long relationships are hard and I feel the same way about my wife!

 

Maybe I missed it, when did this dudes wife come into the picture?

 

What festival?

 

Man you ladies are all up in your feelings over this. If your situation has changed since purchase and you didn't buy with the intention of using and returning, you have nothing to feel bad about. If it would make you feel better private sale wouldn't be a bad option and you most likely wouldn't lose much if any since you bought it at a discount. Do whichever you want because you'd have no reason to feel bad whichever option you choose. People are so damn dramatic.

 

Ok, I woke up to a minor bitch-slap and that's ok.

For clarification, yes, I'm a cop. Every day I go to work and do cop stuff, and most my days off, I do construction stuff. I'm a hard worker, but I AM BY NO MEANS CLAIMING TO BE A SAINT.

I started this thread because I think returning the tent is kinda shitty, morally speaking, but I did purchase it with the confidence that if I ended up realizing it wasn't for me I COULD return it.

What I didn't expect was how many people would feel so passionately about the subject. REI isn't a Mom and Pop store, they're a huge retailer. I am amazed that this thread has ripped an inter-dimensional hole, and now an apocalyptic fight between GOOD vs. EVIL as consumed it. If I wasn't on the fence about the morality of returning the tent, I wouldn't have started the thread. I was just trying to gauge the general opinion to help decide how shitty returning it would be. I was also looking for alternative advice, which I got... thank you guys. I initially posted it while pooping and running out the door for my second gig... I didn't anticipate such a stink, no pun intended, or, I'd have otherwise composed a more concise initial posting. If I could go to REI and say, "Hey, I used this for a couple days but decided it wasn't for me, can I return it for a couple hundred less.... so my conscience is clear." ... I totally would.

That's unfortunately not an option.

Either way, I do appreciate all the advice, even from those who see fit to try and discredit my livelihood over a tent return. It's definitely entertaining.

 

Why not give the store a call, be straight with them, and ask them if you can return it?

 

You won't have any issues returning it. REI used to have lifetime returns, so did Backcountry and Cabelas. People started abusing those policies, like thru hiking the AT and returning the pack after to get a new one, trashing their waders and getting new pair every year, etc. I also buy from REI because I know I have a year to return it to them. That's what makes their "premium pricing on sweat shop goods" worth the extra dough. Just consider the ethics of your decision before you return it bc eventually REI is going to get rid of their gracious return period. You aren't going to fail at life or be a shit person because you returned it (I bet anything a REI employee buys it at cost when you return it!).

 

So after reading through all this stuff, I hope I wasn't one of the ones that came off as an asshole. But really, let your conscience be your guide. Whether the store is a mom and pop or a big retailer, return policies and shifting consumer habits (like people browsing/trying things on in stores and then buying online from Amazon or whoever) cost them money. Sports Authority is gone, Toys R Us – an icon for all of us all our lives – just disappeared; if you want places like REI to be around 5 or 10 years from now then I suggest doing right by them and not taking advantage of their goodwill and very generous (perhaps overly) return policy. The right thing to do is in the grey area. You didn't have an issue with the price or the quality of the tent, you had an issue with how much use you'd get out of the tent. To me, that's not something that should be on REI. Have a good day, and thanks for your service as a LEO.

 

This is TW, where the points are made up and the rules don’t matter. I’m not in the least bit surprised this thing blew up into a shit storm

 

Truth right here lol.

 

I'm just here to rack up likes

 

Just for that, no like for you

 

You say you like to hike/backpack in to camp and get away from people?
Why not use that awesome truck to drive deep to camp and get away from people.
I say keep it, you'll regret it when you don't have it.
Wish i had to the dollaronies to buy somethin like that.

 

The size of a business has no bearing on this discussion. What if the criminals you encounter said it was ok to steal from their victim because they were rich and didn’t need the money? Does the size of the wallet of the victim have any bearing on whether a crime was committed?

You have asked the questions. People answered. Morally it is a douchbag move to return a used item. A couple of years ago I ordered a Corbin seat for my motorcycle. There was an issue and it actually didn’t get ordered and I was forced to wait an additional 90 days for it to be made and shipped. I called their competitor Sargent who has a return policy of 30 or 60 days regardless of reason. I was told they would ship the seat and if I wasn’t happy I could return it provided it wasn’t destroyed. Normal use and wear was fine. I explained if I liked the Corbin more I would return the Sargent. The Sargent rep said that’s fine that’s what the policy allows. I did not order the Sargent because I felt morally I would be taking advantage of a great return policy. Just like your situation with REI it is allowable. So what does one do? If you bought it with the full intention of testing it and determining if you truely wanted to keep it at the end of the weekend then you test and decide. If you bought it with the intention of using it once and possibly returning it after your once in a lifetime use is over that is morally corrupt.

People have spoken. Stop and listen. We don’t need to hear excuses (justification for your actions). You are a cop. We expect you to hold yourself to a higher standard. When I read about a LEO even questioning moral issues like you have I am embarrassed for your whole profession. You are so far disconnected from the public to even see that this is about right and wrong which is the heart and soul of what you do everyday. Right and wrong. That is what this is about. This has nothing to do with the size of the victims wallet, your smoking hot gf, your chosen profession or how many kittens you rescued from a tree. If legally you are within your rights to return the tent then do it. My opinion or anyone else’s doesn’t matter. Your conscience and your own sense of right and wrong will prevail. This decision will define who you are as LE. Do the right thing or do the legal thing. Your choice.

 

Everybody talking about morals and I'm over here trying to figure out what lie I haven't used to get out of work so I can go camping

 

Let the O.P do what he wants,its his tent,don't know why he even asked a question here,the O.P will return the tent no matter.
REI should change their return policy,to only if its product is shipped damaged, within 10 days.That will stop the use it and return it folks.