Question:
I wrote a question last week on this subject, but now I have a new halachic question.
I have a moadon in a Jewish grocery store which allows me to use the scanning machine to scan the items and pay myself. Recently it stopped working because they saw in their system that there was a time that I scanned items but then didn't pay. I asked about it, and they printed out a paper which shows the items I scanned and didn't pay for. I was able to recall after seeing the items on the list, that it was what I bought on behalf of my parents and I was planning to pay by cash with my parents' money. I remember that I also bought my own things at the same time with my credit card (which they were able to find on their system). I find it very hard to imagine that I forgot to pay for my parents shopping as well but I can't rule it out. I asked the man to check on his system everything I bought the whole day in case I scanned everything again on the self service computer and not on the scanning machine (I think I have some vague memory of this, but once again, I can't be sure at all), he checked and said there was nowhere on the system that says I paid. I asked him to check using my moadon name since I paid by cash (or so I thought), but he said he can only check with the card number not the moadon name.
In short, I still think that there's a possibility that he didn't manage to check properly, (perhaps I added things to the list and it doesn't show up as the same price etc.). I don't really understand how he could know for sure that I didn't shop any other time during the day without searching with my moadon name since I didn’t pay with credit card.
- The Sheila is what to do now, since it was my parents' shopping – if I didn't pay then I should pay with my parents' money but on the other hand if I did pay then I can't pay twice at my parents' expense. I don't feel comfortable asking my parents' and it's not easy for me to pay myself.
- Also, until they let me use my moadon, can my husband make another one, in his name, in the meantime and let me use it?
Answer:
Hello,
- It would seem that it is in your best interest to just pay for your parents shopping from your own money, as it is only one time thing. On one hand if you don’t pay for it, it is possible that you mistakenly stole from the store. On the other hand, if you did pay for it from your parent’s money it is stealing from them to take the money again. Therefore, it is in your neshoma’s best interest to just pay for it yourself, unless your parents agree to pay for it (possibly again).
- Regarding the moadon card, it really depends on the management of the store, if they would agree to give another card in a different name when essentially it is the same people.
Best wishes
