A package I recently sent was guaranteed to be delivered the next day by noon but instead arrived at 12:03. Though I’m fully satisfied with the overnight delivery, I’m technically entitled to a full refund. Is it ethical to ask for my money back? —Ross Nizlek, Burlington, Vermont
You shouldn’t ask for a refund. Technically, the service did “fail.” But there are many reasons someone might be 3 (or even 23) minutes late, and it’s wrong to ignore those factors simply because the language of the rules is inflexible. Whenever people or organizations try to fulfill their professional duties with a reasonable degree of diligence, allow some room for minor human error. If the Postal Service didn’t time-stamp deliveries, the idea of complaining wouldn’t have even occurred to you. Demanding a refund when you’re “fully satisfied” is a form of theft.
—Adapted from “The Ethicist” in The New York Times Magazine