Okay, I grew up in a small business and later managed a store for a small
business, plus I asked Joe at the Ferret Store if it's still the same and
it is: Basically, when someone steals from a small business it's literally
removing the cash from the wallet of the owner.  Things can partly be
written off on taxes, and if large enough then there's insurance, but if a
small company gets robbed the person whose pocket is emptied is the owner
whose take-home that month (or months) is reduced to cover the monies lost.
Yes, that kind person with whom you may have spoken on the phone, or
chatted with face-to-face is the same one being hurt -- sometimes badly.  I
can recall times when we were young and getting the business off the ground
when a bad check used to mean a month in which the amount of food was
actually lowered (yes, we kids going to bed hungry) -- never mind the
quality or variety since those were always under strict control when the
business was getting its feet on the ground.
 
Now, I am sure that the person who messed over the Ferret Store figured
that the bank involved would pay.  Guess what?  A large portion of the time
it doesn't work like that.  Of course, stealing from the bank would also be
just plain wrong, but the fact is that the credit card banks very often
force the merchant to carry the cost.  In addition, whoever had the card
stolen would have to pay the first $50 to the bank, so what the individual
who sent that "donation" did was to rob the card holder, inconvenience the
bank, rob the small business owner, and upset the recipient very seriously.
That's a lot of destruction.  Yes, that DOES also mean that if someone
leaves a small business like the Ferret Store unpaid for merchandise
received that then Joe winds up in the situation my family used to be in on
and off -- less money to put food on the table or clothes on any kids
during bad times, or even to buy down a mortgage or get a well earned
luxury during good times.  Theft is theft -- plain and simple.  If you are
not paying a bill or trying to stick someone else with one then it is just
the same as if you lifted someone's wallet or grabbed a purse right from
the individual's arm.  No difference.
 
There are many ways in which credit card thefts happen.  Here's just one
important thing you can do to help yourself: NEVER -- absolutely never --
give or receive (including from your answering machine) ANY information
which needs to be secure over a portable phone or over an unscrambled
phone.  The data from either can be very easily intercepted.  In fact, when
you talk on one the chances are actually very high that your conversations
are being overheard.  There used to be radios (quite a number of them)
legally sold which can intercept such wavelengths.  Later, about the same
time, SOME (not all) of those were declared too private to allow such
radios but even then there were modifications which could made to some
radios to intercept such messages and these modifications were widely
distributed and the radios sold very well.
 
Meanwhile to whoever stole in the situation: shame on you.  Fortunately,
Kim has never been the sort of person who leaves bills unpaid so her
reputation is not hurt in this.  She is yet another victim due to the
anguish you caused her, though, and thanks to any debts which she finds
herself covering even though YOU created them.  That means that whoever did
this delivered blows to 3 individuals in that mix.  Here's what you need to
do, Thief: you need to send a teller's check for $50 along with an apology
note to the person whose card you used.  You need to send a teller's check
for the amount Kim used to the Ferret Store with an explanation and
apology.  Yes, Kim's wallet, other's donations, and Joe's kind heart can
and will financially cover the amount you stole, but MORALLY they can NOT.
You PROMISED, so now you should DELIVER.  Make the one to the Ferret Store
a check to cover either future needs of the KISTA Shelter, or for future
needs of shelters in general on a first-come, first serve, basis.  YOU
screwed up and now you need to learn from your mistake by doing the RIGHT
things.
 
Fact is, folks, that when you don't pay bills the ones who get hurt are
little guys like you, like me, like any of us here.  Fortunately, only a
very few people are so dishonest as to not pay their debts (even a little
bit at a time is a great way to start and then just keep doing that till
finished) or to try to foist debts onto others, but that still doesn't make
it right.  Theft is theft, whether you dipped your hand into someone else's
billfold, or reduced a wonderful and gentle soul to tears at the shame
(even though it was not her fault she FELT it) of being the recipient of
stolen goods, or took money from a marvelous small business owner who
really adores and cares about ferrets.  Make it right.
[Posted in FML issue 2996]