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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AdmundfortGeographer" data-source="post: 2421442" data-attributes="member: 4682">Gosh, why no, I haven't heard of that. :rolls eyes: Window shopping is looking at the wares from outside the store through the... wait for it... window! You haven't gone in and handled the product the storekeeper owns or taken up any of his attention or employees time.Yes, that's unethical. Go ahead and do it, I didn't say it was illegal.Realtors and home sellers are aware folks are coming through to "see what the neighbor's house is like" with no intention of buying it. Every homeowner is also a potential homeseller in the same market as everyone else. Realtors also use the event to sell their services to future potential homesellers. Rarely is some publisher going into a store to check the competitors products to do industry research with the intent ahead of time to never purchase.Frankly, I haven't gone house hunting never intending to purchase a home. I only house hunt the houses I can afford. As a neighbor I do on occassion go into a home having an open house never intending to buy it but then everytime it has been a neighbor that wants and expects the neighbors to come check it out because this is almost the only way to generate word of mouth "advertising". Neighbors come check the house out and there is a chance the neighbor will pass along the prospect to their friends or relatives who are in the market for houses.Also, as a homeowner/potential homeseller, it is worthwhile checking out the homes selling in your neighborhood because house values will affect your own house value and thus property taxes. One's neighbors selling houses in your neighborhood affects one's own pocket book whether or not one is putting their home on the market.If you want to browse, go browse where there is a retailer that is cheap/helpful/provising enough ancillary services. If you going to buy online, there is very good chance you won't be telling you friends to go shop at the retailer, but are telling them to shop online. The shopkeeper is not getting even potential word of mouth advertising from you.Besides, from your example, everyone in the product chain didn't get their money from your purchase. The storeowner, whose products you went and handled, didn't get his cut. The publisher isn't paying the storeowner to display his books. The storeowner got nothing and he is well within your "product chain".The ethics is the intentional deceit towards the storeowner. You know the storeowner is hoping for your business, and as such puts the product he owns out for his potential customers to examine. Coming in knowing ahead of time you will never be a potential customer is what I'm talking about.In economic terms you are a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_rider_problem" target="_blank">free rider</a> , you are free riding on the back of the storekeeper and his or her paying customers. You are getting something for nothing. You are using the services put out for paying customers intending to never pay for them.</blockquote>

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