Sales Archives - AskTheRav

How do the Halochos of Ona’ah (cheating) apply in business?

Question: How do the Halochos of Ona'ah (cheating) apply in business? I remember coming across the halacha that one is not allowed to sell something for more than its…

What are the Halachic limitations as to whom, and for what price, one may sell a house to in a Frum neighborhood?

Fuller Picture: We live in a place where the real estate market is rapidly outpacing previous prices, as such the most common way of selling a house is to…

We paid for a service through paypal . The seller is now asking us to pay for the fee. What is the halacha?

Question clarified: We paid for a service through Paypal and were advised to send payment as friends to avoid the transaction fee. This option was not available and we had…

How much is a Yid required to overpay and still buy from a Yid rather than from a non-yid?

There is no fixed amount. If one incurs a significant loss, there is no need to do so. If however the difference is negligible and insignificant, one should buy from…

I returned a purchase in a non-Jewish store, and the cashier realized I was refunded an extra $60. Do I need to return the money?

One may not intentionally deceive anyone, including non-Jews, but it is permissible to take advantage of a mistake made by a gentile (ta’us akum), unless doing so will cause…

Amazon package not received, refunded and then found

Question: I made a purchase on amazon and got a notification that it was delivered. When I checked for the package though I wasn’t able to find anything so…

Is one allowed to use a Gartel for a Kinyan?

Yes. Indeed, this is the common custom. However, some are particular to use an item which is wide three by three etzbaos. #2645 (1)

If a non-Jewish business made a mistake and sent us an additional item, do we need to return it?

If there is a chance that the goy will realize and it will thus cause a Chilul Hashem then one must inform the goy (therefore when possible one should…

I am the new owner of a food store…

Question: I am the new owner of a food store. The previous owner had a organization pay for the glass near the register in exchange for being able to…

I want to sell a second hand item to a friend. We have made up a price that we both agree on. Now I found out that it may be worth much less in the market, although he really likes specifically what I have. Is it a problem to sell it for the agreed price?

One should let the buyer know about the market rate of this second hand item, and if he agrees it is permitted. Sources: חו״מ רכ״ז סכ״א. שוע"ר הלכות…

Are you allowed to book flights from Skiplagged with a hidden destination without airlines knowledge thereby you’re getting a better price than the airline knowingly sells?

Whenever you book an airline ticket, you are effectively entering into a “contract of carriage” between yourself and the airline. Usually, hidden-city ticketing is a violation of the binding contract between the…

I am looking into buying a flight to EY and I saw a letter from the Rebbe that if possible one should buy tickets from El Al. Does this apply even if a flight from El Al is a couple hundred more expensive than flying with another airline?

Link to The Rebbe's letter in Likkutei Sichos vol. 22 page 332 Where it is significantly more expensive you do not need to buy from El Al. …

My friend sold me an iPhone and I opened up the box already and then I changed my mind about buying it. May I still back out of the sale? I already paid him the money.

You may not return it, since you already made a Kinyan, unless the seller agrees. Sources: חושן משפט סימן קפ"ט ועוד

Is there a solution for someone who wants to sell his first house that he bought, considering the Gemara says it is not a good Siman to sell your first property?

If it is a house for living, there is no problem. Some suggest retaining a window or brick in the sale, so it is not a complete sale. …

Is it permitted to listen to Music I have received from a friend, he did not pay for it either and we both do not plan on buying that specific album, is it considered stealing even though the artist is not losing out by me obtaining the album for free?

The concept of ownership over intellectual property is debated in the Poskim and the general consensus is that when a publisher or producer puts out a new book or…

There is an expensive item that once it has been shipped, if it is canceled before it reaches the buyer, the store gives a refund, but it does not have to be returned. Knowing this policy, can it be ordered L’chatchila – planning to cancel the order once it is shipped and keeping the item and the refund?

This may not be done. Sources: איסור גניבת דעת קיים גם בגוי, וכיון שודאי אין ברצונו של המוכר שיקנו ממנו ויבקשו החזר, הרי זה גניבת דעת. ראה שו"ע חושן…

If a business offers a free evaluation, but you know you won’t be able to afford to sign on, is it Gneivas Da’as to take the free evaluation?

When a store or a company offers a free evaluation, one is allowed to take the evaluation, provided they make it absolutely clear from the onset that they have zero…