Have you ever heard of the Pottery Barn Rule?
 

This is new to me.

"The Pottery Barn rule is American jargon alluding to a "you break it, you buy it" policy, by which a retail store holds a customer responsible for damage done to merchandise on display. It is an analogy often used in the political or military arena which suggests that if an organization inadvertently creates a problem, the organization is obliged to correct it.

In reality, Pottery Barn—an upscale home furnishing stores in the United States—does not have a "you break it, you bought it" policy, but instead writes off broken merchandise as a loss, as do most large American retailers. Many U.S. states have statutes forbidding such policies (absent negligence or willful destruction). Legal doctrine also holds that a retailer incurs the risk that merchandise will be destroyed by placing it where customers can handle it and not doing anything to discourage them." Source Wikipedia

Would you pay for anything that you destroyed in a store even if you didn't have to?

Yes, if I destroyed something in a store, of course I would pay for it.
I suspect you will probably get the same answers from the same people as on the "broken window when golfing thread".
:popcorn:

Someone in the broken window thread said those who would pay have a "holier than thou" attitude. I disagree. Some have different "I can sleep at night quotients". You do whatever YOU are comfortable with. It has nothing to do with what you think about OTHERS. I would offer to pay. Hopefully they would not require I do so.

It would be the right thing to do...paying for something you broke. You could also take that to a personal level where a friend is in your home and accidently breaks a vase and wants to replace it. It's the right thing to do..optional maybe but leaves a clean conscience (IMHO).

When you are in my home what's mine is yours. No charge. But when toddlers are coming over I put the good stuff where they can't get at it. We used to tease my mom and call it a velvet rope. This meant no kids in the living room.
Isn't it funny how different families can be?

I would.

I have. I removed a bottle wine from a shelf and knocked another to the floor. Against the manager's wishes I insisted on paying for it. To this day, he remembers me and speaks to me when we see one another. I have a new friend over spilt milk - ok, wine.

I like and admire you. I need to rethink how I see things. I always saw things as the cost of doing business. Friends are priceless.

Three of us walked into an antique shop in Savannah's river district. There was a drop front desk with about twenty five sets of antique porcelain cups and saucers precariously displayed. I saw the accident waiting to happen and steered clear of it, but one of my friends nicked it with her purse and knocked a saucer and cup to the floor.

The manager had absolutely no problem charging her $75 for the broken china; my friend said okay, but then insisted it be wrapped and bagged so she could take it with her. I just stood at the door, vacillating between being mortified and trying not to giggle at my friend telling the manager to be very careful with her new broken cup.

When we got outside I asked her what she was going to do with it and she said she had no idea, but she was damned if she was going to pay $75 and not have ANYTHING to show for it. :p

I like and admire you because you walk the walk and I trust people to tell the truth. I need to rethink how I see things.

I always saw risks as the cost of doing business. Yet, friends are priceless.

I rethought it.

I think you made a mistake. I think the store was responsible and wouldn't take much of a hit. It's nice the worker admires you but if it was me, I wouldn't care. If it was a mom and pop store, I would see it differently. I think their income come comes first. I don't see things in black and white.

I have seen seniors break things in local retail stores in TV and run away like little kids breaking a window. Never once offering to pay for their clumsiness.

That never happened to me. I don't know how I would have handled it. I don't think I would have handled as coolly as your friend. I wish I could, That's a great story. thank-you

How sad. After all those years of taking care of young ones we now need to run when we mistakes. Where is the compassion?

Thanks Tom. If I thought the store was responsible I would not have paid.

I hope that those that run like kids are doing so because they can't afford to pay, not because they don't feel responsible, but that is probably wishful thinking.