Selling Second-Hand Mezuzahs
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Question
I have a friend who asked me to order mezuzahs for him. I have many second-hand mezuzahs at home. If I sell them without disclosing that they are second-hand, is this considered deceit? After all, what is the difference between second-hand and new, both are parchment. My brother said it's not deceit, but in my opinion, it is deceit.
Answer
Hello
Even if there is indeed no difference between a new and a used mezuzah, it is forbidden to sell a used mezuzah as if it were new. For two reasons:
Because the market price is different - this is deceit.
Additionally, because the customer cares about it - this is fraud.
[In practice, the assumption that there is no difference seems incorrect to me.
There is a noticeable difference between a mezuzah that is 20 years old and a new mezuzah, and thus it is proven that there is wear and tear every year. Even if each year the difference is not noticeable].