A Discount on Clothing in a Sale — Who Is Entitled to It?
Question
Hello and blessings,
I wanted to ask a question regarding monetary matters.
My sister bought a garment in a store that advertised a sale: the second item is 50% off. That is, when she buys one garment, she gets an additional garment at half price (provided that the additional garment is cheaper; if it is more expensive, she pays full price for the more expensive garment and half price for the cheaper one). My sister looked in the store for an additional garment, and when she did not find one, she went to pay.
A few days later, I was thinking of buying exactly the same garment as my sister’s (so the price was identical). I asked the saleswoman whether she would be willing to combine my garment with the garment my sister had bought a few days earlier, and she agreed.
As a result, I paid only half price for the garment, while my sister had paid full price. After the purchase, my sister came to me with the claim that I should pay her half of the amount, because I received the significant discount only thanks to the fact that she had bought her garment. I argued that since she had, as it were, “given up” her right to use the sale, she cannot demand that I pay her; furthermore, I told her before I bought it that I was going to purchase the garment, and she did not object and did not make it conditional on payment.
I would be happy to know what Halacha says and what is proper to do beyond the letter of the law.
Thank you very much.
Answer
Hello and blessings.
The discount belongs to both of you equally.
