Four Conditions Of Exchange

A man walks into a convenience store and pulls a gun on the clerk behind the counter. The crook takes all the money from the cash register and runs out of the store. The crook has given nothing in exchange for the money. This is "rip-off" exchange.

A couple moves into a new apartment complex, but find out they have lousy TV reception. Their neighbor introduces himself and says that "the entire floor has free cable" and all they have to do is connect to the main wire and they'll have free cable also. The couple feels this is no big crime, and does it. Yet they are receiving a service without paying. This is "rip-off" exchange.

A person decides not to work, but to collect welfare instead. This person is giving nothing in exchange for money from the welfare agency. This is "rip-off" exchange.

A person has been getting deeper and deeper in debt every year and finally decides that something has to be done about it. He declares bankruptcy and gets permission from the court to not pay his creditors. This is "rip-off" exchange.

A man pulls his car into a fast-food restaurant drive-thru window and orders a double burger, fries and cola, and pays his money. The attendant hands him his order and he drives off. A few minutes later, he sees that the burger has only one patty, not two, and it is burnt, there are no fries, and the cola tastes syrupy and has no ice. This is a corrupted version of what was ordered and only part of what was ordered. This is partial exchange.

A woman takes her car into the local repair shop, complaining that the car is overheating. She is forced to wait while the mechanic works on it. He finds that the fan belt is about to break. He replaces it with a used belt, to "save money," even though he knows it needs a new belt and charges the customer for a new belt. This is partial exchange.

A couple special-orders their first new car, taking time to specify exactly what they want (sun roof, CD player, leather seats, etc.) and agree on a price. When the car is delivered to their house, it has a non-moving moon roof, and AM/FM radio and cloth seats. Upon complaining to the dealer, the sales manager says that the salesman made a mistake and for the price they paid, they can only get these features. However, if they pay more, they can get exactly what they want. This is partial exchange.

A man moves to a better apartment, even though he does not earn enough money to pay the rent. He borrows money from a friend each month to cover the shortfall. This is partial exchange because this man is running into debt, building up a backlog of undone work he must do to pay back the loans. In other words, he his taking in more than he is giving out.

A shoemaker makes shoes and exchanges them for income, which he uses to cover his expenses. In this way, he always has enough money to buy what he needs. Then one day he buys a car on credit. This is partial exchange because he did not have enough money to pay for the car in full and now "owes his work" to pay back the money he borrowed to buy the car. In other words, he has received the car without doing the work necessary to earn the money to pay for it.

A housewife goes into a supermarket to buy a quart of milk. She finds it herself on the shelf in the "Dairy" aisle, sees that the price is reasonable and proceeds to the checkout stand, where she pays the marked price and leaves the store with her milk. There is nothing unusual about the quality of the milk or the quality of the service at the store—it is all quite fair and ordinary.

A businessman needs a new computer for his office. He contacts a computer vendor and tells them what he wants. They tell him they have the exact computer he wants at an acceptable price. The businessman buys the computer. Again, there is nothing particularly great about the computer or the service provided by the vendor. It is all routine.

A couple is shopping for a car. They visit a car dealership that sells the model they want. The couple is prepared, having researched factory prices and markups for the car they want. They discuss the matter with the dealer, who sells them the car at about the price expected by the couple. The dealer doesn't throw in any extras, reduce the price further or give the couple any special treatment. Nor does he cheat them or overcharge them for something they really don't need. The whole affair is just a straightforward exchange of the desired car for the expected amount of money.

A man pulls his car into a full-service car wash and pays $10. The car is cleaned exceptionally well, as he expected. In addition, the foreman notices that the front right tire is low on air, so he fills it. And after the car is through the entire process, the foreman notices that the back of the car is not as clean as it should be and they take a little extra time to finish the job right. In the meantime, the cashier makes sure that the man has a warm cup of coffee while he's waiting and a nice seat and something to read. To compensate him for having to wait longer than usual, the manager gives the man a discount coupon for his next wash. The man drives away very impressed with the service level of the wash—he'll be back!

A newlywed couple arrives at a seaside hotel for their wedding night. Since they are just starting out, they could only afford a standard suite. The manager, seeing that this is their wedding night, arranges for them to stay for tonight in the "Honeymoon Suite." When they get up there, they see that a bottle of champagne is chilled and waiting, as well as a beautiful floral arrangement. And everywhere they walk around the hotel, the staff greets them as "Mr. and Mrs.". They feel truly taken care of.

A woman orders a new computer from a mail-order catalog. She pays a fair price and expects to receive it within four to six days, as advertised in the catalog. To her pleasant surprise, the computer arrives the next day. Further, it includes several extra CD-ROMs with games and some financial software. When she sets up the computer, she finds it surprisingly easy to do. The computer not only works properly when she turns it on, it is even faster than she expected, fun and easy to use.