Ethical Question - Page 1

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Posted: 8/17/2016 10:55:59 PM EDT

some of you know, I own a laboratory and today I received a call from the owner of another laboratory ( who I have never met or talked too) that has several hundred dollars worth of reagent kits that will expire in the next few months. I immediately asked him how much he wanted for the kits and he brushed that off and said he was wondering if I would be willing to swap him out with reagent kits that have a more extended expiration.

this laboratory is a direct competitor in my region. this business is pretty cut throat and the profit margins are slim.

I'm trying to wrap my head around this ballsy request.

what would the masses do. I was going to add a poll to this post, but for the life of me, cant figure out how to do that.

Posted: 8/17/2016 10:59:20 PM EDT

[#1]

I would not trade him one for one. Also, are they temp sensitive? If so I might not trade at all.

Posted: 8/17/2016 11:02:31 PM EDT

[#2]

I would not trade him one for one. Also, are they temp sensitive? If so I might not trade at all.

Posted: 8/17/2016 11:03:08 PM EDT

[#3]

Pass on it.

Posted: 8/17/2016 11:04:31 PM EDT

[#4]

Would he do it for you ? Therein lies your answer.

Personally, unless I knew I would use them before the expiration why would I swap them evenly for something I could use later? With no incentive on my end, That's not good business sense. Don't make his problem your problem.

Posted: 8/17/2016 11:09:28 PM EDT

[#5]

yes, they are temp sensitive and I brought this up with my office manager that we have no idea about the QC of the reagent.
yes, my laboratory would go thru the reagent in a few days.- I just can't imagine taking a chance on the quality.

it was a bizarre situation for him to call. my first thought was that he was insane.
there is absolutely no benefit for my company and we take all the risks.

we use to horse trade at the hospitals lab to lab, but this is totally different.

like I said, bizarre.

Posted: 8/17/2016 11:13:52 PM EDT

[#6]

I wouldn't.

I'm a lowly tradesman but we sell some sanitation chemicals and use reagents or whatever the fuck you call it to conjure data about the strength of our products when they are being used and when we batch them from concentrate.

Every headache i've ever had concerning chemicals has been from the test kit going through too many freeze/thaw cycles in my pickup or it expiring early.

Not worth it for no benefit.

Posted: 8/17/2016 11:18:08 PM EDT

[#7]

No thanks. Even if he were not a competitor, why would your business risk getting in reagants of possible suspect provenance? And even if their provenance were sound, why risk letting it expire on you?

Other business can sell their nearly-expired reagants and buy some new ones.

Posted: 8/18/2016 2:05:33 AM EDT

[#8]

Temp sensitive, hell no. Who knows what they did with them.

Posted: 8/18/2016 2:12:48 AM EDT

[#9]

Don't see how this is an ethics question?

Unless someone would want faulty tests to "pass" "privileged" folks.

Posted: 8/18/2016 3:00:59 AM EDT

[#10]

Run, don't walk.

Posted: 8/18/2016 6:43:12 AM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
Don't see how this is an ethics question?

Unless someone would want faulty tests to "pass" "privileged" folks.

View Quote

you're right.. its not really a ethics question. it was just so bizarre it caught me offguard. as a Laboratory Director, I would never make a phone call like that.

Posted: 8/18/2016 9:01:26 AM EDT

[#12]

How well do you know this competitor? Would they do the same for you if the situation was reversed?

I have some competitors that I have a very congenial relationship with. I have other competitors that I wouldn't piss on even if they were on fire.

Posted: 8/18/2016 9:25:07 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
How well do you know this competitor? Would they do the same for you if the situation was reversed?

I have some competitors that I have a very congenial relationship with. I have other competitors that I wouldn't piss on even if they were on fire.

View Quote

never heard of them...

normally this business is so cut throat, most would sell their mothers into slavery for a client.

Posted: 8/18/2016 10:30:03 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:

never heard of them...

normally this business is so cut throat, most would sell their mothers into slavery for a client.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
How well do you know this competitor? Would they do the same for you if the situation was reversed?

I have some competitors that I have a very congenial relationship with. I have other competitors that I wouldn't piss on even if they were on fire.

never heard of them...

normally this business is so cut throat, most would sell their mothers into slavery for a client.

Is there not some kind of QC packaging? Something that turns colors if it got too hot or something? I've only dealt in pharmaceuticals, but a lot of that stuff has QC packaging.

Without some way of confirming that they are in good condition, I would pass.

If you could confirm that they are in good condition, and there is no risk to you, I would do it with the hopes of building a business relationship that could help you someday.

Posted: 8/18/2016 10:44:48 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:

Is there not some kind of QC packaging? Something that turns colors if it got too hot or something? I've only dealt in pharmaceuticals, but a lot of that stuff has QC packaging.

Without some way of confirming that they are in good condition, I would pass.

If you could confirm that they are in good condition, and there is no risk to you, I would do it with the hopes of building a business relationship that could help you someday.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
How well do you know this competitor? Would they do the same for you if the situation was reversed?

I have some competitors that I have a very congenial relationship with. I have other competitors that I wouldn't piss on even if they were on fire.

never heard of them...

normally this business is so cut throat, most would sell their mothers into slavery for a client.

Is there not some kind of QC packaging? Something that turns colors if it got too hot or something? I've only dealt in pharmaceuticals, but a lot of that stuff has QC packaging.

Without some way of confirming that they are in good condition, I would pass.

If you could confirm that they are in good condition, and there is no risk to you, I would do it with the hopes of building a business relationship that could help you someday.

Temp Control QC is only used by the original Company when it ships from the factory.

Posted: 8/18/2016 12:37:31 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
Temp Control QC is only used by the original Company when it ships from the factory.

View Quote

How temp-sensitive is it? I mean, the stuff may be fine now but even if shipped overnight, if FedEx screws up and it sits in the back of a truck in the August heat for an extra day will it become useless?

Posted: 8/18/2016 9:05:41 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:

How temp-sensitive is it? I mean, the stuff may be fine now but even if shipped overnight, if FedEx screws up and it sits in the back of a truck in the August heat for an extra day will it become useless?

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Temp Control QC is only used by the original Company when it ships from the factory.

How temp-sensitive is it? I mean, the stuff may be fine now but even if shipped overnight, if FedEx screws up and it sits in the back of a truck in the August heat for an extra day will it become useless?

yep.
high temps ruin the reagents.

not going to risk it.

Posted: 8/25/2016 3:02:29 PM EDT

[#18]

Risk is way too high IMO

Posted: 8/26/2016 9:42:33 AM EDT

[#19]

Let him eat them after they expire.

Posted: 8/31/2016 3:12:18 PM EDT

[#20]

Must be strange working in such a cut throat industry. I have had competitors ask for help out of the blue in years past and helped them. It ended up paying back tenfold over the years in one way or another. You never know what you might need or that they could offer you down the road. It is good to be owed favors.

I don't know the technicalities of these kids and the chance they could be bad but if you will definitely use them before they expire and you can be confident they are good I don't see how a swap could hurt you and it would have them owing you a favor.

It doesn't seem like that odd if a request but I don't know your business. If you had a bunch of kits that would expire before you could use them and you knew someone who used a lot more of those same kits and could easily use them before they expired you wouldn't ask to swap? Seems like it would help one party out a lot and not really cost the other anything.

Posted: 9/3/2016 12:27:02 AM EDT

[#21]

I'm still failing to see what incentive you would have to do this swap? You've got good reagents. They have a longer expiration date. You know they've been refrigerated/frozen/whatever as directed and know exactly where they came from.

What could you possibly gain from swapping another lab's reagents that expire sooner, no proof of proper storage, and don't know the supply chain?

There's no good here.

I work in a large clinic with a moderate complexity lab and sit on the diagnostics and lab committee. If brought to us, we'd laugh this right out the door. It wouldn't be considered for a second.

To wit:

Posted: 10/23/2016 2:27:01 AM EDT

[#22]

Something is going on that caused this request. He may have "acquired" them elsewhere and thought you might be a way to clean them (turn them into legit ones).

You would use them in a few days. He obviously doesn't have business he can use them or trusts them for, at least in time. Is he having a QC problem or getting pushback from clients because of them?

Did he lose accounts? Did he screw up his stock rotations, or misplace them in improper storage? Overbought, and is trying to get rid of the oldest product? Is another lab going under? It might be time to put feelers out. Why wouldn't he sell them? A trade doesn't go on any books, suggesting funny business that is more of a concern to him than raising a few eyebrows.

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