Lesson #100: The Furniture Store
A man unexpectedly bumps into an acquaintance or relative and asks what brings him to the neighborhood.
“We need to buy some new furniture,” the fellow says. “We heard about a store here in this neighborhood – Quality Furniture – which somebody highly recommended. We were just there and found a magnificent dining room set. We’re thinking of going with the couches, as well. The guy there seems really nice.”
The man looks at him incredulously and says, “Quality Furniture? You went there?! You should never step foot into that place! I know of so many horror stories about how they took people for a ride and ripped them off. They’re not honest and their merchandise isn’t good at all!
“If you want a really good furniture store, go to Fine Furniture. The people there are honest and stand by their word. If there’s any sort of problem with a product, they’ll come and take care of it right away – not like Quality Furniture.”
Is this permissible? Is the man allowed to tell this acquaintance negative information about Quality Furniture once he had already placed an order?
The Halacha in this situation is that if the person knows firsthand, and not simply through hearsay, that the people in Quality Furniture cannot be trusted, and that they cause their customers harm – such as by overcharging or delivering faulty goods – then he may share this information with a customer, provided that he meets all the conditions for allowing constructive Lashon Ha’ra. This means that he speaks the truth, without any exaggeration, shares only directly relevant information, has no ulterior motives, such as revenge, and has no other way of protecting his fellow from potential harm. If all these conditions are met, and the individual has direct, firsthand knowledge about the store’s unscrupulous practices, then he may urge his fellow to cancel his order.
In many instances, however, the damage can be avoided without speaking Lashon Ha’ra about the store. For example, if one is speaking to a friend or family member who trusts his judgment and recommendations, he can simply tell him, “If you’re in the market for furniture – take my word for it, don’t go anywhere else besides Fine Furniture. They are, hands down, the best place around. You’ll do much better there.” If the person knows that his fellow will take his recommendation, then he should recommend Fine Furniture without sharing negative information about Quality Furniture. If there is a way to achieve the desired result – protecting his fellow from harm – without sharing negative information, then this is what must be done. Whenever negativity can be avoided, this is the option that we must choose.
In general, we must exercise extreme care before badmouthing vendors or businesses. When we truly feel that we must warn our fellow about the harm he could suffer, then the negative information should be shared in accordance with the standard guidelines of constructive Lashon Ha’ra, as discussed. Often, however, we feel tempted to “warn” people about businesses in order to steer them toward competitors whom we favor, such as our friends or family members. It is very improper to take customers away from a business because we have a personal interest in supporting a competitor. We must remember that when it comes to business, people’s livelihoods are at stake, and we must exercise extreme caution before directing people away from a vendor with whom they are already engaging.
Let us be committed to “spreading the wealth,” to allow all honest businesses to earn a respectable livelihood, and Hashem will then spread it to us, as well.