You Bleed, You Buy Policy

I doubt it's a serious policy in most places. However, if the customer damages the knife or renders it un-sellable, then they should buy it. I'm not sure if "You break it, you buy it" is good law, but it makes sense. In most cases, cutting yourself wouldn't damage the knife - just wipe with an alchol swab and you're good to go. From the stories so far, people obviously cut themselves in a knife shop, so the shop should have supplies available for treating the cut (band-aid, rubber gloves) and cleaning off the knife. However, if you bled all over a stacked leather handle, or discolored a fancy damascus blade, I think you'd be liable for the damage. (again, my sense of right and wrong, not based on actual law).

Having recently read some information on property-owner liability, most of it from lawyers looking for business, this whole incident seems like a nightmare. I have no doubt that someone would cut themselves and then sue, despite their own carelessness/incompetence/inattention. Even if you do offer first aid, I can see someone suing when their wound got infected, because you didn't call an ambulance, or have a licensed physician on hand to treat them. Knife shops definitely need a "Knives are SHARP, Handle with Care" sign displayed prominently. Then at least you can say you warned them.
 
yoda4561 said:
First aid is not the issue, I'm not sure why taking care of the injury has entered the discussion. Liability is in the consumers hands. That is obviously not the current legal precedent but yeah, if you order hot coffee (sharp knife) and spill it and burn yourself (cut yourself) you think that you aren't responsible for paying for that cup of coffee?? Ridiculous.
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First aid IS the issue here! What retailer in their right mind would hand a customer a knife without preparing for the eventualities? It’s just common courtesy to be concerned about someone when they are hurt. Then the damage can be assessed. But, any retailer who would tell a customer that because they bled on a knife they have to buy it is just asking for trouble, which I personally would be more than happy to give them a belly full of.
 
No, the issue is whether a store can insist that a customer buy a knife that they managed to bleed all over. First aid is another subject altogether, though I agree that getting the injury assesed and treated is the first priority. I myself have managed to get nipped at shows and handling knives (damned assisted openers) and while I wasn't really in the market for some of them had I gotten blood all over them I wouldn't be too put off if the buisness owner told me that it was now "mine" and that I need to pay for it. This part of the customer/buisness relationship should be made clear before the store allows you to handle a knife.
 
It's not a you break it, you buy it, unless the knife is made of some really crummy steel and corrodes immediatley when the blood hits it. The knife will continue to cut just as well as it did. Clerks should receive instruction that says "If someone cuts themself, DO NOT TOUCH THE KNIFE!"
There should be a box of latex gloves, and some alcohol swabs and Band-Aids. The wound should be taken care of, the knife then thoroughly cleaned off, and the customer should learn a thing or two about knife safety. The knife has not been rendered unsellable, it just needs to be cleaned. If the store really wanted too, they could make the customer clean the knife, to not waste employee time (the knife counter at most stores I go to isn't exacttly busy, anyway)
Someone shouldn't have to pay for a knife they don't want. Knives are designed to cut, and they cut flesh very well. Humans, are, well, human, and will screw up. No one here has never cut themself. Blood comes off.
 
IIRC - Sportsman's Warehouse does not allow customer to handle the knives. The salesperson takes the knife out and demonstrates it. I think that is a good policy. However, if a salesperson can't answer my questions concerning a product, they usually don't get the sale.

BTW, I've never seen a sign in a store telling customers that if they bleed on the product then they just bought it. What if the customer doesn't have any money?
 
The store could argue that, in bleeding on the knife, the customer made it "unfit for sale." It's a bit of a stretch, and I can't imagine any store actually pursuing this in court, but it's a possibility.

More likely the store would rely on the customer's sense of honor and fairness in not foisting upon the store a knife with the customer's crappy DNA and /or horrible disfiguring diseases all over it.
 
jim preston said:
...Clerks should receive instruction that says "If someone cuts themself, DO NOT TOUCH THE KNIFE!"
There should be a box of latex gloves, and some alcohol swabs and Band-Aids. The wound should be taken care of, the knife then thoroughly cleaned off, and the customer should learn a thing or two about knife safety. The knife has not been rendered unsellable, it just needs to be cleaned. ...
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This is exactly how the situation should be handled. But many posts in this thread seem to be saying that because the solution is this easy, there is no problem. The problem is that there are few (maybe no) knife stores that have trained and equipped their sales clerks this way. In my experience (having worked at a knife store and visited many others) the clerk just picks up the knife, puts it back in the display case and beyond that, at most, hands over a band aid.

I guess another problem is the question of how do you know when the knife has been properly cleaned? You can see when the blade has been wiped clean of blood, but maybe the customer touched the textured grip with the bleeding finger. Maybe blood is in the crevices of the joint. A simple quick wipe-down with an alcohol wipe may not adequately clean the knife. You can't know for sure.
 
Do most knife stores typically sell you the display model? It seems like you're bleeding on a knife they probably aren't going to sell anyway.

Do they want to make you pay for the display case and carpet if you bleed on them, too?
 
Jennifer_B said:
Do most knife stores typically sell you the display model? It seems like you're bleeding on a knife they probably aren't going to sell anyway.

Do they want to make you pay for the display case and carpet if you bleed on them, too?
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The display model is the one that is handled by the sales clerk and the next customer that is interested in it, so even if it isn't sold, it can still transmit disease. In my experience, the display will be sold when there are no other units left in stock. It's definitely considered part of the store's inventory. If a model is discontinued, they don't just throw the display unit away.
 
If you bleed on the carpet, then you should have to pay to have it cleaned.
You can soak the knife in rubbing alcohol- that would kill the bugs, and get everywhere. Blow dry, shouldn't take too long.
 
What if the knife that was bled upon was put away unclean and a few minutes later another customer handled the knife and was also cut. Should customer #2 be told to go get checked for AIDS?
 
Lurker said:
The display model is the one that is handled by the sales clerk and the next customer that is interested in it, so even if it isn't sold, it can still transmit disease.
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It can also transmit non-blood borne diseases. Perhaps if public health is a concern, they should also have a "you sneeze on it, you bought it" policy, too.

No, they aren't going to throw the display model away, but it is unlikely to be sold immediately, which is what I was getting at.

If someone did cut themselves on a knife, the clerk didn't clean it up, and you were the next customer, how many of you would actually take a bloody knife that was handed to you?

The sign really sounds like someone's idea of being clever, and telling people to be careful, because knives might be sharp rather than some serious public health policy.
 
Teague said:
BTW, I've never seen a sign in a store telling customers that if they bleed on the product then they just bought it. What if the customer doesn't have any money?
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If it's a big enough deal, then the store sues them for damages. A knife would rarely be priced in the range where this is a reasonable solution. But if you bled on the seats of a Ferrari, would they make you pay for replacement? Maybe - that's a situation where a $10,000 lawsuit bill might be economically viable. Anybody know if "you break it, you buy it" policies are legally enforceable? Again, the store is not likely to sue over a $100. Maybe a $10,000 custom. Or just "on principle" - if the customer was being an abrasive idiot.

Teague said:
What if the knife that was bled upon was put away unclean and a few minutes later another customer handled the knife and was also cut. Should customer #2 be told to go get checked for AIDS?
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Yes, possibly. If customer #1 had some sort of blood-borne disease. This could be a legitimate problem with something like an OTF auto, where people are likely to get cut with the same part of the blade. A small nick with the tip might leave enough blood to transmit a virus, but not so much that you wouldn't want to pick it up.

jim preston said:
It's not a you break it, you buy it, unless the knife is made of some really crummy steel and corrodes immediatley when the blood hits it.
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In general, I agree with you that blood comes off. However, it could soak into or stain some natural materials. I think it could also leave a noticeable spot on a polished tool-steel blade. After seeing some of the complaints on this forum, some people are incredibly meticulous about their knives, and would probably notice. I doubt this happens much at the Wally World knife counter, but it might be a concern if you were selling high-dollar customs to discerning/demanding customers.

Teague said:
The liability is completely the stores in this kind of situation. If you don't think so, just contact a good ambulance chaser and see for yourself.
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Not if the store clearly warns the customer of the danger. That's why McDonalds added the "Coffee is Hot" warnings to their cups and menus. Of course, at some point it degrades to a lawyer wrangle to decide what is "right" in the technical legal sense.

Someone brought up demonstrations. It would be really nice if the clerk demoed the knife for you, especially more complicated models.

In general, I still think the signs are supposed to be humorous, but could be inforceable if you REALLY wanted to pursue it.
 
Sometimes the store doesn't know.

I was at a gun show with my wife and a gun-nut friend. I of course went right to the knife tables and I was looking at a Cold Steel with a sort of unusual serration pattern. "That's a little different" say I as I actually run my thumb across the blade... and then I put it down, turn my back, and walk away.

My wife is chasing me going "what's up? what's up?" and my friend is changing from a chuckle to laughing his @ss off because he sees the blood trail I'm leaving on the concrete from my lacerated thumb.

That was years ago. Until this very moment, I never thought about the knife seller...
 
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