I bought a portable phone with a one-year warranty. It broke several times, and each time the company I bought it from replaced the phone. The last phone they sent me lasted for 3 months and broke again. But at that point the one-year warranty had expired. It seems to me that the warranty should be that a single phone is protected for a year. When I called, however, they asked me when I originally bought the phone. Do I have any leeway in what I say so that I can get this one replaced too or do I have to tell them the actual date, which would probably mean that the company will no longer replace the phone.

Answer

It is unjust and unfair that the phone company supplies one broken phone after another. But how could you tell somebody a sheker (lie) and on that basis have him give you something - that if you were to tell him the truth, he wouldn't give it to you. This person will be giving you something based on false pretenses. Getting something based on false pretenses is thievery.

So the general rule is that you cannot lie in order to get something from someone else. If something is legitimately yours - and the only way to get it is by being guileful, by using some type of deception - that's permissible. But you cannot take something that is not yours. The distinction is clear-cut.

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