I received a letter from the manufacturer of my infant car seat stating they were offering me any new product from their catalog in return for my used car seat they wanted for "field testing."

I called them to accept the offer, and the customer service rep explained the procedure: they would send me the new car seat along with a box and return label for the old car seat. I told them which new car seat I wanted, and it arrived a few days later with no box and no return label.

I called back to notify them, and the customer service rep said the box and return label for the old car seat would be sent separately. After a couple weeks, it still didn't show up.

Then, I wrote a letter addressed to the person who had signed the original letter sent to me about the offer and faxed it to the manufacturer's office using the number on the letterhead. In the letter, I explained I was trying to hold up my end of the deal, but I had received no return materials and no further instructions from them.

Again, nothing.

At this point, months after our first conversation, what is my obligation to pursue the return of the old car seat?

Thank you for your guidance.

Here is the answer from Rabbi Moshe Weiner, who is our leading expert on the details of the Noahide Commandments:

"This person has no obligation whatsoever [to trouble himself to send back the old car seat]."

If someone took money or other belongings from someone in the past without permission but for a good reason and later realizes that this is stealing and repents, does the money or object need to be returned if the owner doesn't want it returned or lets the person keep it?
Basically, my question is if anything stolen, even just a penny taken w/o permission, needs to be returned to the owner if the owner says that the person who took it can keep it or doesn't want to be paid back.

This post was last modified: 09-16-2009 03:59 PM by Director Michael.

Within the Noahide Code itself, if a Gentile steals an item and then repents and tries to return it to the person he stole it from, then if the person who it was stolen from says he wants the thief to keep the item, there is no obligation that it has to be returned against those wishes. However, under the laws of many modern societies, there are classes of items for which it is illegal for the owner to transfer ownership without registration of the transfer with the appropriate government agency. For example: prescription drugs, guns, automobiles, and titled real estate properties.