Case Study Project

Requirements

Produce a case study or situation analysis responding to the situation described below, as well as the Questions For Thought that follow. The analysis should be approximately 500 words (2-3 pages, double-spaced) and respond to each of the elements or questions that are presented. The paper should follow APA style and formatting.

Format

Include in your commentary a thorough analysis of the key issues as included in the questions presented. Make sure to employ the key concepts studied in the text.

Your analysis should:

Provide a brief background for the reader.

Address each of the key elements presented in the questions.

Identify the elements of critical thinking and decision making that came into play.

Include at least two resources or references to specifically support your viewpoints or ideas. The textbook can be used as reference, but feel free to use any relevant outside sources as well.

Situation/Case

Every day in the United States young people purchase items from retailers such as Target, Wal-Mart, Apple, Abercrombie and Fitch, and hundreds of others. A young person might even buy a used car from her neighbor down the street. Each of these transactions is essentially a contract between the buyer and seller. In order for a contract to be valid and enforceable, however, the parties entering into that contract must be competent.

In all states, a person is considered an adult at the age of 18 for the purpose of making a contract. Therefore, anyone under the age of 18 is not considered competent and does not meet one of the required elements in the formation of a contract. Yet, obviously, retailers sell to those under the age of 18 all the time. From this description, it would appear that minors can return purchased items, even expensive items such as MP3 players, guitars, cars, etc., and get some or all of their money back since a valid contract was never formed. Is this correct?

Consider the situations just presented and respond to each of the Questions For Thought that follow.

Questions For Thought

Do minors have the right to return items that they have purchased and get their money back, regardless of a store's stated/printed return policy?

Why or why not? Be sure to support your answer.

Does it make a difference if the minor makes a purchase by signing a written contract?

If minors can return purchases in this way, why do retailers continue to sell to minors or other incompetent parties?

If minors can return purchases in this way, is this fair to retailers who honestly enter into contracts with them?

If minors cannot return purchases in this way, yet they are considered legally incompetent, is it fair to hold these minors responsible for their purchases in the same way that an adult would be?