To Sell Or Not To Sell

With the case of John Smith, provided by Professor Johnson, it focuses on Smith selling names of prospective car buyers from the marketing survey he had created. After reading through this case, I think that from a financial standpoint it was wise for him to sell the names because it would make him a profit of $8,000. Smith could use this money wisely as well, by putting it towards developing his business more and giving it to his employees through their paychecks. Although the selling of the names would cause Smith to have a financial gain I feel that this is not ethical in any way. When marketing anything it is important to comply with the American Marketing Association. On their website there is a section that is dedicated to explaining their ethical norms which should be followed. "Do no harm", "Foster trust in the marketing system", and "Embrace ethical values" are listed as the first three. The Association is based on providing customers with the honesty and respect that they deserve and that the marketing of these products is done ethically. However, if John Smith were to sell the names of prospective car buyers, without their consent, then he is performing unethically. If John Smith were to not gain the consent from these car buyers and sold them anyways, he would lose customers because of the loss of respect towards Smith and his company. It may be a good move in order to gain a profit, but there are other ways to do so. I feel that Smith needs to evaluate his actions and focus on his customers because it is ultimately them who determine if the business is going to be successful or not. If he were to sell the names, he would lose customers and that could result in him losing his entire business over time. He could even face legal issues.

Would you, if you were John Smith, sell the names of the prospective car buyers?