Your friend tells you that a piece of expensive electronic equipment he had bought for $3000 just two weeks ago had stopped working. The store where he bought it had a 7-day return policy. Your friend goes to the store, buys a new piece of equipment and then returns the old damaged equipment in its place for a full refund. The store is owned by your uncle who is struggling to keep the business going. How would you deal with the situation?

Where answers to this question lose points

Our scorer marks every answer on three parts. For each of the 72 applicants who finished this question on Confetto, we took their first scored answer and counted the part that scored lowest.

• Structure: a clear order and a clear point33 of 72

Confetto data as of November 8, 2026. A part is shown only when 20 or more applicants share it. Answers where two parts tied are not counted toward either. We never show anyone's answers or details.

What this question tests

• Ethics
• Communication

How to structure your answer

1. Ask questions (25 seconds). The answer opens by describing personal conflict and labeling the friend's actions as fraud, rather than asking what happened. It does not first clarify the equipment failure, warranty coverage, or what the friend told the store.
2. Who is affected (20 seconds). There is no patient in this scenario, so the answer focuses on the friend, who faces a $3000 loss, and the uncle, whose struggling business could suffer. It also recognizes that confronting the friend or informing the uncle could damage the friendship.
3. The conflict (20 seconds). The conflict is between loyalty to a frustrated friend and protecting the uncle's livelihood from a dishonest return. The answer acknowledges caring about both people but argues that personal loyalty cannot justify allowing financial harm to continue.
4. Options (40 seconds). The answer considers confronting the friend privately and encouraging him to correct the return, with warranty coverage or a negotiated compromise as legitimate alternatives. If he refuses, informing the uncle would protect the business but could damage the friendship.
5. Choose (30 seconds). The answer chooses a direct, private conversation with the friend, acknowledging his frustration while explaining the harm caused by the return. It commits to informing the uncle if the friend refuses to make things right, prioritizing protection from financial harm.
6. What next (20 seconds). The answer proposes helping the friend explore warranty coverage or a compromise, then informing the uncle if the friend refuses to correct the situation. It also suggests discussing a longer return policy or extended warranties with the uncle to help prevent similar disputes.

Example answer from Confetto

Example answer from Confetto. Not a real applicant's answer.

I immediately feel conflicted about this situation because it involves two people I care about - my friend and my uncle. While I understand my friend's frustration with losing $3000 on faulty equipment, his actions amount to fraud and could seriously harm my uncle's already struggling business.

I believe I have an ethical obligation to address this directly with my friend. I would arrange to meet with him in person and express my serious concerns about his actions. I'd say something like: "I need to talk to you about what happened at my uncle's store. I understand you were frustrated about the equipment failing, but what you did was fraudulent and could have serious consequences. Not only is it illegal, but it's directly harming my uncle's livelihood."

I would also encourage my friend to make it right. I'd help him explore legitimate alternatives, like checking if the manufacturer's warranty covers the malfunction or seeing if my uncle would be willing to work out a compromise given the circumstances. If my friend refuses to correct the situation, I would feel compelled to inform my uncle about what happened. While this would be difficult and might damage my friendship, protecting my uncle from fraud takes precedence over maintaining a friendship with someone willing to commit theft.

This situation has made me realize that true integrity means doing what's right even when it's personally costly. I would also use this as an opportunity to suggest that my uncle consider extending his return policy or offering extended warranties to better protect his customers in the future, potentially preventing similar situations. Sometimes difficult situations like these can lead to positive changes that benefit everyone involved.

Use it for its structure. Interviewers can tell a memorized script, so tell your own story.

Keep going

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