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Original poster

What would you HONESTLY do in this situation?

559 replies

Friends1996 · 09/04/2025 12:24

Say you ordered a few items from a big online shop (clothing), then successfully cancelled the order, and was refunded.

A few days later, you ordered a single item of clothing from the same place. Today that item was delivered, however they had also sent the items you had cancelled and was refunded for (probably around £120 worth of stuff).

Would you contact them about it or would you keep quiet, see if they emailed you about it and if you didn’t hear anything say 3-4 weeks down the line, just keep the items as normal? This is a place you regularly order from, spending between £300-400 a month.

What would you HONESTLY do?

OP posts:
Frillysweetpea · 10/04/2025 20:19

RawBloomers · 10/04/2025 18:58

While I agree the company is responsible for recovering things they'erroneously sent you, just want to point out that a significant amount of large company shares are held by pension funds and other institutions who invest on behalf of regular people.

Eating into the profits of big companies doesn't only hurt mutli-millionaires.

Show quote history

Sorry, not sorry. Its really up to the bigger companies to run themselves with as much care and efficiency as I took with my small business and for investors to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Literallywingingit · 10/04/2025 20:15

I would contact them and let them know. I would feel guilty anytime I wore any of the clothes! 😆

toxic44 · 10/04/2025 20:14

I'd contact them and tell them what has happened. If they made the refund, the items belong to them.

TwinklySquid · 10/04/2025 19:48

Contact them as I am a big believer in karma. I wouldn’t want to loose £120 of something .

ScruffGin · 10/04/2025 19:41

Keep quiet, see if they email me!

busymomtoone · 10/04/2025 19:28

Unless it was a company with dubious ethics ( T**u and its ilk) ( which I avoid anyway) then I would absolutely contact them because otherwise you will feel guilty because it’s akin to theft. I had a similar situation with a company that duplicated an order if a ( very nice!) child’s coat. On calling they said I could keep it which was fabulous as I was able to donate a brand new, really warm coat to a family in need, so it was a double bonus!!

Laura95167 · 10/04/2025 19:16

I'd probably keep them if I liked them

RawBloomers · 10/04/2025 18:58

Frillysweetpea · 10/04/2025 18:51

You absolutely are not a thief when you receive unsolicited goods. Cancellation makes these unsolicited. Onus is on the company to recover them. This delivery is unlikely to have happened with a small business - margins are tight so they usually take a lot of care. A multinational with multi-millionaire shareholders will have calculated an error margin and not sweat this stuff. I would not go out of my way to initiate a return.

Show quote history

While I agree the company is responsible for recovering things they'erroneously sent you, just want to point out that a significant amount of large company shares are held by pension funds and other institutions who invest on behalf of regular people.

Eating into the profits of big companies doesn't only hurt mutli-millionaires.

Frillysweetpea · 10/04/2025 18:51

TheJollyMoose · 09/04/2025 12:29

You’re still a thief whether the business is big or small.

Show quote history

You absolutely are not a thief when you receive unsolicited goods. Cancellation makes these unsolicited. Onus is on the company to recover them. This delivery is unlikely to have happened with a small business - margins are tight so they usually take a lot of care. A multinational with multi-millionaire shareholders will have calculated an error margin and not sweat this stuff. I would not go out of my way to initiate a return.

ChocolateAddictAlways · 10/04/2025 18:44

I’d contact them and also ask them to arrange the collection.

You’d be surprised how many large companies and websites will tell you to keep the items rather than go to the effort of arranging a collection/courier.

BunnyLake · 10/04/2025 18:35

IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle · 10/04/2025 17:14

It isn't funny but there several posters on this thread who think being honest is something to mock and laugh at; or that it gives them a free rein to say posters are lying.

Show quote history

The poster who laughed at me didn’t believe I’d let the company know about the extra order. No idea why they were cynical.

NapQueenRising · 10/04/2025 18:15

I had this with a 20k kitchen I had cancelled months before it randomly got delivered anyway. Everyone told me to keep it and sell it but I couldn't live with that dishonesty. They made it hard work to return it though, and tried to refund again. They were very arsey with me and by the end I did wonder whether I should have just chucked it on Ebay and cashed out....

MarshmallowValentine · 10/04/2025 18:06

Is definitely tell them.

knor · 10/04/2025 18:05

Honestly I’d leave it and see what happens. I’ve worked in customer service for big clothing brands and I doubt they’d notice - also the amount of free stuff people get for being dicks is crazy. It’s their mistake.

laraitopbanana · 10/04/2025 18:00

If you received stuff you cancelled then just give a call, they will probably just tell you to keep it honestly.

AquaPeer · 10/04/2025 17:54

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 10/04/2025 17:47

I have found this, on Investopedia, about shrinkage:

”Shrinkage is a part of every retail company’s reality, and some businesses try to cover the potential decrease in profits by increasing the price of available products to account for the losses in inventory. These increased prices are passed on to the consumer, who is required to bear the burden for theft and inefficiencies that might cause a loss of product.”

You honestly just need to think a bit more about what you’re saying tbh.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 10/04/2025 17:47

I have found this, on Investopedia, about shrinkage:

”Shrinkage is a part of every retail company’s reality, and some businesses try to cover the potential decrease in profits by increasing the price of available products to account for the losses in inventory. These increased prices are passed on to the consumer, who is required to bear the burden for theft and inefficiencies that might cause a loss of product.”

Customer: Definition and How to Study Their Behavior for Marketing

A customer is a person or business that purchases a company's goods or services. Learn how companies study customers and the importance of customer service.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/customer.asp

Messycoo · 10/04/2025 17:43

Be honest

Randomlygeneratedname · 10/04/2025 17:30

HONESTLY I would contact the company and tell them. I know I would as have done this before when they have sent extra stuff in error. Have always been told to just keep whatever it is.

SunshineOmbreRainbow · 10/04/2025 17:29

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SunshineOmbreRainbow · 10/04/2025 17:29

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SunshineOmbreRainbow · 10/04/2025 17:28

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IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle · 10/04/2025 17:14

BunnyLake · 10/04/2025 16:20

Yes I would. Why is that hysterically funny 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

It isn't funny but there several posters on this thread who think being honest is something to mock and laugh at; or that it gives them a free rein to say posters are lying.

MarxistMags · 10/04/2025 17:02

I definitely would contact the shop. I'm a wimp with things.

AquaPeer · 10/04/2025 17:00

IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle · 10/04/2025 16:53

That's not what the thread is about. The points you are making may well be valid but this thread is a simple question - would you keep goods that don't belong to you. Your opinion on the points you want to discuss is irrelevant to that question.

Show quote history

This thread is about that because it’s full of posters alledging that OP keeping the goods will increases prices for all. Which is incorrect, so a further discussion has taken place about it.