Would you return a lost wallet?

[CoffeeCheeseandCupcakes]

DH lost his wallet yesterday with a good amount of cash in it. Pretty certain it was whole we were at the playground - but have since retraced our steps, called all the stores we'd been too yesterday or near where we were, and posted on the community FB group.

I guess I shouldn't be, but I'm really surprised that no one's turned it in or dropped it back at our house (playground is around the corner and his license is in there with our address). If I'd found a wallet I'd absolutely try to return it to its owner and imagine I'd drive even a reasonable distance to if I had the address from the license.

So just made me wonder, what others would do? Would you return it? Leave it where it was? Take the cash? Take the whole wallet?

Someone left their handbag complete with a wallet stuffed with cash in a trolley at Sainsburys. I looked in the wallet, found their driver's license, drove out of my way to their house and rang the bell. when a woman answered I asked her name which matched that on the license. I handed her the handbag and she just took it and closed the door on me. Not even a thank you. now I think i should have taken a reward before I got there.

I found a purse on a pavement, which had several gift cards and a bus pass inside. I did some detective work online but couldn't find a way to contact the owner. Local police station had closed down and when I looked online the police website didn't encourage returning items to police station - they stated they no longer operate a lost property section! In the end I decided to post the purse to the main police station, with a note saying where I'd found it, rather than trek over there to find they wouldn't accept it. I didn't put my name or contact details on the note, as I didn't want the aggro if cash had been taken from the wallet. Doing the right thing can be tricky sometimes.

@SmudgeButt - how rude! I would have been so grateful.

[quote Defenbaker]@SmudgeButt - how rude! I would have been so grateful.[/quote]
yeah - completely rude. But it wouldn't stop me from doing it again.

I would. Years ago I left my handbag on my trolley at Tesco. How I didn't miss it until I got home which was 12 miles away I don't know. (Have always been forgetful and left things behind me) I phoned the next day and someone had handed it in but I wasn't able to get their name. I got a purse stolen once out of my bag (it was one I used for my mother's pension etc) It had nearly £200 in it. Not nice but I believe they caught the person. I was both fortunate and surprised that they hadn't used her contactless card.

We found a handbag in a taxi once and instead of leave it with the driver we took it to the police station

Deffo return !!! It’s always best to be honest it’s good Karma !
I guess it may still make its way home but not everyone is honest so I’ll keep my fingers crossed for u x x

I'd return it. X

Years ago I worked in the men’s dept in a well known department store. One particular day I was moving some clothing fixtures and found a wallet underneath, I took it to the office without looking inside to record it in the found property book. With another member of staff I looked inside and found quite a bit of cash and a scrap of paper with a name, address and landline number on. I called the bloke and he was over the moon, when he came to collect it he was quite elderly and tried giving me some cash, I refused obviously. After chatting to him it turned out that he’d lost the wallet over two months previously so had written off ever finding it, he’d reported it to us at the time, sure enough his details were in our lost property book.

More recently I was out with my 7yo and he found a phone in the middle of a nearby field, no one else around. We took it home thinking that whoever owned it would call when they realised, about two hours later a chap calls so I answer, he was quite abrupt on the phone, anyway he comes to collect it and I explain that my son had found it and he told me that it was his wife’s phone and she was devastated because she thought she’d lost it forever and it contained loads of pictures of her sister who’d recently died. About ten minutes after the door went again and he’d come back with £10 for my son to say Thankyou, we tried to say no but he insisted as he wanted to teach my son that honesty does pay.

Yes of course, in fact I have. I think most people would. But if it was picked up by the local scallies - nah. You just got unlucky, I guess.

Yes I would do and have done. I also found a phone at Waterloo station and called the man's mum and gave her my address so he could come and get it.

Obviously I'd return it.

However, before "just doing it", I'd try and do a tiniest bit of digging and maybe let the police know. After all, there are 2 ways it could have got there. Innocently, because someone lost it. Or more sinister because someone threw it there after mugging or worse crime.

If the latter it could be critical to a police inquiry.

Sorry to complicate things (back to knitting).

I found a wallet on a airport bus with cash and Navy ID in it Along with a contact number
I rang explained that I found the wallet ( it was the Wallet owners father who I spoke to 😂) who explained that his son would have been in deep trouble for loosing the Navy ID
I offered to post it back recorded delivery the next day but they drove to me that evening and gave me a big bottle of wine and some chocolates so I think If he went back to the navy base and said he lost his ID he would have been bollocked 😂😂
I think it was about 300 mile round trip for the poor guy

I have done this several times (found a wallet/phone) contacted the person and given it to them. I’ve also had people do this for me and my mum. I have also found (and cancelled) debit/credit cards for people. I always lift valuable things I find as I know I am honest and don’t know who will follow behind me.

I would suggest posting on your local Facebook etc. Groups in case someone finds the wallet/cards etc. Without the cash.

I eould return it if l could trace the address. The police don’t seem inerested in lost property these days.

@StarlightLady

I eould return it if l could trace the address. The police don’t seem inerested in lost property these days.

Not sure why they should ever have been, really ? Unless there is a criminal involvement (see PP).

I'd return it. I once waljed off without collecting the money at the ATM. Somebody handed the money into Sainsburys i was so greatful.

OP, a lot of ppl will post found items on local fb pages, it might be worth a look.

I would always return it (and have done in the past). I have picked up bank cards etc and always handed them in.

People who steal are the lowest of the low.

If there's a bank card but no other ID I wonder if it's worth taking it to the bank in question? At the very least surely any cash could be deposited into the account, even if the wallet and cards can't be returned? (Then again, some banks don't like accepting deposits when it's not the account holder.)

Always have and always will! Have taken money found at cashpoint(not a bank or supermarket one) to the police.

Left my phone in the back of a taxi in Rome once and did not notice for about half an hour and just assumed it was gone. Finally called my phone on my wifes phone and the driver answered and despite my appalling Italian we managed to arrange a meeting place to drop off. Bought a nice bottle of wine as a thank you when he rocked up. Got chatting and he ended up being our go to driver every time we visit Rome which is often. This was several years ago.

I would definitely return it if there was an address inside. I’ve found credit cards in a supermarket car park before and always handed them into customer service. I like to think other people would do the same but the cynical side of me doesn’t agree

Yes I would definitely return it. Put something good out there and it might just repay you.

Twenty years ago, I lost my purse. I’d been having a drink in a cafe with my then fiancé, my friend and her v. tiny baby. The man on the next table kept looking over, we thought admiring baby. Anyway, we left, and my purse was no longer in my handbag. I cancelled everything, and fiancé muttered darkly about man in cafe.

A few weeks later fiancé (who was now dh) got a call on his mobile. “Are you NOK for Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies?” DH said yes. “I have her purse here. I found it in my rucksack. I tried taking it into her bank, but they didn’t want to take it. They did say they’d contact Matilda, but I haven’t heard from her. I thought I’d call the number on her organ donor card.”

He sent me my purse back, with all the money still it (which was an unusually high amount because I needed cash for various wedding expenses). The purse was also of sentimental value to me as it was an early present from DH.

Moral of the story: carry an organ donor card (please, really).

I found a purse in Aldi car park and drove to the persons house and popped it through the letterbox. I then felt bad as the aldi was about 5 miles away from the house I hoped they had fund to get home okay.

I've found 3 phones, one was a neighbours and he bought me chocolates, another was a dog walkers and she bought me wine and the last one snatched the phone and said she couldnt remember losing it and implied that I'd actually nicked it when I found it on the grass near a circus tent 🤷‍♀️