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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To use a Kindle I found?

42 replies

oohlalabonbons · 27/04/2011 11:50

So...Mumsnet jury, I found a Kindle on the beach on holiday last weekend, some poor sod had left it behind. We were on the beach for the rest of the day and no-one returned to collect it. So I looked online, and a Kindle forum said to contact Amazon, as they will be able to match the serial number to the owner, so it could be returned.

So, we got home yesterday and so I contacted Amazon this morning. They said that it was unregistered to an Amazon account, it hadn't been reported missing, and if it wasto be reported, it would be blocked.

Guy on the phone: "There's no need to return it, but if it's reported missing then it will be blocked and you won't be able to use it anymore."

Me: "So there's nothing else I can do?"

Guy on the phone: "No, if it's reported missing then it will be blocked and you won't be able to use it. Thanks for bringing it to our attention."

DH thinks I'm bonkers for trying to find the owner, but I think that if I haven't tried, every time I turn it on, it'll say to me "I'm not yours, I'm not yours...."

So, my question is, AIBU to use it with a clear conscience, or not?

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 27/04/2011 12:25

"It does sound as though you've done all you can, OP."

No she hasn't! She hasn't notified the police!

If I lost something, I would contact the local police station. Presumably they then have a report of the incident and can subsequently match up a "found" report to the lost item.

animula · 27/04/2011 12:26

You can send a message to Amazon/Kindle store from the Kindle, though.

That would be the way to get the info. necessary to amazon, and to get it back to the owner.

It'll be in one of the comments options when you go to buy a book on-line/from the Kindle. Contacting Kindle/Amazon will definitely be an option if you "purchase" a book and then cancel the order.

Kindle is paid for by D/D, so here is the thing: you can't really go buying books with it, because it' like stealing from someone;s credit card, if that makes sense.

animula · 27/04/2011 12:29

But which police?

If you left something somewhere, while on holiday, day-trip etc., would you really think to 'phone all the police stations in the area?

Personally, I think going through Amazon/Kindle is better.

And the more I think about this, the more I am absolutely certain there will be an e-mail address on the Kindle.

NinkyNonker · 27/04/2011 12:33

Some people are being very harsh to the op here, wanker indeed. She is doing more than most to find the owner, more than just taking it to the police station by actively trying to find the owner. I would do the same.

SoupDragon · 27/04/2011 12:35

No, animula, I'd just shrug and think "Oh well, no point making an effort to report it missing, I"ll just buy another. Ho hum"

I would find the police station local to there I last remembered having it. Quite apart from the possibility of having it returned, you often need to do this for insurance claim purposes.

SoupDragon · 27/04/2011 12:35

NinkyNonker, no one called her a wanker.

Original poster

oohlalabonbons · 27/04/2011 12:36

I have already contacted Amazon though, and it hadn't been reported missing to them. Definitely no email address on it, it's not registered to an Amazon account.

The issue seems to be that I should have contacted the police station while on holiday, which in retrospect, may have been an obvious thing to do, just not to me at the time!

Had I been a complete wanker, I would have just kept it, this I accept. However may just be a partial wanker as it didn't seem to me to be an obvious thing to take it to a police station (also not obvious to others on this thread!).

OP posts:

coastgirl · 27/04/2011 12:37

If you hand it into the police and it's not claimed within a certain time, you can keep it anyway, as far as I know. DH took a bike in he found and they contacted us a few months later to say he could go and get it if he wanted (it was an old boneshaker so he didn't bother, but it was legally his at that point).

impty · 27/04/2011 13:10

Well, thanks to this thread I've just added my contact details to my Kindle so thanks!

I think you've done what most people would do, take it home and try and find the owner. Now you can ring the police and let them know you have it. I'm sure if you contact your local station they can inform the station nearest where it was found. They will tell you to hand it to them or may be happy for you to keep it until it's owner is found.

I think I'd be happier knowing I'd done everything I could to return it.

Babieseverywhere · 27/04/2011 20:45

Yep, same here. Just added contact details to the personal information section on my kindle and hope if I lose it, a nice person like the OP picks it up :)

TastesLikePanda · 27/04/2011 21:00

The local police don't return 'handed-in' items (to the people who hand them in, not to their owners) that could potentially contain personal information e.g. mobile phones, laptops etc. A kindle would probably be counted in that category.

But you should still hand it in to them.

olderandwider · 27/04/2011 21:07

OP, you tried your best, I'd keep it. If you are worried about karma, give £111 to a charity.

penguin73 · 27/04/2011 21:14

Honest thing to do is hand it to the police. So it depends whether you are honest or not.........

ChairOfTheBored · 27/04/2011 22:02

Karma be buggered, hand it into the police. After a set time they give it back to you if it's unclaimed, but at least you'll have done the decent thing.

saggybaps · 27/04/2011 22:19

Hand it in to the police. Someone handed my iphone in to the local police station the other day..... I was/ am immensely grateful.

ScarletOHaHa · 27/04/2011 22:19

I would be gutted to lose my Kindle - agree with COTB

Original poster

oohlalabonbons · 28/04/2011 09:49

So, I'm going to phone the police in the town where I found it, and see what they say.
OlderandWider - lots of others have suggested that! It's not about the money, if I had wanted a Kindle I could have bought one, so could donate to charity if I ended up getting it back from the police. They are expensive, but not out of my league IYSWIM.
This has been an interesting thread - and very different from the opinions I've had from people in 'real life'! Most said keep it, only a few said hand it in to the police!

OP posts:

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