to wish guests would stop leaving things and wanting me to post them back?

[Chulita]

We've not had guests to stay who've not left something behind when they leave, and despite several of us double checking, there's always something on the chest of drawers/in the shower/behind the front door.
I've had to post back glasses, underwear, glass lid for a baking dish, car keys, hairbrush, handbag with contents, christmas presents, 4 packets of biscuits, amongst other things. I currently have a pair of old socks for one person, a hat/gloves for another and a weaning spoon for someone else.
I don't mind most of the time but some times it just gets a bit annoying. The weaning spoon is from someone in the States who keeps asking for it but it'll cost more than it would to buy a set of new ones. I've offered to buy her some from Amazon to replace it but she wants this one.

Just having a whinge really cos it's dark, raining, my neighbour's guinea pig died whilst under my tender care and I've got indigestion.

True, Hassled. It wouldn't take many "sorry, I can't find it" before people would start making damned sure they didn't leave anything behind!

Tell the US person you posted it. About 90% of the things I have posted to the US in the past have gone AWOL. I have long since given up sending things and just buy online vouchers now! When it doesn't turn up, make sympathetic noises about the unreliability of international postal services.

YANBU. Sounds like some ridiculous requests - biscuits? spoon? I recently left a coat at my sister in laws house in Canada and asked her to post it back as we did not want to drive 2 hours in a snowstorm to fetch it. Although I know if folds up small and will be suitably lightweight to post. I will be paypal-ing her the postage plus a bit of excess for having put her to any trouble, whether she wants the money or not. You shouldn't have to ask for money really, especially since they were guests in your house.

Why not use that totally crap courier company everyone was complaining about? Yodel? That'd learn them.

Someone left a coat at our house a few days ago we will have to post. The last time they visited it was a mobile phone. We also check everywhere and we even joked they would leave something - and they did!

InExcelsisDeo - LOL. Yodel are rubbish.

The psychological trauma that Yodel will cause them will ensure that they never ask you to return stuff to them again

A weaning spoon? FFS.

Yanbu. I hate having stuff either cluttering my house up or waiting to be posted. If I lea e something at anyone's house I make it clear they can dispose of at will and apologise profusely .

Is there a courier company that will accept packages on a payment on delivery option? Else insufficient or no stamps will teach them to be more careful next time. As well as paying postage due there is a $1 fee for admin and they have to go to post office to collect it and payment. The weaning spoon - definately got lost in the post.

I thought you ran a guest house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but then you said family and friends...surely they would offer to pay postage? well I would anyway! And if a family or friend asked me to send their biscuits back well I would laugh at them !!

And...how many friends and family do you have staying ? lol

How cheeky that these people expect you to pick up the tab for postage when it's their own fault that they've left stuff behind. I would tell the they have to pay the postage themselves, cheeky beggars

You're a saint, all my friends do the same, clothes ids toys etc got so annoyed with it cluttering up my house that the stuff goes in the charity bag, if they visit again before the bag gets to the charity shop they get their stuff back, if not I don't know whAt they're talking about its not anywhere in my house...!

How about putting it all in one box and write a list of all the addresses necessary. Post to the first person, they take out their item and post to the next on the list etc.
To make it fair put something of yours in by mistake so the last person has to post it back to you
That way everyone has to take responsibility and you only pack one box and pay once

On the day they leave, tell them that you will NOT post anything they have left, because

"some of my bloody cheeky guests have, in the past, insisted that I post old socks and weaning spoons and the like - chortle chortle - I was about £30 out of pocket on postage fees one year, not to mention the inconvenience! so now, if you leave something and want it back you can pay the postage and packing, or say goodbye to your socks - ha ha ha ha! - can you believe the cheek of some people!"

Then you have set out your stall before they find they have mislaid their items.

Get them to pay for the postage. It's not your fault they're forgetful. I wouldn't expect my host to pay for postage if I left something behind.