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AIBU?

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Original poster

To keep this money?

109 replies

weddingringdilemma · 23/01/2012 08:57

Aware I may get flamed from here to kingdom come for this....

DH lost his wedding ring a few weeks ago. We claimed on insurance, and they sent us a cheque for £600 for a new one. Just waiting for the cheque to clear then we'll go and buy new one.

I found his old one yesterday.

Do we fess up to the insurance company and return the money or use it for some much needed home repairs that we've put off?

Please no insults if you think we're wrong to even consider keeping it, am very interested to hear views though.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 23/01/2012 09:32

"you didn't obtain it dishonestly"

No, but they are thinking about keeping it dishonestly which is really the same thing.

Ohnanawhatsmynickname · 23/01/2012 09:37

I bet you are so glad you didn't buy a new ring with the money and then find the old one.
Keep it.

paulapantsdown · 23/01/2012 09:45

whether they actually pay out, you will still have a claim on your record and your premiums will go up anyway

it is totally immoral to keep it

i would keep it

OneLastSoul · 23/01/2012 09:45

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

FourEyesGood · 23/01/2012 09:49

I can't believe there are so many people telling you to keep it. And to those people who've said that insurance companies are evil and deserve to lose out: remember that the company won't lose out. We all will, by way of increased premiums.

You have the wedding ring; you should definitely return the money. But I suspect you probably won't.

PocPoc · 23/01/2012 09:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FelicityWits · 23/01/2012 09:52

Is it going to massively increase your premiums? I'm Little Miss Anxiety so I couldn't keep it though if you were my friend and you did I wouldn't catsbum at you. My concern would be whether it would be a false economy iyswim.

typicalvirgo · 23/01/2012 09:56

Do you really need to ask.

Where did you find the ring out of interest ?

ShirleyForAllSeasons · 23/01/2012 09:57

Most people don't bother even claiming for stuff anymore as the great and terrible fear of increases in premiums has shackled us all.

It's genius really.

MeltedChocolate · 23/01/2012 09:58

Give it back.

I also (if I was your friend) would think much less of you.

It's dishonest and selfish. Like others have said, it's everyone that ends up paying more.

DriverDan · 23/01/2012 09:59

I am not saying I would keep it, I generally am no fun like to stick to the rules...

But what if you had already bought a new ring and then found the old one? Surely you'd take the new ring back and get the money back...do you then return the money after that? What if you found it years later and sold the replacement ring?

thepeoplesprincess · 23/01/2012 10:00

But you'd all end up paying more whether she'd found the ring or not. The claim has already been processed.

SoupDragon · 23/01/2012 10:03

It's still insurance fraud though.

ShirleyForAllSeasons · 23/01/2012 10:03

I was wondering that DD, what if she'd already replaced the ring?

BadTasteFlump · 23/01/2012 10:04

I can understand why you would be tempted, but it is still fraud at the end of the day. I would be so worried about getting found out that it wouldn't be worth the money, for me anyway.

And if I were considering doing something this dodgy, I certainly wouldn't be posting about it on the internet, or telling anyone. There's always the 'what if' of somebody from the insurance company being on MN and tracing the IP address, etc....

SecretMinceRinser · 23/01/2012 10:04

I would keep it.

Kayano · 23/01/2012 10:04

I would keep it Blush

SoupDragon · 23/01/2012 10:05

If you've already replaced the ring, it falls into a greyer area although, technically, I think the original ring now belongs to the insurance company.

lashingsofbingeinghere · 23/01/2012 10:09

I would ring them and say what has happened.

They may
a) ask for the £600 back
b) ask for some of it back, with some sort of financial "thank you for your honesty" rebate on it
c) take it all back but reduce your premiums for next year as a thank you.

Keeping it is simply wrong.

irregularegular · 23/01/2012 10:10

Of course you should tell the insurance company! I can't believe there is any debate there. Unless you think it is OK to steal £600 from any large company. It's theft/fraud, plain and simple.

I'd only consider keeping it if I literally couldn't afford to feed my family or keep them warm. Then I might just steal if I knew I could get away with it. Not otherwise.

MackerelOfFact · 23/01/2012 10:13

Tricky. Morally and legally you should send it back, obviously. But only because you found the ring before buying a new one with the money. If you'd found it days/months/years after getting a replacement, I don't think you would be expected you to return the new one.

'Lose' is such an ambiguous term anyway. You can lose something for minutes, days, months or forever. If the insurance covers 'loss' then presumably they're also prepared for the fact that things may, and do, turn up. You can't predict how long something will be lost for - presumably you didn't expect to find it else you wouldn't have claimed in the first place.

Gribble · 23/01/2012 10:14

Id keep it in a heartbeat. I dont believe in karma / magical thinking nonsense, if something shit is going to happen it will.

TheRealTillyMinto · 23/01/2012 10:19

Gribble i agree that karma is doesnt exist but if someone keeps the £600 which was only paid to them on the basis of lost ring, well, when shit does happen to them, they are not undeserving of it.

basically if you dont care about doing the right thing, when someone else does you over you should just get over it.

Elsjas · 23/01/2012 10:22

You should give it back. It is stealing. Just because it is from an insurance company, rather than a little old lady doesn't make it any better.

everlong · 23/01/2012 10:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.