Courier company have more than doubled the quoted price - and they have my suitcase

[FasterThanASnakeAndAMongoose]

I'm in a bit of a panic. My brother is currently working for a school building charity in Sierra Leone. I've been collecting children's football shirts to send to him, to be given to the children he's working with. My local community have been amazing and donated over 50 shirts.

They were all collected today in a suitcase. I put some extra stuff in as there was room (loads of books for the schools, all ds's outgrown baby clothes and a big box of PG tips for my brother )

When I spoke to the courier company last week they quoted £40 for a medium suitcase, which was fine. I rang yesterday to confirm and again they said £40.

They came this afternoon and I went to hand over the cash, at which point he asked for the £50 collection fee

He said that they must have forgotten to tell me. Yes, Sherlock, they did. I was quite flustered - ds crying and dd climbing my leg, so I stupidly told them to take the suitcase and I'd phone up to make the payment by card.

When they'd gone and the dc were sorted, I rang them. They basically said that they should have told me, they forgot, sorry, they can't waive the fee, they also can't bring the suitcase back as it's on its way to London now.

Wtf do I do? I'm really worried that I've lost the suitcase and all its contents now. I'm quite upset. Do I pay it, grudgingly, so that the stuff gets on its way, and then try to claw the £50 back somehow?

If I'd known it would be £90 I'd have used a different courier. Please don't say that I shouldn't have handed it over - I know this already and feel very foolish.

Keep arguing that you aren't going to pay, you felt intimidated, you either want the case returned or the original quote honoured. They can't hold your case to ransom.

To be honest I don't know how you thought a full suitcase could get to Sierra Leone for £40. They shouldn't have changed the boundaries though.

Are you saying the whole suitcase is going to Sierra Leone airfreight?

If so then £90 sounds a good deal. Maybe you could could do a go fund me type thing to try to recoup the £50?

Sorry for the delay coming back - bedtime.

It's going in a container in a ship. It takes 4-6 weeks to get there. I agree £90 for air freight would be a very good deal!

Interesting idea about crowd funding. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking people though I don't think, and would probably rather just pay.

I'm hoping they'll back down. My aunt in the deputy chief exec of an organisation which is one of their biggest contracts. She recommended them. Will give her a ring later I think to see if she can help. She lives hundreds of miles away so although she uses them a lot, I've never had anything to do with them before and this is the first time I've sent anything over there.

Bedtime for the dc, not me. time for me, or possibly

It seems to me you entered into a revised contract with them at the door, demonstrated by you handing over your suitcase. Unless you called them within a matter of minutes, it is difficult for you to argue that the suitcase isn't on a vehicle to London, and if they have already started transporting the case, it is reasonable for them to be recompensed. That your children were distracting you is not their fault. You should really have said you needed some time to think.