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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

about a reward for returning lost phone?

38 replies

TheArmadillo · 10/02/2007 17:44

Dp dropped his mobile on way back from work earlier. Someone phoned up to say they had it and dp has collected it.

Dp wants to drop in a thank-you note for returning phone which I think is good cos its nice that the person was honest and phoned a number on it (dp's mum) to say he had found it.

Lodger says we should give them £10 to say thank you. I think that is quite a bit (when we are not brilliantly well off) and a thank you note should be fine.

Lodger thinks I am unreasonable. Am I?

OP posts:
lazyline · 10/02/2007 17:45

NO.

NotQuiteCockney · 10/02/2007 17:46

I think it's normal to just say thank you, and not give a gift. I have returned lost things, and have had things of mine returned, but have never 'tipped' anyone for it.

Carmenere · 10/02/2007 17:47

How about a bottle of wine or a box of chocs? I agree that a token would be nice but if I found a phone and did the decent thing I probably wouldn't want a tenner iyswim.

QueenEagle · 10/02/2007 17:47

If I was the one who returned the lost phone I would be pretty chuffed that someone had gone to the trouble of writing me a thank you note.

Original poster
TheArmadillo · 10/02/2007 17:49

See that's what I think. Giving money is odd.
MAy pick up some chocolates though.

Thank you for agreeing with me

OP posts:
MrsGordonRamsay · 10/02/2007 17:49

Tell your lodger, he is exactly that the lodger.

But out and mind your own beeswax.

fuzzywuzzy · 10/02/2007 17:50

MY dh's found and returned several mobile phones in the past. Generally a thank you on collection is all he gets/expects tbh.

Budababe · 10/02/2007 17:52

Thank you note great and maybe chocs would be a nice gesture. Nothing more needed IMO.

nearlyfourbob · 10/02/2007 17:54

A thank you note would be lovely, really I would give back money if anyone tried - people want to be nice for the sake of being nice and maybe to store up some karma.

fryalot · 10/02/2007 17:55

I think a thank you note is a lovely idea on its own.

Original poster
TheArmadillo · 10/02/2007 17:55

glad to see everyone agrees with me

OP posts:
Paddlechick666 · 10/02/2007 17:57

i have double standards on this sort of thing!

I'd give them a fiver and say have a drink on me to say thanks.

but if someone tried to give me a fiver for returning an item of lost property i'd refuse it LOL!

sunnysideup · 10/02/2007 18:25

A kind chappie returned my phone to me and I took him a bottle of wine. I think a small token pressie is the right thing to do, to acknowledge the trouble someone has gone to to return it. Wouldn't give cash though, this would seem a little odd to me.

nikkie · 10/02/2007 19:30

I think Wine or choc is the way to go though I would be happy with just a Thank you anyway.

Gobbledigook · 10/02/2007 19:31

God no, a thank you note is fine. This happened to dh once and I'm pretty sure he just gave huge thanks in person adn that was it. I wouldn't expect anything more if I'd found it - I wouldn't let someone give me £10!!

Gosh, what happened to human kindness for the sake of it?!

majormoo · 10/02/2007 19:43

DH lost his phone on Brighton beach in the summer and someone phoned to say they had found it. We gave them a bottle of wine to say thanks, and they were chuffed to receive it

DimpledThighs · 10/02/2007 19:43

I returned someones phone once and just got a thanks.

DP had someone return his phone and he asked for ten pounds to cover teh breakfast he had had whilst waiting for dp to meet him to collect the phone.

Gobbledigook · 10/02/2007 19:54
Shock
mum199 · 10/02/2007 20:04

i did offer the person who found my phone a tenner. He refused to accept it but when i persisted he but pointed to a charity box in the shop we worked at so we were winners all round.

mum199 · 10/02/2007 20:05

i think its nice to show appreciation when someone helps you out. Obv people show appreciation in different ways eg a note/money/choc. But you certainely aren't being unreasonable for not giving money.

morningpaper · 10/02/2007 20:07

WINE

I returned someone's mobile that I found in my street and a middle-aged woman turned up (belonged to her teenage son) and she was really annoyed with me - she CLEARLY thought I had SLEPT WITH HER SON. I was mortified!

pollyanna · 10/02/2007 20:09

dh found someones phone a couple of weeks ago - the man came to collect it and had brought some wine. We weren't expecting this, or money, but didn't say no! (I would have said no if he had offered me a tenner though).

FluffyMummy123 · 10/02/2007 20:10

Message withdrawn

FluffyMummy123 · 10/02/2007 20:10

Message withdrawn

Stiller · 10/02/2007 20:10

I think it's unnecessary to give a monetry gift as well as saying thank you. If you can afford to do it then fine, but if you can't (or don't want to/don't see why you should) then being courteous and thanking the person who found the phone is good enough.

My EX-P used to be a bus driver and he found a wallet on his bus with over £100 in cash and quite a few credit cards in it. He handed it in and he got a call to say thank you, but no 'prize' otherwise. We both thought it was really nice of the person to bother and it didn't occur to us that he should have been rewarded.