Reimbursed order but I’ve found it. Wrong to keep money?

[Amibeingdaft81]

I received notification that a package had been delivered. It hadn’t and I had proof (they’d taken a picture of a different front door to mine!).

I rang shop (a big international online trailer if that makes a difference) and they are refunding me the order (£175).

However yesterday evening, set out for little stroll and a few doors down - there’s my parcel!

Would you ring to update of keep? I know what the right thing to do is. I know what I would urge my children to do. I know this. But there is this slither of me that wants to keep the money.

I’m almost certain I’ll ring to update. Almost

Of course they'll pursue with delivery company. Nothing comes for free, there is always someone who ends up paying for it. In this case the sending customer claims compensation from the courier company who then take action against their employee.

The person who delivered the item scanned the item at your neighbours doorstep. He or she has used their username to log in to the device so the delivery company can find out in 30 seconds who has delivered the item. Also, they will have the GPS coordinates of where the item was scanned.

If you want to be a thief then batter in, but someone will end up paying the price. I've seen it happen where I work numerous times. In fact, I've visited customers where this has happened and explained that the driver is going to lose his job through this, miraculously the parcel is then found as someone else in the house took it in and didn't tell the customer

Keep it

It doesn't matter which company it is. It has no bearing whatsoever. If it's OK for you to deal with Acme Trading, then there's nothing so ethically wrong with Acme Trading that means they deserve to be robbed by you.

You have to inform them and give the money or the item back.

I've had similar before when I was delivered two pushchairs by separate couriers, the umbrella types and they were just in plastic, no box. I called - they wanted me to find proper packaging and arrange a courier to return one, then they'd reimburse me the costs I'd incurred when I sent them all the receipts.

I told them that was way too much work for me and it was still in the packaging they sent it in and they could send a courier. They told me to keep it then!

With such a large purchase OP, I'd tell them.

I wouldn't tell them. Perhaps it'll teach them not to leave parcels wherever they want, even so, I'd keep the money and the parcel anyway.

Mumsnet isn't the right place to ask, people claim to be so honest and righteous.

I would tell them, I have done the couple of times this has happened to me. Keeping quiet is dishonest.

Dear lord, be honest and tell them.
Seriously!
I'm genuinely shocked at people who say the inconvenience is worth £175.
Shame on all of you.

This happened me at Christmas. I ordered presents from a big sport retailer . They never arrived and I got a refund . After Christmas they arrived I emailed them and told them and asked what to do . They said keep them . As if happened a piece was missing from order but I had a very happy niece who got a new track suit .

Definitely tell them. Do you really want the theft of goods worth £175 on your conscience? And, as pps have said, you might still get to keep it, guilt-free.

I would tell them and make a massive song and dance about leaving parcels in random places away from the delivery address, the inconvenience it has caused for all, how lucky it was you came across it on a walk

Keep the refund, ask them to collect it and tell them you'll leave it out for the delivery man in a random place in the vicinity of your house.

I’d keep it!!
I ordered a dress once from JL, it never arrived so they refunded my order and reordered it.

They both turned up. I returned one and got a refund and ended up keeping the free dress 🙈
It might be dishonest but the money some of these companies make us eye watering. I’m not going to feel guilty.

One of my childrens activities told me I had paid for an event and I knew I hadn’t. I checked my bank statements and confirmed I hadn’t so the next time I took them, I made them take the payment. They are a very small independent group. I wasn’t going to do it to them.

Amazon, John Lewis, Tesco, Asda, I wouldn’t hesitate. Small independent then I would tell them.

I would tell them, after a pause to argue with the devil on my shoulder saying "Keep it! Keep it!"

you’ve been inconvenienced

How?

Tell them.

£175.00 is not a small amount, irrespective of the size of the retailer. Its certainly not justifiable as an "inconvenience charge".

Most retail companies are struggling at present and not making much if any profit.
These kinds of losses are the online equivalent of shoplifting (otherwise known as 'theft'), the costs of which are passed on to the customers.

By all means keep it. 🙄

You had to go and find your parcel on someone else’s doorstep if I’m reading this correctly, so I don’t see why the delivery company shouldn’t be held responsible as they still haven’t technically delivered it??

Keep quiet

I would tell them.

I would absolutely tell them because guaranteed you won't end up better off. There all of a sudden be money needed elsewhere, say car repair, household appliance breakdown, just something in some other area of your life that is going to be costly.

You're obviously not doing this to be devious but my ex-husband would do things like this intentionally all the time and then a few weeks later, there would be an obscure expense so actually he was never better off. I used to tell him it was karma restoring balance.

They'll probably let you keep the item and the money in which case great or they may take payment back in which case you're no worse off than what you would have been had the package been delivered correctly to begin with. Either way at least you've been honest.

Do people really not know how this stuff works? The company doesn't lose the money, they claim it back from the courier. And if it's from the likes of Hermes/DPD etc, they're more than used to having to pay out because some prat of a driver threw the parcel wherever he fancied and it got lost.

I doubt everyone saying they'd return it would actually bother with the admin involved in that.

They company will probably tell you to just keep it.

If your conscience insists you must, just put the money aside for a while, send them an email, and I bet you never hear anything back anyway.

Just tell them. I can’t believe people are stupid enough to advocate not doing so.

Lack of honesty is a revolting trait.

I would tell them.

Don't say anything. Your contact with them was to deliver your item to your house. They didn't do this.

(This is coming from an online seller).

Do people really not know how this stuff works? The company doesn't lose the money, they claim it back from the courier. And if it's from the likes of Hermes/DPD etc, they're more than used to having to pay out because some prat of a driver threw the parcel wherever he fancied and it got lost

There is no way a courier company would pay the full cost of the goods. They would most likely pay claims in accordance with the RHA guidelines which is weight based. Can't remember the exact amount but I think it is around £100 per tonne.

^^ I would still tell then btw