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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

265 replies

Amibeingdaft81 · 30/06/2019 06:15

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

OP posts:
InkyToesies · 30/06/2019 08:01

FFS, it's wrong: it's stealing. You know it's wrong and you know it's stealing. The fact it's a "big, international retailer" ( whoopee-doo) is neither here nor there. If you want to be a thief, fine. If you don't, fine. It's binary. You can't be a little bit of a thief - you either are or you aren't. FFS.

Emelene · 30/06/2019 08:01

Thats a lot of money OP. I would tell them. Unless the parcel is damaged, you have the goods, so you should pay for them.

TheTrollFairy · 30/06/2019 08:03

I would tell them.
I recently found out that it’s the delivery driver who loses out as they have to pay it out of their wages! I’m not sure this is for every company but I know a couple of companies it is true for

Starlight456 · 30/06/2019 08:05

if its one of those international companies who pay no tax here I wouldn't bother,

Sandybval · 30/06/2019 08:08

Send the money back, I ordered some maternity clothes once and in one of the packets was a really expensive coat, in my size as well. What was meant to be in there was a t shirt for a few quid, but I knew I would have felt guilty keeping it; I wonder whether it was a disgruntled employee as the barcode bit on the outside was for the cheaper item (so they'd never have known). Even though they're a big company I know id have felt guilty.

StrongTea · 30/06/2019 08:10

Tell them or you will feel bad. Had similar before with online companies and have been told to keep the goods.

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 30/06/2019 08:13

Someone said exactly my thoughts, I think it was Soupdragon.

I would want to keep it but the guilt would feel horrible so I know I would end up telling them.

I bought some breastpads for £3 recently. They didn't arrive for 2 weeks (was supposed to be a couple of days) so I emailed and explained. They sent some more out.
3 days later they arrived. Along with the other ones.

I emailed and asked if they would like me to
send them back? They said yes please!
I asked if they would reimburse me the postage. They said "actually no thanks, you keep them."
Honestly there was no point me telling them I'm not sure why I bothered.

DontPressSendTooSoon · 30/06/2019 08:13

I ordered an Elizabeth Arden mascara set from debenhams... they sent three by mistake.

I kept them and sold the 2 spare on Ebay cos I'm bad.

Pinkyyy · 30/06/2019 08:14

The Mumsnet martyrs would never ever keep it would they. Hmm

Ounce · 30/06/2019 08:16

Tell them. Ten to one they'll tell you to keep it.

And it's sliver, not slither. I don't normally point out mistakes in a post because people get all arsey, but 'sliver' is on the critically endangered list and I'm fighting keep it in the language.

swingofthings · 30/06/2019 08:19

Keeping the money is stealing. Stealing by ommission but still stealing. Up to you if you don't mind being a thief.

feathermucker · 30/06/2019 08:19

Mumsnet Martyrs?!

No, I wouldn't keep it, but that doesn't make me a martyr, holier than thou, whiter than white or any other cliche you'd like to throw out there 😂

Silvercatowner · 30/06/2019 08:21

I kept them and sold the 2 spare on Ebay cos I'm bad.

That's just awful.

Lovemusic33 · 30/06/2019 08:22

I had something similar happen the other day, I ordered something and it didn’t turn up (a week late) so messaged the seller and they refunded me. A week lateral it was delivered. I didn’t tell them as the item was so late that I had already ordered another from someone else. My item was only worth £25, I think if it was more I would have felt a lot more guilty.

Justabadwife · 30/06/2019 08:22

I had this but with sainsburys and my food shop.
My food was out for delivery and the van driver got stuck in a ditch. He phoned me and told me to ring sainsburys and get them to reschedule.
Food came the next day, but with no frozen food.
I phoned up, they refunded me my frozen food. Then the next day another £80 had gone back in my bank from sainsbury's.
I phoned them, they thanked me for being honest, said it would leave my bank within 28 days and then they never took it back.
I wasnt phoning them again. So I spent it.

SoupDragon · 30/06/2019 08:25

The Mumsnet martyrs would never ever keep it would they.

Do you mean ordinary, decent people?

Idontwanttotalk · 30/06/2019 08:25

I can't believe what you are asking. Of course you let them know. Why would you want to steal from them? It doesn't matter how much or how little you have.

Once a thief, always a thief.

WMPAGL · 30/06/2019 08:29

Yes, I would tell them. A little bit of honesty makes the world a better place and feels pretty good!

I've done something similar and the customer services person (at a big international retailer) a) took a while to grasp the point because they were so surprised and b) let both the refund and the delivery stand because the unexpected honest had brightened their day!

Not to be expected, of course, but a nice potential perk and everyone goes away with the warm glow of a bit of restored faith in the world.

Thertruthisoutwhere · 30/06/2019 08:30

It's not being a martyr to not want a poorly paid delivery driver to be docked wages/lose his job. It's just not being a shitty person.

This has happened to me a few times,a quick call with "are you going to arrange a courier to collect it from me?" And im always told to keep it as not worth the bother. Apart from once when a deliveroo guy collected a half eaten spare takeaway (ie half the boxes) that was a bit unhygenic!

Call them, you'll be told to keep it and you can enjoy the spares!

eddielizzard · 30/06/2019 08:34

Who gives a fuck who ends up paying! It's still theft if you don't call. I hate this 'stick it to the big corporations, they can afford it' nonsense. It's built into the cost of the product, this sort of dickish attitude, so ultimately we're all paying.

Baritriwsahys · 30/06/2019 08:37

I would tell them.

You were given a refund based on not having the item. You have the item. You were quick enough to contact them when their mistake was in your favour; but now the tables have turned you suddenly don't know?

strawberrisc · 30/06/2019 08:40

It wouldn't even cross my mind not to tell them.

jemihap · 30/06/2019 08:41

You need to stop lying OP... there is no way they told you they ''wouldn't be pursuing the delivery company''

mydogisthebest · 30/06/2019 08:44

You have to tell them. I can't believe posters are saying it's perfectly ok to steal £175 because that is what you would be doing.

If it were £5 it wouldn't be so bad as long as your conscience would let you sleep (mine wouldn't) but with it being so much money you should not even have to think about it

bingbongnoise · 30/06/2019 08:50

@Amibeingdaft81

Normally I am a bit 'meh just keep it' about these things, and 'most people would keep it, blah blah blah...' But that's if it's a £1.39 block of cheese, or a book that cost three quid.

I have had occasions where I thought an item wasn't coming - and it has gone past the 'should have been delivered by' date, and I have been reimbursed. Then the item has turned up. When I phoned them/emailed them to say I got it, they told me to keep it as it wasn't worth their time and effort and money to have it back. These have always been items that cost less than a tenner though.

£175 item however? That's a whole new kettle of fish. I would say I had received it yes, and would offer them the money back.

@DM1209

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.

I believe in this too, and it does happen.

I know someone who kept a purse she found, that had £350 cash in it, (2-3 years ago,) and she knew who it belonged to as it had the woman's driving licence in it, with her name and address on it. She kept the money, and spent it on frivolous crap.

3 weeks later, she got a huge repair bill for her car that she was NOT expecting - £475.

Karma biting?

Perhaps the car repair MAY have happened anyway.

Maybe not. Wink

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