Thing found in car park, Should I return this to the shop?

[flightattendant]

This is just a question really as I don't know what to do and have no great opinion either way!
Last night just before closing time, me and Ds's were out at Mothercare and while walking to the Morrisons for a sarnie before going home, we found a large 5L bottle of engine oil in the car park. It was quite near the Halfords entrance but looked like someone had put it down while loading their boot, and not picked it up. There was nobody around.
Didn't want it getting squashed so we picked it up and put it on a wall. Left it there in case person came back, went to Morrisons, came out half an hour later and it was still there.
I decided to take it home for some reason - wasn't sure if it would be any use as our car is tiny and I think it was 15/40W but it did cross my mind to keep it.
Thing is my Dad had a go at me for not handing it in, when I told him - he seemed to think the shop could trace whoever bought it? I know this stuff is pricey but wouldn't they just bung it on the shelf and resell it?
I guess I'm thinking, it's no use to me, the customer might try the shop to see if anyone found it, so it ought to go back.
But now I'm afraid the shop will think I nicked it, also it's quite a drive to Halfords again...

This is from a person who once found a tenner sticking out of a cash opoint with no sign of anyone - and handed it in to the bank!!! they did say they could trace the person...

Does anyone want some free 15/40?

I think you are right - the shop would not have made any great effort to trace the buyer. It is possible that they buyer would have come back - but given they would have no proof that they had left it in the carpark anyway there was not much chance of them getting it back.

If you had left it on the wall or in the car park it would have ended up as litter.

I guess your only too options we take it home to dispose of or take it back to the shop. On the scale of things I don't think what you did was too bad.

Thankyou Throck. I might ring the shop this morning and ask if anyone has claimed it. That way it puts them on the spot as they can't say 'yes bring it in' if nobody has - it wasn't on their premises so it isn't theirs. It isn't as if I took it from the shop floor. I hope someone has been in and asked for it as then I'll if I take it back I'll know it's found its mummy

If it was my shop, I would have kept it to one side for 24 hours or so and then, you are right, it would have gone back on the shelf.

They cannot "trace" who bought it. Unless by chance, they remember who it was and that person happened to make a special order that required giving their address and phone number. And even then, you are relying on a Halfords salesperson to be arsed to deal with it.

I don't think you did anything wrong by taking it home. The chances of finding the owner are very slim. If it had been something valuable such as money or jewelry I would have taken it to the police, but it's not exactly in that league is it!!

Finders keepers!

We once left a large bottle of engine oil in our shopping trolley and put it back in the trolley bay (this was years agao by the way).

By the time we had realised what we had done we went back to look for it, not really thinking we'd find it and it had gone. it was our own fault and we had to buy a new one.

I dont think you're being unreasonable, finders keepers, loosers...going back to halfords for another bottle!

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all! If it was near closing time, you could not take it back into the shop. If you had left it there, yobs may have got to it and covered the carpark/people's cars in oil just for the fun of it at their idea of fun though...

You did the right thing. I seriously doubt the shop can trace the owner. So, if no-one has claimed it, then keep it and I hope it is of use for your car!

Dh brought home a sealed, still in its box tube of toothpaste which he found in an empty trolley in Sainsb. Ok, perhaps he should have handed it in, but he brought it home.
(hippi ponders the shame in that...)

Thankyou girls - LowFat, respect at your equanimity!

Well I rang the shop and asked if anyone had been in for it, and they said no, and I said well here's my number if they do, give them a new one and I'll bring it in.
The man said thanks and they appreciated my help.
So here it stays for the time being...what the hell size ve-hi-cle takes 15/40 anyway?

Perhaps it's fate and I'm supposed to go and chat up some truck driver with it, who then turns out to be the perfect husband.

Perhaps not...

Ours takes 5/30!