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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Stupid teen son found a lost gift card and spent some of the money, what will happen?

191 replies

yunogin · 12/02/2020 19:51

Could honestly slap him but have refrained so far!

He's 16, usually a good boy but told me he had a lapse of judgement when he did this and only panicked afterwards.

He didn't nick the card as in grabbed it off someone, he says he found it on a bench in the town centre. I believe him as he isn't a teen delinquent. He mostly stays in his bedroom playing games, he'd only gone into town to pick up something for me from the shop.

He idiotically brought it home and purchased something for £7 on Sports Direct. He used a Sports Direct account with his name and birthday etc linked. Then immediately after he did it he became overwhelmed with panic and regret and ran downstairs with the gift card white as a sheet and told me everything. I laid into him at first about the moral and legal implications of this but he's terrified the cops will be round any second. We tried to cancel the order but you have ring Sports Direct to do that and explain why which seemed a bad idea.

He found the gift card in its sleeve with a receipt, but I've gone on to the issuers website (it's one of those high street ones that can be spent at many stores) and used the number on the card to check the balance and the owner last used it weeks ago. They clearly bought it out to spend more of it today and lost it. It's still got £70 on it so the poor sod will be looking high and low for it. I'm very ashamed of my son but I don't want an idiotic mistake landing him in court.

Apparently the company won't do anything about a stolen card unless you provide them with the number or receipt. So unless they remember the number there is nothing the owner can do which I feel awful about but as I said, I don't want DS ending up in court. I wish there was some way to return it to its rightful owner without possibly getting DS in a world of shit. Though they may have written down the number in which it will be really easy for them to trace DS as he hardly covered his tracks!

I've considered contacting the gift card issuers and explaining everything and apologizing on my sons behalf, and also saying I will get the Sports Direct order refunded to the card but will they contact the police? Shit shit shit!

OP posts:
Kahlua4me · 12/02/2020 20:27

AngusDuck that’s a perfect way to deal with it 😊. I was wondering how you could give a gift card to charity if unable to locate the owner.

KaptenKrusty · 12/02/2020 20:27

Jesus - calm down 😂 you sound mental! It’s fine nothing will happen - tbh I’d have probably just spent the whole lot in it - it’s not going to be reunited with it’s owner is it

Effiedg · 12/02/2020 20:28

I go with DesertSky. Hand in to police. If not claimed, then it should be given back to the finder.

JingleCatJingle · 12/02/2020 20:28

I agree, it was on a bench!

AngusDuck · 12/02/2020 20:29

@Bluetrews25 if you stated where it was found, but anyone who came forward to claim it needed to confirm the shop and the amount, it would be very hard to get that right without already knowing.

ShirleyPhallus · 12/02/2020 20:29

No wonder your son is panicking so much if this is the huge overreaction his mother has Confused

JingleCatJingle · 12/02/2020 20:29

Seriously, who goes to the police about a gift card?

namechangetheworld · 12/02/2020 20:29

Nothing will happen OP, don't worry.

I vote spend the lot

ChikiTIKI · 12/02/2020 20:30

Have they used the card for online transactions? The original owner I mean. Surely if they have, they can log in to their online account with the store and there will be a record of the transactions noting the gift card number.

I would try to contact the company and see if it can be returned to the owner.

Original poster
yunogin · 12/02/2020 20:30

It's called autistic SPECTRUM disorder for a reason smashstore

OP posts:
Evansamr · 12/02/2020 20:30

What is all this ‘theft by finding’ nonsense? That’s not even a thing... this is the actual law:

The Theft Act 1968 sets out the rules, Prof Chambers said.
The act reads: "A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it.
"A person's appropriation of property belonging to another is not to be regarded as dishonest… if he appropriates the property in the belief that the person to whom the property belongs cannot be discovered by taking reasonable steps."

WhatsTheLatest · 12/02/2020 20:30

terrified the cops will be around yes, Starsky and Hutch are on their way - do people REALLY say "cops" Grin??

Emijen · 12/02/2020 20:30

Give it in to the police if you’re really worried

Elouera · 12/02/2020 20:31

@DesertSky- I doubt the police station would even take it! I found a mens wallet last week. I looked through the cards for a name and looked in facebook etc for the name found. It seemed like a student at uni near us, but possibly grew up 4hrs away in Cornwall. I took it straight to the police station, but they wouldn't take it! They said they don't take wallets anymore and its up the finder to track the owner! I explained that I had looked for any details and found a name, but had no other way to contact the owner. Only then did they reluctantly take it after I completed forms about where it was found it. Maybe its just out local station, but I was very surprised.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 12/02/2020 20:31

😂 Court, for spending 7 quid on a gift card he found. No that won't happen. They have MUCH more important things to be getting on with.

IhateBoswell · 12/02/2020 20:31

Oh the angst!

And I'll join in with an eye roll at 'mild ASD' Hmm

Fightthebear · 12/02/2020 20:31

“Theft by finding” is how this type of theft is described

CarolinaPink · 12/02/2020 20:31

You could just hand it in at this stage and say it was found in town.

SerenDippitty · 12/02/2020 20:32

I would try and locate the owner via FB. If that didn’t work, I’d see if it was registered with Sports Direct. If that didn’t work either, I would go and buy some warm jumpers/socks/trousers/gloves/scarves and take them down to the local homeless shelter.

I think this would be a good way to deal with it. Not benefiting personally from money that was not mine to spend.

smashstore · 12/02/2020 20:33

It's called autistic SPECTRUM disorder for a reason smashstore

Indeed. Perhaps you misunderstand what that reason is. Is he autistic or not?

smashstore · 12/02/2020 20:33

Also OP, you seem to have ignored my more important point. His reaction. Are you sure he found it?

CarolinaPink · 12/02/2020 20:33

Can't you just pay £7 onto the card in store, then hand it in or post it to head office/phone the number on the back of the card if there is one, saying the card has been found and can they try to reunite it with its owner?

I think that's the best idea. Conscience clear, and in the unlikely event that anything came of it then it would be clear you/your son did everything necessary to correct what your son did.

Don't worry Thanks

cptartapp · 12/02/2020 20:34

DS1 once found a gift card on it for JD sports with £30 and spent it. Nothing happened.

VanGoghsDog · 12/02/2020 20:34

Seeing as the receipt is with the card i doubt there will be much come back as they won't have any way of checking

Most people I know take a photo of stuff like that in case they lose it.

Howtedious · 12/02/2020 20:34

Smashstore

Why make comments like this when you clearly don't understand anything about autism or ASD? It's not helpful or kind.