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AIBU?

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Original poster

Who owns a pound left in supermarket trolley?

500 replies

Zippyzoppy · 03/07/2023 21:15

My son has a part-time job at weekends with one of the major supermarkets. One of his tasks is to round up any stray trolleys and put them back in the trolley park.

Apparently, from time to time ( maybe one/twice per day) people can’t be arsed to put their own trolleys back and so leave the £1 coins in the trolley. If this happens, he keeps the pound and puts the trolley back as required. When he first told me about this, I was quite pleased for him and thought it was a nice way for him to make a few extra quid.

However, when I mentioned this to a friend, she was aghast as she thought that he was cheating /stealing from his employer as the money is rightfully theirs.

Who is right?

OP posts:
sunglassesonthetable · 04/07/2023 14:56

I answered their question, you obviously don't like the answer, maybe forums are not for you.

😂 Chill out - you're sounding daft

Yesiamtiredactually · 04/07/2023 14:58

Zippyzoppy · 03/07/2023 21:15

My son has a part-time job at weekends with one of the major supermarkets. One of his tasks is to round up any stray trolleys and put them back in the trolley park.

Apparently, from time to time ( maybe one/twice per day) people can’t be arsed to put their own trolleys back and so leave the £1 coins in the trolley. If this happens, he keeps the pound and puts the trolley back as required. When he first told me about this, I was quite pleased for him and thought it was a nice way for him to make a few extra quid.

However, when I mentioned this to a friend, she was aghast as she thought that he was cheating /stealing from his employer as the money is rightfully theirs.

Who is right?

Id be tempted to say it’s not theft as he doesn’t realistically have a way to find the owner of the pound coin? In law it’s not theft if there’s not dishonest intent and having no way of knowing who the owner was counts as not being dishonest. Because it doesn’t actually cost a pound to use a trolley, the coin is used as a key to access it, I’m not sure the coin belongs to anyone other than the customer that put it in the trolley. Now if your son literally watched them walk off without their coin, and then still chose to keep it, that would be theft.

niceandspicynight · 04/07/2023 14:59

@sunglassesonthetable "when the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser" 💘

wutheringkites · 04/07/2023 15:00

niceandspicynight · 04/07/2023 14:59

@sunglassesonthetable "when the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser" 💘

You're the one calling people uneducated.

Frabbits · 04/07/2023 15:01

"I'm totally wrong, but am going to pretend otherwise"

Bernie2023 · 04/07/2023 15:03

Is used to be manager in retail and no it isn't stealing from the business and it isn't their money. However most large retail companies would have loss prevention rules and procedures of how to deal with found money. There are usually also rules about not being allowed to have money on your person. If other money went missing in the shop for example from the till and he was found to have cash on him he could be accused of stealing. My advice would be for him to check with his line manager as to what they would like him to do with the money if he happened to find any as it would be silly to risk his job for a couple of £s. We used to always put it in the charity box.

sunglassesonthetable · 04/07/2023 15:03

I agree and wasn't it you calling folk uneducated and ignorant right of the bat?

but hey @niceandspicynight let it go .

niceandspicynight · 04/07/2023 15:03

@wutheringkites "Better to get hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie" 💘

niceandspicynight · 04/07/2023 15:04

Frabbits · 04/07/2023 15:01

"I'm totally wrong, but am going to pretend otherwise"

Fully agree with you, you got that right 😁

sunglassesonthetable · 04/07/2023 15:04

You're def winning on the googling front @niceandspicynight 😁

Frabbits · 04/07/2023 15:05

niceandspicynight · 04/07/2023 15:04

Fully agree with you, you got that right 😁

Show quote history

Excellent, we both agree you are wrong. Glad we cleared that up.

niceandspicynight · 04/07/2023 15:05

Frabbits · 04/07/2023 15:05

Excellent, we both agree you are wrong. Glad we cleared that up.

Show quote history

Sorry that was your quote not mine 🤔

wutheringkites · 04/07/2023 15:06

That quote a day toilet paper is really coming into its own. Mind you, I suppose you get through a lot, what with all this shit you're coming out with.

wonkylegs · 04/07/2023 15:08

@niceandspicynight the law on whether it is theft in the case of abandonment is proportional though and as I stated earlier you have to make "reasonable efforts" to find if it's been abandoned or not.
Reasonable is proportional to the circumstances and amount - so a £1 left in a trolley it's both reasonable and proportional to assume if no one is there, that it's been abandoned, without making other efforts to trace the owner.
It would not be the same if someone left £100 in a trolley because the higher amount and unusual location for £100 means that it's unlikely to abandoned so you need to make more efforts to trace the owner.
The law is not as blunt as you make it out to be.

Blossomtoes · 04/07/2023 15:09

wutheringkites · 04/07/2023 15:06

That quote a day toilet paper is really coming into its own. Mind you, I suppose you get through a lot, what with all this shit you're coming out with.

😂

sunglassesonthetable · 04/07/2023 15:09

priceless 😂

Blinkblank · 04/07/2023 15:10

niceandspicynight · 04/07/2023 14:52

All have memory loss, take your pick 👊

Alzheimer disease
Vascular dementia
Lewy body dementia
Fronto-temporal dementia
Progressive supranuclear palsy
Normal pressure hydrocephalus
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Alcohol or use of prescription or illegal drugs
Brain infections such as Lyme disease, syphilis, or HIV/AIDS
Overuse of medicines, such as barbiturates or (hypnotics)
ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) (most often short-term memory loss)
Epilepsy that is not well controlled
Illness that results in the loss of, or damage to brain tissue or nerve cells, such as Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, or multiple sclerosis
Low levels of important nutrients or vitamins, such as low vitamin B1 or B12

Show quote history

You’ve got far too much time on your hands 😂! Consider volunteering some of your time?

sunglassesonthetable · 04/07/2023 15:10

The law is not as blunt as you make it out to be.

Hallelujah

Blinkblank · 04/07/2023 15:11

wutheringkites · 04/07/2023 15:06

That quote a day toilet paper is really coming into its own. Mind you, I suppose you get through a lot, what with all this shit you're coming out with.

😂

Frabbits · 04/07/2023 15:11

niceandspicynight · 04/07/2023 15:05

Sorry that was your quote not mine 🤔

Show quote history

No, no, it was definately you. Hence the quote marks.

But, for the avoidance of doubt.

"I'm totally wrong, but am going to pretend otherwise" - niceandspicy.

No need to agree again, you've already done so.

Frabbits · 04/07/2023 15:12

wonkylegs · 04/07/2023 15:08

@niceandspicynight the law on whether it is theft in the case of abandonment is proportional though and as I stated earlier you have to make "reasonable efforts" to find if it's been abandoned or not.
Reasonable is proportional to the circumstances and amount - so a £1 left in a trolley it's both reasonable and proportional to assume if no one is there, that it's been abandoned, without making other efforts to trace the owner.
It would not be the same if someone left £100 in a trolley because the higher amount and unusual location for £100 means that it's unlikely to abandoned so you need to make more efforts to trace the owner.
The law is not as blunt as you make it out to be.

It's been said about 10 times already.

GC1 · 04/07/2023 15:12

I really Don't get peoples take on this! When I use a trolley... its MY £1 that goes in. Not the supermarkets they have absolutely no claim for it to be either. There's times when someone outside the shop doesn't have a £1 on them.. so I do say here just take my trolley and keep the £1 in it... therefore the supermarkets still have no claim. It is there for whoever uses it next..... your sons right! They make enough especially these days with inflation robbing bastards 😂😂😂

WoopWoopThisIsTheSoundOfThePolice · 04/07/2023 15:13

JaneJeffer · 03/07/2023 21:17

He's right. It's a tip.

It would be a sackable offence at the supermarket I worked in.

A member of staff who had finished her shift saw a customer return a trolly to the supermarket bay. She had left a cheap bunch of flowers in the seat bit. The staff member decided ‘finders keepers’ and took them. She was sacked. Lost her job after nearly 20 years service, benefits, shares, staff discount, the lot.

Employee’s aren’t even allowed to carry cash in their pockets so they can’t be misunderstood to be stealing. Taking a £1 left in a trolley would be seen as theft, regardless of how you wish to look at it. Our trolley lads used to put the coin in the charity box at the customer service desk.

sunglassesonthetable · 04/07/2023 15:15

A member of staff who had finished her shift saw a customer return a trolly to the supermarket bay. She had left a cheap bunch of flowers in the seat bit. The staff member decided ‘finders keepers’ and took them. She was sacked. Lost her job after nearly 20 years service, benefits, shares, staff discount, the lot.

Wow.

What lovely supermarket was that?

HollaHolla · 04/07/2023 15:15

I'd take it as a perk. Especially for being out in the pouring rain, gathering in trolleys.
If he feels super guilty about it, he could pop it in the charity tin.