WWYD: Sounds trivial but theft of make up from hotel room

[EdinaMonsoon]

Long weekend break away in a hotel. En route to destination I bought a couple of new makeup products (specifically a CC Cream & skin illuminator). Both were premium products (each worth circa £50). This afternoon I noticed that approximately a fifth of the illuminator had gone. There’s no way I could have used that much. I have applied it twice since purchase and For reference, this product usually lasts me 18 months. Have come back from a night out to find that now half of the illuminator has gone and the CC cream is almost empty.

Since we have been out of the room, it’s clear that the cleaning team/turndown service has been in. So my only conclusion is that it was taken by them. On the face of it, it might seem petty but WIBU to raise it with the hotel? We’re talking about close to £75 of product being taken and the purchase was a rare treat for me.

I would most definitely raise this with the hotel -it is theft
They may have had other reports of this type of behaviour

I would be making a formal complaint
i hope they offer you a refund
you should have addressed the issue straight away though . I would have got a crime reference number and sent it to them maybe you can be offered a refund on the room then
it Sounds like the staff have decanted your purchases in to their own pots-or perhaps unless you’ve accidentally bought used half empty testers
when I stayed in a hotel on holiday last year the staff stole a pair of heels ( Gucci dupes from river island ) and some gifts I bought from the local market - I was livid

Definitely not half used testers as both products were in cellophane wrapped boxes. I agree with you re decanting the product into their own containers - that was my first thought. Haven’t been able to raise it with hotel yet as it was after midnight when we returned to our room. Will speak with them in the morning. Honestly I think it’s an absolute piss take. As I say, I rarely buy or use makeup so when I do I like to buy the best I can afford. I feel really angry about it.

I totally understand why you’d be annoyed, but are you sure it’s not the amount you used, or been spilled by your DH, or dried out with the lid off etc?

Raise it with management provided you are sure the person with you hasn't used it/spilled it. Would be helpful to show them the receipt if you kept it so they can see you only bought the items.

If you’re 100% sure your stuff has been used then definitely complain to the hotel. It’s stealing and shouldn’t be allowed to continue. It’s not even as though they’ve taken something they really might need like food. Nobody needs to use someone’s expensive makeup without permission. They’ve done it because they want to and think that they’ll get away with it.

Sounds like they've squeezed it out into a pot for their own use

How annoying but difficult to prove as it could have happened before you bought it do they might say

You must complain about it though because this staff member might have been complained about re all sorts of other issues

One is has a pump dispenser and the other is in a tube. In both cases, I have used approximately less than half a pea sized amount, twice. I’m fastidious about replacing lids so there’s definitely not a chance that anything has leaked as absolutely no trace of either product anywhere. I have used both types of products for years and never had any leaks/spillage and, as I say, they usually last around 18 months. There’s no way I could have used almost half a bottle of one and virtually all of the other product in 2 applications.

This happened to me in Turkey last year, I had some glam glow moisturiser taken and was gutted as it’s been discontinued and a friend had brought it from the US, some face theory skin care products and we had bought some souvenirs for friends as gifts and sweets you can’t get in the UK.
The sweets were promised for my friends daughter who is autistic and discovered them when she was in Turkey before me and DP and she was so upset.

We didn’t mention it to the hotel staff as most of the staff didn’t speak English, my partner was speaking in Turkish to them but didn’t feel comfortable accusing any staff, I wish we had now though because it just means they could do it to someone else.

I think you should mention it, show the receipts if you have them.
lots of people said we must have just lost the missing items but they were definitely taken, it’s disappointing when you put your trust in staff to come into your room full of belongings.

I don't know... it sounds bizarre. I could understand full items being stolen but product from the container? I mean why and what are they doing with it when they've squeezed it out? I would be absolutely sure before I raised it.
Whenever i buy luxury make up there's always less in there then you think. I had a skin illuminator dior thing last summer that looked like a lot when i bought it but the amount of product actually in there was miniscule.

@Strawberrycheesecake7 I agree: if someone stole food or say sanpro etc. I wouldn’t say anything. I grew up in poverty so I understand how it feels to be hungry and desperate for basics. As a result, I don’t ever take for granted the small amount of disposable income I have now that means I can afford to treat myself every once in a while. I don’t want to come across like my diamond shoes are too tight and I appreciate it’s a first world problem but those products are a real treat for me and I feel angry that someone would simply help themselves to them.

I'm a retired hotelier and would definitely want to know if my staff were stealing. My reputation relied on their honesty and I would have taken your allegation very seriously. I would certainly have reimbersed you and thanked you for telling me, and dealt with the thief.

@Lorelaigilmore88 I agree it seems bizarre. That’s why my initial thought was I was being ridiculous but then after returning this evening to even more being taken I felt angry. As others have said, I think they are taking something for their own use. Stealing the entire product is too risky/obvious. Taking a large portion using your own container, not so much.

@QuaintLemur That’s good to know. I was feeling a bit pathetic to be honest but I also feel that there’s a principle of honesty and trust that has been broken, no matter how seemingly trivial.

I hope you get a constructive response from the hotel OP.

2 years ago I stayed in a hotel in Majorca. On the way to the airport I realised that I had left a number of pieces of jewellery in the bedside drawer. Fortunately my SIL was staying on in the hotel for a few more days so I called her and asked her to go to Reception and explain. They insisted nothing had been found. We’d checked out less than 2 hours previously.

SIL went to the room and spoke to the new occupants, three Dutch blokes in their 20s, who let her go in and check the drawer herself. Nothing. In the following weeks I emailed and called and begged the hotel in Spanish to double and triple check with the staff and they just fobbed me off and gaslighted me into thinking I must have been mistaken about leaving them.

I am 100% sure my things were taken by housekeeping. 2 of the pieces had sentimental value, nothing was worth over £50 and they were not really fashionable or even classic, just special to me. It still makes me cry to think I was left a necklace by my Mum and I just lost it.

In your position I would be using Google translate to make a label to put on your makeup that says something like
”theft of the contents has been reported”.

@TimeandMotion I’m so sorry to hear your experience. To lose something so precious must be devastating. Sadly I had a similar experience around 10 years ago and, like you, was told repeatedly that they hadn’t found anything, that the safe was completely empty. I honestly don’t know how anyone can get any enjoyment or satisfaction from using stolen items.

@EdinaMonsoon I think what I found really galling was the way the hotel management closed ranks with their staff. They simply refused to accept that theft by housekeeping was the only explanation.

Two years ago on honeymoon in Mauritius. My husband and I were on edge because by day 3, numerous people were in and out of our room. Everytime we'd come back to our room, someone was leaving it, apparently cleaning. One day we were lazing on the balcony. My husband dozed off asleep on his chair outside and I was reading lying down on the outdoor sofa. I looked up and saw two male staff members looking down at me clearly surprised to see us. I screamed as I got a shock. They looked flustered, said something about checking that our room phone was working and left quickly.

Our phone was fine.

@Ella31 makes me think of that lovely girl from NI who was killed on her honeymoon in Mauritius, seemed very likely she'd surprised someone stealing from her room but don't think there was a conviction.

I once had this happen to me at an expensive hotel. Except they didn’t bother decanting and instead just swiped an entire bottle of foundation, face wash, serum, concealer and perfume. In total cost over $400 and some I’d just bought at Duty Free. I wondered why they’d take the foundation and concealer as I’m black and was in an Asian country so unlikely it would match the thief’s skin tone. Hotel did nothing as I couldn’t “prove” anything. Since then I always lock any expensive products in my suitcase or the safe, and only leave out decanted/cheap stuff like toothpaste or body lotion out - even in expensive hotels. I’m so sorry OP - it’s theft and it’s bloody infuriating.

Goodness I'd never even think that make up could be stolen like this. When you think about valuables in hotel rooms, it's usually electronic items, jewellery, cash. It would never occur to me that expensive makeup and skincare could be a target. Definitely show the hotel the receipts and the product containers.

Ask to see the duty manager in the morning/on checkout, as you have the receipt and bottles with you. Don’t leave it until you get home.

Are the bottles clear? How could you tell that half has gone from a pump type bottle?

Was there not a safe in your room? I would have left them in there after the first theft.