Keeping an item a shop sent you by accident for free?

[User364837]

I know MN normally takes quite a hard line on this stuff….

but what’s the consensus on a large big name retailer sending you two items when you paid for one? Say hypothetically it’s clothing and they sent you 2 of the item in different sizes. Sizing is out so the original size you ordered doesn’t fit anyway. Would you return the item for a refund and keep the other one they sent you for free? And consider it your lucky day since you’re financially struggling at the moment leading up to Christmas.

just hypothetically obviously

John Lewis messed up my wedding list and sent an entire dinner service that wasn't the one from the list. They then sent the correct one and said they would arrange a courier to collect the other one. They never did. My sister got it for her wedding present from me!

I always let the companies know but have often been told to keep the extra item.

I think it's scummy not to tell the company unless it's a small thing.

I don't think I would keep it but it hasn't happened to me. It happened to my dd twice with
very expensive items and both times she sold the second item.

Recently ordered a home spray tanning kit as part of DD's Christmas. What came was a pro version, much bigger and on checking, twice the price of what I ordered. The one I ordered was now marked as out of stock so I'm working on the assumption that having accepted my order, they realised they didn't have any left so sent me an upgrade 🤷‍♀️

I had similar recently with an online purchase, they sent in my order a pack of two pairs of leggings and a pack of 5 pairs of knickers I didn't order.

I phoned and asked how to return and they said just to keep them - I gave them to my niece as they were too small for me - I would always check with the retailer as it wouldn't sit right with me not to.

😄😄

This is the attitude that tells people it’s alright to shoplift from a supermarket but not a corner shop. It is never all right and we all pay extra to cover the costs that any and every shop lose.

🙄you clearly have no idea and have never worked for a big brand. It was THEIR MISTAKE firstly so shoplifting is irrelevant and it's not OP's responsibility. Secondly the faff of return postage etc is more effort for them than just letting her keep it. It's literally one unit of stock, it's nothing for a massive retailer, less than pennies.

Are you referring to the thread where the op said she had made a grocery order, and then cancelled it and got it for free?

If so - they got ripped to shreds (rightly) as she was actively planning to defraud the company she ordered from. It was not an accident, it was not a mistake by the company.

It's happened to me twice this year, both fairly low value items under £20. I did contact both of the retailers, the first said if I wanted to I could drop it off to their store (nope, not wasting my own time and petrol) or just donate it to charity, which I did. The second said our mistake, just keep it so I passed it on to a friend as I didn't need a duplicate. Funnily enough, I've had a dispatch email from someone I ordered a Christmas present from a couple of weeks ago even though I've received it already so I'll see if it's a mistake or another one arrives.

If I was financially struggling I wouldn’t be shopping anywhere I’d be making do with what I had in my wardrobe already

There’s usually more than just one 😉

The thread isn't just about clothes or hadn't you noticed?

No, just you

Hth

It’s not always as simple as that. Not splashing out on three new party frocks? I’m totally with you. But what if, with winter approaching, you desperately need some warmer items, or shoes with a decent grip in case of ice or snow - or something as unexciting but necessary as thermals? What if, precisely because you’re financially struggling, you’re going for interviews and need something inexpensive but relatively smart?

Online shopping doesn’t have to be about a big splurge on luxury items. People use it for the essentials too.

Yes I’ve had this with Amazon too and they’ve always agreed for me to keep it

Ocado sent me three collapsible colanders once. Assumed the robots picked them together as they were stacked.

Amazon sent me a piece of equipment that had clearly been opened, set up and returned. Nothing wrong with it, but I'd paid £200 for a new one, not a battered box with the instructions missing. I asked for a return label so I could swap it for a new one and they told me to keep it and sent a new one too. DD was a happy girl that day as I gave it to her.

On the whole on MN, just me? Ok lol

it’s clothing and they sent you 2 of the item in different sizes

Looks like the OP was talking about clothing to me

I've had this- I was sent 2 lots of school shirts by a large retailer. I emailed customer services asking them how to return and they never replied so I didn't!

Amazon once sent me two items of clothing when I only ordered one. Hypothetically I kept the extra. My answer would be different for a smaller company.

Completely understand what your saying but equally when you’re financially struggling unfortunately the essentials (or what should be essentials) become luxuries

I've never come across the bit that says if a shop sends you an item by error you can keep it.

Could you put a link to that?

(I come from a family with lots of lawyers so am normally very familiar with consumer law due to their dull table conversations on the matter but happy to be proven wrong.)

Tesco once sent me a bottle of Tanqueray Gin (£33 a bottle) as a substitution, for a cheap bottle of hair conditioner (?) with my online shop.

I kept quiet, but they made the substitution. 🤷‍♀️😉

I did once because they sent two items - one my size and one the wrong size, but it fitted. I let them know, expecting them to send me a returns bag (which they hadn't included in the original packaging. But they wanted me to return it with P&P at my own expense which I thought was cheeky, given it was their mistake, so I didn't bother. They didn't chase me for it either. But it was a small boutique, not a big store.