For keeping an order that I’ve received a refund for?

[Phallicfriday]

Long story short. Ordered DH a fairly expensive tech item for his birthday from large retailer. Item didn’t arrive and when I chased the retailer it was presumed lost and they sent a replacement. It was supposed to be on next day delivery but this didn’t materialize either. Week later I call again to be told the item was detained by customs and it would be returned to the retailer. They point blank refused to send another item and instead only offered me a refund. Feeling very frustrated as I still had no birthday gift, I reluctantly accepted and ordered a replacement on Amazon (which I haven’t received yet either). Since receiving the refund, both the ‘missing’ orders have turned up. I am overseas and so I imagine it would be a hassle/expense for them to arrange a courier to collect them for return? AIBU for just keeping quiet and keeping both? Appreciate that this is morally ambiguous and I am quite sure I will get lots of mumsnetters up in arms at my morally bankrupt thought processes but they are a large company and surely will have insurance to cover such losses? And who really gives a flying fuck if the insurance company are out of pocket a few hundred quid when they rob the living daylights out of us all? My only concern is if they can track / trace that they have been delivered and force me to return / repay? What would you do?

I’d call and tell them it’s now turned up. As others have said they may well tell you to keep it. If they collect it you’ve lost nothing really as you never expected to have it and there is no risk someone involved in the delivery would be under suspicion of stealing goods and you’ve no concerns of a later follow up and you’ve been scrupulously honest. If they say to keep it then you’ve got a nice bonus for your troubles.

Oh OP keep it. People calling you a thief are ridiculous. You’d have to be an utter wet blanket to let them know. Jesus it’s Amazon. Amazon! I can understand that it’s morally wrong to do over a small business. But bloody Amazon. I’d gleefully keep it.

I personally would contact the company and see what they advise you to do chances are they will advise you to keep it.

If the courier marks it as delivered, the company may hold you liable. I am not sure if this falls under a CIFAS loading if the company chooses to pursue, but if it does this will affect your credit rating for 6 years, not worth it in my opinion.

She's overseas. There's fuck all they can do to her.

two wrongs do not a right allow

If you are happy to accept the consequences of theft if you get found out, carry on. BTW - all theft has an impact - one of the reasons that prices are high.

It's happened to me twice - one was a very expensive duvet. I emailed them because they'd sent a feather one when I ordered the other one, and they said they'd arrange collection but never did. I kept it in the box in the garage and sold it a year later on eBay.

The other was a lamp. I let them know and they wanted me to cart it to the post office which I refused to do, so they told me to keep it (I'd have happily had it collected by courier)

Tad dramatic don’t you think? 😁

I would do this too, just to be on the safe side.

After all the trouble with customs etc, they might just tell you to keep it anyway.

I would keep it and wouldn’t give a crap.

1. You haven’t signed for it and it’s been left in an open space for potentially anyone to take
2. there’s nothing they can do to get the money from you for it besides ask you to pay them

I’d call them and ask what they want to do but then I’m not a thief so it’s a no brainer really .

You know you haven't paid for it, it will cost someone else in the long run when people do this. They can claim on insurance but their premium will go up and they pass the cost onto the consumer. Same with all of the thefts in supermarkets in the UK right now. The supermarkets won't take a cut in profit, they'll pass on the cost to honest shoppers.

I would say that as they cancelled the order and refunded you there is now no contract between you and them so you can keep the items. You have done nothing wrong. They gave you their decision. If they didn’t advise you of any conditions the refund was subject to, i.e. telling you to advise them if the goods turn up, you have no obligation to them

Happened to me. I contacted them as I am not a thief. They said it's your lucky day.

I had this happen and I told them. I also had four of one item instead of 1 arrive, and I did tell them. Mainly as I was worried about bad karma if I kept them and felt better returning them/telling them.

I'd definitely do this, maybe leave them unopened for a little bit longer.

I would definitely keep it 🤷‍♀️

How very dramatic 🙄

@Phallicfriday I've just read your later post saying they'd been left in your garage and you hadn't been asked to sign for them. In that case I don't see how you could possibly get caught out if you keep them. People follow couriers around all the time and steal parcels that they leave on doorsteps, in porches, and in garages. I had several Amazon parcels stolen just before Christmas which were left on my doorstep. They had photos from the driver showing they had been left, but they refunded me without question when I told them they had been stolen. I had cctv footage of someone walking up to the door and taking them but amazon didn't want to see it.

Absolute rubbish! My parcels get dumped all over my property and I've never designated a safe space!

I’ve had this with a camera lens and they contacted me and asked me to return it which I did. ( this was following the issue of a refund following non delivery). Big companies are able to justify “ripping off” their customers ( if that’s what they do) because they’re dealing with a certain percentage of people who steal from them. Includes staff in the warehouse, couriers, customers. Every one of them justifies it the same way so you’re in good company.

I'd keep it too.

So would most people I think (despite what the thread says!)

Stealing isn’t morally ambiguous no matter the circumstances. You want us to justify your stealing. Yeah they made a mistake but it’s still stealing.

We had this in November order from an abut retailer something around £150 was supposed to arrive in 7 days it arrived a month after . In the meanwhile everyone assumed it was lost and refund was made . I kept the item , didn’t even occur to me to return it after all the hassle of having to chase them and going out to buy a last minute replacement .

Tell them. Morally ambiguous this is not.