Refund Given but now order has been delivered.

[Windmillsofmybehind]

I bought a Christmas pressie worth £300 from a well enough known, large company. The tracking had just stalled, nothing after dispatch and after about 11 days I contacted them which was really difficult because it was like trying to get in contact with the pope.

Anyway, they said that the courier had lost the parcel and issued me a refund. The next day the item appeared and the tracking was updated to say delivered. At this time (last Friday) my refund had not come through my bank. It came through last night. Please also note that on their Facebook page there were a lot of people complaining about missing orders.

My question is this. I had an idea to donate the £300 to a local food bank charity since I now have the product AND the money. The company will not miss it and the charity would be delighted.

Then the other half of my brain is saying...this is theft, contact the company ASAP and tell them the order was delivered. They will know anyway because tracking has been updated and they will come looking for you Robin Hood!

Help me out here.

YABU... That money is not yours or the food banks, do the right thing and give it back

YANBU.... The food bank will definitely benefit from it and the company will not cop it and send the police to your door.

Thanks in advance.

Massive companies can take the hit. small companies can't. If it's a big corporation it'll be run by millionaires, let them take the hit!

Contact them to let them know and they'll send you a payment link to pay again.

You do realise that this kind of behaviour only results in price increases for consumers?

As well as being totally immoral ...

I would not do that.

What if you pay then they reclaim the orginal refund so you pay twice.

I'ev also not had any reputable comany suggest that - either they arrange to send item back or tell you to keep it.

Correct decision@Windmillsofmybehindto send it back. If it had been worth a tenner or something, I probably wouldn't bother contacting them. Indeed, I have had this happen before, (and told the company) and if it's been worth less than £15-£20 they tell me to keep the item, as it's not worth their time, effort, and money to get it back. A £300 item is a different matter however.. You can't keep it and say 'oh but I'll give the £300 to the food bank.' As someone said, that's a red herring.

But it's all academic now anyway, as you have informed the company about it.

I had this happen with Amazon but for a much smaller amount. They took the money from my bank about a month later so I’d definitely let them know.

I also had similar with a set of knives from a business on FB. The first set did not arrive so they sent a second. Both turned up on the same day so I let them know and asked for a return label to send one back. They thanked me for my honesty and told me to keep both.

Yep. This. ^ Ridiculous advice by @FullOfMomsense

This, but OP's done the right thing anyway.

Go a level better, and give the £300 to someone struggling for xmas

I'd keep quiet and not open the item. If any issue they can have it back, and then after a period I'd keep

Listen to the half of your brain that says
That this is theft and fraud and the company has the ability to see that your package has been delivered and that a refund has been sent.

"on their Facebook page there were a lot of people complaining about missing orders.
The company will not miss the money and the charity would be delighted to get it"
You're trying to make excuses.
Granted, they are on the more ethical side of excuses but you're still trying to make excuses for behavior that you know is wrong.

You think because it's a big company, you think because it's online, you think because it's almost Christmas and that you would take the extra money and donate it to the local food bank that this makes your fraudulent activity more ethical? It does not.

You're like a shoplifter who's already pocketed the merchandise and is just about out the door but is hesitating.
Don't take that last step.
Do the right thing, contact the company, and while you're at it,
make atonement for almost falling off the moral bandwagon by giving a donation to the local food bank anyway just out of the goodness of your heart, not because you got free money and you wanted to spread it around to alleviate your guilty conscience

(Edited because I wanted to add I know you've made your decision and I know you've contacted the company and done the correct thing; just added this for anyone else who finds themself in a similar situation and is reading this)

How is planning to keep the money, even if giving it to charity, for goods that were delivered equivalent to having one's morals in the right place? This is theft.

I had this happen last year with an item of clothing I’d bought for a specific event. It wasn’t cheap but definitely not £300.
Delivery information didn’t update and it was classed as lost so I received a refund. It arrived 2 weeks after I was planning to wear it. I contacted the company and said it had arrived and was told to keep it. I said I didn’t need it as the event had passed so was advised to donate it to a charity shop! They didn’t want the faff of returns and had probably already claimed from the courier.
But at least I was honest.

I love where your heart is on this. As in not just keeping it but donating it but they could take it off you at any point still.

They may have already claimed against the delivery company though.

I remember once I ordered a coat. Didnt turn up, they sent another one. Then 2 coats turned up. Hilariously I tried to tell them about this but they absolutely denied i now had 2! I tried for about a week and then gave up, returned one and got a refund...at least I tried!

I would contact them and tell them about it but if they have claimed against the courier they may not even ask for the money back (think that happend with me coat) at which point donate.

Otherwise put aside for 6 months then donate.

Agree with this 👆
It's not worth it as they May tae legal action knowing that it's actually been delivered to your house. I'd ring them to explain it's now arrived. Do you want to keep it and pay? Or do you want them to take it away? You cannot gift it as it may bite you on the ass later on. They could say it was fraud.

I've had this before, at forst they sent a replacement item, then they issued a refund when that didn't turn up. Then a week later both items turned up! I contacted the company and they said I could return one of the items but they couldn't retake the payment without dispatching another item. They had no way I could repay them the refund so we just left it that I would return one of the items (this was a £400 item).

Its hardly a moral failing if that's the worst thing she's done she's a pretty good person

I did not claim that it is a moral failing, I challenged the concept that it is a shining example of moral rectitude.

Because morals are mostly subjective, and lots of people have nuances rather than B&W.
I know I definitely think there are circumstances where I think stealing is morally justified, or at least neutral.

Bully for you. My morals are less "flexible".

Sorry but my morals stop at billionaires. Food banks deserve the money more than them.

Thank you xxxx

I don't even think this is a moral issue

My DD had this with Amazon. They weren't bothered about getting the money back however if was a lot less than £300.
For that amount I think I would contact them and let them know otherwise you might have a nasty shock if they reclaim it after you've spent it.

Once I ended up with 3 highchairs. I ordered 2 for my boys and only 1 was delivered.
Contacted the company who sent out another one to replace the one that didn't arrive. Que 3 days later and 2 highchairs arrive the original and the replacement one.
I contacted the company and they said to keep the 3rd highchair.
I donated it to the local baby bank.