to keep the £10 I found in the Post Office today

[SarfEast]

I went into our local PO to post some birthday presents, and on the stack of fizzy drink cans in front of the counter i saw a tenner. I quickly plonked some parcels on top of it with a view to picking it up as I left. A woman came into the shop and asked if anyone had seen her keys which she had misplaced and moved my parcels. She saw the £10 and said is that yours - yes i replied a little too quickly. She then left, I pocketed the cash and came home. I now feel really bad, because I lied to that woman as it wasn't mine, and I also should have handed it in to the post office man.
Maybe it was part of someone's pension...

Should I take it back or keep it...

I would still take it back.

I am glad they will have a chance of tracing the owner, that is great news

It's great isn't it, because instead of having to wait for someone to ask if it had been handed in (which they might not do) they can just give it to whoever it was when they come in next.

It is also good that they are prepared to put the time and effort into it, I am sure a lot of shop-keepers would just put it in an envelope under the counter and wait. Good result all round I think!

It was probably the key womans - when you said it was yours she was probably to shocked to say that actually it was hers. i'd hide my face next time I bumped into her if I was you.

If they do check the cctv then they will see exactly what you did .

I know - terrible isn't it.

Don't worry, they will also know you did the right thing in the end so they can't get too judgy pants about it!

I just don't know what came over me, I thought I was a nice honest decent person, but then I see a £10 and I turn into a devious sneaky wretch in a matter of seconds. [shudder]
Not one of my better mornings...

Well at least you know your price now

yes you have done the right thing.

curiously I had an embarrasing thing happen to me this week........I was at the local market and bought chips for the dc for lunch- when I paid she gave me £5 less change than I was expecting - so i said i gave you £10 - did you? she said and gave me another £5.

As I walked to the car ds gave me the change from the £10 note Id given him to buy flowers for me off the market I knew I only had 1 £10 note - i checked my purse and chippy lady was right Ihadnt given her a tenner .

I had to rush back and give her the £5 back,she was lovely but im so .....im dreading going back now for chippy dinner!!!!

SarfEast - FWIW I don't think it was such a terrible thing you did. It was only a tenner at the end of the day and depending on how close I was to pay day I probably would have been tempted aswell.

I did pick £20 up off the floor of a massive shopping centre once, I did a quick assessment and deduced the chances of the owner trying to trace it were slim and at that particular time I had no money (was dragged shopping with a friend so I just watched while she spent )

Icantbelieveim40 - did you know that cash machines suck the money back in if you don't take it out and leave it long enough? You need to go to your bank (the bank the card is with, not the bank the cashpoint belongs to) and ask for an ATM dispute form to fill in. DP did this a few weeks ago and got his £30 back.

If you cannot be honest about the small things, how on earth can you be honest about the big things?

Yes KingCanuteIam I wonder if I should put it on my cv?

YABU

I would take it back.

I bought some shopping and when I left the shop I realised I had 2 of something. I checked my receipt and have only been charged for one. I went back in the shop and saw the woman who served, telling her what happened. She told me to keep it for being honest.

Honesty pays.

If you are too cowardly to return to the PO and say you picked it up by mistake, then donate it to charity.

Don't expect you will though.

no, I didn't know that - thanks - I did see someone when I came back to collect. I will follow it up though, thank you

Well I'mpressed with the £10,000 return...I think I would have struggled with that

I see now you have taken it back.

Interesting to see if your actions are on CCTV too.

Message withdrawn

Well done on taking it back. Its saved the Post Office staff of being accused of paying someone £10 short. This is known as 'The old chestnut'. Nine out of ten times the staff are accused of making a mistake. Its very rare for anyone to even consider the possibility that they may have dropped it on the Post Office floor themselves!