Not returning unclaimed handed in money

Tizz

Hi, I hope this is the right place to ask this question, please feel free to move if not.

Wondered if anyone knows if this is common policy. 6 months ago, I was with my then 14 year old daughter when she found £10 on the floor in our local Co-op. She of course took it to customer services to hand in and it was duly written in a book and she was told if it wasn't claimed in 6 months she could claim it back (this was also written in the book). She marked the 29th Sept on her calendar when the six months would be up. As she's at school she asked me to pop in today and enquire for her. The lady on customer services checked the book, it wasn't marked as claimed, so she rang the office, after a minute she beckoned me over to the phone and the lady on the other end told me that its not their policy to hand back money handed in, they bank it! She said she wasn't sure what happened to it after that, thought perhaps it was given to charity. I find it extraordinary that they can just take it upon themselves to do that, particularly as when she handed it in, she was told after six months she could claim it. Anyone else heard of such a thing? Can't decide whether to tell DD whats happened or just give her the £10 and keep quiet, don't want to put her off doing the right thing!

Tiz x

misswadey

OMG! I cannot believe they have done that from a moral perspective. Legally I am sure they are also in the wrong.

My best advise would be to go back into the store and ask for a copy of the page in the book where it was noted your daughter handed in the money. Does the assistant you spoke at the time of handing it in still work there? If so it might be worthwhile finding out their name and writing to head office and informing them of the situation, along with the photocopy of the page.

As your daughter did the correct thing by handing the money in that definitely does not give the store the right to keep the money for themselves when no transaction has transpired for the money to be received by them (surely that could be viewed as theft?!) I know people may argue to leave it but it annoys me when your daughter did the moral thing of handing it in and the store have taken advantage of that.

Good luck!

strongeyecontact

Not sure what the legal position is, but I would ask to see the manager of the shop and find out who the person who told your daughter (and who wrote it in the book) is, and ask why they said that.

Or even go in there at a different time and ask someone else as if you haven't already been told (after working hours when they won't be able to call head office again!), you'd be amazed the amount of times you get a different response when you ask a different person!

Best of luck to you anyway

hippyadam

The thieving bar stewards! :mad:

I'd give DD the tenner and keep schtum! As you say she did the right thing seems unfair for her to be punished...

Note to self: Never hand anything in at the not very co-operative!

strongeyecontact

Oops! My post crossed with misswadey's anyway, we said roughly the same thing she just said it better

vikingaero

Seems like Co-op like stealing peoples money judging by the other thread where they claimed that someones £20 note was counterfeit and refused to provide proof.

Tizz

Thanks everyone for your replys its helpful to have other opinions, I thought it didn't seem right. I think I 'm going to take a bit of everyones advice. Give DD the £10 and say nothing to her but see if I can get a copy of the page (the staff on customer services thought it was terrible too and were v. sympathetic. I don't think they rang head office, but the office out back) then write a "disappointed" letter to the Chairman (with or without the copy of the page) If I ever hear back from them I'll update. BTW I was looking at the pages in this book closely as she went through it and on the same page as my daughters entry were two other entries for handed in unclaimed£10's and the page only covered 2 days, people flinging money about around here!

juno

What exactly are you complaining about? Anything that you can say about them keeping the money can also be said about you - it's not your money either. The Co-op are legally right here and complaining to head office will not get you anywhere as they have recently issued communications to all stores regarding what should happen in these instances. The only thing you could complain about is being told that you could have the money in 6 months - but all they should say to that is "oooh, we'll retrain the assistant" and they just have.

gordikin

Wasn't it an ipod that was given away with the tenner by mistake?

juno

gordikin wrote: »

Wasn't it an ipod that was given away with the tenner by mistake?

That's another good point! A few days ago there was a thread complaining about somewhere giving something away to the wrong person, and now there's a thread complaining about somewhere not giving something away to the wrong person.

Tizz

If you read my OP you may see that I was asking for opinions/experience, not complaining. No, it wasn't my daughters money when she found it, however, I thought that if I or anyone found £10 or anything unidentifiable, in the street and took it to a police station if it wasn't claimed within 6 months then legally it would then become mine. It was this understanding I was questioning. If on the other hand I'm wrong about the ownership LEGALLY transferring after 6 months, I was happy to be corrected, but not just because the Co-op have decided

Sorry Gordikin, don't know anything about an ipod.
Tiz