Money Moral Dilemma: Should I return a lost £65 jumper and keep the cash?

MSE_Sarah

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

Just before Christmas, I found a John Lewis bag in the pub where I work, with a £65 jumper and a cash receipt inside. It's been three weeks now, and no one has made any enquiries. Would it be wrong to return it to John Lewis and keep the cash?

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Brecon_Beacons

Well, funnily enough, just today I heard someone recounting how they had lost their wallet by dropping it. When he was asked how much money there was in it, he said that he had already reported it to the Police, and told them that he thought he had dropped it. They told him that, if anyone found it and tries to keep it, it is a crime, called "Theft by finding".

I'd never heard of this before - but it does make moral sense. If there is enough information with an item to link it back, either to the owner (or, in this case, the place of purchase - which COULD link it to the buyer), it is a crime to keep it or take it for yourself.

To the OP considering taking it back for a refund: what if the buyer has already contacted the store? You will be labelled a thief, for trying to cash in. I would imagine the same goes for private sales on Ebay etc - don't you think the distraught owner will be looking at the ads, to see if 'their' jumper comes up for sale?

IMO, the best thing to do would be to phone John Lewis, and let them know that you have it. They may well be able to identify/contact the owner, to collect it.

Spendless

When I've taken something back for refund before they've asked me for the same card I bought it on.

Fireflyaway

I think it is theft . There was a recent case of a woman picking up £5 off the floor in a supermarket. She was seen on CCTV and now has a criminal record!
I'd be tempted to take it back and then donate the cash to charity but probably you should take it to the police station. I think after a certain time you might be allowed to keep it. I once handed in to the police a ring I found. After 3 months I was allowed to have it.

NeilCr

Has your pub got a website and/or Facebook page. If so, put a notice there.

After that, tell the police.

Brecon_Beacons

When I've taken something back for refund before they've asked me for the same card I bought it on.

I think OP said that it was a cash purchase, from the receipt - so they are thinking that there is no credit card transaction to link it to. However, there will be CCTV in the store which will show who bought it (if someone has already reported the loss to the store) - and lots of John Lewis customers also present their loyalty cards, which are scanned and identify the purchaser.

My question to OP would be: why didn't you phone John Lewis as soon as you found it?

elsien

Brecon_Beacons wrote: »

My question to OP would be: why didn't you phone John Lewis as soon as you found it?

Because phoning the shop the item came from isn't an obvious starting point. If I found a similar item in a pub, it wouldn't occur to me to take it back to the store unless there were any identifying details that might help trace the owner. Checking the pub, posting on local Fb groups, police lost property etc yes. Retail store (unless I found it dropped outside), nope.

krlyr

Brecon_Beacons wrote: »

My question to OP would be: why didn't you phone John Lewis as soon as you found it?

Because it's a Money Moral Dilemma which probably isn't true, or you probably will never know the answer to

chesky

You can’t take it to the police any more, they won’t have anything to do with lost property - not in our part of London.

PasturesNew

I'd have expected the procedure to be that the item was logged in the Lost & Found book on the bar with the details .... and a post made on relevant Facebook pages to say something had been found and a way for whoever owns it to be able to "prove" it was theirs by not giving all the item details/price etc.

It's not yours. You can't keep it.
Indeed, many people would be sacked for having it or thinking they could keep it!

NeilCr

chesky wrote: »

You can’t take it to the police any more, they won’t have anything to do with lost property - not in our part of London.

I wasn’t particularly thinking about it is as a lost property issue.

It was more about checking whether someone had been in about it (off chance I know) and seeking their advice on how to handle the situation