Not allowing expense to be claimed

Doodlebug5

Hi
 
I work for a big international company and travel regularly. I was asked to go to abroad for a week and i needed to hand carry some items for it. I didnt have a suitcase big enough to carry these items so i went onto the corporate customer services for travel and expenses (we have a live chat that you can ask expense questions of) and asked if i could expense luggage. 

I was told yes i could expense the first piece of luggage only. I have never bought luggage and expensed it before so i thought great i can do that. I went out and purchased a suitcase later that day. The suitcase was £60 (which is not unreasonable for a suitcase)

After the trip i put my expenses claim in and the auditors have declined it because of this suitcase. I sent them the agreement from customer services. 

They have then replied that the customer services was wrong and i cannot claim for this suitcase. 

Ive sent back a email to essentially say not my problem i was told i could expense a suitcase and its too late for me to return it. 

They have come back today to say i still cannot expense it and that cost is mine. 

Does anyone know if this is right? I acted in good faith that i could spend this money and now im being told i cant. 

I have escalated this to my manager but i dont know what they can do if corporate have said no. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

How did you phrase it to live chat?

To me it comes across from your first couple of paragraphs that you may have been asking about the expense of taking luggage on board a flight, not purchasing the luggage itself.

I work for a big international company and travel regularly. I was asked to go to abroad for a week and i needed to hand carry some items for it. I didnt have a suitcase big enough to carry these items so i went onto the corporate customer services for travel and expenses (we have a live chat that you can ask expense questions of) and asked if i could expense luggage. 

I was told yes i could expense the first piece of luggage only.

Doodlebug5

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

How did you phrase it to live chat?

To me it comes across from your first couple of paragraphs that you may have been asking about the expense of taking luggage on board a flight, not purchasing the luggage itself.

I work for a big international company and travel regularly. I was asked to go to abroad for a week and i needed to hand carry some items for it. I didnt have a suitcase big enough to carry these items so i went onto the corporate customer services for travel and expenses (we have a live chat that you can ask expense questions of) and asked if i could expense luggage. 

I was told yes i could expense the first piece of luggage only.

No the chat is very clear i am asking about purchasing a piece of luggage i got emailed the transcript after and i was very clear i am buying a piece of luggage. The luggage on board addition is done through another route with flight bookings etc and not through the expense system. 

TELLIT01

Have you given the case over to the company, or is it still in your possession.  If you still have it I'm not surprised they are refusing to allow it as an expense.

DontBringBertie

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

How did you phrase it to live chat?

To me it comes across from your first couple of paragraphs that you may have been asking about the expense of taking luggage on board a flight, not purchasing the luggage itself.

I work for a big international company and travel regularly. I was asked to go to abroad for a week and i needed to hand carry some items for it. I didnt have a suitcase big enough to carry these items so i went onto the corporate customer services for travel and expenses (we have a live chat that you can ask expense questions of) and asked if i could expense luggage. 

I was told yes i could expense the first piece of luggage only.

This is how I read it initially too i.e. the extra baggage costs.

Its a bit annoying but I’d be surprised if they let you buy a suitcase, expense it, then keep it for future use.

MDMD

DontBringBertie said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

How did you phrase it to live chat?

To me it comes across from your first couple of paragraphs that you may have been asking about the expense of taking luggage on board a flight, not purchasing the luggage itself.

I work for a big international company and travel regularly. I was asked to go to abroad for a week and i needed to hand carry some items for it. I didnt have a suitcase big enough to carry these items so i went onto the corporate customer services for travel and expenses (we have a live chat that you can ask expense questions of) and asked if i could expense luggage. 

I was told yes i could expense the first piece of luggage only.

This is how I read it initially too i.e. the extra baggage costs.

Its a bit annoying but I’d be surprised if they let you buy a suitcase, expense it, then keep it for future use.

Even if they did pay the expense, as they have paid for an asset the OP is keeping, it’s going to be taxable and subject to tax and NI

TELLIT01

In one job I had, I needed to carry quite a bit of electrical kit with me.  Items like toolkit, boxed computer boards, cables etc.  The best solution was a pilot's bag (oversized briefcase) and that was put on expenses.  It stayed in the office when I wasn't using it and other people did use it from time to time.  It didn't become my personal property.

Hagar_uk

Sorry your company is bang out out of order. You had a genuine need for a suitcase as legit expense. I would not have even asked first, but you did, which makes it even worse. Unless specified would expect that suitcase to be a work tool like your any spanner’s etc.  Hand it back when you leave maybe, but no one will want a suitcase making the place look untidy.

As for getting your money back, maybe returning the suitcase to HR to show you have not gained might help.

or next time this happens ask HR to sort the logistics of getting parts and tools to site. 

Having destroyed several suitcases from work travel. I would expect any decent employer

i am curious did HR give an alternative solution to how you should have taken your bits to site? I am sure any other alternative would have cost more.