Money Moral Dilemma: Should I return the duplicate order I received after bad delivery service?

Yawn

One of these delivery companies lost a package I sent inside their own warehouse ("lost" packages they are famously known to resell at auction) and they only paid out 20 pounds of compensation. So I loathe these delivery companies - a modern Dante would find them their own circle of hell - but also sympathize with the seller.

SevenOfNine

"Contact the company" advice is interesting & probably correct, but that could lead to a quandary. What to do if the supplier doesn't respond? OP will have told them they have the original incorrectly delivered item that has now been replaced, & left with no response to their "what to do with it" question.

I wouldn't want to be stuck with it & be too worried to use or give it away in case months down the line they charged me for it!

Over many years I've found 2 purses & located the owners, an engagement ring I gave to the Police & went to huge lengths to trace the owner when no-one claimed it & they gave it back to me.  This month I found a mobile phone, with a debit card in the case, phone was locked. Luckily it rang just as I was in the process of contacting the card emergency number to have it frozen & drop it & the phone into a local branch.

I'm leaning towards keep the item & donate half the cost to a worthy charity, or sell the item & donate all the money, or donate the item to charity. Half honest & half not!

UrbaneGeek

This happened to me too. I contacted the company and they said it was more trouble than it was worth to arrange collection etc. so I could keep the extra item.

Bigfra46

Keep it and say nothing, the retailer claims the cost from the useless delivery company who might improve service if they have to pay for it. Will teach them a lesson. Its not theft as retailer isnt out the money.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

SevenOfNine said:

"Contact the company" advice is interesting & probably correct, but that could lead to a quandary. What to do if the supplier doesn't respond? OP will have told them they have the original incorrectly delivered item that has now been replaced, & left with no response to their "what to do with it" question.

I wouldn't want to be stuck with it & be too worried to use or give it away in case months down the line they charged me for it!

The correct answer to this is pretty simple, the person asking the question is a involuntary bailee, they have a duty to make the other party aware of their possession of the goods (typically it's suggested to do this twice) and they may then sell the goods for a fair market value and then should the company come looking pass that money to them minus any reasonable costs of selling. 

Fair market value could be sticking it on eBay for 99p and seeing where bidding goes as an example so doesn't necessarily have to relate the the price paid but what you can't do is just sell it to your friend for a quid. 

mancfrank

It's theft if you keep it.
In the past I have informed Amazon of a similar situation and they just asked for me to keep the item.  It just wasn't woth recovering.
I suggest sending an email and have them arrange a pick up of the item at a time conveinient to you, give them a time limit and if they fail to pick it up, it's yours.
And by the way, it is a dilema, be a thief or not.  Seems many people think its OK to steal, which shouldn't really surprise me at my age, but it still does.

outtatune

I'm looking for a dilemma but there doesn't seem to be one around here. Has anyone seen it?

born_again

JaneHenery said:

born_again said:

From Forum rules..

'Illegal' or 'grey legal area' content

Do not promote, encourage or glamorise any illegal activities. In particular on MSE, if you are thinking of posting about taking advantage of something that is dubious, or that exploits a 'grey area' of the law, err on the side of caution and do not share information about it. Common sense prevails here.

Nuff said.

If everyone followed this 'rule' right out to the edge, as you have done, there would be no moral quandaries to discuss, would there? This person isn't glamorising crime, they are asking a legitimate question re dealing with bad service. Maybe skip playing moderator.

Not playing moderator.
Just pointing out MSE rules.
Which in effect the Op is asking people, if they are that way inclined, to advise breaking the rules. 😶‍🌫️

The retailer has not provided bad, service. In fact they have gone over & above by send a new one out without 1st investigating the issue, which they have a right to do.
So why should they suffer a loss, when it is not their fault.

Retailer has 6 years to chase this.

Tiger_Tony

Why do so many people subscribe to the conspiracist theory that these dilemmas are made up?

cannugec5

I’ve been in a similar situation. My mother ordered an expensive kitchen gift for me, to be delivered to me.  

When it never arrived she contacted the supplier who dispatched another. This one arrived and then so did the original. 

I phoned her to let her know and she contacted the supplier who arranged collection of the duplicate. 

However the courier turned up at HER house, some 600 miles from me. 

At this point she expressed her frustration to the company and they decided that I could keep the duplicate. It’s been well used and I’m very grateful. Every time I use these items I remember how lucky I am:)