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Found £20: What would you do?
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Deborah Hyde (Citywire)
Posted: 07 September 2010 09:10:12(UTC)
#1

Joined: 10/06/2010(UTC)
Posts: 36
This morning I went to the hole in the wall and there were two £10 pound notes still poking out of the machine - just how much I was going to take out.

I won't lie I did think about taking it. Money is a bit tight at the moment and the chances are the real owner won't think come back for it.

I once had my handbag stolen in Burger King. The kids who knicked it dumped it in a telephone box and a passerby handed it to the police.

As a result the theft cost me just a few quid but the passerby saved me hundreds as I didn't have to replace my bag and all its contents.

With that in mind, knowing how gutted I would feel if I lost £20 and because the cash point is in a station I handed it to the person behind the ticket counter.

I regretted it almost immediately. She didn't ask for my details in case the money was not claimed or say what the station policy is with money that goes unclaimed.

Now I don't know whether to call the station manager or call Barclays and see whether they can track the person who used the machine before me. If I do and they can I am not even sure the station will give them the money back since there is no record that I handed over any cash.

Have you ever been in a similar dilemma?

What did you do?

Do you believe finders keepers? Or think that only applies if there is no way of identifying the rightful owner?

Do you think you should get a reward if you return something to its rightful owner and if you lost something and it was returned would you pay a reward or send a thank you card?

Am I just naive to believe the person at the window would do something sensible with the cash?
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Neil Bryan
Posted: 07 September 2010 10:41:49(UTC)
#2

Joined: 07/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1
By handing it in, rather than keeping it, you did the right thing. As to your dilemma, I would call Barclays customer service - they can easily track who withdrew the money based on the details you provide (date, time, location, amount withdrawn). Ask Barclays to keep you informed of progress with their investigation. Finally, call the station manager and tell him/her that Barclays are investigating it and will want the £20 from the person you handed it to (again, date, time and person description is enough I would have thought) - all this will put your mind at ease that the £20 is going to be returned to the rightful owner.
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Damazia Ajayi
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:14:34(UTC)
#3

Joined: 10/07/2009(UTC)
Posts: 4
I was in a similar situation some many years ago. It was on a Saturday afternoon, hence I had to take the cash back to the bank (HSBC) the following working day and handed the £50 to a lady cashier. She did not ask for my details nor a receipt given and that was the end of it.
On hindsight , I should have requested for a receipt and a feedback to ensure that the money was returned to the rightful owner.
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Anonymous Post
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:23:11(UTC)
#4
Anonymous 1 needed this 'Off the Record'

Do what the banks do. Keep it for several months. Earn some interest on it. Then hand it back saying that due to some kind of error you have overpaid yourself and are now making good the error.
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JK
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:28:46(UTC)
#5

Joined: 21/07/2009(UTC)
Posts: 11
The most efficient thing to do is keep the money, if it was a mobile phone, wallet etc - contact the person involved. I have twice returned phones to strangers who have lost them, by calling the last number dialled, but the £20 is worth the same to you as to them, so there is no net gain in returning it. However, by handing it in, it creates work, and hassle etc. Also, next time you lost £20 or so - it would be a lot easier to be philisophical if you had gained on this occasion. I think keeping it it a perfectly acceptable approach in this scenario given the circumstances.
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David Andrews
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:32:19(UTC)
#6

Joined: 17/07/2009(UTC)
Posts: 5

Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
If you are writing for public consumption ;

1) Please learn to spell "....The kids who knicked it ...."

2) Please don't use the same language as Wayne Rooney : " ,, knowing how gutted I would feel ...:"

unless you are writing for The Sun

I think you should have asked for their policy on 'lost money: and definitely asked for a receipt.
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1 user thanked David Andrews for this post.
EA on 23/01/2012(UTC)
Steven McCann
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:33:51(UTC)
#7

Joined: 10/07/2009(UTC)
Posts: 19
I'd still like to think there are more honest people than dis-honest people today. If I lost, or left something, then I would hope it would be handed in and would be more than willing to pay for it back - from a Police Station or shop.

You just never know nowadays, it could be a plant with anyone watching it's movements.
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Neil Stuart
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:41:37(UTC)
#8

Joined: 16/03/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1
IT IS NOT YOUR MONEY.
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Anonymous Post
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:42:25(UTC)
#9
Anonymous 2 needed this 'Off the Record'

Too long of an article just for a 20 quid!
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Ian Stephens
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:44:34(UTC)
#10

Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 4

Thanks: 1 times
Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
Mr David Andrews: you really need to get yourself a life you saddo.
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1 user thanked Ian Stephens for this post.
Guest on 04/02/2012(UTC)
Tripehound
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:45:10(UTC)
#11

Joined: 18/09/2006(UTC)
Posts: 3
Karma, handing it in was good.
David, don't be a knob !
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Mum
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:51:54(UTC)
#12

Joined: 12/08/2009(UTC)
Posts: 4
Nice post Deborah, made me think. I know now what I'd need to do if I were in that situation. Sometimes thoughts are unclear in the heat of the moment.

Mr Andrews, I am sorry that you found Deborah's wording unacceptable. I found her writing crystal clear to understand. The emotions were beautifully expressed.

Anonymous 2 - I would agree, but in this case the amount of money was not the issue, the story was about a situation
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Anonymous Post
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:58:38(UTC)
#13
Anonymous 3 needed this 'Off the Record'

Should have let the ATM take it back in - it would have cancelled off the debit from the customers account and all would have been square.

By not doing it - the rightful customer will be debited. if the cashier in the garage is dishonest - or they don't have a process for getting it back to Barclays then the rightful customer will be debited and no-one will know that they didn't take it.
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Jamie McAllister
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:58:46(UTC)
#14

Joined: 18/08/2009(UTC)
Posts: 1
I've found phones in the past, waited for the owner to ring, and arranged to return it to them. Such traceability makes the return practical. However, as people don't tend to record the serial numbers of their money, that becomes a rather different problem.

Whenever I've found money and handed it in I've always had the distinct impression that the official involved would be pocketing it. Indeed one guy did that before I'd even walked away once.

My suggestion would be to take the money and donate it to charity. Good Karma intact.
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Clive Oram
Posted: 07 September 2010 13:58:46(UTC)
#15

Joined: 19/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 8
I have done the "good citizen" bit on a number of occasions. Once got a "thank you" but that was all, but the best thing is to have a clear conscience - "Honesty is the best policy"
A while ago there was a case where the "Hole-in-the-wall" was giving out £20 notes instead of £10 notes; an orderly queue formed as people withdrew "£10" but in fact were given £20. No doubt they all sleep well at night, but what a sad reflection on our society - theft is theft whatever the circumstances.
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Peter Imbert
Posted: 07 September 2010 14:10:37(UTC)
#16

Joined: 24/07/2010(UTC)
Posts: 8
It was dark -rain dripped down my neck-my mind was on three other things-I requested £50 -'no receipt'
-the card was returned-I slipped it into my pocket-walked away.
OMG -the money- walked back 30 yards-saw a man hurrying away from the Bank entrance.
Looked at the machine -no money.
I went into the Bank reported my loss to HSBC
Notified my bank A&L who after one month credited me the £50
The criteria for refunds is said to be the Machines record of faults-and possibly also
the history of the particular customer.
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Mark Mathieson
Posted: 07 September 2010 14:26:26(UTC)
#17

Joined: 02/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 5

Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
You were right not to keep it - but with hindsight (!) maybe you should have retained the notes for safe keeping and written to Barclays to say you would return them if they could positively identify the rightful owner...
Mark
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1 user thanked Mark Mathieson for this post.
Guest on 04/02/2012(UTC)
Mark O'Connell
Posted: 07 September 2010 14:39:56(UTC)
#18

Joined: 15/05/2009(UTC)
Posts: 1
You were right to 'return' the money. I recently faced a similar situation for the first time, however the money was sucked back into the cash machine after a few seconds. Hopefully the bank will have credited that persons account. Society has rules and standards and we must stick to them, no matter how tempting it may be to benefit from someone's error.
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Armand
Posted: 07 September 2010 14:43:07(UTC)
#19

Joined: 08/07/2010(UTC)
Posts: 2
On a wet evening about 2 years ago, whilst walking home down a side street, I came upon a wet £20 note lying at the edge of the road. When I got home, I telephoned the local police (non-urgent number) and asked for guidance. Next day I handed the £20 note in at the police station, gave my details and information of the place and time where the find ocurred, which they duly noted and I received a receipt. No claimant came forward and some months later I was invited by the police to collect the money. My wife and I decided that the money should be donated to an animal charity, which we did.
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Gerald Cadogan
Posted: 07 September 2010 14:43:16(UTC)
#20

Joined: 10/06/2010(UTC)
Posts: 12

Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
David Andrews was spot on - Ian Stephens, Tripehound and Mum need to grow up - if you're in the communications business you owe it to people to do it properly and not use juvenile slang.
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1 user thanked Gerald Cadogan for this post.
DaveT on 02/02/2012(UTC)
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