Good deed for the day?

[Griswold]

Went shopping at our local Tesco today.

Parked a goodly distance from the entrance and walked towards it. There was no one else around and as we passed the ATM's near the door I heard an incessant beep beep beep coming from one of the ATM's. So I looked and noticed what appeared to be money sticking out of the drawer.

Now, having worked for a bank, I know that ATM's are set to recover notes if not taken within a reasonably short period in case the customer is being mugged etc. But it was clear that these notes were not going to be taken back into the machine and there was no one anywhere nearby at all. So I took the notes and counted them, all £250 worth.

The ATM's were both RBS machines so I called the main RBS number to be told that the queue was 7 minutes long to be answered so I looked up the local RBS branch number and called them to report the matter and ask how I could return the money to them.

The lady that answered seemed astounded that I'd, in her words "been so honest", but didn't know how to handle it so she'd talk to her manager and call me back.

It took her nearly an hour to get back to me and to advise that I should take the money to Tesco's Customer Service department with a note saying which ATM and what time it happened, and to advise them that G4S would collect the money from them when they came to the ATM's. She also asked me to get a receipt, though she didn't want it forwarding to RBS in any way, which I thought strange.

So I did.

I'm intrigued as to who would ask an ATM for £250 and then walk away without it.

They say no good deed goes unpunished. Wonder what my punishment will be.

[markrlondon]

They say no good deed goes unpunished. Wonder what my punishment will be.

The money will go AWOL and you will be blamed. Even if you never gave your name, you will be tracked down at great public expense via CCTV and ATM cameras. The receipt you got will be deemed to be entirely invalid and proof of nothing.

It will get almost as far as court before someone senior enough to be capable of thinking objectively will look at it and realise it's all rubbish.

There you go, something along those lines will happen. It's almost guaranteed in jobsworth, incompetent Britain today.


P.S. How did the Tesco customer service desk react?

[SteveR]

I hope you get duly rewarded for this deed. If it was me I'd probably assume it was a set up of some sort!

[-Ally-]

Anyone stupid enough to walk away from the £250 deserves to lose it.

[gavsw20]

Phone may have rang when drawing cash out and walked off, I've seen that before.

I did my good deed last week where a senior couples bank card didn't work in Greggs so I bought them their food. The cashier seemed shocked, I was like "it's only £4, dont worry about it".

[Argee1977]

About 20 years ago the same happened to me, but it was the old woman in front who had done it, she had gone on to check her balance and hadn't a clue how to use the machines, several button hits later she gets her card back and walks off, then well over £100 comes out.

I did chase after her and give her the money back, to which she gave me a dirty look and stormed off.

[Enoch]

Anyone stupid enough to walk away from the £250 deserves to lose it.

Anyone stupid enough to steal £250 that doesn't belong to them deserves bad karma...

[Griswold]

The money will go AWOL and you will be blamed. Even if you never gave your name, you will be tracked down at great public expense via CCTV and ATM cameras. The receipt you got will be deemed to be entirely invalid and proof of nothing.

It will get almost as far as court before someone senior enough to be capable of thinking objectively will realise it's all rubbish looks at it.

There you go, something along those lines will happen. It's almost guaranteed in jobsworth, incompetent Britain today.


P.S. How did the Tesco customer service desk react?

I was very puzzled by the RBS response as I expected them to ask me to take it into the local branch, which would have been a bit of a pain to be truthful as parking in town is a nightmare. I gave them all the information they requested, so they can find me if they wish to. Doubt anyone will be coming after me as Lynn was with me and witnessed everything. Just hope that the money finds its way back to the account of the original customer as I'm sure someone is rather worried tonight, £250 is a lot of money for many people around here.

The Tesco customer service staff were very good, put the money and the note we wrote in an envelope, spoke to the security guy about it and said that they would pass the money on to their accounts team to pass on to G4S. The name on the receipt tallied with the name badge of the lady on the customer service desk.

Am now enjoying a glass of Port Charlotte.

[Griswold]

About 20 years ago the same happened to me, but it was the old woman in front who had done it, she had gone on to check her balance and hadn't a clue how to use the machines, several button hits later she gets her card back and walks off, then well over £100 comes out.

I did chase after her and give her the money back, to which she gave me a dirty look and stormed off.

Had that in France. A couple left a street-side cafe table and as we sat down I noticed they'd left a mobile phone on the table. Chased after them but they just took it and walked off, didn't even say 'merci'. Does make you wonder some times!

- - - Updated - - -

Anyone stupid enough to walk away from the £250 deserves to lose it.

I'm afraid I disagree.

[-Ally-]

Anyone stupid enough to steal £250 that doesn't belong to them deserves bad karma...

I'd have let it go back in to the machine.

[Kingstepper]

I'd have let it go back in to the machine.

OP said it wasn't going to.

[Karl]

Anyone stupid enough to steal £250 that doesn't belong to them deserves bad karma...

Anyone stupid enough to walk away from the £250 deserves to lose it.

Probably be a few cameras around, you could get caught stealing it.

[jaytip]

I popped in to my taxi office the other day to find £5 waiting for me in an envelope after I had handed in a mobile that was left in my car. Nice bit of Karma.

[robcat]

Had that in France. A couple left a street-side cafe table and as we sat down I noticed they'd left a mobile phone on the table. Chased after them but they just took it and walked off, didn't even say 'merci'. Does make you wonder some times!

That's the flip-side, and bloody rude, but you have to act with your conscience IMO. I always give wrong change back, and tend to instinctively act that way. Some people instinctively just keep it. Two types of people.

I had had a guy working for me who was accidentally handed his building society deposit back by the cashier (quite a few hundred), and kept it. Didn't even think he'd done anything dishonest. Couple of years later, turned out he was stealing from me!

[asteclaru]

Anyone stupid enough to walk away from the £250 deserves to lose it.

This exact thing happened to me once, albeit I think it was only about £50. I just took my card back and forgot about the money. It's really easy to do when your mind is someplace else, but if that makes me stupid, then I guess I'm stupid...

I'm just glad the guy behind me at the ATM didn't think the same way as you and he made me aware that I'd left my money behind

[-Ally-]

This exact thing happened to me once, albeit I think it was only about £50. I just took my card back and forgot about the money. It's really easy to do when your mind is someplace else, but if that makes me stupid, then I guess I'm stupid...

I'm just glad the guy behind me at the ATM didn't think the same way as you and he made me aware that I'd left my money behind

Did you feel stupid ?

[asteclaru]

Did you feel stupid ?

No, just relieved that there's still decent folk around

[IAmATeaf]

Similar thing happened in Leicester where I used to study, person in front left their wadge of money, I chased after them with the money but I got the cold evil eye stare back, was a bit awkward as I got the feeling that they thought it was somehow my fault that they'd left the money behind.

[Yeti]

Anyone stupid enough to walk away from the £250 deserves to lose it.

Very harsh. How about a single mother with kids playing up or an older person with dementia.
My kids found a wallet the other day with £50 inside and the guys driving license, bank cards etc. We are going to drop it off to he's house which hopefully will be a nice surprise for him. Told the kids that if they kept it karma would have a way of coming back around and biting them on the bottom.

[snowman]

Very harsh. How about a single mother with kids playing up or an older person with dementia.
My kids found a wallet the other day with £50 inside and the guys driving license, bank cards etc. We are going to drop it off to he's house which hopefully will be a nice surprise for him. Told the kids that if they kept it karma would have a way of coming back around and biting them on the bottom.

I once left £40 in an ATM - I wasn't suffering dementia or being hassled by toddlers, I was just busy, in a rush and focusing on the other things I needed to get done at lunchtime in 30 minutes.

It was in Staines, so even though I realised in a minute or two, the cash was gone when I went back.

Luckily I don't get out £250 or so in cash regularly, so I only lost a relatively small amount, but I can see how it can happen to anyone if that's a routine amount for them.

I assume Ali G used it to pimp his Renault 5 GT Turbo, so at least it went to a good cause

M

[Kingstepper]

My son found an iPhone. Contacted the number on the phone (not sure how in hindsight), was told he'd already claimed on insurance asked to hand it in at police station.

This was rather inconvenient (closed evenings, Sunday etc) but did so but no thanks from the owner - a family man (not a youth) judging by 'background' photo.

[GOAT]

Invited the local big issue girl into cafe Nero as it was raining cats and dogs the other day
Got her a hot chocolate with all the bits on.
She's always very polite and puts up with some right funny comments sometimes

[SteveR]

My son found an iPhone. Contacted the number on the phone (not sure how in hindsight), was told he'd already claimed on insurance asked to hand it in at police station.

This was rather inconvenient (closed evenings, Sunday etc) but did so but no thanks from the owner - a family man (not a youth) judging by 'background' photo.

I found an iPhone some time ago, you just ask Siri to call home and hey presto.

I did this and the owner answered asking if I was the guy in cross gates (I was) she's already called the police but said she'd be round to pick up. She arrived 30 mins later with a bottle of wine and some chocolates as a thank you.

[Zolawinston]

Similar thing happened in Leicester where I used to study, person in front left their wadge of money, I chased after them with the money but I got the cold evil eye stare back, was a bit awkward as I got the feeling that they thought it was somehow my fault that they'd left the money behind.

Its just a Leicester thing, if in doubt stare them out

[Brighty]

Found a wallet a few years ago, abandoned on a grass verge down a country lane near my house, saw it poking out of the gradually melting snow that had been laying for weeks. Looked like it had been there a while and all cash and bank cards gone, but it was full of receipts and loyalty cards as well a a few of his business cards. Emailed the owner to ask if he wanted it or if i should bin it, he replied that it was actually the receipts he needed as he was having trouble claiming his expenses. Posted it all back and got a thankyou note and crisp £20 note in return post, popped it in my boys piggy bank

[Maysie]

I found a crumby old mobile phone on top of a parking meter a year or so ago, so kept hold of it and waited for it to ring.

The owner finally called and was chuffed to bits that he had his phone back, not because of the actual phone but because of all the numbers he had stored in it which he had no other copy of. Turns out he was an 'undiscovered' but published author, so he gave me a signed copy of his book as a thank you, which was a nice touch. I suspect he needed to get rid of some copies though.....

[adrianw]

Op,

I hope you got a receipt for it, surely if no one claims it, it is yours.

I am sure that the bank wont put the effort into tracing the client that left it and technically it isn't their money anymore.

[markrlondon]

I am sure that the bank wont put the effort into tracing the client that left it and technically it isn't their money anymore.

The ATM will know who the last customer was so it should be trivial for them to track down the customer and refund them.

[ben4watches]

Slightly off topic but recently in our local Asda a customer using the self serve checkout left the £10 note he got as change from the till in the slot.

He later returned to the stores customer service deck to tell them that he forgot to pick up his change and did anyone hand it in. No was the answer but the did check the cctv ad saw that the next customer at that till took it.

A few days later a still image of that person appeared on the front page of the local rag with a message from the police asking anyone who knew this person to come forward as he is wanted for theft.

A bit harsh I think.

[Neil.C]

Well done Peter.

I've found a wallet and a handbag at different times.

Got in touch with the owners and received a nice letter from the wallet owner and a bottle of whisky from the handbag owner!

[adrianw]

The ATM will know who the last customer was so it should be trivial for them to track down the customer and refund them.

I wish we could find out if they do

[bonzo697]

If anyone has lost a pair of purple Converse glasses they're on my front wall...

[Analogue]

Deleted

[DavidL]

Car keys seem to be my thing for some reason. Oh Monday I picked up a set of vauxhall keys but figured they belonged to the chap pushing his child last on the swing. He was just about in sight. A while back I wandered over to have a nose at a lotus Elise only to find the keys on the wipers. Noone about so I left a note saying to call me. They did and keys were duely returned. They were more in shock than profusely grateful but more than adequate thank yous were offered.

[Ares]

Slightly off topic but recently in our local Asda a customer using the self serve checkout left the £10 note he got as change from the till in the slot.

He later returned to the stores customer service deck to tell them that he forgot to pick up his change and did anyone hand it in. No was the answer but the did check the cctv ad saw that the next customer at that till took it.

A few days later a still image of that person appeared on the front page of the local rag with a message from the police asking anyone who knew this person to come forward as he is wanted for theft.

A bit harsh I think.

Harsh? Hardly. He committed a theft, and that was the only way of identifying him. Karma and all that.

[IdiotAbroad]

When I was at secondary school, a friend and I were walking past the Post Office and spotted a small pile of cash on the pavement. It was £200 in neatly folded £20 notes. We handed it in without hesitation, fearing it was probably belonging to someone elderly. We went back the following week to see if the owner had come in, and low and behold she'd left £40 for our honesty. A happy ending for all parties!

[Griswold]

Op,

I hope you got a receipt for it, surely if no one claims it, it is yours.

I am sure that the bank wont put the effort into tracing the client that left it and technically it isn't their money anymore.

Yes, I got a receipt for it, but it will never be mine. It will be picked up by G4S who maintain and load the ATM's on behalf of the Link organisation.

All ATM's maintain an internal and an on-line log of all transactions and attempted transactions along with an account of all monies withdrawn and any monies in the over-spill tray, (where any faulty, miscounted or notes pulled back into the machine are stored), to enable them to fully reconcile each ATM - as they have to do. So it will be a simple matter for the Link organisation to identify who it was who withdrew the money and arrange for their account to be credited. If they don't do this then the ATM in question will not balance.

[Saint-Just]

G4S is on the podium of my most despised companies, alongside with Monsanto. I am withholding a third as they are still competing. They will keep the money to make it right.

[adrianw]

Yes, I got a receipt for it, but it will never be mine. It will be picked up by G4S who maintain and load the ATM's on behalf of the Link organisation.

All ATM's maintain an internal and an on-line log of all transactions and attempted transactions along with an account of all monies withdrawn and any monies in the over-spill tray, (where any faulty, miscounted or notes pulled back into the machine are stored), to enable them to fully reconcile each ATM - as they have to do. So it will be a simple matter for the Link organisation to identify who it was who withdrew the money and arrange for their account to be credited. If they don't do this then the ATM in question will not balance.

Yes I am aware of all that, my point was that they wont bother finding the client, the cash has been accounted for, the client has had it deducted from his or her balance, G4S will pocket it. I don't know if it is still the case but wouldn't the correct thing to do, to deliver it to a police station where the owner could claim it?

[Essexman]

My son found an iPhone. Contacted the number on the phone (not sure how in hindsight), was told he'd already claimed on insurance asked to hand it in at police station.

This was rather inconvenient (closed evenings, Sunday etc) but did so but no thanks from the owner - a family man (not a youth) judging by 'background' photo.

Hold down button for Siri and ask "who's phone is this?" if set up correctly it should tell you enough details to make contact. No pass word or finger print required.

Clever eh?

[SteveR]

Hold down button for Siri and ask "who's phone is this?" if set up correctly it should tell you enough details to make contact. No pass word or finger print required.

Clever eh?

I said "call home" and it worked.

[markrlondon]

G4S will pocket it.

That's quite an accusation. For them to pocket it would probably be theft (unless perhaps their contract allows them to keep 'left over' money, which seems unlikely). Do you know of any instances of G4S doing this?

[adrianw]

That's quite an accusation. For them to pocket it would probably be theft (unless perhaps their contract allows them to keep 'left over' money, which seems unlikely). Do you know of any instances of G4S doing this?

What money, it doesn't exist

[markrlondon]

What money, it doesn't exist

By saying that you are speaking in the alleged voice of a wouldbe dishonest G4S. :-)

I ask you again, do you know of any instances where G4S have committed theft like this?

[Saint-Just]

I ask you again, do you know of any instances where G4S have committed theft like this?

Do the £284M they stole for providing security at the Olympics count?

[markrlondon]

Do the £284M they stole for providing security at the Olympics count?

No. That was contractually agreed! (As far as I know)


Yes, yes, public sector contract negotiation is utterly pi$$ poor but that's another matter entirely.

[Kingstepper]

Hold down button for Siri and ask "who's phone is this?" if set up correctly it should tell you enough details to make contact. No pass word or finger print required.

Clever eh?

I can't get this to work when phone is locked (no response).

[Saint-Just]

They were contracted to supply 13000+ trained security guards. They could barely supply 4000 half trained and the government had to use the army to do the job. So I ask again: do those £millions count?

[markrlondon]

They were contracted to supply 13000+ trained security guards. They could barely supply 4000 half trained and the government had to use the army to do the job. So I ask again: do those £millions count?

I say again that this was (as far as I know) a contractual issue.

In contrast, adrianw is alleging a criminal offence of theft (unless G4S are contractually entitled to keep such 'left over' money which is, of course, rather unlikely). Assuming G4S have no contractual right to keep the money, then their keeping the money in this scenario would be theft because they would be intending to permanently keep money that did not belong to them and would be doing so in a dishonest manner. I am asking if adrianw (or anyone else) knows of any instances where such a theft has in fact occurred.

In the case of the Olympics, however, G4S allegedly failed to deliver fully on a contract. This is not a crime. This would be a civil matter and, depending on how the contract was worded, they might or might not have some kind of liability for their alleged failure to deliver. (Public sector contract negotiators for this sort of thing are famously easy to manipulate for the private sector, especially for contractors who are used to this sort of business). There would only be a criminal liability if G4S had knowingly intended not to deliver fully on the contract as agreed. Is there any claimed evidence to this effect?




P.S. I am not suggesting that G4S's failure to deliver was magically ok, even if there was no criminal action. However, this is just one example amongst thousands of very poorly negotiated public sector contracts that fail to deliver what was (seemingly) agreed and (very likely, although I am not certain in this case) where there is no comeback against the contractor due to apparent lack of delivery and/or pi$$ poor negotiators on the public sector side. The key problem, again and again, is public sector negotiators spending OPM and failing to learn the lessons of history, and negotiating contracts that are full of holes. It's a very significant and ongoing problem that has no clear solution within the current political, legal and constitutional status quo. In short, whilst there is a state that has big money to spend on big projects, there will be contractors ready and willing to take the money and to use their superior contract negotiation skills to make sure they get a contract that works massively in their favour. The fact that it is the same contractors time and time again should (and does!) ring bells of deep suspicion but, as I say, while the state exists in its current form and human nature exists in its current form there is no clear way round it.

This message, http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...=1#post3544562, refers to the underlying issues.

[ralphy]

Many years ago I was in an unfamiliar town and bought a filled roll from a bakery, giving a £10 note in payment. When I got home and turned out my pockets I discovered the change consisted of coins and a note - which was not £5 but £10. The town was a long way away but quite by chance I was returning a couple of days later so I went back to the bakery with £5 to hand it back. The woman who took it wasn't the one who'd served me previously, but she went and brought out the one who had and who then started crying.

Turned out it was her first week working there and as the till had been £5 short she was fearful she'd lose her job at the coming weekend. I've never forgotten that, it was a powerful lesson in how actions can have unforeseen consequences.

R