Lost property woes

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bentisdall
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Lost property woes

Post by bentisdall »

Woman leaves shirt in cottage. It takes longer than expected to sort it out as the cleaner keeps forgetting to pass it onto me. In the end I get this message from the guest!

Ben. Another week and still nothing has arrived in the post.
I realise I was forgetful but the acknowledgment that my item has been found and the promise that it will be sent and still nothing has arrived really does bring the honesty and integrity of the rental, the cleaner and your company in to question.
Without satisfactory answers or indeed a parcel, I feel other people considering using that property your letting company should be warned. I would rather not post on tripadvisor and play this sorry story out in the public domain but I'm feeling left with very few options. Your thoughts? Kate B

FFS. I can't believe she is now threatening me for doing her a favour! Wish I'd just taken the wretched shirt to a charity shop & then denied any knowledge of finding it.
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greenbarn
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Post by greenbarn »

Did she send you the money to cover the cost of postage, or are you still waiting for her to do that................?
Just a thought! :twisted:
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Sue Dyer
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Post by Sue Dyer »

Jeez, it's a shirt, it's not like it was a two thousand pound camera that you're trying to hang onto. "Sorry story", she needs to get a grip and things into perspective.
Comriest
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Post by Comriest »

I'd be tempted to stick it in the post box with no postage on it then she would have to stump up the other end + the missing postage fee or not get it back at all!
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PW in Polemi
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Post by PW in Polemi »

I would have thought if she was so fond of the shirt, she wouldn't have left it behind in the first instance. :evil:

Offer to courrier it to her by DHL (or similar) - after she's paid you the charges - or of course, she can collect it any time she's passing :lol:


And of course, I'm not recommending this at all, but you could lie through your back teeth, claim you've already posted it and commiserate on the state of the UK/French/whatever postal service.
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bessie
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Post by bessie »

I was wondering what to do over postage,guests left 4 days ago after leaving clothes day they left and returning to collect them.
Now just done my final check before next guests and found more clothes in the wardrobe I could have sworn they weren't there yesterday.
Problem is I only have one guests contact details and my OH has just pointed out I have sent him an email letting him know his dress's and jacket have been left in the cottage. :oops: His girlfriend I have no address.
The lady has not missed her expensive looking clothes ,your post has me worried if I can't return them.
I think your guests reaction is ott ,she left it and should offer postage as clearly it is so precious to her it will have to go recorded delivery.Like you say you have acknowledged that it has been found and would be returned as soon as possible.
Lovely email from them all sorted over my left over clothes.
I do hope that Kate realize s that at least her top is found and subject to her arranging postage it will be returned. Maybe if she has been a bit more understanding postage costs would not have been an issue.We all try to do things as soon as we can but that is not always possible in our busy lives.
I would ensure I got proof of postage things get lost in the post.
Last edited by bessie on Fri Jul 31, 2015 6:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
tavi
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Post by tavi »

What a weird over-reaction on her part, though to get a better idea of just how much she's over-reacting I would love to know the following:

How long ago are we talking about?

Did you give her a time frame as to when it would be sent?

Has she already paid you the postage?

Last time someone left something at mine (earrings) I posted them a few days later - emailed her the cost and she bank transferred her payment - around £8 registered post.
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Cassis
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Post by Cassis »

I don't care how long it is taking - I think she is a cow and her threatening to post about it on TA proves it. You've said you're going to return it. Has she not got another shirt FFS?
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Bunny
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Post by Bunny »

Dear Kate

If you are going to get shirty with me, you can stuff it up your jumper!

Jeez....
Ecosse
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Post by Ecosse »

Dear Kate

Apologies for the forgetfulness of my cleaner. This is because, unlike you, my cleaner has a life and therefore doesn't consider your poxy shirt such a high priority as you clearly do.
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Casscat
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Re: Lost property woes

Post by Casscat »

"Ben. Another week and still nothing has arrived in the post."

How long has it actually been since you arranged to send it back? Sounds like some considerable time. Maybe her patience is wearing a little thin with some justification, although the veiled threat of public rebuke is not exactly gracious. I imagine your correspondence started out friendly enough but has deteriorated due to inaction. I agree that it might have been better all round if you had not found it, or had *accidentally* disposed of it, but having made a promise of its return I would think that it should have been despatched reasonably smartish if only to garner a potential return visitor, word of mouth recommendations and a glowing review! Personally I'd suck it up, apologise - and get the bloody thing posted pronto as that's what you clearly promised to do.
B&B netherlands
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Post by B&B netherlands »

don't ask me! recent guest left a loader, i found it and put it aside, as i was too busy to look up his contact info and had many othr problems to deal with. guest phoned a week later - could i mail it please...?

i did pronto, same day.

had to buy one of these protective envelopes and spent 3 euros on postage.

a simple 'thank you' would have been nice...?

next time, indeed, i will say 'sorry i did not find it.'

but a SHIRT???

reminds me of the time i took an american female friend to see sth of the netherlands. she left a skirt from a thrift shop in the hotel room. 'can you phone please?'

hotel clerk: 'yes we found it. if you send us the mail costs, we will return it...'

american friend: 'WHAT? it is just an old rag i bought for 1 dollar! is this SERVICE???'

she had to pay more of course than the 1 dollar...

like you all probably, i usually only find dirty underwear, heavily used hankies, smelly socks... or used condoms.

at the most unlikely places - is there a special thread for this on LMH...?
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I think we should start a thread on manners. Maybe I'm getting old but this year I've encountered a lack of recognition of certain things on a few occasions, certainly not everyone. But maybe it's just me :?
tavi
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Post by tavi »

Her threat of Tripadvisor suggests either a bit of a nutter or someone who's been promised the return of the item a considerable time ago, so, as I said earlier:
tavi wrote:What a weird over-reaction on her part, though to get a better idea of just how much she's over-reacting I would love to know the following:

How long ago are we talking about?

Did you give her a time frame as to when it would be sent?

Has she already paid you the postage?

:?:
rammy100
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Post by rammy100 »

This reminds me of a situation a few years back when we found a carrier bag of tatty old clothing in the back of a cupboard. We had no idea who had left it and after establishing it it didn't belong to the cleaner we binned it.

Many months later we had an email from a previous guest asking if we had come across some "vintage" clothing she may have left there. "No" we replied.
Here we go again........
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