[flintbobbi]

My wife found $59.00 in cash yesterday at Wal-mart, lying on the floor. Having a very precocious 3 1/2 year along, and being the moral person she is (or tries to be), she took it to Customer Service after calling me and asking my opinion.

Got me wondering if anyone has ever done a study that examined what amount of cash people would turn in? At a low level, it's not much, so it's easy to pocket and keep perhaps. At a "moderate level," you feel too much guilt perhaps and turn it in. At a "high" level, you develop a justification perhaps for keeping it.

I also wondered if sexes differ - I think men would be more likely to keep the cash than women. And the place makes a difference - perhaps if you found the cash on the floor of a casino, you'd keep it, justifying it by saying "someone would've blown this gambling anyway!"

Any sociologists out there? See what keeps me up and night!!! (yes, i need some new hobbies)

Vote once. Comment on if you'd like to. I'll insert my opinion a bit later, not that it matters much. Really curious to see what people think. It was difficult to generate the poll options, so did best that I could.

 

[wasions]

I selected the first option, only because it was the closest choice to reality for me.

Truthfully, if it was a single piece of change, I'd either pocket it or give it to a little kid. Otherwise, I'd have to do the right thing. I couldn't sleep if I didn't.

Steve

 

[pauljo]

There is an old saying: "Finders keepers, losers weepers".

I really don't know what I'd do. I think it would depend on the circumstances. Certainly if it was in a wallet containing ID I would make an effort to contact the owner. But if I found a bare $20 bill? I don't know that I'd turn it into the Customer Service desk - I rather suspect they would use it for lunch money.

Now for the truth. I used to arrive to work early each day - and so did my boss. We were usually ahead of most other employees. One morning, I found a substantial amount of money in the parking lot (around $200). Naked bills, no ID. I walked in and found my boss settling in to her office for the day, booting her PC etc.. I mentioned finding some money in the parking lot. She checked her purse and said she had apparently dropped the cash. I gave it to her. The circumstances dictated. Not many others had passed through the parking lot - or the money would have been picked up. She had obviously just arrived. I believed her to be telling the truth. The reason I mentioned it to her is that I just didn't feel right absconding with the money - and I basically trusted her integrity. If it hadn't been hers, I'm sure she would have recommended that I turn it in to the front desk.

So I am basically honest, judged by past action, and to my own financial detriment. And I suspect that I might be again. :wink:

 

[lycheed]

I’d hand the money in - without question – probably to the local police station, whilst alerting the shop staff that I had done so, to ensure that it did not become someone’s lunch money.

In Tokyo, if you find someone’s wallet and hand it in to the Police, the owner has to give you 10% of the contents on collection. This is largely a cash country as opposed to a nation of credit/debit card users, so it’s very normal to find a wallet with $1000 in it or more. I can recollect once forcing an ex-girlfriend to hand in a wallet containing $1500, throwing cold water over her planned shopping spree. She was rewarded as convention dictated. $150 for an act of kindness? It seems that over here, honesty pays.

 

[Pinwheel]

if it was a dollar or two I'd probably keep it if there wasn't some walking around looking for it. Anything more I'd turn in.

Billy lost money in the grocery store before and no one turned it in so he now has Keep It All attitude. If someone would have just been honest and turned it in, the he wouldn't be the way he is today about it.

 

[ScubaGirl]

Turn it in...

I’d hand the money in - without question – probably to the local police station, whilst alerting the shop staff that I had done so, to ensure that it did not become someone’s lunch money.

Yup, that sounds like what I would do. If I find coins they go to the kids...I found a $20 once in the street in front of my house and I kept that because there was just no way to determine the owner...it didn't belong to anyone on our street - 2 houses including mine.

I left my wallet on top of the car once DOWNTOWN with over a thousand dollars in it (vacation money) A gentleman that worked for a moving company saw it fall off my roof and then drove about 20 miles to give it to me and would not take a reward. I called his boss to give him a glowing recommendation. I then used that company when we moved!

My cleaners has returned my clothes on more than one occasion with a zip lock attached filled with cash...

I like to think that basically most people are honest...

 

[JohnnyDeath]

I don't know. To be honest it would depend on circumstances.

I do know that I did once find a wallet at the beach with a bunch of cash in it. No ID or credit cards, just a couple of old photos. Even though at the time I was strapped for cash, I called the local Police department and mentioned I had found it and asked if anyone had reported a lost wallet, and left my number.

A day later the cops called and asked me to describe the wallet and how much was in it. They said someone had reported losing a wallet in the area. I asked them to describe the wallet to me and sure enough they even mentioned the pictures.

It had belonged to a student who was vacationing in the area. I refused the offered reward and just felt good about what I had done.

 

[Bleeder]

I have to admit that when I was as poor as a churchmouse, I always kept found money. Now, I always turn it in.

 

[JD]

Unless it was enough cash to buy a Burgman, I would return it 8) :wink:

 

[NormanB]

I would turn it in - unless there was clear ID that allowed me to contact the owner who I would then contact direct.

 

[Stormsteed]

Never mind.

 

[Randy]

If I found money at Wal-Mart, I would figure it belonged to them, so I would spend it there. :wink:

 

[allwalk]

No comment! :bootyshake:

 

[flintbobbi]

I would turn it in if it were more than a couple bucks. I just couldn't bear looking at whatever I bought and having the guilt hit me. My wife wondered if the Walmart staff might "steal the cash" as well, but I don't think they would do that, especially given all the cameras in the customer service area.

Now if I was at a casino and found 20$, i'd play it on red and hope for the best. If I won big, I'd drop 20$ on the floor and take the rest with me! :twisted:

 

[flintbobbi]

Conclusion?

Well, here's the "rrrrrrrest of the story." (Paul Harvey fans out there?)

My wife called Walmart today to ask what happened to the money - did anyone claim it, and if not, does she get it?

The manager, and then senior manager who spoke to her indicated that "once money is found in Walmart and turned into them, it becomes property of Walmart."

That sorta pissed off my wife. Now the last thing you want to do is piss off a 6 month pregnant woman with three kids under age 5. Just don't do it.

She then asked what happens to the money? "We wait til the end of the year and give it all to a local charity."

She voiced her doubts of them doing so, especially when they indicated no record of ever having received any $59 lately. (the person that she directly gave it to was not in today) She asked why she had been told by the person she gave the money to that if noone claimed it she could have it. She was basically told that there was no way someone could have told her that - basically calling her a liar.

She then asked what local charity they gave it to. They would not say. She asked what the administrative costs were that were "taken off the top" prior to them giving the money away, and "what happens to the interest in the account you put the money in." They would not say.

She ended it by saying she would never turn in any money she ever found and would give it directly to a charity herself.

She would like to never shop there again, but the truth is she will...Too bad.

I have NEVER seen her so angry in my life. This manager needs some extensive training on how to handle customers better.....

I said I'd call and act like I lost the money there, describing it perfectly, and see what the response was, but I am certain it would be futile.

Ah well, such is corporate America. And a lesson is learned. Too bad.

 

[Pinwheel]

contact the main people at Walmart.
Here's their contact page.

I wonder if the person who accepted the money kept the money.

 

[flintbobbi]

Thx for the link. I'm not sure she needs to get any more upset than she already is, but perhaps she'll want to take this another step or two.

She might call back to try to find the person she turned the money in to and ask what happened.

This pregnancy (OUR last) has been ok, but why push the stress level up a notch or twelve? Ya know?

Now perhaps I might call and see what I can find out though...

 

[Pinwheel]

I'm the type of person to go above managers directly to district or corporate customer service. I worked in retail for 15 years and always treated people kind and with respect because if it wasn't for my customers I wouldn't have had a job.

I even had to contact McDonalds because 2 stores gave me fries in my son's happy meal when I said Apple Dippers and my receipt even said it. I know it was something small but it aggrivated me.

Good luck and just stay calm when calling and get names if you can.

 

[Randy]

Does this mean there is no tooth fairy.?
Why is it if you reverse the question -what if you lost money would you get it back
- most of us would agree it's gone-
And yet if we find it we would turn it in - it just does not compute-
Like I said, if I found money at Wall-Mart I would spend it there.
Now if that makes me a crook or a "not nice person" I can live with that
And I suspect I have a lot of company :wink: