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Room Attendant found my iPad - UPDATE in 159


Sarah CB
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We lost my iPad right before our move.  I had hoped that we accidentally packed it, but when we opened the last box I realized that wasn't the case.  I phoned the hotel we had stayed in right before we left and they didn't have it.  I thought maybe we had lost it along the way.  That was about seven months ago.

 

About a week ago I got a call from a room attendant at a hotel we stayed at about a week before our move (not the hotel I called already).  Apparently we left the iPad in the closet and he found it and turned it in.  He kept telling me that the hotel told him that if we hadn't claimed it in six months he could have it.  So, after six months they gave it to him.  But he can't do anything with it because I've got it locked up with my iCloud password.  I also turned a lock message on it, which I think is how he got my number.  I thought he was calling to tell me he'd found it and was returning it, but the longer I talked to him (his English was not great) the more I realized he just wanted me to give him the password, because without it the iPad was "useless" to him.  

 

I asked him to send it to me and he said he couldn't do that because it would be too expensive.  So, I asked for his email and said I'd email him money.  I emailed him and offered to pay for everything and for a reward.  I told him how happy I was that he found the iPad and how thankful I was that he'd contacted me and how excited I was to be getting my iPad back.  He told me he was busy working and wouldn't be able to send it right away.  

 

That was a week ago.  Today I called the hotel and told them what happened.  I'm waiting for someone to call me back now.  I really hope I get it back.

 

Ugh.  

 

 

 

 

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I suggest that you write a short and polite FAX and that you send the FAX, free, via faxzero.com

http://faxzero.com/

 

Address your FAX to the General Manager of the property involved.

 

If the property involved is a member of a chain, send another free FAX to the President or CEO of the chain.

 

GL getting your ipad back!  DO NOT communicate directly with the hotel employee who contacted you again.

 

 

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I suggest that you write a short and polite FAX and that you send the FAX, free, via faxzero.com

http://faxzero.com/

 

Address your FAX to the General Manager of the property involved.

 

If the property involved is a member of a chain, send another free FAX to the President or CEO of the chain.

 

GL getting your ipad back!  DO NOT communicate directly with the hotel employee who contacted you again.

 

People still fax things? I'm amused. 

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Wait, hold up.  The hotel held your property for 6 months and didn't bother to contact you?  Didn't they have your cell phone number?  I would call the owner (if an independent establishment) or the President (if a chain) today and complain.  Tell them that you want your iPad back and will gladly pay for its return postage but that you are very disappointed that they failed to try and find you before.  

 

Then hit them on Facebook and twitter with a message if you don't get an immediate, and favorable, response.  

 

 

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Wait, hold up.  The hotel held your property for 6 months and didn't bother to contact you?  Didn't they have your cell phone number?  I would call the owner (if an independent establishment) or the President (if a chain) today and complain.  Tell them that you want your iPad back and will gladly pay for its return postage but that you are very disappointed that they failed to try and find you before.  

 

Then hit them on Facebook and twitter with a message if you don't get an immediate, and favorable, response.  

 

This is what bugs me, too.  I don't know if it's normal for them to call about lost items.  I imagine a lot of people lose things and it would be too much work for people to be contacted for every little thing that was lost.  But, for something huge like an iPad I would have thought they'd have tried.  Plus, the room attendant was able to call me (in Newfoundland!) once he got his paws on it.  So, clearly my lost message worked.  

 

It is a very, very nice hotel and is part of a chain as well.  I actually tweeted about it and then deleted it.  I'm waiting to see if I hear back from anyone.  Then I'm more than happy to get on social media.

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I agree that with all the information required to book a hotel room, there is absolutely no reason that the hotel could not contact you about forgotten property. Especially high dollar property. Chances are they have two to four different contact possibilities. Email, phone, address, cell phone, etc.

 

I'd be going "up the chain" until this was resolved AND policies are changed for future forgetters.

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I think most hotels have a privacy policy to not call about or return things left behind.

 

The dude that called you is a special kind of idiot!!

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I would be calling to police to report a theft.

I'm sure the hotel has a written policy regarding lost items. I highly doubt this is theft.

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I'm sure the hotel has a written policy regarding lost items. I highly doubt this is theft.

 

I just talked to someone...  They do have a policy.  They can't contact guests when an item is lost - for security purposes, they said.  They also said that when it's an expensive item their policy is to wait six months and then their lost and found is cleared out.  I totally get that. 

 

I'm not sure, legally, where I stand here.  Does my ownership of the item cease because the iPad was missing for so long?  Does he actually have any right to it?  Wouldn't the decent thing be to give the thing back to the rightful owner once it was clear who the rightful owner was??

 

The person who just called me was not particularly helpful, but she was very nice.  She let me know what their policies were.  She listened to my entire chain of events.  She said the guy had gone home for the night and she would speak to him tomorrow and get his story and then call me back.  I asked her if she thought we'd be able to get the iPad back and she kind of stammered and said she needed to speak to Bimo, the room attendant.  

 

I feel so dumb for not calling that hotel.  I really thought we had packed it and then when we unpacked I had no idea where it might have been.  I never even considered the possibility of it being left in Banff.  At the Fairmont Banff Springs.  

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Banff is SO GORGEOUS.

 

*ahem* sorry, unhelpful of me.

 

Your ownership doesn't cease, no, unless things are really, really different in Canada.

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I just sent a message through FB. I sent it privately, but hopefully that will also help to get things moving. I did mention that I was pretty upset and hoped to get my iPad back as soon as possible.

I hope you get it back! So the hotel had already given it to the employee? I wonder if he'd taken it home. I do think it's odd that they didn't look up your info and try to contact you. It's an iPad, not a stray sock or something.

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My opinion--you will only get it back if you sweeten the pot enough and the guy can't figure out how to get into it. I'd offer him $200??

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Banff is SO GORGEOUS.

 

*ahem* sorry, unhelpful of me.

 

Your ownership doesn't cease, no, unless things are really, really different in Canada.

 

I know!  It really is.  And the Banff Springs Hotel is my favourite hotel out of anywhere I've ever stayed.  But, right now their staff are not my favourite hotel staff.  I wish this had happened in the Hyatt.  I love the service at the Hyatt. 

 

Ugh.

 

I am glad to hear that my ownership wouldn't automatically cease.  I didn't think that would be the case, but I feel like I'm getting a bit of a run around right now.  I really hope I get a positive phone call tomorrow and my faith in that hotel can be restored.  It's been my favourite hotel since I was a little girl and I don't want to have any bad feelings associated with it.

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Wow.  They should make the guy send it back.  They could compensate him for their mistake in allowing him to have the thing - even if it's their policy, I think it's a mistake to allow the employee to have the lost item. 

 

Not sure what I would do in this situation, but my first inclination is to say no to him if he asks for the password.  I'd be very careful about sending him any money. 

 

I'm really sorry.  What an awful thing for a hotel and hotel employee to do. 

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Wait a second- this was at the Fairmont Banff Springs? I really was thinking this happened at some cheap hotel, not a hotel where a room can cost over 500 dollars a night. I would post this on Tripadvisor. I just looked at  Tripadvisor for the Fairmont Banff Springs and the manager has responded to many of the postings. I bet you will get the iPad back if you post a negative rating and explain a hotel employee has your iPad and the management at the hotel isn't doing anything about it.  

 

 

ETA: Here is the link to tripadvisor Fairmont Banff

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g154911-d184171-Reviews-The_Fairmont_Banff_Springs-Banff_Banff_National_Park_Alberta.html

 

You just have to create a user account and then can post. It really doesn't take long at all. Since it is rated the #1 hotel in Banff I am sure they will care what you post. I also looked again and a manager has responded to every single 1 star review in the last 18 months (I stopped looking after that, it  might be every negative post).

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Wow. They should make the guy send it back. They could compensate him for their mistake in allowing him to have the thing - even if it's their policy, I think it's a mistake to allow the employee to have the lost item.

 

Not sure what I would do in this situation, but my first inclination is to say no to him if he asks for the password. I'd be very careful about sending him any money.

 

I'm really sorry. What an awful thing for a hotel and hotel employee to do.

I know, right!? It's a policy that appears to encourage theft and things turning up, magically, after six months. Because then finders keepers.

 

Ugh.

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This is what bugs me, too. I don't know if it's normal for them to call about lost items. I imagine a lot of people lose things and it would be too much work for people to be contacted for every little thing that was lost. But, for something huge like an iPad I would have thought they'd have tried. Plus, the room attendant was able to call me (in Newfoundland!) once he got his paws on it. So, clearly my lost message worked.

 

It is a very, very nice hotel and is part of a chain as well. I actually tweeted about it and then deleted it. I'm waiting to see if I hear back from anyone. Then I'm more than happy to get on social media.

I have had hotels call me when I left a *waterbottle*. Sure, it was a very nice water bottle but it's still a small item. They should have contacted you about an iPad. That's really dodgy policy.

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I know, right!? It's a policy that appears to encourage theft and things turning up, magically, after six months. Because then finders keepers.

 

Ugh.

Right? So, steal an item, wait for another guest to check out so you can turn it in under their room number, wait six months and it's yours? Great policy.
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I would count that as a theft as you have now been notified that this person has your property.  IF the hotel does not step up to make him return it I would file police charges.  THeft is theft and they outright told this guy to steal it.

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So hotel policy is to not contact guests, even when there is identifiable information on the item that makes it known it belongs to you? Clearly there was enough identifiable information that the guy was able to contact you. 

 

I'm with the others who think this policy just encourages theft. 

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I would contact the police in Banff. The timeline shouldn't matter. It is an expensive item that is clearly labelled with the owners name and a way to contact you (as he proved). You have his name and the place he works. Report him for refusing to return your possessions. You asked and he refused. At worst the police will tell you why they can't and you can continue to pursue it with the hotel. At best they will get it back for you.

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I would tell his boss that if he doesn't bring it back to work and they don't send it to you in the next 48 hours you are going to call the police on their employee. Give him the message, thorough his boss, that the ipad will never be worth anything to him because he will never get the password.

 

Tell him there is a 50$ reward in it for him, but that goes down to 40 dollars after 24 hours, and 30$ after that, and then you will call the police and tell them you know exactly where the ipad is.

 

Sure, the police might not be able to do anything, but that doesn't mean you can't call them, right? After all, he did call you and tell you that he has your property and he is now refusing to return it. He might not have stolen it to begin with, but he is stealing it now.

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I would tell his boss that if he doesn't bring it back to work and they don't send it to you in the next 48 hours you are going to call the police on their employee. Give him the message, thorough his boss, that the ipad will never be worth anything to him because he will never get the password.

 

Tell him there is a 50$ reward in it for him, but that goes down to 40 dollars after 24 hours, and 30$ after that, and then you will call the police and tell them you know exactly where the ipad is.

 

Sure, the police might not be able to do anything, but that doesn't mean you can't call them, right? After all, he did call you and tell you that he has your property and he is now refusing to return it. He might not have stolen it to begin with, but he is stealing it now.

 

In the neighborhoods I grew up in, mixed messages and negotiations get you nothing but trouble. In this case, she'd be telling him that

 

A. she's got cash to burn, and

B. she's willing to negotiate.

 

$50 today, police in three days, does not sound like a firm position.

 

Also, telling him that the ipad will never be worth anything to him because he has no password is also not wise, because again, now that he knows the owner is willing to talk, he might try to think of creative ways to extract the password from her.

 

Do not speak directly to bad guys. Unless you're on a level playing field (IOW, also a punk or thug), go through attorneys and law enforcement.

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He might not have stolen it to begin with, but he is stealing it now.

 

yes to this!  It languished with no effort to return it to you for 6 months - bad form on the hotel's part, IMO, but when he got his hands on it and he had contact information which he used to NOT return it to you, that becomes theft, surely?

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I just talked to someone...  They do have a policy.  They can't contact guests when an item is lost - for security purposes, they said.  They also said that when it's an expensive item their policy is to wait six months and then their lost and found is cleared out.  I totally get that. 

 

They can't call you for security purposes, but they can give an item that potentially contains all sorts of confidential information to an employee? It seems as though the policy for computers and other items that can contain personal information should be to destroy them, not to give them to employees who could conceivably hack them.  

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They can't call you for security purposes, but they can give an item that potentially contains all sorts of confidential information to an employee? It seems as though the policy for computers and other items that can contain personal information should be to destroy them, not to give them to employees who could conceivably hack them.  

 

Exactly.  My iPad is more sensitive than my wallet.  

 

Complain.  Loudly.  Publicly.  The policy needs to change.  

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I worked at podunk hotel in my town as a housekeeper. Our policy was to log lost items into lost and found. If it was a pricey looking item, we'd take to the front desk who was to call the guest. 

 

 

I really hope they choose to do the right thing here. I know it would color my perception of my visit. 

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I would have serious issues with that policy. It could encourage attendants to steal or conceal it in the hope that you think it's missing. Then they return it to the room and claim it was found. Knowing full well in six months it will be theirs.

 

Contacting you for the password is incredibly rude and unprofessional!

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I think you're being too nice. I would have already posted to their Facebook page. If they block and delete your comments, I would have family and friends post to their page. Their policy stinks and what they are doing is wrong. Sometimes, putting the ugliness out there in social media is the only way to make someone do what is right. I can't imagine they wouldn't rather come across as pleasing to their customers rather than following a horrible policy that allows employees to take something of high value that doesn't belong to them.

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Can someone explain to me why contacting a guest about forgotten items is a security issue? 

 

If it's because you don't know for sure that person left it, couldn't you just say, we found an item and want to know if you left something behind? 

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In the neighborhoods I grew up in, mixed messages and negotiations get you nothing but trouble. In this case, she'd be telling him that

 

A. she's got cash to burn, and

B. she's willing to negotiate.

 

$50 today, police in three days, does not sound like a firm position.

 

Also, telling him that the ipad will never be worth anything to him because he has no password is also not wise, because again, now that he knows the owner is willing to talk, he might try to think of creative ways to extract the password from her.

 

Do not speak directly to bad guys. Unless you're on a level playing field (IOW, also a punk or thug), go through attorneys and law enforcement.

 

She already offered him a reward. He already knows she is willing to talk because she has talked to him and emailed him. Those ships have sailed.

 

I am suggesting three days for it to be in the mail because he won't even be in to work until tomorrow so he would need time to get from home to work with the ipad. Then it is on the hotel manager to get it sent to her.  This is better than the police because if she calls the police and they charge him they will need to keep her ipad as evidence. Ok, now he's in trouble but she still doesn't have an ipad, and might not for over a year. And she has to be willing to go back to Banf and testify that it is her ipad etc.  If the police don't lose it in their records that is.  Much better to give the hotel a chance to make it right. I would absolutely threaten with the police but only call if I were resigned to not getting the ipad back. If he hasn't returned it to work and the manager put it in the mail, then it's not coming back, so might as well call the police.

 

He doesn't sound like someone who knows how an ipad works. This is a guy who called asking her for her password so he could make it work, lol. Not exactly a criminal mastermind. She has no evidence that he is a 'punk or a thug' (what is the difference btw?). He's a guy who found an ipad at work, turned it in like he is supposed to do, and was told if no one claimed it in 6 months it was his to keep. He waited 6 months, brought it home, charged it and...found out D'oh! it needs a password to work! So he called the owner for the password, lol. She has no reason to think he stole it, or at least she hasn't said so. It was left in their hotel room by accident. She hasn't done anything wrong and neither has he. He was following the rules of his employer. You may not agree with them, but he was following them. He hasn't threatened her, he hasn't even returned her email.

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Can someone explain to me why contacting a guest about forgotten items is a security issue? 

 

If it's because you don't know for sure that person left it, couldn't you just say, we found an item and want to know if you left something behind? 

 

I think it has more to do with protecting the privacy of their customers.  Do you really want to tell Mrs. Smith that Mr. Smith was in New York City when he had told her he was visiting his father in Kansas City? 

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