Found a bunch of gift cards in the parking lot - how long do we keep them?

[Renthead Mommy]

When we came out of the grocery store last week, as we were getting into the car, my son picked up a Kroger bag thinking it had trash in it. He said it was gift cards and I could see through the bag the cardboard pieces the cards are stuck to so I also figured it was trash.

 

Got home and looked at it, and it was six cards totalling $200. We called Kroger and left our information. I checked on line and the cards were activated. So someone lost $200 worth of their christmas shopping.

 

Here it is, almost a week later and we have heard from no one. If I'd have lost that much money like that I'd have gone back to Kroger in the hopes someone may turn it in. I wouldn't count on it, but I'd hope for it. But no one has called.

 

If no one claimed them I wanted to either donate them to one of the christmas charites or use the money for one of the programs where you adopt a kid and give them their christmas. I would probably give my son the one $20 Target card since he was the one who actully stopped and picked it up (thinking it was trash) but he also asked right away "how do we find the owner?" not "Shopping spree!" So I want to reward him with that.

 

So my question is how long do we wait? I am just shocked almost a week later we have heard nothing. I'm thinking the person just wrote them off. But how long should I hold onto these. I don't want to wait too long to be able to use them for the adopt a kid programs, but I don't want to give up and then the next day have someone call after we just spent the money on four different kids and dropped everything off.

 

So what is a reasonable amount of time before we say 'not coming back for them" and we can use them?

[JFSinIL]

I wonder - if the person bought them with a credit card maybe the cards can be traced somehow - when we were having gift cards mailed form my mom in California stolen from the mail the postal inspector sid to find out of my mom had used her credit card to buy them (she hadn't :-( ) so maybe Target, say, could track down what credit card - and thereby person - bought card number whatever it is, by tracing the number on the gift card. I'd contact the individual stores that cards were for, not the Kroger. Then they could contact the credit card compnay of whomever bought the card to let them know the cards were found and they should contact the Kroger to get your info.

 

Kinda convoluted, but it might work.

[Renthead Mommy]

But they were bought at Kroger, so the credit card numbers would go through Kroger, not Target. I believe Kroger pays Target x amount of dollars every month to cover the gift cards they sold.

[Candid]

Call the police, they deal with this sort of thing all the time. I believe that many states/areas have a mandatory waiting period and I expect that period will be longer than a week.

[Halftime Hope]

That is so sad. I've had three *expensive* "finds" like that. I hope the person is able to get back to you.

 

I would call the Kroger every day and ask if you can post a "found" sign near their door. The person would obviously have to ID what they bought to get in touch with you.

[Unicorn.]

Call the police, they deal with this sort of thing all the time. I believe that many states/areas have a mandatory waiting period and I expect that period will be longer than a week.

 

Yes, call the pollice station. The mandatory wait time is usually a month, and if they aren't claimed, then it's usually yours to keep.

[besroma]

You can also ask Kroger to check their security tapes. If you tell them what time you checked out, they could view their tapes. If they have a camera that films the gift card area, they might be able to see who bought it. I don't know how sophisticated their system is, or if they would be inclined to do it.

 

Lowe's has a very sophisticated system where they can use your credit card to determine the exact time you checked out. They can use the time to view their tapes to see when you entered the store and when you left.

 

I also wonder if they reported it to the stores in case someone used them (Target, etc.). Probably not, but just thinking it is a possibility.

 

I hope you find the owner.

[RoughCollie]

If they used their Kroger card when they bought them, then Kroger may be able to find out who purchased them. My grocery store calls us when an item we purchased is recalled, because they have a record of all of our purchases due to the card.

 

Also, the owner could have gone to Kroger, and the clerk didn't know anything about it.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Well, I would personally be concerned that if they had called the store saying they lost the cards, that whatever Tom, Dick, or Harry was working the service desk would simply look in the lost-and-found and say, "Nope, not here." You gave them your contact info but what did they do with that? Did they attach a note to the l&f bin? Honestly, I would take them back to the Kroger and turn them in. As annoying as it would have been to make a second trip to Kroger that day, I would have done it. Maybe someone went in between the time you found it and when you got home and phoned in your info? Personally, I would not give one to my child as a reward. Too much guilt for me.

[morningxmorning]

Maybe you could set up a separate email account and post a sign at Krogers saying "Gift cards found" with the email contact info. On the sign, ask the person responding to list the details like the day the cards were lost, what they were in, the number of cards and amounts.

[Renthead Mommy]

Well, I would personally be concerned that if they had called the store saying they lost the cards, that whatever Tom, Dick, or Harry was working the service desk would simply look in the lost-and-found and say, "Nope, not here." You gave them your contact info but what did they do with that? Did they attach a note to the l&f bin? Honestly, I would take them back to the Kroger and turn them in. As annoying as it would have been to make a second trip to Kroger that day, I would have done it. Maybe someone went in between the time you found it and when you got home and phoned in your info? Personally, I would not give one to my child as a reward. Too much guilt for me.

 

Well the store has my info, I saw it in their Lost and Found binder when we went back today and checked with them. I didn't go back the other day because I was already home when I realized it wasn't trash. How is turning them in to Kroger any different from giving Kroger my info and having anyone looking for them contact me? I'd trust that over giving them to the store, I have info I can ask them.

 

Why should I have any guilt? I didn't steal them, I'm not trying to keep them and I'm actually trying to find who lost them. I don't need them. If I want to go spend $200 I do it, I don't need someone else's gift cards. My point is if no one is claiming them, I'll use them for gifts for an 'adopt a kid' program. Someone should get some good out of them.

[Just Kate]

I agree with the PP who said to call the local police and see what the wait time should be. I think I would also check in with Kroger regularly during that time period and maybe try to talk with the manager.

 

I don't think you have any reason to feel guilty at all if you end up keeping the cards. Like you said, you didn't steal them and it is actually quite lucky that your ds picked the bag up and that it didn't go directly into the trash. I see nothing wrong with rewarding him.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Well the store has my info, I saw it in their Lost and Found binder when we went back today and checked with them. I didn't go back the other day because I was already home when I realized it wasn't trash. How is turning them in to Kroger any different from giving Kroger my info and having anyone looking for them contact me? I'd trust that over giving them to the store, I have info I can ask them.

 

Why should I have any guilt? I didn't steal them, I'm not trying to keep them and I'm actually trying to find who lost them. I don't need them. If I want to go spend $200 I do it, I don't need someone else's gift cards. My point is if no one is claiming them, I'll use them for gifts for an 'adopt a kid' program. Someone should get some good out of them.

 

I was asking if they attached a note to the l&f bin so that you could be sure the owners wouldn't get a "nope." You say they did, so you are right that holding onto them is probably fine.

 

I didn't say you should feel guilty. I said I would feel guilty giving any portion to my child as a reward. For me, the reward for doing good is the pride and self-respect that comes from knowing you have done good. I understand that rewards for doing good are common. However, I personally believe that bestowing a reward is the privilege of the person who had his/her belongings found and returned to them. I would not feel comfortable benefiting from the loss of someone else.

 

I think donating to charity is lovely and appropriate if you are unable to find the true owners of the cards. I agree that it is better that they go to charity than to have ended up in the trash.

[A.Balaban]

They've probably written them off by now. DS's BD used to work a movie theater and he would always get to keep the gift cards that were found and give to me... No one ever came back for them. I can't tell you how much CASH we found in a movie theater - $100s of dollars - no one ever claimed it. You gave your information to Kroger, I think the only thing you could do would be to contact the police and see what they say.

 

I've also never had someone cancel a gift card on me (that I got from the movie theater). You need to have the reciept AND the activation slip (which is usually put INSIDE the gift card) most places will NOT return a gift card even with an activation slip and they WONT reissue a lost gift card. You could check with each company to determine their policy, though. Most grocery stores have a sign that says "NO RETURNS ON GIFT CARDS" so i think this person is probably just thinking they are SOL.