555 wrote:Hey, I just picked something up. I picked up that the OP's all time post count reached a plateau of 1. :roll:
That was evident immediately, their first sentence read, "Long time follower, first time poster."
Are you saying you can tell from someone's first post, what their future posting pattern will be?
It is certainly true that this forum has some long threads started by a new poster who never returns to participate in the conversation (or any other). But I'm just wondering how it was immediately evident to you in this particular case.
555 wrote:you can tell from someone's first post, what their future posting pattern will be?
It is certainly true that this forum has some long threads started by a new poster who never returns to participate in the conversation (or any other). But I'm just wondering how it was immediately evident to you in this particular case.
I find it interesting that he hasn't returned to the forum at all--although it's possible he did it without being logged in--since his post:
User statistics
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 5:59 pmLast visited: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:32 pmTotal posts:1 | Search user’s posts
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(1 Post / 100.00% of user’s posts)Most active topic: Found $100 Bill at Walmart
(1 Post / 100.00% of user’s posts)
Still it's been an interesting discussion even without him.
pjstack wrote:Well really, what is there for the OP to add? The time isn't up for him to ask to claim the $100 bill, so he can't finish the story from that angle.
Furthermore the replies here have run the gamut from praise to implying he's been a sucker, with various questionable legal theories as added fodder.
My point wasn't that he hadn't responded it was that he asked for opinions and hasn't even logged into the forum to read them.
nonnie wrote:My point wasn't that he hadn't responded it was that he asked for opinions and hasn't even logged into the forum to read them.
The forum logs you off automatically after a while, so even if he kept the browser open and has been refreshing to view responses, we wouldn't know that unless he logged in again or had clicked the "keep me logged in" option when logging in originally.
As for the original question, I would have likely given it to the police or the store manager. I would not have pocketed it. That was not how I was raised. If the item might have someone looking for it and the owner is not apparent to me, I would turn it in to the proper authorities that the owner might contact. I would let them handle the legalities of what constitutes "abandoned property" (because 1 hour on the floor probably does not meet this legal requirement) and if they could not find the owner and gave it back to me, only then would I give it to charity or family.
I would like to thank all of you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about me finding the $100 bill at Walmart.
I've been checking the Boglehead responses each day since my post (without signing in) and have really enjoyed reading each & every comment.
The morning after I turned the money in to the "Asset Protection Mgr" I called the Walmart Store Mgr. to make him aware of it and express my hope they can locate the rightful owner.
If, after 30 days, the $100 bill is returned to me I will follow the wonderful suggestion of splitting it into (5) 20's and handing it out to (5) lucky Walmart customers.
When the big day arrives I will be sure to post an update.
Thanks again for taking the time to post your thoughts and suggestions.
Two months ago my 13 year old daughter found $200 dollars in cash on the floor when she visited a rich neighboring school. No one saw her picking it up. So I asked her what happened to the money she said she turned it to the lead teacher and the teacher thanked her for her honesty. "I felt so bad for whoever lost it." She explained, "Once I put myself into their shoes it was a no brainer." So proud of her.
This discussion got me thinking of a time way, way back around 1974 or '75. I was coming out of a restaurant, and some people were just getting into the car next to mine. When I got to my car I saw a $20 bill (probably worth about $95 in today's dollars) on the ground between the cars. Instead of knocking on their window and asking if it was theirs, I stuffed in my pocket so they wouldn't see it. It's been over 35 years, and that still bothers me. Believe me, you did the right thing turning the money in.
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
I would probably turn it in immediately, but ethically I would be fine picking it up, putting it in my pocket, and tell the manager you found money on the floor, provide my contact information if someone wanted to claim it. I wouldn't tell him how much.
ElJay wrote:I would've put the $100 bill in my pocket and left the store. I don't see how that is somehow "dishonest."
How much does it have to be to become dishonest?
$500?
$5,000?
$10,000?
If the ownership is easily determined, it's stealing even if it's a penny.
If the ownership is not conclusive, it's fair game.
Returned $100 to a bank teller who gave me too much. She would have lost her job instantly, as she was well past her probationary period. She was almost in tears thanking me. Turned in $20 at a bar several times, because I saw the money fall from the people with my own eyes. I found $60 just lying there, and $15 just lying there in bars a few times. Mine. Salvage rights.
Agreed. I lean this way particularly because OP noted that no one was around who might have dropped it. I don't find it dishonest -- it's simply luck that you found it. Items which cannot be identified by the owner don't really have a future in Lost & Found.
I'm not a financial advisor, I just play one on the Internet.
nonnie wrote:I find it quite interesting that many of the posters advocating the OP should have kept the $100 use rationalizations such as-- salvage rights, finders keepers (haven't heard that since the 4th grade), the person who dropped the bill won't return, Walmart employees will steal it, etc.
To those folks- what would you want a fellow American who found the $100 you dropped to do? If you answer pocket it or give it to charity, you may have too much money for your own good. How about The Silver Rule, "Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you"?
What would I want them to do? Clairvoyantly acquire my cell phone number and notify me that they found my money. Failing that, however, they should consider themselves lucky.
Yes, I would be upset if I lost cash. But I also assume that cash has little or no chance of being returned the instant it's outside of my possession. That's one reason I avoid cash whenever possible -- cards have my name on them and a central authority which can both contact me and prevent unauthorized usage once notified of the loss. Cash is a free-for-all, and should only leave my possession when I'm receiving either a receipt or a good purchased at the same instant. It's not that I have too much money -- it's simply that I'm realistic about the ability to identify any form of lost cash.
Notifying the store that you found a lost item and leaving your cell phone number is certainly a reasonable step. If I lost cash, I would probably contact the store and leave my number on the off-chance that they could connect us. But realistically? I would never have been carrying a $100 bill in the first place. I'm not even sure how one would acquire one, other than going inside a bank and explicitly requesting a large bill.
I'm not a financial advisor, I just play one on the Internet.
How much does it have to be to become dishonest?
$500?
$5,000?
$10,000?
I would probably keep the $10,000 bill, but I would turn in the other two. Does that answer the Q?
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“The CMH-the Cost Matters Hypothesis -is all that is needed to explain why indexing must and will work… Yes, it is that simple.” John C. Bogle
It was only a matter of time until Wal Mart started sourcing cash from China. Probably sells for $49.99 in a bulk pack :lol
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A well-planned presentation creates a sense of urgency. If the prospect fails to act now, he will risk a loss of some sort.
Fwiw, the new MEGAWALLYWORLDS have front end (register area) survailance rivaling the casinos. I was short changed a buck or two, It was all on film, and the employee relived. For how long, I do not know.
After paying for a meal recently, I realized the cashier had given me back an extra dollar bill. When I approached her with the "I gave you a 20 and you gave me back...speech" she bristled visibly as if ready for a confrontation. It took her a minute to realize I was being honest.
While Walmart has all sorts of customers, a significant fraction of those shopping at Walmart cannot afford the loss of $100.
Back when I was severely limited in my discretionary spending, I lost a $20 bill. I had budgeted to buy myself a much needed new pair of jeans with that money; the couple of pairs I owned were becoming very worn out and it would be a while before I could afford such a luxury again. It still hurts to think back upon that loss, and I don't think I will ever be so rich that I forget how much that $20 was worth to me. So it gladdens my heart to see someone doing the right thing.
nonnie wrote:I find it quite interesting that many of the posters advocating the OP should have kept the $100 use rationalizations such as-- salvage rights, finders keepers (haven't heard that since the 4th grade), the person who dropped the bill won't return, Walmart employees will steal it, etc.
To those folks- what would you want a fellow American who found the $100 you dropped to do? If you answer pocket it or give it to charity, you may have too much money for your own good. How about The Silver Rule, "Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you"?
If I've lost it, it's no longer my money to worry about what's being done with it. I find it amusing to read the philosophical arguments about $100 on this forum given that most of us gain or lose thousands of bucks on investments in a month doing nothing but sitting on our hands and saving the money to begin with. But taking cold hard cash on the floor that was dropped by who knows-- profiting from that would be terrible!
Acts of honesty are appreciated, and I've been the recipient more than once:
I was out of state last year and I left my wallet containing about $1600 (!) cash, my only id, and all my credit cards at a Costco food court seat. Arriving 50 miles away at my hotel with no way to check in (or fly back home the next day), I called Costco and asked them if anyone turned anything in or if it was found in the parking lot. Nope.
My wife thought I was crazy for driving back anyway. I did, arrived 1 minute before closing, and it was there waiting in their safe for me, the manager commented that I should have listed my cell # in my membership account because all they could get ahold of was my business number. (They didn't give me grief for having a Sams membership card either.)
Any attempt at reward as refused. I did fedex a leter to corporate insisting that they give the employee a promotion and a paid day off, even if I had to foot the bill.
Years ago I was walking into a lobby of a highrise building, with a door to a bank by some elevators in the lobby. As myself and another guy I knew walked over to the elevator, we both noticed an envelope about the same time. Neither of us dove for it or anything, since we both just figured it was some garbage. I happen to be the one that picked it up... Inside was $3500. I was about 24 at the time, broke with tons of bills, and killing myself at a dead end job. I'm not going to lie... I thought very seriously about walking out. The guy with me said I should turn it into the bank, since that's probably where it came from. My thinking at the time was that the building was full of lawyers and other well paid profesionals, and anybody who would so carelessly drop $3500 in cash, had to A. Be a moron. And B. Obviously not have too much concern about money. Before I could even consider it, the other guy snatched it out of my hand and gave it to some security guy standing inside the door. Last I ever saw of it. Hopefully the bank looked to see who took out $3500. I probably would have eventually gotten around to taking it in there, but it would have been nice to think about it a while.
Had to scroll through over 100 replies to see how things worked out. I've been on the receiving end a few times, and it always made ms feel good to know there are honest people.
Once I had an ATM machine atma gas station give me an extra $20. I brought it to the cashier thinking, "yeah right, they'll just pocket it but whatever.". Turns out the person before me was very upset they got shorted their $20. However, the cashier couldn't do anything about it. They called the person and they got their $20. I felt pretty good about that.
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"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
How is keeping $100 you find on the floor in walmart different from finding a cell phone someone has dropped, deciding it is nicer than yours and keeping it?
Do the right thing and return either one best as you can.
Glad to hear owner got their $100 back.
I'm pretty sure their relief was greater than any feeling of happiness I might have if I were so inclined as to pocket the money.
We live a world with knowledge of the future markets has less than one significant figure. And people will still and always demand answers to three significant digits.
ShiftF5 wrote:I phoned the Walmart Asset Protection Mgr. today to follow up on the $100 bill I turned in about 1 month ago.
He told me the customer had returned just hours after I found the $$ to claim their lost $100 bill.
So there you go...all is well.
Thank you all for your ideas, comments, and creative suggestions.
Glad to hear the money and its owner were reunited.
was there a thank you involved? it would have been a nice gesture...
I found a credit card outside a local pharmacy. I was going in to pick something up and I asked if they had a customer with the name that was on the card. they called the customer and confirmed the card was indeed just dropped. not that I would have knocked off a couple of thousand bucks in purchases, but I did feel a thank you from the store or follow up by the card holder would have been nice. if nothing else (because CC companies usually do not bill their customers for phony purchases) I saved them the trouble of cancelling the card and contesting fraudulent use if someone else found and abused the card.
Don't it always seem to go * That you don't know what you've got * Till it's gone
This exact scenario happened to me when I was 12 years old (28 now) at a grocery store. Told my mom, we took it to the manager who held it for 30 days. After 3 weeks they called me and said I could have it. Pretty sweet!
Last year I walked up to the ATM at costco and realized that the guy in front of me had never even gotten his cash (distracted by a child). He had moved a pretty good distance within the store, but fortunately I kinda remembered what he looked like, and was able to chase him down, ask him if he had just been using the ATM, and return his cash. It was a couple hundred bucks.
Of course, that was easy because I could fairly well track down the person who left the cash.
My first reaction was that the odds of returning the $100 to its owner were so remote that turning the bill in wouldn't be worth it. Wallets/purses have identifying information, but I would assume that a $100 bill would simply never be linked back to its owner. I would probably have kept it. And if I lost a $100 bill, I would miss it, but would probably just assume that I would never recover it.
But this thread has convinced me that even a misplaced bill can be reunited with its owner. It's not often that the internet makes me less cynical and more optimistic. But if I ever see a $100 bill on the ground (hasn't happened yet), I will put some effort into reuniting it with its owner.
I'm still keeping the lost pennies I find on the sidewalk, though.
nonnie wrote:If you answer pocket it or give it to charity, you may have too much money for your own good.
I find it amusing to read the philosophical arguments about $100 on this forum given that most of us gain or lose thousands of bucks on investments in a month !
This whole experience of finding and turning in the $100 put in motion so many unexpected positive vibes that would not have been possible had I just pocketed the $$.
1. I felt good about turning it in.
2. The rightful owner got their $$ back.
3. The topic has given numerous Bogleheads a chance to share their views and similar experiences (which I have thoroughly enjoyed).
4. I now have a running joke with many of my friends and co-workers about me finding cash everywhere I go (I wish).
And this one means the most to me...last night our extended family gathered at my elderly mother's house for a birthday dinner where around the dinner table I was able to share my story of the $100 bill at Walmart. After several comments from other family members, my 84 year old mother looked up from her dinner plate and with a tear in her eye and a smile on her face said "your father would be so proud". (dad passed away 14 years ago)
Rodc wrote:How is keeping $100 you find on the floor in walmart different from finding a cell phone someone has dropped, deciding it is nicer than yours and keeping it?
Do the right thing and return either one best as you can.
It's different because a cellphone probably has a number programmed in it that you can dial to easily reach somebody who knows the owner. Cash sitting on the floor dropped by some unidentifiable person isn't easily "returnable." For all we know the asset protection manager put the $100 in his pocket and then recites the same nice story to everybody who follows up.
For me its all about karma. Around 25 years ago one Christmas Eve, I found an unopened pay packet on a ledge by a checkout and handed it in knowing someone would have a miserable Christmas if I didn't. Lo and behold, the owner came to my house on Boxing Day with a small gift to thank me. Equally, I was travelling once and stopped by a store just outside the airport in Naples Italy where I left my hand luggage with passport, money, everything! I didn't notice until I arrived at my destination an hour drive away ...but when I called the store, someone had handed it in. I went the next day to collect it and it was intact.
Thats not to say I haven't had ungrateful SOBs whose iPhones I have returned to them and not even received a simple Thank You - but I know it will bite them on the ass sometime in the future, meanwhile I get to wear the crown. Its all good.
OP here -- I called the Walmart store 30 days later(as instructed) as was told "the customer" had come in a couple hours after I turned in the $100 bill and claimed it.
Alls well that ends well.
Last edited by ShiftF5 on Sun Feb 08, 2015 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Some months ago we were at a plant nursery looking at plants and bushes and about the time we were going to leave, I saw a twenty dollar bill on the ground, with no one around. I picked it up and took it to the attendant who was walking around and he said he had lost it (I'm guessing it was a tip for loading a car), and he thanked me and invited me to take a plant for free.
You ever see those TV shows where they do things like have an actor "lose" $100 and then record the scene with hidden cameras?
In situations like the OP's, I just imagine how I'd feel if it was all one of those sorts of set-ups. Would I feel ashamed or proud to see the playback of what I did on national television?
This reminds me of a young woman who found $2800 in a bank envelope in the snow outside of McDonald's. She was able to return it and was on local TV and the story picked up around the state. I would say there were blessings, good karma, or whatever you want to call it because she did the right thing. http://www.startribune.com/local/235414241.html
An older relative left her purse at an interstate restaurant shop. When she inquired she was thrilled to know that someone had turned it in; she was able to pick it up on her return home.
Old thread but it just so happens I have dropped a wallet, a debit card, and a check book at Walmart, and also left my purse in the shopping cart out in the parking lot, at Walmart, and all were promptly turned in to the customer service desk by customers.
This thread having been resurrected, and my not having read all of it, but my having recently participated in the efficient market hypothesis says that which it clearly does not say exchanges, may I only suggest that OP couldn't have found a $100 bill on the floor at Walmart, because if there were any, economists from Target would have picked them up, carried them back, and then dropped them on their own sales floors.
PJW
Last edited by Phineas J. Whoopee on Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I probably would wait a bit to see if anyone returned in a panic mode (for most people, even with a good income, dropping $100 is at least somewhat of a "big" deal). If not I would just keep it given the low probability of however lost it ever getting it back. You have just as much of "right" to that found money as the assistant manager has.
This is not to say I believe in "finders keepers" because if I have a reasonable guess where the money came from I will return
ie I have
-on multiple occasions been "overpaid" by a cashier (somes cases it was just bad math, other times bills stuck together). Every single time this happens I go back to the cashier and give the money back to them.
-on multiple occasions I have found wallets, in one case it obviously had a significant amount of cash (I have no idea if the bills were $1 or $100- because I did not check- but the wallet was overstuffed with cash). I always return those to the lost and found or appropriate party.
So yes I would return the money if I believed there was a reasonable chance the rightful owner would be able to claim it.