Lost & Found question

[Diva1981]

Hi, I'm not sure where to post this exactly so I figured under tips & tricks would be the best?? If not, please direct me to the proper board..Thanks!

Anyhow, we're currently in WDW and I was wondering if anyone could tell me the "proper" thing to do next (if at all) because I'm being told so many different things.

My DD (7) found a VERY large sum of cash (compared to the usual few bucks, even the rare $20 spot! haha) in one of the parks a few days ago. Large enough that it pretty well could have (and did) ruin the average persons trip. I'm talking 4 digits. We did the right thing and put it into lost & found with all of our info.

Now, heres the thing. I'm having CM's tell us that if it isn't claimed by the last day of our trip that we should go claim it ourselves. One CM told us all it will do is sit on a shelf for years & years & years. Another told us all lost cash goes to random charities after so many months. Then, another CM chimed in on that same convo and said that it goes to no such thing that it just basically rots. Out of the 10+ CM's spoken to about this, all but 1 have told us to claim it ourselves on our last day.

Not that we feel entitled to this money, but I am VERY certain you all feel where I'm coming from with this. If we were to claim it, it is my daughters, and all but maybe $100 will go into her college fund. So it isn't even that I see it as me personally winning a pretty decent shopping spree or anything.

As of our last visit to this park (we've been here a week, have another week to go) this cash has not been claimed. All CM's spoken to have said, 99.99% of the time cash is never claimed and if it isn't claimed on the first day, the chance of being claimed is even lower.

I have mixed emotions on this...I lost my very expensive DSLR on one of our trips (worth less than the amount of this cash, but just to give you a general clue, my camera is worth $2400 with the lens I had on when I lost it!) and I got it back. Obviously I knew it was missing the same day. I'm sure this person KNOWS they lost this cash...but if they have not claimed it yet, will they ever?! Everyone keeps telling me that this person has probably just assumed the worst has happened and whoever found it did not turn it in. So.....what would YOU do??

 

[Tricia's mom]

That's a tough one....

Goes to show you... If you loose something no matter what it is.... You hold check lost and found...


Was it just cash ... No wallet or anything ? That would seem odd that someone would carry around that much cash loose.

I would feel weird claiming it... Would you be lying that it was yours ??? Or because no one claimed it it is yours ????

I hate to say it but sometimes it's just paying it forward....put this one in your karma bank. Maybe you need to contact a higher up cm.

I would not judge you for whatever your choice might be.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would suggest calling the main switchboard at 407-824-2222 and asking for Central Lost and Found. I think their hours are 9 to 5 daily. They are the ones who handle this and they can be the ones to give you the correct answer.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You sure spent a lot of time researching this by asking 10 or more CM what would happen to the money all for something that you should just turn it in and forget about it. Which is the right thing.

 

[Disgirl17]

I would claim it at the end of the trip and donate it to give kids the world. There is no way I would keep it and or spend it on myself since it wasn't mine to begin with.

 

[Diva1981]

You sure spent a lot of time researching this by asking 10 or more CM what would happen to the money all for something that you should just turn it in and forget about it. Which is the right thing.

I didn't spend a lot of time researching it. When we walked into guest relations and my daughter handed the CM the money and we explained the situation, all of the CM's came over to congratulate her for being such an honest person, etc. Then we were given a few magic moment coupons for free ice cream, and a small stack of fast passes to use on any ride we chose. When we redeemed the magic moment coupons for ice cream, we were asked about it, prompting the conversation again. But that is neither here nor there. The snark is pretty unwarranted though.

There was no wallet or anything else with it. It was just bills. We stayed in the place it was found and asked people in the immediate area as soon as she handed it to us. I stayed for a good 45 minutes hoping to see someone frantically frisking themselves.

A manager called us yesterday on my cell phone while we were wandering around MK and the whole situation is handled. We are to put in a claim for the money on our last day and it is ours. Otherwise it just goes and sits in a room because WDW is not allowed to do anything else with it besides literally throw it away. This was direct from a pretty high up manager.

 

[noahdove]

I applaud your daughter I would check back every so many days to see if it's been claimed. Maybe whoever claims it will want your phone # to thank you for being so honest. If not, claim it and leave all information again in case someone comes later to claim it...and then you can return it...good luck

 

[LSchrow]

I would suggest calling the main switchboard at 407-824-2222 and asking for Central Lost and Found. I think their hours are 9 to 5 daily. They are the ones who handle this and they can be the ones to give you the correct answer.

i know this is a rather old thread, but the info is still valid.
and i wanted to give cheshire figment a big THANK YOU!!
i came home on 10/15, to find my cosmetic bag with pricey Studio Gear brushes (a couple hundred $ worth), missing.
after searching everything (repeatedly), i remembered this thread, called the # CF listed, and it was at the BW L&F!! they are sending it out.

if CF hadn't posted this, i doubt i would have ever gotten them back - THANK YOU again!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

i know this is a rather old thread, but the info is still valid.
and i wanted to give cheshire figment a big THANK YOU!!
i came home on 10/15, to find my cosmetic bag with pricey Studio Gear brushes (a couple hundred $ worth), missing.
after searching everything (repeatedly), i remembered this thread, called the # CF listed, and it was at the BW L&F!! they are sending it out.

if CF hadn't posted this, i doubt i would have ever gotten them back - THANK YOU again!

Glad to have helped you out. You will get my bill for services rendered in the mail.

 

[LSchrow]

Glad to have helped you out. You will get my bill for services rendered in the mail.

ahhhh, but do you think i would have posted unless i knew CMs couldn't take tips?

again, thank you sooooo very much - the bag arrived today (i really wanted to refuse the package & mark it "return to sender", but the box was waaay too small for me to fit into)