Lost Property, what usually happens to it?

[phil35]

I stupidly left my backpack on a Transpennine Express train yesterday evening. I rang the TPE lost property number this morning, and I got a reference number, and they said if I haven't heard back in two weeks, then they haven't found it.

The contents of the backpack weren't valuable in any way, it was just full of things that are just an inconvenience to lose.

The service in question departed Manchester Piccadilly yesterday at 17.20, and it's final destination was Cleethorpes. I alighted at Sheffield. I wondered if anyone has any idea at what point the backpack was likely to be found by a staff member (assuming a passenger didn't take it)? Would it be possible to find out what other journeys that specific unit I left my bag would have done for the rest of yesterday? Maybe it would have been found upon arrival at Cleethorpes? Or if there was a quick turn around, maybe at somewhere like Manchester Airport? Or the final destination station of the train yesterday evening?

If there are any guards on here, what do you do with any lost luggage you find? Do you give it to the a station's lost property at the moment you find it (in my case, maybe Cleethorpes), or do you keep hold of it? I don't mind ringing around a few places, so it would be helpful if you could point me in the right direct of the people / stations I should contact where it may have turned up? I'm sure TPE Lost Property do a decent job of reuniting people to their luggage, but she gave the impressions that someone would have to contact her about finding my bag, and then she'd let me know. I'd rather be a bit more proactive and actually try my best to get it back!

Thanks for any help or advise.

 

[Talbot]

A common error btw, happens almost everyday. I know that we have specific instructions re left property, company policy is to hand it in to lost property office at end of journey, I have handed in wallets, umpteen phones and even Christmas presents. No way would any guard or train staff take it upon themselves to keep any items found, our job is based on trust and honesty.

 

[phil35]

Oops, I actually meant keep hold of it until you get chance to hand it to a central property office, I didn't actually mean steal it.

 

[142094]

Really quite hard to say in these situations, sometimes a passenger will notice and hand it in straight away, other times it might be found by the guard at the end of the journey and either taken to a central storage location or left with the ticket office (TOC dependent). GNER (and I presume NXEC and East Coast) used to send lost property to one station, IIRC Newark.

However, there is always the possibility that the less than savoury elements of society have seen it as an easy picking and it will floting around somewhere with no chance of return.

 

[mullin]

I've good experience of dealing with transpennine and lost property. Left some stuff on a train that departed Manc Picc for Hull (I think) on a bank holiday Monday a while back. Phone support was useless on the day, but I got to speak to someone at Huddersfield station where my items were taken on the Tuesday who explained it generally takes a couple of days to reach them.

I left my name, number and a description of what I'd left behind and received a phone call back on the Wednesday saying they'd found it and I could collect it or have it posted back to me.

 

[W.Tregurtha]

They don't always seem to put much effort into contacting the owners. I left a hat on a train that I got off from at New Milton a few months ago. In the inside of the hat was my name and mobile telephone number. Several calls to lost property resulted in a negative response. Last week I received a telephone call from a young lady.
"Is that Warwick?"
"Yes"
"Have you lost a hat?"
"Why yes, I left one on a train at the beginning of October".
"I've just bought a box of hats from an auction and your hat was in there, I noticed your name and telephone number inside".

So why couldn't the lost property office have done that? This is why everything that I take with me on my job is labelled with my name and mobile telephone number. Hat, coat, bag.

 

[O L Leigh]

Most TOCs have a central lost property office. The problem is that once an item has been found and identified as "lost" it can take a few days to find it's way back to the central office, especially if the service is late at night or at the weekend. Therefore it may take a few days yet before FTPE can confirm whether or not your backpack has been found and where you might be able to collect it from.

I wouldn't be climbing the walls just yet. Barely 24 hours have passed since you lost your property and, as it was the weekend, it probably hasn't started it's journey back from wherever it ended up. It may not have been found until Cleethorpes and, in that case, it may still be there. I doubt it would have found it's way back to the depot or stabling point with the train, as items are usually identified and removed before the train leaves as ECS. It may be inconvenient to be without your possessions, but unless you absolutely cannot manage without them I wouldn't start making any sort of fuss until the end of the week. Alternatively, if the contents of your backpack really are that important it might be worth pestering FTPE and whichever TOC manages Cleethorpes station itself (Northern...?) and asking them to contact the station supervisor to check. At least if you know your bag has been found you can wait for it to come back to you.

HTH

O L Leigh

 

[wintonian]

Don't forget the charges and the cost of a train ticket to whichever station the lost property office is located at! - This is likely to be cheaper for TOC's that don't serve London (unless you live in or near London) as most seem to have LP offices at the London Terminal. Also you have 3 months to reclaim it before it's either sold, beamed into space or otherwise disposed of.

Charges for retrieval, storage and return of lost property

The Operator can decide whether to charge the owner (or finder where appropriate) for retrieval and storage of lost property.

If an Operator decides to have a charging policy, charges will be based on the type of article or period of time during which it has been stored before it is claimed.

Charges for storage, retrieval and return of lost property to the owner or finder must be prominently displayed at the Lost Property Office or, in the case of stations without a designated LPO where a lost property service is provided, at an appropriate location visible to customers.

The following are maximum charges that Operators can make for storage, retrieval and return of lost property. For storage charges, owners/finders must not be charged more than £1 per 24-hour period.
Charges for retrieval/return of lost property

BAND A
£20 Charge


Laptop computers, video cameras

BAND B
£10 Charge


Mobile telephones, pagers, compact CD players

BAND C
£3 Charge


Jewellery Items, watches, cameras, cycles, clothing Items, suitcases, rucksacks, briefcases, Filofaxes, musical Instruments, skis, surfboards

BAND D
£2 Charge


Umbrellas, gloves/scarves/hats, spectacles, keys, reading books, prams/pushchairs, all other Items
Charges for storage of lost property

£1 per 24-hour period


Laptop computers video cameras, mobile telephones, pagers, compact cd players, skis, surfboards, prams/pushchairs, cycles

50p per 24-hour period


Jewellery items, watches, cameras, clothing items, suitcases, rucksacks, briefcases, Filofaxes, musical instruments, umbrellas, gloves/scarves/hats, spectacles, keys, reading books, all other items

To protect the owner/finder from incurring storage and retrieval charges out of proportion to the value of the item, the total charge must reflect the item value as follows:

For items within Bands A & B


total charge not to exceed £25

For items within Band C


total charge not to exceed £15

For items within Band D


total charge not to exceed £5

Where a bag, briefcase or other container is reclaimed, the charge payable for retrieval of both the container and its contents will be limited to the higher of the two charges eg. briefcase containing laptop computer, the laptop computer charge applies.

The charge for returning lost property to the owner/finder (eg. postage) is to be borne by the owner/finder and is in addition to storage and retrieval charges.

Charges for refunding cash found:

To the Owner:
Where it is an Operator's policy to charge, items of cash will be subject to an administration charge of £2·00 minimum or 10% of the amount found, up to a maximum of £10 (see below).
To the Finder:
Where it is an Operator's policy to charge, three months after the cash was found, (or the owner contacted if applicable), the finder may claim the cash found subject to an administration charge of £2 minimum or 10% of the amount found, up to a maximum of £10 (see below).
Where cash is found within lost property, it shall be charged at the higher rate, either the charge for the item of lost property or the amount found whichever is the greater (where it is an Operator’s policy to charge).

 

[causton]

I left my camera on a train at Clapham Junction (an Overground train). The members of staff there told me to go to the ticket office. I looked at the (off-duty) member of SWT staff I was with (no prizes for guessing who!) who instead said to ignore them and go to the manager's office on platform 10. They managed to stop the train at West Brompton, two stops down the line, and search it, and even before then it had been taken by somebody in less than five minutes. I have not heard anything since from TfL lost property so there was no chance of somebody getting to it before the guard did to hand it in! (I went straight to Wimbledon Argos to find a new one)

...
However most times I see FCC on Twitter respond to somebody complaining that they've lost something, I then see a tweet a few days later reporting it as found/returned to them don't give up hope!

 

[jon0844]

FCC called me to say they had my BlackBerry a few years back. Never expected that to be handed in!

Most likely found by staff but I wasn't told. Not sure they knew, or could tell me.

 

[phil35]

Is there any point in asking a TPE staff member at Manchester Piccadilly later today, or will they absolutely have no idea? I live really close to the station so that isn't an issue. I appreciate it could take some time for my bag to get to the central lost property office of TPE, so I'm happy to wait until the end if the week. But by any chance does anyone know which station the TPE central lost property department is located at?

 

[jon0844]

It should say on their website somewhere.

 

[wintonian]

It appears you need to contact them to discover the location of the 'central location'

TPE lost property 0845 600 1672, 07:00 - 22:00 M- F (21:00 at weekends), tpecustomer.relations@firstgroup.com or Admail 3878 FREEPOST, Manchester, M1 9YB.

 

[jon0844]

Hmm. Why the secrecy?!

Here's the page on the FCC website; https://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/customer-care/lost-property/

Could it be this? http://www.118.com/merchant/railway-station/manchester/594615-transpennine-express-lost-property

 

[wintonian]

Hmm. Why the secrecy?!

Here's the page on the FCC website; https://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/customer-care/lost-property/

It's in Huddersfield apparently.

Could it be this? http://www.118.com/merchant/railway-station/manchester/594615-transpennine-express-lost-property

That's the head office

 

[142094]

They don't always seem to put much effort into contacting the owners. I left a hat on a train that I got off from at New Milton a few months ago. In the inside of the hat was my name and mobile telephone number. Several calls to lost property resulted in a negative response. Last week I received a telephone call from a young lady.
"Is that Warwick?"
"Yes"
"Have you lost a hat?"
"Why yes, I left one on a train at the beginning of October".
"I've just bought a box of hats from an auction and your hat was in there, I noticed your name and telephone number inside".

So why couldn't the lost property office have done that? This is why everything that I take with me on my job is labelled with my name and mobile telephone number. Hat, coat, bag.

Your responsibility to look after your own belongings - imagine if they had to trawl through every single piece of lost property and try and get hold of the owners, and how much time that would take.

 

[W.Tregurtha]

Your responsibility to look after your own belongings - imagine if they had to trawl through every single piece of lost property and try and get hold of the owners, and how much time that would take.

"Your responsibility....."
Tell me something that I don't know friend. We all make mistakes from time to time, I cannot imagine that you've got to what ever point in your life that you've reached without making an error somewhere. Perfection simply doesn't exist. To re-iterate, I marked my hat with my name and mobile telephone number. Surely, when someone hands in the item of property it's standard practice for the item to be looked at for such a piece of information. As I stated in my original post, if the person acquiring my hat as a job lot can find that information and telephone me, why can't the lost property office? It's not really rocket engineering is it?

 

[jon0844]

It might have been missed, as I am pretty sure they'll look at most items that come in. I doubt they just chuck everything in a box, as they have to log it properly so that people can call in and describe what they've lost.

I know this because that's how FCC called me to say they had my BlackBerry. I didn't even bother to contact lost property because I wasn't sure where I lost it and didn't think I'd ever get it back. I was very surprised and, obviously, very happy and really wanted to know who had handed it in to say thank you.

Over the years I've found many things (mobile phones, purses etc) and always handed them in - or, if I could, contacted the owner myself.

 

[londonbridge]

Over the years I've found many things (mobile phones, purses etc) and always handed them in - or, if I could, contacted the owner myself.

Indeed,if I find something that's obviously been lost or left behind the first thing I do is look for clues as to the owner. In my first job as a supermarket troley boy I found a handbag that a customer had left in the trolley. Had a look inside and found the owners ID. She only lived about six-seven minutes from the store,it was evening and not very busy so I spoke to my supervisor and said I could run it round to the lady's house quickly. Took it round,the lady thanked me then several days later I was given a box of chocolates and a letter of thanks which she'd bought into the store.

 

[phil35]

I still haven't heard back from TPE. I asked a TPE customer service guy tonight at Piccadilly, and he just suggested checking at left luggage place on platform 10. I did that, and they didn't have it. He also said there's a chance it might still be in Cleethorpes, but didn't have any way for me to contact them. Anyone have any ideas how I could contact Cleethorpes station? Or is it just looking like a lost cause?

 

[12CSVT]

Is there any point in asking a TPE staff member at Manchester Piccadilly later today, or will they absolutely have no idea?

If you have already reported it to lost property, it is always best to deal with them.

Approaching a member of staff at random would be a complete waste of time, as the chances of them having any knowledge of your item of lost property is next to nil (unless by fluke he/she happened to be the lost property clerk who happened to be on duty at the time you reported your item missing).

 

[142094]

"Your responsibility....."
Tell me something that I don't know friend. We all make mistakes from time to time, I cannot imagine that you've got to what ever point in your life that you've reached without making an error somewhere. Perfection simply doesn't exist. To re-iterate, I marked my hat with my name and mobile telephone number. Surely, when someone hands in the item of property it's standard practice for the item to be looked at for such a piece of information. As I stated in my original post, if the person acquiring my hat as a job lot can find that information and telephone me, why can't the lost property office? It's not really rocket engineering is it?

I'm not saying I don't make mistakes, but can't remember the last time I left something behind on public transport.

However, what I will say is that I have worked with staff in the past who themselves deal with the logging and collection of lost property. The amount of items that are left behind on trains or stations is truely staggering, and that is every day of the week. You name it and I've seen it. Sometimes I struggle to think how someone can leave behind things ranging in value such as a £900 mountain bike, to false teeth. Processing all these items takes is time consuming, each one having to have its own place on a shelf, logged onto the computer and the database checked to see if someone has phoned it in. Perishables are normally thrown away that day, and I know of TOCs where credit and debit cards are automatically shredded so they cannot be used by fraudsters.

Now imagine having to look through everything for a name, address or phone number. Imagine having to phone or write to each person telling them they've left something behind, or inevitably not getting an answer or reply. Unrealistic. 90% of the time the things that are left behind are never collected, so most people cannot be that bothered about what they lose.

 

[jon0844]

Most people probably don't expect it to be found and stored, and simply write it off.

 

[DelayRepay]

I once had a wheel chair handed into Lost Property at an old workplace. It was never claimed. Which was odd.

 

[AlexS]

Things like hats, gloves, scarfs and umbrellas are left behind in their 10s or even 100s every day - I would imagine they get chucked in the small items box after a cursory log. It's only higher value items where it's worth the time it takes to have a more detailed look at them. I'm afraid I certainly wouldn't go through the inside of a hat to see if there was any contact details in it, I'd take it in to my office for safe keeping at the time and run it over to the control room for logging when I have a chance to do so.

I've found all sorts of things on platforms, from umbrellas, to a folder with someone's application for asylum and original documentation in it, to a wallet with $1000 dollars near enough in it, and the usual phones, Ipods etc.

Everything will be kept if we find it before a thief does, but only wallets etc will get a detailed look through to see if there's any cash, ID or contact details in them.

If you get in contact with us to say you've let it then you can generally come and pick it up in person or we'll put it on the train to the nearest convenient station served by our TOC for you to collect. We generally don't even bother charging an admin fee, although we reserve the right to.

 

[Sadsmileyface]

My common practice with found mobiles was to check the phone book for "mum" or something to let them pass the message to the owner to pick it up from the station. Most people didn't even realise they'd lost a phone. Saves both them and me the hassle of sending or taking or dealing with the lost property office.

 

[phil35]

Okay, I rang TPE Lost Property back earlier today, and this woman was much more helpful than the previous woman. She rang Cleethorpes for me, and it turns out that by the sounds of it, my bag is there! However, she also said that there is no way for Cleethorpes to get send my bag to me. I'm pretty disappointed with this, as I live in Manchester, and with Manchester being such a large station I assumed this would be possible. She said that I can arrange for someone to pick it up for me, but I don't know anyone anywhere near there. Also, with the lack of direct Manchester to Cleethorpes trains due to the landslide thing, it makes travelling there myself an absolute hassle with numerous changes and a very long travel time (not forgetting the cost of the ticket).

I was therefore wondering, on the off chance that anyone reading this might live in Cleethorpes, if anyone would be able to pick my bag up for me, wrap it up and send it to me? I'll obviously cover delivery costs and throw in a bit extra for the effort. PM me if anyone is interested and we can go from there. I must stress, there are no valuables in my bag at all, just a couple of Christmas presents that I'd quite like back, so its not worth the effort of stealing it.

Sorry to have to ask questions like this on the forum, but I didn't know where else to ask!

Thanks guys.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I just rang TPE lost property up again. I wanted to be put through to Cleethorpes station so that I can chat with someone there to arrange for them to either send me it in the post or put it on a train. The woman wasn't budging though. Apparently, insurance reasons prevent staff from posting or putting on a train any lost property. I explained I don't know anyone near Cleethorpes to pick it up for me, I don't drive, and that it currently takes 3.5 hours on a train to get there (one way) from Manchester (where I live), but she was having none of it.

Am I being fobbed off, or is she right? Already people have posted in this thread saying how usually lost property ends up being taken to a central lost property depot, so I already think she was lying.

 

[jon0844]

Sadly, I think you'll have to either go there and collect or just write it off. Given the sizes of some items found and stored, I guess it's not easy to offer to post things - although it might something to suggest to the TOC. I'd expect them to charge quite a bit though (certainly more than the basic cost of posting and packaging) and most people would simply not want to pay and go and collect.

Is lost property open on weekends? Can you not organise a trip there, which includes picking up your bag at the same time?