What would you have done?

[Fiel]

Yup, real life story. This happened to me.

I wanted to cash my refund check from college. I also had to pay rent that day. My refund check was $1100. My rent was $550 (Yeah, rent is high here). I wanted to withdraw $580, pay rent, and still have a little extra fun money for myself.

I went to XYZ bank. The teller greeted me and I presented her with an evelope. Inside the envelope was the following: (1) The refund check, (2) My deposit slip stating that I wanted $580 back and wanted to deposit $520, and (3) a post-it note stating in what denominations I wanted my cash back and asked her to put the money in the envelope I'd given her.

She studiously went to work. After a few minutes, she handed me back the envelope with the deposit receipt and the cash inside. I thanked her and went to my car. I drove off.

When I got to a stoplight a few blocks from home (XYZ bank is only an 8 minute drive from my house), I counted out the money. I counted $600 cash back. I counted again. $600. Again. $600. She had given me too much. I checked the deposit receipt, and she had deposited $520 into my account. This was clearly an error on the teller's part.

What would you do? Take the money back or keep it?

Click me if you want to find out what happened.

I don't work on a sliding rule system like most people. This is money for which I am not entitled. I take it back.

I went back to XYZ bank and asked to speak to a manager. The teller, having recognized me, tried to intercept me before the manager came out of his office. But the manager was a bit too quick. I asked to speak to the manager in his office. The manager ordered the teller back to her post.

In the office, I told him what had happened and that I wanted to "make things right". I never explicitly stated that I wanted to give back the $20, since, in most firms, the customer is always right and he would have taken it had I said I wanted to do that. Hey, I'd like that money for myself too.

Surprisingly, the manager told me to keep the money. He said to just consider it a bank error in my favor. Had I not said anything, they would have contacted me about the error and deducted the missing portion from my account. However, since I was honest enough to bring it back, he told me to keep it.

I thanked him and left. I don't know what happened to the teller. Hope it wasn't anything too harsh.

[aznegglover]

Hey, free lunch.

[Katie]

I think I would of returned it. I would feel bad if she got in trouble because her drawer wasn't the correct amount. But then again, its only $20. Not like its $200.

[RahlsSoldier]

Bring it back. The teller made a mistake and at the end of the day, most banks will discover which teller lost the money and take it as a deduction off of their paycheck. It's always nice to recieve an extra $20, but its not fair that she lose it from her salary.

[Venison!]

I didn't work at a bank but I worked at a grocery and if our tills were anything over $10 short, we were penalized.

Idk, maybe she was new and needs to learn her lesson, maybe she was just...zoning out. I wouldn't take it but I don't think it's necessarily wrong if someone else would.

[Hazzy]

Keeping it wouldn't have any real drawbacks, would it? You wouldn't get in trouble, ect.
Either way, I'd probably return it anyway. :>

[Fiel]

What if it was larger? Say $40 or $80?

[Hazzy]

Unless I really needed it, I'd probably return it still. I'm very suspectable(sp?) to guilt. </3

[Katie]

I would for sure take it back if it was a larger amount. That could be a couple hours pay for her.

[RahlsSoldier]

Even more of a reason to bring it back. The more that's missing, the more of a chance that she may lose her job. Unfortunately, banks also have a separate database that identifies people who have 'stolen' from jobs and can't be trusted with money. If she was thus branded, she would have a tough couple of years ahead while she tried to find a new career.

[Mashi]

If its 20$-, I would keep it. But anything over 40$ I would return.

[Epsilon]

I would have taken it back, dunno im not that materialistic when it comes down to it.

[Kawasari Mimoto]

The larger the amount, the more "right" of a decision it would have been on your part to return it. Now if it was only 5-10 dollars, not a biggie. But the higher the amount, the more of importance, I would think.

Human nature tells us to keep it, but morally, the right thing to do would be to return it. Since that's 20 dollars, and maybe to others, it's not a lot. But to me, the average part-time person works 3 hours to make 21 dollars, so that's 3 hours of free money for you, right? I'd return it. =|

EDIT: Not sure if you believe in "karma" either, but if you do good things, you will receive good things in return. I don't necessarily believe in it, but I'm just throwing it out there for people to think about..

[GMSInfighter]

Well you did the right thing.

Now go treat yourself to a nice 5 Dollar footlong and enjoy it :D

[RahlsSoldier]

Definately think you did the right thing. But, I'm not sure if the bank would be able to deduct that amount from your account. I know that sometimes I watch the teller count out my money and I then have the envelope sealed and given to my university. If both the teller and I missed the extra, say in this case, $20, then why would it be fair to deduct it from my account?

Anyways, I'm glad you went back to see the bank manager.

[Myles]

$20 is nothing for me.

I would have kept it.

If it was over, $100, I would have returned it.

Seriously, little things under $100 have little or no impact on the banks, so they should be more careful. Anything over $100 and I would feel guilty.

[Cyadd]

I would have taken it back. I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night if that would have happened.

[Wani]

I'd have taken it back. I've had arguments with cashiers before that they gave me too much change :P Although I'd have just gone back to the teller.

[xLeviathan]

I'd definitely take it back.
As a cashier, I know it sucks when your till has +/- the wrong amount.

[blitzkrieg]

I'd have definitely taken it back. It's not the bank that would be suffering from the mistake, but the teller, because in a lot of cases they deduct the money loss from the paycheck of the one who's at fault.