Forgot item in restaurant

Chance The Fapper

Hi all,

Last night was out for dinner with a large group in a restaurant off Grafton Street. Service was really bad in general, took an hour and a half to get food, but we got a discount on the meal, so it was fine.

Anyway, I left my headphones in the restaurant, under the table. They cost me around €160. I only realised this morning, so I rang a few times, too early, so I didnt get through. Eventually I got through to a man with broken English who was unhelpful on the phone, so I said I'd call in. Went in later in the day, spoke to the man who seemed to be in charge.

He basically said nope, no headphones were found. I asked what time they closed last night, and they had closed shortly after we had left, and he admitted no one had been sitting at our table after us. The room we were in was empty after we left, as we were in a large group. My seat was in the corner too, so it was unlikely that anyone had spotted them on the floor from another room.

Essentially it looks to me like a staff member took them. I asked him about CCTV. They had a camera directly facing down outside the front door, but he told me it's a fake. I asked him if he had asked the staff, and he said he had, and that no one had found them. (I noticed that at least two staff I remembered from last night weren't in, so he couldn't have asked them)

Is there anything I can do at all in this case? I left my number with them.

Sorry for the long post.

tl;dr: Forgot headphones, think staff member took them.

Mr. Incognito

Not a thing. You lost them. The restaurant owes you no responsibility

SparkySpitfire

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Not a thing. You lost them. The restaurant owes you no responsibility

Yeah but someone told me before that if you find say, an iPhone on the ground and keep it (don't give it to the Gardaí etc) then it's essentially theft. Would that not be the same case here?

EDIT: gonna throw this in here for context http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12163498 TL;DR, a policeman gets handed cash that someone found out in public and kept it. He got charged for theft but technically never stole anything, he just kept it, which to me sounds like this situation here. Not stealing per the dictionary definition, but rather keeping something that falls into your lap.

GarIT

SparkySpitfire wrote: »

Yeah but someone told me before that if you find say, an iPhone on the ground and keep it (don't give it to the Gardaí etc) then it's essentially theft. Would that not be the same case here?

The someone that told you was wrong.

The OP needs to prove he left the headphones in the restaurant.

Chance The Fapper

GarIT wrote: »

The someone that told you was wrong.

The OP needs to prove he left the headphones in the restaurant.

Ok, they have no CCTV, so basically I cant, unless a nearby business had CCTV, but I can't exactly go in and ask them?

Nekarsulm

Why bring headphones to a meal in a restaurant? your companions can't be that boring, can they?

GarIT

Chance The Fapper wrote: »

Ok, they have no CCTV, so basically I cant, unless a nearby business had CCTV, but I can't exactly go in and ask them?

It doesn't matter if they have CCTV, unfortunately you need to have proof, even if they have a camera watching the table they aren't obliged to check it for you.

No you can't ask to see the CCTV, you need the Gardaí to do that.

Unless you can provide your own proof that the headphones were left in the restaurant you don't have a leg to stand on, and even if you did have that proof somehow you left them their so they weren't stolen.

SparkySpitfire

GarIT wrote: »

The someone that told you was wrong.

The OP needs to prove he left the headphones in the restaurant.

Have a look at the link I added, it's definitely a thing, I dunno where Ireland stands on it though. The link in my previous post was from England, this one is American: http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/felony-offense/i-found-a-bunch-cash-can-i-keep-it

And a quote from that says

Holding or possessing property that you know does not belong to you also constitutes theft or larceny under most state laws.

Again, I don't know where Ireland stands on it, but it's definitely a thing.

Also OP:
You'd want someone with some legal know-how to tell you whether you should pursue this or not, but theft by finding is a real thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft_by_finding

Also, Irish law says:

Theft.

4.—(1) Subject to section 5 , a person is guilty of theft if he or she dishonestly appropriates property without the consent of its owner and with the intention of depriving its owner of it.

(2) For the purposes of this section a person does not appropriate property without the consent of its owner if—

(a) the person believes that he or she has the owner's consent, or would have the owner's consent if the owner knew of the appropriation of the property and the circumstances in which it was appropriated, or

(b) (except where the property came to the person as trustee or personal representative) he or she appropriates the property in the belief that the owner cannot be discovered by taking reasonable steps,

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2001/en/act/pub/0050/sec0004.html But again, you'd want someone with legal know-how to interpret that for you.

Chance The Fapper

GarIT wrote: »

It doesn't matter if they have CCTV, unfortunately you need to have proof, even if they have a camera watching the table they aren't obliged to check it for you.

No you can't ask to see the CCTV, you need the Gardaí to do that.

Do you think the gardai would take me seriously if I went in?

Sofiztikated

If they weren't handed in, they weren't handed in.

Restaurant will not take responsibility for items left or lost on the property.

Is it possible that a staff member found them, and took them? Yes. However, big ticket items like that, people usually ring/call in looking for them, so it's not worth the hassle.

You could have left them in the taxi/bus, they could have fallen somewhere along the way, they could have been lifted by someone else in the restaurant.

Moral of the story? Look after your own stuff.

GarIT

Chance The Fapper wrote: »

Do you think the gardai would take me seriously if I went in?

I've no idea to be honest, it depends on who you get, I assume it's more likely that they will say they have more important things to deal with.

Yawns

Chance The Fapper wrote: »

Do you think the gardai would take me seriously if I went in?

Not a hope. Once the guards hear you left them there, they will tell you pfo.

Mr. Incognito

SparkySpitfire wrote: »

Yeah but someone told me before that if you find say, an iPhone on the ground and keep it (don't give it to the Gardaí etc) then it's essentially theft. Would that not be the same case here?

EDIT: gonna throw this in here for context http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12163498 TL;DR, a policeman gets handed cash that someone found out in public and kept it. He got charged for theft but technically never stole anything, he just kept it, which to me sounds like this situation here. Not stealing per the dictionary definition, but rather keeping something that falls into your lap.

This is totally different. In your link someone handed stolen goods into the police who have a statutory duty to return them.

In the case in hand he left them in a restaurant. The restaurant never acknowledged that they saw them. Its likely they were carried by another patron.

The op has zero come back against the restaurant. Take some personal responsibility. They werent stolen. He carelessly left them behind.

Tough. Suck it up.

SparkySpitfire

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

This is totally different. In your link someone handed stolen goods into the police who have a statutory duty to return them.

In the case in hand he left them in a restaurant. The restaurant never acknowledged that they saw them. Its likely they were carried by another patron.

The op has zero come back against the restaurant. Take some personal responsibility. They werent stolen. He carelessly left them behind.

Tough. Suck it up.

There's actually no need for obstinacy. He asked for advice, you're giving yours I'm giving mine.

I'm not saying it has anything to do with the restaurant per se, but whoever took it, patron or staff member is guilty of theft by finding but it's HIGHLY unlikely the OP is gonna get them back.

Your situation really sucks OP, I left a bag with €40 worth of clothes in it on the bus one day and nearly lost my life because 40 quid is worth a lot to me. Thank god I was able to ring the garage and collect my stuff as the terminus is actually in my town. It's very easy to leave things behind, and I'm so lucky that no one decided to take my stuff with them when they got off the bus themselves.

Chance The Fapper

Sofiztikated wrote: »

If they weren't handed in, they weren't handed in.

Restaurant will not take responsibility for items left or lost on the property.

Is it possible that a staff member found them, and took them? Yes. However, big ticket items like that, people usually ring/call in looking for them, so it's not worth the hassle.

You could have left them in the taxi/bus, they could have fallen somewhere along the way, they could have been lifted by someone else in the restaurant.

Moral of the story? Look after your own stuff.

Wasn't drinking, walked home, I know for a fact that they were left there. Your comment is unhelpful. Thanks anyway.

Nino Brown

Most headphones aren't worth E160 so most aren't worth taking, so even if they were left on the floor of the restaurant, I wouldn't be surprised if the staff threw them out when cleaning up.

Straylight

Something similar happened my wife when she left an expensive pair of sunglasses in a restaurant. We know they were left there, but the restaurant said they hadn't been handed in. Like you, we had no proof that they were left there and even if we had, how would we know which staff member took them (similar situation, quiet restaurant and corner table away from other diners, so probably unlikely a customer took them)? Basically we had to forget about ever seeing them again, and I'm afraid that's what you'll have to do as well. The Gardaí will have no interest in this as you can't prove the headphones were left in the restaurant and even if you could, you don't have a suspect who may have taken them. They're not going to interview the whole staff and potentially search their homes just to track down one pair of headphones.

dudara

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Why bring headphones to a meal in a restaurant? your companions can't be that boring, can they?

Please post on topic.

dudara

rubadub

Nino Brown wrote: »

Most headphones aren't worth E160 so most aren't worth taking, so even if they were left on the floor of the restaurant, I wouldn't be surprised if the staff threw them out when cleaning up.

Thats what I would worry about. I know some people who view them as unhygenic and would not even want to touch them, almost like someone leaving a toothbrush in a hotel.

Sofiztikated wrote: »

However, big ticket items like that

Most would not think they are expensive, especially if they are small in ear ones. So it would be like a hotel cleaner finding an expensive toothbrush and throwing it out. If it was actual false teeth they might think it unhygenic but would recognise it is of value. Like if it was an mp3 player left behind.

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

Chance The Fapper

rubadub wrote: »

Thats what I would worry about. I know some people who view them as unhygenic and would not even want to touch them, almost like someone leaving a toothbrush in a hotel.

Most would not think they are expensive, especially if they are small in ear ones. So it would be like a hotel cleaner finding an expensive toothbrush and throwing it out. If it was actual false teeth they might think it unhygenic but would recognise it is of value. Like if it was an mp3 player left behind.

They're large, over ear headphones, and had a 3m cable (tied up) with them, I think it's highly unlikely they were thrown out

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Melendez wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

That's just willfully wasting Garda time.

Chance The Fapper

Melendez wrote: »

There is no harm contacting the Gardai. They will probably do nothing - no loss if they don't. They might ring the manager and ask him has he contacted all staff members to ensure they did not put the headphones away somewhere safe and then forgot about them - this may or may not resurrect the headphones.

Thanks, you're right, no harm, I'll call in later.

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

Chance The Fapper

Casen Powerful Throat wrote: »

That's just willfully wasting Garda time.

A two minute phone call for the sake of €160 headphones is a waste of time is it?

Yawns

Chance The Fapper wrote: »

They're large, over ear headphones, and had a 3m cable (tied up) with them, I think it's highly unlikely they were thrown out

You can buy a cheap set of over the ear headphones for as little as €5. They could very well have been thrown out rather than stolen. They could indeed have also been stolen, but that is the major point. You have no idea what happened other than you left them behind.

Best thing might even to pop back to the restaurant when a different manager is on and enquire again.

MarkR

I think it's worth speaking to the garda staion. I wouldn't consider reporting lost property willfully wasting time. I wouldn't hold my breath on it's return, however. Is the restaurant part of a larger group?

Chance The Fapper

MarkR wrote: »

I think it's worth speaking to the garda staion. I wouldn't consider reporting lost property willfully wasting time. I wouldn't hold my breath on it's return, however. Is the restaurant part of a larger group?

No, it's an independent one unfortunately.

Chance The Fapper

Yawns wrote: »

You can buy a cheap set of over the ear headphones for as little as €5. They could very well have been thrown out rather than stolen. They could indeed have also been stolen, but that is the major point. You have no idea what happened other than you left them behind.

Best thing might even to pop back to the restaurant when a different manager is on and enquire again.

The point is they're saying they were never seen. They would have been seen if someone had thrown them out. I'm going to call in again this evening. Thanks

anncoates

Stake out the restaurant 12 hours a day for a month until you spot a staff member leaving with them on their head.

Or accept that you left them behind and move on.

ash23

Had similar happen when I left my GHDs in a hotel room. Realised within a couple of hours and called the hotel. Room had been cleaned but not checked into again so only staff had access but nope, they found nothing.
I'd no proof and that was the end of that. Chalked it up to a bad experience and moved on.

Very little point following up OP. You lost something. It happens.

raspberrypi67

Well it sounds like you don't have a leg to stand on there, besides, most , if not all restaurants claim to have no
responsibility over personal items left on the premises. Say they had been stolen while you were there, you cant claim its the restaurants
fault, now can you?
You'll just have to get another pair....cheaper this time I'll bet!!

raspberrypi67

No need to be nasty to the guy. OMG, so many of you have to little to do but be nasty in circumstances like this. Guess its easy to hind behind a keyboard. The OP was just asking advice and I'm sure we've all left things behind but I guess all you nasty folk are
perfect!!!

OldNotWIse

1. If a staff member took the headphones they can be guilty of theft, unless they honestly believed that the owner could not be found by the taking of reasonable steps

2. The chances of recovering the item are slim to none, bad luck OP

3. Some of you are being so fúcking mean - post bank holiday blues??

Sunny Dayz

ash23 wrote: »

Had similar happen when I left my GHDs in a hotel room. Realised within a couple of hours and called the hotel. Room had been cleaned but not checked into again so only staff had access but nope, they found nothing.
I'd no proof and that was the end of that. Chalked it up to a bad experience and moved on.

Very little point following up OP. You lost something. It happens.

Similar thing happened to my mum many years ago on holidays. We were checking out and she realised she left her jewellery on her bedside locker. She asked reception could she nip back to the room for them and when she got there cleaners had already been in and there was no jewellery in the room... Nothing she could do, she couldn't accuse or prove it was the cleaners.


Learnt our lesson, none of us ever bring good jewellery with us on holidays.


OP - Sorry to hear what happened, all you can do is check back with the restaurant a couple of times again just to in case they have re-appeared. If they don't surface, I'm afraid you'll just have to chalk that one down to experience, a learn a lesson from it.

McGrath5

OP I am afraid you will just have to chalk this down to experirence, I know myself loosing expensive gadgets is no fun.

Maybe in future consider something like gadget insurance?

K.Flyer

O.P.

My advise is for you to personally return to the restaurant and make your enquiries there. Be polite and see if you can spot your waiter, who is the person most likely to have been back to the table after you left. Ask them if they had found your headphones and put them somewhere safe.
Do not make a scene or accuse anyone of anything.
If your waiter is not there, ask for the manager and ask if they could check the office for you.
Its all in your approach as to how much assistance you will get.
You have to remember that another customer or a member of staff may have taken them and they are gone and that's just that.
Best of luck.

Chance The Fapper

McGrath5 wrote: »

OP I am afraid you will just have to chalk this down to experirence, I know myself loosing expensive gadgets is no fun.

Maybe in future consider something like gadget insurance?

Yep, had actually intended to insure them along with my phone, but sure that's always the way. Lesson learned.

Aimeee

I would try again one last chance, you never know. However if they are gone they were more then likely taken by someone who knew they were worth it.
I've left stuff in hotels, charger for tablet, hotel posted it onto me next day.
Hope you get lucky op and they turn up. Did you go over and check yourself when you went back to restaurant?

dudara

@Ihateblackties - please watch your language

@Chance the Fapper - this may be your thread, but please do not abuse people because their viewpoint is contrary to your own. Attack the post, not the poster.

@raspberrypi67 - watch the back seat modding. Despite all the noise in this thread, I have not received a single Reported Post. Please use the Report Post functionality rather than posting off-topic.

Any more handbags or off-topic discussion and I will infract/ban.

dudara

Chance The Fapper

Aimeee wrote: »

I would try again one last chance, you never know. However if they are gone they were more then likely taken by someone who knew they were worth it.
I've left stuff in hotels, charger for tablet, hotel posted it onto me next day.
Hope you get lucky op and they turn up. Did you go over and check yourself when you went back to restaurant?

Cheers. I did, table and floor was clear unfortunately. I've a search alert on adverts on done deal, hopefully they try selling them instead of keeping them

Michael D Not Higgins

Aimeee wrote: »

I would try again one last chance, you never know. However if they are gone they were more then likely taken by someone who knew they were worth it.
I've left stuff in hotels, charger for tablet, hotel posted it onto me next day.
Hope you get lucky op and they turn up. Did you go over and check yourself when you went back to restaurant?

It's likely that things of nominal value are unlikely to be pocketed by staff, like your tablet charger. My girlfriend left a necklace in a hotel room before, which had more sentimental than monetary value and the hotel were happy to post it back to us. I'm sure it would have vanished were it made of diamonds and gold, however.

Eph1958

Hi, ask can you pin a notice on the staff noticeboard or window offering a reward for a lost set of headphones. Best of luck.

Ephraim.

former legend

MarkR wrote: »

I think it's worth speaking to the garda staion. I wouldn't consider reporting lost property willfully wasting time. I wouldn't hold my breath on it's return, however. Is the restaurant part of a larger group?

Only if he/she needs a report for an insurance claim. Otherwise, it's a total waste of the poster's time and very much a waste of Garda time.

Realistically, what could a Garda do?

Gordon Minard

Wow, I hate losing stuff - especially quality stuff that you might have saved up for etc.

I really appreciate your frustration and efforts, O.P., but, unfortunately, there is ( I feel ) absolutely nothing you can do.

Were you speaking to the actual owner / manager or somebody "covering the early shift"?

3m, I would imagine would be unusally long for headphones lead? Is it? This might have given it value for somebody finding it?

If anyone other than Owner/Manager I would not make them aware of the value of the Headphones - you might be giving them ideas!

However, if you let the Owner/Manager know the value of them then, realtive to the value of losing a table of customers, it wouldn't be that big a value. An astute business owner, rather, would view this as an oppurtunity to get some good news going around as opposed to making a quick buck .. .

I would advise you completely against going in and trying to find the waiter / waitress that served your table and asking them. By, effectively, bypassing management you would be doing yourself no favours -as far as they are concerned - In fact, you are now becoming a nuisance who clearly doesn't believe them.

I have a feeling that the Gardai would not get involved. I am not being smart but if this were not your set of headphones and you were told that Garda Time / Taxpayers Money was being spent in this fashion ( if it were someone else ) - would you honestly consider it a good way of expending scare public resources?

Same thing happened me 7-8 years ago. Was in a Hotel iN Talin and left an expensive Mobile Phone after me. Racing for plane the following morning I decided to wait until I got back to Dublin rather than miss the flight. When I rang the hotel I was told my phone had been found and was in safe hands. When I rang later to confirm that the phone was being posted I was told that the phone was never found and that I must have been mistaken in thinking somebody told me that the phone was found. Difference - i had told the guy earlier the VALUE of the phone.

Best of luck with it . . .

Kenny Logins

I have to say, I think I'd hound the manager for a week or two.

dudara

@raspberrypi67 - Please use the Report Post function to report any posts you have an issue with. The moderators will review and take action if they feel it is warranted. Do not post off topic

dudara

smcgiff

I left my S4 charger in a D4 hotel back in January. Phoned reception about an hour after leaving the hotel. I was asked to call back the next day and was told they would check with house keeping.

I called back next morning. No sign of the phone charger. 100% sure I left it in my room, still plugged in.

In your case OP, I'd phone the manager and say I've €20, €50 of a reward if they are found. Say you noticed one or two of the waiters were not in the time you were last in and they may have put them somewhere. Give them a chance to save face.

Painful, but not as painful as paying full price again.

Sofiztikated

Apologies if I came of as harsh earlier.

What got my goat was the automatic assumption that staff stole them. Realistically, all you can say is that you think you left them behind. After that, you don't know.

I've had cases where people have called saying they've left stuff behind, 100% they've left them behind. I've checked, looked, searched, and found nothing. When informed, they'll come out with, "Oh, actually I found them in xxx place instead."

By all means, let the Gardai know, especially if you want to make an insurance claim. However, and I tell you this as someone that works in the industry, the Gardai will contact the restaurant, ask if they were found, if they get told that they haven't been found/handed in, that's as far as they'll go.

Call in again, don't go in the morning, wait until the afternoon, senor management will more likely to be around. Offer a reward, if you can.

Have you checked with the other parties in your group? It's possible that they lifted them.

Chance The Fapper

Sofiztikated wrote: »

Apologies if I came of as harsh earlier.

What got my goat was the automatic assumption that staff stole them. Realistically, all you can say is that you think you left them behind. After that, you don't know.

I've had cases where people have called saying they've left stuff behind, 100% they've left them behind. I've checked, looked, searched, and found nothing. When informed, they'll come out with, "Oh, actually I found them in xxx place instead."

By all means, let the Gardai know, especially if you want to make an insurance claim. However, and I tell you this as someone that works in the industry, the Gardai will contact the restaurant, ask if they were found, if they get told that they haven't been found/handed in, that's as far as they'll go.

Call in again, don't go in the morning, wait until the afternoon, senor management will more likely to be around. Offer a reward, if you can.

Have you checked with the other parties in your group? It's possible that they lifted them.

I went in again yesterday evening , talked to the manager but he was the same guy I was talking to before. He said they still hadn't turned up, so I asked him to tell his staff that I will offer a €50 reward if they turn up.

I know 100% that I left them there. I was with my girlfriend and her parents, it's unlikely that they took them. I was also in the back corner, so I was the last to leave

Del2005

Chance The Fapper wrote: »

I went in again yesterday evening , talked to the manager but he was the same guy I was talking to before. He said they still hadn't turned up, so I asked him to tell his staff that I will offer a €50 reward if they turn up.

I know 100% that I left them there. I was with my girlfriend and her parents, it's unlikely that they took them. I was also in the back corner, so I was the last to leave

In your OP you said you where there with a large group, now it's only 3 people. Have you contacted the others to see if they have the headphones? More likely that someone who was with you picked them up than a staff member stealing them, the staff have too much too loose.