i've been overpaid £3048.56p!!

[e-rider]

I like the idea of putting it in an account until it's asked for and gaining interest in the meantime

Unfortunely, unless that's 5 years in the future, you're not going to make much so probably not worth the effort

£3K in 4 days!!! It would usually take me nearly 4 months to earn that - even longer now that I'm unemployed ;-(

 

[Bman]

IANAL, so I dont know if this is true or not, and I also dont know if it applies to an employer overpaying you. But.....

If your bank credits your account erroneously and you are not aware of the error, then spend it, they cannot ask for it back.

If they can prove you knew about it, and spent it anyway, then it is theft.

 

[hackbike 666]

I'd offer it back immediatelly, it will look good on you as a professional and may benefit you in other ways in the future (but dont expect it to, its just nice if it does).

Ive always given back what isnt mine (found mobile phones etc etc), and on numerous occasions Ive gained in some other way from doing it (given £50 for returning said mobile phone as an apology for having to endure phonecalls from an angry abusive boyfriend when trying to return said phone by contacting last dialled numbers etc).

+1 and on the mobile phone laptops being found thingy I have always made an effort to get them back to their owners and have been 100% succesful.One being me meeting some chap at Mile End Tube Station on my way home from work to hand his Blackberry back.I get more satisfaction instead of feeling gilty and keeping items for myself.

I do come across a few lost Laptops and mobile phones in my job.

Twice I have lost my wallet.(within the last ten years)The first time I got it back intact,the second time the £90 was missing but my credit cards and passes were intatct which was more important to me.

I suppose these things go round full circle.

 

[Debian]

You could keep it, and when asked for repayment use the change of position defence.

Anyone making an overpayment is legally entitled to reclaim it up to five years in the future but if you can argue that, in the meantime, your position has changed in such a way as to make repayment inequitable then you are entitled to keep it. I think though that you'd also have to argue that you thought that the overpayment was actually an entitlement in some way.

 

[Riverman]

Put it in an ISA and sleep on it. A similar thing happened to a friend of mine but he made the mistake of spending the money. The idea of the police getting involved didn't even come up. He was just asked to pay it back.

You are their employee afterall.

 

[Riverman]

Ive always given back what isnt mine (found mobile phones etc etc), and on numerous occasions Ive gained in some other way from doing it (given £50 for returning said mobile phone as an apology for having to endure phonecalls from an angry abusive boyfriend when trying to return said phone by contacting last dialled numbers etc).

That's a very different situation though. I doubt many people on here would advocate walking off with a mobile phone they find on the floor.

We're not aware of what company it is, but say it's a massive corporation, the fact that they haven't even noticed £3k going missing should give you an idea as to whether these people are poor or not.

 

[slowmotion]

Pay it back now. It isn't your money, it's somebody else's. Simple.

 

[Bman]

So... was it £30.4856 or £3048.56

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Let me steel it off you, then we'll split it 50/50 and you can say that you were going to give it back but were mugged on the way into the bank to instruct them and had your cards stolen and the account was emptied before you could get the money back to them. Then as I will use a credit card from the wallet to spend the cash the insurance will re fund the money hopefully and you can then refund the employer.

Ok..Ok..give it back then

 

[Rob3rt]

That's a very different situation though. I doubt many people on here would advocate walking off with a mobile phone they find on the floor.

We're not aware of what company it is, but say it's a massive corporation, the fact that they haven't even noticed £3k going missing should give you an idea as to whether these people are poor or not.

I really dont see how it differs all that much, it is something which doesnt rightly belong to you, whether it be an object or currency and should be returned to the rightful owner if possible and with reasonable effort. Whether the company are ignorant to the loss or not is irrelevant.

At least thats my moral stance on it.

 

[Dayvo]

I'd pay it back!

I was piad £10,000 in error a few years ago instead of 10,000 kroner (approx £1,000) for some translation work I once did, and instead of buggering off straight away, I contacted the publisher, made them aware of their error and arranged a reimbursement.

They were very grateful indeed, but I didn't get much more work from them, but I believe in karma, so it doesn't matter! B)

 

[ufkacbln]

To me it's an easy one.

By telling them, you come across as honest, reliable and trustworthy.... all good points if you ever need a reference or similar

 

[earth]

I remember when something like this happend to me at work.

I put in an expenses claim and at the time expenses took a full month to be paid. When it was paid they put someone else's expenses on it as well and paid me £800 by accident. When they asked for it back I replied 'The Earth household takes a month to process it's finances'.

 

[slowmotion]

I write as a former financial director of the State Oil Organisation of Nigeria. Due to an accounting irregularity, I have in an off-shore account the sum of 400,000,000 US dollars, lost to our esteemed Government. Should you feel able to express an interest in this matter, and release £3048.56, you will most assuredly receive 13.75% of the above.

I remain your humble servant,

Dr Moses Slowmotion

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I remember when something like this happend to me at work.

I put in an expenses claim and at the time expenses took a full month to be paid. When it was paid they put someone else's expenses on it as well and paid me £800 by accident. When they asked for it back I replied 'The Earth household takes a month to process it's finances'.

Nice one.