Is it stealing?

I believe that ansixty's advice is the correct advice.' You should notify them and ask them to arrange collection of the spare'

You can check this out by ringing the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06. i think there is a limited period that you have to keep the item ready for collection, before it becomes yours.

Of course it'stealing.

I would be surprised if the value is that high. Maybe a recommended retail price max, but I wonder-- if you search the net for that gift set that it will come back less. And the magazine buying them in bulk will pay even less... email them, and ask for a free-label return. It's their mistake and you should not spend anything to return them.

Often I stay away from these offers as usually they are rubbish. I will say that when I made a first order from a dress place, they sent a free leather bag worth £££. Next order I got another, then another! Off they went to the charity shop. Cheap China leather that was made of strips and stamped with a grain, not real leather at all and not worth what the dress company said.

Feed 'em and fool 'em....

I received a television by courier after telling the retailer that I could collect it because they were fairly close to where I live. I took the second one back to them and they were over the moon at my honesty. I couldn't keep it, my conscience wouldn't allow me to.

I ordered some Jo Malone perfume from John Lewis when they had a special offer on it. I waited ages and nothing arrived, customer services were unhelpful as it was coming direct from Jo Malone so in the end I found the email address of the Managing Director and complained. Later that day I had a phone call from the Transport Manager who said he'd sort it out. A few days later I got my perfume plus £50. Two days after that I got another. I phoned Transport Manager who said keep it. A week later I got another bottle of perfume. By this time I was developing quite a relationship with said Transport Manager, who just laughed and said 'You're doing well!'. I 'm just finishing my last bottle

Same experience as Grampie - steam iron ordered form Amazon did not work. I notified them and they sent a replacement but said not to return the defective iron as the return postage, from France, was almost as much as the iron: keep it. Weeks later my husband (son of an electrician) examined it and found a loose wire.
Now have two irons.

Definitely must notify the firm or else it is theft.

let them know you have 2 and that you will invoice them £9.99 to cover your time for returning the item and no doubt they will say just keep it.

These people don't usually want the extra items back. We ordered a new loo. The cistern lid was cracked. I sent them a photo of the damage asking for a new lid. Instead I got a whole new cistern. It was the wrong cistern. They did not want it back and said they'd send the correct lid. Again a complete cistern arrived, again the wrong one. They refused to send just a lid as the goods are all packed in units in their vast warehouse. Third time lucky, I got the right item but was stuck with three unwanted cisterns. I asked various plumbers but nobody was interested. They were too heavy for me to manage so my daughter took them to the dump for landfill. If the warehouse had been in this part of the country I'd have dumped them on their doorstep. They import these things from China at very low cost and it's just too much bother to get someone to go round to the warehouse and undo a package. These plumbing suppliers seem to be advertising quite a lot on telly at the moment too. In my case it's not as though a few extra cisterns would come in handy and they were piled up in my dining room.
I'd say yes, let the sender know they've duplicated, but I feel sure you'll be told to keep or dispose of it.

I think Ive mentioned on here before that I ordered a printer a few years back - and 4 turned up! I rang the delivery company who said they'd delivered what they were told to. I rang the printer company who said they'd only sent me one.
Both said I could keep them all, so I sold two, gave one to DD and kept the 4th for me

Something similar has happened to me a few times. I always notify, then it depends on the company - for some the collection is not worthwhile, for others it is.
They may send a 'returns' label, or tell you to keep it. I'm sure a charity shop / foodbank / charity reffle would be glad of it. that's what I have usually done.

It's maybe not exactly stealing, but it's definitely more honest to notify them, and then we can have an clear conscience. A similar thing happened to me. I ordered a fold-up occasional table from Amazon and they sent two by mistake.
I emailed them and they told me to keep it as it cost more to send it back. So the extra one is sitting in a cupboard waiting for the other one to break or wear out. Honesty pays.

What a lot of fuss about nothing.
Of course it's not stealing.

You didn't order or ask for them, so therefore how is it stealing.

Keep them, and if they want them back, they can ask for them.

Not so much stealing as dishonest. I see no moral dilemma here, call the company and arrange for them to pay costs of return. It can be done.

I bought my daughter a watch online, costing about £30. I paid extra for next day delivery. When it didn't arrive after 3 or 4 days, I emailed. I received a watch the next day and the original one arrived a few days later. I emailed the company informing them and was told to keep the second one with their compliments.

Badenkate, you did make me laugh. Great punch line! hic!

I ordered a child's cuddly type snuggletoy online ages ago and when it arrived it still had the shop electronic tag on. I knew someone who said they were the same tags as their shop used and she was going to detag it but we thought better of it incase the security was set off at her shop, even though her shop did not sell the item.
I contacted the sender and requested a return label in order for them to take the tag off. They were very apologetic and said they would send another one out immediately which I got the next day. They never sent a prepaid label nor requested the item back. Meantime, it was put away for safe keeping and forgotten about for quite some time till it was chanced upon again in a clear out. By that time it was doubtful they would request a return so it was officially detagged and given to charity for a child who got very little.

LouP in your case it should have been handed over with your details ,otherwise you could be charged with theft.A friend of my husbands had this conversation last week with a mutual friend who is a police inspector,he said even if its a five pound note you need to hand it in with your details to either the shop manager or the police ...if its not claimed within a certain number of weeks you'll get it returned to you

I think this happens a lot. The computer is geared up to arrange delivery but if a mistake occurs a human being has to take over.
It's probably fair to ask them about collection but if there's no response you're probably stuck with it. At least you tried.

Be thankful it's a relatively small item. My sister got stuck with a mantelpiece (wrong colour) that she tried valiantly to get British Gas to collect. Despite eventually getting the correct item they wouldn't take the wrong one back. All efforts failed and this item festered in her garage for ages before they eventually broke it up and took it to the tip. Ridiculous.

Paddyann you never get money handed into the police station back ifs fairly well known what happens to it

As for a free gift being a police offence they won't even come out to a full blown robbery so don't think you ve got too much to worry about some plastic utensils Josie ....Give it to a friend who could use it

I've learnt a lot reading all the comments. My brother acquired an extra gazebo after informingbhe company

Whoops that went allwrong! My brother acquired a second gazebo after letting the company know of their mistake. I had the opposite though when returning £5.00 to a shop assistant who had given me too much change. She gave me daggers and no thanks at all! I have a feeling she may have been new and was embarrassed by her mistake!

It may be that they have sent an extra set due to you not receiving it when u signed up for the subscription. It's like an "apology" from their side. A lot of big brand stores, media concerns etc do this.

Received a wrong item of clothing I had paid for from the UK ,,,,immediately phoned the company and informed them and said I would send it back but could they please send me the one I ordered. The manager came on the phone and said Please do not trouble to return it ,,,we will send you the correct item and you can either keep the one you have or donate it to charity. It was quite expensive and I double checked by e mail that advice ....received my correct garment and donated the other one to charity so someone got a nice coat for 1 euro (we don't have shops like the UK charity shops ,,but we have one for a charity whereby it charges 1 euro each item and only sells to people on no or a low income) ....thanked the supplier very much ! have since ordered more items ...all ok ! Same with a pair of ear rings I ordered from Amazon ...I actually returned them before contacting them ...received a new pair and a note saying I need not have returned them .... good service !

Many many years ago in a notorious part of Essex whilst taking my daughter to the country park to see the Deer, with her nanna and granddad we found a large bundle of cash wrapped in an elastic band, on the grass. This was a known place for criminal activities such as money changing hands from crimes, and drugs .....we counted it and took it to the police ! Never heard anything more ....but I somehow doubt anyone came forward to claim it ! Since we were really hard up at the time it would have been lovely to have kept it ,,,,but also criminal (although I doubt anyone would have known !) On the other hand, when working, my husband lost his wallet in Los Angeles ...didn't realise until reception in the hotel called him and asked him to come down ...a taxi driver had found his wallet on the floor of the taxi and remembered where he dropped him .....there was quite a lot of U S currency in it (business expenses !) ....but the driver refused to take even one note as thanks ! That is so honest .....but he wished the driver would have let him give him something ! Hope you resolve your dilemma !

Tell the truth - it sets you free.

I'd keep them too, not often we get anything for free these days.

Email them on any/every address you can find. My guess is also that they will say keep it. It's probably not worth their time or money to get it back.
I've done this before and received such a stunned reply (always to keep it)and effusive thanks for being so honest!