Is it stealing?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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....

Of course 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.

Tell them and they'll invite you to keep the extra set (because of the cost of return shipping).

...then it is yours.

That is what IKEA did with a set of sheets they delivered with a scuff-mark so I called and they sent a second set free of charge.

Spot on Inge Jones.
You must take reasonable steps to return the item if it has value.

The same applies, BTW, if you find an item. Finder's keepers, perhaps, however, there are certain items you are not able to keep, these include;

-items that contain the name or address of the owner or any other means by which the owner may be traced.
-a computer, laptop, personal organiser, digital camera, MP3 or iPod type digital device, mobile phone handset or any part of a satellite navigation system.
-a Postal Order
-items which by nature or value make it unlawful or unwise for you to keep, for example cash and items of high value, firearms, keys, crash helmets.
-government property, equipment, documents, passes or other items
-if the item may be the subject of a crime.

A couple of years ago I ordered 2 leather wastebins from John Lewis online. When I unpacked the parcel there was 8 or 10 bins ( can't remember exactly how many now)
I returned the ones I didn't order to our local John Lewis store. The assistants looked at me as if I was mad and them aside with not a thank you or anything! I thought in future they can collect from my home. Prior to that I'd ordered a dinner set from M &S and when it arrived a couple of the soup bowls were broken. I contacted them and they sent a whole new set. I phoned to tell them it was just a couple of things broken but they told me to keep the lot. That's service for you ?

I would just keep them ( hanging head in shame ) Your magazine will be overpriced anyway !

I wasn't intending to do nothing, but wasn't sure whether keeping it could be defined as stealing. I was interested to hear all your comments. I think the subscription service is differs from the free gift supplier, but I'm sure I'll find an answer between the two of them.

I ordered a bag from Mai Tui. They sent an email saying my bag had been sent to the wrong address and they were sending a new one that day. Two bags arrived within two days. I emailed the company telling them a mistake had occurred . They sent me a pre paid label and a bag to post it back in. A few days later I received an across the body bag and one of their large make up bags in the post as a thank you for returning the bag. They obviously have excellent customer service as the gift was probably the same if not more expensive than the bag I returned. It pays to be honest. Two bags the same would have been no use to me the same as two set of kitchen utensils would be no use. They would only be given away and someone else would benifet and it wouldn't be your conscience .

Yes, you should notify them then you have done the right thing and it will ease your conscience. My Grandaughter found £40 in the aisle of a theatre once. I knew that if we handed it in it would be kept as there was no way of finding the owner . I was standing behind a man in the ice cream queue so I looked for him when the lights were up thinking he might have dropped it when paying.. No joy. I told my granddaughter she couldn't keep although she said Finders Keepers, Grandma. In the end after discussion with her parents we decided to donate it to charity . I felt it was a good lesson in honesty for her .

This has happened to my son and when he asked for a return label or for the item (towel rail) to be collected they didn't even reply - presumably they just write things off. You shouldn't be out of pocket though because it is their mistake. Contact them and ask what they want you to do. I agree with a previous post - you can't assume it's yours.