Do you tip someone who found and returned phone

amother

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 8:58 am

Ds came home from camp on Sunday. He and dh walked in with their hands full, and ds went to bed. He woke up for mincha and realized that he can't find his phone. He tried calling it to see if he hears it ringing. After several times, a stranger answered. Ds panicked and hung up. I called back from my cell and nobody answered. Instead, the person called back the landline which is saved as home. She said that she's at a park a half hour away but will be back in my neighborhood in an hour. She'll be in touch about returning the phone when she's back. I tried calling several times between 9:30 and 10:30, but she didn't answer. At 10:30, I texted that I'm going to bed but will try again in the morning, and asked if she could please respond with how to reach her. I called in the morning, and the phone was dead. I checked online to see if she used the phone and saw she made 4 calls to one number. I called that number, and she answered that she'll be in the neighborhood around 12 and will let us know where and when to meet her. I told her that I'll be at work, but ds will call her before to arrange where to meet. Once again, she didn't answer. After I came home from work, she told me that she works in the Bronx, and we need to come to the Bronx to get it. I told her that ds was working (he does respite) but could pick it up in the morning. She said to come after 10. As I'm not sending a kid to the Bronx without any means of communication, I gave him my phone for the day. Her dh just texted that since his wife is coming late to work in order to meet ds and return the phone, I should pay her $20-$30. I explained that if she would have said that she starts work at 9, I could have easily met her before 9. Dh works in Harlem so I could have got a ride with him, but she specified after 10. Meanwhile, I have no phone for today and ds is shlepping to the Bronx. Do you think she deserves a tip?

notshanarishona

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:01 am

I would pay something just because she was honest and returned it. Many people would keep a phone.

watergirl

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:03 am

It does not matter if she does or does not “deserve” a tip. They are telling you that if you want them to return the phone, you need to give them $30. Just pay it and be done.

amother

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:04 am

notshanarishona wrote:

I would pay something just because she was honest and returned it. Many people would keep a phone.

How much would you pay? It's not an expensive phone and she took it to the Bronx.

amother

Yellow

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:14 am

I would call shomrim. This is manipulative behavior. I wouldn't send a ds alone.

A honest person would just let you pick up the phone.
A very kind person (no judgment) (if they have the time...) would return it to you.
A person with little time, or one that doesn't want to get involved would just leave it where it is.
This sounds fishy.

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:18 am

Omg do not send your child there alone!!! I would have sent shomrim to go get it. Call him now tell him to go home.

watergirl

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:20 am

amother Ivory wrote:

Omg do not send your child there alone!!! I would have sent shomrim to go get it. Call him now tell him to go home.

OP, I was just responding to the issue of tipping, not to the whole story. Ignore my previous comment and do this.

amother

Skyblue

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:22 am

I once found a phone in the park and it was the most amazing feeling to be able to find the owner. I waited for the person at least an hour to come get it because I wanted to stay in a public place. I was so happy to be able to find the owner. It doesn't sound like this woman is interested in returning it. Or maybe she was thinking of keeping it and now that you tracked her down she wants to at least make some money returning it. Hatzlocha, hope it all works out.

amother

Yellow

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:27 am

amother Ivory wrote:

Omg do not send your child there alone!!! I would have sent shomrim to go get it. Call him now tell him to go home.

My instincts are telling me the same. Don't feel bad about calling Shomrim. You won't be the first. Tell them all that you posted here. You can't trust strangers. Certainly not the way they are communicating.

naomi2

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:32 am

Don't pick it up alone. She sounds like she would extort money from you are worse.

amother

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:34 am

Ds is wearing a baseball cap so she won't realize he's Jewish and they're meeting at the train station. He has $10 on him that he'll give her.

amother

NeonOrange

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:36 am

amother OP wrote:

Ds is wearing a baseball cap so she won't realize he's Jewish and they're meeting at the train station. He has $10 on him that he'll give her.

He should be prepared not to get his phone, and just walk away.

amother

Cyclamen

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:43 am

To answer the original question, I’d be happy to tip someone who found my phone. Usually people don’t want to take the money.
But this particular person seems to have been acting evasive and sketchy.

amother

Lemon

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:46 am

Where did they find the phone? In your neighborhood or the park originally? Do they live in your neighborhood and they are bringing the phone with them to work and asking you to meet them there?
Does the phone possibly have any saved bank passwords etc on it?

amother

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:52 am

Dh parked across the street from my house, so it was probably next to the car. There shouldn't be any passwords on it since it belongs to ds. I think there is a picture of a credit card that I texted him once when he needed to fill out a form. I doubt anyone would go through old texts to find out if I ever texted him a credit card number. She lives in the Bronx and came to my neighborhood to visit her sister.

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:54 am

It’s not about being Jewish. She doesn’t sound trustworthy and the Bronx is not a really place for one guy to take on people.

amother

Purple

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:58 am

amother OP wrote:

Ds is wearing a baseball cap so she won't realize he's Jewish and they're meeting at the train station. He has $10 on him that he'll give her.

Uh oh, bad idea! Those people seem like creeps and I would absolutely not let my child, or myself, go to the Bronx alone. I hope they won't hurt him for bringing $10. Those people are creeps. Maybe tell your son to approach a cop at the train station and have the cop be there with him throughout the exchange.

ra_mom

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 9:59 am

Don't send ds alone.

amother

Yellow

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 10:26 am

I would not send. But since you think you know better don't meet near the tracks. Please let us know that he safely got his phone back.

amother

Tue, Jul 25 2023, 10:35 am

Ds has his phone back. He said that the lady who returned it was nice.