A mum has been told "karma" could play a factor after she kept more than £1,000 found in a charity shop purchase.
After visiting a string of charity shops with her sister, the mum bought a "lovely" patchwork blanket that "looked like it was handmade" but was complete with wash labels.
It was only when she got it home that she discovered thousands of pounds concealed inside it. After investigating a section of the blanket that felt different, she cut a section open and discovered a thick wad of £50 notes stuffed inside.
READ MORE: Mum 'doesn't know what to do' after finding more than £1,000 in secondhand purchase
Unsure what to do with the windfall, she took to Mumsnet's famed Am I Being Unreasonable [AIBU] forum to seek advice in a post titled "Found money … what should I do!" She revealed it was a large sum and said "we are talking over £1,000, I don’t want to say how many thousands".
Her post was met with hundreds of responses from fellow Mumsnet users, with 61% voting she was not being unreasonable to keep the money.
In an update, she revealed what she did with the cash after having it checked at the bank after initially worrying it could be fake.
She added: "Update - it’s been banked no questions asked. I’ve just made an online donation to two charities linked to this shop and I’ve spent some upgrading airplane seats for my holiday that’s coming up soon. The rest I’m not sure, for now it will sit in my account."
These were some of the comments left by ECHO readers reacting to the story.
Ren McCann said: "I believe in karma and maybe this person was [meant] to find it for a reason, if it's not sitting right in her heart then donate all or some but if it was one of my friends I'd tell them they've found it for a reason."
Sarah Watkins said: "Sold as seen. Nothing unlawful in keeping a purchased item and it’s parts. But I would go something charitable with some of it. Pay it forward."
Catherine Hall quipped: "I know what I’m looking at next time I go in a charity shop".
Emma Naylor commented: "I’d say finders keepers but you could give some of it to the charity shop if it makes you feel better that’s probably what I’d do."
Nicola McLaren said: "I reckon this was a lil bit of good luck Karma I hope she kept it xx maybe a small donation to charity shop but if the shop workers didn't find it when handling the garment for shop floor then I would [100%] say finders keepers in this case."
Angela Rushton said: "Impossible to find the owner donated to the shop then shipped out to their other shops it could be from a house clearance or the person has died and family cleared the house".
Susan Bailey suggested: "I think I would check to see if the person who donated it was registered for the gift aid scheme. If so you could ask the shop to get them to contact you, perhaps saying you love it so much you'd like to know the blankets history. Then judge whether to give it back when you know the circumstances."
Anne King said: "Keep it, you can't be sure the charity shop worker wouldn't pocket it herself if you brought it back plus they get tonnes of charity items in each week. Some is sent from other stores they would have no way of knowing where it came from. The owner is most likely deceased."
Gail Tiesteel said: "I bet it was donated after clearing out an elderly relatives house who put the money in the blanket for somebody who would cherish her quilt, her relatives didn’t and the lady that bought it will so she should have the money".
Lili Forster said: "I believe in karma me, I'd have to give it back".
Sue Fitzgerald said: "Spend it love".
Hel Lou added: "Give it [back] to the charity shop money is evil, it will come [back] to haunt you one way or [another]".
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