Ever wondered what hapens to lost luggage that’s left at the airport? If the baggage isn’t claimed, some airports decide to sell it on.
It gives bargain hunters the opportunity to get some great deals. The only drawback? They often won’t know what’s inside the suitcases until they’ve paid for them and open them up. It really is a lucky dip!
To see if it’s worth buying them, a thrifty content creator called Becky snapped some up. She recently paid £129.99 for a lucky dip of unclaimed luggage – and was able to get her hands on plenty of valuables as a result.
Explaining the process in more detail, Becky shared on her Instagram: “Aparently the airport do absolutely everything to track down the owner for months, but unfortunately sometimes the only option is to either burn it – which isn’t great for the environment or remove any personal info and sell it.”
The bargain lover got the large suitcase from Undelivrd – a company that gives the luggage and items inside a second life instead of being thrown away. A spokesperson for the company said: “Ever wondered what happens to undelivered parcels from major carriers? They don’t just disappear into the ether. These parcels often contain valuable, brand-new items that, for one reason or another, couldn’t reach their intended destination. That’s where we come in.”
Other auction houses which sell unclaimed luggage and other lost property include: Greasby’s in Tooting, London, Mulberry Bank, and BVCA in Bristol.
Becky decided to give it a go to see if it is worth it. On her Instagram page, she said: “I bought someone’s lost luggage from London Heathrow Airport and here’s how it went.”
“If anyone recognises this suitcase let me know – I’d love to reunite you with your belongings,” she added.
Inside the large rose gold coloured case, Becky found a pair of black, sparkly UGG boots, some Juicy Couture sliders, and piles of clothing. There was also a number of Shein parcels, a pair of hair straightners and a white IPad.
She described what she got as “absolutely crazy”. Becky said this was her third time buying someone’s luggage. She warns people that it is a risk, but can be fun.
And after her latest post, people weighed in with their opinions. One said: “This is great.” Another wrote: “Wow, well done.”
However, some didn’t approve of the initiative. One individual commented: “It’s very sad to see this. Makes me think of the family looking for their luggage, the airline not helping it and then people buying my things like this and owning it/opening it like this and I can’t do anything except watch through my screen from other corner of this world.”
Another agreed: “As someone who has had my bag lost by an airline this is pretty sad.” And a third added:”This is heart breaking. I lost a piece of luggage last year. It contained many precious things that I still mourn. Please don’t make sport of someone else’s loss.”