Store Sells Items From Lost Luggage At Discounts - Travel Getaw...

The store's name is misleading, it should be called "Lost Baggage", not "Unclaimed Baggage". Unclaimed means that the owner does not want it anymore, most of their merchandise belongs to someone who would like to have it back but the stupid airline lost it for them.

If they open a bag and find the owners identification inside, do they return the items to their owner, or is it "finders keepers" at that point?

That's what I'd like to know. Even if it has been there for 90 days, that doesn't mean these folks don't want their luggage.

I agree that if the airline has held on to the luggage for more than 90 days, they need to get rid of it. I do, however think that the airlines have to be more responsible in getting the baggage to the correct destination. If it involves looking though the luggage for any sort of ID, they should do it. If after they have exhausted all means to reunite the bag with the owner, then by all means, sell the contents of the bag.
I travel a lot, and under each and every suitcase I own I have painted in white marker my name, phone number and address. Luggage tags get lost, but with the white marker, my bags won't be. I've noticed more and more travelers are doing the same.

Get Real has a great idea. I'm going to do that with my suitcase when I travel this summer.

I think this is a disgusting practice of taking advantage of the misfortune of others. The airlines obviously haven't tried hard enough to find the owners of these pieces of luggage. NO ONE would intentionally abandon a 5.8 carat diamond solitare!

Looks like the airlines have found another way to gouge the traveler.It is not the travelers responsibility to track down lost luggage!It shouldn't have been lost in the first place!Sometimes it's not lost, but held for the next plane going to that destination so the can lighten the load.Then you have to go back to the airport to get it when it gets there.That was a 40 mile roundtrip for me last time.Wonder if they pay taxes on the money they make from selling someone elses stuff as if they own it? As for the store owners who buy it,I don't know how anyone with a conscence could do that to innocent victims.I don't know how you can live with yourself! I would bet that there was a lost luggage claim on the bag with the expensive jewelry.I guess there will always be vultures around, but know that everyone answers for what they do in this life and you most certainly will pay,either here or in the afterlife.

Ask Wayne, how far is this from him?

Get Real has the right idea. I've always placed an extra card with my info on and leave it right on top of my belongings when I close the luggage. I think I'm going to switch it up a bit and buy a white marker.

Side Note: Do not place anything important in the outer zipper of your bag. I had a small camera that someone stole while my bag was in the airlines possession. Didn't even notice until I reached my vacation destination. booo thieves.

P-

Why can't we have a shop close to us? We are in the middle of the Nation's Capitol and have three major airports in the area.

This is a total farce. The airlines do virtually nothing to help find lost luggage. I left an i-pod in the seat back of a plane in Las Vegas. I couldn't go back thru security so I called United. They sent me to lost and found, which wasn't open. They then gave me a 1-800 number, which goes to a call center in India. After that didn't work, they gave me lost and found's number at the airport. A call there went to voice mail, but the mailbox was full. According to the security guard, they never check the voice mail. Numerous letters, etc, were never returned. Of course I'm sure the cleaning crew found the thing & kept it.

I think this is a disgrace. I have been to their store, you might as well pay full price. The airlines should be donating all of it. It's not theirs to sell anyway.

Actually some airlines employee people off the street, to return lost/unclaimed luggage back to their rightful owners.

Last summer my neighbor's son was hired temporarily to deliver lost luggage. He was given 20 suitcases a day, and the written addresses of each destination. There were times when he couldn't find the address or the owner was untraceable.

Apparently the airlines deem the luggage unclaimed if the driver can not deliver the luggage properly, because of a wrong address. It then goes to the lost/unclaimed area and sits for 90 days waiting for the owner to realize they are missing luggage.

All I can say capitalism is great, anyone can make a buck off the misery of others.

Your phone number and your first initial and full last name is sufficient information for the exterior of your luggage. Placing your full address and full name, only makes you a mark for theives.

Well,
Thank GOD there are others who feel the same way I do!!!
I haven't had an experience with luggage, but someone on ebay takes stuff out of lost and founds and sells it for his own gain.
If an organization has a lost and found, and stuff's been in it for months, and they want to get rid of it, thats fine AFTER they announce they will be getting rid of it, and to please check it to make sure there's nothing there thats yours.
If an organization wants to donate the stuff to a police dept, and they end up auctioning it off, fine.
But I think its disgusting that an individual is going through lost and founds to find things to sell to make money for himself.

My son flew internationally, and the airline did not place his bag on the plane. Because he was traveling from place to place so quickly, they did not attempt to route the bag to him. We have been unable to contact anyone personally, as we were simply given a phone number, which is automated. After repeated attempts by phone and email, we have angrily accepted the fact we will never see his bag/clothing again. Very frustrating. And to think that it will now be "sold" makes me furious.