Child charged €10 for return of purse lost on Ryanair flight
A young Irish girl who lost her purse on a Ryanair flight was appalled when she had to give away a quarter of her pocket money for its return.
Nine-year-old Emma Lally, from Dublin, became distressed when she realised she had lost her purse while buying presents on a flight home from Salou, Spain, two weeks ago
Her father, Sean, tracked down the lost purse but Emma was dealt another hard blow when she learned that she would have to pay a €10 administration fee for its return. Sean contacted the airline's lost property provider Greencap who told him it had the purse — but Emma would have to pay €10 for its return.
“I was a bit annoyed that I had to pay back money for something that was ours. I was delighted to get it back but she's only a child,” Sean said.
The father criticised the system in which Greencap, the lost property service provider used by Ryanair, charges people €10 for the recovery of their items.
Dublin Airport Authority charges €6 for recovery.
“Fair play to the Ryanair staff for finding the purse and handing it in,” he said.
“I contacted Greencap and I was told that it was ready for collection.”
But Sean is still fuming about the charge because he feels that there should be no charge on a Lost and Found section, especially when a child loses something.
“Her name and address were written inside the purse in a child's handwriting. It was very obvious that it was a child's purse.”
Thankfully, the €42 Emma had saved for her holiday spending money was still in the purse when it was returned but she still parted with a quarter of the money to get it back.
“She’s a good kid and she went away and had a little think about it and came to me and said she wanted to give me the money.”
“I paid the tenner and took the purse. Emma was delighted to get it back but she couldn't believe that she had to pay the money. I don't see why it can't be given back without a charge.”
A spokesperson for Ryanair says it uses Greencap for the management of lost and found since Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) does not accept lost and found items from airlines.
“Only items found on the airport premises are administered by the DAA. The DAA and Greencap charge an administration fee for the recording, storing and recovery of lost items,” the spokesperson said.
However, the DAA said it has never refused any items being handed in at its Lost and Found section.
From The Belfast Telegraph
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Comments
I guess what this means is if you see something lost just leave it - if the person realises it has gotten lost they will come looking for it and hopefully find it. Of course it could also mean someone less honest than you comes along and pockets the cash...
Why don't Ryanair just put a reasonable price on the air-tickets to start with and then stop charging all the "extras".
I can see it happening. The situation isn't much different with some private wheel clamping/vehicle towing companies. If they can keep your car until you pay the release fee, what hope a child's purse?
Ryanair is a hick airline run by a silver tongued Irish confidence trickster always on the lookout for ways to make a fast buck. The excess baggage policy for instance is a master stroke of trickstering.
Why O’Leary wants so cheap airport tax ? Not to offer lower fares, just because he wants to earn more!
No charge of any kind was mentioned or applied.
Draw your own conclusions about choice of airline the next time you're flying.
All these companies screw you at any given opportunity. National Express - rubbish service and charge you for anything despite offering you a rubbish service.
but if the airport doesn't do any lost and found items return and ryanair has to use another company for that there's not much we can do if that said company charges for the service. still good enough that such company is used, otherwise the purse would have probably been gone considering how anal people are in airports.
and about the whole hatred thing against ryanair... probably people should spend a little more time reading what they are buying when they book flights with the company. i fly at least once or twice a month and always do so with ryanair. i take hand luggage only and stick to the rules. never had a single problem and never spent more than £10 return to fly between milan, stockholm and london.
of course i would pick another company instead of buying a 60 quid ryanair flight, but when you get a return flight for 2p or 2 quid or a tenner and stick to the rules (hence don't get in any kind of trouble) there's not much you could ever complain about...
The stupid argument that says cheap (and I mean cheap) providers allows ordinary people to go to places they wouldn't otherwise go to is as asinine as saying we need zoos so our children can see what an elephant really looks and smells and prances neurotically like.
The world is a poorer place because of ryanair and the mob behaviour that attends it.
But the Ryanairs are not alone. There is a mean spirit now in the world everywhere and it's ugly.
I urge people to boycott this firm and others like it. they have no 'right' to be there. If no one uses them they will go out of business - and good riddance - or they may adapt (for a little while maybe and they may just have to apply some emotional intelligence to their behaviour meanwhile).