Man who left Kindle on Aer Lingus flight outraged at €38 return charge
by Ciara O'Loughlin · Irish MirrorA man who left his Kindle on an Aer Lingus flight is outraged that he has to pay €38 for its return.
Philip Callaghan, from Dublin, said he’d rather the item be binned than have to pay this return fee. He said it’s “outrageous” that the Irish airline has partnered with a third party that charges for the return of lost items and doesn’t allow collection.
According to the Aer Lingus website, any items left on one of its aircraft arriving at Dublin Airport or in its Lounge will be dealt with through WeReturnIt.
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The service charges people to have their items shipped to them. It costs €31 for the return of a wallet, €43 for a phone, €55 for a tablet, €80 for a laptop and €43 for a handbag.
Mr Callaghan asked the service if he could collect his Kindle, as he only lives 10 minutes from the airport. However, he was told this isn’t allowed, and if he doesn't pay the fine and return fee for the Kindle after 31 days, it will be recycled.
The Dubliner told Joe Duffy on RTÉ’s Liveline that many others have had to pay these high prices to have their items returned. He’s determined to raise awareness of the issue and said he won’t be backing down.
Mr Callaghan said: “You can always get another Kindle but you can’t get another spine, so I’m taking this to the end.
“This is affecting everyone who loses an item, and this happens to people. I think it’s outrageous that I am being charged almost €40 to pick up an item of mine they have and I live 10 minutes down the road.”
A spokesperson for Aer Lingus told RTÉ: “We partner with this company, the majority of items left behind are electronic devices requiring specialist storage, packaging and shipping so the charges involved are to cover these costs of returning an item to the customer.
“Given the volume of lost items in the airport, the most efficient way of reuniting customers with their property is to use a company who specialise in this service.”
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