What would you do?

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-04-2004
What would you do?
6
Tue, 10-25-2005 - 9:27am
I know what the right thing to do is, but wow-it's kinda hard to be THAT honest.
I'm a firefighter for the city I live in. I just looked at my bank statement (direct deposit), and they overpaid me by about one THOUSAND dollars!
I get seriously irritated by the fact that I pay almost three thousand dollars a year to live in the city, just to go to work and get spit on, kicked, punched, cussed at, and shot at (once) by the lovely residents in my district. Funny though, I love my career.
No excuse though, I'll call them today and tell them they made a mistake. But geez, it would be nice to keep that money!!!!
Has anyone else been in a similar situation? What did you do?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 10-25-2005 - 9:35am

That is a temptation, isn't it! Whew.

Well, take comfort in the fact that they will probably notice the mistake anyway and then require you to pay it back, probably after you've already spent it on a weekend in the mountains away from the lovely citizens. :)

You get brownie points for returning it before they notice. Take the brownie points and run!

I don't think I've had a mistake like that made, but recently a guy at the post office who made several mistakes on the cash register (overcharged for a package by a few cents by typing in the wrong zip code, and stuff like that) also made the mistake of giving dh the cash back he requested without typing it into the cash register--so basically, a "free" $10.

Did we go back? Well, to be honest, we *meant* to. But we never got around to it. It was several days later that I even noticed the mistake (dh never checks his receipts, so it wasn't noticed until I sat down to balance the account), and we haven't had a reason to be near the post office since then. And, of course, having been in dh's pocket all this time, the $10 is LOOOOOOOOOONG gone.

Maybe I'll pay it back the next time I go in there. It's the right thing to do. :)

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-05-2004
Tue, 10-25-2005 - 11:05am

I would ask about it because it might be legit. My husband got a big paycheck last year, and it turned out he'd gotten a raise at the same time as a bonus for meeting some deadline that he'd completely forgotten about doing. You might not have to return it. At least I hope you won't! :-D

Crossing my fingers for you! :-D

Pat :-D

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 10-25-2005 - 11:44am
I would definitely speak up.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 10-25-2005 - 12:42pm

I had this happen last year. I teach per course for a university and they changed my appointment at the last minute from teaching 1 section to 2. Someone stapled the first letter to the second one and then they paid me for 3. It was a little aggravating though because they joked around and wouldn't believe me. Eventually, we got it straightened out but the first 5-10 minutes were annoying (Oh, we never overpay people, you buying us lunch, can't believe you confessed, etc.)

Taleyna

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2003
Tue, 10-25-2005 - 9:18pm

This happened to the entire company a few years ago where I worked. Everyone got double their paycheque! Imagine, over three thousand employees in a state of temporary nirvana :))

The company reversed both pays and then re-deposited just the regular one within 90 minutes...it was fun though, the entire company was talking about their new found wealth and productivity dropped to 0% :))

I would ask payroll what the amount represents, like another poster said it could very well be yours!

Kassandra

Kassandra

"It is said that life has its peaks and valleys.  The challenge is to accept them equally and experience them

Avatar for cherfer
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-11-2003
Thu, 10-27-2005 - 8:31am
You have to give the money back. When they find out they overpaid you, they will take it out of your next check and then you will be short. I work with the payroll department in my company and that is what we do. Give the money back immediately.