Finders Keepers?

This has created a big debate. 

I’m pretty sure we’ve all been in a situation, at some point in time, where the mailman has mistakenly dropped off the wrong mail to your address instead of taking it to your neighbor down the block, or you might’ve even received the wrong package from Amazon. You might have even opened the package and taken an interest in the item. This is exactly what happened to East Freetown resident Nick Memmo.

According to the Boston Globe, Memmo ordered a 75-inch flat screen TV from Amazon, estimated around $1,200. When his delivery came in, there was only one problem, it was a little more than he ordered. Due to an issue from Cape Cod Express, a delivery service Amazon uses, an extra 86-inch flat screen TV valued at $2,700 was delivered along with the original TV he had paid for.

When Memmo opened the new unexpected package he was very happy. In fact, he opted to keep the TV, telling the Boston Globe, “It was like winning a scratchers ticket...I thought it was my turn to luck out on something in life.” The delivery company realized the mistake they had made and tried to contact Memmo to get the TV back, but several of their calls were ignored. Memmo was determined to enjoy the new fancy TV, even hanging it up on his wall.

Memmo said he found information on the FTC’s website that justified him keeping it. He said it stated, “If you receive merchandise that you didn’t order, you have a legal right to keep it as a free gift.” However, according to the Boston Globe, this was, “advice intended for consumers who are victims of companies that send unsolicited merchandise and then demand payment, a common scam. The page also advises consumers to ‘always start by trying to resolve your dispute with the company.”

Soon after this, the delivery company made the police aware of the situation and they arrived at Memmo’s home and arrested him. If Memmo is found guilty in a court of law he could face up to 15 years behind bars. Many in the legal community and online have started to debate about this incident.

How do you feel about this incident? Should Memmo have been able to keep the TV? Would you have kept the TV?