Need help with lost property....

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

butting head against wall.

I got the sleeper wednesday - I was posting on here at 0530/0600..... Then my client provided blackberry rang so I was on the phone - I got changed, got packed whilst on the phone and left the cabin.....

I have since realised I am no longer in possession of my iphone or my pencil case.  The phone im not overly concerned with as its insured but the pencil case has something very dear to me in it.   

I phoned FGW^▸ (First Great Western) lost property on thursday and friday but no trace.... in a last ditch effort I phoned again today and the nice guys said - but if the train terminated in paddington we won't ever get notice of the item............ you need to phone paddington lost property/luggage.

I pointed out I had done this as a back up but no one ever answers the phone or phones me back... so the suggestion was - wel go to paddington.  So I did, this afternoon.  Got there.  They have one lost property person who has the keys and  erm - she's not there all the time and they don't know when she is.

So ^60 poorer I still have no idea if my pencil case has been found or not and short of sitting outside the paddington office until the lost property agent happens to be there happens - I have no idea what to do - if its goen, its gone, I just need to know

[johoare]

Oh dear.. that isn't good customer service at all 

In my opinion Lost property (in my area of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) at least) has gone downhill over the years.. Does anyone here have any better idea how lost property at Paddington works?

[Mookiemoo]

Thing is - the pencil case also has ^580 worth of mont blanc pens in it - I want them back but they are of little significance compared to what is in there that I want.

I kept everything in my pencil case because I NEVER normally leave it anywhere from my side

I'm more angry at myself - and if I knew 100% it hadnt been handed in I'd just do self flagellation but not being able to find out if its in the paddington office is killing me.  The next time I can be there is about 9pm on Monday and then, maybe 8pm on tuesday and after that I'd have to make yet another special trip on the off chance of finding the person with the key

[Ollie]

Hello, I was summoned online by CfN.

As far as I know it is unlikely Paddington Lost Property would have it, the sleeper IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) doesn't get cleaned at Paddington so in all likeliness it would have been found at Old Oak Common, so I think it would be worth trying via FGW^▸ (First Great Western) again and stress that you would like them to get in touch with OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)).

I don't know what number you are using for Paddington but the one I have is: (but as said I doubt they have it)

Excess Baggage Company
Left Luggage Division
Platform 12 - Paddington Station
Praed Street, London W2 1HS

Tel: 020 7262 0344

Although they are open until 11pm I believe the Lost Property side of things only stays open until about 6pm might be an hour or so either side I don't remember.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, I hope for you it turns up.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks very much for your help, Ollie. 

[Mookiemoo]

Hello, I was summoned online by CfN.

As far as I know it is unlikely Paddington Lost Property would have it, the sleeper IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) doesn't get cleaned at Paddington so in all likeliness it would have been found at Old Oak Common, so I think it would be worth trying via FGW^▸ (First Great Western) again and stress that you would like them to get in touch with OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)).

I don't know what number you are using for Paddington but the one I have is: (but as said I doubt they have it)

Excess Baggage Company
Left Luggage Division
Platform 12 - Paddington Station
Praed Street, London W2 1HS

Tel: 020 7262 0344

Although they are open until 11pm I believe the Lost Property side of things only stays open until about 6pm might be an hour or so either side I don't remember.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, I hope for you it turns up.

Thanks for your help = I'll phone again monday morning

and ask about the OOC cleaning.

I'm just irritated - I've carried the same pencil case around for 10 years - never mislaid it - never abandoned it hence I kept this talisman in my case.  I've travelled literally around the globe with it. 


All I'm trying to stress  is I would never walk away lightlly - hence the call I was dealing with was serious enough to make me forget the case.

[SDS]

I will see if I get can a number (and get permission to give to you) for OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)).

Several things can happen with a sleeper terminating at PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains).
1: The sleeper hosts check for stuff left behind (unlikely as they are more interested in getting you out of the cabin, and will just check there's no humans inside.)
2: The SDA checks for lost property inside the cabins, VERY UNLIKELY as we don't have enough time to check every cabin.
3: It will get cleaned at OOC, and they do check in detail. The lost property there will either get sent back down to PAD or sent to another FGW^▸ (First Great Western) station somewhere. Personally I have no idea where OOC sends lost property.

As an OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter) has said, phone up FGW lost property on  01752 835777  and ask them to check OOC.

[Mookiemoo]

Thanks all

Just tried that - all they can do is check their system. computer says no.

No way for them to contact ooc or pad or Anything.

Call back next week to see is what I was told

Going to Cardiff to buy new pen as need it for exam tomorrow . Still can't replace the medal and photo that's in there

Might try the phone on Monday and ask for a supervisor method - that sometimes works

I know the people on the phone are only doing their jobs

[inspector_blakey]

Don't know if this is useful, but I just stumbled across it on the HEx website whilst checking something else. Here are the details they give for contacting lost property at Paddington (publicly available on another website, so I've copied them here in full). Includes a different phone number from the one above, and an email address, together with opening hours.

For Paddington
Paddington Station Lost Property Office 0207 313 1514.
Opening hours are 0900 to 1730, Monday to Friday.
The lost property office is located at Platform 12 c/o Excess Baggage Co.
email: paddington@excess-baggage.com

[Pedros]

So sorry to hear about your property loss.

I know that this may sound stupid, and I'm sure you've probably tried but have you called your iphone?  There could be a slim chance that someone could hear it ringing, answer it and give you more information about your things.  Granted thats one big stretch of romantic imagination, but you never know.

I really hope this gets resolved for you

[Mookiemoo]

Thought I 'd give an update....

1. Item has still not turned up at bristol - but I don't expect it to

2. After three physical visits to the lost property office at paddington i have yet to be there when the person with the key is.  I have blisters on my fingers from dialing the number and getting an answer machine.

3. The sleeper, it turns out is actually serviced by virgin at wembley.  I managed to get hold of a nice helpful bloke at FGW^▸ (First Great Western) lost property and he made several efforts to contact virgin and the depot to see what does happen to lost property on the sleeper.  No one seems to know except for one person who apparently muttered something about things being rounded up once a month!

i do know said same bloke is going to make sure for future reference there is some sort of procedure in place - after all I can't be the only person who has ever and will ever leave soemthing they want on the sleeper

hmmmmm

[super tm]

Thought I 'd give an update....
3. The sleeper, it turns out is actually serviced by virgin at wembley. 
hmmmmm

Can this be right ?  AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) the sleeper coaches go down to old oak common to be serviced. Virgin Wembley would do the First Scotrail Sleeper but I really dont believe the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) one trundles off to there every day.

[devon_metro]

3. The sleeper, it turns out is actually serviced by virgin at wembley. 

Or perhaps it isn't. Clearly confused with FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) sleeper.

[SDS]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Sleeper is serviced at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot))
FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) Sleeper is serviced at WEMBLEY.

Thats what you get when you merge 4 TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) customer services departments (first info), and then let it be taken over by another company who employ minimum wage labour, and then refuse to TUPE^▸ (The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.) people as its a reverse takeover or some other rubbish.

[Mookiemoo]

Well the plot thickens.

Lost property at paddington FINALLY answered the phone.

I enquired....and got told effectively that they don't deal with the sleeper (which we knew) and they had no idea what happened to stuff left on it but all they've been told is it goes to......

Wembley