I forked out £136 trying the lost luggage trend – I doubled my money but my most exciting find turned was a BA freebie
WE'VE all heard of return pallets, but have you seen the lost luggage trend that's taken social media by storm?
Recently, influencers have been going wild for
Advertisement
7
With everyone going wild for the lost luggage trend, I ordered myself an unclaimed suitcase to see what I could find
Credit: Abigail Wilson
7
Personal details are removed from cases, but 'apart from that, everything is left as is'
Credit: Undelivrd
7
Not only did I spot dirty boxers and worn socks, but the smell left me close to gagging
Credit: Abigail Wilson
7
There was a football scarf and a toiletry bag from The White Company
Credit: Abigail Wilson
But would you risk spending over £100 on someone's
After seeing many TikTokers and YouTubers open lost luggage and finding all things from a Kindle, a huge selection of clothes and even hair straighteners, to a
Last year alone, Google Trends saw a 100 per cent spike in searches for 'lost luggage' - abandoned suitcases usually full to the brim with clothes, souvenirs and random items.
The 'lost and unclaimed' luggage comes from 'the world's busiest airports' and while some may find designer buys, quirky gifts or sometimes even gadgets, the possibilities are as varied as the travellers who once packed them.
Advertisement
Read more Fabulous stories
But there are a number of major drawbacks when buying lost luggage…the size and brand of the suitcase you receive will be totally random.
Not only this, but if a person loses their luggage on the way back from a holiday, there's likely to be worn clothing inside - yes, you heard that correctly.
After hearing countless content creators order theirs from
According to those at Undelivrd, selling the lost luggage is a 'sustainable and economical way of dealing' with it.
Advertisement
Most read in Fabulous
Rather than piles of suitcases heading straight to the dump, airports are auctioning them off to give the
Of course, personal details are removed, but those at Undelivrd claimed that 'apart from that, everything is left as is.'
Unveiling the Shocking Reality of Lost Luggage Purchases
So I ordered myself a suitcase, which was listed online for £129.99.
It ended up costing me £136.98 once the postage fees were piled on top, so not cheap.
Advertisement
But would I find some steals? Or just a bunch of tatt and some dirty knickers?
Much to my surprise, the suitcase only took a week to arrive.
No box in sight, the case was wrapped in a black bin bag and was far from luxe.
Not knowing the contents made it very exciting, but unsure on the condition of what I would find, I nervously got my Marigold Gloves at the ready.
Advertisement
The sweaty, stale smell that was equivalent to the stench of a teenage boy's bedroom was horrendous
Abby Wilson
In the hope of stumbling upon some unexpected treasurers, I eagerly ripped off the bin bag, to find a black
After a quick Google search, I spotted that such suitcases are available to buy online for £129 - so technically you've made the money back on the case itself, even though it had clearly been used on numerous occasions and was visibly quite battered.
But I didn't even have to unzip the case for the grim, musty smell to invade my nostrils.
Think of a room full of years of
Advertisement
The sweaty, stale smell that was equivalent to the stench of a teenage boy's bedroom was horrendous and is still, days later, giving me flashbacks and lingering in my nose.
7
The American Tourister case was pretty battered
Credit: Abigail Wilson
7
These Asda shoes were practically new
Credit: Abigail Wilson
7
My haul proves that ordering lost luggage is definitely a gamble
Credit: Abigail Wilson
Advertisement
While I was hoping to get my hands on a woman's suitcase, in the hope of topping up my wardrobe with some new clothes or maybe even some jewellery, I was disappointed to see that I had been sent a man's case.
And I was even more gutted when I noticed that it was full of clothes that had clearly been worn.
If you thought smelly socks were bad, I was on the verge of gagging when I spotted three pairs of worn pants.
It appears that the man this case belonged to had potentially been on holiday to Portugal, as I immediately spotted two Algarve Jazz Festival grey t-shirts.
Advertisement
Alongside this, there was an empty toiletry bag and an unbranded navy hoodie, which wasn't short of stains.
How to buy lost luggage
THE famous US store which sells off unclaimed baggage has launched an online shop - so you can buy more travellers' lost items.
The Unclaimed Baggage Center, located in Alabama, has long been a destination for treasure hunters wanting to find a bargain from the abandoned suitcases.
Located in the tiny town of Scottsboro, which has a population of 14,000, it is an unlikely tourist hotspot.
Inside is a megastore of misplaced possessions taken from tens of thousands of suitcases, rucksacks and duffel bags, all lost on commercial flights across the US.
Now, you don't have to travel to the US and can do your shopping online with their new online store.
The centre has launched the online shopping experience as part of their 50th anniversary, having opened in 1970.
Everything from clothing to electronics are found on the website - current items for sale include high-street dresses from $8 up to
They also have a weird and wonderful section which ranges from gold necklaces and diving equipment to designer gowns and signed memorabilia.
Legally, airlines have a duty to reunite luggage with their owners within 90 days, but if that fails, bags end up at the centre.
So frequent are these deliveries that the Unclaimed Baggage Center has around one million items on sale at any time, with 7,000 new items added to the shop floor every day.
Not everything that is found is sold - a third is binned, including all underwear, while another third of it is donated to charity.
Brenda Cantrell, the store's brand ambassador, says: 'Less than half a per cent of all lost luggage fails to make it back to its owners, but that's still thousands of bags every year.
'And the vast majority of those make their way here. We have exclusive contracts with all the major US carriers, making us the only store of this kind anywhere in the country.'
According to journalist Jonathon Thompson
Customers have also found bargains while shopping there - one person bought a £65 vase, only to find out later it was worth £15,000, while one piece of art valued at £45 was actually worth £20,000.
The guy this suitcase belonged to was clearly a football fan, as I also stumbled across a
As well as this, there was also a Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2023/24 home jersey, which are being flogged online for just under £70.
Next, I spotted a H&M black hoodie, which is currently on the website for £27.99, as well as a pair of blue Adidas shorts, which if you buy them new, are £35.
Advertisement
Much to my dismay, I was only halfway through and incredibly disappointed.
Having said that, things appeared to look up when I saw a small
Yes, you get them free when you fly with British Airways, but it was the most exciting thing I'd seen so far, without a doubt.
The beauty bags, which contain an eye mask, ear plugs and a mini toothbrush, are being flogged for £7 on eBay and are perfect for travelling.
Advertisement
While many may think that selling-on lost luggage contents could be a good earner, my haul proves that it is definitely a gamble
Abby Wilson
It was un-unused, unlike a lot of the other stuff in this case.
Following this, I found a pair of barely worn, brown leather shoes from Asda, which are still available to order from the site for £25.
And that's not all, as I also (unfortunately) found three pairs of Jack & Jones boxers, which when bought new, are £45 a pack.
In total, the contents of my lost luggage - bought new - came to £223.98, not as high as I had hoped.
Advertisement
If you add on the cost of the actual suitcase, it totals just over £350.
What was in the box and what's it worth?
Bayer 04 Leverkusen football scarf - £14
Bayer 04 Leverkusen jersey - £69.99
H&M hoodie - £27.99
Adidas shorts - £35
The White Company toiletry bag - £7 on eBay
Three pairs of Jack & Jones boxers - £45
Asda leather shoes - £25
While many may think that selling-on lost luggage contents could be a good earner, my haul proves that it is definitely a gamble.
The smell of the case is still haunting me, so the thought of going through it all again and posting it on Vinted in the hope of earning a quick buck is not something I'm up for.
Despite the battered hoodies and worn socks, everything was in reasonably decent condition, so I guess you could say it wasn't a total waste of time.
Advertisement
But if you're hoping to find a new iPad or a posh designer bag, you should be aware that you'll have to take a chance when searching through lost luggage.
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The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside world's craziest city where you never know which floor you're on, trains run through houses & maps are useless
THE WORLD'S most unique city leaves visitors never knowing which floor they're on, and has trains running through buildings. Chongqing, in Advertisement 7 In Chongqing, the entrance to buildings can be on the 1st, 5th or 20th floor 7 Skyscrapers are connected to each other via bridges Credit: TikTok/@hughchongqing 7 A train runs through buildings 'In Chongqing, the ground floor could be on the 1st, 5th, or 10th floor, depending on which side you enter from' The city, which has been described as a "planning laboratory", has been built this way because it is situated amongst steep hills, cliffs and river valleys, where the ground height can suddenly change by hundreds of metres. Because of this, buildings in Chongqing, which is roughly the size of Unlike a regular city, where things are built horizontally, roads, Advertisement Read more world stories Skyscrapers are often connected to each other using bridges and even rooftop parks, with Attempting to explain the complexities of the city, which is home to 32 million people, Hugh ( "In Chongqing, we never know which floor we're on", he said in a video that has racked up over 27 million views. Starting off in one of the city's squares, Hugh explained that although it looks like just a 'normal square' on ground level, if you walk across the square you end up on a bridge 22 floors up. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Exclusive However, if you use the lift located on the square, it says you are on the 12th floor. Hugh took the lift down to the eighth floor, and ended up back on ground level. Inside Europe's highest capital city with no airports or train stations - but welcomes EIGHT MILLION tourists a year The tour guide then entered the building next door, where a sign on the lift told him he was on the 13th floor. He exited the building from the 13th floor, went in to the building next to it, crossed over a bridge which was suspended high in the air, and then, on the other side of the bridge, ended up back at street level. Advertisement Hugh then went in to the next building along, took the lift to the fourth floor, and ended up back on street level again. The tour guide then showed footage of a train running straight through a building, suspended high in the air. Finally, he went into another building, took the floor to the 22nd floor, and ended up back on the square again. Hugh's video has likely left many people open-mouthed, as it has racked up over 3.2 million likes, and over 20 thousand comments. Advertisement TikTokers raced to the video's comments section, to share their disbelief at the remarkable city. One person said: "How is this possible?" A second person said: "How does navigation work there?" A third added: "Imagine how hard it is to go by Google maps there!" Advertisement 7 Residents never know what floor they're on in the unique city Credit: TikTok/@hughchongqing 7 The city is like a maze Credit: TikTok/@hughchongqing 7 Buildings are built on top of each other Credit: Getty 7 The layout of the city has been likened to a lasange Credit: Getty Advertisement
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I forked out £136 trying the lost luggage trend – I doubled my money but my most exciting find turned was a BA freebie
WE'VE all heard of return pallets, but have you seen the lost luggage trend that's taken social media by storm? Recently, influencers have been going wild for Advertisement 7 With everyone going wild for the lost luggage trend, I ordered myself an unclaimed suitcase to see what I could find Credit: Abigail Wilson 7 Personal details are removed from cases, but 'apart from that, everything is left as is' Credit: Undelivrd 7 Not only did I spot dirty boxers and worn socks, but the smell left me close to gagging Credit: Abigail Wilson 7 There was a football scarf and a toiletry bag from The White Company Credit: Abigail Wilson But would you risk spending over £100 on someone's After seeing many TikTokers and YouTubers open lost luggage and finding all things from a Kindle, a huge selection of clothes and even hair straighteners, to a Last year alone, Google Trends saw a 100 per cent spike in searches for 'lost luggage' - abandoned suitcases usually full to the brim with clothes, souvenirs and random items. The 'lost and unclaimed' luggage comes from 'the world's busiest airports' and while some may find designer buys, quirky gifts or sometimes even gadgets, the possibilities are as varied as the travellers who once packed them. Advertisement Read more Fabulous stories But there are a number of major drawbacks when buying lost luggage…the size and brand of the suitcase you receive will be totally random. Not only this, but if a person loses their luggage on the way back from a holiday, there's likely to be worn clothing inside - yes, you heard that correctly. After hearing countless content creators order theirs from According to those at Undelivrd, selling the lost luggage is a 'sustainable and economical way of dealing' with it. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous Rather than piles of suitcases heading straight to the dump, airports are auctioning them off to give the Of course, personal details are removed, but those at Undelivrd claimed that 'apart from that, everything is left as is.' Unveiling the Shocking Reality of Lost Luggage Purchases So I ordered myself a suitcase, which was listed online for £129.99. It ended up costing me £136.98 once the postage fees were piled on top, so not cheap. Advertisement But would I find some steals? Or just a bunch of tatt and some dirty knickers? Much to my surprise, the suitcase only took a week to arrive. No box in sight, the case was wrapped in a black bin bag and was far from luxe. Not knowing the contents made it very exciting, but unsure on the condition of what I would find, I nervously got my Marigold Gloves at the ready. Advertisement The sweaty, stale smell that was equivalent to the stench of a teenage boy's bedroom was horrendous Abby Wilson In the hope of stumbling upon some unexpected treasurers, I eagerly ripped off the bin bag, to find a black After a quick Google search, I spotted that such suitcases are available to buy online for £129 - so technically you've made the money back on the case itself, even though it had clearly been used on numerous occasions and was visibly quite battered. But I didn't even have to unzip the case for the grim, musty smell to invade my nostrils. Think of a room full of years of Advertisement The sweaty, stale smell that was equivalent to the stench of a teenage boy's bedroom was horrendous and is still, days later, giving me flashbacks and lingering in my nose. 7 The American Tourister case was pretty battered Credit: Abigail Wilson 7 These Asda shoes were practically new Credit: Abigail Wilson 7 My haul proves that ordering lost luggage is definitely a gamble Credit: Abigail Wilson Advertisement While I was hoping to get my hands on a woman's suitcase, in the hope of topping up my wardrobe with some new clothes or maybe even some jewellery, I was disappointed to see that I had been sent a man's case. And I was even more gutted when I noticed that it was full of clothes that had clearly been worn. If you thought smelly socks were bad, I was on the verge of gagging when I spotted three pairs of worn pants. It appears that the man this case belonged to had potentially been on holiday to Portugal, as I immediately spotted two Algarve Jazz Festival grey t-shirts. Advertisement Alongside this, there was an empty toiletry bag and an unbranded navy hoodie, which wasn't short of stains. How to buy lost luggage THE famous US store which sells off unclaimed baggage has launched an online shop - so you can buy more travellers' lost items. The Unclaimed Baggage Center, located in Alabama, has long been a destination for treasure hunters wanting to find a bargain from the abandoned suitcases. Located in the tiny town of Scottsboro, which has a population of 14,000, it is an unlikely tourist hotspot. Inside is a megastore of misplaced possessions taken from tens of thousands of suitcases, rucksacks and duffel bags, all lost on commercial flights across the US. Now, you don't have to travel to the US and can do your shopping online with their new online store. The centre has launched the online shopping experience as part of their 50th anniversary, having opened in 1970. Everything from clothing to electronics are found on the website - current items for sale include high-street dresses from $8 up to They also have a weird and wonderful section which ranges from gold necklaces and diving equipment to designer gowns and signed memorabilia. Legally, airlines have a duty to reunite luggage with their owners within 90 days, but if that fails, bags end up at the centre. So frequent are these deliveries that the Unclaimed Baggage Center has around one million items on sale at any time, with 7,000 new items added to the shop floor every day. Not everything that is found is sold - a third is binned, including all underwear, while another third of it is donated to charity. Brenda Cantrell, the store's brand ambassador, says: 'Less than half a per cent of all lost luggage fails to make it back to its owners, but that's still thousands of bags every year. 'And the vast majority of those make their way here. We have exclusive contracts with all the major US carriers, making us the only store of this kind anywhere in the country.' According to journalist Jonathon Thompson Customers have also found bargains while shopping there - one person bought a £65 vase, only to find out later it was worth £15,000, while one piece of art valued at £45 was actually worth £20,000. The guy this suitcase belonged to was clearly a football fan, as I also stumbled across a As well as this, there was also a Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2023/24 home jersey, which are being flogged online for just under £70. Next, I spotted a H&M black hoodie, which is currently on the website for £27.99, as well as a pair of blue Adidas shorts, which if you buy them new, are £35. Advertisement Much to my dismay, I was only halfway through and incredibly disappointed. Having said that, things appeared to look up when I saw a small Yes, you get them free when you fly with British Airways, but it was the most exciting thing I'd seen so far, without a doubt. The beauty bags, which contain an eye mask, ear plugs and a mini toothbrush, are being flogged for £7 on eBay and are perfect for travelling. Advertisement While many may think that selling-on lost luggage contents could be a good earner, my haul proves that it is definitely a gamble Abby Wilson It was un-unused, unlike a lot of the other stuff in this case. Following this, I found a pair of barely worn, brown leather shoes from Asda, which are still available to order from the site for £25. And that's not all, as I also (unfortunately) found three pairs of Jack & Jones boxers, which when bought new, are £45 a pack. In total, the contents of my lost luggage - bought new - came to £223.98, not as high as I had hoped. Advertisement If you add on the cost of the actual suitcase, it totals just over £350. What was in the box and what's it worth? Bayer 04 Leverkusen football scarf - £14 Bayer 04 Leverkusen jersey - £69.99 H&M hoodie - £27.99 Adidas shorts - £35 The White Company toiletry bag - £7 on eBay Three pairs of Jack & Jones boxers - £45 Asda leather shoes - £25 While many may think that selling-on lost luggage contents could be a good earner, my haul proves that it is definitely a gamble. The smell of the case is still haunting me, so the thought of going through it all again and posting it on Vinted in the hope of earning a quick buck is not something I'm up for. Despite the battered hoodies and worn socks, everything was in reasonably decent condition, so I guess you could say it wasn't a total waste of time. Advertisement But if you're hoping to find a new iPad or a posh designer bag, you should be aware that you'll have to take a chance when searching through lost luggage. Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
Irish Independent
23-04-2025
- Irish Independent
Check out Cork attraction that is Ireland's eighth most ‘underrated' tourist hotspot
The Cork attraction has been open to tourists for just over a decade A Cork tourist attraction has been listed among Ireland's most 'underrated' to visit this year. A new report from SumUp, known best for their contactless payment terminals that flooded mobile coffee shops during the pandemic, has revealed Ireland's most underrated tourist hotspots. The study considered a number of factors, including number of reviews, tourist traffic, and the cost of public transport. Rated first on the list is Dublin's 14 Henrietta Street museum, with Skellig Michael in Kerry and the Slieve League Cliffs in Donegal also placing within the top three. However, Spike Island, across the water from Cobh, has earned itself a respectable eighth position in the rankings, scoring 84.85 points out of 100 on the index. Spike Island has a long and storied history. Known best as the site of a prison for many decades, the first settlement dates back to a monastery built in the 7th century, while the largest convict depot in the world during Victorian times was also situated on the small island in the middle of the harbour. Spike Island had previously held a Defence Forces barracks before the prison, with families of army members forming their own community on the island, that had a small primary school and a number of houses, still intact from its army days. The island served as a prison as recently as 2004, with its most infamous moment coming when prisoners rioted in 1984, causing destruction and damage to the prison and some of its historic property. In 2010 it was handed over to Cork County Council, who put significant work into updating the site into a tourist centre, which opened in 2016, and serves as the perfect day trip on the Cork-Cobh train, as boats bring visitors over and back from the nearby town several times a day. Spike has a number of walking trails that go around the island, as well as a museum on the main Fort Mitchell, and a schedule of ever-changing exhibitions that keep every visit fresh. 'We created this ranking to spotlight some of Ireland's hidden gems—places that are often overlooked in favour of the usual tourist spots like Dublin Castle or Guinness Storehouse,' said Corin Camenisch, Marketing and Growth Leader at SumUp. 'By highlighting these underrated hotspots, we're hoping to show people spots they might not know about and spread the benefits of local tourism.' 'With TikTokers and influencers constantly sharing cool, off-the-beaten-path places, more and more people are eager to discover unique destinations, and we think that's a great way to help local economies thrive. By bringing attention to these lesser-known landmarks, we hope to not only provide visitors with new and enriching experiences but also support small businesses that may not have the same visibility as those placed in larger, well-known, tourist attractions. 'These hidden gems often rely on tourism to sustain their operations, and by shining a light on them, we're hoping to ensure that local businesses can benefit from a steady flow of visitors, which is crucial for their growth and long-term success.'
