With more than three billion parcels delivered in the UK each year, some inevitably go missing. Now enterprising firms are snapping up the lost packages and on-selling them to customers, but the purchases are usually a gamble.
During the pandemic the postal system descended into "chaos" and this "lucrative lockdown trade" took off, said the Daily Mail. Each transaction is by definition generally a "lucky dip", so businesses do not accept refunds if you are unhappy with your order and will only reimburse you if your parcel has been lost (again) in the post. The "gamble" is "part of the attraction" for some customers.
Unboxing Heaven, a company that on-sells Royal Mail parcels, claims that customers can find a "wide variety of items" within its boxes including "electronics, books, records, toys and games, clothing items and accessories, jewellery, shoes, beauty products, personalised items, fad gift items, tools and home décor", said the Daily Mail.
The parcels containing those items will have become undeliverable for a number of reasons including that the address is inadequate or illegible, that the person may have moved or there is no return address.
You can also buy unclaimed suitcases from airports, which could "bag you big bucks", said MoneySavingExpert. Many companies offer only empty suitcases, but others sell them with their contents still inside, sometimes even giving you a hint of what's included before you buy. But often it's still "pot luck", said a customer, so your purchased luggage "could be full of designer gear or someone's soiled smalls". | 
