Viewers were indignant after a woman posted an unboxing video of someone else’s lost luggage, which she bought from Heathrow Airport for just £80, less than $100. Becky Chorlton, a content creator focused on thrifting and budget shopping, revealed the items inside the suitcase, including underwear, skin cream, and sanitary pads.
While the Cheshire native’s video aimed to determine whether buying lost luggage is a “scam or not,” most of the commenters were shocked that you could purchase other people’s suitcases at all, much less everything that came inside. After all, losing your luggage at the airport is an experience even infrequent travelers are familiar with, and many people found it hard to stomach the idea that a stranger could end up with their personal belongings.
“I feel so violated,” said one particularly outraged viewer. “And it’s not even my lost baggage.”
“Really don’t like the idea of this!” said another. “I’d be mortified.”
Other commenters asked the obvious question: “Why did[n't] the airport/Airlines return to the owner?”
A British woman revealed the contents of a lost suitcase she bought from Heathrow Airport for £80
Image credits: Vlada Karpovich
However, the influencer, who has amassed nearly 250,000 followers on TikTok, insisted that the parties involved had done their due diligence and attempted to find the suitcase’s proper owner. “They give it 60 days and if it’s not claimed they have to get rid of it.”
While the content creator behind Becky’s Bazaar didn’t reveal exactly how she purchased her piece of lost luggage, it is true that you can buy unclaimed suitcases and other items online. The most popular site in the United States is Unclaimed Baggage. According to their website, they have agreements with airlines to buy and then resell the less-than-0.3 percent of luggage that goes unclaimed. However, unlike the suitcase in the viral video, they sort the items and sell them individually.
Viewers were appalled to learn you could buy lost luggage and wanted to know why it hadn't been returned to the owner
Image credits: Liu Revutska
Other options include private and government auctions. Greasby’s and BCVA are popular auction houses in the UK, while GovDeals.com is a US auction site for everything from lost luggage to military surplus.
Popularized by reality shows like Storage Wars, where people bid on abandoned storage lockers without knowing what’s inside, “blind bidding” or “gamble buying” has become more common in recent years. On Chorlton’s TikTok account, she posts videos unboxing Amazon and postal return packages as well as mystery boxes from charity shops.
Many websites and auction houses buy and resell unclaimed baggage after a certain time period, but many are skeptical
Image credits: Esther
These videos often reveal broken or useless items, though, and there’s always the risk of a scam. Many commenters on the lost luggage video insisted that any sellers or auction houses sort through the bags to find any high-value items beforehand, meaning you’re basically buying trash.
However, others pointed out that the bag alone justified the cost. “The case is worth more than £80 so that’s a win straight away,” one said.
Commenters were also put off by the idea and asked why the content creator wasn't wearing gloves
Image credits: Calle Macarone
Plus, the thrifting expert revealed that several items retailed for more than she paid. These included a $98 dress with the tags still on and a Tommy Hilfiger coat. There was an extensive selection of makeup as well.
Still, this didn’t justify the purchase in the minds of many. “What would you do with all that stuff they won’t even fit you,” someone said.
"New fear unlocked": bargain or not, most people were outraged the TikTok star was rifling through someone else's suitcase on video
Image credits: beckysbazaar
Image credits: beckysbazaar
Others pointed out the hygiene aspect. “Probably should of worn gloves,” one person said. “After living through bed bugs years ago when we moved into a new house…. I could never do this,” said another.
Still, dress sizes and germs aside, commenter Jackie Lombardi captured the public reaction best: “New fear unlocked: watching an influencer gleefully rip apart my lost luggage on TikTok.”
"I would not pay £80 for that," a social media user commented
