Abandoned airport suitcases up for grabs as buyers share random hauls (2025)

Would you feel weird about buying someone's ditched luggage? It seems lost suitcases can be a real money spinner - but only if you strike lucky with what's inside

Buying other people's lost luggage seems to be a new craze, if TikTok is anything to go by. In recent months, the Daily Star has reported on the random things people have found by rifling through someone else's belongings.

Thrifty influencer, Beck's Bazaar forked out £80 for an abandoned suitcase to see if its contents would land her a tidy profit. The content creator and charity shop queen snapped up the case which had been left unclaimed at Heathrow Airport and was sold on through a company called Undelivrd.

She goes through the haul in a video that attracted 14.8m views as well as thousands of shares and comments. She says: "I bought somebody's lost luggage from London Heathrow Airport and here's what rocked up at my door. It cost me a grand total of £80 so I thought I'd open it on camera and we can decide if it's worth it."

Becky discovers the suitcase itself retails for around £200 "so that's a good start," she says.

Showing a few handbags to the camera, she goes through them and adds: "Things got very interesting."

Part two of the video shows more of the haul which includes dresses with tags on and used make up items. There was also some anti-itch cream, a Tommy Hilfiger coat and some vintage Lee jeans.

She "got excited" when she stumbled across a Guess handbag, only to discover it was fake.

The "interesting" item she found was a meal receipt from a restaurant in New York.

Becky is not the only one snapping up suitcases.

TikTok influencer, Ally Law forked out £109 to see if he'd bagged a bargain. He goes through the case in a video that has been viewed over 40,000 times and attracted reams of comments.

"Is it going to be a load of good? Is it going to be a load of crap? Imagine if I open it and there's a full on real Rolex in there..." he states.

As he tears off the clingfilm, Ally states: "How much is a suitcase? About £60 isn't it? I've already made half my money back already."

An airport label attached to the handle has the date of October 2021. Ally says it's travelled from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to London "and somehow it's been lost in the process."

He asks: "How do you just lose your luggage and not claim it?"

In the case, he finds a tin of Pokemon cars, a coronavirus testing kit and some unused vaccum bags. But then, tucked under the clothes, Ally finds an iPhone and a charger.

"Oy, I feel bad now, I feel like I've nicked someone's suitcase, like it feels wrong, I'm going to have to find the owner surely," he says.

"Surely they (the airport) would've just done that?"

Ending the clip he says: "Basically what I'm telling you guys is we've got a load of crap."

But the videos had a mixed reaction from viewers.

One wrote: "This honestly feels like a violation of someone's privacy."

"This made me feel so uneasy," added another.

But is it really so bad?

Many people can buy lost cases and parcels through the Undelivrd website which states: "Ever wondered what happens to abandoned and lost luggage?

"While most people are reunited with their belongings, sometimes people don't claim them.

"And now there's a sustainable and economical way of dealing with the lost luggage. The airport auctions them off to give the abandoned cases and the items inside a new 'forever home'.

"Personal details are removed from the luggage before they're sent to us, but apart from that everything is left as is, and as you can probably expect, the luggage is usually full to the brim with clothes, souvenirs and random items, sometimes worth thousands.

"The size and brand of the suitcase you'll receive will be random."

Auctioneers also offer lost suitcases for sale, as reported on Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website.

It states: "Is it all pants? Not necessarily – you may get lucky with designer goods. In fact, as many auction houses now separate the contents from the suitcases, you may not have to bother with any dirty laundry at all.

"Sale prices vary, so expect to pay anything between £10 and £75 per case.

"Of the big auction houses, Wellers and Mulberry Bank only sell empty cases – the contents are always taken out and sold separately.

"Greasbys and BCVA sell some empty suitcases, but others with clothes and other items still inside. Where suitcases are sold with their contents, auction houses will often let you see what's inside before you buy, or give a description, eg, 'gents' clothing.'

"Either way, it's usually the suitcases themselves that are worth most. Even if you do buy a full suitcase, you're unlikely to get a bag brimming with diamonds.

"Airlines will have unlocked cases first – they need to check for passengers' ID and ensure what's in there is legal – and auction houses will remove significant valuables such as iPods, jewellery and perfume. "

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