Where the sun never shines
Last Sunday, I flew out of Edinburgh Airport. I have this thing that when I travel I always like to keep my baggage within sight, but the security procedures there don’t permit that. There is no such thing as hassle free security but there are officials who see it as their job to be officious.
Anyway, as Rexie would say, a couple of hours later I realised on board the aircraft that I didn’t have my Kindle Paperwhite although I remembered taking it out for inspection. I also remembered an officious official rearranging items in the two boxes I presented and moving items from one to another for no obvious reason.
Next morning I reported the loss via the Airport website. Shortly afterward I had an email from someone named ******, described as a Sales and Retail Assistant at an entity known as Luggage-point. She said she believed they had my property, and that I could have it back, on production of photo ID. (It’s a Kindle dear, it doesn’t have my name on it.) She added that in addition to producing my driving licence, bus pass etc, I should also produce £12, the ‘Standard retrieval fee.’
When I pointed out that any citizen finding an item of property is normally expected to hand it to the police, ****** said that was not Airport policy and that I had seven days to cough up. At my request she attached a copy of the Airport Bye Laws (sic).
I am afraid that I advised her I could not comply with her requirements and that her organisation should place the item somewhere absolutely beyond the reach of sunshine. Let’s hope she understood.
Quintin Jardine's blog 
These bylaws are a throwback to when the airports were in state control. They need serious review as the airports are in private company hands. They give powers that are easily abused over traffic, parking and your own experience with your Kindle. Hope you are well.
Fine thanks, Iain. Hope you are too. Fact is, the Edinburgh Airport Bye Laws were updated in 2015, signed by Sir John Elvidge as Chairman and approved on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. Mostly they simply apply common law to the airport grounds, adding a few appropriate specifics. Section 10 deals with Lost Property and gives the Airport Company the right to impose such charge as it thinks fit upon the owner, once it has been delivered to the Lost Property office. The person with whom I corresponded gave me seven days to accept her proposal, but the Airport must retain the item for three months before disposal. If if is sold, the owner is entitled to claim the sale proceeds, less the standard charge.
Does Section 10 explain why there is a charge? Is it an administration charge because they are holding it for you or a penalty because you lost it in the first place?
They will wrap it as a cost. I see it as a rip-off. The Bye Laws make it clear that it’s a discretionary charge.