Answers Found Here
Look below for answers to many common questions. Don't see what you're
looking for? Ask us.
Find Something?
Misplace Something?
General Questions
Less Common Questions
Common questions when you find something:
Click on a question to view the answer.
- I found something with a Found ID sticker. What do I do?
- Start by patting yourself on the back for being a good person.
Then enter the Found ID printed on the sticker or tag
here.
- What's the easiest way to return something and how does it work?
- That depends. What's easiest for you may be confusing for my friend Elsa.
That's why we have a few options:
- Go online HERE!,
and enter the Found ID.
- You have options here on how you want our super-happy Found ID Member to contact you.
Each option allows you to write a personalized note:
- Email
- Phone
- Text
- Send an anonymous note
If you choose this option you MUST leave
a message for the Found ID Member. THIS IS THE ONLY MESSAGE ABOUT
THEIR STUFF THEY WILL RECEIVE. So be thoughtful. Leave their
item in a safe place like a security desk or with a restaurant manager.
- Example: Hi! I found your tablet at the coffee shop on
7th and Pine. I left it with the coffee shop manager. Her name
is Jane and is expecting you to come back soon. Peace!
- What if I find something, report it, and no one responds?
- Hang on to it. Maybe the person hasn't checked their email yet, or
their phone has a dead battery (or you're hanging onto their phone, this
is why our Found alerts are sent by text and email!). Once you’ve
done your part, we continue to send Found ID Alerts for 3 days. Our rule
of thumb is to keep the item for 20 days. If you don't hear from the owner,
consider donating the item to your favorite charity.
- Can I be anonymous?
- Yes. The best way to do this is to report the item
online and click the "I wish to
remain anonymous" button. Also please note, we will only share the
specific information or brief message that you agree to share with our
Found ID Member.
- How long do you hold the Finder’s personal info? What do you do with it?
- We will purge your information from our secure server after 30 days.
We hold it that long for security purposes. We won't ever sell, share,
rent or otherwise abuse your private information. If you still have concerns
or questions, check out our Privacy Policy
or contact us.
- Do I get a reward?
- The Found ID Member may indeed feel that you are entitled to a reward,
but this is entirely up to them – keep in mind the law prohibits demanding
one. Found ID operates completely independently of any kind of financial
incentive. Reward or not, you’ll be satisfied with the knowledge that you
have done a good deed and helped to make somebody's day a little brighter.
We've all lost something before and with Found ID it's super easy for you
to do the right thing. Think of it as banking karma.
- What if I get an error message when trying to report a lost item?
- Email us at support@foundid.com
and we'll walk through the issue with you. Please include a phone number
in your email.
Common questions when you misplace something:
Click on a question to view the answer.
- I lost something with a Found ID sticker. What do I do?
- Start by taking a breath. Don't beat yourself up, this happens to everyone.
Just by joining Found ID you have greatly increased your chances of getting
your lost stuff back.
Still, just because you have Found ID doesn't mean the traditional methods
of finding things are no longer helpful. So, don't just sit there. Let's
continue being proactive. Retrace your steps. Call lost and founds. Tell
your family and friends, they can keep a lookout for you. Remember, people
often turn in found things, leaving them with trusted managers or staff.
Whoever has your lost thing may not have had a chance to report it, yet.
It may take some time, but it still never hurts make a few calls & help
the process along.
- How long does it take for me to receive a Found ID Alert?
- You should receive most Found ID alerts instantly, although Found ID
Alerts reported via SMS may take at most 2 minutes. This minor delay with SMS
reports occurs because we check-in with the Finder before forwarding their cell
phone number to the Found ID Member (their privacy is important to us, too). Of
course, if you have your email client set up to only load new messages every 17
minutes and you’re in that weird cell "dead zone" behind that huge hill off of
I-90, your results may vary. But most of the time, it’s pretty dang quick.
- I got my item back, but I’m still getting Found ID alerts. How do I turn off reminders?
- Log into your account
and click on "Found Events" and mark this event Found!
- Do you ship my property back to me?
- No, we do not handle shipping. We facilitate the connection between the
person who finds something with a Found ID and our Found ID Members.
There are lots of companies that are better than us at shipping. And their
airplanes are way faster than our bikes.
- Do I have to meet the person who found my item?
- Only if you want to. You can ask the Finder to leave your property
with a restaurant manager, or building security, for example. If you
do meet in person, it's always a good idea to meet in a safe public
place. Of course, avoid giving out personal information such as your home
address. Check out our safety tips…
- Can I give a reward to the Finder?
- You are not required to give anything, but if you want to give a reward,
give one. Some may appreciate the
gesture of a small thank you, such as a gift card to the local coffee
shop. But most are happy knowing that they helped make somebody's day.
- What if the Finder demands a reward?
- Some people may expect a reward for returning something of high value,
but demanding a reward in exchange for returning somebody else's property
is actually illegal (not to mention rude). We highly recommend avoiding
confrontation, even if it means you don't get your property back. Your
safety is always more important than a thing. If you do come across the
rare person who refuses to return your property without a reward, consider
reporting them to the police. Click here for more
safety tips.
- What if I lost my phone? How can I receive a text if I don't have my phone?
- Found ID Alerts are sent by text message and email. As long as you can
check your email, you can still get your Found ID Alerts.
We also recommend setting up an Alternate Contact who will also receive
your Found ID Alerts. It's simple: go to your
Member Profile.
- If my stuff isn't returned and it has a Found ID sticker on it, can I sue you?
- Uh, no. For starters, you simply must read our
Terms of Service. They're riveting.
Also, Found ID is a conduit that enables people to alert you that they
found your stuff if they choose to do so. In other words, we haven't yet
mastered mind control. As soon as we do, you can bet we'll charge more –
and we’ll probably need to revise our
Privacy Policy.
General Found ID Questions:
Click on a question to view the answer.
- How does Found ID work?
- It's easy! Our members each have a unique Found ID, which
is printed on super-durable stickers and tags and they affix these
stickers/tags to things they might lose. When a member misplaces
something they labeled with their Found ID, the Finder simply
follows the instructions on the sticker or tag and reports the
Found ID via text or on our website. Then, instantly, Found ID
automatically sends Found ID Alerts to the Member and their
Alternate Contact. Our members know almost immediately that their
stuff has been found, sometimes before they even know something,
missing!
- Why should I use Found ID and not just put labels with my address
and phone number on my stuff?
- Putting your personal information on your belongings means that
anybody who finds your stuff now has your personal information. Most
people don't consider that a good idea for a lot of reasons. Found ID
lets you accomplish the same thing, with better, more current information,
while remaining secure and anonymous. What's more, you can use the same
Found ID even if you move or change phone numbers.
- Do people really return things?
- They sure do. You'd be surprised by how many people truly want to
do the right thing. It's inspiring, really. Found ID eliminates the
usual hassle of returning items (the search, the detectives, the pipe
smoking and bloodhounds) and makes doing the right thing the truly
easy thing to do. A Found ID sticker or tag says, "Hey this is
important to me" and personalizes the possession, it isn't just a
random phone or a camera. It's something that matters to someone.
Plus, because Found ID is so easy, it is actually harder for people
to justify keeping something that doesn't belong to them.
- How do you use my personal information?
- As a Member, we keep your personal information safe, only using it
to send you Found ID Alerts, a monthly email and (on rare occasions)
other things directly related to your Found ID Membership. If you're
a Finder, we hold onto your info for 30 days for security purposes and
then purge it from our servers. No matter who you are, your info will
never be sold, rented or abused. Promise. See our
Privacy Policy.
- Why do you need my cell phone number and email address?
- Those are simply the easiest ways to notify you if your property
is found, as our carrier pigeons have all retired to Florida. If
you lose your phone, you can check for Found ID Alerts by email.
And if you lose your computer, you'll also receive a Found ID
Alert via text. Lost both, man you're having a lousy
day, but we suggest adding an
Alternate Contact
to your account to help notify you quickly.
- What should I put a Found ID sticker or tag on?
- Put your Found ID on anything that is important enough to you that
it would really mess up your day if it were lost.
Common uses: keys, wallet, phone, camera, laptop, tablet, iPod, gaming
device, pet tag, notebooks, backpacks, diaper bags, purses, medication, jackets, luggage...
Slightly less common uses: eyeglasses case, lucky pen, thermos,
lunchbox, umbrella, retainer cases, stuffed animals...
Most uncommon: 1994 elementary school chess trophy
What's the most uncommon thing you’ll tag? Let us know!
- How much stuff is actually lost?
- A lot. We could freak you out with statistics:
- 56% of the U.S. population misplace their cell phone or laptop each month.
- Chicago cab drivers find 120,000 cell phones a year.
- 50,000 laptops are turned in monthly at airports. 70% remain unclaimed because security can’t find the owners.
- Major city transit authorities each receive over 200 lost items per day.
- London Transport found 7,505 sets of keys last year.
- Major sporting events venues receive 70 items lost items per event.
But really, losing things is just a human condition. We ALL have
misplaced something at some point in our lives and we will all do
it again. Everyone has felt that pit in their stomach and knows
the panic of realizing something is gone. So when someone finds
your stuff labeled with a Found ID they know that this phone
or jacket or notebook is important to someone. They can empathize.
The best part? Found ID makes it so easy for the Finder to share
the joy of returning an item to its rightful owner.
- Is Found ID available in my city?
- Anybody with an Internet connection can use Found ID. Gotta love
that Internet. However, SMS Found ID Alerts and SMS reporting only
work in the U.S. and Canada. International charges on SMS texts may
apply when used in Canada.
- Do I have to use the provided stickers?
- Nope. We also have key tags, tags for your bag and other options
available with our Bomb Diggity and MacDaddy memberships. The stickers are
simply a convenient and durable way to mark your property with
the Found ID URL, text number and your unique ID. If you have another
clever way to tag something, we'd love to hear about it! Post it on our
Facebook page or
email us.
- Can I give a Found ID Membership as a gift?
- Yes. In fact, it makes a thoughtful addition to other gifts such
as a camera, MP3 player or phone. It's also a great Christmas stocking
stuffer or graduation gift. Setting up a gift membership is easy
(almost as easy as reporting something you found!).
Just visit the Gift Page for more info.
- When will you send the gift I bought?
- Right away! You or your gift recipient should receive the
Found ID gift package within 5-10 business days, and hopefully sooner!
- Can I get Found IDs for my whole family?
- Yes. You can either sign up individual family Members (great for
college students) for their own accounts or your can choose to use
one ID for the entire family. The Bomb Diggity and MacDaddy Memberships provide
lots of stickers and tags, so they work particularly well for family
Memberships.
- Can I sign up my 16-year-old daughter with her own account?
- Sure! Great idea. Kids, especially teens, lose stuff left and right (and up and
down, too). We do strongly recommend that you, the parent, are
either the primary contact on the account or that you are at least
the Alternate Contact so you can receive her Found ID Alerts as well.
Simply sign in
and go to your Member Profile to update the alternative contact info
to make sure you're both set up.
- Can I set up an Alternate Contact for my Found ID Alerts?
- Yes. Choose an alternate as your backup. Your BFF, your mom or
dad, sister, the nice neighbor who takes in your mail when you're
away. To do this, simply
sign in and go to
your Member Profile and add the Alternate Contact info in the
Contact tab.
- Is Found ID safe?
- Found ID does not reveal your personal information to anybody.
The only things anybody will ever know about you is what you reveal
to them. Oh, and that you lost something. They'll probably know that.
Click here for more
safety tips.
- Will you ever sell, share or trade my information?
- Nope. Never. Not gonna happen. See our
Privacy Policy.
- How can I update my contact information?
- Did you move? Change your Alternate Contact? Switch your phone
number? Update your info! Just
sign in
and just update it in your Member Profile.
- What if I forgot my password?
- Click on I forgot my password
link on the sign in page, enter your Found ID or email address
as the username. Found ID will email you with a link that will direct
you to a page to change your password.
- What if I lost my Found ID?
- It may seem ironic, but it can happen. Just
sign in to your
account using your email address and password. Your Found ID
is in your Member Profile. You can also find your Found ID on
your stickers and tags right underneath the Found ID logo. You
can also find your Found ID in your activation email.
- What if I lost my Found ID and stickers?
- Ooh, how meta!
Connect with us
or email us at support@foundid.com.
We’ll work it out together. (We promise!)
- What if I'm totally stumped?
- Email us at support@foundid.com
Include your phone number in case we need to call you. Let's figure it
out together!
- Did Found ID used to be FoundIt!?
- Yes. At our inception as a company we went by the name FoundIt!, but we
found (pun intended) that when talked about our service we were really focused
on our unique ID, or Found ID. We believe it helps explain what we do as a lost
and found service a little better than just plain FoundIt! So, in June of 2013,
we made the leap and the huge letter change.
- Will my FoundIt! number still work on the Found ID system?
- Yes. Same system. Same database. You're still golden. Any concerns,
please don't hesitate to contact us at support@FoundID.com.
Slightly less common questions:
Click on a question to view the answer.
- Why is there no "U" in "QANTAS?"
- Good question. It's actually an acronym that stands for Queensland
And Northern Territories Aerial Service.
- Why do people say the millennium didn't start in 2000?
- That's because there was no "year 0". It started with year 1 (A.D.).
So the new millennium didn't officially kick in until 2001.
- Why is there moisture at the base of my toilet?
- There are three likely culprits: The first is condensation on the base
of the toilet running down to the floor. The next could be water from the
shower or bath seeping underneath the toilet through capillary action
(try re-caulking). Finally, the seal on the wax ring underneath the toilet
may have failed. If so, you will need to remove the toilet to replace it.
- Do ducks have a blind spot?
- No. Ducks can reportedly see 360 degrees around their head.
- Are zebras white with black stripes or black with white stripes?
- Experts believe that they are white with black stripes. That is because
there are all-white zebras, but no all-black zebras.
Have an uncommon question you want answered? Submit it to us on
Facebook and it could be
featured on our website!
