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
Community and Fundraising Questions
Less Common Questions

Common questions when you find something:

Click on a question to view the answer.

I found something with a FoundIt! sticker. What do I do?

Start by patting yourself on the back for being a good person. Then enter the FoundIt! ID printed on the sticker or tag here.

Or text the FoundIt! ID to 206.745.0017.

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:

Text the FoundIt! ID to (206) 745-0017.
We will immediately contact the grateful FoundIt! Member whose stuff you found and forward along your cell number so you two can figure out the best way to return the item.
Go online HERE!, and enter the FoundIt! ID.
- You have options here on how you want our super-happy FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! 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!

When I text the FoundIt! ID can I add a message?

No. You will receive an error if you try to input anything but the FoundIt! ID. This is designed to ensure the least amount of input errors for our users. If you’d like to leave a message you may consider reporting it online.

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 FoundIt! alerts are sent by text and email!). Once you’ve done your part, we continue to send FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! 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. FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! 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@foundit.net and we'll walk through the issue with you. Please include a phone number in your email.

Common questions when you misplace someting:

Click on a question to view the answer.

I lost something with a FoundIt! sticker. What do I do?: Start by taking a breath. Don’t beat yourself up – this happens to everyone. Just by joining FoundIt! you have greatly increased your chances of getting your lost stuff back.
Still, just because you have FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! Alert?: You should receive most FoundIt! alerts instantly, although FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! ID and our FoundIt! 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 you text me that someone has FoundIt!?: FoundIt! Alerts are sent by text message and email. As long as you can check your email, you can still get your FoundIt! Alerts.
We also recommend setting up an Alternate Contact who will also receive your FoundIt! Alerts. It’s simple: go to your Member Profile.
If my stuff isn't returned and it has a FoundIt! sticker on it, can I sue you?: Uh, no. For starters, you simply must read our Terms of Service. They're riveting. Also, FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! Questions:

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How does FoundIt! work?

It's easy! Our members each have a unique FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! ID, the Finder simply follows the instructions on the sticker or tag and reports the FoundIt! ID via text or on our website. Then, instantly, FoundIt! automatically sends FoundIt! 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’s missing!

How many stickers do I get?

That depends on the type of package you choose. For the Basic, we'll start you off with 10 stickers your first year. If you need more, consider upgrading to the Premium or MacDaddy packages. Not only will you get 38 and 64 stickers respectively, you'll also get keychain and bag tags, ID cards and pet ID tags.

Why should I use FoundIt! 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. FoundIt! lets you accomplish the same thing, with better, more current information, while remaining secure and anonymous. What's more, you can use the same FoundIt! 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. FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! is so easy, it is actually harder for people to justify keeping something that doesn't belong to them.

How much does it cost?

FoundIt! is, at most, just $9.99 per year. Or you can take advantage of our packages and get better pricing and more ways to ID your stuff. The Premium Package is $16.99 for two years and the MacDaddy is $29.99 for 3 years. Each package comes with more stickers and tags, so check it out. Pretty darn reasonable.

How do you use my personal information?

As a Member, we keep your personal information safe, only using it to send you FoundIt! Alerts, a monthly email and (on rare occasions) other things directly related to your FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! Alerts by email. And if you lose your computer, you'll also receive a FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! sticker or tag on?

Put your FoundIt! 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!

Can my roommates and I all share the same single ID? That would be super cheap.

You could, but it would get messy. There's only one primary contact on the account which means that when your roommate drops her keys on the sidewalk at 3am, if you're the primary contact, YOU'RE going to get the alert at 4am, regardless of wherever she may be. It requires one roommate to juggle potentially a lot of information, which can be some unfair pressure. While this setup can work fine for families (i.e. Mom, Dad, or Grandma as primary contact), we highly recommend that roommate households sign up individually – and at $10 a pop, it's definitely worth it.

Got a lot of roommates? Like a campus full of 'em? Consider checking out our FoundIt! Community Project Page for special group pricing.

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 FoundIt! ID they know that this phone or jacket or notebook is important to someone. They can empathize. The best part? FoundIt! makes it so easy for the Finder to share the joy of returning an item to its rightful owner.

Is FoundIt! available in my city?

Anybody with an Internet connection can use FoundIt!. Gotta love that Internet. However, SMS FoundIt! 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 Premium and MacDaddy packages. The stickers are simply a convenient and durable way to mark your property with the FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! 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?

When you give a FoundIt! Membership as a gift you essentially pre-pay for them to sign up as soon as they get the pre-paid voucher number. We'll send their FoundIt! package as soon as the gift recipient uses the voucher and enters their info. This way the lucky new Member gets the full length of the membership, even if you buy their gift early (hint, hint).

Can I get FoundIt! 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 Premium and MacDaddy packages 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 FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! 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 FoundIt! safe?

FoundIt! 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.

Can I use my email address to register multiple FoundIt! IDs?

Sorry, our system is designed to assign a single FoundIt! ID per MAIN email address. The same email for an Alternate Contact can be used a bazillion times, but the main email for each separate FoundIt! ID must be unique. Your FoundIt! ID is yours for life, so feel free to memorize it! If you need more stickers we do sell them for a small jar of pennies by upgrading to the Premium or MacDaddy packages.

If you are interested in an Enterprise Solution, please contact us and we can show you how we can help with your asset management.

What if I put in the wrong email address while registering by text?

No problem. Go to foundit.net, log in using your FoundIt! ID or email address as your username, supply your password, and update your Member Profile.

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 FoundIt! ID or email address as the username. FoundIt! will email you with a link that will direct you to a page to change your password.

What if I lost my FoundIt! ID?

It may seem ironic, but it can happen. Just sign in to your account using your email address and password. Your FoundIt! ID is in your Member Profile. You can also find your FoundIt! ID on your stickers and tags right underneath the FoundIt! logo. You can also find your FoundIt! ID in your activation email.

What if I lost my FoundIt! ID and stickers?

Ooh, how meta! Connect with us or email us at support@foundit.net. We’ll work it out together. (We promise!)

What if I'm totally stumped?

Email us at support@foundit.net Include your phone number in case we need to call you. Let's figure it out together!

Community questions:

Click on a question to view the answer.

How does FoundIt! support the community?: FoundIt! is based on the belief that people are good, that given the choice to do the right thing, they will. We partner with other organizations with similar values to help foster this belief and support the growth of more happy, healthy and sustainable communities. By working together, we believe we help to create a better world for everyone.
How can FoundIt! help my organization?: First, become a Member and encourage others in your community to join. It feels good to trust others and it feels good to be trusted. It encourages us to work harder to be accountable to ourselves and each other. Let us know if we can provide you with materials to help you get the word out.
Second, let us help your community with a fundraiser. We’ll share a portion of the proceeds with your organization. Check out our FoundIt! Community Project page for more info or connect with us at founditcommunityproject@foundit.net.

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!