When you find something in a public place?

[MorgnsGrl]

The other night we found an iPod Touch on the floor at the mall. We turned it in to Guest Services (who said it would go to Security from there.) It did have a case on it that was moderately identifiable (picture of Spiderman!) Was there something more sensible we should have done with it?

We did try pushing a few buttons to see if we could ID who it belonged to, but it felt impolite to mess around with it too much. Would it have been rude to push every conceivable button to see if we could find the owner's name/info?

I wish we knew now if it ever got back to its owner.

[iridaceae]

Security, if no one comes to claim it, will probably try punching buttons to see if they can find any info. We do that at work with electronics. Well, our security does. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

[JenJay]

I don't think that would have been rude, but neither was turning it in. Hopefully the person who lost it will call and see if it was found. My DD lost her iPod touch within a week of getting it and oh how I wish someone like you had found it. Unfortunately we never saw it again. 

[Sharnita]

If it were a phone I might try to turn it on and see if I could get into contacts and call "mom" or  the last number or something so they could help me get in touch with the owner.  If they dropped it they might not realize until some time later and then they might not know when or where they lost it so back tracking to guest services could be tricky.  If I was lucky enough to have an Apple store right there and it was an Apple product I might also see if they could help me find the owner.

[TootsNYC]

and let this be a lesson to us all to find a way to label our electronics.

My first cousin once removed has the welcome screen for her iPhone changed to a picture of her and the words, "My name is Nell, this is my phone, please return it to me" and some sort of info about her.

an iPod Touch might have an ICE (in case of emergency) contact in the "Contacts" app. But otherwise, what you did was perfect. Hopefully everyone in Customer Service and Security will be honest.

[MorgnsGrl]

I don't think that would have been rude, but neither was turning it in. Hopefully the person who lost it will call and see if it was found. My DD lost her iPod touch within a week of getting it and oh how I wish someone like you had found it. Unfortunately we never saw it again. 

The same thing happened to my son last year (just after Christmas) and he was soooooooo sad. I'm sorry it happened to your DD!

[m2kbug]

Turning it into "lost and found" was just fine.  You could, and probably someone will, go into the contact list and call a couple numbers listed, maybe it's labeled "home" or "mom and dad," or something, to try to track down the owner.  I lost my cell phone a few years back, and they went into the address book and called "home," and I was able to retrieve my phone.  Even if no one goes in and tries to call people in the contact list, this person surely knows they might have lost their phone at the mall and will be calling to see if anyone found it and turned it in.  And I think that's the best choice is to leave it in the location you found it, turn it in to lost and found.  Let the chips fall where they may at this point. 

[QueenofAllThings]

But what if it's locked? Is there an override? I found one at a restaurant a month ago, and placed it on the table next to me.  It was locked, so I couldn't look for ICE or Mom. Fortunately, the owner came back for it.

[m2kbug]

But what if it's locked? Is there an override? I found one at a restaurant a month ago, and placed it on the table next to me.  It was locked, so I couldn't look for ICE or Mom. Fortunately, the owner came back for it.

There are many instances where you find something and there is no identifiable information.  Most establishments have a lost and found box.  Just turn it in.  It's the best chance anyone has of retrieving their lost property, all the while removing it from thievery fingers.

[kherbert05]

The kids found a phone on the playground. 2 students were claiming it as there. I called "Dad" and left a message that the phone would be in the school front office.


My Ipod has my phone number on the home screen and on the case. My Kindle has a if found call my phone number it is also named my phone number. Loren got a DS for Christmas. After she managed almost leave the charger, actual DS, and games in different places over the last week. I bought her DS case. It can hold her DS  and some games. It as a DL window - We put a if lost call Sis's number slip in there. Same with Brett's Nook case.

[Drawberry]

If it was something that normally carries a lot of identifications, such as a cell phone, I may have personally called a relatives number in the phone and let them know that I left it with the lost and found at x location. However very few people I know have identification on things like MP3 players and portable gaming systems, so it would be my instinct to immediately turn it in.

[sweetonsno]

I think you did the right thing. The only thing you could have done, I think, is check to see if you can access any sort of contacts (either in phone/text or email) and let one or more of them know that you found the gizmo and left it with the lost and found at X location.

Personally, I keep my gizmo locked. I also have the Find My Gizmo app installed. It's great.

[KenveeB]

I think you did just fine. When I find something like that, I check first to see if I can find any obvious identifying information without getting into anything too personal. If I can't find anything or if there's some kind of password or security, then I turn it in to the lost and found of wherever I am. If it's out somewhere there isn't an obvious location, then I'd contact the police and ask about turning it in. (A lot of cities will have rules that if you notify the police and it's not claimed in X days, it's your property. That's how I ended up with a diamond tennis bracelet when I was a kid. )

[KarenK]

My DH found an iPhone where there was no lost and found. He brought it home, thinking the owner would call. There was only one call, and the woman hung up when I answered. I ended up dropping it off at Verizon (the provider).

[cattlekid]

We left our digital camera in a car at an auto show. Someone turned it into the security office and we were able to claim it because there were pictures of us on the memory card.