Recovering lost property has been such a nightmare in the UK
How big is the problem?
You may not realise it, but in the UK we lose over 50 million items a year! That's a lot of stuff waiting to be found. Usually, when you lose something you have to fill out forms, telephone around and post in numerous social media groups. It's basically a painful and not very successful process.
The problem is even more exasperated in big cities and tourist hotspots. Visitors tend to travel around and visit multiple places in a day. Getting back to the hotel and realising they no longer have their phone could leave them with a long list of cafes, restaurants and tourist attractions to contact.
Unfortunately back in October 2018 many police forces across the UK, including the Met and Avon & Somerset Police, announced they wouldn't hold lost property anymore. So with the police not providing a safe place to hand things in, the responsibility to return lost property to its owner has shifted to businesses and individuals.
Lost property apps – Technology to simplify the recovery process
But all is not lost. In the last few years, some quality lost property apps have been coming into the UK market. These lost property apps offer a solution that takes advantage of modern-day technology, image recognition software and machine learning to make finding valuables a streamlined process.
They work by allowing you to pre-register your most valued possessions and use your smartphone camera to have a photo as well. You can also add any marks or other features that are unique to your item. Pre-registered items can easily be marked as lost in just a few taps. You don't have to be organised to get the most out of these lost and found apps. You can register items when you lose them as well, it just might be a bit harder to recall as much information about them.
An expanding lost property network across the United Kingdom
These apps are making lost property woes a thing of the past. They allow you to have a complete database of your most valued possessions.
All of the stored information can be used as proof of ownership if you ever needed it for an insurance claim. These lost property apps have also created a strong network in cities such as London, Bristol and Bath, which brings together the public and businesses. This has never been done before, so now the finder can be in direct contact with the loser of it so they can communicate in real-time. Last but by no means least, these tech savvy apps have delivery options built into them as well. It's not always convenient to go back to pick up your lost item, so having the option to arrange delivery right back to your door is essential.
It shouldn't have taken so long, but the 21st Century solution we have all been dreaming of is finally here. Lost property apps are here to make protecting your belongings in the UK easy and getting them back a doddle.
