Losing important items like your house keys, wallet, laptop or luggage is a nightmare. But never give up hope, because there is always a good chance of finding them again.
lost rucksack
Here are our tips:
Think about where you last consciously saw the object. Try to remember where you usually keep it. I myself like to keep important things in places that seem perfectly logical to me but are unfathomable the next day. Also, ask anyone who was there the last time you saw the item, or who might have used it, mixed it up or put it away. This applies to your own home, workplace or in public. You can also ask in shops and the like. Search everywhere thoroughly, preferably twice, and even better, together with a friend.
If you haven't found the item yet, maybe a stranger found it and took it. Don't give up now, because most people are honest and very happy to help. Especially in hotels, pubs, museums or cinemas, people hand in such found objects at the reception desk. Transport companies such as taxis, public transport or airlines often even run their own lost property offices.
It is a little more complicated if you have lost something "outside". But then there is still a good chance that the item was handed in to the police. It is worth asking in any case, just like at the local lost property office.
Last but not least, posters can help. Create an A4 poster with a photo of the lost item and write "LOST" or "WANTED" clearly visible on it. Underneath, a few personal words about how important the item is to you always work well. Don't forget your contact details, e.g. email address or mobile phone number. If you want to remain anonymous, you can certainly create an extra email address with your mail provider for this purpose.
A word about the finder's fee: A finder's fee is both a duty (§971 of the German Civil Code) and an honour and is between 3% and 5%. It therefore makes sense to also offer a finder's reward when posting. For some finders, this may be the missing incentive to part with the found object with a light heart.
We hope you never lose anything, but if something does get lost, we'll keep our fingers crossed for the search!