Losing something sucks. It can derail a trip, scramble your day, or leave you panicked after a big event. Even worse: a few persistent myths about Lost & Found make people less likely to get their stuff back.
Below are 7 common lost and found myths, busted.
Myth 1 — “If it’s not at Lost & Found in 24 hours, it’s gone.”
Busted: Not true. Found items often sit in hidden pockets or under seats or get routed to a central office before anyone uploads them to Boomerang. That process can sometimes take a day or several. Don’t lose hope after 24 hours.
Myth 2 — “Photos don’t help, only humans check for found items.”
Busted: Photos and detailed descriptions speed up matches dramatically. Boomerang uses our AI image matching technology plus metadata (time, location) to reunite lost items back with the right owner.
Myth 3 — “I have to be there in person to get it back.”
Busted: Businesses powered by Boomerang will ship your item back to you securely, or arrange in-person pickup if that’s what you would like.
Myth 4 — “No name tag = unreturnable.”
Busted: Labels help, but most returns happen through descriptions, photos, context (where you sat), and / or intelligent matches from tracking apps like Find My or Tiles. A good description & photos can do the magic.
Myth 5 — “Posting my loss on social media is enough.”
Busted: Social channels can help, but it’s noisy and can attract scammers. The fastest and most reliable path is submitting your lost item claim on Boomerang.
Myth 6 — “Small stuff like keys or earbuds are never returned.”
Busted: Small items are returned all the time. They’re often easier to log and store, and staff or good Samaritans turn them in.
Myth 7 — “If a week passes, there’s nothing left to do.”
Busted: Don’t give up. Items can surface late—found by cleaners, staff, or vendors—and may be uploaded later than anticipated.
The faster you report your lost item and the more detail you give, the better your chances of recovering your lost item on Boomerang is.
#FoundOnBoomerang
Skyler Logsdon
CEO, Boomerang
