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LostAndFound.com: The Internet Lost And Found
Austin, Texas based LostAndFound.com was founded in 1999 as a B2C classifieds / bulletin board style website for the recovery of pets and personal property. It provided two different databases: LOST and FOUND, in which users could search a selected database based on their event, and submit a report if the search yielded no results. For example, an owner of lost property would search the FOUND database, and (if no results) then submit a LOST REPORT; likewise a finder would search the LOST database and (if no results) submit a FOUND REPORT.
Online Consumer Services
The website provides owners (lost items) with a premium services page in which value added services are offered to assist in recovery. These services include:
Rewards: Users can offer a reward for their lost pet or property
Listing Enhancements: Users can differentiate their listing’s appearance
Featured Listing: Place your listing at the top of relevant results
Additional Photos: Add more photos for better identification
Email Matching Auto Alert: Receive alerts based on keyword matching or AI photo identification
Neighborhood Alerts: Send Alert to other LostAndFound.com users in your neighborhood
Mobile Alerts: Send Alert to other LostAndFound.com Mobile App users near the lost location
Social Media Blast: Put your Lost listing on other Social Media Platforms
There are a myriad of success stories from people using the service.
History
In the late 2010s, a decision was made to change the format of the service from simply B2C, to a B2B SAAS software model. The most notable change to this platform was the addition of the Venue Page System (VPS), in which a venue page represents the public platform of a venue, and the venue admin page represents the back end of that platform, with the ability to process that information. One of the notable observations about the Venue Page System is that lost and found searching and reporting now functions at a specific location, instead of just an area.
Online Business to Business Services
The Venue Page
Any venue or place can create their own venue page (much like a profile page on social media) to present their lost and found listings and inventory online. Simply go to www.lostandfound.com/addvenue to create your venue page. The Venue Page provides the organization a unique URL (www.lostandfound.com/yourfirmname), a page with their name and address, a map, a search field to search specific listings for that location, and report buttons to submit lost or found reports for that location. Additionally, the venue page provides all of the same premium services as the general database.
The Venue Admin Page
The Venue Admin Page provides venues the back end of the Venue Page. Its purpose is to service your patrons reporting, listings, and claims information provided on the Venue Page. The Venue Admin page provides organizations a found accounting and inventory management system with a myriad of functionality. Using the Venue Admin Page, organizations can age found inventory until it reaches an expired status (based on local ordinances), donate, discard, or sell expired inventory, alert employees and followers of lost and found reports or inventory, invoice and ship found inventory through a claims management process, or return claimed items in person.
The SAAS model integration is the offering of software services for the Venue Admin Page. Venues can select the software enhancements they require to custom fit their needs. An overview of the different software services is offered by video.
Feed
To those venues which choose to purchase the venue admin software, feed services are available to put lost and found services on their website and/or on their mobile app.
Mobile App
The LostAndFound.com Mobile App is a free download available in both IOs and Android. It provides lost and found services to its users as well as personal recovery features for premium users.
APIs and Developers
For those developers or platforms interested in customizing LostAndFound.com services for their platform, they can sign up as a developer.
Personalized Services
It is free to open an account at LostAndFound.com. Within your account, the site offers personalized services for its members for a fee.
LostAndFound.com ID Returns QR Code
In an effort to combat the copious numbers of lost phones, LostAndFound.com developed ID Returns, which is a service that issues a custom QR code image and code to be applied to personal property or pets. The QR Code when activated takes the finder to a page on LostAndFound.com where the owner can be anonymously contacted by email. The finder can upload a picture and description of the item, and subsequently the owner and the finder can decide a plan of recovery.
LostAndFound.com Registry Returns
Registry Returns is a service in which owners can put all of their relevant identification data online to access in the future when a loss event occurs. Important information like brand, model, serial number and most importantly a picture (which could be matched by AI) can be stored for future use.
Profit by Marketing LostAndFound.com Services
LostAndFound.com provides marketers two ways in which to profit by selling their services:
Affiliate
Affiliate marketers can sign up and secure a custom URL link in which they can sell LostAndFound.com services and earn 15% of the sale
Resellers
Developers and Platforms can sell LostAndFound.com Software Services to their clientele.
Classified Newspapers and Websites
Classified newspapers and websites can now monetize their lost and found listings by signing up as a LostAndFound.com Newspaper Affiliate.