Winter in Park City is a busy time for lost-and-found boards in Park City.
Part-time Silver Lake resident George Rebensdorf owns a New York City-based business that can help people get their lost skis, keys, smartphone or computer back.
It’s called zReturn and was invented by a New York man in his garage more than a decade ago. What someone buys in stores is a sticker to place on a valuable any valuable: briefcase, luggage, camera, skateboard or water bottle.
The sticker lists a number for zReturn and a code to link the item back to the owner. If a lost item is found and the person calls the number, zReturn will tell the owner where it was found and how to pick it up.
Before investing in the company, Rebensdorf tried it out by leaving 40 iPods with zReturn stickers around New York City bus stops, subway seats, coffee shops and similar places.
“We got 28 back, which pretty much says people want to return stuff. They don’t want to keep things they find. They look for ways to return it,” he said.
It may not be a good idea to leave a home address or telephone number on the back of a valuable item. Property belonging to children should never identify the owner, he said. But zReturn is anonymous and trustworthy if used properly by both parties.
As technology shrinks and improves, tracking devices have become more affordable. But when people are carrying telephones, iPods, and laptops daily, that’s a lot of tracking devices. Travelers sometimes carry these items plus cameras, memory cards, iPads, Kindles and bags. With tracking devices priced at around $40 each, it gets very expensive to protect all of one’s belongings.
The zReturn stickers are only pennies each, he said.
“It’s a much less expensive way of having a chance of getting the lost item back,” he added.
Flight attendants say at least one expensive device is found on every large jet after each flight, he said. Airline company policy is often to ship lost items to headquarters. It would save everyone time and money to contact the owner faster, he said.
When clients register their stickers, there’s even an option to notify the finder of a reward, in case they want to make contact with the owner directly to collect.
In general, however, people don’t want a reward, Rebensdorf said. If they were interested in personal gain, they would have kept the item, he said. People want to do the right thing; they just need a way to do it.
Look for zReturn promotions during next year’s Sundance Film Festival Rebensdorf said. His company will be working to get the stickers in swag bags.
For more information or to order stickers, visit www.zreturn.com .