Lost Property
Travelling abroad can be a little hectic with the unnecessary amount of bags that you think you need, and the kids running around asking: “Are we there yet?” So it’s easy to understand why things could get left behind. But if you were to find belongings that had been left behind, would you hand them in to lost property?
It seems that one in five Brits would keep a lost or stolen item they found, rather than return it. Choosing to either use it, sell it, throw it away or give it to a family member as a gift.
The research carried out by Privilege home found that a third of people who found a lost item would not return it as the item was valuable. The most popular item to use if found was an iPad with 29% or other table devices.
However, Brits who had experienced loss of personal belongings, 53% said they felt it was unlikely that they would ever recover it. 16% of Cynical Brits said that they would not even attempt to trace their lost valuables as they believe that expensive watches would be the least likely item for people to try and find.
Despite Brits feeling this way, 37% were actually reunited with their belongings thanks to the kindness of strangers.
The study found that men are more opportunistic compared to women as they are twice as likely to pocket others’ property.
Jewellery was the most common item to lose or have stolen, with a quarter of all UK adults being parted with their bling in the last five years. This is closely followed by the loss or theft of a wallet/purse (23%) and a further 20% have mislaid their mobile phone.
Items people are most likely to keep and use
% of UK adults that find a lost item and would use it rather than return it
iPad/other tablet device- 29%
Travel card- 26%
iPod/other MP3 player- 22%
Watch- 21%
Jewellery- 20%
Passport- 19%
Mobile phone- 18%
Wallet/purse- 13%
Driving licence- 10%
Kindle/other e-reader device- 13%
Common items lost or stolen
% of UK adults that have lost or had an item stolen in the last 5 years
Jewellery- 25%
Wallet/purse- 23%
Mobile phone- 20%
Watch- 17%
Travel card- 16%
Driving licence- 16%
Passport- 15%
iPod/other MP3 player- 14%
iPad/other tablet device- 13%
Kindle/other e-reader device- 13%
Dan Simson, head of home insurance at Privilege said: “Whilst we all hope that an honest member of the public will find our lost property and return it to us, unfortunately there is a dishonest contingent out there. This means that we should always be vigilant with our belongings, particularly if the item is valuable.”
Simson continues: “People should always take the time to insure their valuables with a policy including personal possessions cover that offers protection for these items both in and away from the home. In this way, even if the item is lost and not recovered, people will not lose out financially.”