• OKOBAN - tags to assist in returning lost items

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  • Is anyone here familiar with OKOBAN? It is a tag (luggage tag or sticker), each with a unique id. You buy the tags/stickers and attach them to your stuff (luggage, cellphone, ipad, laptop, etc). If you lose something (that is tagged), and someone finds it, he/she can look up the id on the OKOBAN website and indicate that the item was found. OKOBAN then sends a message (email and/or text) to the owner indicating that the item was found and including whatever other info the finder entered on the website (contact phone number, etc).

    Anyway, I thought it sounded like a pretty cool idea, but I have been able to find very little information about it, aside from company-provided information. It does say on the OKOBAN website that it is owned (or related to) TravelSentry, which seems like a reputable company.

    Has anyone used OKOBAN? Are there other systems that provide similar capability (tag your stuff, register it online, finders of your lost stuff can go to a website to, hopefully, reconnect you with your stuff). It looks like Dynotag, while not exactly the same, can be used in a similar fashion.

    Thanks for any info that anyone can provide.

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    Question by wageoghe
    09/28/2012

So, this is asset management. My domain expertise is in this field, so you are describing a means to barcode or tag things and then scan them to interrogate the attached item.

You could accomplish the same thing with QR codes, for example, on sturdy / durable label stock. Enroll the QR code on your website, create a link, and anyone scanning would be brought to the page for that item. This is simple stuff really, so I imagine you'd be paying for someone else to provide the management software solution and enrollment of your "stuff".

This would be cool for Good Samaritans trying to return found items. I'm not sure how much a service company could add as value beyond giving you a form to enter in details about your stuff, and contact info for a range of items. I don't imagine you'd be enrolling lots of things, and this doesn't really do much for bad actors finding your stuff.

Honestly, for personal use, a simple generic QR code with your personal website is probably enough. The provenance is less important.

-C

Answer by christopher
10/11/2012

Why not just put down your phone number on the tag? "If found, call xxx-xxx-xxxx" Olde skool, but it works fine.

Answer by johngo
10/11/2012

try stuffback.com it is similar. www.stuffback.com They have tags for all different types of items. I have used it for years. Yet to have a lost item I needed back lost but it does give comfort. They have a reward system for items returned as well.

Answer by carydc
10/16/2012

You can get more information about Okoban at mystufflostandfound.com

Answer by bobhob
11/06/2012

There are 2,000 laptops left at US airport security checkpoints every day. Only 30% are returned. The other 70% are salvage because finding the owner is too difficult. The worldwide Okoban notification service operates in more than 2,200 airports, on 400+ airlines and in thousands of "frequent finder" locations, institutional lost and found facilities including TSA, rail, maritime, coach, car rental and hotel companies. Available online at mystufflostandfound.com

Answer by gordon235
01/07/2013

There used to be a company that provided a sticker-based return-and-recover service called TrackItBack. But it's out of business.

The first company listed in my google search is Rewardtag. It describes itself as (naturally) "the most effective, hassle-free lost and found service on the planet!" It's a bit coy about its pricing.

https://www.rewardtag.com/home/faq

Answer by roger knights
04/13/2014
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