Lost and Found: Smart Tags for Luggage

A look at two services that help retrieve lost items, including bags, laptops, and phones.

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Dread the thought of losing a bag, especially on a business trip? If the worst happens, these lost-luggage services are on the case.

Turlytag

When you sign up for a TurlyTag account, you receive a variety of brightly colored ID tags (pictured above) and stickers that you can attach to a bag, a laptop, or even a phone. Each tag features the words Return Me, along with your TurlyTag account number and a Web address and phone number for reporting found items to the service. If someone finds and reports your item, TurlyTag will retrieve it and ship it to you, a service that is free in most cases. Or, you can arrange the return yourself. You can also offer rewards through the service.
Cost: Starting at $3 a month for 14 tags

Boomerangit

This service's ID tags and labels feature the words Return for Reward, along with your account number and a phone number and Web address for reporting found items. The service rewards finders with free labels and services, plus any cash reward you might offer. Then, it arranges for a pickup or delivery and charges you for shipping costs.
Cost: Starting at $9.95 for a one-year subscription and six tags

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