Lost & Found

INFO

Our communities get a LOT of posts about items that have been lost or found. Everything from books, to pets, and even a spacebar (for that story, see part 1, part 2, part 3).

To prevent spam and make sure items actually find their way home, we developed guidelines on what posts are appropriate and this guide page for what to do in each situation.

You LOST an item

It is very rare that posting to the online community will help get the item back. These posts are seen as spam and they are often removed under guideline 9. Posting about a valuable item might even result in the item being stolen.

What to do?

Item was lost on campus

• Check the UBC Lost & Found Database.
• Contact UBC Lost & Found to ask about your item. This can help even if Lost & Found doesn't have your item yet.

Item was lost on transit

• Fill out the lost property form.
• See their Lost & Found info page.

Lost somewhere else

• Vancouver Parks, gardens, and beaches: See this page
• Lost in Vancouver: You can check with the VPD, see the 'Found Property' section on their website.

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You FOUND an item

• DO NOT post a photo of the item. This ensures that only the rightful owner can recover the item by describing it accurately.
• DO NOT post about the following items:
  • UBC Student Cards
  • Residence Keys
  • Credit Cards
• We highly recommend that you do not post about any found items. At moderator discretion, we may approve posts for items that have high value, high sentimentality, those vital for school/personal reasons, or those that are unique and unusual.

You're better off passing on the item to one of the resources below.

What to do?

Firstly, a big thank you for trying to help someone get their lost item back ❤️ If you are busy and can't make it to one of the resources below, you can often just turn in the item to a front desk of some kind.

UBC Lost & Found has specific requirements on what items can be submitted

As of 2024-02:

Only keys, IDs and valuable items found within 7 days will be accepted. Non-valuable items and items that may present a health or hygiene concern such as food/water containers, earbuds and anything soiled or smelly will not be accepted.

Given this, here are some options:

Item	Instructions
UBC Card	Return it to UBC Lost & Found at the bookstore, or to campus security.
Residence Keys	Return it to a residence front desk, or to UBC Lost & Found.
Credit Cards	Return it to a nearby branch for the bank, or to UBC Lost & Found.
Found on transit	Follow the instructions by Translink.
Found in Vancouver	You can turn it in to the VPD. See the 'Found Property' section on their website.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the moderators.

To contribute or make a suggestion, see the instructions here.