Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fingerprints™ by Personal ID Solutions LLC?
Why do I need the Fingerprints™ Confidential Tracking System?
How does it work?
What are the subscription fees for Fingerprints™ services?
How do I register with Fingerprints™ ?
How do people return a found or recovered item?
How much does it cost to have my item returned?
How do I activate more labels and tags under my account if I am already a registered customer?
Why would someone return my things?
What is the reward?
What if my registration expires?
What about my privacy?
Does Fingerprints™ work in other countries?
Where are your drop-off locations?
Who pays to have the item shipped back to the owner?
Why don’t I just buy Insurance?
Why doesn’t the finder just contact me?
What kind of items can Fingerprints be used for?
Who can or should use Fingerprints?
Why not simply place my name and phone number on my valuables?
Can Fingerprints labels be easily removed?

What is Fingerprints™? BACK TO TOP
Fingerprints™ by Personal ID Solutions LLC is a global registration database and recovery service that works with law enforcement, Good Samaritans and public institutions such as hotels, restaurants, transportation companies and airlines, to help return lost and stolen property to their rightful owners.
It uses labels and tags with unique serial numbers to match recovered items to their owners through a universal, centralized, easy-to-use, and secure database registry.

Why do I need the Fingerprints™ Confidential Tracking System? BACK TO TOP
Of the thousands of items that are recovered by the police and Lost and Found departments every year, very few are ever returned. Why? Because there’s no way to identify the owners. Furthermore, given all the portable devices you rely on to run your day-to-day life, how disruptive and expensive the loss of data can be to replace is the reason why Fingerprints™ by Personal ID Solutions LLC can help!
Fingerprints™ provides a simple and effective, low-cost solution to allow for the timely and safe return of your lost item.

• Each year over 20 million car and house keys are lost!
• Nearly 25 million iPods are lost annually!
• 30% of handhelds are lost every year. (Sans Institute)
• 65% of laptops found at airports are never claimed!
• Over $39 million worth of stolen electronics recovered by the police can’t get back to the owners because of lack of identity! (FBI, “Crime in the United States, 2006”)
• Only 18% of the 109,000 laptops stolen in 2008 got back to their rightful owner.
• 12,000 laptops are lost or stolen in U.S. airports every week (Ponemon Institute, 2008)
• 10 – 15% of all handheld computers, PDAs, and mobile phones are eventually lost by their owners. (Accenture, 2008)
• The most common items left on board Continental Airlines flights are iPods, eyeglasses, cell phones, and portable DVD players. (“Lost and Very Rarely Found”, NY Times, 4/3/2007)
• An estimated 30 million bags are mishandled in air travel worldwide every year. 204,000 of them are permanently lost or stolen. (SITA’s Annual Review Report, 3/26/2006)
• Each year, many valuable items are stolen or accidentally left in hotels, restaurants, rental cars, airports, cabs, buses and other public spaces.
• More than 1 million bikes are stolen in the U.S. each year. While half of those bikes are recovered by police, less than 5% are returned due to lack of a method of owner identification. (National Bike Registry)

How does it work? BACK TO TOP
Simply apply Fingerprints™ ID labels and tags to your valuable property to indicate that it is registered. If your item is lost or stolen, whoever finds it (whether it is the police, an airline, transportation company, a lost and found department, hotel, or an individual) can follow the label instructions to report the find online or by calling 1-800-7ifound. Using the registration record from its database, Fingerprints™ identifies the owner and arranges for the item’s return – promptly and confidentially.

How do I register with Fingerprints™? BACK TO TOP
When you purchase your Fingerprints™ lost and found recovery service you will have to create a user name and password. Your labels and tags will automatically be activated with purchase, simply attach them to your valuables and they are protected. If you revceived yout first kit or tags as a Gift, go to the Register Gift Tags page on our website to register.

How do people return a found or recovered item? BACK TO TOP
The finder, whether it is the police, an airline or hotel, or an individual, can go to the www.7ifound.com website, or call 1-800-743-6863 and simply report the information about the found item. A Fingerprints™ operator will notify the owner of the registered item via phone, and or e-mail to make arrangements to have the item returned.Unless the owner and finder choose to contact each other directly, Fingerprints™ will ship the item back to the owner. The finder pays nothing, and receives a reward, which at a minimum is one free year of Fingerprints tags, labels and service.

How much does it cost to have my item returned? BACK TO TOP
There is no charge to the finder and no recovery fee. The owner pays only for shipping, which varies based on the preferred method of shipping and the type of item.

How do I activate more labels and tags under my account if I am already a registered customer?BACK TO TOP
Sign in with your user Id and password and click on the order products tab to order more labels.
You can feel free to purchase an unlimited amount of labels and tags to your account.  When you receive your new labels and tags they will already be registered to your existing account. All of your valuables will be protected for the same annual fee. There is no limit to labels and tags you can have for your annual subscription fee.

Why would someone return my things? BACK TO TOP
Most finders are Good Samaritans who want to return the found item. Lost and Found departments and police property rooms nationwide are overflowing with recovered items that have no way of finding their owners because of lack of identification. Fingerprints™ makes it easy to return recovered property to the rightful owners. And because Fingerprints™ works directly with the police and Lost and Found departments nationwide, the return of your lost or stolen property is more likely.

What is the reward? BACK TO TOP
We reward all finders with a free annual subscription of Fingerprints™ service pack of ID labels and tags (a $24.95 value). Many owners also choose to offer a cash reward by filling out the Rewards field when filing a Lost or Stolen Report on our site. You aren’t required to give a reward but are welcome to do so if you wish.

What if my registration expires? BACK TO TOP
Before a registration expires, subscribers receive renewal reminders via e-mail or mail. They can take advantage of the auto renewal option to avoid disruption in service. If the subscriber chooses not to renew, Fingerprints™ will still maintain that information until the registration expires, and information will be stored in the Fingerprints™ secured database for one year after expiration.
If a former subscriber’s item is reported found after registration has expired, the person can still get the item back, provided they pay any back due service charges

What about my privacy? BACK TO TOP
Fingerprints™ uses a secure system that utilizes the latest encryption technology designed to protect user’s credit card and personal information. It also enables owners to get their property back through Fingerprints™ while keeping the personal information of both finder and owner confidential and anonymous. Of course, if the owner and finder prefer to arrange for the return directly, we can put them in touch with each other.

Does Fingerprints™ work in other countries? BACK TO TOP
Yes. Powered by the Internet, our service can facilitate the return of lost or stolen items worldwide.
No matter where an item is found, the finder (airline or hotel personnel, police or any Good Samaritan) can log on to our website (which is included on all of our labels and tags) and report the find. We then match it with the information provided upon registration and, with the help of leading international shipping companies, facilitate the return worldwide.

Where are your drop-off locations? BACK TO TOP
Our drop-off locations are all FedEx Office (formerly FedEx Kinko’s)Stores. If there is not a FedEx Store location near the finder, Fingerprints™ will arrange for a courier pick up. If the owner is in the same proximity as the finder, and both parties agree to meet, Fingerprints™ will facilitate a face-to-face exchange.

Who pays to have the item shipped back to the owner? BACK TO TOP
The owner’s account is billed for the shipping costs.

Why don’t I just buy Insurance?BACK TO TOP
Same Device
We recover your actual device – the one with your ringtones, photos, downloads and data. Insurance replaces your device but not your customized data.

Faster
we recover most devices within 1 day. Insurance typically takes 7 days.

Less Expensive
We charge no recovery fee. Insurance charges a large deductible and raises your premium if you file a claim.

Convenience
We handle the recovery. Insurance typically makes you file a police report and complete paperwork.

Why doesn’t the finder just contact me?BACK TO TOP
No ID
The finder can’t determine the owner if the device which has no ID Label, has a dead battery, has a password, or is out of service range.

Different Language
The finder doesn’t speak your language.

Inconvenient Return Process
Returning the device is time-consuming or expensive for the finder.

No Reward Guarantee
The finder is not guaranteed a reward.

What kind of items can Fingerprints be used for?BACK TO TOP
Any valuable personal or business items that you want returned if found by others should have Fingerprints™ label. This includes:

• Personal electronics, such as cameras, MP3 players, iPods, iPads and handheld game devices.
• Business tools, such as projectors and briefcases.
• Sports gear, such as golf clubs, racquets, skis, tents and bowling balls.
• Family belongings, such as GPS devices, keys and luggage.
• Children’s belongings, such as backpacks and games.
• Prescription eyewear and fashion sunglasses.
• College Text Books

Who can or should use Fingerprints?BACK TO TOP
Anyone who wants to protect valuable personal and business assets. Fingerprints™ is perfect for business professionals, travelers, families, students, sports enthusiasts and everyone on the go.

Why not simply place my name and phone number on my valuables?BACK TO TOP
Name tags are not durable and do not provide the security and convenience you get when you label your items with Fingerprints™. A homemade ID label can easily become illegible due to weather, temperature and smearing. Fingerprints™ labels have unique ID numbers that identify your items while protecting your personal information and privacy. Putting personal information on your valuable items could potentially put you at risk for ID theft and ransom. For example, information on your employer or address might entice a finder to request a high reward for return. All returns are made through Fingerprints™, keeping both owner’s and finder’s information confidential, which allows both parties to remain completely anonymous. Plus, our durable labels and tags are tamper-resistant, so your items remain identifiable making it easier for them to find their way back to you.

Can Fingerprints labels be removed?BACK TO TOP
Fingerprints™ labels are tested and are amongst the best in the industry. Fingerprints™ labels are specially engineered and tested to stand up to the rigors of everyday use. Subsurface printing provides excellent durability and clarity with outstanding resistance to damage from abrasion, weather and chemicals. Even without its label, an item can be identified by its serial number or even a simple description, and as long as it’s registered, it can be returned.