Lost bag, suitcase or wallet: what to do

First, retrace your steps

Think of the last place you definitely had your bag or wallet, then of every stop since: transport, station, checkout, café, hotel, meeting room, car boot.

• Call the shops, restaurants and hotels you visited: forgotten bags and wallets are often kept at reception or at the till.
• Bus, train or taxi: Deutsche Bahn, public transport operators and taxi companies run their own lost property services.
• At work or school: ask at reception, the caretaker or the office.

Your item carries a Qevik key tag or card

Whoever finds it can scan the QR code, or enter the engraved ID on qevik.com, and let you know through the form on your page: their message reaches you by email. They can also drop the item at a Qevik agency or a lost and found office. On your side:

• Check what they will see: in “My Profile”, the preview “What someone who scans your QR code sees” shows it exactly. Make a way to reach you visible, a phone number for example, if you want to be called directly. Your address does not have to be part of it.
• Keep an eye on your inbox, spam folder included: that is where the finder's message arrives, and the notice from a lost and found office that has registered the item under your name.
• Check “My items and found items” in your account: an item registered under your name by a lost and found office appears there.
• An office may ask for your contact details: the request appears under “Contact requests”, where you accept or decline it.
• To collect the item from an agency, bring ID: the agency may email you a one-time code to confirm the handover.
• Item provided by your employer: report it under “My items” with “Report as lost”, and your manager is notified by email.
• Still follow the other steps in this guide: Qevik helps the finder reach you, it does not guarantee the item will be returned.

When travelling: at the airport or on the plane

• A checked suitcase that does not arrive is reported at the airline's baggage desk before you leave the baggage reclaim hall. Keep the file reference you are given.
• A bag left on board is claimed from the airline; a bag left in the terminal, from the airport's lost property office.
• Claim deadlines are short: as a rule 7 days for damaged baggage and 21 days after delivery for delayed baggage (Montreal Convention). Your airline's conditions apply.

If it held cards, ID or a laptop

• Bank cards: have them blocked straight away with your bank or, in Germany, through the emergency number 116 116.
• Laptop, tablet, phone: lock or wipe the device remotely if the feature is enabled, and change the passwords of accounts that were signed in (email, banking, social media).
• Work device: tell your employer or its IT department without delay, as exposed data can trigger obligations on their side.
• ID card or passport: in Germany the loss must be reported without delay to the issuing authority (Bürgeramt); the police also take the report.
• Keys: if anything in the bag leads back to your address, see our guide on lost keys.

Ask at the lost and found office

In Germany, whoever finds something must in principle report it to the owner or to the competent authority, usually the local lost and found office (§ 965 BGB). Describe the item precisely (colour, brand, size, distinctive marks, contents) and ask more than once: items often arrive a few days late.

The Qevik map shows you lost and found offices and drop-off points near you.

Theft or loss: police and insurance

If you think your bag or wallet was stolen, report it to the police: your insurer will usually ask for that record. A simple loss is rarely covered; a theft may be, depending on your home contents or baggage insurance.

Next time: be reachable without giving out your address

A luggage label or business card with your address in plain sight tells anyone where you live, and that you are not there. A Qevik key tag on the handle, or a Qevik card in your wallet or an inside pocket, carries an ID and a QR code instead. Whoever finds the item scans the code and can let you know. You decide what they see about you, and your address does not have to be part of it.