I Want My StuffBak!

I’ve already discussed a number of security measures – mainly software – that we can take to protect the data on our Treo in case of loss.  However, now there’s another option that quite simply offers people a cash reward for doing the right thing and returning a found device to its rightful owner.

The service is offered by a company appropriately called StuffBak which effectively ‘brokers and facilitates’ the return of these found devices with the incentive of a reward via a toll-free number or its website (www.stuffbak.com).

How it Works
You purchase a label pack – $4.95 for two labels.  Each label (which the company claims is virtually indestructible) comes with a unique identifier code (I put Andrew for illustration purposes in the oversized image below but it would be something like AJN8U7B).  You then attach this small label somewhere on the side or back of your Treo.

Next you visit StuffBak’s activation page and enter your unique identifier code to get started.  You’ll be asked to register your item with a product category, sub-category, make, model, serial number, description (if there are unique or identifying characteristics) and finally an optional cash reward (I put in $50) in addition to the standard $20 that StuffBak will provide for every returned product.

After completing the activation page you’ll be asked to register as a new StuffBak member creating your username and password and naturally also providing all of your contact information for returns – you can change any of this data at any time.

The final optional step is to upgrade your ‘protection level’ from the included 2 years Free Recovery (after the coverage period has elapsed the recovery fee is $29.95) to the 5 year Premium Service ($19.95)which adds free recovery for all your registered items, priority service and handling, overnigh shipping and a 20% StuffBak store shopping discount.

Why it Works
According to StuffBak, “Finders are motivated to return lost property because StuffBak's system is simple, convenient, confidential, cost-free and offers them a reward. All they have to do is provide us the label number and we arrange for a courier pickup or direct them to a nearby drop-off center. They don't have to try and find the owner, pack a box, or pay for shipping. Once the property is returned to the owner, they receive StuffBak's standard reward, $20 worth of STUFFBAK labels, plus any cash reward you may have offered.”

The fact is that most gear is often ‘forgotten’ or ‘misplaced’ and not stolen so the chances of finding an honest person willing to return them is actually quite high.  Typically the problem is that the finder doesn’t know what to do with nor where to leave the item while on the other hand we have trouble even remembering where we may have lost our property – basically the two parties are typically unable to connect and StuffBak provides that connection.  Some journalists actually put the ‘increased returns’ notion to the test and intentionally lost some portable devices – the return rate was between 65% and 80% and StuffBak claim an average of 75%.

Overall I really think that the additional peace of mind provided by StuffBak’s service is well worth the low $4.95.

Treonauts love simple solutions…