Finding the owner of card off receipt details

Superheavy

If I was the guy who was contacted by somebody with an item I had mislaid I'd be absolutely delighted.

However, I'd be very concerned at the security of the retailer in producing a receipt that has all of the card details on it.

The majority of retailers these days should only have the last four digits of a card number actually printed on the receipt, with the rest of it made up of asterisks.

stclair

I hate to ask the question however is this thread a wind up?

meer53

Superheavy wrote: »

If I was the guy who was contacted by somebody with an item I had mislaid I'd be absolutely delighted.

However, I'd be very concerned at the security of the retailer in producing a receipt that has all of the card details on it.

The majority of retailers these days should only have the last four digits of a card number actually printed on the receipt, with the rest of it made up of asterisks.

You only get the first 4 and (sometimes) the last 4 digits on a receipt. The retailers merchant bank will have access to the full card details, the retailer won't. I wonder why the OP isn't handing it to the police ?

dollywops

Try this site, in case it is a credit card.

http://www.bindb.com/

chattychappy

I would give it to the police as a last resort. Based on some personal experience, the police do nothing to pro-actively look for owners and return lost property (ie where there is no crime). They just seem to keep it and expect people to call them. I suppose it depends on where you live. My local police are busy - and I doubt they get much "credit" for tracing owners.

I found a wallet which contained an Abbey National card. I rang them and obviously they wouldn't give me any of the cardholder's details. But they did send a letter to the owner and gave them my details. That way I got the wallet back to them.

As I say, any other method is preferable to the police, IMHO.

alanq

I really wouldn't bother doing your own detective work. You found it. You hand it to police and get a receipt. If not claimed it is yours. If I lost something valuable I would ask the police if it had been handed in so they don't have to much detective work do they?

If you take the trouble to try to find an owner and the item gets damaged or lost in your possession, or you hand it to an alleged owner and another claimant comes forward, then you will be held responsible.

Wail wrote: »

Due to the processes in place, the object would go into a central pot for auction and the contributions go to charity (AFAIK)

No. My mother handed in a watch (not one of enormous value) and it became hers to keep. Only if the hander in fails to collect the item would it be auctioned.

thenudeone

Wail wrote: »

Due to the processes in place, the object would go into a central pot for auction and the contributions go to charity (AFAIK)

Finders are entitled to keep hold of any property they find. There is no obligation to physically give them to police. All the law says is that they must take reasonable steps to find the owner, which they can do by letting the police know that they have found the item.

Even if something is handed in to police, most forces will allow the finder to reclaim it after a certain time. Only if nobody reclaims it will it be disposed of.

stclair

thenudeone wrote: »

Finders are entitled to keep hold of any property they find. There is no obligation to physically give them to police. All the law says is that they must take reasonable steps to find the owner, which they can do by letting the police know that they have found the item.

Even if something is handed in to police, most forces will allow the finder to reclaim it after a certain time. Only if nobody reclaims it will it be disposed of.

I can imagine its a very complex legislation however it that not "theft by finding"?

callum9999

stclair wrote: »

I can imagine its a very complex legislation however it that not "theft by finding"?

Well yes it would be, but the very next sentence describes how you can legitimately keep it. If you do as much as you can to trace the owner of the item and fail, you are entitled to keep it.

I would personally say informing the local police and contacting the banks to try and get them to contact the person would be more than reasonable. Most people just give it into the police then get it back if no-one claims, the OP is actually do more than the police would do.

Obviously the banks can't give out information, but surely they could relay it. Using the information off the receipt they could easily find who bought it and either phone or write to them with the OPs details.

Though I'm pretty confused at the motives of the OP. You keep going on about PR and recognition - are you just doing this so you can get some sort of article written about how great you are?

JDC14

Is it just the item and the card you have? If you have the whole/purse wallet you could ring another card carrier. For example, a few weeks ago, the barstaff in my local found a wallet with credit cards, cash etc. and an Army ID. Not wanting to stitch the guy up, they rang the RAC with his membership number and asked them to let him know they'd found his wallet.

Otherwise,

You could try ringing the card company, say you've got the details, give them what you have without asking for anything and see if they can put a note on the account to call the person and let them know.
But I think the bank would be the best option.