# Lost Wallet: Unable to contact driver



## FourNineNineRider (Jul 6, 2021)

TL;DR - Left Wallet , Driver Says *No*, Tracker Says *Yes*

I let my wallet in a vehicle. My wallet contains a tracking device and has consistently registered its GPS location - it is taking a daily journey that lasts about 10 hours. I know at least the tracker is in the car.

I have attempted to contact the driver for over two weeks, but have been unable to reach him
The number that uber rings is not the driver, but perhaps a woman shares the phone
I offered a cash reward in each message
Uber was able to contact the driver, Uber says the driver said they don't have it
Uber says that I should file a police report as a theft, but I don't want cause trouble or escalate matters. I did file a lost property report, but not stolen property.

I'm pretty sure it went in the seat crevasse. We had the same model minivan and the passenger seat's second row has spot that is really difficult to reach and would make sense for where my wallet could be.

Any advice? How can I contact the driver directly?


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

FourNineNineRider said:


> Any advice? How can I contact the driver directly?


You are the unfortunate victim of Uber's anti-driver policies that make the return of lost personal items a bigger headache than it should be.

If the wallet is in fact in the car, the driver probably doesn't want to mess with a lost item. Passengers tend to be entitled and dictatorial about such things. Uber does not make it worth a driver's time to return such items. If Uber had more consideration for the time and resources a driver expends catering to passengers who demand the immediate return of items they carelessly left behind, you'd probably have more success getting your wallet back.

My best advice is pin down the location of the wallet (since you have a GPS tracker) and notify the police about the situation. Uber is just going to ping the driver, which he'll probably keep ignoring. Once authorities get involved, the driver will be willing to open up his car and let you retrieve your wallet...if it's still there.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

FourNineNineRider said:


> TL;DR - Left Wallet , Driver Says *No*, Tracker Says *Yes*
> 
> I'm pretty sure it went in the seat crevasse.
> 
> Any advice? How can I contact the driver directly?


If the driver is saying that it _ain't_ there, odds are that it fell between seat and cushion. As your post shows that you have taken some measures and consideration, I am guessing that you have asked the driver to look between the cushions.

As a rule, I have little sympathy for customers who lose articles in the cars or cabs. I generally will sympathise with a driver who chucks lost and found out the window, into a trash can or into a mailbox. It is rare that I will blame a driver who says things such as "what wallet?" or "what telephone?". Most people who lose articles will not compensate a driver adequately; expect it to be returned _yesterday_ and really do not care how much they are inconveniencing the driver and making him pay for their carelessness. Despite the foregoing, I never will chuck lost and found. What I do is go to the police, if in the suburbs or the Department of For Hire Vehicles, if in the City, hand in the article and get a receipt. This is legal. This complies with Uber policy. The customer can retrieve his article from the Authorities. That bother alone will teach him to be more careful in the future. Uber does have an office in my market. I did hand in an article there once. That office does not issue receipts nor would it send me e-Mail confirmation that I had handed in the article. Despite that, the "Expert" must fill out a paper any time that lost and found comes to the office. He did let me photograph the filled out paper.

You clearly are an exception. You have offered money, although you do not say how much, still, you have offered it. You have expressed an unwillingness to involve the police lest the driver get into trouble. I am guessing that you have made both Uber and the driver aware that you have a tracker on it. You have done everything properly and have received ZERO for it. It is rare that I do this, but, in this case, I would take your part over the driver's. This does not happen often, but, in this case, assuming that you are being honest, you are more in the right and are going beyond what most people will.

You may have to go the stolen property route. Much depends on what the law is in your state on that.

As for what you should compensate a driver in the future, much depends on how much inconvenience and time you are costing the driver. Uber's fifteen dollars rarely is adequate. Despite that, most people object even to paying that much. I could not answer your poll because the amount and circumstances might vary. If I am two blocks from you, Uber's fifteen bananas are fine. If it requires another half hour of my time, a twenty plus Uber's fifteen works. If I must travel an hour and leave a crazy surge zone, that is going to cost you at least one hundred dollars. You would have to offer me any cash tips; NEVER will I name an a mount. Why not? Because if I do,.the resentful customer is going to tell Uber that I demanded cash. Customers regullarly lie about drivers when they complain to Uber.

What would I do? I would send the driver one more message. Give him a choice. A. He can contact you to make arrangements for you to retrieve your wallet, receive Uber's fifteen bananas plus whatever in cash. B. He can fail to respond, you can contact the police and downgrade (or upgrade, depending on how you look at it) your report from merely lost property to stolen property. The driver will suffer the consequences thereof and receive ZERO compensation.

Be prepared for most posters to be unsympathetic. Many will take you to task and not be very nice about it. Bear up, chest out, expression set, upper lip stiff........................................

Welcome to YouPeaDotNet.





rkozy said:


> You are the unfortunate victim of Uber's anti-driver policies that make the return of lost personal items a bigger headache than it should be.


Thank you for raising that point. In many cases, customers encounter uncooperative drivers. This balkiness is not restricted to lost and found. Uber's systemic and systematic mistreatment of drivers is the cause of many if not most, of these problems.


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## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

Another Uber Driver said:


> If the driver is saying that it _ain't_ there, odds are that it fell between seat and cushion.


That was my reaction too.

I'd love to add words of wisdom on the topic, but I think you've pretty much got it all covered in your detailed reply.


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

The driver probably doesn’t work for Uber anymore...turnover rate is high. The driver probably already rewarded himself with whatever monetary contents were resting within your wallet, everything else ended up in a trash bin.


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## New2This (Dec 27, 2015)

FourNineNineRider said:


> TL;DR - Left Wallet , Driver Says *No*, Tracker Says *Yes*
> 
> I let my wallet in a vehicle. My wallet contains a tracking device and has consistently registered its GPS location - it is taking a daily journey that lasts about 10 hours. I know at least the tracker is in the car.
> 
> ...


Whatever you do, DON'T show up unannounced at his house by following whatever tracking device you have.


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## FourNineNineRider (Jul 6, 2021)

Thank you all for your great replies. It confirmed I was heading down the right path. Ultimately, I know that responsibility for leaving the wallet is squarely with me. I own that and am willing to put in the effort to make this as effortless as possible for the driver. I really don't want to go through the legal system for this it's just taking more time for everyone. 

UPDATE: I have still not been able to get the driver and Uber Support, Lost Property, and Law Enforcement Relations teams have been unhelpful. Surprisingly, NYPD is pursuing this matter because it rises to the level of a Felony (based on the value of the wallet, the contents, and willful refusal to return property). That is exactly what I didn't want to happen. 




New2This said:


> Whatever you do, DON'T show up unannounced at his house by following whatever tracking device you have.


I can't imaging a way my showing up goes well.



Another Uber Driver said:


> As for what you should compensate a driver in the future, much depends on how much inconvenience and time you are costing the driver. Uber's fifteen dollars rarely is adequate. Despite that, most people object even to paying that much. I could not answer your poll because the amount and circumstances might vary. If I am two blocks from you, Uber's fifteen bananas are fine. If it requires another half hour of my time, a twenty plus Uber's fifteen works. If I must travel an hour and leave a crazy surge zone, that is going to cost you at least one hundred dollars. You would have to offer me any cash tips; NEVER will I name an a mount. Why not? Because if I do,.the resentful customer is going to tell Uber that I demanded cash. Customers regularly lie about drivers when they complain to Uber.


Thank you for such a thoughtful reply. I really feel for drivers. NYC has taken a driver-hostile approach on top of Uber looking for every way to screw drivers here. 

_Side story - _
I know first hand about customer's lying about drivers. I was in an Pool when it first started (2016?). The other rider raging jerk about the route being taken and when she got out she said "i'm reporting this - one star mother f***er" . The driver refused to take a non-existent route. When we pulled away I spoke with the driver and he was very relaxed about it. I didn't really think much more about it. I submitted my feedback when getting out. The next day, I realized the other passenger could cause problems. So, I contacted support and let them know what happened. 

Two or three days later, I got an email to schedule an urgent *PHONE CALL. *They didn't address anything in my original support ticket but instead were asking me the most messed up things. I asked if this was about my support ticket. I was told that was separate and someone else would follow up with me. My understanding based on the questions is that the other rider alleged something very abusive happened between the driver and the passengers (likely including me - They were cryptic). The "investigator" said that they were unable to give me any details, but said that the information I shared was very helpful. 

About a two days later I was very surprised to get a note addressing my original support ticket and thanking me for letting them know. It said my feedback was important in Uber's decision to reinstate the driver.


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## SpinalCabbage (Feb 5, 2020)

Drivers are creatures of habit. If you go to the area in which you were picked up around the same time that you requested your ride and start requesting rides, your driver may appear on your app. It is an act of desperation, but I don't see what other chance you have at getting your wallet returned. In most areas this would probably work. In New York though... let us know how it goes.

Eventually the driver will clean his car and find your wallet... unless another passenger finds it first.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

FourNineNineRider said:


> Surprisingly, NYPD is pursuing this matter because it rises to the level of a Felony (based on the value of the wallet, the contents, and willful refusal to return property). That is exactly what I didn't want to happen.


As I have stated previously, usually, I am one hundred ten per-cent on the driver's side in the matter of lost articles, even to the point of understanding why they trash them. Never would I trash a lost article, but after some horrid experiences myself and dealing with people who lost articles, I do understand the driver's side of it. I was an official of a cab company for several years. Part of my job was dealing with complaints.

Despite the above, you should not feel bad about this. You were reasonable. You did _everything_ that you _could_ to make some arrangement with the driver. You offered compensation, even cash. Odds are that the only way that you will get back the wallet is if the police intervene. Either that, or the only way that you will get closure is if the police intervene, in case the tracker, only, fell into the gap while the wallet ended up somewhere else. I envision the following scene:

The police show up, let the driver know what is what, which, of course, spooks him. He lets the police look in his van. They find either the tracking device only or both wallet and device. Whatever the police find is returned to you. I doubt that the police and DA's office will prosecute. This is because:

1. The case had a successful resolution. All that you really want is the return of your wallet or closure, which you will have gotten.
2. It might be difficult to get a conviction as there is no proof that he tried to appropriate anything in the wallet. There is no proof of malicious intent.
3. The courts are backed up, as it is. There is little, if anything, to be gained by throwing this guy into the hoosegow.

Instead, he will get a good scare and perhaps treat future customers a little better.







FourNineNineRider said:


> I know first hand about customer's lying about drivers. I was in an Pool when it first started (2016?). The other rider raging jerk about the route being taken and when she got out she said "i'm reporting this - one star mother ****" .


One of the reasons that many drivers will not accept POOL is because many of the users are even more demanding than Uber Black users. The only time that I will accept POOL is if I see a potential to manipulate it in a dishonest manner to make it pay. The quote below will explain why I, and many other drivers, will stoop to dishonesty..




rkozy said:


> unfortunate victim of Uber's anti-driver policies


...........but I stray................................

If I do run POOL, I go through the following with each customer:

1. Confirm name and destination
2. Confirm that the customer ordered POOL.
3. Confirm that the customer understands how it works; they must share the car, I must cover every request that comes to me; I must use the route that the GPS indicates, despite my knowing better than the GPS.

Any balking results in eviction and cancellation.

Many customers will lie. It is mostly to hustle a free ride, but there are times when it has other nefarious purposes.


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## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

Another Uber Driver said:


> I envision the following scene:
> 
> The police show up, let the driver know what is what, which, of course, spooks him. He lets the police look in his van. They find either the tracking device only or both wallet and device. Whatever the police find is returned to you. I doubt that the police and DA's office will prosecute.


I may be misreading him. But my sense is that the Original Poster is more interested in getting his wallet back than in having the driver prosecuted.

Regardless, theft requires intent, which would be difficult to prove.


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

With the spike in crime and the "no bail" laws I can't imagine the NYPD would put any effort into this other than taking the report.

The way to get a drivers attention in NYC is thru the TLC because that affects their livelihood. If Uber would provide the drivers name or TLC license number you could make a compliant thru the TLC. Since it's highly unlikely Uber will provide the information then unfortunately its most likely gone.


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## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)

Tell me more about this tracking device. How long is the battery life? Can you track it anywhere or does it need to be near something that reads its signal? How big is it?


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Christinebitg said:


> my sense is that the Original Poster is more interested in getting his wallet back than in having the driver prosecuted.


You get the same thing out of it that I do. It is doubtful that the driver will be prosecuted which suits Original Poster fine. All that Original Poster wants is the return of at least the device so that he can know what to do. If the wallet also comes back, so much the better. 





Seamus said:


> The way to get a drivers attention in NYC is thru the TLC because that affects their livelihood. If Uber would provide the drivers name or TLC license number you could make a compliant thru the TLC. Since it's highly unlikely Uber will provide the information then unfortunately its most likely gone.


If the TLC demands the information, it is likely that Uber will cough up said information. There have been cases in the past where a cab company refused to give up information in order to protect a driver Every time, the regulatory agency has demanded that the cab company give up the information. We had a case here that made national news, even though it was a minor incident. I was involved in it as a company official. The Hack Office told us that we had to give her the information. I balked at it, instead I gave the information to the Hack Office. I told the Hack Office that it could do what it would with said information. The Hack Office gave it to the complainant. 

The driver did get a lawyer and wanted to sue the company. Even his lawyer told him that if the Hack Office wanted information like that, we had to give up that information. His lawyer did think that he could sue the Hack Office, but, the suit never went anywhere. There were several bitter exchanges between me and both the Hack Office and the full Commission over this. The Commission tried to assert that the companies had an obligation to help the consumers in filing complaints. I insisted that we had no such obligation and could even be exposed to liability if we gave up certain information to the pubic.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

FourNineNineRider said:


> TL;DR - Left Wallet , Driver Says *No*, Tracker Says *Yes*
> 
> I let my wallet in a vehicle. My wallet contains a tracking device and has consistently registered its GPS location - it is taking a daily journey that lasts about 10 hours. I know at least the tracker is in the car.
> 
> ...


G.P.S. TRACKERS FOR WALLETS !

NOW 

IF THEY WOULD ONLY INVENT SOMETHING TO HELP YOU HANG ON TO IT !

YOU HAD IT OUT TO GIVE THE DRIVER A TIP . . .
RIGHT ?

RIGHT ????

RIGHT ?!?!?


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Try this !

It's also a legal Excuse to carry a " Ninjitsu Fighting Chain".


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

nm


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## Gone_in_60_seconds (Jan 21, 2018)

FLKeys said:


> Tell me more about this tracking device. How long is the battery life? Can you track it anywhere or does it need to be near something that reads its signal? How big is it?


It must be incredibly small to fit in the wallet???

Vehicle Lojack is much bigger than a wallet.


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## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

tohunt4me said:


> Try this !
> 
> It's also a legal Excuse to carry a " Ninjitsu Fighting Chain".
> View attachment 603821
> View attachment 603823


You beat me to it. That's what I instantly thought of when I read the comment you were responding to.

And I don't even ride a motorcycle. (But I'm a Harley shareholder, if that helps any.)

Why do I have the Grateful Dead's song Hell in a Bucket stuck in my head now?!?


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Christinebitg said:


> You beat me to it. That's what I instantly thought of when I read the comment you were responding to.
> 
> And I don't even ride a motorcycle. (But I'm a Harley shareholder, if that helps any.)
> 
> Why do I have the Grateful Dead's song Hell in a Bucket stuck in my head now?!?


O.M.G. I bought a Rolling Stones Grateful Dead issue.
$15.00 for a Damn Magazine !


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## BestInDaWest (Apr 8, 2021)

i mean hey , you lost it,he says he doesent have it case closed. legal pursuit? that's laughable...get a new wallet


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)




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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Damn . . .


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

BestInDaWest said:


> i mean hey , you lost it,he says he doesent have it case closed. legal pursuit? that's laughable...get a new wallet


If you say my wallet isn't in your car and I have a tracking device that shows my wallet is in your car the case is far from closed.


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

FourNineNineRider said:


> Any advice?


Yeah.... stop losing your wallet.


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

FLKeys said:


> Tell me more about this tracking device. How long is the battery life? Can you track it anywhere or does it need to be near something that reads its signal? How big is it?


I was a bit skeptical about this "GPS tracker" device embedded in the wallet. I didn't want to have a debate about some item that seems fictitious given the power/size requirements of such a contraption. Not only would it need a battery to power the GPS signal, but it would require some level of cellular data connectivity to broadcast its location. That would require a data subscription, and would consume additional battery power.

While I won't call "bullshit" on the OP's claim about having such a thing, it does raise an eyebrow.


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

rkozy said:


> I was a bit skeptical about this "GPS tracker" device embedded in the wallet. I didn't want to have a debate about some item that seems fictitious given the power/size requirements of such a contraption. Not only would it need a battery to power the GPS signal, but it would require some level of cellular data connectivity to broadcast its location. That would require a data subscription, and would consume additional battery power.
> 
> While I won't call "bullshit" on the OP's claim about having such a thing, it does raise an eyebrow.


It's real.

For your wallet
The thinnest Chipolo, perfect for finding your wallet, passport pouch or remote control in seconds. Use the app to ring your misplaced item or double click on Chipolo to find your phone. Let Chipolo take care of your belongings and find your peace of mind.


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

Coachman said:


> It's real.
> 
> For your wallet
> The thinnest Chipolo, perfect for finding your wallet, passport pouch or remote control in seconds. Use the app to ring your misplaced item or double click on Chipolo to find your phone. Let Chipolo take care of your belongings and find your peace of mind.


This device runs off Bluetooth proximity, not GPS and cellular data. Once your wallet is out of Bluetooth range, the Chipolo is useless for finding a lost item in a moving vehicle.

From the Chipolo website FAQ:



> If you need something that will help you find an item that is usually just misplaced somewhere around you (like keys, wallet, backpack or hiding cat), Bluetooth finder is the better choice, because it’s cheaper and you will have no hassle with the battery. Because of the limited range, you won’t be able to see the live location of your item if it’s far, but you will be able to see where you last had it, so you can go back and retrieve it. And with Out of Range Alerts, Chipolo will even remind you to take your items, so you don’t leave them behind in the first place.


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## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

Coachman said:


> It's real.


I guess that guys wouldn't want to put their wallets into their back pockets with that.

On the other hand, I can see an interesting use: "Hey, I figured out where the guy is who snatched my purse..."


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

Christinebitg said:


> On the other hand, I can see an interesting use: "Hey, I figured out where the guy is who snatched my purse..."


As long as the purse snatcher is within 100 feet of you when you go to track it. This is a Bluetooth device that has no cellular connectivity. Once your purse is beyond Bluetooth range (which can be as little as 35 feet depending on the environment) you'll have no ability to get a fix on its real-time location. 

This is not a practical real-time tracking device as Coachman claims.


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## Illini (Mar 14, 2019)

Apple AirTag.









AirTag


Attach AirTag to everyday items, like your keys or a backpack, to easily keep track of them in the Find My app.



www.apple.com


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## rkozy (Apr 5, 2019)

Illini said:


> Apple AirTag.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's better than the device Coachman pointed out, but it's still not GPS real-time tracking. The Apple Air Tags rely on your lost item being close to an iPhone/Apple product that is turned on and sending data out through the network. In a moving vehicle, that could be rather difficult, especially if the lost item is down in the seat cushions, or underneath a seat.

Any device that has real-time GPS tracking is going to require constant power and a proprietary data modem that can broadcast the location in short time intervals.

How hard is it to use a pants pocket? I've carried a wallet for 30+ years, and a cell phone for over 20 years. I've yet to misplace either item.


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## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

rkozy said:


> How hard is it to use a pants pocket?


Women's pants don't often have pockets. Just sayin'.


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## EagleWolfSparrow (Aug 7, 2021)

FourNineNineRider said:


> TL;DR - Left Wallet , Driver Says *No*, Tracker Says *Yes*
> 
> I let my wallet in a vehicle. My wallet contains a tracking device and has consistently registered its GPS location - it is taking a daily journey that lasts about 10 hours. I know at least the tracker is in the car.
> 
> ...


First, most driver might not pick up the phone because it always showing 3rd party Calling number. Which people might think it's scam.

Second...Uber never give away REAL PHONE NUMBER. So your text message is actually sent to 3rd server...
Driver never receive it...

Third...So you actually lost it in a car??? Or someone stole it from you before you hop on the Uber / Lyft??
How do you know you lost it in a car?
No evidence...

It can also be your dropped it in Uber Car but then the Uber's Next Pax just took it without telling Uber driver.
Dirty people everywhere.

I had once a nice PAX tell me previous Pax dropped a Iphone in my Car.
We both checked and didn't see the Iphone until next pax get in and step on it lol,


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