Laptop update: nothing. I'm very tempted to fly to IAH, go to the baggage desk and ask to be pointed to the lost and found facility "hub". I've heard through the grapevine that this is a non-descript building in a non-descript office park 15 mins or so outside of IAH. If anyone has an exact address or directions or other info, I would greatly appreciate it. OR if anyone flying through IAH could ask the baggage desk there, they might now and be able to provide some info. Just don't want to end up there in complete vain, so close yet so far, but willing to try. Thank you...

I am in a cab heading to the central lost and found warehouse right now. Will report back with location and any additional info so others in similar position can do the same. Wish me luck.

I'm guessing it's in one of the decrepit office/warehouse parks along Beltway 8, west of JFK Blvd. Good luck out there and am interested in your observations of what's there! Lived in Houston for 30 years and (luckily) never had to visit the place.

Sweet mother of god.... I got the laptop! They had it! Will post the details soon. Have all necessary info for anyone in similar position...

This might be a good day for you to buy a lottery ticket.

Simple karmic power as evidenced below. No need to return good kharma, just pass it forward...:D:D:D

do NOT lecture your SO on leaving laptop, advice from old married guy..

I have found Bose Headphones before and called the person who left it. I then turned it to the Gate Agent who said she would hold on to it and j.ust as I was leaving the person who left their headphones was running back to retrieve it,

I also found a cellphone in the restroom and turned it in to a security officer who thanked me. It was an expensive Blackberry.

I also found someones wallet and called up the cellphone number of the person. I saw the ID and the business card matched the ID. Within 5 minutes the man got his wallet back in the Baggage Claim. He thanked me and even rewarded me with $100 which I refused but he insisted I take it so I did. I told the man I would want the same thing to happen to me if I lost a wallet.

My point is if you are honest good karma comes back to you. "What goes around comes around".

So here's the skinny... Mods, if you feel appropriate, might want to put some of this info in a wiki at the start of this thread.

I'll start with the detailed contact information I got, for use by anyone else who MAY want to do what I did, bearing in mind your item may or may not be at this facility (and I'm not sure how long they keep things for):

Potentially helpful phone numbers:

• General lost baggage and lost item phone number: 800-335-2247 (this is the publicized one and is essentially useless)
• Local Houston number connecting to the same call center (I think): 281-821-3526
• Direct number to the warehouse (so I'm told), but that only accepts voice mail (from what they ask for in the recording, seems they could possibly call you back): 281-553-8613
• Another number, from a business card at the reception desk: 281-553-8600 (could be a main number to that facility? Unsure.)

Lost and found facility/warehouse physical address:
611 Lockhaven Drive
Houston, TX 77073
(note: about 15 minutes by cab from IAH Terminal C in light traffic; ~$40 each way)

And here's the detail of my experience:

Background: My wife left her (not-backed-up-or-I-wouldn't-have-done-what-I-did) laptop on a the plane 50 days ago. I submitted the information online per requested protocol, providing very detailed and accurate information including username, password, etc. Unlike lost bags, this is a black hole - no claim number and you are told to wait and if found, they'll call you. I tried twice to get help at PDX baggage services (could they call someone, look at records, etc.), but to no avail. My understanding is that if an item is not matched to an owner at the airport where it's first found in a matter of 5 days or so, it gets sent to a main lost and found facility in Houston -and lord knows what happens next. I had no confidence in that so took it upon myself to fly to IAH as part of another trip to see what I could dig up, cause that's how I roll. A polite but squeaky well gets the grease.

Yesterday: Went to the IAH Terminal C baggage service office, explained my situation, and asked for the address of the central lost and found facility. The rep was very nice and provided me the address, and also had me call a number to the warehouse to "leave a message and let them know I was coming". I did that and hopped in a cab.

Cab was $40 each way and took 15 minutes to get to the facility, which is in a nondescript building in a nondescript office park / warehouse area, but clearly marked with a United Airlines sign as you enter a small parking lot. There is a main door and small lobby with a receptionist. Inside, to the left looked like what could be the call center for lost bags/items - to the right, cubes, etc. - and presumably to the back, the warehouse, which I never went in to.

They had a sign-in sheet, so I'm clearly not the only one doing this, though I was the only one there at the time. She connected me with the person in charge of laptops, who printed my record (presumably using my name) and came out to meet me. Explained my situation and what I was looking for, and emphasized three easy pieces of info: brand, color, in a neoprene case with zipper, and also mentioned that it was low on battery so many not have powered up - but that I had the power supply so could do that.

She emphasized that they do everything they can to match things up, and charge items using a litany of chargers they have so they can try to log in, etc., and that sometimes they can end up in different piles depending on that - but that they made every effort to get relevant info and match things up. Despite what she said, I got the impression she was preparing me for the worst.

I sat down to wait, and low and behold, less than 5 minutes later, she walks out with the laptop. I open it up - it still has juice - and enter in the login info. Hallelujah! I am overjoyed (because happy wife = happy life) and do nothing but thank them profusely, since I got what I came for. I signed out indicating I had received the item, and they called me a cab which came about 10 minutes later.

Some time after the joyous reunion, I got to thinking. ...? Seriously? My laptop was just sitting there, for probably 40-45 days, and all it took was a brand, color and case description to find it IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES. What the heck are they doing there? The description I provided in the record was WAY more detailed than that. How could it have taken that long to STILL HAVE NOT FOUND IT?

So the other side of the coin here is that my and probably everyone else's hunch is right - we should have NO sense of confidence that there is much activity and certainly not much urgency around trying to find something like this and get it matched with its owner - unless my experience is an outlier. I'm very happy I have the item back in my possession, and everyone I met was extremely nice and helpful. But seriously, what the heck is going on behind the scenes to make this so ineffective? I had to fly to Houston and spend $80 on a cab and points for an overnight hotel stay, to get something that took 5 minutes to find via 3 easy pieces of information? And to think, all of this could have easily been handled via phone or email -- yet no one I spoke with along the way was willing to give out any of that info or appeared interested in helping...

...Regardless, I hope that this info helps someone else along the way. And, I hope the lottery tickets I did indeed buy yesterday come up winners.

Did the office you visited give you any indication of how l:png they keep items hoping for their owners to show up?

I neglected to ask when I was there. But I asked at other points along the way, ang got answers ranging from 45 to 90 days, and regardless of actual length, generally longer for electronic items like laptops, tablets and phones. I was right at the 45 day mark, so looks like at least that long.

For what it's worth, my powerball numbers didn't win tonight. Uses up all my luck with the laptop...

I realize this is a topic that most people click on only when it's relevant to them...

But the more I think about it, the more incredulous I am that I "had" to personally fly to IAH, locate the address, and cab it out there, on my own dime and time, to ultimately retrieve an item that it turns out would have taken under 5 minutes to do over the phone or via email. And that in 50 days time, no one was able to connect "brand / color / case style" between the record I provided and what was there -- when that's all it took to identify the item in less than 5 minutes.

Yes, it's our fault the laptop was left behind. We take full responsibility for that. And yes, I'm happy the laptop is back (and my wife is, too). But this is clearly less than stellar handling, and as a 1K / 1MM, after flying the extra mile for UA, I'd have hoped there to be that small bit of UA going the extra mile for me when I needed it. No one's perfect, and this stuff happens - they know that and it's not going to NOT happen. It should be built in to the system as far as how to handle efficiently and effectively. Clearly it's not.

Anyone think this is worth a follow-up to UA? This isn't about any sort of compensation - more about them getting their act together to assist anyone else in the future who may be in a similar predicament. 1Kvoice? Someone else? No one?

Why Can't United Find My Ipad?
 

100% chance I am in the wrong forum, but I am educable. If I report a lost Ipad to United, with the date, the flight, and the exact location where I left it, along with the color and the fact that my contact info is taped to the Ipad, why can't they find it? It's useless to anyone without the code.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

"It's useless to anyone without the code."

That doesn't mean that it was not stolen by an ignorant thief.

Since this question is specifically about United, I'll move it to the United forum where the experts therein can provide further input.

Please note this thread originated in the flame-free Information Desk forum.

jackal
Moderator, Information Desk

Seriously? People take stuff they find. Simple as that. I'm sorry you lost it but it's gone. Buy a new one.

Also: very easy to bypass and restore as own iPad, etc.