What to do, in order
- Call the branch, not the national number, Branch staff can physically check the vehicle. Central lines log a ticket that reaches the branch later, by which time the car has gone out again.
- Have the registration and booking reference, It is how they locate which car you had, which is not obvious to them otherwise.
- Ask them to check before the valet, If you catch it early enough the item is still in the car rather than in a box.
Where it usually turns up
- Between the seat and the centre console: The default destination for phones and cards.
- The boot side pockets: Where things go during a trip and stay.
- The glovebox: Documents and chargers, put away and forgotten.
Worth knowing
- A last-seen pin at the rental return tells you the item went back with the car rather than being lost at the hotel, which is the fork most people get wrong.
Lost somewhere else?
The first hour looks different depending on where it happened.
- How to find something you left at a swimming pool
- How to get something back you left in an Uber or taxi
- How to find something you left on a plane
- How to find something you left on a bus
- How to find something you lost at the beach
- Get warmer, get colder, Inside Scan
- What to set up before you travel, Prevention
- All places, the complete list
Common questions
How long do I have to get something back from a rental car?
Branch staff can physically check the vehicle. Central lines log a ticket that reaches the branch later, by which time the car has gone out again.
Where does it usually turn up?
Between the seat and the centre console is the most common. The default destination for phones and cards.
In the app: A pin recorded at the moment you were last there is what separates these cases. Read about Last-Seen Map.