StuffBak Device Recovery Stickers.

Should you ever lose your laptop while traveling, StuffBak property identification tags increase the chance that your lost item will be returned to you. StuffBak offers a wide range of label shapes and sizes that affix to any electronic device, such as a laptop, camera, iPod, cell phone, or external hard drive.

After purchasing a label, you activate your number on the StuffBak website. Each label has a unique serial number and a toll-free number.

If you ever lose your item, report it on the StuffBak website (you can also offer an extra cash reward for its return). If a good samaritan finds your device and calls the number, the service will arrange for a courier to pick it up, or direct them to a nearby UPS store. The finder doesn’t have to try to find the owner, pack a box, or pay for shipping.

Once the property is returned, the finder receives StuffBak’s standard reward, which is $20 worth of StuffBak labels, plus any cash reward you may have offered. You pay a recovery fee of $14.95 to $29.95.

In experiments where various items were purposefully lost (including tests by USA Today and CNBC) items with a StuffBak tag had a 75% recovery rate.

Source: This tip inspired by a Creativetechs’ client who lost their laptop at an airport this month. Obviously this tip come too late for that laptop, but their new MacBook Pro should be a little bit safer the next time round. This write-up comes from the November 2005 issue of Design Tools Monthly.