Lost Property Policy
Last updated
Phones, chargers, coats and laptops are left in vehicles every week. This policy explains what we do with them and how to get yours back quickly.
These policies are published in good faith and describe how Executive Chauffeurs UK works in practice. They are reviewed annually and reissued sooner where our operation or the law changes; the date at the head of each page shows when the current version was issued. If anything here is unclear, or you need a detail that is not published, our client service desk will answer on WhatsApp at +44 7775 554848 or through the contact page.
1. Reporting a lost item
Contact the client service desk as soon as you notice the item is missing, through the contact page or on WhatsApp at +44 7775 554848. Give the journey reference, the date and time of travel, the route, and a description of the item and where you think it was left.
Speed matters more than detail. A vehicle may complete several journeys in a day, and telling us early means the chauffeur can check before the next passenger boards.
Please contact the desk rather than the chauffeur directly. The desk can reach the chauffeur immediately, and it creates the record that lets us track the item properly.
2. What happens next
The desk contacts the chauffeur, who checks the vehicle at the first safe opportunity, including the seat pockets, the footwells, between and beneath the seats, the luggage compartment and the door bins.
Found items are logged with the date, the journey reference, a description and the finder's name, and are taken to secure storage at our operating base at the end of the shift. High-value items are logged with additional detail and stored separately.
We will tell you the outcome of the search either way, normally within one working day. If the item is not found we will say so plainly rather than leave the enquiry open indefinitely.
3. Storage and security
Property is held in a secured area accessible only to authorised staff. Items are not left in vehicles overnight, and nothing is stored in a chauffeur's home.
Devices are not switched on, unlocked or examined beyond what is needed to identify the owner. Where a phone shows a lock-screen contact or an incoming call from a number we hold on the booking, we will use that to reunite it and nothing more.
Documents, wallets and bags are not searched beyond the minimum needed to establish ownership, and their contents are not recorded in the log.
4. Retention periods
- Perishable items, including food and flowers, are disposed of immediately.
- General items, such as clothing, umbrellas, chargers and books, are held for 30 days.
- Valuable items, including phones, laptops, tablets, jewellery, keys and cameras, are held for 90 days.
- Identity and financial documents, including passports, driving licences and bank cards, are held for 14 days and then returned to the issuing authority or destroyed securely.
- Medication and anything requiring specialist handling is dealt with the same day through the appropriate route.
5. Collection and return
Items may be collected from our operating base by prior arrangement. Please bring identification, and be ready to describe the item before it is shown to you so that we can confirm ownership.
We can return items by tracked courier or post at the owner's cost, quoted before despatch. High-value items are sent by a signed and insured service, and we recommend that valuables are not sent by ordinary post.
Where the desk can arrange it, an item can be delivered by a chauffeur already working near the destination, charged at the applicable rate. This is often the fastest route for something needed the same day.
The item is released only to the person who lost it or to someone they have authorised in writing. We will not release property to a third party on a verbal request.
6. Unclaimed property and legal position
Once the retention period has passed and reasonable efforts to trace the owner have failed, unclaimed items are donated to a registered charity or disposed of responsibly. Electronic devices are wiped or destroyed securely before disposal.
Items suspected of being stolen, illegal drugs, weapons and anything else that appears to be evidence of an offence are handed to the police immediately and are not held under this policy.
We are a voluntary bailee of property left in our vehicles: we take reasonable care of items in our possession, but we do not accept liability for property left in a vehicle or for its condition. Passengers are asked to check the cabin and luggage compartment before leaving.
7. Data protection
The lost property log contains personal data and is held in line with our Privacy Policy. Entries are deleted once the item has been returned or disposed of and any related query is closed.
Where an item contains personal data belonging to someone else, we treat that data as confidential, do not access it, and return or destroy the item without copying anything from it.
Questions about this policy can be raised through the contact page or on WhatsApp at +44 7775 554848.