Karma or not, sometimes it doesnt pay to try to return valuables

[J.GOLDHUNTER in OC CA]

Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

I swear, I try to do the right thing and it is like I am being trained to forget finding the owner. This PAVLOVS DOG DOESN'T LIKE GETTIN SMACKED.
You do the right thing and you would expect to feel better after you return something. But more often than not I get into an uncomfortable situation where I feel like people think I am the thief. I have always told newbies to return something because they want to, not because of a reward or any good feeling you might be expecting. After 29 years of doing this, I know how good it feels to help the good people. But the crappy feeling I get from the opposite type is staying with me too long, giving me a bad feeling all day.

I am sure you all have horror stories when you returned something to a jerk. And great stories of hugs and kisses and hundred dollar bills when you return it to a nice person.

What do the rest of you experience? Maybe I need a pep talk or a screw 'em all talk.

If you find a wedding band do you look for the owner on Craigs list, or do you avoid looking at craigs list?
When you find that same big ring do hurry off the beach with the treasure deep in your pocket or look around for someone searching in the sand?

Disenchanted J in newport beach ca

 

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[Bubby]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

Why - what happened? Did you have a bad experience returning something?

 

[jeff of pa]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

I swear, I try to do the right thing and it is like I am being trained to forget finding the owner. This PAVLOVS DOG DOESN'T LIKE GETTIN SMACKED.
You do the right thing and you would expect to feel better after you return something. But more often than not I get into an uncomfortable situation where I feel like people think I am the thief. I have always told newbies to return something because they want to, not because of a reward or any good feeling you might be expecting. After 29 years of doing this, I know how good it feels to help the good people. But the crappy feeling I get from the opposite type is staying with me too long, giving me a bad feeling all day.

I am sure you all have horror stories when you returned something to a jerk. And great stories of hugs and kisses and hundred dollar bills when you return it to a nice person.

What do the rest of you experience? Maybe I need a pep talk or a screw 'em all talk.

If you find a wedding band do you look for the owner on Craigs list, or do you avoid looking at craigs list?
When you find that same big ring do hurry off the beach with the treasure deep in your pocket or look around for someone searching in the sand?

Disenchanted J in newport beach ca

I look at the Local Lost & Found
But not Craigs list.
Nobody uses Craigs list In my opinion

 

[bottlebum]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

Did someone say "MEGA PHONE BILL"?

 

[bigscoop]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

I always tell people to have their valuable jewelry engraved somewhere otherwise it's almost impossible to track down an owner. I seldom hunt close to home so without some fairly simple way of tracking them down I don't bother with it anymore. More often then not, without some type of reasonable clue, you're going to spend more time trying to track down an owner then you spent finding the item.

 

[digum smacks]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

heres what i do.i only water hunt so if someone comes up to me and they just look like a jerk its $100 up front and $50 a hour after that.ive told people sorry cant help you but some folks i will help in a heart beat.you can tell if they are "good" people on the company they keep.the drunk ones are always bad ones and there the ones who are jerks just survey the situation before you jump right in and help. just my 2 cents.i had one guy not even get a thank you for finding his huge platinum ring of coarse he had a few beers

 

[tnt-k9]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

Last month I returned 3 rings to their owners. Each were very thankful. 2 of the 3 were located through the internet and didn't even question my intentions. I guess your cell phone boy has some issues.

Just today one of the water sport vendors approached me and asked if I had found anything. I told him no, that one of the hotels had called me 2 days ago about a lost ring and I had been unable to find it. He keyed in on the hotel calling me and asked if I lived on the island. I told him I did and he asked me how much I would charge because a lot of people approach him. I told him it would depend on the person. If they were an arragoant bastard I'd charge a lot. If they were a decent humanbeing I might do it for free. I never considered charging anyone but now I have a base line fee in mind.

 

[Sandman]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

These kind of things happen, don't let it get you down. I never look at Craigs list as I figure it is full of jerks fishing for a freebie. If someone calls me from my business card I tell them I charge fifty bucks for two hours search payable in advance.
This limits the idiots wanting to watch the nerd look for something that isn't there. A lot depends on how they ask me and many times I didn't charge. It is impossibe to please everyone.

 

[bigscoop]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

I got a call the other day from an older lady who said she had lost a very sentimental gold necklace while working in her yard and I told her I'd be happy to swing by and give her a hand. Ooops! Upon arriving at her place I discovered that nearly half of her one acre of land was all manicured landscape and flower garden. The other half of her lawn was so plush and maintained I doubt there was a single blade of crab grass. I don't know, but I just had this "instinct" telling me that she was way too proud of her beautiful yard to risk it. Sometimes you just have to walk away. Since she didn't know where or when she had lost it I could have spent a week in that yard/garden and that necklace could have been anywhere, even dangling off the ground in a shrub.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

If someone NICELY asks me to help them look for a ring, I am more than happy to help and have returned 2 rings... Both VERY good experiences.. And although I refused rewards in both cases, they wouldnt take no for an answer and I took the gift certificate and $20 bill from them..
Now if I find a ring (like today), I will look on Craigslist to see if someone lost it.. If I find that it is listed, I would probably return it, but not before reaching some kind of reward.. After all, this hobby is anything but cheap (2 hr drive at least for me) and gas is crazy expensive for my truck..
It also depends on the piece too.. Some rich person with more money than sense is going to get a lot less sympathy from me than someone who lost "grandmas ring" or class ring, etc... Most high priced jewelry is insured anyway, and if it is strictly a monetary thing and not sentimental, than I would be far less likely to try to find the owner..
But the 1st time I get treated like that when I return something will probably be the last time too..

 

[rc2125]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

Noticed a really young couple looking for something on the sandbar a couple weekends ago. She wasn't putting much effort in looking, but her boyfriend was. I asked if they lost something and if they needed a hand looking for it real quick. The guy was happy to get help, said it was a silver ring, within 20 seconds I had it in the scoop. Handed it to the girl and she looked furious that I had found it, ....no thank you or nothin from her, ....maybe she didn't want it found? ....maybe she was hoping for a gold replacement, or something? Weird one.

Have returned a half dozen dandy rings and earings to folks this summer, they were happy and I was glad to help them. If they hand over some cash, I got no problem throwin it in the pocket.

 

[Kut2TheChase]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

I was asked by a man to find his wedding ring on the beach. Before I looked I asked him to describe it. It had his wife's name in it he said. OK I said, when the Tide goes out some more I'll have a look in the area he said he lost it. I took 2 steps, found a penny, 2 more and bam, his ring. They gave me a hug and a thanks, meh.
I think that if I find anything, it's mine unless it an easy return like a class ring. Other than that I wont bother looking for an owner.
I ignore almost everyone at the beach. I make like I cant hear them because of the headphones and they usually nod and walk away.
I'm nice enough and would return something if I know who lost it, heck I would help if asked but I am not going to go too far out of my way...

 

[JP]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

The only class ring I found a few years ago was a nightmare in disguise. I tracked down the person, was accused of stealing it (she lost it an the beach not me), was told by her family that she was too busy to get it from me, never said thank you, etc.

I don't like hunting when the beach starts to fill with people because here comes a few "fine standing" individuals mad at me because they lost their rings. I honestly feel sorry for them, but to be accused that I have already found it (hidden it somewhere) (just walked into the water...right in front of them) and them wanting to see my finds bag really doesn't give me any desire to even help them look for it. Out of the six or seven times that I have talked to someone that lost something only one person was nice and that was the only person that I tried to help. I guess what I'm trying to say is that how one asks you makes all the difference in the world.

Each situation is different. One has to make the decision what to do.....

 

[mad4wrecks]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

In this case it did "pay" to return a valuable.

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/sports/recreation_sports/scubadiving_blog/father-and-son-scoop-up-treasure

By the way, Capt. Dom has a book coming out shortly on Responsible Undersea Exploration

Cheers, Tom

 

[Sandman]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

Handed it to the girl and she looked furious that I had found it, ....no thank you or nothing from her, ....maybe she didn't want it found? ....maybe she was hoping for a gold replacement, or something? Weird one.

I have been told that a couple ethnic groups have family picnics and there is always at least one gal that is engaged that "loses" her engagement ring. It might or might not really be lost but the boys family chips in to buy her a new bigger ring as family pride is involved so they have to show they have money. Naturally if you are seen with a detector you are asked or hired to try to find the "lost" engagement ring. This is when I charge $50 bucks to start the hunt. Her reaction on me finding it determines me returning their money. Usually I get to hunt private beaches this way and find more rings.

 

[Captain Loosechange]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

I found and returned a class ring last year. Only because I know how I would feel if I lost mine. Went to a little trouble finding and contacting the person. She was very nice and excited that I found her ring. She insisted on knowing what restaurants we have in my home town so she could send me a gift card for dinner when I called her to make sure her ring had arrived safely to her(it had). Never heard anything else about it, either the gift card got lost in the mail or she forgot. Either way I didn't expect anything in the first place. Now if I am hunting and someone comes to me and describes an item I tell them if I find it I will let them have it, but I don't use my hunting time which is limited anyway actively hunting for their lost item. I spent alot for my detector, I used my gas getting there and I only have a limited time to hunt, that is how I see it. And as far as trying to hunt everyone down for everything I find, what would be the point of hunting. I didn't spend over $1000 for equipment just to be a lost and found office. If it is a class ring or something traceable then maybe I will try to find the person but other than that I don't feel obligated to track someone down. They should be more careful with objects if they mean so much to them. Also with all the horror stories about accusations of stealing and what not that I have read on the forums, it just doesn't seem worth the effort. Thats just my take on it. HH

 

[DrJoePrime]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

Julie, Don't let the "jerks" get you down.

You are better than them and don't let them guide your actions.

I think you should call back dad and tell him what kind of son he has. You definitely deserve an apology (but probably won't get it).

Luckily I haven't encountered one of "them" ... yet. I've returned about a dozen items both from CraigsList and by being flagged down at the beach. All have been positive experiences.

We all have to do what we are comfortable with. Some people feel they deserve to keep their finds without obligation and others go out of their way to try to return things.

I've heard (and it's probably only urban legend) of a detectorist finding a huge diamond ring. When they tried to pawn it, it was discovered that the huge diamond was microetched and the owner notified. The upshot of the story: The loser had reported the ring as STOLEN .. guess who was arrested.

HH Joe

 

[S.S.Tupperware]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

I try and return when possible... but I wouldn't turn down a reward if offered. I figure I provided a service with my tools, and you figured what ever you decided to give me for my service was worth it... I ain't comin to your house and installing crown molding for free with my saws, guns and scaffolding!!!! I've even heard I'm preying on people... my response, get ya one and you can too, just make sure ya get a good scoop. Some people are in a sad state of affairs these days...

 

[cntrydncr1]

Re: Karma or not, sometimes it doesn't pay to try to return valuables

I spent a week at the beach this summer and really wanted to get into the water to hunt. It was pretty rough most of the week so my time in was limited. One day it was very calm and I was cruising in the water, finding nothing.. I was asked to help find a ring so I looked for it basically cause I wasn't finding anything. I found the ring and only asked them to email me a pic of them with the ring as it was a huge tiffany. I have not gotten a pic yet Another evening I wasn't really too far into the water as it was a little rough for my liking. Again I was approached and got lucky. I called them the next day to return the ring. I did get offered rewards on both finds but I don't feel right taking money. I do this for a hobby and even though I love finding stuff to keep and getting money for it, well that isn't my main reason for what I do.

That is my only gold so far this year