Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Product sources Losing....

Someone quite close to me continues to lose car keys. To this person's defense, they mother 3 children, plus me, works a full time gig as a counselor in a middle school [Jr. High]and is opening a clinic on the side working in adolescent mental health. Suffice it to say, 8 directions simultaneously from 6 AM until midnight, every night...so, losing small objects - well, it's understandable, maybe inevitable!

To date, we've always had a spare set of keys before we transitioned to a new rig, so we've never before arrived at this point. Unfortunately, person not to be named lost set number two last night - that's all we have. I've come to discover that one cannot simply head to the hardware shop to make copies any longer - 2014 GMC Acadia Denali have "smart" keys, and likely cost a pretty penny to replace. When the dealership opens tomorrow, I'll be eating that cost. I'm looking forward to try and prevent this from happening again, however, and need your help.

Which finally brings me to my point...I've researched the web for products designed to help locate lost items - found a few options. Wanted to know if anyone has any experience with these products and if they can provide some feedback on their experience, recommendations, etc. I hate buying blindly - but as you can see, this purchase is mandatory, and I think I need to act fast.

Thanks in advance, guys.

The Tile app is the only one I have heard of. Never tried it. Been tempted to put them on my trail cameras.

Good luck!

Oh wow, that would get my goat. I'm "fanatical" about preparation and memory. My misses often misplaces items, because she puts stuff in different places all of the time. It is very simple when you look at the human brain: find a place to put something and always place it there. Period. I promise this works. I've been working with the kids on this because everything from tape to pencil sharpeners. Drives me bonkers! LOL

Here are two articles that may be of interest:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304117904579501410168111866

and

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/productivity/organization/how-to-stop-losing-things

Creatures of habit. So consider a two fold approach: 1) have your loved one begin placing things in the same place all of the time, and 2) invest in a keyfinder product such as:

http://www.amazon.com/KeyFinder-wireless...5WQCD0GFN0WYNFT

OR:

http://www.amazon.com/Click-D2-Receivers...5WQCD0GFN0WYNFT

This second one I believe is slightly louder than the first product.

Good luck. May patience be with you

Blover - thank you for your feedback.

Secondly, I purposely never identified person not to be named as a "she". If you got that impression, it was entirely through conjecture.

I think I presumed SHE based on "they MOTHER 3 children".

But definitely look into the RF products. They work, as long as the batteries are working and you're within range. But there is no substitute for training.

You could also consider concealing a key, even if a Valet key, under the vehicle in a spot difficult to identify but not extremely difficult to access.

I feel your pain, TJ, but I don't have a solution. We purchased a new vehicle last year, and the salesman warned us over and over not to lose the keys... $500 apiece, he claimed.

And don't get me started on the keys themselves. Why on earth do they need to come encapsulated in a switchblade type of device, where you push a button and the key itself flings outward like some kind of weapon? I like to carry a set of keys in a front pocket....hard to do with a garage door opener sized piece of hardware dangling from it.

It has been explained to me on countless occasions in my home that the item I am looking for is indeed not lost. She has put it "somewhere." We buy reading glasses by the gross I think. Amazing they never showup. "Someday" I expect to find thousands of pairs "somewhere!" Her car keys have recently come under threat. She has started carrying two everyday purses so, of course, she needs a set in both purses. Her keys are the kind where you can start, unlock, etc the car as long as the keys are "somewhere" in yer possession. My concern now is what if she puts both of those purses "somewhere" at the same time!

I think I better be in the market for one of those key finders too. Who knows, might help me find "somewhere" someday!

Here's one that let's you use yer IPhone to track them down.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670271/an-iphone-app-that-finds-your-keys-and-just-about-anything-else

sprkplug, you must drive a Volkswagen!

I have a single truck key in my wallet.

Full set of keys in my truck.

Full set of keys in my laptop bag.

Neither of these, I am very far away from.

Full set of keys I carry at all times in my pocket, or in my hand.

Basic set in my kitchen drawer and office drawer at work.

I'm a tad obsessed about locking myself out. In fact, I will not close my truck door while outside of the truck without having the keys in my hand, even tho I know they are in my pocket, and a backup in my wallet. The other thing that negates this is if one window is rolled down.

Sound a tad weird

Ok buddy, I'm sending you a man hug. That's gonna be a hard pill to swallow. Even used car lots require 2 sets of keys on trade-in's now.

I wish I could help with the lost keys but maybe with a possible upside for your troubles. With my wife, I would try and use the situation to my advantage to maybe get a little extra "boom boom" time (after 22 years of marriage, I have to get creative )

I might say something like this, "Oh honey that's alright, people are always losing their keys. Maybe we should go upstairs and "brainstorm" where you could have lost them. I know I don't say it enough but your beautiful and nobody is perfect, except maybe you." (enter the Barry White music)

Haha. That's funny. I can simpathize as my wife is famous for this they are somewhat routine. She also previously owned a Volkswagen and I have a healthy disdain for their switchblade keys as well.

Good news: Person left unnamed found keys this afternoon - so while I'm saving some money with replacements, I need to get this last set locked down.

Anyone have experience with this product?

https://www.thetrackr.com/

Or this one:

https://www.thetileapp.com/

TG as one gets older, loosing stuff becomes a way of life. It's expensive as I have two of many things lost and re-bought only to find the original. The upside is you get plenty of exercise searching for lost items. This is healthy and keeps you living longer so you can forget more things to search for and become even healthier. It's a catch 22.

It's not a she in our casa that loses stuff. However, I sometimes thing the SHE hides my stuff to chap my butt.

Helps me to have a spare key tied under the car somewhere, or some will even fit in the gascap cover somewhere. My wife even has figured out how to shimmy under the rear bumper and get the spare key the 3-4 times a year she locks herself out.

Of course she never remembers to put the key back and that job is delegated to me.

I keep a spare for her in my wallet.

We don't have vehicles that require the "$500" keys . I have a cheap flat spare made . Drill oversize hole in it. Duct tape to back side of license plate with holes aligned up.
Make sure you use screws that will turn out with a coin or screwdriver.
Saved us a few times in 35 years.

TJ I can vouch for the Trackr...it works as advertised. Cheap investment in my mind given the cost of replacing modern car keys and the added cost of worrying about rekeying every dang lock on the place on the off chance someone finds the keys and has a proclivity towards crime.

How about a carabiner type key ring? Works great for me. Clips to a belt loop, or for ladies, a purse strap.

Uuuuhh, forgot what I was gonna post. Oh yeah. I seldom lose anything but often just can't remember where I hid them. Lots of memory cells burnt up in the 70s

A most embarrassing time when I lock myself out of the car. I was a wood patternmaker and backed my car up to the loading platform where new patterns were taken to the foundry and returned. My car was running while I quickly loaded into my trunk old wood patterns to be thrown out that I could burn in my fireplace. Of course I had locked myself out, and it was time for work to start and new patterns that were to be trucked to the foundry couldn't be loaded. This stopped several dozen new patterns that were on an urgent time scheduled to be run that morning while I got the Ford garage to come as soon as possible to unlock my car. Management at the Pattern shop, the foundry and the machine shop were all pissed because I had thrown everyone off schedule.

TJ,
I recently bought this "low tech" solution from amazon because my Dad has dementia and misplaces his keys and wallet all the time. It worked fine the only time we used it last week.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AE4U6T2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD). It was quite eye-opening when I was diagnosed. Lynda and I have taken it quite humorously.

I have done a lot of reading about it, and here is a fun book: ADD Stole My Car Keys

There are some very humorous videos on Totally ADD -- Bill's Rants. If you were ever a fan of the Red Green Show, you would enjoy some of these even if you don't have ADD/ADHD.

I won't go into my many misadventures.

Ken

Thanks for the input, guys. I ended up going with the beeper model over the GPS locator model - didn't see the need for IPhone location as the only place keys are lost seem to be in the house or somewhere nearby. Read some negative reviews of issues with the locator device - IPhone kept sending alerts indicating the keys were in Alergia, etc. Sounded like a more complex solution than we needed. Ended up going with this, hopefully we'll not need to use it often! Thanks for all the feedback, guys.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AE4U6T2/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hope it works good for you. Do you know if they make a similar device for a credit card/id. Although I guess I shouldn't complain at least when she loses her cards she can't spend for a few days.