Is LostSOS legitimate and safe to use?

LostSOS is a Japan-based lost-item recovery support service for international travelers. A real case handler contacts stations, taxi companies, hotels, police lost-property offices and other facilities in Japanese on your behalf. The fee is US$65, paid through Stripe. We don't guarantee that every item is recovered — but if our outreach confirms no location, no holder, and no matching official lost-property record for your item, your US$65 is refunded in full. Here's how to check everything before you pay.

How to verify LostSOS before you pay

You don't have to take our word for it:

Our operator details — legal business name, the person responsible, registered address, phone and email — are published on our Specified Commercial Transactions (特商法) page.
Exactly what the US$65 covers, and what it doesn't, is set out below.
The refund conditions are published below and in our Terms.
Payment runs through Stripe, so we never see or store your full card number.

Who operates LostSOS

LostSOS is a Japan-based business. Our full operator information — legal name, the legally responsible person, registered address, phone and email — is published on our 特商法 page. Your case is handled personally by a real member of our Japan-based team; you'll see their name (for example, Yuki) in your case chat. That person is your day-to-day case handler, which is separate from the legally responsible operator named on the legal page.

How LostSOS is different from lost-and-found scams

Some online "lost & found" intermediaries charge a fee to reveal a result, then ask for handling or shipping money and go quiet. LostSOS works differently:

One service fee (US$65), paid up front — we never charge an extra fee just to reveal whether a match was found, or to tell you which office holds your item.
Optional pickup or shipping is quoted separately, in writing, and only with your approval.
Payment is taken via Stripe on this site only. We will never ask you to pay by cryptocurrency, gift card, or a transfer to an individual's personal account.
You receive a record of the offices contacted, the responses, and the recommended next steps.
Our operator details, contact, and refund conditions are all published before you pay.

What LostSOS cannot guarantee

We can't promise that every item is found or returned. That depends on each facility's records, holding periods, and rules, which are outside our control. What we can stand behind is the work and the refund: we contact the relevant offices in Japanese, document what we find, and if no location, holder, or matching official record is confirmed, you get a full refund (see below).

Official contact & payment channels

Our only official website is lost-sos.com, and payment is taken through Stripe on this site. Support: support@lost-sos.com. If anyone contacts you on another channel claiming to be LostSOS and asks for payment by crypto, gift card, or personal bank transfer, it is not us.

How the refund guarantee works

Full refund if your item isn't found.

Your item is “found” when our case work confirms where it is, who's holding it, or an official lost-property record that matches it.

If none of those is confirmed after we work your case, you get a 100% refund of your US$65.

Some offices may ask you to make the final contact yourself (e.g., for your ID or consent) — we tell you exactly who to call and what to say. It doesn't affect your refund: if your item still isn't located, you're refunded.

The guarantee doesn't apply only if: (a) your item is found but you don't complete pickup/handover, (b) you recover it yourself using our leads (counts as found), or (c) you don't respond to our verification or info requests.

US$65 covers the case work and Japanese outreach. Shipping, pickup and storage are optional, quoted separately, and charged only with your approval. No extra charge to reveal a result.

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This page is published so you can verify LostSOS before paying. For operator details and full terms, see our 特商法 and Terms pages.