How can I return an item safely?

It’s entirely up to you and the Owner to agree on how the item will change hands.

If you’ve no reason to return the item in person, it’s usually much more convenient for you to pick a police station (or hotel / office / gym / building reception, station lost property office, etc.) near where you found the item, and just notify the owner so they can collect it from there.

We always recommend this method if you’re at all unsure about meeting the Owner in person.

In some cases, you might prefer to post the item.  If so, one possibility is to list it for sale on an online auction, specify the postage cost and let the Owner “buy” the item as a Buy it Now listing, and cover your postage cost.  This also ensures that there’s a record of the transaction, and if  both parties are auction site members, they will likely try hard to protect their reputations.  Any reward could be specified as the Buy it Now price in the listing.  You can send the listing details to the Owner using a WhosMyOwner Finder Report, so they can buy it instantly.   You must be prepared to part with the item at the Buy it Now price, even if someone else buys it.