Legal
Terms of service
The arrangement in plain English, so nobody is surprised by anything afterwards.
The call-out fee
A $75 call-out fee covers travel and fuel to reach the search location. It is payable whether or not the item is found. For destinations at the far end of Santa Barbara County we'll agree a figure by phone before I travel.
The reward
If I recover your item, the reward is set by you: what the recovery is worth to you and what you can afford. There is no fixed price, no minimum, and no percentage of the item's value.
No guarantee of recovery
I can't guarantee that any particular search will succeed. Items are sometimes not where they're believed to be, have already been picked up by someone else, or lie deeper or further out than can be reached. I will tell you my honest assessment of the odds before we begin.
Permission and access
You're responsible for confirming that I'm permitted to search the location, including private property, HOA grounds, golf courses and any site requiring an owner's or agency's consent. I follow the rules of the beaches and parks I work in.
Care of the site
I search carefully and leave places as I find them — turf plugs go straight back and holes get filled. I'm not responsible for pre-existing conditions such as buried irrigation lines, cables, sprinkler heads or utilities that are not marked or disclosed.
Identification of recovered items
Recovered items are returned to the person who can identify them. Where there's any doubt I'll ask for a photograph or a description of a distinguishing feature before handing anything over.
Photographs
I may photograph recovered items and, with your agreement, publish a write-up. Say no and I won't.
Contact
David Mac Donald, Fillmore, California. Call or text 805-290-5009. Last updated September 2026.
Want to talk it through first?
Call or text 805-290-5009. No obligation.