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Found an iPhone 5S, what to do?
- Thread starter taptic
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Where did he find it? If it was an actual place go back there and see what happens?
I would say bring it to the police, but most of them are scum, so that's not really an option.
I would say bring it to the police, but most of them are scum, so that's not really an option.
He didn't say, I'll ask him later. He said it had a broken screen as well, so I'm guessing it fell unnoticed or something...
He's basically wondering:
a. Is there some other way to contact the original owner and
b. if not, is it OK to sell it on eBay
ionjohn
macrumors 65816
If you sell it on ebay, you'll never get the money since the buyer is going to fill a appeal 'cause the iphone is locked (thanks to iOS 7).
Are you for real and don't know what to do when you find an item that may have been stolen or lost. Is the young getting to the stage when they should never leave home.
Hand the iPhone into the Police.
Hand the iPhone into the Police.
The question there is: IS IT ILLEGAL, OR JUST NOT COOL TO SELL IT FOR PARTS?
I've already recommended that he give it to the police, but I know he's basically wondering that ^.
"not cool" ?? Wow, you have no idea the damage you are doing to Californians reputation! Keep trying the number to call or go put it back where it was found/give it to the police.
Are you...(oh, sorry) Is your friend so hard up they need to sell somebody else's phone for parts on eBay, especially with a busted screen? 🙁
California's reputation was in the toilet long before this. This is just another piece of you know what floating in the bowl.
I7guy
macrumors Westmere
I would think technically it would be against eBay t and c. But since you are asking the question it seems you have a rectal cranium inversion.
I don't understand why it's so hard to do the right thing.
ABC5S
Suspended
Agree 100% above. Goodness OP, do the right thing and stop looking for a way to keep it.
Consultant
macrumors G5
I doubt that "The number wasn't any good"
Leave a message on the voice mail with your contact info.
Well, that was a bit harsh for these forums... more like the thing I'd expect to see on Apple's support communities... hated those.
Anyway. First off, I see I must defend the point that it is my friend and not myself. I repair broken iDevices and you can see from many of my posts, especially my first ones, where I ask stupid questions about the basics of it. By now, I've gotten to the point where I can do it pretty well and I have gained a small reputation among my friends and anyone else that knows me and feels like being my friend for a little while. Anyway, I guess from what he's heard me say about ridiculous selling prices and all that, he feels like he could get some good money off it, which is true. Personally I don't think he should until he talks to the police... but he'll probably end up doing whatever he wants to.
That's all he said, but I will ask him for the number and try it myself.
True. California has never really had much of a reputation to damage. Around where I am most of them just smoke pot...
rc135tx
macrumors member
I think that if your friend turns it in to the police, most places have a law/policy that if the item can't be returned to the rightful owner in a certain amount of time, it will be given back to the person who turned it in. He might want to check on that.
Some other thoughts if they is truly interested in reuniting the phone with its owner...
Where was it found? Do they have a lost/found that the owner might have checked with? A bulletin board to put up a "found phone" poster (say the number displayed doesn't work and to ring the phone)?
Does Siri work on the phone? Can it be used to try calling someone who might know the owner? "Call Home" or "Call Mom" or "Call Dad" or try calling any variety of common names to see if you get a hit.
Has the phone truly not received ANY text messages from anyone at all? Sure maybe they're disabled from showing on the lock screen, but if not that's an easy call -- "hey you just texted to a phone I found, tell them I have their phone please"
Power it up and leave it on a charger to see if any new Lost messages show up; also lets it be found on FindMyiPhone
Lots of possibilities for someone truly interested in getting the phone back to its owner.
Where was it found? Do they have a lost/found that the owner might have checked with? A bulletin board to put up a "found phone" poster (say the number displayed doesn't work and to ring the phone)?
Does Siri work on the phone? Can it be used to try calling someone who might know the owner? "Call Home" or "Call Mom" or "Call Dad" or try calling any variety of common names to see if you get a hit.
Has the phone truly not received ANY text messages from anyone at all? Sure maybe they're disabled from showing on the lock screen, but if not that's an easy call -- "hey you just texted to a phone I found, tell them I have their phone please"
Power it up and leave it on a charger to see if any new Lost messages show up; also lets it be found on FindMyiPhone
Lots of possibilities for someone truly interested in getting the phone back to its owner.
acfusion29
macrumors 68040
the old should get into the stage of knowing the police WON'T DO ANYTHING
old people = know it alls
Small chance >> zero chance.
I've seen it happen. Probability of anything coming of it depends on the jurisdiction, but ridiculing the suggestion just shows a myopic world view.
Ah, the arrogance of youth. LOL.
acfusion29
macrumors 68040
police have better things to do. people call police for the stupidest crap, and this is one of them. they aren't going to go hunting for a person who lost an iPhone. sorry, but this is the reality.
i'm not even that young, but you are more arrogant than i am.
No, but they can hold it in case someone comes looking... that's sort of how a lost and found works and people seem to like those.
Bingo. Stolen & lost property databases, which acfusion29 doesn't seem to comprehend. Turn in the phone, serial#/IMEI goes into database. Maybe person who lost it goes to police, maybe they find the info in the database. Like I said, not a big chance, but any chance is significantly greater than none.
Never said they would go looking. See above; they'd just hold onto it and enter identifying info into a database in case the person who lost it should file a report -- which they'd have to if they were make an insurance claim. Not a big chance of it finding its way home, but some chance. Happens every day; especially with stolen property.
Try not to act the first part of assume so much and you might learn something...