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I found an Iphone - how do I return it?!

J

jiamy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 30, 2010
3
0
Last night I found an Iphone and it has a 4 code password... how do I get the information to return the Iphone to the owner? I don't know anything about Iphones... I am an honest person - I seriously just want to return it, this isn't a way of me secretly trying to break through the code or what not.


also second question... if the iphone rings - can I answer it without pressing in the password?
 
Finders keepers, Losers weepers!
if i find your iPhone somewhere you bet your ass im not giving it back to you so ...whatever!


uhh er.. i mean oh thats my friends phone... send it to me and ill make sure he gets it back HONEST!! PM me and ill send you my address and money to cover shipping! Thanks again for being so honest!
 
best way to return it would be to keep it charged and pick up the phone if it rings. you dont need the password for that. or take it to an AT&T store
 
I appreciate the OP's honesty. Don't pay attention to the ethically-challenged; you're doing the right thing.
 
jiamy said:
Last night I found an Iphone and it has a 4 code password... how do I get the information to return the Iphone to the owner? I don't know anything about Iphones... I am an honest person - I seriously just want to return it, this isn't a way of me secretly trying to break through the code or what not.


also second question... if the iphone rings - can I answer it without pressing in the password?
Click to expand...
If a call comes in, you may answer it without having to type in the 4 digit code.
 
You can't get thru the code w/o wiping all of the users data.

You can take the phone to AT&T. They can remove the SIM and use the numbers from that to figure out whose phone it is.
 
The best you can do is take it to an AT&T store and ask them to contact the owner and return it. *It's pretty likely that some store employee will just pocket it to sell on ebay, but that's not your problem.
 
joebobthehob said:
The best you can do is take it to an AT&T store and ask them to contact the owner and return it. *It's pretty likely that some store employee will just pocket it to sell on ebay, but that's not your problem.
Click to expand...

Give it to the store manager and then call at&t customer service and tell them what you did with it. It won't be sold on ebay.
 
bigchief said:
Give it to the store manager and then call at&t customer service and tell them what you did with it. It won't be sold on ebay.
Click to expand...

What good do you think it will do to call customer service? Assuming that the rep you speak to can find the account the phone was active on, all they can do is place a note on that account, a note which may well sit there for months or years before someone happens to look at it. They can't give you information about the owner. They may offer to contact the owner themselves, but if they bother to check they'll find out that they aren't allowed to do that, either.

I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but all you can do is trust that guy/girl at the store.
 
joebobthehob said:
What good do you think it will do to call customer service? Assuming that the rep you speak to can find the account the phone was active on, all they can do is place a note on that account, a note which may well sit there for months or years before someone happens to look at it. They can't give you information about the owner. They may offer to contact the owner themselves, but if they bother to check they'll find out that they aren't allowed to do that, either.

I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but all you can do is trust that guy/girl at the store.
Click to expand...

i cant believe you people! OP just keep the friggen phone! they lost it you found it end of story! at least maybe you can put it to good use!! You people are such prudes! its not a crime! finders keepers!

survival of the fittest if you dont keep it... the rep at the store WILL gauranteed! they wont go through all the trouble to return an iphone! pfft! they arent the big thing they used to be... i saw a homeless lady playing on an iphone the other day... granted it probably doesnt have service but shes got one none the less

iphones are a dime a dozen now a days! so get off all your high horses and quit being such prudes!

OP like i said if you dont want it... give it to me!

"Charity starts en la casa homie!!"
 
iphonics said:
i cant believe you people! OP just keep the friggen phone! they lost it you found it end of story! at least maybe you can put it to good use!! You people are such prudes! its not a crime! finders keepers!

survival of the fittest if you dont keep it... the rep at the store WILL gauranteed! they wont go through all the trouble to return an iphone! pfft! they arent the big thing they used to be... i saw a homeless lady playing on an iphone the other day... granted it probably doesnt have service but shes got one none the less

iphones are a dime a dozen now a days! so get off all your high horses and quit being such prudes!

OP like i said if you dont want it... give it to me!

"Charity starts en la casa homie!!"
Click to expand...

I hope you lose your mind and nobody returns it.
OP- I would hang on to it and see if someone calls and if not I would take it to ATT and see if they can track it down while you are in the store.
 
iphonics said:
i cant believe you people! OP just keep the friggen phone! they lost it you found it end of story! at least maybe you can put it to good use!! You people are such prudes! its not a crime! finders keepers!

survival of the fittest if you dont keep it... the rep at the store WILL gauranteed! they wont go through all the trouble to return an iphone! pfft! they arent the big thing they used to be... i saw a homeless lady playing on an iphone the other day... granted it probably doesnt have service but shes got one none the less

iphones are a dime a dozen now a days! so get off all your high horses and quit being such prudes!

OP like i said if you dont want it... give it to me!

"Charity starts en la casa homie!!"
Click to expand...

How the hell would you like your iPhone to be literally "stolen" by someone else? It's so wrong. If I was the owner of this lost iPhone, I'd be quite upset because my hard earned money just went straight down the drain.

dontworry said:
I hope you lose your mind and nobody returns it.
OP- I would hang on to it and see if someone calls and if not I would take it to ATT and see if they can track it down while you are in the store.
Click to expand...

I think he's lost his mind already never mind going to lose it.

@OP - I don't believe contacts are stored on the SIM for the iPhone, but you could try putting it on another phone and looking through the contacts to find "Mom" / "Mum" and try calling up (Just incase he/she upgraded from another phone which stored contacts on the SIM).

It's great to see your honesty and god bless the mentally insane people who have no respect or dignity in this thread.
 
The only people who will be able to find the owner of the phone are AT&T :). Phone AT&T CS and let them know you've found an iphone and you're leaving it/left it at the store located at *INSERT ADDRESS* with the manager called *INSERT MANAGER NAME*. Quote the IMEI number and SIM serial number to CS. Ask for the call to be logged to the relevant department and a reference number for the call. When you hand the iPhone to a manager at AT&T you could make a letter a long the lines of:

Letter to AT&T said:
"My name is *INSERT MANAGER NAME* and I work at the AT&T located on *INSERT ADDRESS*. On DAY/DATE/TIME I was handed an iPhone by *INSERT YOUR NAME* with the following details:
iPhone [White/Black] [2G/3G/3GS] [8/16/32Gb]
*Insert phone IMEI*
*Insert SIM card number*
I confirm this phone was handed to myself (*INSERT MANAGER NAME*) with the intent to find the rightful owner.
(GET MANAGER TO SIGN HERE)"
Click to expand...

The staff at the store will have no leg to stand on if the deny knowledge of receiving the iPhone and pocketing it.

Hopefully then AT&T can check who it's registered to and contact the owner. Leave your details with the store as well.

EDIT: I remember reading about a website where you can put an ad up for a lost iPhone. Leave your contact number and the location where it was found and hopefully the the owner sees the ad they can quote the 4 digit unlock code or call the iPhone :0. Anyone remember the URL?
 
The Mad Hatter said:
Dropping it off at the local police station might be a thought.

Just my 2¢
Click to expand...

If Police in America are anything like Police in the UK they make no effort to return lost property at all, they rely on the owner checking if it's been handed in. With AT&T I'd like to think they have more power to return the iPhone to it's rightful owner.
 
Meatball said:
If Police in America are anything like Police in the UK they make no effort to return lost property at all, they rely on the owner checking if it's been handed in. With AT&T I'd like to think they have more power to return the iPhone to it's rightful owner.
Click to expand...

yes, but most states have a 30 day policy. if the owner doesn't claim it in that time, then legally it belongs to you and they will return it to you.

clear conscience.
 
iphonics said:
i cant believe you people! OP just keep the friggen phone! they lost it you found it end of story! at least maybe you can put it to good use!! You people are such prudes! its not a crime! finders keepers!
Click to expand...

What you are talking about is theft. And in most places it is a crime, your kindergarten morality notwithstanding.
 
Meatball said:
The staff at the store will have no leg to stand on if the deny knowledge of receiving the iPhone and pocketing it.
Click to expand...

So let's say that you do all of that documentation and actually convince someone in the store to sign your letter. What then? How do you plan to see if the phone actually gets returned? All you can do is pester this guy at the store to tell you if it was picked up, and all he has to do is lie to you if he wants to take the phone.
 
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