I wouldn't attempt to stop them. Apple doesn't pay me to be their security guard, plus they might be armed. If I witnessed it, I would let them walk right out the door with them.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Thieves Rob Apple Store in Massachusetts and Get Away With $13,000 Worth of iPhones
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I wouldn't attempt to stop them. Apple doesn't pay me to be their security guard, plus they might be armed. If I witnessed it, I would let them walk right out the door with them.
That's pretty funny, but if you are a crook trying to make fast money, you are more likely to do it with a phone or computer than finding someone to buy some random piece of jewelry you just stole.
[doublepost=1477053254][/doublepost]
They were stealing from a company store, this wasn't some random person getting mugged on the street. Most people aren't going to possibly risk their life to try to stop someone stealing some display phones from one of the richest companies on the planet.
That's a seriously stupid crime.
In Massachusetts, the retail value of those phones could easily constitute Grand Theft and/or Larceny. The latter of which can receive a prison sentence of over 10 years.
And the street value of those stolen display phones is pennies on the dollar; they'll be lucky to split a few hundred dollars between them.
If you're going to risk a decade in prison, might want to up the stakes a bit?
In Massachusetts, the retail value of those phones could easily constitute Grand Theft and/or Larceny. The latter of which can receive a prison sentence of over 10 years.
And the street value of those stolen display phones is pennies on the dollar; they'll be lucky to split a few hundred dollars between them.
If you're going to risk a decade in prison, might want to up the stakes a bit?
I would think even the most naive of craigslist buyers would want to turn on the phone and make sure it works. I'm thinking other than maybe selling some of the parts, these things are fairly worthless.
We live in a country where the population is armed to the teeth. These criminals could have a gun or knife, who knows what would happen if you attempt to corner a desperate criminal trying to escape.
The employees sure as heck are not going to risk death or permanent disability over some phones. And why the heck would a random customer want to take that kind of risk?
Pretty sure Apple has the money to replace them, with no loss of life or risk.
I wouldn't be surprised to see threads like this;
"bought new iphone on craigs list, will not activate please help"
$13000 is the loss in potential revenue to Apple but actual out of pocket loss is much less. As to the thieves, they've risked felony prosecution for those items that are now potential paperweights.
These were display models that were stolen. They weren't for sale so Apple isn't losing revenue from them.
Because they are not needed. it doesn't stop the devices from being stolen - the security cords simply alerted store employees that a device was possibly being stolen, which didn't go unnoticed in this case anyway. Beyond that, Apple has other security measures to alert them of theft as is needed with their Apple Store app allowing people to make their own purchases and walk out the store with them.
They will have to replace the display models with iPhones they could have sold.
Well if you buy a smartphone without powering it on to see if it works, you've got issues.
[doublepost=1477055309][/doublepost]
Yes, there is some loss to Apple, but it isn't $13,000 and $13,000 isn't even pocket change to Apple. Although insured I doubt they will even bother to make a claim.
They don't pay the Apple employees enough to risk their lives stopping the thieves.
I get your point, but for a criminal case the retail price of the stolen product is what is used to determine value. So if the retail price of the stolen phones was $13,000, it was a $13,000 theft and nothing else matters.
These phones are not being stolen to be used by the thieves, nor to be sold in the parking lot or on Craigslist. The only likely value is in the parts. It’s like stealing a car and taking it to a chop shop. So, they’re risking arrest and grand theft charges, for maybe $50 in parts. But these are thieves mind you. Not exactly the brightest shining stars out there.
I think Apple uses the refurbished models or a stripped down version for display models, hence why they don't mind unchaining them.
It may sound odd initially, but if you think about it, you never want to stop a smash 'n' grab kind of crime. In this time of crime, people are safe as criminals are targeting 'stuff' (money, property, etc.) and are trying to exist as quickly as possible. If you prevent or inhibit that, you don't know how they will react. If they are desperate and dumb enough to face felony prison time for a few dollars (these phones are essentially useless as people have already pointed out), then they may be willing to react violently to anyone trying to stop them. That endangers everyone in the store that wasn't in danger before.
I carry a firearm daily, but I would make no effort to stop these people. In doing so, I'd put innocent lives at risk. One or more of these people could have had a firearm as well; then what happens? Bullets start firing all over the place and I've never seen an Apple store that isn't packed with people unless it's closed. Even (trained) security officers will want the thieves to exist the store and get away from everyone else before attempting to stop them.
Something tells if these kids had the skills and knowhow to take apart an iPhone without damaging it, they would not be committing this stupid crime to begin with.
My guess is these iPhones end up in a dumpster within 10 miles of the mall.
Agreed 100%. The phones would be difficult to get apart w/o damaging the components, especially with the new waterproofing. These are likely idiots that thought that they'd get a free iPhone and maybe a couple to sell. What they got was a bricked, useless phone and they've likely tossed them already.