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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think someone at the store nicked my phone

33 replies

Dondie · 26/04/2018 21:30

My 3 month old iPhone recently went in for repair to my contact provider as the camera stopped working.

At the shop I was asked to take my pin off it and turn off find my iPhone. Fair enough about the pin, otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to get in to fix it but the turning my locator off I found odd. They gave me a receipt and said it’d be 2 weeks.

I borrowed a old iPhone in the mean time and a week later I had an email from my bank thanking me for downloading their app. Called bank, email was genuine and sent within 24 hours of download so I’m panicking thinking someone’s trying to get at my account. I’m the store before I handed the phone over I said “I’m just going to delete my banking app” which I now realise was stupid to say out loud. Spoke to contractor provider and they admitted they’d lost my phone the previous week. The parcel it was supposed to be in arrived at the repair centre empty. Not tampered with or anything, just empty.

Then I checked other apps and they’ve been accessed from the missing phone after I dropped it off. Store say they sent it but repair centre are adamant they didn’t get it. The phone is worth £650. Someone at the shop has nicked it haven’t they? Do I involve the police? I’m completely creeped out that someone could be looking through my pictures, there’s loads of my little boy on there, and messages with sensitive info in, and I’m furious how useless contract provider is being.

AIBU to think someone at the store has nicked it?

OP posts:
Original poster
Dondie · 26/04/2018 21:32

Sorry for rambling post and horrendous grammar, I’m typing angry.

OP posts:
honeysucklejasmine · 26/04/2018 21:34

For sure. That's why they wanted you to turn off Find My iPhone.

Do any of your other apps track location?

MNscum · 26/04/2018 21:35

I would involve the police for sure.

Is the shop a main operator, ie o2, EE, carphone warehouse or a more one man band type shop? Surely if the former they should be replacing. Whether or not the warehouse/repair place got it they had the responsibility of getting it there which they didn’t do.

Homemenu1 · 26/04/2018 21:35

Someone stolen it yes, could have been the shop, the delivery or the repair centre.
And yes the police should be informed

gryffen · 26/04/2018 21:36

You need to raise a complaint with police and get a crime number (they may need you to jump via hoops to do this etc)

Next get store to raise complaint with CS team and barr the phone- not sure if they can even remote access an IPhone?
Head office is next with recorded email or letter and copy of crime reference number- this will help with any insurance issues.

They are to blame unfortunately as you have receipt from them and they are now responsible for care of phone and transit to repair centre - they have failed in this and staff need questioned to who packed it and sealed the box to who received box at other end.

A full search of store must be completed.

Can you tell I've had this issue?

CPW got asses kicked for it.

YayImALlamaAgain · 26/04/2018 21:38

I don’t know whether it was stolen or not, but I did want to say that I sent my iPhone off for repair a couple of weeks ago using the online process to create a shipping box, and I was asked as part of the service to turn my ‘Find my iPhone’ thing off - so I’m pretty sure that’s a genuine part of the repair service.

Skinnyboneylittlepony · 26/04/2018 21:38

Call consumer advice line for free legal help.

Original poster
Dondie · 26/04/2018 21:40

It was a main provider, one you have mentioned MNscum

honeysucklejasmine Facebook does yes and the phone was still in the town where the shop is (I don’t live there and haven’t been back since dropping the phone off).

I’m sure they will replace it, I’m not too concerned about that, it’s someone having all my info that’s bothering me to my core.

OP posts:
willdoitinaminute · 26/04/2018 21:43

You can wipe the phone clean through your Apple account. I had to do this when DS put a random number in as a new pin then couldn’t remember it. ( 10 year old boys are so literal!).
Make sure you contact the police so you can get a crime number then claim off the shops insurance!

reallyanotherone · 26/04/2018 21:44

Yes- turning findmyiphone off is normal as otherwise they can’t repair it. I took mine into apple for their battery replacement and had do do it. The PIN isn’t essential though, as they can get round that with a factory reset. Findmyiphone they can’t get round.

Tbh i’d have backed it up and reset it to factory settings before sending it anywhere.

Original poster
Dondie · 26/04/2018 21:45

The reason I’m querying about the police is that I handed the phone over willingly and I thought that technically it’s the contact provider that’s had the phone stolen not me. I might be completely wrong in this, that’s what I wanted to get some opinions on.

I have already complained and they say they are looking into it.

OP posts:
reallyanotherone · 26/04/2018 21:45

You can wipe the phone clean through your Apple account.

No she can’t, because find my iphone is off so there is no remote link to the phone anymore.

Excited101 · 26/04/2018 21:47

Turning off ‘find my iphone’ is Completely standard.

ZoeWashburne · 26/04/2018 21:50

Definitely. You need to escalate this with the company. I find it very strange that find my phone was deactivated. Someone is obviously downloading things on your phone. I would also access your iCloud and see if you can remotely deactivate things from your phone, like pictures and apps.

Wellthisunexpected · 26/04/2018 22:03

Cheeky fuckers.

If you ever have to do this again, back up your photos and then factory reset your phone before giving it them. It's a pain to set, but prevents them getting hold of personal info.

Original poster
Dondie · 26/04/2018 22:06

I’ve been onto the iCloud and my Apple account and disassociated the phone from everything but as I understand it will remain in the same state as when I handed it in. I don’t think they will be able to wipe it either as you need you Apple password to do that.

OP posts:
snowpo · 26/04/2018 22:07

You handed the phone over for repair, it was still stolen. Report to police via 101 or online, they'll give you a crime number for insurance. They won't investigate though as there'll be no proof of where or when it was taken.

Original poster
Dondie · 26/04/2018 22:08

Wellthisunexpected I’m really pissed off I didn’t think to do that. I feel like a prize twat.

OP posts:
SunnyTikka · 26/04/2018 22:11

For future reference, always go to an Apple store to the genius bar. They will either mend it on the spot, or for a three months old phone they would likely just give you a new one. They will also back your phone up to the cloud and then wipe your phone in front of you so there would be no worries. Doesn't matter whether you bought it from Apple or not. It's always better than taking it back to EE or Carphone etc as they just send it away.

ForTheLoveOfCrispyCreme · 26/04/2018 22:32

I'd contact the police. And escalate a complaint with the provider

MadeForThis · 26/04/2018 22:42

The shop will replace the phone for you. They are probably just chasing it internally to make sure it can't be found before they fork out for a replacement.

iPhones are usually exchanged not replaced under the Apple warranty. Apple will not accept a iPhone unless find my phone had been switched off. They cannot access the phone if this is active.

It's concerning that your apps have been accessed. This means that the phones not just lying in a box somewhere. You can blacklist the phone by calling your operator. This will mean one can use a sim card in the phone.

Original poster
Dondie · 27/04/2018 21:27

Well today has been interesting! I lost my temper with the store yesterday afternoon and said to them on the phone that I was going to report the phone as stolen to the police (and then came on here later to see if I was BU).

Today at lunch time I went to call the police from my mobile and checked my messages first and I had a txt saying that my phone had been received at the repair centre. I called them and yes it’s definately there!!! So that’s great.

However, they said it was sent yesterday from the store. They had the tracking info on their system. Soooo, do we think someone at the store took me seriously when I said I’d call the police and sent it to the repair centre?

It gets weirder, I called the store and before I had a chance to say anything the manager started saying how sorry they were that they can’t find it and they were still looking! So the manager doesn’t know his store has sent it the previous day! WTF is going on???

OP posts:
HateTheDF · 27/04/2018 21:38

I am sorry, I can't help you with anything but something is definitely going on and if I were you I would report it to as many people possible and wouldn't let it drop.

What a nightmare for you

youwouldthink · 27/04/2018 21:47

Call your service provider and have the IMEI blacklisted. This means no one can get into your phone. You can have it removed if you get the phone back. All Apple repairs require Find My Phone removed or Apple charge approx £350 to the network so that is standard. Blacklisting will simply lock everything down. Your provider with have your IMEI

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 27/04/2018 22:07

You scared someone with your threats of the Police and they have decided to send it to repair centre rather than steal it. You need to tell the store manager what has happened. They might be able to see who sent it yesterday.