Stolen Ipad

Name a single cell phone manufacturer, tablet manufacturer, or computer manufacturer that provides such a service - just one.

Barnes & Noble permanently blocks Nooks from activating if they are blacklisted until proof of ownership is provided.

More than one cell company can block stolen phones from the network.

I'm not asking Apple to trace and locate devices. I do think, though, that at least blacklisting stolen devices from activating should be in effect at a minimum. Apple will already release registration information to the police with a warrant for a device that is reporrted stolen so it's not a stretch to suggest that activation information be released, as well.

braunmf wrote:

Barnes & Noble permanently blocks Nooks from activating if they are blacklisted until proof of ownership is provided.

More than one cell company can block stolen phones from the network.

I'm not asking Apple to trace and locate devices. I do think, though, that at least blacklisting stolen devices from activating should be in effect at a minimum. Apple will already release registration information to the police with a warrant for a device that is reporrted stolen so it's not a stretch to suggest that activation information be released, as well.

So I call Barnes and Noble, I convince them you have my nook, you're blacklisted?

No thanks, this kind of stuff is best left out of the hands of corporations.

A warrant and a police report are competely different things. A warrant is not issued with a police report reporting stolen property.

If the police or law enforcement contact Apple directly and/or with a warrant to help find a device, that is different from some joe blow providing Apple a police report that could be made up or not completely accurare or truthful by whoever made the report.

quinonesg wrote:

Hi, I'm sorry for your lost, like you I had my Ipad stolen, but from under my nose. My Ipad was a Christmas gift from my sons and daughter in 2009.

To be correct, the iPad was not released until April 2010, so you are a year off.

Actually, Apple will only release information with a subpoena and not a warrant. Should get your facts straight. Apple has strict policies in regards to lost and/or stolen devices and will only cooperate with law enforcement once the proper steps have been taken.

Xstrandman wrote:

Should get your facts straight.

"I'm not sure of the exchange between Apple and the Police."

Xstrandman wrote:

Actually, Apple will only release information with a subpoena and not a warrant. Should get your facts straight. Apple has strict policies in regards to lost and/or stolen devices and will only cooperate with law enforcement once the proper steps have been taken.

As Chris already pointed out, I never claimed to know the exact details. All I am going on is what the police told me, and the investigating officer uttered the words "warrant". I'm just stating what happened in my case.

Now please elaborate on your experience with the police and Apple since you seem to be well versed.

If your Dell product is stolen, Dell will put a flag in their customer support system that the product is stolen. If anyone calls and tries to get help with the computer, Dell will work with the police. Not sure why Apple can't do what Dell can.

That is great, but I doubt Dell does this often since Dell products aren't in great demand and not worth stealing.

What does "work with the police" mean, and what does Dell require as proof a product was stolen? A police report? I'm sure no one has ever lied on a police report for insurance fraud or other reasons.

Whether or not you personally think a Dell is worth stealing, our Dell laptop was in fact stolen. "Work with police" means we calleed the police when we found the break-in and they gave us a police report number. We then called Dell to see if anything further could be done. Dell folks were very gracious, took the police report number and offered to flag the computer serial number in case anyone contacted them seeking help with that computer. (I cant figure out why you would think that anyone call customer service after faking a police report or what does that has to do win this thread or I can't respond to that.) It's only one data point, but the fact is, my experience with Dell indicates that it can be very easy for a company to cooperate with its customers and the police.

Not just what I personally think. Please provide the Dell products that are in great demand not only in the U.S. but worldwide with a significant "brown" market and high resale value.

And what happens if the product is sold to some unsuspecting person who doesn't know it was stolen?

What many want is more than Apple accepting a police report number in the event someone brings the product in for service or for a warranty claim. They want Apple actively tracking this and running in down as if they were the police.

The fact is this can open up a can of worms that I assume Apple isn't interested in getting involved in - not unless the police or a law enforcement agency contacts them directly.

Allan, it is only what you personally think. Dell actually specializes in corporate sales and service, and holds exclusive contracts with many, many of the major publicly traded corporations, who order many thousands of office computers from them, each and every year, along with the corresponding service contracts. Dell excells in corporate customer service, guaranteeing repairs within 24 hours, and providing corporations with personal service reps.-- with phone service answered by actual human beings, who not only live in the United States, but speak English as their first language! Oh, how I love dealing with Dell! Very few corporations use Apple products. PC gaming is also far from dead, and Dell owns Alienware, which is still the preferred choice of most PC gamers.

Apple, on the other hand, is only recently emerging from almost certain bankruptcy these past few years, due to innovative products such as the iphone, ipod touch, and of course, the ipad! But seriously, the only reason that most computer viruses don't effect Apples, is because it's a numbers game, and there aren't enough Macs out there for the virus programmers to bother wasting their time--at least not yet.

When I lost my Verizon ipad, leaving it behind at the electronics counter, at Walmart, no less, Apple offered little to no assistance, while Verizon immediately looked up my account, and promised to block the serial number of my ipad from being used again by anyone else -- ever! Rendering the mobile capability virtually useless to any thief. They did this for me over the phone, and the entire process took less than 5 minutes.

In the meantime, my local police department (which is rather exceptional) jumped right on the case, but did recommend I check first with Walmart. So I did, and Walmart had my ipad, which had been turned in by one of their employees, and was ready and waiting for me to pick up at their service counter.

To release information, Apple requires a court order, be signed by a judge, which is a rather time consuming process, and is a job which usually requires the individual hire an attorney, and combined with court fees, could easily end up costing more than the lost or stolen ipad is worth.

Just one other thing I should point out is that laws vary from state to state, so there is no one rule or law that applies to all. In my state, obtaining a court order (ie., supeona) compelling a company to release information, requires going before a judge to obtain a court order, which usually requires hiring an attorney. However, depending on the circumstances and state and local laws, an officer of the court (such as a police officer or the prosecutor's office) may make the appeal directly to a judge on the behalf of a citizen, without the need of an attorney.

How much assistance law enforcement is able to provide though can also depend on where you live. In most major metropolitian areas, law enforcement agencies often have their hands full pursuing rapists, murders and other violent criminals, and simply do not have the time and resources available to provide much personalized assistance with minor, nonviolent crimes. In smaller surburbs, towns and villages, your chances of obtaining personalized assistance from law enforcement usually improves.

In the case of a break-in, your homeowner's/renter's insurance policy may also provide investigative and attorney assistance with recovery, as well as compensation. While compensation would be limited by the deductible amount (if any) of the policy, recovery assistance might be automatically included. To find out, you would need to check your policy.

The laws pertaining to forcing apple to help and to get information are governed by the state of california. there are laws to protect the privacy of users (because face it, if you have an ex, they may try to get your device bricked just to make you mad). companies also have policies in place to protect themselves from lawsuits. they offer find my idevice for free. that is way more than any other company offers. quit whining...