HT201472: If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen

Learn about If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen
PNG63
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Why won't Apple protect a registered product (by serial number) from being useable for future service when stolen?

I am trying to understand why Apple doesn't check it's vast databases to check if a product that someone is trying to load with a new APP, Software, or Register in any way when that product was registered to another user and lost or stolen.  I have a password on my iPad and iCould service which I locked and put in the device lost mode (but the iPad was not online wifi version).

 

I would like to be able to report it as lost/stolen and have Apple watch out for anyone trying to use it.  Seem pretty simple and I am not asking Apple to follow up with anything more than a quick message (device is lost - please call or contact XYZ; this product will not be activated by Apple unless proof is provided that you are the rightful owenr) to the device if it ever tries to connect to Apple.

 

Any other ideas???

iPad 2

Posted on Jan 9, 2014 12:34 PM

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PNG63

Q: Why won't Apple protect a registered product (by serial number) from being useable for future service when stolen?

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  • by varjak paw,

    varjak paw varjak paw Jan 9, 2014 12:53 PM in response to PNG63
    Level 10 (169,890 points)
    Jan 9, 2014 12:53 PM in response to PNG63

    I would like to be able to report it as lost/stolen and have Apple watch out for anyone trying to use it.

     

    They won't. Apple does not track lost or stolen property. You can comment on the issue to Apple via their feedback pages, if you wish:

     

    http://www.apple.com/feedback

     

    but as of this time this is not something Apple does nor have they given any indication that they will do so. The problem is that any user could fraudulently report a product as stolen even if it was legimately given away or sold. Apple has no way of verifying who is indeed the legal owner of a product. That's why they won't talk to anyone in matters of stolen property other than authorized law enforcement.

     

    I am not asking Apple to follow up with anything more than a quick message (device is lost - please call or contact XYZ; this product will not be activated by Apple unless proof is provided that you are the rightful owenr) to the device if it ever tries to connect to Apple.


    Activation Lock and Lost Mode in iOS 7 do this now, requiring your Apple ID and password to activate the device. So I'm not sure what more you expect. But again, you can comment to Apple via the feedback pages.

     

    Regards.