The Missing FruitFone

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I have twice used Device Manager to find my phone in a Wal-Mart. Thankfully, no one had taken it either time, it was still sitting where I left it (in one case on a shelf, in the other on a shopping cart).

[Brojekk]

Unfortunately, yes; I once used Android Device Manager to track my lost phone to the last restaurant I ate at...called it and it was in the bartender's pocket. My (very distinctive) ringtone gave it away dead to rights but she still tried to say it was her phone ringing.

To which I would have told them to answer it.

[icmedia]

If an employee was dumb enough to steal it do you really think they'd keep it on them?

Unfortunately, yes; I once used Android Device Manager to track my lost phone to the last restaurant I ate at...called it and it was in the bartender's pocket. My (very distinctive) ringtone gave it away dead to rights but she still tried to say it was her phone ringing.

[Dreamstalker]

I smelled scam from the get-go. Everything about trying to find the phone was off, especially the 20 minutes between husband and wife coming in when we knew they were in the car together (wife said and I quote "my husband just came home and we will be driving over"). They were not in the store together; husband came in and yelled, then wife came in by herself and demanded a manager. Neither of them retraced steps at all, the husband instead choosing to zero in on my phone ...if you know the missing one is an iphone, you also must know what it looks like (hint: a Samsung, even in an Otterbox, is identifiable as not an iphone). I'm wondering if the Find function is precise enough to pinpoint where in a building, or just that it's in the general area.

If an employee was dumb enough to steal it do you really think they'd keep it on them?

[eltf177]

I smell a possible scam.

Fourth, I notice there is no mention of her retracing her steps in the store to see if she can find where she put the phone down, and often even if the phone is set to vibrate you can still hear the phone if you are near it and it is on a hard surface. The fact she does not call her own phone is suspect to me.

I would see if she tries to to claim the store owns her for her phone, I would not be surprised.

This caught my eye as well. Both hubs and wife take the time to physically come in but don't even bother to look around or try and call the phone, just get in the staff's face whining and complaining.

I too am waiting for the "you were of no help, so you must replace it" call or letter to corporate...

[earl colby pottinger]

Call the police

Why not call the police, unless you have something to hide?

I smell a possible scam.

First, assuming the phone exists and is in the store - the longer she waits and wastes time the greater the chance someone could pick it up and walk away with it. Plus over time the batteries will drain and the location software will stop working.

Second, while calling the police for a $15 TracPhone would be overkill, this is a $500-800 Iphone. Why not do what is needed to get the phone found as soon as possible.

Third, if she left the phone in the store - the store is libel for NOTHING!

Fourth, I notice there is no mention of her retracing her steps in the store to see if she can find where she put the phone down, and often even if the phone is set to vibrate you can still hear the phone if you are near it and it is on a hard surface. The fact she does not call her own phone is suspect to me.

I would see if she tries to to claim the store owns her for her phone, I would not be surprised.

[BrenDAnn]

Because the first thing I'd do if my $600 to $800 phone was gone would be harass the staff of the store it supposedly went missing at. Look, I know that in some places, the police are more of a pain than a help, but come on! This isn't some cheap little dollar store toy we're talking about. This woman was either phenomenally stupid, or scamming somehow. That's all I can think of. Wow... just wow.

[Aria]

I can understand wanting to do everything possible before bringing in the cops - that's sort of the nuclear option - but reviewing security tapes? That's so annoying and difficult it's almost worse. And no one tried calling the phone? Of course, she might have had it on vibrate I suppose.

Pweh, makes me kind of glad I have a 3-5 - when did I start working from home? - piece o' shit phone. If this thing vanishes I think I'll be getting that new Blackberry. I might anyway, need to look into that...

[Dreamstalker]

Yesterday, there was one customer who kept calling and calling the store. She claimed that she left her shiny new FruitFone 6 in a shopping cart earlier in the day. Nobody has found anything or had anything turned in.

The third time she calls (about two hours after the alleged incident), she says she used Find My Fruit which said the phone was still in the store so we had to have it! (Why not call the phone and see who picks up? That method has found lost phones in the store before) Nope, nothing at the desk, none of the cashiers nor I have seen anything resembling the device, nobody turned anything in. We're too shorthanded to have someone walk the store specifically for the phone, but the returns guy has been keeping an eye out for it. If someone had swiped it that long ago it probably wouldn't be in the building, she says it is yet we clearly don't have it. The only thing I have on my station is a hat someone left.

Her husband comes in and grills K (who drew the service desk short straw last night). Nope, nothing. Gets in my face "My wife used check-it. You were watching the front [no I wasn't] so you must have seen it! Oh, you have a phone, what kind is it?" Jargon aside, did you accuse me of theft, good sir? No, my phone is not a Fruit and why are you even asking? No, you cannot 'see' [handle] it. It's in a case that cannot possibly hold your wife's FruitFone. Leave me alone.

He leaves, and wife comes in about 20 minutes later. Is going on about Find My Fruit and we have to pull the security tapes. We can't do that without a police report...K asks why she didn't call the police to report it missing?

She flips out, asks for a manager. Gets D and starts in on him...who tells her the same thing we've been trying to for the past three hours or so. We cannot review security tapes without a police report, she's going to have to call and report it missing or stolen. Then tells her to call Corporate...she doesn't need to do that if she files a police report.

I do hope she finds the phone, but something about this whole event was a bit sketchy (apparently brand new phone, wasting a few hours harassing us rather than file a report, reliance on Find My Fruit rather than again reporting it missing).