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I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it?
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Strange story. While running early this morning I found an iphone in an upscale, white neighborhood in the bike lane of a busy road. The phone is in perfect condition (no scratches) and does not appear to have been dropped from someone riding a bike.

Upon finishing my run, I call the number that has been most recently most frequently called. The woman hears my voice, won't listen to a word I say and says I must have the wrong number. I scroll down the recently called list again and randomly pick a number to call. It's a woman and I explain to her what happenend. She says the phone is hers. Her nephew took her phone. She assumes I live close to her and I assume she lives close to me. Turns out she lives 90 miles away and wants me to send it to her at my cost. I would actually have no problem sending to her if she is in fact the owner.

How do I find out who the real owner is so I can do the right thing?
Last edited by: walnutcreek tri: Oct 2, 09 9:30
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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1) "send it to her at my cost"

I'm all for being a Good Samaritan but that's ridiculous. Please don't do that. Learn the shipping cost beforehand and have her send you a check and deposit it before sending (the packaging of nice electronics can be surprisingly expensive)

2) I don't know if this works, but try calling Apple to see who the phone is registered under. Maybe there's a serial number or associated phone number that can be used to look up the account of the owner.

Nice job helping out.

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http://www.y-rocket.blogspot.com/
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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If you have an AT&T store near you they can look up the account the phone is under, using either the serial number that can be found in "Settings -> General -> About" or the phone number for the device, which is in "Settings -> Phone -> My Number".

Chris
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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Oooh, tough call.

Go to settings/phone and see what the "My Number" tab says. That'll give you an idea if the area code matches where she lives.

I'd hate to seem like a creeper but I'd consider looking at the her pictures and verifying that the "owner" looks like the person in the pictures. Also, she may have a contact for herself with a picture in her contacts section.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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Jason, it's mine. I was running over by your house this morning and I dropped it...

Oh, wait, I don't run anymore ;-)

Find out the carrier and contact them. Also, some phones have identification information that you fill out. Typically under "settings" there should be an "owner information" option...at least, that's on my two cells.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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See if there's a listing for "home" in the address book and also check under "ICE" (in case of emergency). Good luck.....someone's out there sweating it, for sure!



"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [riotgear] [ In reply to ]
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Crap. The area code is in my area and NOT in the area the woman said to mail the phone to. I think I will just try to find a store.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [jar1635] [ In reply to ]
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I found it in Alamo on Danville Blvd. No personal info listed in the "settings" area.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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You could just call someone from the My Contacts section and ask if you know whose number just popped up?
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [saltman] [ In reply to ]
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Ok, there is more to the story than what I've told.

Whoever owns this phone is a black guy. I am a mid 30's white guy. When I try to call the people in the address book, they hear a white guy and immediately tell me I've got a wrong number w/o listening to what I'm saying.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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well if you found it Alamo, and you think it belongs to a black guy...that narrows the field considerably ;-)
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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send a text
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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"How do I find out who the real owner is so I can do the right thing?"
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Given the odd reactions from the "friends" of the owner you have contacted so far, I would turn it over to the local PD and let them handle it.

Haim

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"Sometimes you need to think INSIDE the box!" -- ME
"Why squirrel hate me?"
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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If you can send me a PM with the phone # I can figure it out.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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"Whoever owns this phone is a black guy. I am a mid 30's white guy. When I try to call the people in the address book, they hear a white guy and immediately tell me I've got a wrong number w/o listening to what I'm saying. "

Are you sending a picture of yourself to the people before you call them?
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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Suppose the person who lost it is out there looking for it. Maybe you should put it back where you found it.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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Just turn it in at an AT&T store and have them contact the owner, and the owner can come to the store to pick it up. It doesn't sound like you want to be too involved.

.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [jar1635] [ In reply to ]
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It definitely belongs to a black guy and I don't think I've ever seen a black guy in Alamo.....ever.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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Hate to say it but it sounds like a drug dealer sort of thing. Give it to the cops.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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you could also listen to the greeting to see if the owner changed it
hit the phone icon->voicemail->greeting->play
or check the email account and send an email to the owners email address
listed under settings->mail->accounts
then select the account name and the address should be listed.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [Brick] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
Hate to say it but it sounds like a drug dealer sort of thing. Give it to the cops.
If it was ditched by a drug dealer the cops might be closer to the phone than anticipated.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [jryan] [ In reply to ]
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A friend of mine lost his phone and I was the last person he called. The person who found it called me and I helped get the phone returned. I have no good explanation for why the people he is calling are being so difficult. Let the cops handle it.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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I will refrain from responding, even though it was going to be in jest, lest I come across as racially insensitive :-)
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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I'm not sure how Att works but in verizon you dial a 3 digit number to access the account. I'm sure if you got into the att network they coudl tell you the owners name or something. AS far as sending it on your dime i think that is a bit lame. Maybe turn it in to the cops and let the 'owner' know where to find it.

This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time. - Fight Club
Industry Brat.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [efernand] [ In reply to ]
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Some of my mystery is solved. The phone belongs to a black woman. Explains why her friends wouldn't talk to me.

I'm dropping it off at the AT&T store and I texted a few of her friends.

Thanks.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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Am I missing something here? Why would it be so bad to spend the $5 or so to send someone their phone back? I think it would be a very generous thing to do and I would do it without thinking twice about it. Of course I'd have to be 100% convinced that I was sending it to the right person. What makes doing something generous "lame"?
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [jryan] [ In reply to ]
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maybe the fact that he wasn't sure the woman who asked was indeed the owner. And the fact that she asked him to ship it at his own expense. If you lost an I-phone, wouldn't you be more than happy to pay shipping to get it back? I would never ask someone to spend their own money to return something I lost.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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This thread has the potential to go sideways in a big way. This should be fun!

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If I don't, who will? -Me
It's like being bipolar in opinion is a requirement around here. -TripleThreat
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [jryan] [ In reply to ]
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I have no problem spending the $5 but I have no idea if that's the person who really owns the phone. I'm letting the AT&T store sort things out.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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I don't blame you and I certainly didn't mean to direct that post at you.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [jryan] [ In reply to ]
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So you are telling me that if you lost a $200-$300 phone and someone found it and called you to say they found it that you would ask THEM to PAY to ship it back? That doesn't seem odd to you?

If it was me, I would drive the 90 miles to meet him to get it back that same day.


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LLLEEEEEEEEEEEERRRROOOYYY JEEENNNNNKKKIIINNNNNS!!!
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [edwinj] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
So you are telling me that if you lost a $200-$300 phone and someone found it and called you to say they found it that you would ask THEM to PAY to ship it back? That doesn't seem odd to you?

If it was me, I would drive the 90 miles to meet him to get it back that same day.
Sorry, I had to review a few post. I missed the fact that the owner made the request to send it his cost. I thought the original poster was being called lame for offering to send it back. That is what I thought was strange. My mistake.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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WTF is a black lady doing in an upscale white neighborhood? That's the real question here.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [mnbrotha2] [ In reply to ]
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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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Give it to an AT&T store, or the police. Good karma all around.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [jryan] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
... Of course I'd have to be 100% convinced that I was sending it to the right person. ...

That is easy to find out. Have them log onto to their MobileMe account and lock the phone out. If they can lock it out, then you know its their phone.
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Re: I found an iphone while running. How do I find out who owns it? [walnutcreek tri] [ In reply to ]
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I think the callers that you tried to contact are a reflection of the person that lost the phone in the first place. You can do all that work and try to help somebody out and in the end you won't even get a simple thank you. Yeah, there's a reason I got to that point as I've tried to help people before. Doesn't mean I won't try but when you get those "hints" you know where it's going.

I'd sell it on ebay and donate the money to an animal charity.

�The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.� -Michelangelo

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Last edited by: Mito Chondria: Oct 4, 09 14:33
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