Need advice: stolen cell phone

[Quad Shot Academy]

I was shopping at a local, large chain store when my cell phone was stolen. It was close to 24 hours before I realized it was gone. I first went to the store where I knew I last saw it, but it was not in lost and found. I went home and asked hubby to look up my account to see if calls had been made; only 1 had been. He called the number, explained that my cell was lost and someone had used it to call this number. The man that answered said that his roomate had my phone and gave my hubby the roomate's full name and said that he worked at the store that I lost it at! We contacted the store, who said they would not deal with it until the next time the employee comes into work, which they can't tell us when that will be due to privacy issues.

 

We have already discontinued the service, there have been no charges to the phone that I will have to pay for, but I need my phone before I leave town in a couple days. I will HAVE to buy a new phone for this trip, if I don't have it. If the store doesn't come up with it tomorrow, what should I do? Would the police even care about something so minor? Do I have hubby call the guy at home and try to talk him into giving it back? Why does someone steal a phone, and only call home 1 time? I actually feel bad for this person that I have never met.

 

In case it matters: I suspect he stole it out of my cart while in the store, but it is possible that I left it in the cart, in the parking lot and he chose to pocket and use it rather than turn it into lost and found.

 

TIA!

[Jean in Newcastle]

When my cell phone was stolen we called the police non-emergency number. They took a statement over the phone. In our case, there really weren't any leads so nothing came of it. In your case, you have a name and place of employment so I think they should be able to get it back for you.

[Quad Shot Academy]

Thanks Jean. I suppose I should just go in to the police station. I don't know why I feel so bad for him. I guess I feel like since he did not flagrantly run up my phone bill, I should be thankful! :confused: It is like when I was robbed at gun point and I wouldn't testify at his sentencing because I was thankful that he just took my money and didn't hurt me. :001_huh: Maybe I should not be so nice, but *I* actually feel bad about pressuring the company to resolve this, maybe taking it to the police would make me feel less like a screaming mimi.

[Danestress]

I don't know how it works when you go to press charges, but will they give you the paperwork to complete at home?

 

Could you take it, fill it out, put the kids name and place of employment and everything else you know and then photocopy it but not take it to the police yet? You could take it to the place of employment, ask to see the manager of the store, let him know what's going on, and give him a copy of the report while letting him know that you are going to actually file the papers at the end of the day if you don't have your phone back. You can let him know you are a parent too and don't want to get this kid in trouble, but that you insist on having the phone back today.

 

Maybe that would help.

[gingersmom]

I would contact the corporate office of the store where it was stolen and tell them what happened.

 

They should pay for your new phone if you should need one.

[Sonshine]

You might also threaten to go the media if you don't have the phone back by a certain time. A article about employees stealing phones from customers would really hurt a store's business. The person you dealt with at the store sounds very underconcerned to me - maybe he needs a wake up call. You need to think of this as protecting your family and its assets - not getting someone into trouble. Also, if he did this to you, he will steal and probably has stolen from others.

[Ellyndria]

Um, did you try calling your phone and asking for it back? Or if it's the guy's roommate, couldn't you talk to him and have a place be setup to give it back?

 

DH lost his phone once too, someone picked it up, we called it, and the person was quite nice about giving it back, we had it a couple hours later (after realizing it was lost.)

 

I guess to me it doesn't sound "stolen," especially if the person only picked it up when he saw it left in the cart, as you say might have happened. Maybe he was waiting for you to call it to give it back.

Edited July 15, 2009 by Ellyndria

[readwithem]

In case it matters: I suspect he stole it out of my cart while in the store, but it is possible that I left it in the cart, in the parking lot and he chose to pocket and use it rather than turn it into lost and found.

 

TIA!

 

I always have my phone in my pocket, which doesn't prevent the phone from getting washed :glare:

 

 

I'm not sure the store is liable if you left it in your cart.

[OhM]

Um, did you try calling your phone and asking for it back? Or if it's the guy's roommate, couldn't you talk to him and have a place be setup to give it back?

 

DH lost his phone once too, someone picked it up, we called it, and the person was quite nice about giving it back, we had it a couple hours later (after realizing it was lost.)

 

This happened to me recently after I left the phone on a bench outside the local rec center. The guy sounded embarrassed to be caught with my phone, but was quite nice about dropping it back at the rec center the next day. (He had picked it up after the center was closed.)

 

You can even greet the guy by name now. And if he's not cooperative, go ahead and mention the possibility of the police report. I'm betting the phone will materialize in the store's lost and found pretty quickly.

[Karen sn]

I would contact the corporate office of the store where it was stolen and tell them what happened.

 

They should pay for your new phone if you should need one.

 

I would absolutely call the corporate office.

Threaten to sue because their employee has stolen your phone and the local manager couldn't really care less.

If he did not put it in lost and found - he stole it!

[Quad Shot Academy]

I went to the store at 10:30 this morning and talked to the manager, who had not heard of the problem. He was really upset that it had gone on this long (40 hours now) and thought this could be easily resolved. He also commented that he was sure the man would be fired. He called over the HR guy who was quite obstinate that the employee had done nothing wrong and it was his days off and he couldn't be expected to come in on his days off to return lost property . . . He saw nothing wrong with him using my phone . . . I explained that my grandma is in a hospital dying and I can't call her because my cell is my long distance and that I was leaving to visit her Friday and would have to buy a new phone tomorrow if I had not recovered it yet. I asked that he call the guy and tell him to bring the phone in and he refused. I stormed out and almost went to the police, but decided to ask hubby if wanted to call the guy's home phone first. (We kept calling my cell and sometimes it rang, other times it was turned off, but he never answered.) Hubby called and the roommate answered and said she had the phone and that he could come pick it up. She said that he finds things all of the time. So now my husband is going over to her apartment. It freaks me out a bit, but hopefully it will be resolved shortly.

 

Thanks for the advice!

[gardening momma]

He called over the HR guy who was quite obstinate that the employee had done nothing wrong and it was his days off and he couldn't be expected to come in on his days off to return lost property . . . He saw nothing wrong with him using my phone . . .

Ok, first--the thing that's wrong is that it was stolen.

 

I stormed out and almost went to the police

Second, why did you hesitate to call the police over a stolen item?

 

Hubby called and the roommate answered and said she had the phone and that he could come pick it up. She said that he finds things all of the time.

He steals things all the time?

[Quad Shot Academy]

Ok, first--the thing that's wrong is that it was stolen.

 

Second, why did you hesitate to call the police over a stolen item?

 

He steals things all the time?

 

I actually realized that I had left my wallet at home and didn't want the police to ask me for ID, me not have it, and then get in a car and drive! :D On the way home I was thinking it over that possibly he found it the day after I lost it, used it one time to see if it was a working phone or if it was trash, and took it home by accident. (I since found out that he says he found it in the cart 2 days ago, brought it to work the next day, used it and "forgot" to return it again.)

 

I was most upset with the managers who both refused to call him and tell him to bring it back OR offered to go pick it up from his apartment. Hubby got the phone back and surprisingly, the roommate was an elderly lady. Possibly the man is elderly too. The people that push carts are sometimes mentally challenged, if they are not teens. Hubby did call the store back to let them know that this if far from the first time that he has brought stuff home.

 

I will also write the corporate office and let them know just how unwilling the managers were to resolve this in a timely manner.