If you found a phone...

[Aid4nTheNoob]

Would you give it back?

I found a Samsung Galaxy S the other day and called the owner straight away and returned it to him. I will admit I was tempted to keep it!

The thing is, not one of my friends said that they would have returned it, all of them tried to convince me to keep it.

In all honesty, would you have returned the phone if you knew that you could have kept it and had it for yourself?

I once found an Android phone myself when I was walking back from college, gave it in to the police station, gave my details and stuff and didn't think much of it.

Later that evening, I received a phone call from the persons whos phone I had found. They started thanking me and stuff. The phone had lots of images of her children and the last ever pics of her dad before he had died of cancer. Felt really good about it after


Don't keep the phone. It will just bring a massive downer on someones day, and besides, if no one claims it, you get to keep it.





Not sure if the Police broke any privacy laws or whatever by giving her my details, but whatever, no harm came from it

 

[Energize]

sold most of them on no problem, its only if they are blocked/barred reported stolen that you are unable to sell them on.

Even a blocked phone can be worth a lot of money, a blocked iphone for example is essentially an ipod touch, still quite valuble and someone with the inclination can unblock it to regain full functionality.

This scenario always makes me wonder whether it's worth putting the screen lock on. If it's locked, they can't get your number. Hrm, methinks I am going to edit my lockscreen background image to include my home phone number.

You can normally set phones to display the owner information when switched on.

 

[Janesy B]

I'd return it seeing as phones are much more than just phones now.

 

[Reginald]

I've found a couple of phones. Once was in Harvey Nics - I phoned the last number dialled, asked if they knew the person calling then said can you get them a message that I've found their phone and am leaving it with lost property. Another, I don't remember where I found but it had naked pictures of the guy who owned it on aand he worked for the Westfield malls company - he was quite senior too. Shoulda blackmailed him.

But no, I agree always give the phone back. And don't blackmail people.

 

[TheVoice]

It wouldn't even be a decision, it would be returned without any hesitation.

Absolutely. Not my property, therefore I have no right to keep it and every obligation to do what I can to return it to its original owner. I'd be rather devastated if I lost my phone.

Both disgusted and unsurprised that some people think they're entitled to keep lost property without making any effort to return it. Despicable really.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

This scenario always makes me wonder whether it's worth putting the screen lock on. If it's locked, they can't get your number. Hrm, methinks I am going to edit my lockscreen background image to include my home phone number.

I had to sit through a rather boring 4 hour class on security and stuff but the one good thing that came out of it was leaving your phone unlocked and ICE numbers.
After the incident I had trying to return an iPhone to it's owner, I decided to leave mine unlocked just in case I lose it and also if I have a nasty accident somebody can see who I belong to and can get me a clean pair of underpants.

 

[Cleeecooo]

Urgh, people like that should be banned from this forum.

What a stupid thing to say

They should be sent to the moon!

 

[Entropy]

Once i found a phone, replied to the first family member i could find in their inbox saying i had found this phone lost. They then offered to buy it off me thinking i was their sister and had just found a different phone. I just dropped it in the nearest bin i could find, would have kept it if it was a half decent phone

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Both disgusted and unsurprised that some people think they're entitled to keep lost property without making any effort to return it. Despicable really.

Can somebody name & shame all these posters because I can't be bothered to.

 

[K1LLSW1TCH]

I do have a story of found stuff though. Once my sister found a pencil box ojust outside of school and it had no name on it. Fair enough. She got it home and there was a pen drive. She gave me the pen drive as I needed it. I looked through the documents and found a name. She had an odd surname, so I searched her up on facebook, uploaded the documents to a filesharing website, and I sent them to her via FB message.

I find this absolutely despicable. You found her on Facebook but instead of asking her for an address, or a meeting place you decide to keep all of her **** and only send her the files? And you think that you're actually doing a good deed as well? Absolutely pathetic. I don't know what's worse, the fact that you fully intended on keeping all of the stuff, or whether your sister gave you somebody else's USB stick because you needed one. It makes me question what kind of upbringing you've had if your sister is willing to give you somebody else's property, but then the story about your dad finding a camera and keeping it pretty much answers that question for me. Here's an idea, next time you "need" something why don't you try buying said item?

Disgusting.

 

[Begbie]

Remember being on a date, went to the bank machine and the guy infront of me had forgoten to take his cash (it was a lot too, talking easy 2-300) I went in to the co-op and handed it to the manager. He came in, obviously in a panic, no thank you or nothing though!

Got to admit though, if that was 2 or 3 years before I reckon I would've been off with it.

 

[Craig R]

Would you give it back?

I found a Samsung Galaxy S the other day and called the owner straight away and returned it to him. I will admit I was tempted to keep it!

The thing is, not one of my friends said that they would have returned it, all of them tried to convince me to keep it.

In all honesty, would you have returned the phone if you knew that you could have kept it and had it for yourself?

I'd definitely return it. Only a thieving scumbag would keep it tbh. Some friends you have.

 

[snowdog]

I'd be very tempted to keep it to be entirely honest, yes ***** but the same happened to me ( with my mums bike who got nicked). Although it depends on what type of person it was from, yes this sounds bad but if it was some 16 year old **** who lost her BB I wouldn't feel sorry...

That said, I returned the last wallet I found on the street, I guess it depends how hard it is to resist the temptation at the time. I'm not perfect, I know returning it is the right thing to do, but I also have mates who would convince me to keep it or just give it to them.

 

[Rroff]

Definitely would make an effort to return it to the owner or over to the police.

While I keep nothing private that I'd be worried about getting into the wrong hands on my phone and the environment/files are backed up as best I can and I can also afford to replace it without a 2nd thought, but its personalised to me, been with me day to day, have my alarms setup on it, music player, notes/schedule/calendar, etc. I'd be quite gutted to lose it.

You have to be real scum to keep someone elses phone and pretty low not to even make an effort to return/hand in the phone.

 

[Rroff]

On that point, how many of you require a PIN to unlock your screen? If you do then there's zero chance of someone being able to make contact first. Alternatives are to stick an "If lost" sticker on the battery or under some kind of cover (loliPhone) or use an ICE app and stick that on a custom lock screen (loliPhone).

I have my details on the lockscreen tho that won't help if the battery runs flat and they don't have an adapter to charge it - even assuming that if I did lose it someone with a bit of self respect would find it and make an effort to return it.

On the flipside I don't have much regard for people who don't thank people who return their property properly either - if someone did return my phone I'd make sure they didn't depart empty handed I appreciate decency.

 

[mp3duck]

I find this absolutely despicable. You found her on Facebook but instead of asking her for an address, or a meeting place you decide to keep all of her **** and only send her the files? And you think that you're actually doing a good deed as well? Absolutely pathetic. I don't know what's worse, the fact that you fully intended on keeping all of the stuff, or whether your sister gave you somebody else's USB stick because you needed one. It makes me question what kind of upbringing you've had if your sister is willing to give you somebody else's property, but then the story about your dad finding a camera and keeping it pretty much answers that question for me. Here's an idea, next time you "need" something why don't you try buying said item?

Disgusting.

100% agree. Well said!

 

[justintime2001]

I'd return it without second thought.

Me too.

 

[spudbynight]

Returning the phone is the right thing to do. Did this really need a thread?

 

[mp3duck]

Returning the phone is the right thing to do. Did this really need a thread?

The vast majority of members here are honest, and would do the right thing.
A few, however are clearly, not! (I resisted the temptation to write anything stronger)

 

[BigBoy]

Me too.

How would you return it if the phone was locked with Keylock or swipe combination lock? you would have no access to the phone at all, would you really access the phone by computer and try viewing there contact details that way? are you willing to possibly damage your own system in the hope of finding some fit bird wanting her phone back?