Database Users

Legality of tracking stolen phone with Wavesecure etc.

I asked the police today about the legality of tracking etc your phone if stolen using wavesecure or similar in the UK.
The particular officer seemed to think it should not be a problem since it is your property and regardless of who's possession it's in you are allowed to track it.
The legality however of tracking its use is uncertain, their calls, SMS etc, but again, since the phoone is yours, it should not be a problem.
They are going to get in touch with me should further details arise.
It's good to know though that as long as one doesn't attempt to take the law into their own hands, you are ok with tracking your stolen phone and should, technically be able to use this data collected as evidence against the thief should you find yourself able to track them this way.
I don't know if this information is of use to anybody but I thought I would share what I discovered today.

Just because you own a webcamera for instance, doesn't make it okay to stick it into someones house and record their activities does it?
Tracking your phone, no problems at all with that. But i don't think you have any right to read their SMS, Calls. Its a touchy subject.
Just thought i'd add this to your post.

cymru said:
Just because you own a webcamera for instance, doesn't make it okay to stick it into someones house and record their activities does it?
Tracking your phone, no problems at all with that. But i don't think you have any right to read their SMS, Calls. Its a touchy subject.
Just thought i'd add this to your post.
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No, but if they steal your webcam and it happens to be set up to record all activity around it (normally related to yourself) had it not been illegally removed from its original location, you're not to blame nor at fault should it keep recording wherever they leave it, and then provide this as evidence to the police in order to recover said stolen item.

Fair point. to be honest i'm just arguing for the sake of it. Im very bored.

Why not.
Well, we could argue technicalities, my mrs is a lawyer so I'm sure she would argue it out with me all day long about how their are laws against it, but to be fair, I think the law would take your side regardless, and you could even have it permitted on a technicality (i.e. that the server is set up to automatically back up all your data, contacts and SMS for your own data security, should someone elses end up there through illegally obtaining and using your device, that's through no fault of yours.)

Yeah fair play, I know what you mean. Even if its your phone and gets stolen i've no doubt any defence will pick holes in why you were able to have access to their personal information. We all know how good the justice system can be in our country sometimes.

It's true, it's always possible you could end up wit hthe wrong persons data and instead end up with some silly sod who bought a cheap stolen phone off someone (equally as guilty i'd say, but that's a different argument), but that is why the services such as Wavesecure offer options to simply disable the phone and prompt the (new) user to call one of your preset "buddies" or 999 (or any other message/number you care to give them) in order to return the phone.
Normally though I would suggest this would be a last resort, because a thief would probably just dispose of the phone or destroy it if they find it locked as such.

You could always track it down yourself and make a citizens arrest ;-)
Section 24A of PACE '84 :-D
^Don't really do this

Yes
Indeed, it would be perfectly legal to make a Citizen's arrest under those circumstances, however, to stereotype the nature of such a person that is likely to steal a mobile phone, particularly from the area in which I live, it is quite possible and somewhat likely that they are either A) a violent criminal (mugging), B) A drug abuser (mugging) or C) Just outright violent (any other person).
P.S. The moral is that it's not a good idea to try go after it yourself, you might get hurt, or worse......your phone might.

I was literally typing 'Are you from liverpool?' when i read your location on the right
Best leave well alone lol. Let your phone be the only Hero in your partnership.

Indeed
I personally am from the Wirral, but I work and study in Liverpool, and as anyone from Liverpool will tell you, we from the Wirral are considered stuck up c**ts and to us, Liverpudlians are violent criminals, personally, my mrs is from Liverpool, maybe I just want to have a hard life
But anyway, should my phone get stolen, no doubt someone would try sell it to her sooner or later.

A) Just phone your local police and give them the location of the thief and phone, they would love the easy collar.
B) Thieves rights? don't make me laugh. If someone nicks my camera they don't have any rights to the photo's on it when I recover it. I would be more than happy to photograph their cuts and bruises as I use "reasonable force" to excecute my citizens arrest and send them to them.
C) If they do send sms from your phone, just note down the numbers and pass them on to the police too, chances are they are thieving smackheads too so might be able to arrest more!

mantracom said:
A) Just phone your local police and give them the location of the thief and phone, they would love the easy collar.
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yeah sure...
"my phone is somewhere in a 600m circle around main street 145, can you get it for me?"
"absolutely sir, two S.W.A.T. teams are already on their way!"

lol kendon Good one!
As for the issue itself, I wonder how this would go in a country with slightly more relaxed laws (US for example). There, I can really see issues where someone jumps in their pickup with their 'shooting club buddy', tracks their stolen phone using a laptop etc. from the passenger seat, and go setting about making use of the second amendment (click here if you don't happen to know amendments to the US constitution off by heart like me) on the thief (or unsuspecting buyer of the stolen goods).
To be honest, I'd have little sympathy for the thief in that case, regardless of how outnumbered they were. If you steal, you really do deserve what you get. What happened to the concept of an outlaw, where the law affords them no protection from others due to their disrespect of it?
^BTW, don't go doing that just cos you saw it here.
And, for the record, I'm actually from Britain, so maybe a pickup wouldn't be used...

alias_neo said:
Indeed, it would be perfectly legal to make a Citizen's arrest under those circumstances, however, to stereotype the nature of such a person that is likely to steal a mobile phone, particularly from the area in which I live, it is quite possible and somewhat likely that they are either A) a violent criminal (mugging), B) A drug abuser (mugging) or C) Just outright violent (any other person).
P.S. The moral is that it's not a good idea to try go after it yourself, you might get hurt, or worse......your phone might.
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hahahaha "or worse your phone might"

cymru said:
I was literally typing 'Are you from liverpool?' when i read your location on the right
Best leave well alone lol. Let your phone be the only Hero in your partnership.
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kendong2 said:
yeah sure...
"my phone is somewhere in a 600m circle around main street 145, can you get it for me?"
"absolutely sir, two S.W.A.T. teams are already on their way!"
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LOL! This thread just made my day
Anyway, let's just hope you never have to use Wavesecure.

Holy Monitoring Batman

*Pow*
Watch your phones ladies and gentlemen...
Code:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=xprnw.20100503.PH97384&show_article=1
0.o

27s said:
*Pow*
Watch your phones ladies and gentlemen...
Code:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=xprnw.20100503.PH97384&show_article=1
0.o
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a great idea.......I use spy programs on my kids computer to monitor what he doea and where he goes. Found him visiting soft core porn sites....He hasn't done that since.....

hahaha man thats insane
but could be useful

27s said:
*Pow*
Watch your phones ladies and gentlemen...
Code:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=xprnw.20100503.PH97384&show_article=1
0.o
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have mixed views on this, on one hand as a parent I think this is a great tool to keep kids from preditors because as these phones get more and more fetures they become more and more like computers, there is software form comps that do this so it only makes sense that it would come to the smart phone world.
on the other hand I think that as a parent you need to raise your children correctly to avoid needing this and as an employer if I cant trust my employees then why are they working for me? so I do see the need but it is still kinda sad that it is needed.

Yeah, I see the use, but I still think that is it a breach of privacy. My parents never used blocking software on the PC, or looked over my shoulder. Sure, I saw some things on the internet that I prolly should not have, but I am no worse for the wear. I guess parents have the right to do it, but I think for business it is kinda sketch..but you work for them. Then again, Calls and e-mails, sure, but pictures and the like I think is to invasive.

chfields said:
Thats a great idea.......I use spy programs on my kids computer to monitor what he doea and where he goes. Found him visiting soft core porn sites....He hasn't done that since.....
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At least you know he's straight if the other demographic isn't what you wanted.

+1
10char

This is awesome.
My kid is so screwed, haha. (seriously, I don't care if he looks at porn. I just want to know he's not dead.)
EDIT: Whoah.... $100/year? Forget that. MobileDefense is free and good enough.

If I did have a kid. I think this is takin it just a little bit to far.
Its the kids life, not his and the parents. GPS tracker, fine. Your entire life tracker, not fine.
Why not just go all the way and get a live satellite feed on your kid while your at it. He will grow up with no experience in Anything. While all of his friends with have 100x more common sense and understanding of thing because they discovered things for themselves.
I would say there is a limit to parenting, you have to let the kid figure things out on his own, do things wrong on his own. Sucks if you cant put them in the right direction.

wonbattlelost said:
+1
i can understand when their younger. maybe even until their 15 (15year olds...GOD!)
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But think about it this way... with an app like this, you could have them start walking to school and running errands when they're like 4 or 5.

Jus10o said:
If I did have a kid. I think this is takin it just a little bit to far.
Its the kids life, not his and the parents. GPS tracker, fine. Your entire life tracker, not fine.
Why not just go all the way and get a live satellite feed on your kid while your at it. He will grow up with no experience in Anything. While all of his friends with have 100x more common sense and understanding of thing because they discovered things for themselves.
I would say there is a limit to parenting, you have to let the kid figure things out on his own, do things wrong on his own. Sucks if you cant put them in the right direction.
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I agree with you to a point and I really dont want to turn this into a parenting thread BUT I used to think the same way "you know let the kid experince life and learn from thier mistakes" thats what we did" but at then I became a parent and I relized just how much the world has changed. it used to be that you could let your kid go outside and ride their bikes and not have to worry becuase everyone in the community watched out for eachother, now I have to worry about pervs that might try to take my daughter and I can honestly say with one exception that i dont think my neighbors would do anything. then you have the pervs on the net and every celebrity basically saying that its ok to be permiscuious. as the father of a girl, yes i want to know where she is and if shes ok and yes if shes sending out inapropriate photos.
as for the work stuff. if the company provides you with a phone on thier dime then they have the right to know what you are using it for.

wtphoto said:
on the other hand I think that as a parent you need to raise your children correctly to avoid needing this and as an employer if I cant trust my employees then why are they working for me? so I do see the need but it is still kinda sad that it is needed.
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yessir....

Visionikz03 said:
Exactly!!!! Why would u hire someone u cant trust? Just to have a body? Sounds like the risks outwheigh the benefits. And if parents arent raising their children right and expecting some secretive software to cover up their inability to teach morales and respect to their children then what is this world coming to?
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my point precisly but at the same time I see the use for it becuase I worry about the other people out there.

i understand not trusting other, not so much the kid. But this software, text, email, contacts, calls the whole 9 yards. I can understand gps. You know where they are, and if you dont hear from them, you can just check.
Also if the kid were to ever get in trouble (assuming the kids 13+ and not an idiot maybe younger if you got a smart one) he/she would catch on that his/her phones being monitored. Who wouldnt ditch the phone and use another way of communication. Or better, leave the phone at home and then sneak out. $100 for the year down the drain

Jus10o said:
If I did have a kid. I think this is takin it just a little bit to far.
Its the kids life, not his and the parents. GPS tracker, fine. Your entire life tracker, not fine.
Why not just go all the way and get a live satellite feed on your kid while your at it. He will grow up with no experience in Anything. While all of his friends with have 100x more common sense and understanding of thing because they discovered things for themselves.
I would say there is a limit to parenting, you have to let the kid figure things out on his own, do things wrong on his own. Sucks if you cant put them in the right direction.
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Click to collapse
This is 100% true. A few of my friends have parents that ALWAYS want to know where they are, what they're doing, and want them to call like every hour. Let me just say, I'm so thankful my parents don't do that to me. Mind you, it's not a bad thing to be checked in on every once in awhile (my parents did that), but that's just ridiculous. My common sense level compared to theirs, as well as my level of maturity, is just so much higher. I end up learning things either myself or the hard way, but I appreciate that. Now whenever I'm confronted with a task, I'm able to think for myself, and I have the confidence to know I can do things on my own. Sorry that got off-topic, but I believe there is a point where parents need to settle down and trust their kids. I've earned my parents trust, and am able to a lot more without restrictions because of it.

my parents never trusted me, and now im homeless. true story brah.
Sent from my HERO200 using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

chfields said:
Thats a great idea.......I use spy programs on my kids computer to monitor what he doea and where he goes. Found him visiting soft core porn sites....He hasn't done that since.....
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or he discovered proxy servers, flash browsers, or cached pages.

I am on the fence about this one. I read the article and immediately thought this would be perfect for my daughter.
However, it is a tough call. Realistically, the only thing this type of technology is guaranteed to do is cause a level of resentment and disstrust towards the parent.
The ultimate question...Is it worth it? If this prevents a crime towards the child then I think it is, but for day-to-day child raising I think it may cause more damage than good. It is awfully difficult to teach values to a child if they think you are spying on (and thus don't trust) them.

Sick
chfields said:
Thats a great idea.......I use spy programs on my kids computer to monitor what he doea and where he goes. Found him visiting soft core porn sites....He hasn't done that since.....
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Click to collapse
You are a sick individual. I guess you're getting your kids ready for the world of lost privacy. Maybe this will be a good trait to practice with your children even though the invasion of privacy, especially from someone they trust, is sure to be a great topic at their adult counseling sessions. I suppose you're some type of religious person who uses punishment and guilt in training your child as opposed to education and positive reinforcement. But... how can I blame you, your parents probably did it to you, and their parents to them and so on. Still though, who will break the cycle? Think about if your parents, not only had access to, but actually analyzed every single conversation or thought you ever had. It's so disturbing. This is a form of child abuse and at the minimum the child should completely understand that they have no privacy. Just disgusting.
If you're guessing, yes I've raised a perfect moral, social, trustworthy and intelligent 5 year old boy.

seaweedopm said:
You are a sick individual. I guess you're getting your kids ready for the world of lost privacy. Maybe this will be a good trait to practice with your children even though the invasion of privacy, especially from someone they trust, is sure to be a great topic at their adult counseling sessions. I suppose you're some type of religious person who uses punishment and guilt in training your child as opposed to education and positive reinforcement. But... how can I blame you, your parents probably did it to you, and their parents to them and so on. Still though, who will break the cycle? Think about if your parents, not only had access to, but actually analyzed every single conversation or thought you ever had. It's so disturbing. This is a form of child abuse and at the minimum the child should completely understand that they have no privacy. Just disgusting.
If you're guessing, yes I've raised a perfect moral, social, trustworthy and intelligent 5 year old boy.
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ok first i think that if people like you are going to start judging the way that others are raising thier children then this thread needs to be closed and you need to seriously take a look at yourself before you do anything else you can raise your children the way you like but dont judge others (unless there is actual abuse going on) second you have a 5 year old wait 7 or 8 years and then you might change your mind teens are a completely different ball game.
and on that note my final thought to you and then I am leaving this thread alone is that I see parents like you all day long I even have a friend that raises her kids with the same line of thinking and im not saying that you are wrong but most of the time they are spoiled brats that have no respect for any adult other than thier partents. Also everytime you see a parent on the news after their kids been taken by some perv you hear the same thing "we had no idea he/she was doing anything like that" oversight is your job as a parent if somethign happens to your child it is no ones failure but your own.

A Story Of Revenge:

Background:
I was waiting for the Evo, ever since it was announced. I got it on my lunch break during work (Which turned out to be 2 hours because of the sprint servers). I loved it.
Situation:
I was playing basketball when someone must have taken it out of my bag (I think it was right on top and possibly visible). I realized it probably 15-20 minutes after it was gone. I confronted the group of people and told them that I just wanted my phone back. Didn't care if they stole it, I wouldn't report it, just wanted it back. They all denied it.
I went home, more pissed than I've been in a while. I called sprint and told them my story. They said unless I had insurance (Which I'm getting in the future BTW), I was SOL. I told them to cancel my service, and I'll go back to t-mobile.
A day went by, and I started checking Craigslist to see if anything popped up. Well something did pop up. I called the people, and asked if they had the box and everything. They said they just got the actual phone for a gift. I contemplated arranging a meet up with my friend and them, and have some bats and golf clubs with me, but I decided I didn't wanna get arrested, or sued, or leave myself legally liable in any way. So I went to the police station.
I met this very friendly and nice cop outside and told him my story. He must have liked me, because he took me in, reported my item as stolen, and then I explained about the craigslist ad.
He took a look and agreed it was fishy. I told him if I could just get my hands on the phone and check the serial numbers, I could see if it was my phone or not. So, he grabbed his friend and they both took on the case (A sting operation for a phone!).
Well 12 hours went by and I was sweating because I didn't know when it was going down, or if the guys had sold the phone to someone else. Well my friends all called the phone number listed and asked if it was still available. They said that someone was looking at the phone right now. That was it, if it wasn't the cops, then I'd never get my phone back.
Well sure enough an hour later, I get a call from the cop, and he said they got my phone back. Told me never to go back to that court again. I'll have to testify, but I get my phone back in a few days.
I am probably one of the luckiest Evo Owners ever! Now just gotta get my phone reactivated... Hope there won't be too much of a problem there.
=)

Good story bro.

Show up to court and testify. Don't let the POS get away with it. If he gets away with it, it will teach him that stealing doesn't carry consequences.

I wouldn't post this online. Just sayin.

ok am not a good reader hehe so hmm who sstole your phone? scare the crap out of them for stealing!

Damn, talk about luck. The phone gods are looking down upon you dude. Nice. Testify and teach them to never steal again. Unfortunately once a thief, always a thief as the saying goes. I would take the cops advice and never go back to that BB court again. Congrats though.

nice! good police do exist

In the future you should install WaveSecure It'll let you track your phone and remotely wipe it among other things.

Awesome story!
Sad thing is you wont be able to play ball on that court again. =(

P_Dub_S said:
In the future you should install WaveSecure It'll let you track your phone and remotely wipe it among other things.
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I have MobileDefence. What is WaveSecure like?

Cool that you got the phone back man.
To all those who say "Too bad you can't go back to that court again", why would the OP want to anyway? Obviously the type of crowd there is trouble. I wouldn't go play there again if my stuff was robbed and I never recovered it. I wouldn't be able to play having to check my stuff every two minutes knowing what happened the last time. Just sayin'.
P.S. -This is coming from a guy with a main source of exercise from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft.

Awesome, exactly the same happened to me with my hero, december last year. Except it happened during my gym class at school, my father found it on a local auction site, and then left with a friend to confront the guys.The IMEI matched, ofcourse, and i got my phone back. Sad thing is that the douche who stole it, was a guy in my class, and even worse is the fact that he and his companion got of with a warning. Had to see him every single day for half a year.

I bring only the bare minimum when I go to the courts. Keys, ID and a bottle of water. A lack of cash ensures that I don't spend it splurging on impulse food after playing and that I head straight home. Lawl.

AcIdC0R3 said:
I have MobileDefence. What is WaveSecure like?
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I've used both, mobile defense's web interface seems to be slightly nicer, but not much difference, they have almost identical feature sets. The only real difference is that mobile defense SMS for turning on tracking originate from the US. And Wave Secure SMS originates from Asia (can't remember the country) the reason this makes a difference is that wave secure costs you 20 cents every time you use it to do anything. I would stick with mobile defense. If you have wave secure all setup it's probably not worth switching either unless you track your phone or alarm/lock it often.

I am not sure if Android offers a tracking app. I use one on my TP2 and I don't care what they do with the phone because it will provide me with the exact location to share with the cops if necessary.
One SMS with my code and my phone lets me know it's location.

hunterintustin said:
I am not sure if Android offers a tracking app. I use one on my TP2 and I don't care what they do with the phone because it will provide me with the exact location to share with the cops if necessary.
One SMS with my code and my phone lets me know it's location.
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Did you read the thread? The posts right above yours mentions mobile defense which does exactly that.
Awesome that the OP got his phone back

I've use Mobile Defense since the day I got my myTouch with only one problem. They send a text from an e-mail that has mobiledefense in the name! Like, come on, don't be THAT obvious! You should get it from a real number saying like "hey baby" or something. A phone tracking app is invaluable to anyone who owns a phone like this, though.
As for OP, you are bigger man than I. Of course, I have a family riddled with crime (blood and in-laws) so the whole "beat the hell out of you" thing is pretty much drilled in at this point.

Thanks for sharing your story. Glad you got your phone back.

I actually flew to LA just after I got the phone (canceled online pre-order and stood in line so I can have it for the weekend). Went to play basketball with my brothers, and was worried about my phone being stolen, maybe I can blame losing that game on that...
I usually leave my stuff behind the basket pole, no chance of someone getting near my things without me seeing them, and the pole protects it from someone stepping on it.

I had my very first cell phone stollen. I was a senior in highschool and got a pretty decent job and wanted a phone. I got that nokia that everybody had 8 years ago (the one with the flashlight on top). I went to the pool for swim practice and came back and my phone was gone! I called it from my buddy's phone and the DB answered and said, sorry dude! Next time bring a lock! And hung up... I called ATT and reported it. They said because it was a cheap POS phone, there really wan't much they could do, but the guy gave me a discount on the same phone (I think I paid like $40 or something) so it was all good in the end.
I guess some people just need phones more than others! Teach this guy a lesson. Don't back down and maybe he'll think twice before he tries and steals someone else's $500 investment
Glad you were successful!
p.s. The first time I read the story, I thought the "court" the cops told you to stay away from was a "Court of Law" and not a basketball court. I was like, dang, cops don't want you to come back to the court (of law)? That's messed up!

activation

I've had a hell of a time trying to get this damn phone activated. It shows it's charged, but all it says during hands-free activation is "contacting network", and never finishes. Tried updating the profile, but naturally, that takes data to work, so that certainly wasn't successful. Talked to tech support, and they had me try resetting the phone, didn't help. I've left it plugged in for 2 more hours, still didn't activate. I do not want to call tech support again, they talk to me like I'm an idiot and it annoys the crap out of me.

tatonka_hero said:
I've had a hell of a time trying to get this damn phone activated. It shows it's charged, but all it says during hands-free activation is "contacting network", and never finishes. Tried updating the profile, but naturally, that takes data to work, so that certainly wasn't successful. Talked to tech support, and they had me try resetting the phone, didn't help. I've left it plugged in for 2 more hours, still didn't activate. I do not want to call tech support again, they talk to me like I'm an idiot and it annoys the crap out of me.
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try using chat?

riggsandroid said:
try using chat?
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it's employee care, so I don't know if there is a chat. Not to mention it's probably blocked at work. Odd things are blocked here. Like androidforums.com is blocked, but XDA isn't (which I'm grateful for)

I had the same problem when I was at radioshack. They bad to call tech and get a dialing code to reset some settings. Just call and say you got disconnected from tech and you want to go back. If you don't say that they will try to fix it themselves.
Sent from my PG06100 using XDA App

adamr240 said:
I had the same problem when I was at radioshack. They bad to call tech and get a dialing code to reset some settings. Just call and say you got disconnected from tech and you want to go back. If you don't say that they will try to fix it themselves.
Sent from my PG06100 using XDA App
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I called them back and got in touch with a guy that actually seemed like he knew what he was doing. Had me go into a menu using ##986# I think, and had me change the two numbers in there. That fixed it. Now I get to play!

tatonka_hero said:
I called them back and got in touch with a guy that actually seemed like he knew what he was doing. Had me go into a menu using ##986# I think, and had me change the two numbers in there. That fixed it. Now I get to play!
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hey at least you didnt end up like me, my 1st shift arrived with a DOA radio lol

I've noticed that if I am patient and pleasant with the people on the phone, usually they are reasonable when we have a conversation. Not getting mad or yelling or name calling isn't good. I try to keep the conversation kinda professional and relaxed and most of the time they are the same way back to me. Maybe some reps can confirm this? I've heard many say that if you are cool with them, they might go the extra mile with you. If you are a **** or ***** on the phone, they won't want to help you even though it is their job. Understand what it is like to be in their position and treat/speak with them like you want to be treated. Common sense stuff.
They deal with difficult and rude customers all day. They probably like it a lot when someone is civil with them. Duh!
You get more with sugar than vinegar.

herbthehammer said:
I've noticed that if I am patient and pleasant with the people on the phone, usually they are reasonable when we have a conversation. Not getting mad or yelling or name calling isn't good. I try to keep the conversation kinda professional and relaxed and most of the time they are the same way back to me. Maybe some reps can confirm this? I've heard many say that if you are cool with them, they might go the extra mile with you. If you are a **** or ***** on the phone, they won't want to help you even though it is their job. Understand what it is like to be in their position and treat/speak with them like you want to be treated. Common sense stuff.
They deal with difficult and rude customers all day. They probably like it a lot when someone is civil with them. Duh!
You get more with sugar than vinegar.
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I can confirm being a former call center rep myself for another company (still with them hence the lack of naming, just moved up the ladder), we are a lot more inclined to go the extra mile and ensure everything you need to taken care of if you give us the same respect we try our best to give you

XmentalX said:
I can confirm being a former call center rep myself for another company (still with them hence the lack of naming, just moved up the ladder), we are a lot more inclined to go the extra mile and ensure everything you need to taken care of if you give us the same respect we try our best to give you
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Oh I was very nice and polite, but if I had to go through a third tech support person, then I was going to get a bit angry with them. Luckily, the second guy knew what he was doing and my Shift is great. Battery's dead, mostly because I was downloading updates in an area with no service (I hope that's the reason anyway, always was with my Hero)

Another thought is that even though it's very annoying when dealing with people that seem clueless, they can't help it if someone poorly trained them or told them to troubleshoot by reading a script in a book they might have in front of them. I bet many are just like many other people out there. They need a job and it's not their fault if their employer did a ****ty job training them. I've had quite a few jobs where IF the employer DID train, it would be the absolute minimum and then they throw you to the wolves. Sink or swim. You figure it out along the way, if you can. The idiots expect maximum results with minimum efforts. And again, I digress.

Activating mine was a major pain. I spoke with 3 reps and 1 supervisor before someone thought to ask me if I had turned off my old phone first. Turns out that was the problem.

Horrible Experience. Warning ranting, cussing included

What would have been an excellent day for me has turned me into a ball of negative energy. I read reports here that Sprint stores were letting the Nexus S go early. Boy was I ready. Since there are only two stores I can drive to, I called the nearest one, an hour away. I ask the rep twice, If I make the trip, can I land a Nexus S today. Was told twice, sir we have the phone and yes we will sell it to you. I can't tell you how excited I was to hop in the car and take off like a bat outta hell. I pushed the S2000 to 100+ over the overpasses flying by cars thinking, get outta my way I'm getting the Nexus S *****es. I pull up hop out the car, don't even remember pulling the key from the ignition right? Well I get inside first thing on the agenda is to sit down and "play/test" the phone out a bit. Explore the gingerbread OS, determine if I REALLY want to drop 200 after just getting the Epic full price. They hand me the phone no hesitation let me play. Didn't take but 5 minutes, decided, sure let me blow my upgrade, I want the Nexus S from a development standpoint. To have pure google, and to have seemless rom options in the future cause I know the major devs will support it. Also to help me understand the lower levels of pure android to help bring that to the Epic which I plan on continuing to work on. Hell I was planning on keeping both phones. The woman goes to get me the new phone, box, etc... Manager approaches, ask what's going on. What's going on is I'm about to leave another satisfied customer. NOT. Manager says he "just received word via e-mail" he can't sell it. I explained I called ahead and drove from out of town to get it. He tells me "that's not far to drive come back sunday". You ************. I left the store before I opened my mouth because that usually ends in my vent cut short by police who then have to take the rest of my vent, which ends up in a trip to the local jail until I calm my temper down. It's really hard to raise it but when I'm heated, it's hours before it falls. Needless to say I been on the phone with the owner of the store who is very considerate, considering I'm not polite at this minute. She is taking my rant telling me it's deserved (despite the fact she's at home obviously dealing with family and life). We work out a deal that is NOT me getting the device.
So what's the point of this all? beside me ranting? I hope one thing comes of this thread. Whomever is responsible for my waisted drive, (its not the lady on the phone when I called, she put me on hold while going into the back to ask permission, the guy who gave her permission points his finger at the district manager who had "just sent the email" that I found was lie, the store owner tells me they got the do not sell e-mail 4 hours before I even called). So whoever is truely to blame, and I'm sure I know and looked you in the eyes. Eat a bag of dicks, and enjoy the trouble your now in.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not at all mad at the fact that they couldn't sell the phone early, I expected that from the first call. I'm pissed at the fact I drove down there and back for NOTHING. Does he/she not understand, we are in the middle of a recession, in Louisiana where there are NO jobs left in my town since the oil field was tanked by the spill. I'm busting ass for just over minimum wage till the work returns, and I attempt to drop 200, plus burn a tank of gass to get this device, and get strung along? ****ers.
Alright Rant Over, I'm ordering from Google, and I'll get over it, but the Houma Park Ave. store will never see me again after buying the Moment and Epic last year, then first thing this year headed to go get the Nexus. Thats 1010.00 in phones in 13 months.

Failure all around... I despise incompetent employees who find it fun to screw customers around.
Hope you have a good radar detector... they (EDIT: they? Who's they? The guy who did it.) should be paying for your gas.

I would say anger management and a new hobby might solve this problem. I'd say "not to sound like a jerk" if I hadn't already, but you need to stop worrying about keeping up with the jones' about phones. They're going to come and go and have their advantages and disadvantages, but freaking out, making a choice to drive a long distance on a longshot that you clearly were sceptical about and then getting nearly irate over the fact that a retail manager got overridden on selling you it while you lolly-gagged on getting the thing you drove over an hour for sounds ridiculous and makes me wonder where your priorities are. (Pardon the atrocious grammar) If you got there and it didn't blow your mind were you going to come here and type a long rant about how Samsung wasted your time making you drive an hour to make a phone you weren't impressed with? Keep working hard, yes, but stop loudly blaming others because you aren;t satisfied and stop getting so worked up that you land yourself at the police station, that's just acting like a child.

k0nane said:
Failure all around... I despise incompetent employees who find it fun to screw customers around.
Hope you have a good radar detector... they (EDIT: they? Who's they? The guy who did it.) should be paying for your gas.
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Valentine 1 Ofcourse I'm covered hwy 90 is a speed trap from texas to mississippi

dreamsforgotten said:
Valentine 1 Ofcourse I'm covered hwy 90 is a speed trap from texas to mississippi
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Right on... I'm a Passport 8500 X50 user at the moment, but I'm going to go V1 in the near future, I think. Will go hardware with a mirror mount, should be sweet. And watch out for TXHP next time you're in Texas (esp. on 20)... Those bastards are snipers with their rear-facing instant-on.

Sounds like you got your priorities straight.

The Root said:
I would say anger management and a new hobby might solve this problem. I'd say "not to sound like a jerk" if I hadn't already, but you need to stop worrying about keeping up with the jones' about phones. They're going to come and go and have their advantages and disadvantages, but freaking out, making a choice to drive a long distance on a longshot that you clearly were sceptical about and then getting nearly irate over the fact that a retail manager got overridden on selling you it while you lolly-gagged on getting the thing you drove over an hour for sounds ridiculous and makes me wonder where your priorities are. (Pardon the atrocious grammar) If you got there and it didn't blow your mind were you going to come here and type a long rant about how Samsung wasted your time making you drive an hour to make a phone you weren't impressed with? Keep working hard, yes, but stop loudly blaming others because you aren;t satisfied and stop getting so worked up that you land yourself at the police station, that's just acting like a child.
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You don't come off as a jerk, I'm just venting here so that's expected that people like you would wonder what's wrong with me. My priorities are where they need to be I own all my possession, don't pay bills sept insurance and phone. I save and splurge on what I want. Driving an hour isn't rediculous when you live in a ghost town in the middle of nowhere and I was making 3 times the money when I got the Moment and Epic. Second part, I wouldn't complain about the S because one thing I do is diligent research on electronics before I buy. I'm still getting it because I want it already knowing I'm downgrading from the Epic seeing as the the S can't record in 720p, lacks a front facing camera, and doesn't even have a stock movie player. Oh forgot you can't unmount the SD and pop in another one. I knew what I was headed there for but I do expect a company be it a retail store or anyone to keep true to their word. That kinda was the point of calling ahead of time....twice. About the police you'd just have to live here to understand, getting in a verbal confrontation with a business owner is a reason to arrest alone, disturbing the peace. I closed my mouth and exited the store, so no childish acts there, I came here to vent instead . But by all means, your entitled to your opinions the matter not to me so I'm not hating on you for your post, **** I expect worse here shortly .

dreamsforgotten said:
Second part, I wouldn't complain about the S because one thing I do is diligent research on electronics before I buy. I'm still getting it because I want it already knowing I'm downgrading from the Epic seeing as the the S can't record in 720p, lacks a front facing camera, and doesn't even have a stock movie player. .
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The S definitely has a front facing camera

living in NY this happens to me all the time. been sent from store to store on wild goose chases. i expect to be treated like crap when i have to step into a brick and mortar store these days

k0nane said:
Right on... I'm a Passport 8500 X50 user at the moment, but I'm going to go V1 in the near future, I think. Will go hardware with a mirror mount, should be sweet. And watch out for TXHP next time you're in Texas (esp. on 20)... Those bastards are snipers with their rear-facing instant-on.
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So does LA State Troopers! I know the feeling. I passed on the passport because the only cigarette lighter port is on the side of the driver seat, didn't want that wire hanging across the car, its hardwired into the battery.

063_XOBX said:
The S definitely has a front facing camera
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no ****, misinformed. It don't affect me either way on that tho, because I don't use the one on the Epic. The no 720p hurts because I love the video quality but I still will have an Epic to record on!

dreamsforgotten said:
You don't come off as a jerk, I'm just venting here so that's expected that people like you would wonder what's wrong with me. My priorities are where they need to be I own all my possession, don't pay bills sept insurance and phone. I save and splurge on what I want. Driving an hour isn't rediculous when you live in a ghost town in the middle of nowhere and I was making 3 times the money when I got the Moment and Epic. Second part, I wouldn't complain about the S because one thing I do is diligent research on electronics before I buy. I'm still getting it because I want it already knowing I'm downgrading from the Epic seeing as the the S can't record in 720p, lacks a front facing camera, and doesn't even have a stock movie player. Oh forgot you can't unmount the SD and pop in another one. I knew what I was headed there for but I do expect a company be it a retail store or anyone to keep true to their word. That kinda was the point of calling ahead of time....twice. About the police you'd just have to live here to understand, getting in a verbal confrontation with a business owner is a reason to arrest alone, disturbing the peace. I closed my mouth and exited the store, so no childish acts there, I came here to vent instead . But by all means, your entitled to your opinions the matter not to me so I'm not hating on you for your post, **** I expect worse here shortly .
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No worries. Was just wondering and your answers all make sense. Points of view and descriptions of regionalism can easily bring things into perspective when high-tuned emotions are no longer driving thought. I still don't trust corporate America if I had 2 phone calls and a signed contract unless I had a million in the bank for legal fees to back my opinion up.

dreamsforgotten said:
So does LA State Troopers!
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I'd be more worried about laser with them boys.

First, S2000 is a cute little car. Where you driving with the top off? It would probably cool down your temperature afterward.
Second, I would have pissed all over the store, and take a crap on the table inside manager office (if he/she has one).
Third, I would take off running out the store with the phone.

The Root said:
No worries. Was just wondering and your answers all make sense. Points of view and descriptions of regionalism can easily bring things into perspective when high-tuned emotions are no longer driving thought. I still don't trust corporate America if I had 2 phone calls and a signed contract unless I had a million in the bank for legal fees to back my opinion up.
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As far as my hobbies, since the decline of the economy, which I don't even much feel but others around me lost everything, android is keeping me sane until I'm allowed to personally feel productive again. I've been into hacking and tweaking the phone and it really give me that since of accomplishment, that's why I'm gadget jumping. I don't plan on stopping development for the Epic to move to the S, I'm planning on adding more options to what IS my hobby. I don't even plan on buying another device after this one. I said plenty times before, when the development phone from Google is supported on Sprint, I'll gladly jump on it. Until now I could only sit back and watch T-moble get the glory. I bought the Epic cause the original S was close but I never expected us to get one. It was like christmas for me.

ccnd8 said:
First, S2000 is a cute little car. Where you driving with the top off? It would probably cool down your temperature afterward.
Second, I would have pissed all over the store, and take a crap on the table inside manager office (if he/she has one).
Third, I would take off running out the store with the phone.
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LMFAO, much needed smile there! Top down both ways, it's hot as hell in Louisiana right now. Perfect weather before the rain season spoils it.

Must be a requirement
Most of the 3rd party stores have suck ass employees.
They are as clueless as Inspector gadget.
If i really need an answer ,or something done right i go to a" sprint corp store" point blank.
Ok if any 3rd party employees read this, dont take it personal but its true.

humdrum2009 said:
Most of the 3rd party stores have suck ass employees.
They are as clueless as Inspector gadget.
If i really need an answer ,or something done right i go to a" sprint corp store" point blank.
Ok if any 3rd party employees read this, dont take it personal but its true.
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I have to disagree. I realized ever since I've bought a cellphone it has always been from Best Buy and I've always been satisfied with sale, service, and warrantee/guarantees.

humdrum2009 said:
Most of the 3rd party stores have suck ass employees.
They are as clueless as Inspector gadget.
If i really need an answer ,or something done right i go to a" sprint corp store" point blank.
Ok if any 3rd party employees read this, dont take it personal but its true.
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Corporate stores follow the rules strict. The only chance of getting it was a retail store since they "sort of" govern themselves. Awell, 3 more days
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Yay, Louisiana's a ****hole. The one thing you can rely on here is that someone will **** something up and then act like it's your fault.
I can't wait to leave this place.