Where's "Lost property" for mobile phones?

Someone lefta mobile at the shop I worked at and I checked the SIM and found that it was a Telstra SIM. I called Telstra and told them the SIM number and that the phone was left at our shop and asked them to contact the owner and tell them where they can collect it from.

Alternatively, once the Commonwealth Bank called me to say that the person whose number they were calling from left their phone at the bank and it can be collected from there.

These worked fine in their respective cases.

A quick google of that “me” number provided my with a laugh!

Egad I’m glad I didn’t lose my phone! My mother is under her name, my father is under an unflattering nickname and “me” is 0419317446!

OTOH the last person I phoned or texted or the first person in my address book would be able to find me – they’re my friends or colleagues so they know exactly where I live or where I work (or both) or can at least drop me a line on Facebook/Linkedin/Twitter!

Gungahlin Al said :

Handed in a top line Nokia to the show office at the last home show at EPIC. Left my details – no contact.
Can’t help thinking it went home in someone else’s pocket that night…

Thats a real pity because it would only take 5 minutes from the owner to ring their service provider and render the phone a brick (block IMEI) rendering the phone useless for both owner and recipient. So, really, a lose lose situation. Better to hand it back to teh owner, an dthey get all their contacts, messages, pics and videos back (Back up/synch your phone with your computers people, I learnt that when I left mine in a transfer lounge in Hawaii)

There really is no way to steal a phone and have it for your own use these days with IMEI blocking technology.. Ok, there is, but its a pretty advanced learning curve, and your average mobile phone stealing thug would not know how to overcome these obstacles.

Sorry to sound like a b!tch but what is so unfortable about calling the last dialled number to say do you know who owns this phone and how can I get it back to them?

It doesn’t involved rummaging, or more time than it took you to post! Honestly did this need to be a post at all? I come here looking for pieces of interest and I get I don’t know how to do stuff cr@p…

Sounds like you wanted a chorus of keep it you found it – cos all other options are bloody obvious!

Handed in a top line Nokia to the show office at the last home show at EPIC. Left my details – no contact.
Can’t help thinking it went home in someone else’s pocket that night…

…or look for other obvious contacts like ‘mum’, ‘dad’, or ‘work’. If not, the last called log might be helpful if there is a number that is in there multiple times. I don’t think the conversations need be uncomfortable. “hey I found this mobile phone by the side of the road and your number is listed in the recent calls. Are you able to let the owner know I have found their phone?”.

Personally we had a call like this when step-son in Sydney lost his phone. We had no idea he’d lost his phone but the honesty of the finder was appreciated.

If you are really really averse to calling anyone, take it to Telstra (since it’s Testra branded) and let then deal with it.

I’ve found two or three phones over the years and normally calling “Home”, “Mum” or “Dad” on the phone will put you on the right track.

Yeah, like every other piece of lost property, take it to the cop shop.

Or, take it to the police now while it’s still got some power, so they can actually have those “uncomfortable conversations” and find its owner?

My crappy-looking Ericsson came back to me after the guy who found it called my house-mate and my mother (last two outgoings).

Maybe don’t go for the ICE option you might get a dealer. The contacts on the phone may be very important to someone see if there is a mum or dad and ring them and explain that you have the phone and do they have another way to contact the owner to let them know. Do it before the battery runs out.

Xanthomyza said :

….or ICE (In Case of Emergency)?

Nah, that’ll just get you their meth dealer…

I reckon you’re probably on the right track. If they don’t call their own phone looking for it between now and when the battery goes flat, then just drop it at the copshop, and someone will buy it in a bag with fifty other phone at pickles in six months.

send and sms to anyone resembling ICE, Mum or Dad, or failing that, look at the call log for commonly called numbers and sms one of them.

A work colleague did this recently, and the phone found its way back to its rightful owner.

check the contacts entries for ‘home’ or ICE (In Case of Emergency)?