Stolen note 8 phone

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winner

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I've had the pleasure of handing one of these to the thugs. Anyway it wasn't after its gone that I realise how this expensive device doesn't even have a reliable tracker. I scaled the service provider and the only thing they could offer was using findmysumsung or using Gmail account. None of those are useful when the phone is off and probably factory reset.

Is there anything useful that anyone can do even at a price?
 
If the phone is switched off... Nope. There are service which will send you the phones location and if no GPS or data connection will sms the phones location or wipe the phone if a new sim is detected etc. Best tracking is to have insurance and make sure the phone is encrypted with a strong password. Find an application that will wipe the phone if no sim is detected or if the sim is removed.
 
winner said:
I've had the pleasure of handing one of these to the thugs. Anyway it wasn't after its gone that I realise how this expensive device doesn't even have a reliable tracker. I scaled the service provider and the only thing they could offer was using findmysumsung or using Gmail account. None of those are useful when the phone is off and probably factory reset.

Is there anything useful that anyone can do even at a price?
Click to expand...

Why do you want the phone back?

Claim from insurance and recover all from your Google account...
 
Expensive or cheap, matter not, an off phone is an off phone. It cannot be remotely turned on and tracked or wiped or anything.

Unless you manually strap a GPS tracker to the thing, sweet **** all you can do once it's off.
 
CranialBlaze said:
an off phone is an off phone. It cannot be remotely turned on and tracked or wiped or anything.
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About 90% of Americans would probably disagree with you. They believe the CIA, FBI and SS can track you. The only way to avoid tracking is to break the SIM card in half and chuck it out a car window.

Back in real life though:
winner said:
Is there anything useful that anyone can do even at a price?
Click to expand...
It's called insurance. Your insurance broker could have told you that you could specify the item on your insurance and they would have upped your premium only a few Rand per month. Unspecified items could be claimed under your normal household insurance as long as they went missing while in your house (like when your TV is stolen).

It could be worth checking with your insurance company if you have any cover at all. There may be a limit for unspecified items though.
 
Dairyfarmer said:
About 90% of Americans would probably disagree with you. They believe the CIA, FBI and SS can track you. The only way to avoid tracking is to break the SIM card in half and chuck it out a car window.

Back in real life though:

It's called insurance. Your insurance broker could have told you that you could specify the item on your insurance and they would have upped your premium only a few Rand per month. Unspecified items could be claimed under your normal household insurance as long as they went missing while in your house (like when your TV is stolen).

It could be worth checking with your insurance company if you have any cover at all. There may be a limit for unspecified items though.
Click to expand...

Phones are normally excluded by most providers, Alexander forbes for the simplicity of paperwork allows unspecified phones cover for up to 5k, but something like a note 8 would set you back anywhere from R150pm to R600pm for insurance depending on who you covered with, I know Outsurance shafts you on phone, which is why I left them.
 
CranialBlaze said:
Phones are normally excluded by most providers, Alexander forbes for the simplicity of paperwork allows unspecified phones cover for up to 5k, but something like a note 8 would set you back anywhere from R150pm to R600pm for insurance depending on who you covered with, I know Outsurance shafts you on phone, which is why I left them.
Click to expand...
This is where Pineapple Insurance come in :) you can set the value etc... Of your phone, in fact their App detected my phone and asked me if I wanted to insure it.
 
Tsepz_011 said:
This is where Pineapple Insurance come in :) you can set the value etc... Of your phone, in fact their App detected my phone and asked me if I wanted to insure it.
Click to expand...

They also quite expensive, they charged double what I am currently paying.
 
Tsepz_011 said:
Who are you with? I was with Auto&General but they charged me a lot more than Pinapple so was white happy to switch over.
Click to expand...

Actually no, I lie, it was not double, it was more infinitely more, as my phones insured for free, they lobbed it in with unspecified, which is like R160pm, but covers my 3 phones, 1 tablet, kindle, chromebook, running/cycling gear, sports watch, motorbike gear, and the usual extras. Pineapple wanted 180 for the phone alone.
 
Within minutes of taking the phone it's off and sim ejected.

I think there was software you can get that that is supposed to be able to survive a wipe of the phone. It requires phone to be rooted I think.

Biggest loss for me was all my information that was not backed up. Was a really maddening loss. Wished I could have paid to just get my daya back but alas.
 
I am in a similar dilemna - my sis lost her tablet (actually got focefully taken from her) and sim swap is about the only thing you can do. Tried using google find my phone feature as there was no samsung account on it but alas no response or luck for days. Now one has to source for cash to buy ANOTHER device. it's so disheartening to be set back like that when we are all struggling in one way or the other financially.
 
SauRoNZA said:
When you replace it buy an iPhone.

Much less of all the problems above. :)
Click to expand...

Yep, except its worth more for some unknown reason so more likely to get stolen and does like 10% of what android can, comes with no ports and all the accessories cost more than the brick to begin with, and you need them to be able to even hope of using it the same way you would as an Android, though without most of the features and capabilities.
 
Sweevo said:
Why is it worth more (to a thief)?
It's not as if they can use it once it's locked.
Click to expand...
Of course you can, you know how easy it is to unlock them and even replace the IMEI.

Crapple holds its value more than android, so you get more value for your crime.
 
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