It was not my day yesterday. After a series of small annoyances throughout the day, the final straw was that my iPhone was stolen out of my purse.
I only had it for 6 weeks! I have never had a cell phone stolen and only lost one (left it on an airplane) in the decade+ that I’ve had cell phones. And yet my nicest, and most expensive phone, was stolen in 6 weeks.
I don’t want to go into the specifics and nitty gritty details, but yes, it was stolen and not lost.
I don’t “know” the person who did it.
I did not witness the actual act of the stealing with my own two eyes but did witness the person (whom I’m 99.99% certain stole my phone) running for the door. I thought, that’s odd but didn’t think much of it.
Five minutes later I realized my purse zipper was open half way, and my purse seemed lighter, but I didn’t really think much of it.
Twenty minutes later, I connected all the dots when I went to see if I had any new emails and my phone was not in my purse.
My heart sunk. Ba-bye phone.
I had purchased insurance on it (twisted foreshadowing, see Question 3) and I filed a claim on it.
I still had to pay $199 for a “new” iPhone (but it’s probably going to be a re-furbished phone and not a brand new one. Ugh) but at least it’s not the full retail price of $750.
An ironic twist was that when I was trying to pay the $199 fee with my American Express to have a new phone sent to me, Amex thought that was a fraudulent charge and so mid-claim and mid-transaction, I had to hang up with the phone replacement company, call Amex, and let them know the charge was legit. I have been cardmember for 10 years and that has never happened.
The iPhone is being shipped overnight to me and I should have it Wednesday. In the meantime and using my old Blackberry. It feels like such a relic!
Service was supsended on the stolen iPhone within hours or the crime and the serial number was reported as stolen so if anyone tries to activate that phone, it will come up as stolen and they won’t be able to turn it on. I am sure there are ways around this because sadly, thieves can be very clever but I did what I could to make it very difficult for my stolen phone to be easily used by someone else.
I tried to track and Find My iPhone and had even set up my iPhone with the Find Me capabilities, but unfortunately, there is no data/GPS position coming up for my phone. Boo hoo. If you do have an iPhone though, check out those links. Worth a shot to set it up because you never know.
The only thing left to do at a time like this is eat chocolate.
No Bake Vegan Chocolate “Turtles”
or
No Bake Vanilla Cake Batter Chocolate Truffles
From my last post on Tofu Tips, I am glad you found my tips helpful. Yes, tofu can be tricky to make at home but once you have it down, it’s so easy and you’ll be glad you know how to make it at home.
Thanks for sharing your favorite recipes and ways you like to prepare your tofu, too! I loved reading everyone’s strategies and tofu making tips and tricks.
Questions:
1. Have you ever had anything stolen?
I think we all have had things stolen from childhood bicycles to hair brushes in the high school locker room to various electronics or gadgets that just seemed to “walk off” on their own in college dorm room living to whatever else.
Sadly, I have had my car broken into before and the thieves did steal my purse but I was young and the purse itself was cheap and there wasn’t anything too valuable in it.
However, just the act of having to call all your credit cards and stopping them, waiting for new ones to arrive, getting a new driver’s license or ID, it all takes hours and hours and hours of valuable “life time” just handling it.
And it seems to go on and on because six months later I’d be looking for someone’s business card and realize that oh, that was part of the stolen purse situation and then I’d have to track down the person’s info and number another way. Such a frustrating timesuck! The gift the just keeps giving, so to speak. Ugh.
As a kid I had bicycles, Barbies, dolls, toys and that kind of thing stolen. As a kid it’s so hard to wrap you mind around why someone would steal.
My sister’s apartment was robbed when she was in college and she lost everything from money, electronics, to my Grandma’s jewelry and family heirlooms. So sad.
As an adult, I still don’t get it!
What good was my phone (I also had it password protected!) to someone else? They can’t use it because the service is suspended and they can’t turn it on because it’s on the blacklist of Hot phones, and therefore can’t sell it. And, in the process it costs me time, money, energy, and frustration to replace it. I just don’t get it!
2. Have you ever lost or had your phone stolen? How did you feel?
We are all so dependent on our phones to do more than just be our phones. They are mini computers, they hold our music, photographs, contacts, our appointments, and are really lifelines to the modern world in which we live.
At least I have my Blackberry to use, but I feel lost without my current phone. For the record, love the iPhone wayyyy more than Blackberry.
I feel lost, violated, mad, and frustrated, but hey, it’s only a phone and a new one is coming. Now I just have to set it up, import my 1000 contacts, my 10,000 iTunes, my photos, etc. All over again. Fun.
But whatever. At least I “got this out of my system” now for awhile. I should be good to go for a long time without any black clouds, right! The only thing you can do at times like this is just let out one big GAH!!! Scream, then shrug it off because stressing about it (or replaying the events and how or why things happened) isn’t going to bring my phone back. So just shrug it off and…
…I have something fun that I am off to do this afternoon. It couldn’t come at a better time.
Have a great day!
Averie, that is one colossal BUMMER! :/
I am glad that you were not hurt. There was a horrible incident in a city near me, where someone robbed some one on an “L” train. The person robbed someone of their IPhone and while he was running away he knocked an elderly woman down some stairs. The elderly woman passed away at the hospital…All for a phone….
Just glad you are OK….
I’m so sorry that you had your phone stolen! :(
I have never had anything truly essential stolen from me. I’ve had a couple of CDs walk away from me after friends had been over when I was a teen. The worst one was actually last year. My husband accidentally left one of my car doors unlocked when he went in there to grab something. Thiefs took off with a pair of $20 sunglasses and a Veggie Tales CD. It stunk, because my nieces and nephews loved listening to that CD in the car and I really, really loved those sunglasses and can’t find any like them. But no huge deal!
And yes, karma will get them.
OMG! Sorry to hear that your iPhone was stolen. Glad you got the insurance so you don’t have to buy a new iPhone at full retail price.
Maybe the Find My iPhone & Find Me are saved to the SIM card? If they put their own SIM card into your iPhone, then that would thwart the apps? Just guessing, as I don’t own a smart phone.
I’ve had things stolen when travelling, but never had anything stolen locally. Luckily, one of the times I had money stolen while travelling, the culprits (a pack of young kids trying to “sell” us home made jewellery) were still right there. My cousin & I did some nice threatening, and our money and passports magically appeared on the ground. Lesson learned that time. When wearing a fanny pack (at least I was wearing it with the zipper to the front) keep my hand on it so it can’t be opened & the contents pinched.
Locally the only issues I have had are with credit card / debit card being cloned or used online by other parties. That is a hassle, but always worth the phone calls to get new card(s) and get automatic billing switched to those new cards.
Ohhh that stinks. I can’t imagine how violated you feel :(
Ugh. I am not happy to hear your phone was stolen. Phones and purses (with ID etc) are the worst to have to replace (cost and hassle).
I had my bike stolen when I was in about grade 5. It had been a birthday gift and I’d only had it a few weeks. Luckily, we found it when we went walking around the neighbourhood. I was knocking on doors and saw it in someone’s foyer. He told me some story about how he saw someone taking it, so he stopped the thief. But I suspected right away that he stole the bike. It’s sad when you realize as a kid that not all adults are trustworthy!
Well, it’s good to vent at least. And I’m so sorry your iphone is gone, I know it’s such a disappointment and frustration. I, fortunately,have not had anything stolen and can only imagine!
Well ,I fell really bad for you. It feels so icky when someone steals from you. I had an enormous emerald ring stolen right from under my nose. Worst thing is I knew who did it and couldn’t prove it. I hope they do not send you a refurbished one.
OMG, Averie! I’m so sorry!!! Phones can be replaced, but the feeling of being violated and betrayed at your job lingers. That is awful and I hate that you have to go through this. What a nightmare!! I wish there was something I could do. :( We’ll talk in email about it <3 *hugs*
I have had tons of crap stolen in my lifetime. Anytime you have money or "something shiny" people feel it's ok for them to take it given any opportunity. Scumbags! I was mugged when I was 12 leaving from our family's business. It was pretty scary, but I identified that POS and he went to jail. :) haha Thankfully, I wasn't hurt and that's what's most important.
Talk soon!
I’m so sorry. The feeling of someone having taken something valuable from you is the worst. I’ve had to share a room with my sister growing up and she would mysteriously end up with shirts and things (basically anything and everything of mine) that looked exactly like mine, at a time when I couldn’t find mine, but she’d claim they were hers and my parents said without proof they couldn’t accuse her. Knowing she had my things is more frustrating to me than if it were a stranger taking my stuff.
I hope something amazing happens to you to make up for this!
Ahhhh that sucks! Why are there so many mean people in this world?! I hope they can’t read your email and what not…I guess not now that service is suspended? UGH.
I had my phone stolen by a coworker once back when I had a sidekick. A month or two later she was walking around the back room talking on it and showing everyone she had a new sidekick and another coworker told me about it. We somehow managed to get it from her and I was able to prove that the phone was mine! I even called tmobile and they confirmed it. Needless to say she was fired on the spot! Still sucked though having that happend, and having had already spent $500 on a new phone. It is such a weird feeling to have something stolen from you, from your own purse, even if it just is a phone..
I don’t get that kind of stealing either! I would never be able to purposely harm someone like that. Sorry that happened to you!
I can’t remember anything too valuable being stolen from me, but I have had issues with my credit card company blocking my card “for my protection” when I was using it for legit purposes! Apparently five uses in a single day is “excessive” for this company. I can swipe it five times in Nordstrom alone on any given day! Hardly excessive! ;)
Good luck with straightening everything out! Seems like you have a pretty good grasp on how to handle the situation.
So sorry about the phone :-(
I have had many things get stolen … money, CDs, etc., and then the stuff that got stolen when my house got broken into recently.
I hate theft.
I am so sorry this happened to you. I remember reading when you got your I-Phone, you were so excited. I do not know why people do things like that!!!
I had my purse stolen once with everything in it:(