Lost phone found with a Vodaphone sim card

[Preeyapas]

My dad and his wife traveled from Heathrow airport to Bangkok last week. an iPhone was incorrectly handed from a staff to his spouse at the X-ray check point and she took it thinking that it belonged to my dad (he uses a Samsung whick looks similar for old people). They did not know that they took someone's phone until they got on board.

Now the iPhone is with me in Thaialnd and I really want to return it to the owner. Clues that I have so far are
- a Vodaphone sim card which has a serial number on it
- the picture of the owner on the phone when it is in locked status
- the phone is locked with a passcode
- the status (with sim card in) is No Service

What can I do to find the owner ? I called Vodaphone lost phone line but I had to enter a phone number which I do not have.

Preeyapas

[hrym]

For anyone coming to this thread later: this is a compelling reason for PIN-protecting your SIM.   Not so that your phone can't be returned by someone well-intentioned, but so that someone with bad intentions can't use it to make expensive calls before you get the chance to report it lost!

[devil482]

Here here...

I had a phone stolen in Athens and it took Vodafone 3 months to blacklist the phone! What was worse, they cancelled the wrong insurance on the wrong phone so i had to claim on my travel insurance...

What cheeky bar stewards they're....

[hrym]

If you report a phone lost, you shouldn't be liable for any costs from the time you do so.   If you call, make a note of when and where, along with details of what was said.   If someone else can confirm, that's useful.   If you use Live Chat, request a transcript at the end and retain it.

Remember that you're blocking a particular SIM/number, not cancelling the whole account.

[T_Scarface_M]

Great advice from hrym

You are definitely best reporting it asap as you will charged for usage up until you tell Vodafone. 

[devil482]

Let me just clear that point up....

I called Vodafone within 15 minutes of the phone being stolen.

[Preeyapas]

Just to provide my last update.

The iphone was well received at the owner's address today. It took 7 days from Thailand and delivered by FedEx.

[kids]

Thanks for the update and good to hear it is back with its rightful owner.

I hope that should you ever be in the same position as the loser someone wil, do the same for you.

Interested to hear that you used FedEx. I often send stuff back from Thailand to the UK but have never used FedEx so may give them a shot next time. If I may ask what did they charge you for the transaction?

[Preeyapas]

@kids

They charged me 1752 THB for a small box (the smallest one but still big enough to fit in 4A sized docs). I think it was this one.

http://www.fedex.com/id/tools/package3.html

FedEx is the cheapest one (as a secured express courier) so far if you compare with UPS.

PS. And don't mention

1.  DHL. They will not send out of APAC if you do not have an corporate account with them.

2. Local post office. I would have used their services if it was not an iPhone !!!  LOL

[kids]

Thanks, 1752THB for a seven day service is good.

I have usually used the post but the FedEx option I will bear in mind as I usually send stuff from Pattaya and down there things tend to "go astray" with alarming frquency.

[Getafix]

Putting SIM lock is always advisable.

Another lesson is on your screen saver have a number that someone finding your phone can call. And also if possible put your email address too.