Found ipod - how to reunite it with its owner?

[Anonymous]

I found an ipod on the street today. The email address that's in the app store is not valid. I do have the serial number. Is there any way to contact apple and see if the device is registered? Other ideas for getting it back to its owner?

I suppose I could put up a flyer, but I don't like the idea of sorting through the inevitable flood of dishonest emails.

[Anonymous]

put it on craigs list. thre's a lost and found.

just say where you found and ask for details about it.

[Anonymous]

take it to the apple store, they can pull lots more info from it than you can

[Anonymous]

You're awesome, OP. It's nice to see someone who doesn't just keep it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're awesome, OP. It's nice to see someone who doesn't just keep it.

Agreed.

[Anonymous]

call the apple store!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're awesome, OP. It's nice to see someone who doesn't just keep it.

Oh, I'm no saint. If it were a twenty dollar bill, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But this is personal. It has over 2000 songs on it! I'm getting mildly obsessed about it.

Penguinsix, the only personal information I've found is the store log-in email, which bounced. I can't think when I've ever been in/ near an apple store, but I will give them a call. Maybe they can look it up via the serial number...?

[Anonymous]

Called two apple stores, both totally useless. I wasn't expecting them to hand over the owner's address, but I had hoped they could tell me IF the serial number was registered, so that I could know if it made sense to take it to the store and have them contact the owner.

I'm getting simultaneously obsessed and disheartened about this. I guess a flyer is in my future. I'm pretty sure I know the block the owner lives on, so maybe I won't be inviting contact from a thousand weirdos hoping to con me into giving it to them...

[Anonymous]

Good for you, OP.
Keep us updated.

[Anonymous]

I would just take it to an Apple store. If the owner registered it they can reunite them. My husband's coworker got hers back this way.

[Anonymous]

Check out this thread -- http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=670068 . It looks like the 10:56 poster links to some software that lets you gather lots of identifying info from the iPod. That might help you.

Also, here's a Dateline report on tracking lost iPods -- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20078671/ns/dateline_nbc/t/dateline-takes-ipod-thieves/ . It sounds like Apple doesn't want to get involved in detective games, so they might not be much help.

I hope this helps. You're doing a good thing by trying to return it.

Sam2

[Anonymous]

After my iPhone was pick-pocketed on Metro, I went to the Apple store in Bethesda with the serial number and asked if they could help me find the new "owner" and they said no.

I think Apple may be OK, sometimes when they feel like it, in reuniting a finder like OP with the owner. But the larger problem is Apple doesn't want to get in the middle of ownership disputes like mine - how do they know I didn't sell it for cash and now want it back? At least in my case the whole episode is on the Metro station surveillance tape, but I can see other cases that would be more problematic. And what if I think BIL's iPhone used to be mine and I want Apple to prove it? The solution in Sam's link seems ideal for Apple - it would discourage theft, but still without getting Apple in the middle of ownership disputes.

[Anonymous]

Post it here -

Craigslist Lost & Found

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/laf/

[Anonymous]

Can't you text from an ipod? See if there are any recent text messages and send a text to someone the person knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can't you text from an ipod? See if there are any recent text messages and send a text to someone the person knows.

No, you can't text from an iPod. It's not a phone, it's an mp3 player. Duh.