Hubby lost his cell phone on Saturday at a local gas station. By the time he discovered the loss and we returned to the gas station (2 hours later), the phone was gone, and no one had turned it in at the store.
And so the “fun” begins…
Hubby paid for the phone with his Capital One business VISA card. So, first things first he wanted to see if the phone was covered under any sort of VISA protection provision. He’d only purchased the phone last week, and was hopeful he could explore that avenue. So, Hubby went to the Capital One website to locate the document and see if there was coverage.
Hubby tried to open the Capital One benefit pdf for business VISA to see if the loss was covered. Capital one has eight pdfs in this area, only one of which will not open. And… you guessed it, it was the one Hubby needed. So he called Capital One and the phone rep assured him that the pdf could be opened. When Hubby asked the phone rep to email him the pdf there was a song-and-dance at the Capital One end when the clerk said he had no ability to email. I tried to open the pdf and after a long hesitation it did open, but then it froze and crashed my browser, so I tried again (three different browsers) and I got a “too long a response time” error.
In the meantime, Hubby called VISA for VISA benefits, because all benefits for a VISA card actually come from VISA and not the bank. VISA told him this would be covered by VISA under purchase security and extended protection. VISA then transferred him to the company (newcorp) who handles the VISA benefits. His call was answered by Christine. I only caught Hubby’s end of the conversation but wow was this discussion a doozy!
First Christine wanted an “official lost report”. So Hubby asked what this is, and where does he get this “official lost report” from, and Christine said, “the gas station attendant”.
Hubby was incredulous … “Attendant! What attendant!?” (I was hollering from the next room that she might live in NJ since they pump gas there, and do have attendants.) Hubby asked her where she was located and found out it was Montana. Needless to say, there wasn’t an attendant at the gas station we went to – Hubby got out to pump gas and that was why he lost the phone.
Christine then told Hubby lost phones were not covered.
Hubby then asked her for a supervisor, and she told him there wasn’t one, the supervisor is out until Monday. At some point he asked to be transferred to the person sitting next to Christine, because she clearly didn’t know anything, even after reading to her from the VISA document covering lost article. She was adamant lost phones were not covered. At some point I heard: “Surely they aren’t letting you man the fort by yourself” on his third try for a supervisor or other clerk.
No, this conversation was not productive for either conversant.
Christine was unable to transfer him to another service rep so she gave him the telephone number to call back and play representative-roulette. Which Hubby did. On the subsequent phone call, Hubby got Steve, who again told Hubby lost items are not covered. So Hubby read him the doc from the VISA website that does indeed say lost items are covered, and this doc doesn’t exclude cell phones.
And then suddenly Steve could file a claim for Hubby.
At this point, Hubby noticed he could file the claim himself online, although “lost” was not an option for why he was making the claim. So, he put other on his claim, and gave it a go.
Realizing this might be fruitless, Hubby called Verizon and when asked why calling, he said, “I lost my phone and I was hoping you, or the NSA, could help me locate it.” He said the Verizon rep was very nice, and he had the phone blocked. Now whoever found his lost phone has a useless cell phone; they “bricked it”. If someone does turn it in, Hubby can pick it up and they will make it usable again.
Hubby does have Verizon insurance but that is $99 for the deductible, and VISA would be a $0 deductible. Android and Apple have a default app “find my droid” and “find my iPhone”, but Blackberry doesn’t have that type of capability. There is a third party app you can download, but since Hubby picked up the phone a week ago, he had not done so.
I have very few hopes that VISA will come through for his claim. I strongly encouraged him to use his AmEx next time. Until this is resolved, Hubby is back to using his old Blackberry.
Ever lost (or had stolen) a cell phone? Tell me about your experience!
Patti says
Not fun. Hope hubby gets his phone back.
Here’s my experience. DD #2 lost hers while at college & thought she left it the Target store. Of course she went back & it wasn’t where she thought she left it. Nor had it been turned into lost & found.
I put on my super sleuth hat & contacted Target security. They basically said to keep checking back. I then went online & tracked the phone calls (Verizon) that were being made on her “lost” phone. One phone # kept coming up frequently. So I called it. It was a young woman. I asked if she had been receiving phone calls from DD #2’s number. She asked why I wanted to know. I told her the phone had been stolen. Man did she get mad at the guy who had been calling her from that number!! Gave me his address, full name & where he worked. Guess what……………..he was a Target employee! Called Target security back, gave them the info. They confronted the employee. Daughter got her phone back. I am guessing employee got a pink slip.
Since then I have heard there is an app to locate your phone/Ipad/whatever. Of course NSA can do that too.
Good luck!
Stephanie K says
That is a good story! So glad you were a “super sleuth”!
travellingbabie says
Patti,
AWESOME! You rock!
Ann says
Patti that is a fabulous story!
Yes, as I mentioned at the end, most have that app built in now, the blackberry does not.
Hubby did ask the Verizon lady if these are ever turned in, and she said they are turned in more often than people think. Here’s hoping!
Ann
KimH says
I did lose my phone once.. I just couldnt imagine where on earth I lost it since I was at work. Now admittedly, we were all too lose with our belongings there.. You cant take many items into MRI’s so wallets, phones & all sorts of personal “stuff” were left on & in our desks..
Anyways, I called Verizon and I was due for an upgrade so I got a Snart phone instead of my flip phone.. About 2 weeks later, I was talking to one of the gals I worked with & she was telling me that she found a cell phone in her car when she was cleaning it out over the weekend.. EUREKA!! It had been in my coat pocket and it slipped out when I got in her car for a ride back to work at lunch one day.. Sigh.
Oh well.. 🙂
What is NSA? And why do you suggest he use his AmEx instead? Are they easier to deal with?
Ann says
National Security Agency aka we spy on and record all Americans (without warrants), as well as all the citizens of our Allies.
AmEx is waaaaaaaaaaay easier to deal with. The protection plans are stellar for a credit card, IMO.
Ann
Debb F says
Hello Ann,
So sorry to hear about this but this will all work out, although I for see Coupon Stud having to pay up front and fight for the reimbursement. But I KNOW if anyone will fight for that , he will!
Yes my husband lost his work cell phone that was not even ours, it was the company’s phone and contract and we called his phone number ( this was about 10 years ago before they had optional insurance or even the ability to brick a phone) and when they guy answered in SPANISH, my husband said OH GREAT> and God bless my husband, he was able to get through to the guy that as soon as he got to work the next morning, the phone would be shut off and it isnt even his and we know you have it so just do the right thing and give it back. He asked the guy if he had children and explained we were a ONE INCOME family with a very sick little boy and this would be devistating to us. Thank GOD the man was a kind person and he did the right thing and met my husband to return it. My hubby lost it walking the dog right down the street from our house. Have you considered praying to St Anthony? He is the patron of lost items. And girl, you know I was praying!
Ann says
It is much different now, Debb. Hubby transferred the line immediately online, and since they brick the phone right away, whoever found it has a … useless phone.
Ann
sandy says
ann, what is the yearly fee for amex? what are it’s benefits that make it worthwhile? thanks.
sandy
KimH says
I dont paying any yearly fee for my AmEx.. They pay me!
Ann says
There are all sorts of AmEx flavors, Sandy. It depends on the card… the black card fee is thousands a year (and I would pay it if they offered it to me) to no fees. Here’s the AmEx cards and fees page.
Ann
Candie says
In the last year I have had my identity stolen twice, my cell phone once. I had the software and found who they were calling and I too became a super sleuth, except the one number that kept popping up was in the city I live in, so my son and I went and paid a visit. She told me who the person was and where I could find him, his work place, and I went there and in front of his coworkers I confronted him and got my phone back. The identity theft x 2 was horrible. I am still working on things. They some how got my email address, (I don’t open emails from people I don’t know), and traced all the sites I had used and bought stuff from online, WalMart, Amazon, BestBuy and several others and charged many things without my credit card number, just by email. They didn’t have my password but they circumvented it by asking for a new password. They were buying phone cards which the police told me is one of the largest items to steal and sell, hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of them, well over $2,000 worth. The only reason I found out was WalMart emailed me to tell me I requested a new password. All cards were shut down so they couldn’t use them but they were selling them and the people buying them would have been stuck with a useless card. No one can explain how they got my email address, but this is something everyone needs to watch out for. If you are notified you changed your password on an online site, and you didn’t, you need to call them immediately and stop the charges.
Candie
sandy says
candie…. EXCEPT same thing happened to me at Walmart. right down to how I figured it out and what they bought. I even got a kid’s video sent to me courtesy of them. the walmart site saves your credit card info. the rep I talked to says you need to go back and delete it after you complete your order. some companies make you keep it there (amazon if you have a kindle). seriously, this is a real battle.
Ann says
Candie that is horrible! Simply horrible.
Ann
Patti says
Ditto on the horrible Candie. Wow. Way more guts than I have on going to the crook’s place of work & personally confronting. I hope you get it all straightened out & it never happens again. Thanks for the info on password changing.