Next there is T-mobile and the IMEI Number...

They stole my 2G Iphone! 16gig S/N 8880309N0KH IMEI 011434009164177

No SIM in it and it was in the box so it could be sold on Ebay where it might be sold but not by me. All modern mobile phones are required by law to have a distinct IMEI number. The IMEI number or International Mobile Equipment Identity is broadcasts every time the mobile phone is used and can be tracked anywhere in the world by it. it cannot be blocked or removed and contrary to what someone at t-mobile told the police, even if the person uses a pay as you go SIM the phone location can be triangulated and records of all outgoing phone numbers are available. But to get T-Mobile to take any action the police must get a warrant. Why? This is my phone and I have given the police permission so that should be all they need. But T-Mobile wants to be obstructive. So obstruction that to get to the legal department to ask why they want to be this way you must write them. you cannot call, you cannot email. So I said so the police have to write you? No it seems they have a secret code to get through. But then they still must force T-Mobile to give them the information on my phone through a warrant.

Why would T-Mobile do this? Well let’s look at its roots. They are a part of one of the worse government monopolies in the world, Deutsch Telecom. German government owned and operated with a power greater than the AT&T monopoly ever had and for a lot longer. They could not only do what they wanted, charge what they wanted and control the development of technology in German they could do it with the full force of the German government behind it. Have they changed? Not by much it seems.

Since they are a foreign entity involved in a strategic industry, maybe it is time to shut them down or make them understand how the US works. Maybe it is time for the feds to step in and require mobile phone companies to work with not only the police but the consumer, the owner of the phone, helping by tracking the IMEI number to catch the thieve. The should be required to not only have the ability to track stolen mobile phones but the desire to do so and the mandate to keep police and the public informed as to their ability to do it.

Why would T-Mobile not want to? for the same reason as Tivo, the more phones out there, legally bought or not, are potentially more phones paying for service. If they catch the thieves that steal mobile phones then they lose those people as potential customers.

OK Congress we need another law because T-Mobile will not do the right thing for the right reasons. We need a law that requires that all mobile operators have a list of stolen phones by IMEI number and that all accounts must match the IMEA number given when the account is setup and if a person changes phones, they must also advise the mobile operate of the new IMEI number. and the mobile provider must have a way to monitor the IMEI number whenever the phone number for that phone come active. This way there is no way a stolen phone can be reused and so there is no incentive to steal one.

The following is from a mobile phone forum and is dated 2007. I put this here to let people know I am not the only one who believes that the mobile providers have a financial incentive to not help find or block stolen phones. "My conclusion is that Tmobile (and other providers) don't have any motivation to set up any kind of system of helping customers recover their stolen property because they make a lot of money off of it. Honestly, I agree with Counsel, to some extent, that these corporations should be somewhat responsible. That might sound melodramatic to some, but it makes a lot of logical sense to me. Maybe not a class-action lawsuit, but some sort of legislation should be passed requiring them to pass along the information to local police, and let them decide to pursue it or not. What do you guys think?" http://forums.mobiledia.com/topic61587.html

What right do people have to go around a neighborhood pretending to sell product when they are just casing the area to see who is home and when?