MobileMe and Toronto's Finest caught the iphone 3G Thief or Low Budget THE WIRE TORONTO

Photo from retrieved iphonephoto from retrieved iphoneMy week-end started with a tech chase. I was driving to my weekly pick-up TouchFootball game when I decided to run in to Starbuck to get a pre-game Americano for a cafeine boost that would accompanie my iphone playing some motivating beats. I parked on College.

4 minutes later, I jump into my car, turn the ignition and realize that my iphone is no longer sitting in the Car craddle, where I had left it there carelessly. I had also not locked my door. (I know, I know but I didn't get the remote powerdoors feature on my car Honda.) I sit for a split second poundering my stupidity then I realize nothing to fear. I have MOBILEME it syncs all my contacts and I can remote wipe it and I CAN LOCATE IT AT ALL TIMES!

3 TIMES LUCKY
1. I am a half a block away from Toronto Metro Police station div. 14
2. When I get there it's a slow morning at the cop station.
3. They have a computer and some damn fine police talent.


I explained the situation to the receiving officer and he got it right away. Time was of the essence. So directed me to another officer who was at a computer station. I logged into my account and use the FIND MY PHONE feature. First thing I did was remote lock it then explained to the officer what this service offer. She proceded to take over the station and remote call the phone (a feature which is typically in my opinion used to find your iphone when you have misplaced it in your house) , the phone rings for 2 mins even if it is on vibrate. 2 officers decide to walk up the street and see if anybody is suspicious with an iphone in the location indicated on the Google Maps powered application. The phone is not moving for about 7 mins now.

The officers return without my iphone and tell me that I should file a report just so it is logged. I ask to use the computer to remote wipe my phone to clean it of it's contacts and personal info but on the refresh; we notice that the phone is on the move. A very tech savy officer (I can see by the way he worked the keyboard and browser) swiftly opens a new tab with full Google Maps. and uses Streetview to get a visual of the area. He takes my number down, tells the computer station officer to keep hailing the iphone via Find My Phone and takes a quick snap with his smartphone of the map location. He calls for a car to go and cover a rear enterance of the street and he goes off to the location.

Toronto's Finest caught the iphone car thief moments later. He also had a laptop and 3 car GPS units with him and had already stripped my phone from its custom skin and had put a new rubber case on it.

Well little over an hour after the theft, amongst the now busy with activity Police Station, I had my iphone back in hand. Thanks MOBILEME, GOOGLE MAPS and the Men and Women of Division 14 of Metro Police.  

 

Fido doesn't want Me as a Customer or No iphone Contract for You!

It was recently my anniversary. So, I thought what would make my wife's life easier, a Tricorder or an iphone.

Since I moved both of our phones to Fido last year from Bell Mobility and payed a minor penalty to break my contract early. (The monthly savings because of the switch made up for breaking contract early, simple math). Anyways back to this saga of stupid business. So, I called Fido to figure out how much it was going to cost me to modify my wife's current contract and flip it to an iphone, a 3 year contract.

Here we go, the "customer support agent", let's call her Amy, told me that my wife's phone plan was not eligible until June 2010 for an upgrade? I was mildly confused. She told me that to get an iphone at 99$ she had to wait.

"OKayyyy, what if I don't want to wait?", she replied "599$ + monthly penalty for breaking contract". Seemed sorta expensive when you do the simple math (add on a voice and data plan/3 year contract).

There was a moment of silence on my iphone that I was calling from... then a solution! I said to Amy, "what if I cancel her phone and get a new phone number" or even better "what if I just  move her phone plan to another provider like Rogers and pay the monthly penalty to break her contract?". Simple math. 99$+ retain phone number+ 300$ penalty. Way cheaper and odds that customer service would be much better than Fido's.  She agreed with me. So, I ended the call. Interesting.

I called 611 on my iphone 2 minutes later, Fido "Customer Support". I have learned from my years with Bell Sympatico and Rogers Cable to alway call twice if your not sure you got the right information. I must say that I was a little confused why Fido didn't want me to lock in to a new 3 year contract before the next contract expired. I would imagine that this would be a Cell Phone Provider's wet dream. Let's call this agent Jason and he confirmed that this was all correct. Moreover, confirmed that my best course of action was to go to another provider Rogers.

I sat baffled since I was trying to do this contract change in the shadow of Bell and Telus announcing that they were going to carry the iphone. Wouldn't Fido want me as a customer for 3 more years before the real competition comes to town? I voiced my displeasure on Twitter where let's just call the user @Fidomobile tried to solve my problem by sendind it to the head office "Customer Care dept."

I talked to, let just call him Abdul, for 12 minutes where he re-iterated the same information the other agents had informed me but with a particular spin "if they just let people change there contract constantly Fido could not run there business properly". I wish I could recall his analogy but I countered with mine which at that point just seemed to see that I was not buying his "sales pitch".

My Analogy: I lease a Car for a 5 years contract. 3 years into the contract I go back to the dealer and say " I want a new model. Car salesman would promptly sign a new contract, locking me in for another 5 year contract. Thus, another happy customer and that is how you should run your business.

Fido's policies are counter intuitive and they have weakness' in there plans that I won't go into. 

At this point, I am waiting for Bell & Telus to roll out there iphone plans. Then I will move my 2 phones to the company that offers the best service and plans, but not Fido because thwarting your customers from upgrading doesn't make for happy customers. Moreover, I will discourage my clients who usually ask me technical questions about future purchases not to become a Fido customer.

Oh yeah and thanks for ruining my wedding anniversary gift for my wife.