Does 2degrees lock stolen phones or not?

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Does 2degrees lock stolen phones or not?

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#787457 26-Mar-2013 20:20

2DegreesCare: The caller must be a 2degrees customer and must have account authority. We will not block devices if reported as a lost/stolen by a non-2degrees customer. They will be security ID'd either by providing their account PIN or answering appropriate security questions.

Care will need the following info -
2degrees number/IMEI
Date the device lost/stolen
Contact number
Any other notes that the customer wants to provide (e.g. police ref)

Please note that the handset must be reported stolen to 2degrees within 30 days.

So would it be fair to say that 2 degrees effectively either condones or turns a blind eye to phones that could be stolen, being used by customers on your network?

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

wibble

85 posts

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#787584 26-Mar-2013 22:00

DarthKermit:
2DegreesCare: The caller must be a 2degrees customer and must have account authority. We will not block devices if reported as a lost/stolen by a non-2degrees customer. They will be security ID'd either by providing their account PIN or answering appropriate security questions.

Care will need the following info -
2degrees number/IMEI
Date the device lost/stolen
Contact number
Any other notes that the customer wants to provide (e.g. police ref)

Please note that the handset must be reported stolen to 2degrees within 30 days.

So would it be fair to say that 2 degrees effectively either condones or turns a blind eye to phones that could be stolen, being used by customers on your network?

I certainly don't think they condone it - just that they are limited in what they can do when they can't authenticate the person calling (because they aren't a 2degrees customer).

I think this process is consistent across the 3 operators, so whilst it's not ideal, it's not a 2degrees specific issue.

newbellies

159 posts

Master Geek

#787650 27-Mar-2013 07:05

wibble:
DarthKermit:
2DegreesCare: The caller must be a 2degrees customer and must have account authority. We will not block devices if reported as a lost/stolen by a non-2degrees customer. They will be security ID'd either by providing their account PIN or answering appropriate security questions.

Care will need the following info -
2degrees number/IMEI
Date the device lost/stolen
Contact number
Any other notes that the customer wants to provide (e.g. police ref)

Please note that the handset must be reported stolen to 2degrees within 30 days.

So would it be fair to say that 2 degrees effectively either condones or turns a blind eye to phones that could be stolen, being used by customers on your network?

I certainly don't think they condone it - just that they are limited in what they can do when they can't authenticate the person calling (because they aren't a 2degrees customer).

I think this process is consistent across the 3 operators, so whilst it's not ideal, it's not a 2degrees specific issue.

Per my previous post, Vodafone was happy to block the stolen phone, even though I'm not a Vodafone customer.

So really, we are exactly back where we started. No wonder 2 degrees is known as the stolen phone network.

"
As many of you no doubt know, 2 degrees does not honour this system. Reps I spoke to at Vodafone and Telecom were quick to point this out. "Sort of makes the whole system pointless," joked a store rep. "If you see a phone on trademe that says 2 degrees only - that's a stolen phone"

Best case, block the phones from your network. If you're too cheap or busy to do that, why don't you at least inform the customers that they are using a stolen phone? I can get a URL for you if you're too busy to find that.

So, 2 degrees, I'm really disappointed in you. I hope you at least manage to slip in some extra fees on the thief's bill on my behalf.
"

wibble

85 posts

Master Geek

#787652 27-Mar-2013 07:12

newbellies:

Per my previous post, Vodafone was happy to block the stolen phone, even though I'm not a Vodafone customer.

So really, we are exactly back where we started. No wonder 2 degrees is known as the stolen phone network.

That is really interesting because in this thread:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=115419&page_no=2#787576

johnr states: "Vodafone customer service is for Vodafone customers not Telecom, We can't ID a telecom customer so no action can be taken or anyone could just ring up and block a IMEI number"

So it sounds like what you experienced isn't in line with VF policy.

What is to stop me grabbing my mates TC or 2d phone, dialling *#06#, noting the 15 digit IMEI and then calling VF to block it?

newbellies

159 posts

Master Geek

#787671 27-Mar-2013 09:01

wibble:
newbellies:

Per my previous post, Vodafone was happy to block the stolen phone, even though I'm not a Vodafone customer.

So really, we are exactly back where we started. No wonder 2 degrees is known as the stolen phone network.

That is really interesting because in this thread:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=115419&page_no=2#787576

johnr states: "Vodafone customer service is for Vodafone customers not Telecom, We can't ID a telecom customer so no action can be taken or anyone could just ring up and block a IMEI number"

So it sounds like what you experienced isn't in line with VF policy.

What is to stop me grabbing my mates TC or 2d phone, dialling *#06#, noting the 15 digit IMEI and then calling VF to block it?

I can't speak to their internal documented policies. All I know was that they were happy to do it. It would be fairly trivial for Vodafone (and 2D for that matter) to call telecom and confirm that it's been reported stolen (and/or police).

Hoping all the mobile operators get their act together soon because having been burgled 3 times now and the thieves clearly seem to be 'winning'.

2degreesCare

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2degrees

#787792 27-Mar-2013 12:09

newbellies:

3) 2D was not. But to be fair, I have not tried again since it was reported that 2D customer care was misinformed.

Please PM me the details as mentioned above and we'll be happy to block your phone.

Just to reiterate we are working towards a new industry standard model with the other carriers to provide this service across all networks.
We advise reporting a stolen phone with the Police first. Any phone tracking requests need to come from the Police.

Cheers
^POB

n4

959 posts

Ultimate Geek

#788129 27-Mar-2013 17:34

newbellies:

I can't speak to their internal documented policies. All I know was that they were happy to do it. It would be fairly trivial for Vodafone (and 2D for that matter) to call telecom and confirm that it's been reported stolen (and/or police).

When you say 'they were happy to do it', do you mean that they did actually take all the details and block the phone? Or that they said they would be happy to do it if asked?

Samsung Note20 Ultra, on 2degrees

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newbellies

159 posts

Master Geek

#788336 28-Mar-2013 06:44

2DegreesCare:
newbellies:

3) 2D was not. But to be fair, I have not tried again since it was reported that 2D customer care was misinformed.

Please PM me the details as mentioned above and we'll be happy to block your phone.

Just to reiterate we are working towards a new industry standard model with the other carriers to provide this service across all networks.
We advise reporting a stolen phone with the Police first. Any phone tracking requests need to come from the Police.

Cheers
^POB

I do appreciate your offer to skirt company policy and ban my non-2D phone. However, until anybody can call in and get their non-2D phone blocked, the demand for stolen phones will persist. The upshot for 2D is that a disproportionate amount of those stolen phones (paying customers) will end up on your network. The downside for 2D that you'll continue to be known as the stolen phone network.

That's great that there is a long term plan to work with other carriers to get phones banned across all networks. I do not understand why an interim plan is not put in place today. You're latecomers to the blocking stolen phones. Why not use this opportunity and take the lead?

Gilco2

1556 posts

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#788337 28-Mar-2013 06:54

I can understand carriers not wanting to ban phones by someone ringing up as there is no way to identify that person. However if you are an on account customer it should be possible to prove that you are who you say you are. For those on prepay and for you to want your phone blocked on opposition networks then yes you need police report and to physically go in as they have no way of identifying you are genuine

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newbellies

159 posts

Master Geek

#788339 28-Mar-2013 07:01

Gilco2: I can understand carriers not wanting to ban phones by someone ringing up as there is no way to identify that person. However if you are an on account customer it should be possible to prove that you are who you say you are. For those on prepay and for you to want your phone blocked on opposition networks then yes you need police report and to physically go in as they have no way of identifying you are genuine

If carriers do not block stolen phones from other networks, the whole process is entirely pointless. It does nothing to squelch demand for stolen phones.

It would be completely trivial for any carrier to ring up the original carrier to confirm that it was reported stolen on their network (or ring up the police).

Dratsab

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#788433 28-Mar-2013 10:04

From the sounds of what Johnr posted earlier, what is being worked towards is a system where people have their stolen phone blocked on their carrier. This information will then automatically be propogated out to the other carriers.

It should have been set up years ago, there's absolutely no excuses for not doing so. There's even less excuse for the newcomer to not have had something in place from day one.

richms

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#788499 28-Mar-2013 12:00

Carriers should only block with a police report so why the need to ID only your own customers?

Richard rich.ms

newbellies

159 posts

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#788684 28-Mar-2013 14:50

richms: Carriers should only block with a police report so why the need to ID only your own customers?

Whether they use a police report, or just confirm with the original carrier for the SIM (who can verify your ID), I don't think it makes much difference. Although maybe the telecoms would have more resources to field these queries than the police? None of the telcos, including my own, asked for a police report number.

I got a phone back today after some great work from the police. I used the opportunity to again query Telecom and Vodafone on their policies. Vodafone was happy to lock or unlock IMEI numbers even for those phones not on their network. However, like 2D, Telecom was only willing to lock/unlock IMEI numbers from their customers, so I have to give Telecom a fail too.

That's really great that telco's are working together for yet-to-be-completed project of banning phones across all networks, but I don't see why can't 2D and Telecom be like the good citizens like Vodafone is right now. Why wait? Why not kill demand for these phones right now?

Laforet

22 posts

Geek

#790207 1-Apr-2013 14:24

BTW, a number of cheap imported phones of dodgy origin have either corrupt or cloned IMEI numbers that are frequently rejected by VF or Telecom, although they are not technically stolen phones. As far as I can recall they worked fine on 2degrees.

richms

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#790215 1-Apr-2013 15:10

Yeah, a "unique IMEI" is a feature listed on some of the phones on the asian trading sites.

The half decent ones I have never seen with an identical IMEI, but a person I know who got a couple of big buttoned tard phones for his great grandparents found they had the same as each other. They work ok for now on 2 degrees but who knows for how long.

Richard rich.ms

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