Kitz Forum

Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: Chrysalis on January 02, 2018, 03:38:50 PM

Title: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 02, 2018, 03:38:50 PM
This is the first time I have been burgled but it was not what you might consider a typical burglary.

Even tho I have mobility issues I can manage to walk to my coop which is about 30m from my front door.  I usually do not lock my front door (is still closed) due to how close it is and that I go in the day time.

So today I went to the coop, got my bits, no queue, and was easily out within a few minutes.

On the way back noticed noone anywhere near my property.

When I walked back in bedroom after putting stuff in fridge, first noticed medication bag on floor was moved, then noticed desk seemed to have empty space.  My card wallet (all my debit/credit cards, plus organ donor card,and nhs card) was missing, and all 3 mobile phones missing from bedroom.  Also some stuff had been stepped on and a few items moved.  There is no signs of entry into other rooms but obviously I Cannot be sure.  I havent noticed anything else missing, but I cannot be sure on that either, there is a few gaps in my ps3 games on bookshelf which could be taken games or maybe they were already there.

So I have spent time contacting police, banks, landlord (to arrange new lock as keys look like they got taken also) and just now whilst this post was been written lock finally got changed.  I had to wait first for police to do forensics.

Personally I think someone has been watching me, rather than it been a random event, they had a window of maybe 3 minutes (if they waited for me to go in coop) or maybe 5-6 mins if include me walking there, I am a slow walker due to my health problems but I wasnt that slow today.

Yale locks auto lock when closing the door so for them to be sure the door wasnt locked I think they would have previously watched me enter without unlocking the door, and I even think it could possibly be a neighbour involved.

The police interview if called that was brief, not a lot of information taken, as always I thought of stuff to say after they had gone so I did ring them back afterwards, I wanted assurance the cctv footage to be checked (Cameras across road), to try and track my phone which is still turned on, and to speak to the investigating officer for line of enquiries I want followed.  All I got told is I will be lucky if someone gets in touch by end of tomorrow.

The only company I have failed to report to is EE, it seems their call centre has been down the entire new year period.  So right now not only do I have no mobile phone, but also I dont even have a new one arranged or new sim arranged.  No contents insurance or phone insurance either, so over £1k of phones lost, all private photos etc. means of getting taxi's, my support worker etc.  100s of hours spent on getting phone customised for my use all lost as well.  I have 2 mobile numbers so if both are going to work I am actually going to need 2 phones, a nightmare. Sky have probably hit the jackpot on my next landline usage bill.

I think the only hope of recovery was tracking, police not interested in that line of pursuit so realistically is lost.  Lesson learned is to always lock my front door in future, even if I am just crossing the road.  Contents insurance was considered in the past but the quote for this property was unreal, but I am now seriously considering phone insurance on any new phone. :(
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: roseway on January 02, 2018, 04:08:12 PM
I'm really sorry to hear that. It's a rotten start to the new year. :(
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: burakkucat on January 02, 2018, 04:32:33 PM
I am sorry to read of your experience.  :(  It must be very unsettling to know that it appears you have been watched.  >:(
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 02, 2018, 05:15:35 PM
EE are been unreal £280 to get a new phone via contract early termination or to start a new contract alongside old one.  When I cannot even use it now without a phone.

I got the women to attempt to contact upgrades to broker a deal but that department still has technical issues so no more progress today.

Note the £280 is just to get me to qualify for a phone via renewal, I would have to pay for the other phone on top of that.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 02, 2018, 05:43:46 PM
Its turning into a tv drama.

But for now i will only give the update in PM, as is ongoing with police also. 
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Weaver on January 02, 2018, 06:07:45 PM
god, I'm so sorry to hear of this. I have had a three cars stolen, covered by insurance thank goodness, a major house fire (no contents insurance) and umpteen lightning strikes (no insurance until last spring's strike), so I can appreciate your situation.

Insurance is often so ridiculously expensive.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Ronski on January 02, 2018, 07:41:01 PM
I'm so sorry to hear you've been burgled and to add insult to injury EE want to rip you off. Surely EE can send out new SIM's on your existing contracts and you can buy a phone yourself, there's some great phones out there for a lot less than £280, and a lot of them take two sim's. Is there any tracking on the phones - google/apple location?

I've been burgled a few times over the years, even chased somebody out of a house once, but the worse time was when we came back from a weeks holiday. Luckily we had an alarm so they didn't stay in the house long, but they came back mid week and turned the power off, so the alarm battery went flat. I think if we'd been away longer we'd come back to an empty house. Luckily all we lost was the contents of the freezer, but it haunted us for years afterwards, when we went away it was always there in the back of your mind. We've also had stuff stolen by a workman working in our house whilst I was here, luckily his colleague got suspicious and alerted me and the police recovered the items - when they eventually turned up, took another phone call to them and me threatening to sort him out if they didn't come!

I always used to go for the cheapest insurance, but a few years ago we changed to Hiscox, yes it costs £47 a month, but it gives me peace of mind - they'll pay out if we forget to lock the windows, or turn on the alarm etc and there's no silly low limits etc.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: adrianw on January 02, 2018, 07:58:21 PM
What a dreadful experience.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: kitz on January 02, 2018, 08:06:41 PM
So sorry to hear this.  I agree that it sounds like someone had been watching you with it being such a short time-frame. 

EE seem to be totally unsympathetic.   
Many years ago I had my phone stolen from my bag. Vodafone cancelled the phone and sent me out a new SIM card.  They then even transferred my number to the new SIM.   In the meantime I used an old phone. They didn't charge anything for doing that as long as I provided a copy of the police incident report.
Obviously I still had to pay the remainder of my contract but luckily for me there was only about 4-5 months left on it.. and because vodafone also let you renew up to 3 months early then I made do with the old phone for a couple of months. 
 
I've no idea why EE can't do similar with something like a Galaxy J series which you can pick up quite cheaply but still get most functions.  How much longer of your contract is left to run?
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 03, 2018, 02:40:23 AM
Thanks guys.

Ronski yes an option is to just buy a cheap PAYG, and just ride out the EE contract.  I checked the "here is my device" thingy on google, it confirmed the phone was on, 54% battery, location services disabled.

There has been an update which I provided to a couple of people via PM, where the short version is someone rang back (not to me) from the phone to offer to return it.  If its legit, I could get it back during today (wednesday).

I checked my DHCP table on pfsense to see if the phone was still online nearby via my wifi, was not connected.

Kitz EE offered to send a new sim free no problem, but I got no alternative phone, I was hoping they would be sympathetic in basically waiving my commitment to the rest of the contract provided my new contract was also with them, so they still getting revenue from me.  This contract runs out end of this year.

If I dont get the phone back and EE remain as they are on the replacement, then I can see myself replacing with a low end phone, just so I have the means to communicate, call taxis etc.

In the past I had looked into contents insurance but it was very expensive for my postcode, over £600 a year, EE charge £8-£14 a month for phone insurance which I also consider on the high side.  So consider I have had 2 phones from EE, currently 3 years of contract since I got my first phone from them, if we assume £10 per month insurance thats £360 so actually would have been a net loss on that £280 expense.  Or buying another phone of same model/brand off ebay about break even at best.  Contents insurance also probably would not have paid out as leaving my door unlocked is likely negligence.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Samsung-Galaxy-S7-SM-G930F-32GB-Black-Onyx-Unlocked-Smartphone/220054417?iid=381739971048
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Ronski on January 03, 2018, 06:59:07 AM
Hopefully you get your phone back, just be careful as you don't know if they have other motives.

I always look at the total contract cost of a phone compared to buying it separately then getting a SIM only contract, so far I've never had a phone on a contract.

£600 for contents only, that is expensive, ouch!
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 03, 2018, 01:39:18 PM
Yeah well police arent interested so if we do meet up with the person there be no police presence, I not heard anything since yesterday, I find the whole thing weird, so right now I am looking for a new phone, but struggling to find anything I consider reasonable value, budget phones sold by the large UK retailers are way overpriced to the point they not much cheaper than a high end phone.  I can get a S7 for a bit more than a A5 costs from giffgaff as an example but its from china and that makes me bit wary.

£150 for a j3 just seems way overpriced for what you get.

EE upgrade systems still down (3rd day running), but the suggestion the operator gave is I would get early upgrade fee 50% waived if I took out a £50+ contract O_o.  I just told them if they want me to wind down my contract they playing roulette with my loyalty at the end of it, I am expecting more like 80-100% waived for a contract of equal value to what I got now so we light years apart.

I think I might settle on the hauwei y6, EE network phone 2 gig ram, quad core 1.4 ghz IPS screen for £70, dont think I going to get much better for the cost, use it till end of year.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Ronski on January 03, 2018, 03:44:26 PM
I got my daughter  a Moto G5 for Christmas. I have an Elephone P9000 bought from China for £200, had pretty much everything  including wireless charging. Only problem with Chinese phones is lack of decent cases rather strangely.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 03, 2018, 04:40:55 PM
Before I pulled trigger my tech itchiness came back.

S7 now ordered albeit used. (before the below occurred). (not from EE whos business dealings with me right now are on very shaky ground).

But the police are now interested again and even apologised for what was said to me earlier, they following things up now with the guy who found the phone, and my phone is apparently in the post as well. 
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: V_R on January 03, 2018, 10:43:57 PM
Sorry to hear that, sounds like you were indeed watched. :(

Get Cerberus installed on the phone this time, as a system app if you can. At least it will give you a chance to track the device.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 04, 2018, 12:59:25 PM
funny enough I just found out about cerberus literally 10 mins before posting here, indeed it will be installed, looks an excellent piece of software (the stealth version I will use).

I got the hauwei already for my giffgaff (locked to O2 network)

The S7 came by special delivery today so thats here as well.

Originally was going to be a £20 phone for giffgaff but I remember the last time I had an android phone with so little ram it wasnt stable and couldnt even load the dialer properly (phone had 512meg ram), so giffgaff has been upgraded to a hauwei Y7 which seems a pretty good value phone, 2 gig of ram and reasonable performance for £70.

The S7 should be unlocked to any network, seller said it was pristine, but is a faint scratch on back, and I think the sim tray is not the original as it doesnt fit snugly, I will live with it tho as both flaws will be hidden by the cover I will use on it, both phones will get cerberus.

If I do get the other S7 back, (events seem too good to be true) and its undamaged then I will probably sell this S7, the old S5 was kept as a spare, but didnt do much good cause I lose it when I lost the S7.

The earlier bad advice from the police was for us to turn up to a meeting with the guy without police assistance to collect the phone that he said has been found, the detective I spoke to yesterday said that advice should never have been given due to the danger involved.  However there will be no meeting as the phone is now apparently on the way to a family member in the post.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: V_R on January 04, 2018, 02:00:49 PM
also, once you've installed it make sure you disable notifications, otherwise it will show one saying the device has been located thus alerting any would be thief you are tracking the phone. ;)

More: http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/11/18/google-demands-cerberus-anti-theft-app-less-stealthy/
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: kitz on January 04, 2018, 09:59:10 PM
Quote
Kitz EE offered to send a new sim free no problem, but I got no alternative phone, I was hoping they would be sympathetic in basically waiving my commitment to the rest of the contract provided my new contract was also with them, so they still getting revenue from me.  This contract runs out end of this year.

Ahh...  I thought from your earlier comments they weren't offering anything.
   
TBF I dont think any of the mobile phone companies would waive the remaining contract under these circumstances.   "Free phone" with any contract is not really free and they recoup the cost of the phone from your monthly fee and based on contract length.    Usually   

If they started waiving contracts & starting new ones with new phones - especially when you consider the large amount of phones that are stolen each year then it no doubt would be at a loss to them.    Not to mention the fact that people would also abuse this method to get out of contract on an older phone if they wanted to upgrade early :(


Good luck with the S7 and I also hope that something positive comes out of the recovery of your old phone, although I must admit I would be suspicious too :/
 
---
My contract ran out on my Galaxy Neo (S5 with some S6 features) just before xmas and Ive done what Ronski is doing and Im now Sim only. 
Because I have the Neo anything less than an S7 isn't worth upgrading for.. but the monthly cost took it over my budget.   

Instead Im now paying about £6pm over the next 12 months compared to £30+  for exactly the same call package just without a phone...  which goes to show that circa £24pm would have been going towards the cost of the S7.

Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Weaver on January 05, 2018, 05:29:53 AM
This is Android of course ? Forgive my ignorance, I've never even seen an Android phone.

Is your world saved onto an Android “cloud” internet-based storage system? (My stuff from my ipads is all safely in Apple's iCloud storage so I can survive a machine dying.)
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 05, 2018, 08:57:09 AM
Kitz yeah it seems thats the crunch of it, such a policy would be ripe for abuse, I guess I just expected too much from a moral point of view.

I asked EE whats the insurance cost for my phone and the answer is £12 month.

My contract is £17 a month more than a sim only contract of the same specs meaning £17 a month is for the phone.

An insurance that costs 2/3 of whats been insured isnt a very good insurance, on that basis I could argue contract under duress, but I cant be bothered.  One only needs to go for 2.5 years or more without a lost phone and the insurance option is already more expensive than buying a replacement phone or buying out the contract.

The reason I got the phone via contract tho is it is subsidised, over the duration of the contract at the time I got it was cheaper than going sim only (and buying new phone outright ) by about £250.  Its like a negative interest loan term, pretty favourable.  Granted this may not be the case with all the contract phones, but it was with the S7 at the time I got it.

Weaver yes its android.  By default things like contacts are stored in the cloud but not all photos etc. Although I disabled that as I didnt want stuff like my contact details in the cloud.  I do have backups on my PC, but I think the most recent is at least around a year old. So not every single photo I have ever had on my phones is lost.

An example of where EE is a complete joke on insurance is the nokia 3 on a 2 year contract, under £100 to buy outright sim free, but £8 a month insurance over 2 years, £192 to insure a £90 phone.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: broadstairs on January 05, 2018, 10:20:44 AM
I suspect that the insurance costs are based on the overall claims record for the entire customer base and loss of mobile phones is rife therefore cost is somewhat exorbitant.

Stuart
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 05, 2018, 11:39:00 AM
and the profit margin ;) a bit like how the likes of currys make more from extended guarantees than selling the product.

I find it hard to believe EE have 2 nokia 3's reported lost for every 1 they sell :) and 2 S7's lost for every 3 they sell.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Weaver on January 05, 2018, 05:13:39 PM
@Chrysalis - Apol, what was the story with the recover of your old phone? please excuse, many drugs today.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Ronski on January 05, 2018, 06:52:35 PM
There's much better ways to get phone insurance.

We pay our bank £13 a month for our current account, but we get mobile phone insurance for the family (2 adults + children living at home), European breakdown cover (covers both account holders, and in the UK even if a passenger in any car) and worldwide travel insurance. Not bad for £156 a year, oh and there's certain banking benefits  ;D

Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Deathstar on January 05, 2018, 06:57:59 PM
There's much better ways to get phone insurance.

We pay our bank £13 a month for our current account, but we get mobile phone insurance for the family (2 adults + children living at home), European breakdown cover (covers both account holders, and in the UK even if a passenger in any car) and worldwide travel insurance. Not bad for £156 a year, oh and there's certain banking benefits  ;D
That's the same us us, only 2 phones though....that reminds me, I need to update it.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Weaver on January 05, 2018, 07:09:00 PM
IIRC, I get free insurance against dropping it my iPad Pro as part of AppleCare+ support contract I have on it, but that doesn't cover the ipad getting nicked.

Mrs Weaver set up contents insurance last year which I sincerely hope covers nickage and does, after initial shameful hassle, include lightning damage to technological kit. To recap the story: She used “Simply Business” for business contents insurance. I wouldn't recommend them unless you can get a blood oath in writing from them that they will cover exactly what you need with no grief and no wriggling out of it, nor evil small print. Last year I had a lightning damaged port on one of my Firebrick IP routers (I have a spare luckily). To begin with the insurance gits were completely dishonest and obstructive but did in the end cave in when I got nasty, and they suddenly changed their tune and agreed to pay out, which would have been something like £900, but then amazingly Andrews and Arnold,who sold the Firebrick to me, gave me a brand new one as a replacement and even effectively restarted the clock on the warranty as the new one came with a full term warranty, so it says.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Ronski on January 05, 2018, 08:27:11 PM
I had a surprise email from our insurers (Hiscox) today, I had noticed they'd taken the monthly payment a couple of days early this month, I thought nothing of it, put it down to New Years day, but alas no it was an error and if said error had caused me any costs they will reimburse them.

Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 05, 2018, 10:32:25 PM
Ronski I will check with bank actually as I do have some kind of addon with them where its waived because of the income going into the bank.

Good news by the way guys, I was round one of my sister's, and my new S7 got a call but I ignored it.

I rang back an hour later and it was my other sister informing me she posted a parcel through my door with my phone inside, now got home and the phone is there seemingly undamaged and not wiped either, it all seems fine, I have unblacklisted it already.  Bit of a miracle really given what one would expect when a phone is stolen.

https://www.lloydsbank.com/current-accounts/added-value-accounts/mobile-phone-insurance.asp
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Ronski on January 06, 2018, 12:46:01 PM
That's great news, not only saves you some money, but all the hassle of getting the phone just how you like it, which can take ages.

I think the thing with phones these days is they can be blocked so easily (rendering them pretty useless), and they can also be traced fairly easily if companies so desire, so perhaps they are becoming more unattractive to thieves and resellers.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 06, 2018, 03:00:35 PM
Well interestingly the location is turned on, on the phone, but "find my device" still reports its turned off, so something not working right, I will try cerberus soon.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: roseway on January 06, 2018, 03:20:45 PM
I'm really pleased you got your phone back.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: kitz on January 06, 2018, 05:53:15 PM
Glad to hear that you got your phone back :)
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Chrysalis on January 06, 2018, 06:19:42 PM
Thanks guys.

Cerberus works, whilst google "find my device" still says Location service turned off.

The police will be receiving a complaint, they closed the case, however it turns out although they claimed they checked the cctv and its not facing my house, the council have told me there is indeed a 3rd camera facing my property, contradicting what the police have stated, the police didnt follow up leads I gave them either.

We seem to be fast moving to a state where certain crimes are going to be sort of "acceptable crimes" that get no serious attention from law enforcement.  I got very lucky, and I know I was negligent but the police should still put in 100%.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: adrianw on January 06, 2018, 09:21:21 PM
Glad you have your phone back, largely unscathed.

I fear you are right about "acceptable crimes" where the Police might stretch to a pacifying visit, but little else. In these straightened times ...
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: Weaver on January 07, 2018, 12:39:18 AM
> I got very lucky, and I know I was negligent but the police should still put in 100%.

Quite right. “Acceptable crime” isn't.
Title: Re: burgled today - EE call centre down for 2 days as well - police response
Post by: jaydub on January 07, 2018, 10:35:23 AM
Glad you have your phone back, largely unscathed.

I fear you are right about "acceptable crimes" where the Police might stretch to a pacifying visit, but little else. In these straightened times ...

I'm afraid Police resources are stupidly stretched.

We had a minibus taxi reverse into my wife's car, got the offender on our next door neighbour's CCTV camera.  I spent two hours on the phone trying to get through to the traffic officers on duty and had to give up.

Chrysalis, So glad you got your phone back.