Apple has just updated the policy regarding lost and stolen iPhones. All the iPhones, be they old or new, if they are found listed as lost or stolen in the GSMA Device Registry, will not be repaired by Apple. The authorised service providers, as well as Apple Store Employees, will not accept lost or stolen iPhones for repair anymore. An iPhone can be marked as lost or stolen in the MobileGenius or GSX Systems that Apple uses to provide services to customers.
iPhone Users Must Check if Their Device is Not Listed as Lost or Stolen
According to MacRumours, an internal memo was sent to the employees (working in authorised stores or Apple stores) by Apple, which outlines that they will have to use the GSMA database to check if the iPhone that has been brought to the store is listed as stolen or lost. If it is, then the Apple Store employees can deny servicing the device. Note that this is not an old policy but an extension of it. As per the old policy, Apple could deny servicing the lost iPhones, which had Find My tracking enabled. But with the new policy, Apple will deny even the iPhones which have to Find My tracking disabled by checking the GSMA database. For the unaware, GSMA Device Registry is a database of device serial numbers with information about the device, whether it was lost or stolen. If a user reports his/her smartphone to be stolen, then the police will mark it as stolen in the database. This gets updated in the database, and Apple can access this database to determine whether an iPhone was lost or stolen. This is to protect the original owner’s data and money that he/she spent on the iPhone. Thus, the lost or stolen iPhone will be rendered useless as it won’t get any service from the company. Using the Find My service as well, people can mark their iPhone as lost.
