Help me return this lost cell phone!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

We had a beautiful day here today, so I took my dog for a walk around the neighborhood. As I passed the local high school, I saw a silver RAZR sitting in a melting pile of snow. I took it home and dried it off. I figured if I could make it work again, I could easily find whose it was. If not, I’d throw it away and no big deal. But it’s a little more complicated now, and I feel like its a mystery I must solve!

The last call was December 7, so I have to assume this phone has been sitting in the snow bank a LONG time. The phone is inactive… it does turn on, but when I try to dial out I’m connected to Verizon Wireless saying the phone is out of service.

Now, the tricky part. Some of the buttons simply don’t work anymore, making it impossible (for me, the layman) to find ANY numbers in this thing to call. There are phone book entries for “mom” and “dad”, but because of all the non-functional buttons, I can’t see their numbers to call them on my other phone.

This is a list of keys on the phone that work:
Green (call)
Red (end)
1,2,3,6,7,9,*,#
right arrow
up arrow

That’s it. The center “select” doesn’t work, nor do do the right/left “function” keys.

I can hit the right-arrow key and get into a menu of sorts, then select some menu items using the keypad. This is how I can see the address book, but once I’m in I can’t actually view the phone numbers because I can’t “select” or “edit” the entries.

So what I’m looking for is someone out there familiar with Verizon’s RAZR who can walk me through how to get mom or dad’s numbers using only the keys available.

Or, I could connect the phone to my computer and somehow grab the phone book that way? I’ve got a USB adapter that fits it (that’s actually how I charged it), and I run OS X.

Help me figure out this mystery, Dopers! The phone needs to be returned!

2

Since you know it’s a Verizon phone, take it to the closest direct Verizon store–they should be able to match the serial number of the phone to the account to which it belongs. On the other hand, if it’s been lost since 12/7 they’ve probably already replaced it, and a RAZR with non functioning keypad buttons has an intrinsic value around that of a banana slug in a prize garden but hey, knock yourself out!

3

I don’t have a razr, but this works on other phones I’ve used:

Open the phone book. Scroll up to the entry you want. Once that’s highlighted, click the right arrow. The number for that person should appear.

Again, I don’t know if it works with the razr, but it’ll only waste ten seconds if it doesn’t work.

4

Won’t the numbers be stored on the SIM card? Put it in your phone, and dial mom from there.

Anyway, if the phone doesn’t work, why bother?

5

Verizon doesn’t use Sim cards

6

BitPim for the MAC will let you copy the phonebook to your computer

7

I have a Motorola SLVR, not a RAZR, but if you hit the green button, it brings up a list of previously dialed numbers.

But it will use the nickname if the number is stored, so that will be no help at all if that’s the case.

Otherwise, it will show the last number it dialed and you could call from another phone and ask them–which sounds like a fool’s errand if the last call was the seventh and the phone’s been shut off.

The center select is the only way to actually view the details without hooking it up to a computer via the USB–and you may need the motorola program to be able to access the info.

I think you get kudos for good intentions, but it sounds impossible and as if the person who lost it has moved on. The service companies give those phones away like candy.

If the verizon store can’t get the info off the phone and get a hold of the owner, I’d just either donate it to a charity recycling program or give it to someone with a baby/little kid. Cellphones are favorite toys with them, for whatever reason. Quickest cure for crying I’ve ever seen.

8

Could it be, this is why it was in the snow bank?

9

Somewhere in the menu (I think in the settings) you should be able to find the number of the phone. Use a good phone to call it. But at that point, the person will probably tell you to toss it as the more then likely have a new phone by now.

10

Maybe i should have waited to post this thread.

After sitting all night, the phone is fully functional. Every button/function I’ve tried works like a charm, so I have mom and dad’s number here, ready to give them a little later today.

I want to return the phone for a couple reasons. First, because of the wallpaper and the fact that I found it in front of a high school, I suspect this was dropped by a young man working a part-time job for minimum wage, and phones are NOT cheap if you’re in contract. Its possible that he hasn’t replaced it yet, or maybe he’s using a friend’s old POS phone on his account.

Second, maybe there’s a picture or phone number on this phone that he really needs/wants.

And third, karma. I don’t care how long my phone had been missing for, I’d always appreciate it if a kind soul found it and returned it.

11

Sorry to be boring, but can’t you just take it into the local police station? If the owner has reported it lost or stolen the police should be able to match it up to the owner using the serial number.

Also, good on you for being honest. I know a lot of people who would have just dried the phone out and kept it. I found one a week or two ago and handed it in and my colleague said ‘Why did you do that? You should have just sold it!’
Yeh, and I work for the police.

12

Let’s hope it belongs to a one, Donald Eugene Ivens.

13

For future reference: probably the best way to get that cell phone back to the owner is to dial *611 from the phone. Even if the phone has been reported lost/stolen (and turned off to minimise expense to the owner), that will connect you to the phone company the phone is connected to, and they can contact the owner. I used to work at Sprint, and rare as people like you are, that was always the best way for a customer to retrieve their cellphone. Just taking it to the police station, while it works, creates more work for the police.

Before you call the cell phone company, it’s best to have the EIN from under the battery, but isn’t always necessary.

By the way, thanks for being the kind of person who actually gives a shit and tries to do right!

14

I just talked to the punk kid whose phone it is. He hasn’t replaced the phone yet, because as suspected, he’s still under contract and can’t afford it. He seemed very appreciative that I found it, but then asked me to drop it off at the front desk of his high school for him! I said “uh… no… you can figure out a way to come pick it up at my house if you want it bad enough.”

So I guess he’s not quite as appreciative as I’d liked, but he’s a punk high school kid, so what was I expecting?

Oh well, it still feels good to get it back into the right hands.

15

That’s fine, change one of his speed dial numbers to 911. It’ll even things out a bit.

16

Or better yet, add your number in the memory, and put the name as Peoria Police Dept. Then you can call him and have fun with it.

17

Oooh, a happy ending. I love happy endings! Good on you for doing the right thing.