Apple Refuses To Fix IPhone Listed As Lost Phone

Apple takes action against iPhones registered as lost phones.(photo: Alexander Andrews/Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Apple is taking action against iPhones that are registered as lost phones, which the company is reluctant to repair in case of damage to the device.

Then how does the iPhone know that the iPhone is lost or stolen? Yes, if an iPhone has been listed as lost in the GSMA Device Registry directory, Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will be instructed to refuse any repair services for that device.

GSMA is a global mobile data repository that allows users to report their device as lost if it has been stolen or someone has scammed it from them.

Usually, the best way to get a device on the list is to report the loss to the mobile operator who will then list the device with GSMA.

Then, the device status will be shared with manufacturers, retailers, insurance service providers, and distributors. This is useful for informing all parties that have anything to do with the phone, so they can perform actions such as turning off network access or remotely disabling certain core features.

In addition, the GSMA also maintains a Device Check database which records the IMEI numbers of all devices that are reported as lost or stolen. Apple and its repair chain outlets have access to the GSMA repository, and they are now making good use of that privilege.

Reporting from Digital Trends, Thursday, March 31, this is to prevent the practice of stolen or illegally obtained iPhones from using the service, thereby reducing resale value or making it more difficult to use the device if it has a serious functional or hardware defect.

Apple has rejected repair requests at authorized outlets if the customer is unable to disable the Find My iPhone alert on the device. However, the system has loopholes.

The hardware where Find My iPhone was never activated in the first place goes through without sounding an alarm if it's stolen. With GSMA being part of the status alert system, Apple is trying to work around that shortcoming to prevent the repair of lost or stolen iPhones.