by Bruce Tyson

Created on: January 28, 2012

Apple has its share of detractors, especially regarding user privacy and illicit labor practices, but now Apple critics are suggesting the company is helping thieves steal iPhones. The new process could be described as iPhone-laundering and results in a pristine phone for thieves to sell online or at the flea market.

Easy as 1-2-3?

Simply put, thieves have discovered they can steal an iPhone, break it, and then take it to the nearest Apple Store where they can exchange it for a new one. Thieves then sell their brand new iPhone on the open market. Can it really be that easy?

Apple Repair Policy

For some reason, the owner of an Apple iPhone does not need to be the one who presents an iPhone for repair. Presumably, Apple has this flexibility to make it easy for friends and relatives to help out an iPhone owner who is homebound, working or traveling. Similarly bosses can send their iPhone to the Apple Store with one of their peon underlings and get a new one without being disturbed by anything the elite 1% shouldn’t be bothered with. Thanks to abuse, this policy might have to change.

The Criminal Mind

Who could ever guess that someone would be so evil as to steal someone else’s phone, intentionally damage it, waltz into an Apple store and ask for a replacement? That sounds despicable. In fact, most people wouldn’t believe this was happening in the land of the free iPhone and the home of the brave criminal were it not for Reuters. 

iPhone owners who have gushed praises for Apple’s repair policy may soon replace their kudos with scorn (especially if their iPhone gets stolen). Thieves, however, are probably lauding Apple for its leniency, sparing them the time they would otherwise have to spend resetting a stolen iPhone to factory condition.

Honor in a Land of Dishonor

According to the Reuters report, Apple relies on the honor system to keep its repair process streamlined. Most people probably like to think of our fellow countrymen as honorable, but sometimes that idealistic thinking gets them in trouble: just look at the politicians in Washington.

Despite the growing pattern of misuse, a consultant speaking with Reuters suggested that Apple will probably not change its policy until customers complain about it loudly enough.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Reuters details the ordeal of an MIT grad student whose iPhone was snatched from her while she waited for a train. A few days later, she got an e-mail from Apple saying that she could pick up her repaired phone at the Apple Store. She went to the store to get it, but the store would not give it to her since she did not bring it in.

iPhones Preferred

The popularity of the Apple iPhone among thieves goes without question. In New York City, 70 percent of all phones stolen are iPhones. At least one media story reported that thieves returned the phones of some victims after discovering they weren’t made by Apple.

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