Another child stole my son's ipod classic and I wonder...?

Question

Here is what happened: My son went on a trip w/ his cub scout group out of state and just returned on Sun. They earned the trip by selling popcorn. I did not have the money for the trip, plus I have something wrong w/ my spine that I can't camp out. 1 of the kid's traveling with my mom (who went w/him) stole his ipod. My son has an ipod classic & 1 of the kids had an ipod nano,his mother lied & said it was a classic however it was a very tiny ipod, not the big one (they took them because. He left the car with an ipod alright & it was my son's ipod, my son's was there on the way back! My mom is trying to stick up for them, because she is involved in the the group. She believes them. I don't think the kid's ipod suddenly grew into an ipod classic. So now my mother thinks I am wrong by taking my son out of that group, because I do not want him to be around the kid who stole his ipod. I want 2 call the parent but my mom wont give me her #. I am so upset. What do you think

Answer 1

I think you should call the group leader, not the other parent. She should have a word with all the boys, pointing no fingers, and explain that someone obviously picked your son's ipod up by mistake and it can be identified by serial numbers, what songs are on it etc. even if they have been deleted - so can they please all check and call her if they have the wrong one so it can be returned? She could also send a note home to the parents saying the same.

(Yeah, it sounds like it wasn't an accident, but if you want it back you have to give this other family a way out of admitting their son stole it.)

Answer 2

It's your son, and you are entitled to the telephone numbers of the adults around him.

It sux, but iPods get stolen. They just do. I don't care if you're a kid on a school bus or a corporate executive in the executive washroom, it's gonna happen. There's only one place for them, and that's on your body somewhere. Put it down, you might as well flush it.

Politics suck, and being involved in it on anything other than a national level, is unnecessary. Your mom needs to grow up and do what's right, not sell-out and try to fit in.

Answer 3

You've got to talk to that kid's parents.  Explain to the parents that iPods are expensive.  If they get porky with you, calmly assure them you will be going to the police if they don't cooperate with you to get to the bottom of what happened.  My guess is that if you give Apple the serial number of the iPod in question, they will be able to tell you/them where it was sold, maybe even to whom, and they may be able to give the police the IP address or addresses of the computer from where the iPod was updated.  The police can then determine from the Internet Service Provider that owns the block of addresses from which that particular IP address came, to what subscriber (you or the other family) it is assigned, thereby proving ownership.  This would also be evidence of theft.

Answer 4

Calling is the best thing to do. From what i can see, you are over 18 and have the right as an adult to protect your child. Tell and demand the number from your mother.

Start dialing, TwinTipZ

Answer 5

Call the police and report it stolen, they have to file a report and also they will have to go speak to the women who took it. Maybe that will scare her into giving it back!!

Answer 6

Call the head of his Cub Scout group and explain what happened. They should give you the parent's phone number, so you can try to talk to her.

Answer 7

I think you both learned a very valuable lesson, the next time, get an engraver and put some type of identification on anything you are taking of value that other children are likely to "nik" and then you have proof it is yours.  There really isn't anything you can do but make a scene, as you have no way of proving it is your son's.  I am truly sorry about that and for you and your son.

Answer 8

I would ask your son if he knew the number. Or try looking in the phone book. What this child did was wrong, and he should be confronted. If you really want this settled, contact the police. It is legit because it is over $20 in value. Good luck!

As for taking your son out of the group THAT IS YOUR CHOICE. Not your mother's.

Answer 9

How can you really know that this other child stole it....you are pointing fingers with no proof.  If the child did steel it, it was wrong, but you have no proof so you are going to have to keep it to yourself.  It is also possible your son took it out of the car and lost it.

Answer 10

Proof could be gotten simply by comparing the kids' iTunes library to the songs (and movies, in your son's case) to what's on the iPods. If they don't match up properly, there is your proof.

Beyond that, the iTunes account will identify the specific iPod to its owner - rather, the owner of the account. So even if this were just a case of the boys having the same model and accidentally getting them mixed up, you would still be able to sort it out this way.

You need to contact the Scout Leader and bring him or her into this. This is not a matter of "finder's keepers" - this is your son's personal property. It's not okay to simply say, "Oh well, now he's just got a Nano instead, but at least he's still got something," which is what it sounds like a lot of others are suggesting to you. This is a case of what's right and wrong - stealing and lying is wrong, and those kids need to learn this.

You need to confront this woman, and bring an unbiased outside party into it. The Scout Leader needs to be aware of what's going on in his/her troop. And if he/she is of no help, and this other child's mother refuses to cooperate, then I would say yes, get the police involved. Theft is theft, no matter how you slice it.

Answer 11

I think your son is stuck with what he has now. There's no way to prove who stole his Ipod. Post this question in the Law & Ethics category & Police-Law Enforcement category for some better answers.

Answer 12

Did you go to the ipod website and register your machine when you first bought it?  If you did, the information like name and product number should be there to support your case.  If not, go to the electronics section of yahoo and ask people there who are more expert in these things.

What about the packaging?  Did you keep any of it.  It would match the kind of ipod you have.  What about receipts and guarantees?  Do you have the paperwork that comes with every ipod?

You're going to need some documentation or it's going to be your word against another person's, which will go nowhere without some material evidence.  Although it doesn't guarantee cooperation, material evidence that the product belongs to you will go far in getting support from the people involved, especially your mom.  Material evidence will remove the tone of "sour grapes" from your claim.

Going to the police without evidence to back up your ownership will get you nowhere.

Answer 13

Sorry that happened, but I would have gave a child that age a book, not an ipod. People managed to survive long trips without cell phones or ipods 15 years ago, why can't they do it now?

Answer 14

do you know another authority in your cub scouts group where you can contact the parent? if so, go to them. if not, try to explain to your mother again about the situation and tell her its VERY important you get the number; it's quite possibly her grandchild's ipod for crying out loud, she should be helping you find out whether the other kid stole it! if she still doesn't concede, then i don't know what to tell you; try tracking down the mother's number on your own, if that's possible.