Hey, there! Log in / Register
Councilor: Time to crack down on second-hand cell-phone dealers
By adamg on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 2:40pm
City Councilor Tito Jackson (Roxbury) is calling for regulations to require stores that buy second-hand cell phones to take steps to help cut down on the trade in stolen phones and give police access to their sales records.
At today's council meeting, Jackson said the theft of fancier phones - and headphones - is no laughing matter: "It's not only electronics, not only petty theft, but people are actually getting hurt." He said BPD statistics show a 207% increase in iPhone thefts between 2010 and 2013.
Jackson's proposal would require stores to document the history of phones they buy and require two forms of ID and a photo from sellers.
He said currently, any thief can easily fence a phone right on Winter Street downtown for $150 or so.
The council agreed to hold a hearing on his proposal.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Wow. Just, wow.
Tito is off by a decade or so with this concern.
Finally
Better now than never.
Why do ya think we so often
Why do ya think we so often read about people's cell phones being grabbed right out of their hands? They know they can bring these phones to these places, get the data wiped out, and have them resold. These guys know what they're doing. Tons of these places in Roxbury, certain parts of JP, Dorchester, East Boston. I actually walked into one in my neighborhood because it said it was a Dollar Store and I was looking for laundry detergent. They had used cell phones in a glass case, a whole shelf with nothing but Baggies (do the math), and what other "merchandise" . Then I noticed a smaller sign that said "Communications Services". HAHAHAHA
Next thing you'll tell me all
Next thing you'll tell me all those shady hair and nail salons offering massage therapy right next to each other are really fronts for something else.
It is possible, since you
It is possible, since you describe them as "shady" .
While I support this idea. I
While I support this idea. I imagine the stores buying stolen goods will move just over the city border and continue to do a lot of business.
Hopefully their city
Hopefully their city councillors will also address the issue.
I fully support this as well and am surprised it has been able to go on this long. The machines that take cell phones should be included, maybe I will email and ask if they are. Those things are just as shady, and anonymous.
Or we could have this addressed
on a statewide level with an actual law that applies to EVERYONE in the state, instead of having different ordinances in different cities and towns, and some places with no ordinances at all.
The carriers have already
The carriers have already taken care of this.
nobody (whether its stores or customers) should ever buy a second hand phones without having the IMEI checked. If the IMEI isnt clean (reported stolen), they cant be reactivated with the carriers.
If the stores couldnt resell them they would stop buying stolen phones.
2 Forms of ID?
What is wrong with this idiot. If I need one ID to board a plane; why would I need two to sell my used phone.
Not Far Enough
Actually the trade in used phones should be outright illegal, much like scrapyards should be.
I know that there is a problem with tech garbage and such. And I am normally very supportive of recycling.
But providing a way for phone [and copper] thieves to get rid of their ill gotten gains without even having to use an actual fence is just encouraging more such theft.
Scrapyards should be illegal?
What would you do then with wrecked or worn-out cars?
All these places are shady as
All these places are shady as hell, CEX in Downtown Crossing has piles of used phones to sell and the store DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A PHONE NUMBER. If that isn't a red flag I don't know what is.
CEX
(I love the name because I can call it "sex")
CEX is different. I looked into it when they opened because pawn shops are so regulated in MA (there's VERY few pawn shops in the area) and CEX is essentially pawn shop. Anyhow
First off, they are a chain (https://us.webuy.com/)
Secondly, its different to sell there. You have to become a 'member' with an valid id and you get entered into their database and they give you a card you use to identify yourself. And when you sell something they do keep track of it and it goes into your 'file'.
I personally have sold a few cell phones in the past, and yes they do grill you when you try to sell something, plus they want to 'test' it also. They also keep track of everything (IME, condition, etc) and its well documented. Its a process to sell something there.. its not as easy (or as shady) as people think.
However, I think their buy prices suck (too low and then they turn around and sell it for 40-60% more) so I've since moved selling old phones online, but hey if you need cash NOW.. it's there.
Great.
But I wish this had happened before CEX closed.
??
they are gone? I could have swore they were open when I walked by a week or two ago.
(their website still says they are open)
Will double check, but a few
Will double check, but a few months ago, when a patron's laptop was stolen at the library where I work, the cop we spoke with said that they had closed-- we were recommending that the patron visit and see if it had been hocked there. And I thought that I saw that it had closed after, but I may have confused which storefront it was. I notice Gamestop more than CeX.
CEX on Winter
When I went to Gamestop on winter a week ago, the CEX was still there
Of course there are more iPhone thefts
Meanwhile there was a 300%+ increase in iPhone sales between 2010 and 2013.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_operating_system#Market_share
Stenographic Record. Feb 4, 2015 Public Meeting. City Council
Stenographic Record. Feb 4, 2015 Public Meeting. Boston City Council
http://anopenbostoncitycouncil.blogspot.com/2015/02/is-wednesday-februar...
The Additional File for Plain Text to resolve the tokens, the abbreviations, the acronyms used for the Stenograph can be requested at http://www.cityofboston.gov/contact/?id=12
by indicating that City Contract Article 2.3 provides for b) the Stenograph Records of the February 4, 2015 Public Meeting of Boston City Council including a) the Additional File needed for converting to Plain Text.
City Contract Article 2.3 "Performance" "2.3 City is entitled to ownership and possession of all deliverables purchased or developed with Contract funds. All work papers, reports, questionnaires and other written materials prepared or collected by the Contractor in the course of completing the work to be performed under this Contract shall at all times be the exclusive property of the City."
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1263415-stenographer-contract-fy1...
The Additional File contains a sort of dictionary added to, edited, used in the Council Chamber during the Public Meeting.
Thank you Bletchley Park Decoders!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bletchley_Park