re: What would you do if you purchased a stolen ipod touch?

he texted me from his phone. I buy and sell phones and stuff to support my fishing habit. I searched his phone number on facebook and the kid that sold me the ipod popped up on the screen. I knew it was stolen when he took off as soon as he handed it to me. He also left several of his social media logged in so I got all the different handles that he uses on instagram, twitter etc.

OK, but how did you know HE stole it? Maybe he bought it hot too?

I'm confused. The kid who sold you the phone texed that phone from his real phone?

You said you buy and sell phones... do you deal with a lot of stolen property? Not trying to be rude, but it seems like there are a lot of phones out there on black market.

I do not end up with too many stolen phones. I check the ESN and if it isn't clean I don't buy it. You are correct there are a ton of people trying to sell stolen stuff.
The kid that had the ipod responded to my ad that I run on craigslist. He texted me from his phone. He took off while I was checking it out to make sure it wasn't hot. I am not going to chase somebody over 70 bucks in an area of town I am not familiar with. Best case scenario he sold something that didn't belong to him. Worst case he pilfered it from some kid and sold it. The fact that he led me to believe it was his makes me think its the second one rather than the first one. I have all the emails and texts that show us agreeing to terms of purchase. I would imagine that info in addition to his facebook account being attached to the number that texted me should be enough proof for any reasonable person that would use this as a teaching opportunity for him.

Return it

Do you buy a lot of times from kids? And when you say kid... are we talking 13 or 17?

Considering one can't (to my knowledge) have a cell phone contract unless they are 18... I'm surprised you would buy from kids. Any kid that's honest probably either had the parent pay for the phone, or at least, the parent has the contact and the kid paid for the phone.

Not trying to tell you how to run a business... but just seems to me like buying used electronics from kids is a path to hot merchandise... and since kids know they will get paid, it encourages them to steal.

Typically no but he was 17 or 18. I didn't know he was a kid until I got there. Usually I eliminate them through the emails they send. Again this wasn't a phone and I am obviously going to return it. I am just trying to figure out how to best deal with the kid that sold it to me to teach him a lesson. I totally agree that buying from kids is not a way to do business but because it was an ipod and not a phone I thought it would be ok. I usually buy anything that I can resell on ebay.

I'd beat the living shite out of the kid.