finding stolen mp3 player

January 22, 2006 6:12 PM

My mp3 player was stolen from my locker, and I need to find the serial number to show it's mine. I registered it on the creative website when I got it. Is there some way to find whatever information about my player that I gave them? (I didn't write it down)

I bought it (and an extended warranty) at Circuit City and I still have the sales reciept, if that will help. I also still have everything else that came with it (software, headphones, charger, paper instruction book etc). Even with this information, it's unlikely I'll get it back, but it will make me feel better to have done everything possible.

posted by martinX's bellbottoms to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Contact creative?
posted by reverendX at 6:19 PM on January 22, 2006

All the stuff I've found on their website requires the serial number or even the having the player.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 6:45 PM on January 22, 2006

Have you tried telephoning creative? If you can speak to someone and explain the situation, maybe they can help.

You know who has the player but they won't give it back without the serial number? That seems a bit shady. Maybe you can tell them what songs are on it and they can verify?
posted by 6550 at 7:01 PM on January 22, 2006

I don't know who has it. I've reported the theft to the school, and they want a serial number in case one turns up. I can name almost everything on the hard drive, but it would take a thief all of 5 minutes on a computer to change that.

The Creative people want to charge me $20 to call them, for what looks like technical support, since the manufacturer's warranty has expired.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 7:15 PM on January 22, 2006

Did you buy third-party software like Notmad Explorer to transfer music to it? If so, they almost certainly have your serial number.
posted by deadfather at 7:37 PM on January 22, 2006

I had to call Creative just last week because the wired remote for my speaker system was defective. The male jack separated from the wire, and they don't sell that part separtely online, so I needed to talk to someone, even though the speaker sysyem is more than a year old. When the automated phone system asks if you bought your product within six months, press the number corresponding to yes. You'll get a Creative representative who'll ask for the date of purchase and where you got it. I think that in your case you could even then reveal that your product was infact out of warranty but that you have special circumstances.

On second thought, don't tell them that. They'll probably ask you for your credit card number right then for out-of-warranty support, or hang up on you. The guy I spoke with was a pushy asshole. He said that under normal use, the metal adaptor should not come off the wire. I attempted to tell him that it should not come off but it did. He asked how it came apart, and I told him the truth, in the process of unplugging the cord. He told me I must have pulled too hard, because the product should stay together.
posted by FearAndLoathingInLJ at 9:34 PM on January 22, 2006

I'm sure this is a long shot, but have you reformatted your computer since registering on the Creative website? I often use auto-complete to remind me of things like this that I otherwise would totally have forgotten.

I'm guessing that's not the case, but here's another possibility: is the S/N on the Circuit City receipt? I know that at least in Canada, stores like that (Best Buy, Future Shop, etc) will put serial numbers on the receipt.
posted by antifuse at 1:25 AM on January 23, 2006

An interesting update, my mom had written the serial number down for me (she's organized and cool like that) and I gave it to the school resource officer. I few weeks ago, someone turned my mp3 player in to him and he matched up the serial number and gave it back to me.
Very cool.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 7:45 PM on November 6, 2006