Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by pavel_lishin 2961 days ago
> Those that do and assist us in tracking down the thieves will be treated VERY sympathetically.

Does that mean they'll unbrick their hardware? That's about the only sympathy I'd expect after purchasing a product in good faith, and discovering that it was bricked or disabled by the manufacturer.
2 comments
jandrese 2961 days ago
Buying the discounted hardware on eBay is somewhat marginal as "good faith". That said, RTL-SDR hardware barely exists in the normal supply chain so consumers often have little choice but to roll the dice on eBay.

The one I bought came delivered in a plastic baggie in a padded envelope. It could have been stolen for all I know.

Is there a way to check which serial numbers were stolen? Can I demand a seller post a picture of the device with the serial number so I can check? How can I be sure they won't lie?

link
pavel_lishin 2961 days ago
Kind of; they posted the list on a forum and appear to have tweeted about it: https://www.sdrplay.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3225

There isn't really a centralized or standardized way to do this, though. I guess if I'm buying some smart-ish hardware, I just have to google around for the company and hope I did a good job.

link
Azeolus 2961 days ago
https://blogs.findlaw.com/blotter/2014/08/can-you-get-arrest...

If you buy stolen good, you don't get to keep them. These are stolen goods, why would you ever expect the company to simply allow you to use it?

link
pbhjpbhj 2961 days ago
The company gets to prevent future thefts, they've most likely written off the loss already (they're not going to reuse those goods as new items at v. least), they can get PR and more "column inches" on a new story about buyers helping them and then getting gifted the device.
link
pavel_lishin 2961 days ago
I take issue with the fact that the company has any say in the matter at all, tbh. I dislike devices that phone home and can be disabled remotely as a matter of principle.

But you're right, in the end they are stolen goods.

link
Azeolus 2961 days ago
> I take issue with the fact that the company has any say in the matter at all, tbh.

What? How does that make any sense. Someone stole their property, it's still theirs, of course they have a say in what happens to it. "Finders Keepers" is not how the world works...

link
pavel_lishin 2961 days ago
But they can also brick non-stolen equipment. I don't want a company to be able to remotely disable a device I own.
link