vB Easy Archive - S56 setting of anti-theft detectors at the mall?

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S56 setting of anti-theft detectors at the mall?
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Posted by: Tucker74

I've had this happen maybe once or twice with my old Nokia 3360, but that was when actually using the phone and walking through a detector. I've only owned the S56 for a week, but it seems the phone sets off the anti-theft detectors at stores while just sitting in my pocket. And it happens sporadically, sometimes when walking in a store but not when walking out and sometimes not at all.

It's happened at least 4 or 5 times now and getting very annoying. Is there some setting I need to change to prevent this?

Posted by: Synncere

That is the first time I have ever heard of that... I have never had that happen to me with any mobile.

Posted by: jmpage2

I have never had a phone set off one of these detectors, including my S56.

Posted by: dimenxia

Quote:

Originally posted by Tucker74
I've had this happen maybe once or twice with my old Nokia 3360, but that was when actually using the phone and walking through a detector. I've only owned the S56 for a week, but it seems the phone sets off the anti-theft detectors at stores while just sitting in my pocket. And it happens sporadically, sometimes when walking in a store but not when walking out and sometimes not at all.

It's happened at least 4 or 5 times now and getting very annoying. Is there some setting I need to change to prevent this?

Try taking the stolen goods out of your backpack. LOL! j/k!!!

Seriously though, I've never heard this happen to anyone I know.

Posted by: hardtarget35

AHAHHAHAHAHAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

:laughs:

Posted by: Tucker74

Hmmm, I thought it was common knowledge, especially after serveral store clerks let me walk on through saying, "go ahead, it's probably just your cellphone." I guess I was mistaken.

Posted by: JohnnyK

I got my S56 from a Cingular place in the mall, and followed my friends into a CD store. I was fiddling with my phone, and I noticed that the security beeper thingy kept going crazy.

It didn't go crazy when I went through it, though. Just when I was near it and fiddlign with the phone

Could just be a coincidence, tho.

Posted by: NyAndrews

I am quite interested in the post.

I just walk out of a store and security alarm went off. I did not think anything of it at the time. But after reading this post, it is really the only thing that could of set it off.

Will keep you posted if it happens again.

Anyone else notice this happening?

Posted by: Tucker74

I'm bumping this back up. Stopped by The Gap today. Set off the alarm when I entered and left the store. Was so fed up I stood aside near the front and waved my phone through the detectors. Alarm went off immediately. Bluetooth off and not using the phone at the time. Any ideas?

BTW, this is my 2nd S56. As I posted in a previous thread, the batter was crap on my first. Satisfied with second but the detector thing is driving me nuts.

Posted by: TriBand81

Wow that's quite strange. Could it be that the detectors are in the same frequency band as cell phones and that this proximity sets off the detectors due to the phone receiving a signal from the closest cell tower?

Posted by: Tucker74

If that's the case, then I'd expect this problem to be fairly common. But judging from the responses it's not.

Maybe it has to do with GSM 800/850 MHz?

Posted by: TriBand81

Quote:

Originally posted by Tucker74
If that's the case, then I'd expect this problem to be fairly common. But judging from the responses it's not.

Maybe it has to do with GSM 800/850 MHz?

Very true but it also depends on what frequency band those detectors are in. I haven't had it happen to me anywhere with my cell phone before.

Posted by: Tucker74

ok, so 360+ views and no one else has experienced this?! At first I was starting to think I was

, but now that I'm on my second S56 and set off the alarm by just waving the phone in front of the detectors...

In the past couple of weeks I think I've set off the alarms at Macy's, The Gap, Old Navy, Tower Records, Borders, and probably a couple of other stores I'm not remembering. Maybe those of you reading can note when you visit one of these places with your S56 in hand whether the alarm was tripped. And yes, i've checked my pockets and ruled out every other possibility. thx.

Posted by: angrychair

Quote:

Originally posted by Tucker74
ok, so 360+ views and no one else has experienced this?! At first I was starting to think I was or , but now that I'm on my second S56 and set off the alarm by just waving the phone in front of the detectors...

In the past couple of weeks I think I've set off the alarms at Macy's, The Gap, Old Navy, Tower Records, Borders, and probably a couple of other stores I'm not remembering. Maybe those of you reading can note when you visit one of these places with your S56 in hand whether the alarm was tripped. And yes, i've checked my pockets and ruled out every other possibility. thx.

I have had this happen to me only once though. I went into a pacific sunwear and my 3390 caused the alarm to go off. The clerks there seemed used to this and said it was my phone without me reaching in my pockets or anything. I'm guessing its a certain type of alarm system.

Posted by: Tucker74

Well it's a big enough inconvenience and annoyance that the S56 is going back to AT&T. It may very well be a certain type of detector, but judging by my experience it seems a number of stores in our area use the same one. My wife's Samsung S105 doesn't set off any alarms.

Posted by: Packy

From my understanding of those anti-theft detectors (which is small

), they sense magnetic fields... which is why you can deactivate, say, one of those flat sensors that they put in books by running it over the spot in the counter that demagnetizes stuff.

Would there be something in the phone that is magnetic or giving off magnetic fields similar to those in the sensors??? Seems kinda weird.

Your phone doesn't stick to the fridge, does it??

Seriously though, this is a weird problem.