2. But How Do I Do It?

If your phone is stolen you have a few options. First thing you should do is to contact the cellular service provider and request that they shut the phone off - that prevents the thief from running up extra charges on it. Some would say the next step is to find a replacement on eBay or another auction site, but I would discourage that behavior because it is so easy to mess up. You could find two listings that show similar phones, but one might not work with your cellular carrier's network. You also don't know where the phone you're looking at came from - it could possibly be a stolen phone itself.

The next step would be to file a police report, so that if they find your phone, you can get it back. Note that this means you need information from your phone. You need the serial number of your phone, often located under the battery or on the box, and you need the SIM number if the phone carries a SIM card. The police will also need the model number and coloring of your phone to ensure accurate identification.

I would also recommend going to either myphonesafe.com or immobilise.com and listing your phone's information there, so that police nationwide can try to locate the unit. You might even consider listing your phone there when you get it, or while you still have it.

Many times, the only final option is to spend the money on another phone. One thing that really confuses me though, is that a lot of people will change carriers at that point, as if the carrier is responsible. The phone owner may not be at fault, but neither is the carrier. I mean, face it - there are thousands, perhaps millions, of thieves out there. If the carrier who provides your cellular service was working just fine, stick with them - it will save you money.

Prevention

The preceding comments were more of a list of things to do if theft actually happens. But how do you pay less money, but guarantee yourself the use of a phone for the longest period of time? Like I already mentioned, list your phone on database for police access, so that if something bad should occur, you're already set to report, and you won't have to frantically look for the info. Another thing for those who travel - especially internationally - is that I am aware that often there are places where camera phones or even any phones at all are not allowed. Traveling with the phone can be especially risky - we are dying for some of the phones from Europe and Asia, but guess what? They want ours! When on the road with your phone, if it's not being used, keep the SIM card separate from the phone, and possibly even the battery. If the phone gets stolen, it won't work. Then you can go buy a new phone and not have to worry about disconnecting the old one.

The next solution that many people choose applies to both loss/theft and damaged phones: insurance. Some argue against the expense, but others just pay for it because they feel the necessity. Insurance does end up costing a bit, and there's always a deductible to pay, but at the same time the insurance allows you to replace the phone if it's stolen or damaged beyond repair.

TheSignal and Asurion are major cell phone insurance companies. Signal has a variable deductible rate depending on what carrier you are associated with, and requires that their coverage be added in the first 30 days of ownership of the phone. Asurion has a flat deductible of $50 and allows insurance coverage to be added at any point in the ownership period of a phone, provided you contact them directly if it has been more than 30 days since purchase. Many carriers offer a service package as well, which covers reparable damage.