Because they couldn’t. He bought the bag before they automatically tracked all purchasers with a unique ID on the bags they sell. The CEO of PD actively called the tip line.

  • CarrierLost@infosec.pub
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    10 hours ago

    No one is wondering why a backpack has a serial number to begin with? Vehicles, sure. Electronics, ok. But a backpack? Why does it even need a serial number?

    It’s essentially a clothing item. My t-shirts don’t have serial numbers. I’m just finding it a bit insane that a backpack would have a unique serial.

      • CarrierLost@infosec.pub
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        5 hours ago

        Yeah… that should be tied to the product, not a person. And it doesn’t need a unique serial number. Take the old one back, verify it’s not a fraud, send the replacement. If it’s a fraud, destroy it and let the customer know why, then offer them credit on a genuine piece.

        A backpack company doesn’t need to know who I am.

    • wicked_observer@lemm.ee
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      5 hours ago

      It’s so people can’t commit fraud mostly. There’s an epidemic of people buying something from a place like Amazon and then 2 years later buying it again and returning it but sending the old one back instead.

      This allows tracking of that. Otherwise the company loses money and has no recourse. I get it from that perspective. Even some phone cases have the same thing. Apple cases. Pikata cases. Many things and it is for this reason mostly.

      Not so they can track theft or hopefully track you.

      • CarrierLost@infosec.pub
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        5 hours ago

        If that’s their approach, I’ll just refrain from doing business with a company whose default position is that their customers are intending to commit fraud.

    • Eezyville@sh.itjust.works
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      8 hours ago

      I predict that soon there will be legislation outlawing the removal of unique identifiers on articles of clothing.

      • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        6 hours ago

        I can’t see legislation of such ever passing. The government would have to have ownership of the item for it to stand. (Which is why it is illegal to tamper with money).

        Shit a judge ruled it was unconstitutional to ban the ownership of firearms where the serial numbers were filed off just 2 years ago.

        I assume the standing is that if someone actually owns something, you can’t make rules on what they do with it so long as it isn’t harming others. Buy a flag, burn it, all good; burn someone else’s flag… not so good, as you can’t tamper with other people’s property.