Lost device / theft recovery

CMA-CPH in theory for a GPS device should be very easy - if the serial number is logged as stolen it could then be picked up by any websites where the information was loaded

A Garmin wearable device is more likely not to be (directly or indirectly) connected, to the Internet and the cloud-based Garmin Connect service, when it is in a GPS-enabled state such as when tracking a timed activity. By the time the activity is completed and saved, and the FIT file transferred via someone's mobile device (running the Garmin Connect Mobile app) or notebook/desktop computer to Garmin Connect, the physical location of the Garmin wearable device will have long since moved on from where it was at the completion of the timed activity.

But, the device could be locked via remote.
Or receive a message where to bring it back. Not every lost watch is stolen.

I thought the motivation behind this feature request is "lost device / theft recovery". Sending a message to a lost device that is not being picked up or attended to by someone is pointless, as there is nobody to read and action the contents of that message; and sending a message to a stolen device isn't useful, unless it ends up in a hands of an innocent buyer who thought the device was offered for sale legitimately. Locking the device is not really going to aid recovery when the device is either lost or stolen.

There would obviously be a lot of scenarios to think through, but a simple system where you could report a device ID lost or stolen, would cover a lot. Whenever that device shows up on a connect account, you would know who to contact.

And what if the person who has the lost device in his possession, keep it away from any network connection and only charge it in a wall socket ? In the case where WiFi is onboard, the watch could decide to make a call home next time it was in reach of an open WiFi - behind the back of the current user.

And what about Bluetooth beacons ? Maybe not an option with today’s hardware, but in the future a device could make a decision to cry out to other devices nearby: “I’m a lost or stolen device, please help me !”

Whenever that device shows up on a connect account, you would know who to contact.

Sorry, but do you think privacy – especially in this day and age of user awareness – is such a simple thing, that you could just effectively register your interest in such an event, and actually be informed of who or when has the device after you and it parted company, much less given a way to contact the most recent user of the device? Why should Garmin assume that it's the person who has the device, or the person who sold/passed the device to him/her, is the less honest party than the original owner, and thus respect the new user's privacy less?

As I said, there would be a lot of scenarios to think through, but I’m sure it could be done. Straight from the hip, what about some kind of secure owner certificate that makes you the legal owner of the device. If you pass a used device on to a new owner, he will take over the owner certificate, leaving you out of the loop.