and or retailer that a device 20 is connected to the internet or is being used in possibly an unauthorized manner and that an investigation should be made this is especially useful for large retailers or networks of retailers with many different staff members being collectively responsible for numerous devices distributed in many locations fig6 is a functional flow diagram schematically representing the flow process performed by a system when a device is returned to a store in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed subject matter if a device 20 is returned to the store after the device 39 s packaging has been opened there is generally a risk that the device is not in the u201c as new u201d state particularly if it is a device that can be programmed or have software installed upon by a customer retailers would not in most cases want to risk reselling such devices in the same way as new devices and may want to uninstall an agent if the customer has not already done so at step 180 a device 20 is returned to the retailer if at step 182 the box or the packaging is unopened then the retailer may want to re sell the device 20 and so returns 183 the device 20 to inventory for re sale the retailer sells 184 the device 20 to a new customer who connects 186 it to the internet following which the agent 21 places 188 a.