Lmao in my case my computer just randomly restarted and asked for a security pin while I was busy working on something. I learned through our WhatsApp group that we got laid off lol.
Call with HR was when I already knew and nothing like this, I tried to get them to let me keep my $7k MacBook, no chance, literally everything was non negotiable so the call was absolutely pointless.
You should have kept the Mac, seriously. I often had no response trying to get laptops back from employees and was asking HR if we couldn’t get a form for new hires to sign regarding company equipment returns. Can’t remember the reasoning but HR told me the company is basically powerless to force the issue. In any case, the legal costs of suing you would quickly stack higher than $7K.
Sure, I’ll gladly send the laptop back, you’ll just have to pay my hourly freelance rate for the labor involved. My rate is $240,000/hr, I’ll have it shipped out within 30 business days of payment. Alternatively, feel free to send a courier for pickup, my current address is 189 Beaker St, McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
Can’t they just file a police report suggesting you stole it? It’s the government’s job then and since the police barely have to investigate anything they are sure to actually do something. That’s a quick way to get a search warrant filed.
Over here in Germany refusing to return items which someone contractually entrusted you is a misdemeanor. You would be treated like, say, a car repair shop who refuses to return your car you entrusted them to repair.
This differs from not paying debt, in that case you are legally in possession (not ownership though!) of whatever indebted item so the only recourse is a civil lawsuit. Besides, repossession can only be done through a court-ordered official:
Due to the state’s monopoly on the use of force, foreclosure may only be carried out by state foreclosure bodies, such as bailiffs. With the exception of permitted self-help, unauthorized foreclosure by the creditor is prohibited and is generally unlawful as vigilante justice.
This translation sucks btw, the term “foreclosure” is inaccurate because it refers to a court ordered official either seizing money/stocks/investments and/or physical valuables (valuables = items not required for a modest lifestyle such as jewelry, designer clothes, fancy non-IKEA furniture etc) or foreclosing your property. In case of specific debt like your car they would probably seize that instead unless you demonstrate you rely on it to get to work unless it could be substituted with a cheaper car which would then be provided in exchange.
Technically, yes criminal conversion is certainly a thing. If the laptop was expensive and you lived in a really low crime area where the cops were bored that might get pursued. My experience is that cops are practically more likely to say, absent a court order, to sue the person because it’s he-said she-said. It’s just too much effort for a potentially muddy situation.
You’d be surprised how often things that are theft/technically theft are not actually pursued by police in the US. The property crime clearance rate (resulting in at least arrest) is <15%.
Holding onto a rental car, on the other hand, is both expensive and cut-and-dried enough (contract states definitive end date ahead of time) to be a bad idea.
the laptop I’m working on right now cost me $1600 new in March and it is AWESOME. It replaced a Mac I bought in 2016 for $1800. My son uses PCs. He’s bought 4 in the same time period for about $1000-1200 each. Tell me whose computers are most expensive.
I’ve never priced one that high, but I’d suspect 16" screen and multi-TB nvme are the main culprits.
e: I was curious so I went and priced one. $7.3k for the 16" Pro with absolutely every bell and whistle. M4 Max 16/40 core, 128GB RAM, 8TB. It’s a beast but holy shit that price tag…
It would be nice to get some time in advance as notice. Like Trump get 4 years as he can’t be fired for some unknown reason even though he has and is still doing illegal things(tarifs without kongress approval etc.)…
Lmao in my case my computer just randomly restarted and asked for a security pin while I was busy working on something. I learned through our WhatsApp group that we got laid off lol.
Call with HR was when I already knew and nothing like this, I tried to get them to let me keep my $7k MacBook, no chance, literally everything was non negotiable so the call was absolutely pointless.
You should have kept the Mac, seriously. I often had no response trying to get laptops back from employees and was asking HR if we couldn’t get a form for new hires to sign regarding company equipment returns. Can’t remember the reasoning but HR told me the company is basically powerless to force the issue. In any case, the legal costs of suing you would quickly stack higher than $7K.
Sure, I’ll gladly send the laptop back, you’ll just have to pay my hourly freelance rate for the labor involved. My rate is $240,000/hr, I’ll have it shipped out within 30 business days of payment. Alternatively, feel free to send a courier for pickup, my current address is 189 Beaker St, McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
Yeah but they would hold back the severance pay until they received the laptop, they have done this before lol
Can’t they just file a police report suggesting you stole it? It’s the government’s job then and since the police barely have to investigate anything they are sure to actually do something. That’s a quick way to get a search warrant filed.
No, at least not in the US. It does not meet the legal definition of theft because (I believe) the property was initially acquired legally.
Otherwise, the police would be doing repo for things like delinquent car loans, which is dystopian corporate hellscape stuff.
Really?
Over here in Germany refusing to return items which someone contractually entrusted you is a misdemeanor. You would be treated like, say, a car repair shop who refuses to return your car you entrusted them to repair.
This differs from not paying debt, in that case you are legally in possession (not ownership though!) of whatever indebted item so the only recourse is a civil lawsuit. Besides, repossession can only be done through a court-ordered official:
This translation sucks btw, the term “foreclosure” is inaccurate because it refers to a court ordered official either seizing money/stocks/investments and/or physical valuables (valuables = items not required for a modest lifestyle such as jewelry, designer clothes, fancy non-IKEA furniture etc) or foreclosing your property. In case of specific debt like your car they would probably seize that instead unless you demonstrate you rely on it to get to work unless it could be substituted with a cheaper car which would then be provided in exchange.
Technically, yes criminal conversion is certainly a thing. If the laptop was expensive and you lived in a really low crime area where the cops were bored that might get pursued. My experience is that cops are practically more likely to say, absent a court order, to sue the person because it’s he-said she-said. It’s just too much effort for a potentially muddy situation.
You’d be surprised how often things that are theft/technically theft are not actually pursued by police in the US. The property crime clearance rate (resulting in at least arrest) is <15%.
Holding onto a rental car, on the other hand, is both expensive and cut-and-dried enough (contract states definitive end date ahead of time) to be a bad idea.
Never bought a Mac before, but what the hell are the specs in a $7k Macbook? I didn’t think they went over $3k.
Probably equivalent to about a $2k PC.
the laptop I’m working on right now cost me $1600 new in March and it is AWESOME. It replaced a Mac I bought in 2016 for $1800. My son uses PCs. He’s bought 4 in the same time period for about $1000-1200 each. Tell me whose computers are most expensive.
I’ve never priced one that high, but I’d suspect 16" screen and multi-TB nvme are the main culprits.
e: I was curious so I went and priced one. $7.3k for the 16" Pro with absolutely every bell and whistle. M4 Max 16/40 core, 128GB RAM, 8TB. It’s a beast but holy shit that price tag…
Yeah I had that one, absolute beast would never buy that for myself but would have loved to keep it
The big ones start at 3k.
It would be nice to get some time in advance as notice. Like Trump get 4 years as he can’t be fired for some unknown reason even though he has and is still doing illegal things(tarifs without kongress approval etc.)…
Apparently being a child fucker isn’t a reason to get fired either
Solder another SSD in that bad boy