Something not belonging to me was stolen, and it is for me to contact the police?

[Kerrrmieee]

And yes, I think the company think I have stolen their boxed items.

In short, I worked for a company for 1 month from home. The hours were not going to be sustainable and the line of work was not as expected.

I was provided with a laptop, a monitor and a headset.

These have been packaged up since April waiting to be picked up. 2 collections didn't happen. I waited in from 8-6pm both times.
The day of the 3rd collection - last week. I called and asked for an estimated collection time. I was told between 12 and 2pm.
I had an appointment with a consultant gp at 4pm, something that I was not going to cancel. Messaged the manager with pictures of where I'd left item in safe place to be collected.

Came home, item had been collected.

Although now the company are saying it has been stolen and that I should report to the police for a crime number. I questioned this saying surely your IT guys would have a better description of items stolen as I only used for 4 weeks and they've been taped up in box for nearly 3 months.

Apparently not, it's up to me to follow up with the police.

AIBU to think that I've given the company 30 hours of unpaid time just to stay home waiting on a collection?

AIBU to think it's not my problem? Company are adamant they weren't stolen by a rogue delivery driver after speaking to the useless company in question that failed to collect with no explanation 2 times previously.

I did waste 30 mins on hold to the non emergency number tonight and gave up.

Should this really be my responsibility?

Seems so.

Thank you!

Just report it online. Most forces have that option on the website.

Make sure you name the company ad the owners of the equipment.

Thanks @RedCarsGoFaster but why is it up to me to do so, why can't they? I've had shittiest day ever, otherwise wouldn't give a second thought.

But the website is a good idea thank you.

And I'll probably do that when can be arsed 🤣😕

If you are not the owner/loser of the item then you are not the victim so Police won’t take a third party report. You are just a witness/ associated person so the owners should report it, not you.

Just ignore them. It's not you problem they should have collected when they said. After messing you around with the job like that in the first place I'd have made them collect at your convenience and not waited in for them at all

@Finfintytint my thoughts exactly.

Tell me about it @DitzyBluebells

The police will take a report from you. You would be shown as the reporting person/witness as technically, the items have been stolen whilst in your possession. The aggrieved party is the company
Easier to report online if that's offered

It's really irrelevant whether you or the company are being unreasonable. You had possession of the equipment. And I'll lay bets that somewhere in the paperwork when you started this role you became responsible for its return to the company. So will it be your problem when they pursue you for the costs? You have no evidence to prove what happened to it, so it's almost certainly legally still your problem. So I'd be a little more co-operative. It may be annoying, but at this stage it might be in your own interests.

If the company have specifically asked you to report it then the police would take a report from you as the Reporting Person but would need the company contact details to record as the victim (I used to be a police call taker). However, if I was you I'd tell them to do it themselves. You owe them nothing and don't HAVE to report it. If they want a crime number then let them report it.

I would report it to ensure the company doesn’t pursue you for theft.

You had a duty of care over the items, google involuntary bailee and you will see that while in your possession you had to take care of the items.

As well as I assume that you signed paperwork with the company when you took receipt of the items then this one is on you I reckon

Ignore that about the bailee, got my wires crossed there, but I still maintain that while in your possession they are your responsibility, and you can't just leave them in an unsafe place.

In your possession the items should be treated as your own, and you wouldn't leave your own laptop outside

So you left the items outside your house for a courier to find? If they were taken and the courier had not picked them up then they were still in your possession? Do you have evidence that they were picked up by the courier?

Thanks for the replies all I shall do it online tomorrow.

Items were as secure as they could be at the time, following 2 previous failed attempts (20 hours having to stay home) and then a further 7 hours.

I photographed the items and where they were left and the company was happy with that.

I have photographed every detail, every new delivery note etc to cover myself. They were sent these pictures constantly. Other than cancel my consultant appointment (no!) I did not know what else to do. The company were told I needed to leave the house and the parcel was in a safe place. They agreed and were happy that on returning home that I reported it collected and they thanked me for my time.

Until it didn't arrive.

@maddening they were not just 'outside my house'

Oh I can't be arsed with them so can't be arsed with you.

Pictures were sent at the time and agreed it was fine by them.

Thank you @WhoAre

You had possession of them/were responsible for them. So yes, file the report. You have the info on where and when it was left etc more so than they do. And if you used the equipment you know what it was etc.

Not a big deal surely?

The owner of the property has to report.you are just a witness op.
Tell them they have to report.

How is she a witness?

The items were her responsibility until the courier collected them.

The company can't make a report about a crime they don't know anything about. How do the company know she hasn't sold them on?

You had possession of them, so were responsible for them. Personally, I would not have left them outside if I was not prepared to cover the cost should they go missing.

I would report it online just so you are cove by a crime reference number. There is no chance the police will do more than that.
I would think they get a lot of people interested like you who then realise the job isn't as decided, who may then say they have had the items to send back "stolen", using the rogue delivery company excuse. Hence why they expect a crime report by you- they probably think someone who just kept it to sell on or use wouldn't dare report it stolen.
So take 5 minutes to log online, send them the crime reference number and you should be covered from there.

As they were in your possession I would say they do fall to you im afraid

Instead of cancelling your appointment you should have told the company you couldn't wait in any longer and to rearrange the collection and not left the laptop wherever you left it. However that's in hindsight as clearly the place it was left is safe enough and it's probably an incompetent or dishonest delivery company that's at fault. I found a box containing a laptop lying in the road - presumably fallen out of a delivery van. Similar scenario probably as it was a company laptop. Last year so not yours!