Work laptops

[Floofydawg]

I left my job (not through choice) a month ago. Someone was supposed to get in touch with me to arrange for the two work laptops I have to be collected. I'm still waiting. Have chased several times, with no response. Should I take them to the tip? Sick of the sight of them now. I can't even drop them at the office as all my access has been revoked.

'then subsequently barred from going into any of the offices.'

There you go. You can't return it yourself if you have been told you can't go into any of their offices...

They sound like a nightmare.

So as I said above email them one last time, keep copies of your emails to them and then forget about it.

You have made every attempt to get them to collect their equipment.

Because they live at the other side of the city to me. It's a half hour drive. Plus they catch the train to work so I'd be asking them to carry two heavy laptops on public transport, as well as their own.

It's clear that you're upset about being made redundant (and who wouldn't be?) and it must be annoying having to even look at the laptops but don't cause yourself any more grief. Just put them out of sight and send a reminder to HR that the laptops haven't been collected yet. Then forget about them.

The last thing you want or need right now is to end up paying for laptops that you've sold or thrown away.

Just breathe... you'll move on to bigger and better times... don't let a couple of laptops hold you back.

Do what you like OP. Not sure what you are after here to be honest. People are making sensible suggestions but you aren't happy with any of them.

I’d send one last message, then delete everything and sell them.

Massively environmentally wasteful to take them to the tip.

Your frustration is very understandable - after being made redundant you want to move on. It's really disrespectful of your ex-company to put you in this position.
Personally I would consider I'd made every reasonable effort, put them out of sight and not give it another thought.

Contact the company and ask them to arrange a courier. Set a deadline. The IT department should have been notified and sorted it.

I'd send another message - not as bullish as some of them - along the lines that you are happy to be reasonably available id they send a courier but if they don't need them or you don't hear from them in the next 4-6 weeks, you'll assume they don't need them and you'll send them for recycling. Then put them in a cupboard and forget about them til the New Year.

Is there an admin person/pa that has access to a company credit card or courier account that can book a collection from you?
I don't think you should dispose of them yet in case they actually ask for them back. Shove them somewhere out of sight until (if) you get a response to 1 more message.

I understand wanting to be free of them though-you want to know you don't need to think or deal with that company again.

And don't put in landfill. There are charities which refurb them for school children use or for parts.

Phone the IT department

I'm sorry you've been made redundant and treated so badly

But how much space do 2 laptops take up? Can't you just put them at the back of a cupboard until someone gets round to collecting them. If you haven't heard in a year then hand them in to a charity that refurbishes them and email your ex- company to tell them that's what you're doing

Send them an email with a few folk copied in (so can’t be missed) and say if not collected by X date (give at least 2 weeks) you will recycle.

seriously, tho, do not dispose of them. But them somewhere and forget about them. How much space do 2 laptops take anyway?

and yes, contacting the data protection person is a good bet, tell them they need to report an incident

My work has had old ones donated to schools.

I just think it's rude that they're completely ignoring me, and it's pissing me off.

I won't put it them in landfill. But I'm not having them clutter up my house forever.

You’re letting it wind you up, I would put them in the post. You can hold your head high and know you’ve done the right thing.

Ok we have a solution. DH is going to drop them into the office when he's next in town. I don't think reception staff will take them as they won't know what to do with them, but if he just drops and leaves they can't really stop him.

Try emailing their data protection person and point out that two laptops with sensitive data on have been left with someone who no longer works for the company. That might get a response.

he should get a receipt

@Brefugee good point.

He could just take a photo of them on the reception desk.

and then immediately email it to OP to fwd to her old company.
Make sure there is a watertight "papertrail" if you do this. Exif data don't lie but a time-stamped email is better.