Navigating Equipment Returns After Leaving the Big Four: A Frustrating Experience

It’s been nearly ten months since I transitioned away from my role at one of the Big Four firms, yet I find myself grappling with the remnants of my employment—two laptops. One of these devices is functional, while the other is nothing more than a non-operational relic occupying valuable space in my home office.

Upon my departure, I promptly completed a return survey indicating the equipment I needed to send back. In that survey, I also requested shipping labels and boxes for the laptops, as my remote work setup made an inconvenient 40-minute trip to the office seem impractical, alongside the added expense of parking.

After a reasonable wait, I anticipated receiving the shipping materials, but they never arrived. I reached out for assistance, only to be rerouted to a different office where I shared my situation. The representative assured me that someone would follow up—but, unsurprisingly, that call never came.

Months have gone by, and as I focus on my current role, the clutter in my workspace caused by these unwelcome gadgets has become intolerable. I recognize it’s time to initiate another call to sort this out, but I can’t help but feel that returning equipment shouldn’t be such a convoluted process.

In sharing this experience, I hope to shed light on the common challenges of managing equipment returns after leaving a large organization. It serves as a reminder to those in similar situations that persistence often pays off, even when the process feels unnecessarily complicated. Has anyone else faced challenges returning company property after leaving a job? Your stories and tips would be greatly appreciated!