Coffee spilled over my laptop, laptop now dead

[vwdan]

FWIW I think the OP has made a mistake if his laptop isn't insured and that's his problem. I wouldn't expect the client to replace it because he's failed to insure it.

Really? So if I come and knock down your wall in my car it's tough tulip if your house insurance doesn't cover it? I know this is B2B, but I wouldn't expect to damage a companies equipment and just call it quits on the basis that they're insurance. As I'm sure you know, insurance isn't some magic bullet - there'll be excess and increased premiums.

[northernladuk]

Really? So if I come and knock down your wall in my car it's tough tulip if your house insurance doesn't cover it?

That scenario is so different from the OP's situation it's not worth discussing.

I know this is B2B, but I wouldn't expect to damage a companies equipment and just call it quits on the basis that they're insurance. As I'm sure you know, insurance isn't some magic bullet - there'll be excess and increased premiums.

But it's the cost of doing business and the laptop is a tool. You provide a service to a client for x pounds which includes you using your tools. If one of the tools breaks it's your issue to replace. Accidents happen and that's why many companies have policies about bringing your own stuff in at your own risk, like parking etc.

Would you be happy if your client charged you every time you broke a piece of kit they provided you? You can't have it both ways.

Don't get me wrong it would be nice if the client did the decent thing but you can't get a cob on if they don't.

[vwdan]

That scenario is so different from the OP's situation it's not worth discussing.


But it's the cost of doing business and the laptop is a tool. You provide a service to a client for x pounds which includes you using your tools. If one of the tools breaks it's your issue to replace. Accidents happen and that's why many companies have policies about bringing your own stuff in at your own risk, like parking etc.

Would you be happy if your client charged you every time you broke a piece of kit they provided you? You can't have it both ways.

Don't get me wrong it would be nice if the client did the decent thing but you can't get a cob on if they don't.

I feel like I'm on a different planet, here.

Would you be happy if your client charged you every time you broke a piece of kit they provided you? You can't have it both ways.

Happy? No - but I'd certainly expect to pay. You'd just hand back a broken laptop and say "yeah...sorry about that"?

But it's the cost of doing business and the laptop is a tool. You provide a service to a client for x pounds which includes you using your tools. If one of the tools breaks it's your issue to replace.

The tool didn't break, it was broken - totally different.

And all this "At your own risk" policy is immaterial - you can't contract your way out of legal obligations. Of course, from a business relations point of view he may have to stand the cost - but the fact is that someones negligence damaged his equipment. It should be THEIR insurance covering it, if anything.

[WTFH]

Is this a laptop that your client insists on you bringing to their office to do the work?

How much coffee did they spill on it? Most laptops will take a splash.

Why would the company pay for something when it was an individual who spilled coffee on it?

What have you done with the old laptop? How are you getting the data off it if it is completely dead?

Why am I suspicious that there’s bits of the story missing?

[vwdan]

This thread is so so weird to me - I've had a LOOOOOONG few days so maybe I'm well off base, but:

Is this a laptop that your client insists on you bringing to their office to do the work?

Does it matter what the client "insists" on here? My laptop is my primary tool - even when I'm using a clients station for security/ease etc I nearly always have my laptop with me. I have my own software, tools, documentation, e-mail, notes, VMWare etc etc etc - I wouldn't dream of turning up to site without it unless I was 100% sure I didn't need it that day. Maybe it's different in permietractor land but I've only ever had a couple of roles where I've had the option of using client kit.

How much coffee did they spill on it? Most laptops will take a splash.

Sure, but it doesn't/wouldn't take much for it not to survive either especially as it was turned on. I managed to revive mine after a spill, but I had to buy a new keyboard and riser card (Had the sound card on it and some other bits I forget) and it's never been quite the same since if I'm honest. Screen flickers every now and again and it gets very hot.

Why would the company pay for something when it was an individual who spilled coffee on it?

Because the individual was at work, on company premises, acting on behalf of their company.

What have you done with the old laptop? How are you getting the data off it if it is completely dead?

Can't see where he said he was recovering data, but I'd hope most people here could get data from a laptop HDD. I actually carry around a USB->SATA converter as standard because it's mega handy.

Why am I suspicious that there’s bits of the story missing?

No idea.

[WTFH]

Does it matter what the client "insists" on here? My laptop is my primary tool - even when I'm using a clients station for security/ease etc I nearly always have my laptop with me. I have my own software, tools, documentation, e-mail, notes, VMWare etc etc etc - I wouldn't dream of turning up to site without it unless I was 100% sure I didn't need it that day. Maybe it's different in permietractor land but I've only ever had a couple of roles where I've had the option of using client kit.

Most of my clients do not allow contractors to connect their own equipment to the client network for the security of their network. I’m not sure what it’s like in your world, but big businesses tend to work that way.

If the client provides a consultant with equipment to connect to their network, then the consultant is bringing in their equipment at their own risk. The client isn’t insisting on it, the consultant is choosing to do so.

[vwdan]

Most of my clients do not allow contractors to connect their own equipment to the client network for the security of their network. I’m not sure what it’s like in your world, but big businesses tend to work that way.

Who said anything about connecting? "My world" ranges right up to huge multi-national financial firms, so yes, I know how big businesses work.

If the client provides a consultant with equipment to connect to their network, then the consultant is bringing in their equipment at their own risk. The client isn’t insisting on it, the consultant is choosing to do so.

I don't get this "at your own risk" business - it's a phrase which has almost no legal meaning. I'm hired to deliver a service and expertise - as part of that I need my tools to do so. Almost on a weekly basis I'll spin up a VM on my laptop to test a theory, show someone something or whatever.

It's threads like this that remind me that most people here really aren't consultants by any definition of the word. I couldn't imagine turning up to a site without my laptop.

[northernladyuk]

Who said anything about connecting? "My world" ranges right up to huge multi-national financial firms, so yes, I know how big businesses work.



I don't get this "at your own risk" business - it's a phrase which has almost no legal meaning. I'm hired to deliver a service and expertise - as part of that I need my tools to do so. Almost on a weekly basis I'll spin up a VM on my laptop to test a theory, show someone something or whatever.

It's threads like this that remind me that most people here really aren't consultants by any definition of the word. I couldn't imagine turning up to a site without my laptop.

So would a 'proper' consultancy like accenture request that a client foot the bill in such circumstances?

[vwdan]

So would a 'proper' consultancy like accenture request that a client foot the bill in such circumstances?

On a £500 laptop, probably not on the basis of client relations and it being relative pennies to them vs the cost of the contract. I doubt a building contractor would casually absorb the cost of something decently expensive, for example, however.

Could Accenture? I believe absolutely they could.

Let's try and think of a more relevent analogy - imagine a small company hired to do some....I dunno, complex industrial testing. They bowl up with one of their fancy £5k fluke meters which is promptly broken because John chucks his brew all over it. Would they just absorb it? I dunno, honestly. People bill for delays, expenses and so on. If it was an arsehole client who broke the kit because they wouldn't listen or whatever then I'd definitely imagine your average smaller business saying "Screw you and, by the way, we're invoicing for the broken kit"

Let's be clear I'm not saying I'd go after my client - I'm saying that I really don't understand all these "proper contractors" (i.e., hypocrites) going after the OP for taking his own equipment on site and I'm not sure why he's getting so much flack for wondering why he should be footing the cost for somebody else negligence.

As an aside, this is exactly what public liability insurance is about.

[northernladuk]

Interesting Googling a number of BYOD policies. Some don't include damage but those that do state it's the employees responsibility.

[Company Name] will not be responsible for loss or damage of personal applications or data resulting from the use of company applications or the wiping of company information. Employees must immediately notify management in the event their personal device is lost, stolen or damaged. If IT is unable to repair the device, the employee will be responsible for the cost of replacement.

From
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtoo...icepolicy.aspx