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Here's what I ended up sending him: ---- Wow. I really appreciate the offer for the backup. Good to know it was stolen as opposed to carelessly left somewhere

by kabuks 16y ago

Here's what I ended up sending him: ---- Wow. I really appreciate the offer for the backup. Good to know it was stolen as opposed to carelessly left somewhere. You're actually pretty unlucky. I have this software installed for this occasion: lojackforlaptops.com please call me at 510.213.2990 in the next hour if you don't I will immediately activate the lojack theft alert which means law enforcement is showing up at your door promptly. I don't actually know your location, but they reveal it to the cops, who show up at your door with a lot of questions. thank you in advance for doing the right thing cheers, shereef ---- and what I got in return: ---- I use the laptop in public places. And have no internet at home. Sorry but your info is now deleted. Torrenting copyrighted files is illegal also just to let you know. -----

meric 16y ago
That doesn't sound good. :( If I had that installed I'd just have activated it without telling him. Or if I didn't I wouldn't have told him about the software in the first place. Anyways... good luck.
whatusername 16y ago
I would have thought talking to the cops first might have been a good idea... let us know how well lojack works out.
- kabuks 16y ago
  Yeah, I was attempting a bluff. Clearly not a very good one.
jacquesm 16y ago
This is why you never bluff but just take action. What a silly move.
- dwwoelfel 16y ago
  "What a silly move." More like, what an infuriating move. Why didn't he take the well-considered advice of the people in the comments? Or post a comment with his intentions so that someone could talk him out of it?
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    I don't think that's limited to this particular Ask HN. It's a pretty good object lesson in what happens when you ask for advice and then proceed to completely ignore it. Kudos for posting the results though.
J3L2404 16y ago
loljack Theft Alert System - True vaporware.
jolan 16y ago
File a police report and have Apple flag the serial number as stolen. If it ever makes its way into the Apple store you'll get it back.
george_george 16y ago
I think this was probably one of the worst responses you could have given. The email seems to indicate that the guy feels guilty about buying your laptop, and that his offer is an attempt to ease his conscience. Now he's thinking to himself that he tried to set things right but couldn't because you responded by being a jerk. The second best thing would have been to cooperate and get the files - and I would have suggested this if you needed them - but the best would have been to refuse to cooperate with him on the grounds that you don't want to ease his conscience when you belive him to be guilty. Too late now, I guess, but that's what I think. (Apologies if I sound rude or blunt in this comment; I don't have the time to revise/edit it.)

by kabuks 16y ago

meric 16y ago

That doesn't sound good. :( If I had that installed I'd just have activated it without telling him. Or if I didn't I wouldn't have told him about the software in the first place. Anyways... good luck.

whatusername 16y ago

I would have thought talking to the cops first might have been a good idea... let us know how well lojack works out.

kabuks 16y ago
Yeah, I was attempting a bluff. Clearly not a very good one.

jacquesm 16y ago

This is why you never bluff but just take action. What a silly move.

dwwoelfel 16y ago
"What a silly move." More like, what an infuriating move. Why didn't he take the well-considered advice of the people in the comments? Or post a comment with his intentions so that someone could talk him out of it?
- jacquesm 16y ago
  I don't think that's limited to this particular Ask HN. It's a pretty good object lesson in what happens when you ask for advice and then proceed to completely ignore it. Kudos for posting the results though.

J3L2404 16y ago

loljack Theft Alert System - True vaporware.

jolan 16y ago

File a police report and have Apple flag the serial number as stolen. If it ever makes its way into the Apple store you'll get it back.

george_george 16y ago

I think this was probably one of the worst responses you could have given. The email seems to indicate that the guy feels guilty about buying your laptop, and that his offer is an attempt to ease his conscience. Now he's thinking to himself that he tried to set things right but couldn't because you responded by being a jerk. The second best thing would have been to cooperate and get the files - and I would have suggested this if you needed them - but the best would have been to refuse to cooperate with him on the grounds that you don't want to ease his conscience when you belive him to be guilty. Too late now, I guess, but that's what I think. (Apologies if I sound rude or blunt in this comment; I don't have the time to revise/edit it.)