Hypothetical question

[nile455]

Imagine this scenario:

An office secretary has been asking her boss for a new copy machine for months. A certain one that costs $4,000.

Boss keeps saying "I know we need it, but business is not good and we just cannot afford to spend $4,000 on anything right now. Hopefully soon."

One Saturday afternoon, the secretary spots a perfectly working machine at a nearby fire sale for the ridiculous price of $300, and incredibly it's the exact same $4,000 model the office was planning to get eventually.

Unable to get a hold of her boss at that moment, and afraid someone else will snatch it up, secretary decides to purchase it herself with the assumption she will be reimbursed. She figures at just $300, it will make a great surprise when her boss comes in Monday morning.

She then calls a friend that owes her a big favor. This person owns a truck and has experience moving large items, and he agrees to move the machine for her with the help of another friend, free of charge.

The two men load the copy machine into the truck and move it to the office. After arriving at the office, the two men start unloading the machine when something goes terribly wrong and the machine comes loose and rolls off the truck, crashing down to the ground. It is totaled beyond repair!

The question is, which of the three people should eat the money? The secretary, the movers, or the boss?

 

[quentina]

Secretary......the machine belongs to her. No one promised that they would reimburse her.

 

[Sparx]

I think the mover should have been MUCH more careful. They could have been moving anything, something much more valuable than a copy machine and possibly something irreplaceable. I would not be using these movers again and I would not expect to pay for them to break my possessions.

However, I think the secretary shouldn't have bought the copier without permission. He may have been using the money as an excuse for another reason to not buy the copier.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

Secretary......the machine belongs to her. No one promised that they would reimburse her.

I agree

 

[GJM]

I agree - the secretary, nobody told her to buy it and she doesn't know if she would get reimbursed.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The boss already told the secretary no, so she eats it.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

Imagine this scenario:

An office secretary has been asking her boss for a new copy machine for months. A certain one that costs $4,000.

Boss keeps saying "I know we need it, but business is not good and we just cannot afford to spend $4,000 on anything right now. Hopefully soon."

One Saturday afternoon, the secretary spots a perfectly working machine at a nearby fire sale for the ridiculous price of $300, and incredibly it's the exact same $4,000 model the office was planning to get eventually.

Unable to get a hold of her boss at that moment, and afraid someone else will snatch it up, secretary decides to purchase it herself with the assumption she will be reimbursed. She figures at just $300, it will make a great surprise when her boss comes in Monday morning.

She then calls a friend that owes her a big favor. This person owns a truck and has experience moving large items, and he agrees to move the machine for her with the help of another friend, free of charge.

The two men load the copy machine into the truck and move it to the office. After arriving at the office, the two men start unloading the machine when something goes terribly wrong and the machine comes loose and rolls off the truck, crashing down to the ground. It is totaled beyond repair!

The question is, which of the three people should eat the money? The secretary, the movers, or the boss?

Honestly, I don't see how the boss could be on the hook for anything as the copier was bought without his knowledge or consent. So that leaves the well-intentioned secretary and her, equally well-intentioned, free-of-charge movers. As the movers are "experienced", the negligence seems to be theirs. But since they were doing the move for free as a favor, there is absolutely no leg to stand on as far as making them pay for anything. Sorry, secretary, I think you're out $300. That bites.

 

[kwelch10377]

Secretary........no one at work approved the purchase of the machine and she had no contract in place with the movers that said that they were insuring what they were moving.

Now the burning question is.....is this secretary you or someone you know

 

[wdwfan16]

Imagine this scenario:

An office secretary has been asking her boss for a new copy machine for months. A certain one that costs $4,000.

Boss keeps saying "I know we need it, but business is not good and we just cannot afford to spend $4,000 on anything right now. Hopefully soon."

One Saturday afternoon, the secretary spots a perfectly working machine at a nearby fire sale for the ridiculous price of $300, and incredibly it's the exact same $4,000 model the office was planning to get eventually.

Unable to get a hold of her boss at that moment, and afraid someone else will snatch it up, secretary decides to purchase it herself with the assumption she will be reimbursed. She figures at just $300, it will make a great surprise when her boss comes in Monday morning.

She then calls a friend that owes her a big favor. This person owns a truck and has experience moving large items, and he agrees to move the machine for her with the help of another friend, free of charge.

The two men load the copy machine into the truck and move it to the office. After arriving at the office, the two men start unloading the machine when something goes terribly wrong and the machine comes loose and rolls off the truck, crashing down to the ground. It is totaled beyond repair!

The question is, which of the three people should eat the money? The secretary, the movers, or the boss?

Since she did not hire professional movers she eats the cost. Sorry for your loss of $300.

 

[nile455]

Secretary........no one at work approved the purchase of the machine and she had no contract in place with the movers that said that they were insuring what they were moving.

Now the burning question is.....is this secretary you or someone you know

It's someone I know. I agree with everyone, she is unfortunately the one who should be liable, despite her good intentions.

What a terrible situation for everyone involved huh?

 

[tonilea]

The secretary - reminds me of the old saying "No good deed goes unpunished."

 

[kwelch10377]

It's someone I know. I agree with everyone, she is unfortunately the one who should be liable, despite her good intentions.

What a terrible situation for everyone involved huh?

It does stink.....with the movers it was truly an accident. As for the boss he/she really has nothing to do with it since he/she did not approve the purchase.

 

[Ceila]

What a terrible situation for everyone involved huh?

No, not really. Just a bad situation for the secretary that, honestly, she brought on herself. She bought something without authorization and didn't hire bonded professionals.

 

[dimimi]

The boss already told the secretary no, so she eats it.

I agree. I realize the secretary was trying to help, but he did say, "No." Who knows the real reason he said, "No." Actually, she doesn't even know if he would have reinbursed her anyway. Besides the cost of the machine, they probably would have needed new toner, contract, etc.

 

[Lanshark]

Secretary

Friend has no liability
Boss doesn't even know about it

 

[cocodog]

The secretary.

 

[nile455]

No, not really. Just a bad situation for the secretary that, honestly, she brought on herself. She bought something without authorization and didn't hire bonded professionals.

So you don't think the movers or boss feel bad about it?

 

[Holly]

So you don't think the movers or boss feel bad about it?

I'm sure they feel bad but that wasn't the question asked.


The question was which person is responsible and the answer is the secretary.

 

[scrapbookworm]

Unfortunately I must say the secretary. It sounds like she didn't pay the movers any money- it was a favor. It's just a terrible situation. The secretary was trying to do a good deed, but without the authorization of her boss. The mover owed her a favor, but obviously not one equally $300. I suggest that she tell the boss what happened, but DON'T ASK FOR REIMBURSEMENT. Perhaps the boss will offer it. However, why should he have to give away $300 for nothing in return but a broken piece of equipment?

And I say this as a secretary/office manager myself.

 

[dislaney]

The secretary but if she had a really nice boss he might offer to reimburse her. He is in no way obligated to though.