* The author's MacBook was lost/stolen
* Because the author hadn't set up Find My, someone else was able to reset the laptop
* When the author recovered the laptop, someone else had set up Find My and reported the laptop lost
* Because someone else had set up Find My, the author was unable to reset the laptop
* Apple refused to reset the laptop for the author, despite the author having a receipt for the laptop's original purchase
It's interesting to me, because it's actually an inversion of the whole "we don't own our devices anymore" trope. The author successfully begged Apple to backdoor an otherwise effective security and ownership protection.
Apple gave the author the tools to recover their laptop in the event it was lost or stolen, and the author consciously chose not to use those tools. Possession is 9/10ths of the law, and if you don't have Find My enabled it's 10/10ths of the law.
That means if someone else gains possession of your device, and you chose not to use Find My, there is nothing Apple can or should do to save you. How would they know who the legitimate owner is beyond possession or Find My? People sell used MacBooks all the time.
Just because the author was the original purchaser, doesn't mean they are the rightful owner. In this case I believe the author probably is the rightful owner, but I would rather Apple not be the judge of that.
This is literally only a problem for people too stubborn to set up Find My, who also care deeply about recovering their laptop if it gets lost. Think about how paradoxical that is!