If Best Buy lost your laptop, how much compensation would you seek?

[Papa Deuce]

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/72016

Don't dismiss Raelyn Campbell as a crackpot. Not yet. Listen to her story, and then decide if she's doing the right thing by asking Best Buy to compensate her to the tune of $54 million for a laptop that went missing when she took it in to Best Buy for repair under the store's own extended warranty.

Like many people, Campbell bought an extended warranty for her laptop when she bought it from Best Buy, and she took advantage of that when the power button broke off after a year. Best Buy accepted the machine for repair and said it would be ready in two to six weeks. But six weeks passed and the computer wasn't ready. After three months of ruthlessly hounding the company, Best Buy finally admitted it couldn't find the machine.

Ultimately, Best Buy offered to pay her $900 for losing the machine... as a gift card. She countered that it had originally cost over $1,100, not to mention all her data that was now gone for good. She demanded $2,100, and Best Buy simply ignored her.

At this point, Campbell was made aware that all her personal data on the machine could lead to a major identity theft issue, though Best Buy never filed their legally required notice that she was at risk. That was the last straw, and she filed suit for $54 million, representing herself. Best Buy has since upped its offer to a total of $4,100 if she withdraws the case. She says she doesn't expect to win, but wants to go to court anyway to force Best Buy to explain how her laptop was lost.

I have to agree that $54 million seems wildly optimistic, but it's amazing to hear how smug Best Buy has been throughout this process. Lowball, "go-away" offers that don't even value property properly, much less the value of the data inside it, are frankly embarrassing, and good for Campbell for making an issue out of it... even if she doesn't ultimately prevail.

 

[Southern4sure]

54 million?

 

[chager]

She knows she isn't getting that, but it did finally get someones attention!! I think I would request identity protection, and a new laptop with all the software I had loaded on the old one! If they would not have ignored her they could have gotten away with paying $2100 and she would have walked away! I find it interesting that they strung her along and then didn't follow the guidelines for reporting it missing even after they finally admitted it!

 

[MM27]

I wonder why she is representing herself. A good lawyer could probably help her score a hefty amount. The 54 mil is a little outrageous, but people sue for things all the time that don't seem worthy of what they get in settlements.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I would be really pissed too but I don't understand why she didn't pull all her personal information off before putting it in for repair. I've had to send my laptop off several times and the geek boy always tells me to make sure all personal information is off the computer. If the computer owner doesn't understand how to do this, for a fee the geek people would do it for the owner.

Her personal information could have been stolen and her computer back to her without her even knowing.

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

54 million?

She intentionally used the same amount as the guy who sued the drycleaners for his lost pair of pants. I don't remember what her logic was behind using the same amount, but I for one certainly feel that based on what I've read about this case its much more warranted than a lost pair of pants. Yeah, I know she won't get that much and she shouldn't, but there is more merit to this case.

BTW, even though the drycleaners won, they closed the shop where the pants were alleged to have been lost.

 

[poohandwendy]

I would take the 4k and call it a day.

 

[Free4Life11]

Good for her, stick it to 'em! She chose $54 million because it's the same amount as the drycleaner case so she knew she would get news coverage which is what she wants.

 

[OneDisney]

I do agree that Best Buy should have to pay money for loosing her computer and personal data, but as a PP said, why didn't she remove all of her personal information to begin with? I'd never send my computer off to repair with any information on it. They could copy that information and then send back my computer and I'd never know anything happened. I also think $54 mil is a little much, but maybe she's wanting to work her way down so she can get as much as possible?

 

[Papa Deuce]

Well, it said her power button broke off. Maybe she couldn't get it turned on to get the info off?

 

[maelstrom]

I would sue for enough to cover the cost of the laptop, lost productivity, loss of data, time wasted, etc. I would not sue for a ridiculous amount like 54 million. On the other hand, suing for 54 million gets their attention. Best Buy has a habit of being a horrible company and if suing them for 54 million is the only way to get their attention and make them recognize the mistake they made, then it's worth it.

 

[digitaltim]

I would be really pissed too but I don't understand why she didn't pull all her personal information off before putting it in for repair. I've had to send my laptop off several times and the geek boy always tells me to make sure all personal information is off the computer. If the computer owner doesn't understand how to do this, for a fee the geek people would do it for the owner.

Her personal information could have been stolen and her computer back to her without her even knowing.

The problem is, just moving/deleting your information off the computer isn't enough. Check this link out: http://www.jetico.com/bcwipe.htm

The federal government requires this when there is sensitive information on the computer. The recycle bin doesn't cover this.

 

[Nynaeve]

I love this. We had major issues when we had to send our old laptop in to Best Buy, very similar story. Ours died (and we could not get it going to get any pictures saved or personal data wiped off of it before sending it in). Got the same 2-6 weeks time frame from them. 3 weeks after giving it to them, they had no info for us. So my hubby calls the place they sent it into, and gets told that it was fixed the day before, and should get shipped back in a couple days. One week later, after a bunch of calls to people that had no clue what was going on, DH is told that the service company cannot talk to him about it, it has to be discussed through BB since they are the ones that sent it in to them. And BB says that they have no new info on it. At week 5 after more calls, we were told that the problem with it cannot be fixed, they'll give us a new one. Funny, we were told that it was done 2 weeks ago. Total morons, on both sides. Didn't know their butts from a hole in the ground, but at least we got ours replaced, though we did have to put up a major fight for that much.

I'm glad this lady is doing this. Best Buy is awful with stuff like this, and the more people that know the better. I hope the negative publicity from this nails them.

 

[Sleepy]

I went through something similar only with Sony and my item was a home theater system. My fiasco took 2 years to resolve. Multiple bad repairs at 3 different authorized repair centers and a run through Sony's repair center. THey mailed my unit to the wrong address (in America ) and it was gone forever. They then tried to give me a refurbished unit (AKA someone else's piece of crap!). In the end, I got a NEW high end model and it has worked like a charm for almost 3 years.

 

[epcotfan]

She knew when she handed over her laptop that data could be compromised getting into the wrong hands. 54 mil is over the top. Yes, Best Buy should definitely accomodate her, but not to that extreme amount of money.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

$54 million? No way. But I don't *think* her point is to get that much money.

I think she's doing it to pull the spotlight toward her case. It can be frusterating and infurating to have big stores give you that "oh well, there's nothing we can do" attitude without even trying to make it right in the first place.

They should have offered her the full price of the laptop to start off with, and NOT as a BB gift card.

 

[PatsGirl]

The media will get her story out and hopefully the next time Best Buy screws up, they'll own up and pay up. I bet had they told her they lost her laptop within that first month and agreed to provide her with a new comparable unit and threw a few extras in, she most likely would have walked away happy. The extras could be things that might not cost them much: extra software, free service contract for 2 years, etc. ~~ things that sweeten the deal for her but cost them pennies. Too bad for them that they were such jerks! I hope this woman gets $10K just for her frustration and time wasted

 

[yeartolate]

What does the extended warranty say?

No more, no less.

If BB was not honoring their contract, she should be given a smidge extra for her inconvinence, not $54 million.

 

[Galahad]

Just have them add a lifetime subscription to Lifelock and call it a day.

 

[nhpooh]

BB lost a tv on us once, we took it in for repair. I don't remember the size of the set, but weeks after bringing in the set they couldn't find it. They told us to pick out another tv. We did and it's a better one then we had, we did have to pick out something in the same price range as the lost one. How can you lose a big tv?