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

[jmkms]

Our laptop kept dying on us so we couldn't get our info off of it before they sent it out for service. (This was the 3rd time - 2nd within a month) When I dropped it off, they were to back-up all of my info free of charge from the computer since I was not able to and they were probably going to junk my laptop & give me a new one.

Well, they junked it, we went & picked out a new one & got our back-up disks on a Friday night. Sunday morning, I went to put our info from the back-up disks onto the computer & not everything was there. I got on the phone right away to BB & was told that they could not have destroyed my hard drive yet and they could get it back to get the missing info. They were to call me when the hard drive came back.

Well, by Wednesday, I was getting nervous so I called and was told, it's on it's way. You were lucky, someone else's was destroyed before they could it back. So, Friday, DH calls and guess what?? We were the poor saps who's hard drive was destroyed. "Someone" went on their system with the manager's password & approved it to be destroyed on Monday (the day after my call). Sorry, can't do anything for you they said. We were livid, but what could we do. We called and made complaints.

 

[jrmasm]

Replacement cost and that's it.

 

[Jennasis]

I am farily certain the $54 million is simply to get attention. I remember seeing her interview on the Today Show last week (with her lawyer). I think I remember her saying that she wanted them to take notice.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Lately the extended warranty covers an item of comparable performance. (it used to be purchase price) Which means a $1100 laptop one year ago will get you a $900 laptop today. Just what they offered.
Backing up data should be like eating, it just has to be done. It also has to be done regularly so when you have a problem, like no start button, your data is already backed up. Don't blame Best But for poor data mantenance.
But you can blame them for poor service. DW had her laptop break three times. The manager said next time anything breaks you get a new one. One month down the road it breaks again and we brought it in. They sent it out for repair???!!! We finaly got to talk to a store manager and told him how we did not think it was right that we had to inform the store of their own policies. The next day we had a refund for full purchase price, not a "comparable performance item". DW has a brand new computer which we bought the extended warranty for...

Mikeeee

 

[sandramaac]

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.

Ummmmm, if the power button was broken, she obviously could not get her computer on to get the information off

 

[tw1nsmom]

I too think she just chose that amount to make a point and I think it worked.

I just want to add that for all of you who think your personal data is safe by deleting it, I really wouldn't count on it. Unless you completely reformat your hard drive and erase all operating systems on your computer, it's likely that someone could easily recover your personal data.

 

[happygirl]

I think she should get the cost of the computer, nothing more!! Maybe I'm really naive but I don't put any personal info on my computer

 

[JR6ooo4]

I too think she just chose that amount to make a point and I think it worked.

I just want to add that for all of you who think your personal data is safe by deleting it, I really wouldn't count on it. Unless you completely reformat your hard drive and erase all operating systems on your computer, it's likely that someone could easily recover your personal data.

And Unless you do the long reformat the data is still there. You need to do the long format that writes ones and zeros to the entire drive.

At least that is the way I used to understand it...

Mikeeee

the most secure method is to remove the drive and smash it to many pieces...

 

[crzyred]

I read this story yesterday and laughed.

I HATE Best Buy. I've only bought 2 things from there. The most recent was a digital camera. It was missing pieces. They told me I took them out so I could get stuff for free. Ummm...I'm standing at the checkout and you are watching me?!?! I ended up going back to Best Buy 5 times within a 3 hour period because things were so jacked up. And then they wouldn't give me a receipt. I argued with a manager about why I wasn't getting one and she said they just don't do that.

I'm so very glad that my brother knows things about technology and can fix them.

The 54 mil was just for attention. And look...it worked.

 

[maelstrom]

Maybe I'm really naive but I don't put any personal info on my computer

Then what exactly do you do with your computer? Does it just sit on your desk looking pretty?

 

[#1hockeymom]

Isn't that what a computer is for? Personal information?!

Best buy has done us wrong too many times to post about. They've lost things they said they had to try to fix, rather than give us a new one. Made us wait months while they "searched". Given us a replacement that was not comparable to the one they lost. We've bought hardware with nothing in the box when we got it home and were accused of stealing it when we brought it back with receipt. Etc.

 

[happygirl]

Then what exactly do you do with your computer? Does it just sit on your desk looking pretty?

we just surf the net mainly

 

[AKL_Megs]

I'd graciously accept the $4100.

 

[Firedog]

The beginning of that woman's story could have been mine about seven years ago.

I bought a new computer from Best Buy along with their three year extended warranty. After one year, the CD drive went bad, quick fix you would think. I was told the typical two to five week period to fix it, and of course it was not back within that time frame.

Started calling every few days after the first five weeks, then daily after two months went by. I hard a hard time even getting someone to pick up the phone at their service center. Even when they did they usually they couldn't tell me the progress, or even where the thing was. After talking with the same person 10 days in a row, she finally said, you know what, it's unrepairable, go pick out a new one.

So, back to Best Buy, picked out a comparable unit, which was actually an upgrade, plus had a $50 rebate. I was told they would load my old hard drive info onto the new one. The manager at Best Buy then refused to do it unless I paid them, and then wanted to void the remaining two years on my extended warranty. I don't think so.

Lesson learned. Do not EVER buy anything more than a CD from Best Buy. At least it's comforting to know if I ever get into any kid of serious accident and lose half of my brain, I can still get a job at Best Buy.