Woman sues Best Buy for $54M over lost laptop

[Paddy]

Lost laptop? Sue for millions!

Her blog on the matter: http://www.bestbuybadbuyboycott.blogspot.com/

What's interesting about this is what Best Buy says about the "settlement" and what happened according to Raelyn Campbell.

QUOTE

Best Buy spokeswoman Nissa French said in an e-mail that Campbell "was offered and collected $1,110.35" as well as "a $500 gift card for her inconvenience."

From Ms. Campbell's blog:

QUOTE

*Funds received to date total $1110.35, which were unilaterally transferred into my credit card account by Best Buy in late October -- without my knowledge or consent. The amount does not even cover the full cost of replacing the laptop itself, let alone a fraction of the value of the music, pictures, software, and other contents that were on the stolen computer, legal and court expenses, the cost of identity theft protection services that I am forced to bear for years to come, or compensation for the estimated 200 hours I have spent since May dealing with Best Buy and its agents, the replacement of my computer and its contents, and pursuing the lawsuit because of Best Buy's indifference towards my initial requests. Best Buy also sent a $500 gift card to me in mid-October (with no explanation and despite repeatedly communicating that I had no interest in a gift card that would force me to patronize their stores). I subsequently advised them that I would donate it to a non-profit organization unless they requested its return, and did so in December, after not receiving a response.

A sneaky ploy on the part of Best Buy to nullify any further action by Ms. Campbell?

Certainly a cautionary tale about protecting the contents of your computer should you have to send it in for repair. Of course, sometimes this is difficult or impossible - if the computer has completely died (as mine did when the power supply went kaput) there may be no way to retrieve or protect info on the HD, short of removing it entirely, which I did with one drive; but had to leave one drive in there so they could carry out the diagnosis and repair. Of course, I didn't just happen to have a spare SATA drive with nothing but the OS on it for just such an occasion - most people don't.

[Parker]

ahahahaha

so she got what the laptop is worth
that's not bad....

but it's just rediculous to use for a lost laptop
it's not their fault that you lost it

[cdub1988]

That's wild.

I just bought a lappy from there....

And I love it.

Typing from Ubuntu on it as we speak.

Take care,

Chris

[Paddy]

Not sure I understand your last statement, Parker. Best Buy lost this woman's laptop - she didn't lose it.

I think she's tilting at windmills, although clearly someone at Best Buy didn't handle it very well from Day 1. All this hot air and energy could be put to a LOT better use than spending the last year and who knows how many hours chasing after Best Buy. This isn't the first time she's devoted considerable time to a cause she's unlikely to win, though I have a lot more sympathy for her first battle.

Me? I would have taken the $2500 they offered in December, gone to the nearest Apple store and bought a nice MacBook Pro. Life is too darn short to spend it bashing one's head on a wall over Best Buy's idiocy.

[Gregg]

Well, if my son has trouble with his iBook, I know one place to tell him not to take it. I'm not sure if Richfield would be the most convenient Apple Store location to the university or not.

[Jack W]

She obviously wasn't doing regular backups.

Must not have had SuperDuper! Shame on her!

And to let a Geek repair it?

I think I'll go over to Macdonalds and get a cup of hot coffee.

I've also have a pair of pants that need dry-cleaned.

Yes, I feel sorry for her, but it's the lawyers that get rich over these lawsuits.

[RNKIII]

Gregg...  Mpls. sites

Bloomington - Mall of America

Edina -  Southdale Center

Minnetonka - Ridgedale Center

Roseville - Rosedale Center

Either Bloomington or Roseville would be a 'toss up' as to closest to UofM...  If he's got access to the lite-rail line it goes right to the MofA...

Here's hoping he DOESN'T have to use any of them..

Bob K.   rnkiii

[Gregg]

Thanks Bob. He has a car there. (Notice I didn't just say "He has a car.") And if his iBook is kaput, he can find anything on someone else's computer. The age of the internet means we use our fingertips to find everything!

[Mayo]

OK. maybe I am overly cautious but when I have a computer repaired I do the following:

1.  Back it up... Twice.

2.  Encrypt and/or delete everything of a personal nature. I always encrypt sensitive data like financial records, passwords, etc. as SOP.  All Internet and e-mail history, caches and discards are automatically shredded using NetShredX. Cookies are regularly deleted via CookieDog. The Finder trash is shredded using ShredIt.

3.  All our Macs have Undercover Theft Protection installed.

I think that about covers it... I sleep Just Fine when a Mac is at the shop.

[RHPConsult]

Mayo beat me to it. I have LoJack installed on this trusty G4

LoJack site

This determined lady enjoys a sophisticated skill with language, if not in how to buy the best laptop, where to buy the best laptop, how to protect the best laptop's contents and operational effectiveness. (Did you see that initial "promise" from BestBuy: 2-6 weeks for repair under a $300 "service protection" plan? Sheesh!)

Since there appears to be no dirtbag tort lawyer looking for a "class" to represent here, one has to applaud her sense of commitment and her skill in stating her case, after persistently pursuing a simple solution in the face of towering incompetence and nitwittery. That store must be staffed by ex InCompUSA types.

Go-Get-em, Ms. Campbell.