Best Buy Loses Laptop: Owner Sues... for $54 Million

[thetipisthick]

Best Buy Loses Laptop: Owner Sues... for $54 Million

Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:33PM EST

See Comments (3407)

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.

LINK: A lost laptop, a $54 million lawsuit

 

[THEBLACKWALLSTREET.COM]

Good For Her

 

[divine]

she may be on to something with the identity theft claim. Otherwise, Best Buy would not have upped the offer to $4100. She wont get $54 mil, but she will get a nice lil settlement...

Another win for the consumer! Ralph Nader would be proud...

 

[Eastwood]

Now thats crazy. At least she knows she is not really going to get that kind of bread. But just bought a new laptop from them a month ago and didn't get there extended plan. going on race this sounds like a white women and if it is she will get something big out of the deal. It will be more then the $4000.00 best buy was trying to give her.

 

[ARDMORESTAR]

she has no case.


for starters when you send in a computer for repair it is the customers responeability to back up all the data.. they tell you that before they send it out for repair. (you also sign a disclamer/waveier)

2nd best buys extended warrentte does not really cover broken parts.. but they might have sent it in as a customer satifaction issue.

3rd. when you buy a extended warrentee you agree to the legal mombo jumbo on the extended warrentee. one of the clauses on it states that if the computer is not repairable, a replacement pc will be given to the customer with "comperable techonlgy, not exceeding the orginal value of the computer". which means that if she paid 1100.00 and its 2 years later and they had to repalce her pc, she will only be able to get a similer laptop of the same build off the shelf, that was compairable to what she had..

so if she had org

win xp
30 gb
centreno
512 mb
etc..

but since they dont have a computer with the make up above..and leagaly best buy would only be obligated to provide her with what you see above.

however since they cant give her the smailier pc.. they can give her what they have similar and compaireable which could be one of the cheaper laptops in the store.. prob valued at around 900.00 or even less than that...

vista
100 gb
core duo
2gb
etc..

i dont understand why people think that if you buy the pc 2 years ago at 1100.00 then you should recive that as credit for a new one.

If you get into an accident and total your car does your car insr co. give you the full value of the car when you paid for it?

she will not win

 

[MegaDell]

No duh she won't win, but I think many people would agree that Best Buy can be a dick when it comes to returns. This one woman when I was in line caused a fit when she came to return a lapotp, they took it to the back, and when it came to the front again, had been opened, and she said she didn't do it, but they wanted to charge her a restocking fee.

 

[darius_janus]

Trust me I used to work for best buy years ago under their geek squad dept and when shipped laptop for repairs it takes weeks even months for it to come back. That is very common if not rampant of what goes one on Best buys. She is not the first. I even encounter a two or four computer that went missing and best buy had to compensate for those computers. Even when the customers computer is repaired it has 50% chance of getting broken again and believe in some instances computers had to be send two, three or even Four times for repairs. It is unbelievable and customers would get really pissed at you and again that was also rampant as well. The thing is a Third party repair shop that these computers get sent to and the majority of times, genuine part are not even used, more like refurbished parts are used... But still I still don't see the logic behind buying extended warranty as you well know it is a fucking scam which is something the company makes pure profit thats why it gets pushed some much by the employees. The company don't make their profit by selling products its their services, however some products they will push for their employees to sell because some products have a higher margin of profit. For example: USB Cables and HDMI Cables are so cheap to make I mean cheap but they sell them at ridiculously expensive prices...

Going back to the extra warranty, your under the idea that it will get fixed or replaced not for the value but for some similar technology but sometimes that doesn't even work under your favor.

I only worked there for two months and I quit. I didn't like how best buy operated and treated their employees.

 

[MegaDell]

Yea, Best Buy/ Circuit City REALLY pushes cashiers to get people to buy the warranty.

 

[Zyin]

what kind of laptop do you think she can get for her half of 54 mil

 

[ThaAnsa3]

I'm all for it. More power to her.

 

[Upgrade Dave]

She's morally right but should take the very next settlement offer. The news is out there and Best Buy (who I prefer but have also had Geek Squad issue lately)has been properly embarassed. She doesn't want to take the chance of getting one of those pro-corporate, Republican judges who would rule against her, call her suit a "nuisance claim", and make HER pay them.

 

[Simply Sickenin']

No judge in his or her right mind is going to let her walk away with 54 million.

But with that being said, hopefully she does get something, these damn customer service agencies getting out of hand

angry: LOOKING AT YOU SPRINT & AOL)

 

[westwood4ever]

damn why all the good stuff happen to other people lol

 

[HALO2]

Good For Her

co-sign I hate best buy, they ripped me off years ago. F' em

 

[kurrupt]

fuck that! i hope she gets the most she can! Big companies be giving it to the lil guy all the time...fuck em and good luck to her.

 

[LSN]

Nothing...absolutely nothing you typed covered/dealed with the issue of losing an ENTIRE laptop...she made it clear it's not about the money or the win...she is going for "bad press"...notice they almost doubled the amount she wanted after she made it clear she was going "big" with the lawsuit which was sure to gather up press...

she has no case.


for starters when you send in a computer for repair it is the customers responeability to back up all the data.. they tell you that before they send it out for repair. (you also sign a disclamer/waveier)

2nd best buys extended warrentte does not really cover broken parts.. but they might have sent it in as a customer satifaction issue.

3rd. when you buy a extended warrentee you agree to the legal mombo jumbo on the extended warrentee. one of the clauses on it states that if the computer is not repairable, a replacement pc will be given to the customer with "comperable techonlgy, not exceeding the orginal value of the computer". which means that if she paid 1100.00 and its 2 years later and they had to repalce her pc, she will only be able to get a similer laptop of the same build off the shelf, that was compairable to what she had..

so if she had org

win xp
30 gb
centreno
512 mb
etc..

but since they dont have a computer with the make up above..and leagaly best buy would only be obligated to provide her with what you see above.

however since they cant give her the smailier pc.. they can give her what they have similar and compaireable which could be one of the cheaper laptops in the store.. prob valued at around 900.00 or even less than that...

vista
100 gb
core duo
2gb
etc..

i dont understand why people think that if you buy the pc 2 years ago at 1100.00 then you should recive that as credit for a new one.

If you get into an accident and total your car does your car insr co. give you the full value of the car when you paid for it?

she will not win

 

[Makkonnen]

if part of her case is not telling her they lost her personal info and didnt follow the law she most certainly has a case
she also has a case on their failure to live up to their end of the agreement
she dont have 54million worth of damages though but losing her personal info could be worth alot to a jury

how much is your identity worth to you? how would you vote as a juror?

 

[blackm00n]

in the end...its about yout identity...that shit will scar your SS#, and back accounts...fuck BB.

 

[ARDMORESTAR]

if part of her case is not telling her they lost her personal info and didnt follow the law she most certainly has a case
she also has a case on their failure to live up to their end of the agreement
she dont have 54million worth of damages though but losing her personal info could be worth alot to a jury

how much is your identity worth to you? how would you vote as a juror?

dude best buy is covered.. you did not read what i typed. SHE SIGNED A WAVIER ON DATA!!! she had to sign a wavier to even allow anyone to work on her pc before it was sent off. releasing best buy of any libility of data and such. trust me best buy is covered.

 

[REMINGTON_BLACK]

She'll most likely get way more than the value of the laptop. I wouldn't be surprised if she walked away with something in the six digits.

 

[ARDMORESTAR]

Nothing...absolutely nothing you typed covered/dealed with the issue of losing an ENTIRE laptop...she made it clear it's not about the money or the win...she is going for "bad press"...notice they almost doubled the amount she wanted after she made it clear she was going "big" with the lawsuit which was sure to gather up press...

no sir, everything i typed covered the issue..in the service plan or warrentee when she purchased it..covered issues like this.. she also signed a wavier releasing best buy of all libilities on issues such as data, and such. Everyone is jumping on the banwagon without knowing the whole story. Best buy legaly only owes her for the fair market value of the laptop. The data SS numbers and such dont play a role in this, because she signed a release. best buy will get bad press, yes. however she still will not win because in the service plain/warrentee it states that when you buy it you agree to all the terms that best buy sets fourth, and also you adhear to the data policy as well, then to top it off to further cover themselves best buy makes her sign a wavier before she let them send it in for repair and removing themselves from any libilities accosiated with data and such.

you must be one of them people that dont read shit, that you buy. the only thing that she is intitled to is the cost of the laptop at fair market value. that's it..