$54 Million Lawsuit for Lost Laptop

Raelyn Campbell filed a $54 million lawsuit against Best Buy when the company lost her laptop after she brought it in for repairs. Best Buy thinks her demands are unreasonable but Campbell says she has good reason behind her huge lawsuit.

Best Buy spokeswoman, Nissa French, says the company couldn't comment on Campbell's story. Campbell bought her laptop in 2006 at a Best Buy near her home in Washington D.C. During her purchase the clerk talked her into adding a $300 warranty which came in handy when her laptops on/off switch broke a year later. In May she took her laptop to Best Buy for repairs and was told by workers that the repairs would take two to six weeks. This was a little inconvenient for Campbell since she works for a nonprofit firm in Asia and has to travel overseas frequently. To make matters worse, the two to six week estimate turned into a dramatic understatement. In late August after returning from a trip to Asia, she still had heard nothing from the company and submitted a complaint letter.

“On July 11, I contacted the (store’s) helpline and was instructed by ‘Agent David Goodfellow’ that it would be ‘ready within days,’” she wrote to the firm in a letter dated Aug. 24. “I called the service line again on July 19, and was told by a female agent that the computer appeared to be at the ‘Louisville Services Center since July 4.’ On July 25, I called again and spoke to Brenda, who transferred me to Daniel. Daniel confirmed that a ‘part had just been ordered. It should leave Louisville soon.’ …When I heard nothing further, I called yet again on Aug. 7 and spoke with Ashley. When she could not confirm any additional information, I asked to speak to a manager. I was told the manager, ‘Marsha,’ was in a meeting. I asked her to call ASAP. My call was not returned, so I called again on Aug. 9. I explained the whole situation yet again to ‘Cicero,’ who indicated that there seemed to be a problem.”

Cicero explained to Campbell that the computer had actually never left the store and admitted that the computer had been lost. Campbell recalls that Cicero seemed sincere and told her that she would be compensated for her loss, but after two weeks past she still had heard nothing from the company. After several more weeks of numerous phone calls she received an offer of $900, in the form of a gift card, for her troubles. Campbell calls this offer insulting considering she spent more than $1,100 on the laptop. Not to mention the hundreds and thousands of dollars she lost in music and photos.

"It wouldn't even cover the cost of replacing the computer, let alone the software, or my time,” she said of the gift card offer. “And why would I want to go spend money at their store again after the way I was treated?"

Campbell then rejected the offer and demanded $2,100 in cash which was left unanswered. In October she urged her family and friends to write the company and say they would not shop there until the matter was resolved. The store's general manager, Robert Delissio, replied to two of the letters:

"For every customer that has had an unpleasant experience I can show you hundreds who have had a great experience. I have been in retail for a long time and the one conclusion I have come to is that not every customer can be satisfied," he wrote in an e-mail supplied by Campbell. "Does my store have opportunities? Absolutely! What I can say is that we strive to deliver the experience that every customer deserves to receive."

Best Buy refused to comment on the authenticity of the email. This left Campbell even more frustrated and she turned to the Washington, D.C., attorney generals office, which in turn contacted the store. In November, the store increased it's offer to $1,100 in cash as well as a $500 store gift card. During this time, she visited a legal aid office which unveiled an even bigger issue. She had personal information on the laptop which left her open to identity theft.

Campbell was informed that she had a bigger problem than a lost computer – the potential for identity theft. She also learned that Best Buy was in violation of the district's security breach notification law, which requires companies that have lost a consumer's data to tell them. To date, she has not received that notification.

Campbell then enrolled in a $10-a-month identity theft monitoring service. She also filed her $54 million lawsuit against Best Buy by herself, without legal representation. Campbell freely admits that she picked the amount to draw public attention. The lawsuit not only brought on media attention but it also got the attention of Best Buy which offered her $2,500 in addition to the $1,100 cash refund and $500 gift card if she would withdraw the lawsuit. Campbell said that wasn't enough.

"It shouldn't take a $54 million lawsuit to motivate Best Buy to address these issues," she said. Her initial offer to settle for $2,100 has been withdrawn because her expenses have risen, including time spent filing a police report and consulting with lawyers about her case, she said. Concerns about identity theft also add to her potential damages, she said.

Campbell has no expectations of winning such a huge lawsuit, but she does feel she should be compensated for the store's negligence as well as an explanation of how her computer was stolen in a highly secure area. She also wants a promise from Best Buy that it will train its employees on privacy issues and procedures to prevent lost or stolen items.

“I can't help but wonder how many other people have had their computer stolen (or) lost by Best Buy and then been bullied into accepting low ball compensation offers for replacement expenses and no compensation for identity theft protection expenses,” she said.