She took a page out of that crazy judge's book. Hope it turns out much better for her than it did him.

I hope she at least encrypted all that personal data she had floating around. She complains about it being lost with the data on it, but who would she sue if she left it on a park bench somewhere?

I can tell you from experience, if it goes to trial the jury and/or judge will not be as sympathetic to her high claim which reeks of "just for the money" as they would be for actual value and even if BB is found negligent in this case, it's unlikely she'll get more than the value of the software licenses and the computer itself.

Tort reform FTW!!!!!!!

Anyone know where her husband gets his dry cleaning done?

@chiieddy: I should also mention, the value of replacing the laptop in kind is not what she's likely to get. She'll probably get deprecated value of the laptop. It's over 2 years old. A lifetime in PC laptop-land.

Unlike the pants case, I'm on the Plaintiff's side on this one. Mostly because I hate Best Buy, but also replacing a laptop isn't like replacing a pair of pants. As she pointed out, we store all sorts of personal and irreplaceable stuff on our hard drives. She should have had it backed up, but if Best Buy promised they'd return the laptop, they should be able to.

@chiieddy:

"She complains about it being lost with the data on it, but who would she sue if she left it on a park bench somewhere?"

Nobody, because you generally don't take your computer to a park bench to get repaired based upon a purchased warranty.

Unless you went to Park Bench Pete's, of course, which does have a rather speedy turnaround time.

I hope she wins the entire $54 million. She should go for class status and up the amount to $500 million so that everyone gets a nice big slice of pie.

@chiieddy: The laptop was one year old when she brought it in for repairs, it just took Best Buy another year to realize it was lost.

Yes they owe her for the laptop and/or incompetence. They don't owe her jack for the data loss - TAKE A BACKUP if its that important, lady. What if the fault with the laptop had been a fried hard drive?

Working in IT I have had to deal with a lot of users who complain about lost data... it's almost a certainty that if you dont back up data you are going to lose it at some point.

She signed a form when she checked it in to Best Buy saying that she understood that she was responsible for backing up her data and that BBY was not responsible for data loss. Everyone who leaves a computer with them signs that form.

"and it had irreplaceable photos, music, and personal information, including her tax returns." Well, if it's so "irreplaceable," then she should have made backups.

I wonder if she would sue Starbucks if she spilled a cup of coffee on her laptop and trashing the hard drive, thus destroying her "irreplaceable photos, music, and personal information, including her tax returns."

Personal responsibility - it's more than just a concept...

@Jaysyn: I'm sure she took such high suit amount to attract media attention. Once she gets attention, she will settle for couple of $K.

@masonreloaded: You should realize that these people aren't fixing their own problems for the same reason they don't back up their data. Because they simply down't know any better. That's where you come in, instead of talking trash, maybe you should help educate, oh god of IT.

@chouchou: Exactly. As fun as it is to band these kind of suits around, something like +95% settle before a judge even takes the bench (or, in a lot of cases, the arbitrator).

$54 million? That sounds about right for a two year old laptop with a bunch of crappy family photos. I hate BB but she should have backed up her data.

Not only does BB copy photos from PCs but now they are losing stuff, come-on people. I wonder if there are any "pictures" of Raelyn now floating around on the internet?
Best Buy is a scumbag company, they should have just "done the right thing" from the start, when will companies learn?

54 million dollars? It's a laptop, not a pair of pants!

$54 million is extreme and there's no way that she should get anywhere close to that (I'd put my $$ on about $1000 to $1500), but for all of those OP bashers on here, I would point out that when she gave the laptop to Best Buy (under warranty nonetheless), Best Buy had a responsibility to care for it. If they lose it, destroy it, give it to someone else to steal her identity, keep it for a year before telling her its lost, whatever, they have SOME RESPONSIBILITY to attend to the damages that would result from that conduct. Simply saying "she should have backed it up" may be well and nice from a practical standpoint, but it does not relieve Best Buy's conduct here. Unfortunatly, I have a feeling that by seeking $54 million, she's doing damage to her case as it obviousy comes across as an abuse of the legal system.

@shan6: don't**
I'm an idiot...

As said before, and as will be said hundreds of times before this case is settled....BACK UP YOUR DATA!!

With external HDDs so cheap, as well as internal DVD-R drives and cheap as hell blank DVD-Rs, just back your stuff up!

Took pictures of your vacation? When you get home, back it all up on a DVD-R. Hell, two DVD-Rs incase you loose one. Takes less than half an hour, less than $1, and no worries.

She's suing Best Buy for THAT MUCH?!
Sure she works for the NBR, but come on, even she should know millions is too much for a friggin' laptop.
[www.nbr.org]

Meh, I agree, back your shit up before taking a computer in for repair, however... they did still lose it.

If it were me, and I didn't back up and the hdd died, thats my fault for not keeping a backup. But even with that it gives them no right to lose her data, even if I had backed up, I would still be pissed at the prospect of my personal information floating around somewhere.

If it were me, I would sue them for the brand new value of the notebook, or the value of a comparable new notebook in present time, the cost of software that I could find receipts for, and I would also seek to hold them accountable for paying any damages or costs due to identity theft for as long as possible.

Whats worse is they wait so long to tell her, and then offer her $900, no way in hell would that fly, after a week of waiting for my laptop they would be so sick of seeing me that store security would know me by name.

@shan6: mason's attitude is that of a youngling in the IT world. I have been working in IT for a long time and frankly, it isn't that hard to recover data for people. An extra hour spent helping someone only leaves you both with a smile.

@bluesunburn: BBY sucks, and no it isn't a pair of pants. This is more equivalent to BBY walking into your house, taking all your pants (hangers and all), throwing them in a big pile in your living room, dousing them with gasoline, and then setting them on fire.

@BLUESUNBURN - hahaha

@everyone else: read the article before posting. The 4th sentence clearly states: "She freely admits she chose the high figure to attract media attention."

This SAME situation happend to me with Best Buy. Same year too. They lost my mom's laptop (claimed I abondoned it @ the Geek Squad kiosk, nice eh?) Disputed the charge with the credit card co. (lost, they could have cared less) I filed a police report (they could have cared less also) I was going to file a small claims suit against them but decided to give up and NEVER shop there again. I have never been back. It amazes me how awful this store really is. It's almost like they ENJOY screwing people. I will wait patiently for the day that this company goes under. It will happen, it's just a matter of time. By the way, my Mother is 79. Best Buy LOST/STOLE a 79 year old womans laptop. That sums up how this company operates. And yes, I bought her a new computer. It WASN'T purchased @ Best Buy either.

She freely admits she chose the high figure to attract media attention.

She shouldn't have shot her wad by saying that... she'd get a lot more attention by being vague about what the $54 million is all about. People like mystery.

@CRYMSON_77

Bluesunburn is talking about the fancy pants judge who tried to sue the dry cleaner for millions and lost his job.

Seems like she waits for best buy to make an offer and then says it's not enough. Why not itemize the expenses and ask best buy for that ammount.

Best buy should be at fault for losing her laptop. However, she should have backed all of her crap up.

Again, BACKUP YOUR SHIT, and read the paper work. You get a credit for an equal product, not the cost of the unit. A $1100 Laptop that is 2 years old can be replaced with an equal machine for $800. Its a warranty not an "upgrade plan" as i had some customers call it. And yes i have had a few laptops lost, usually UPS had lost it in route and we do take car of the customer if we are aware. Not all the time do we have enough information to replace a laptop right then and there. As i had said in other posts i cant speak for other GSs, and im not gonna lie i have seen some dumb people working at a GS. We have had our share but they don't last to long.

Anyone who doesn't backup their important, irreplaceable data deserves to lose it.

I think she's about $53,995,000 too high.

I'm glad she's suing for that amount. It's clearly over the top, but companies need to be put on notice that you can't treat your customers shabbily and expect them to cave on lame excuses and lamer recompense. And yes, she should have backed up her data.

@all of the "take a f^ck!n9 backup" crowd:

Let's suppose she did take a backup, what, exactly, is your zero-thought, off-the-cuff answer to what she does about the fact that someone else, someone unknown may have possession of her data? Encryption is great and all, but remains a bigger pain in the ass for the average user than backing up is.

To those who suggest that she is making this lawsuit so big to get media attention, the answer is yes, she is. What is the problem with that?

From The Red Tape Chroicles:

The amount intentionally echoes another lawsuit that made headlines last year -- a case involving a D.C. judge who sued a dry cleaner for $54 million over a lost pair of pants. That case was eventually dismissed.
Campbell freely admits she picked the same amount in an effort to attract media attention.

The matter remains: Best Buy and/or Geek Squad screwed up. They screwed up big, and then they lied about it, and then they insulted her with their offers of compensation. Best Buy needs to catch hell for this.

I giver her HUGE points for having brass balls, but take away those points for her lack of self-responsibility (Some may call it stupidity.)

There is NO WAY IN HELL I am going to entrust my computer with my personal data on it to anyone else. I know that's tough, but nowadays, entrusting your hard drive to anyone else IS INVITING TROUBLE a thousand different ways.

If you can't turn on the computer, then hire a neighborhood geek, while under your watchful eyes, to remove the drive before sending it off. Even if it means substituting it with a replacement drive.

I recently needed to send my laptop to a service center for a faltering LCD. BUT FIRST, I backed up, REPEAT backed up the contents to an external hard drive, then performed a DOD 35-pass, disk wipe on the laptop's hard drive.

Again, I admit, a bit of trouble, but never, never, never entrust your data to a service center. My data was NEVER at risk, even if anyone along the line had mal-intent. They can't steal what they can't get to.

It's not the way it should be, but it is the REALITY.

@Angryrider: Oh shit! NBR represent! I'm surprised she hasn't sent Paul Kangas down there to regulate yet.

"Here's wishing you the best of good buys, bitches!"

I say good for her. Best Buy screws over innumerable people on a daily basis. Bout time they got spanked for it. It's this kind of thing that puts companies in check, because obviously we as consumers are powerless to stop spending money there, enriching the beast and reinforcing their shitty business practices.

I can't feel to bad for people who don't back up their stuff, and people who send computers in with a HD containing data. You don't even need to include a HD. You can take it out. Some manufacturers even recommend it.

If you don't back up your data, you shouldn't be allowed to call it "irreplacable". There should be a law against that.

i bet $54 million that she gets maybe $54 FLAT.

Yes she should've backed her data up. Fault- Her

When any computer goes out to service, they are sent to service centers throughout the country. That service center is held BY THE MANUFACTURER along with BBY so BBY can do repairs on it.

I'm sorry, but she got her 20 seconds of fame, she won't win that much money, and she is greedy and selfish at the same time.

You know, it's like all the other bullshit you pay extra for, and then, when you really need it... then you get nothing.

Besides extended warranties, health insurance comes to mind...

Hope she gets every damn cent! They are so quick to take the money, but when it comes time to pay out... then comes the finger pointing.

@lasciate: I hate it when people say shit like this. Nobody deserves bad things to happen to them just because they didn't think things through, or do something. She's learned her lesson, of that I'm sure. But did she deserve to lose her data? No. It's like saying that people who leave their doors unlocked deserve to get robbed (i know I've seen that comment somewhere on this site).

Damages for the loss of her data will be thrown out. There's some clause somewhere in her service 'contract' that expressly talks about the repair service not being responsible for data. Standard clauses in everything data-related (computers, cellphones, hard drives, etc).

BB is only liable for the cost of the laptop. This suit ain't goin' anywheres.

@Pupator:

Correct, however Best Buy is in violation of the law for failing to notify her of the data theft. She seems to have a bigger problem with the data theft and the fact that Best Buy tried to bully her into a settlement for far less then the value of the computer after she was given the run around. "Oh, we lost your system and lied about it for 4 months? Here's a gift card for 75% of the value" should not be an acceptable solution, and boarders on fraud. She absolutely won't get the 54 million, and she knows it, but she does want everything to come to light.

So I finally learn why I got such a great deal at Best Buy on an open-box laptop with a broken switch that is preloaded with a bunch of obscure software.

This is ridiculous. She put such a high price to gain media attention. Pisses me off already.

She should definitely get what she paid and maybe a little extra for the inconvenience. But nowhere in the ballpark of $54 million. Not even $1 million. More like...$2000 if it cost her $1100.

Is she an attorney? Otherwise, if she actually got an attorney to file this case for her--he/she needs to be disbarred.

She deserves compensation for her lost laptop--and that should've been dealt with in small claims where she would've won--no problem.

Now she may end up having to pay Best Buy's attorney fees if this turns out to be anything like how the pants case was settled. She's also set up a good case that she is an irrational, greedy customer.

And I agree about backing up important data. Her tax forms--did she not print out hard copies for herself? Did she not put her music on her ipod? Her photos on an ipod? And flash drives are incredibly cheap. Even burn it to cds if you don't have another hard drive to use as backup. She had a laptop, for goodness sake, she was just waiting for a disaster to happen without backing her data up.

Good it took Best Buy months to tell me that my laptop had water damage and it would cost $900 to repair. It had water damage because the first time I sent in for repairs UPS left my laptop in a cardboard box in the rain. Oh and UPS told me it was my fault because they can't predict when it's going to rain. Which is nice, real nice. So needless to say when I bought a replacement laptop it wasn't at Best Buy.