Most of us have trouble scratching a simple customer service call off our to-do list, but The Red Tape Chronicles profiles a college kid who has turned taking companies to small claims court into a bit of a hobby. And he’s won 10 out of 12 times.

For a mere $76 filing fee each time, he’s gotten settlements of $500 and more. In one case he took HP to court alleging he had problems again and again with his laptop. After repair after repair, he sued them for $1300. HP settled with him for $688.

Most of the time it’s simply a matter of explaining the cost-benefit ratio to the companies.

“When I talk to their attorneys, I try to have a conversation with them,” he told The Red Tape Chronicles. “I’ll say, ‘You know you’ve done wrong. Instead of paying your attorneys $225 to drive to the courthouse, why don’t you talk to me right now and settle this?’ They usually want to work with me,” he said.

In college kid v. big companies, small claims court key to big satisfaction [The Red Tape Chronicles]

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