Devoted to hardware, software, IT issues, and information technology management

I just finished reading an interesting blog post from the front page of Yahoo!  Best Buy Loses Laptop: Owner Sues... for $54 Million and while I've heard about Best Buy's poor customer service; the treatment of the customer, Raelyn Campbell, described in the post really annoyed me and can be treated as a cautionary tale when considering the types of warranty or service contract you might wish to purchase when buying a desktop/laptop for the home or office.

Ms. Campbell purchased a laptop from Best Buy and included their extended warranty.  When the power button broke off she brought it to Best Buy for repair and was told the repairs would be complete in two to six weeks.  Well, the six weeks passed and there was no word on the laptop.  She badgered Best Buy for three months and they finally admitted the laptop could not be found.  This is how they chose to compensate their customer for their mistake:

"...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."

Some readers of the post commented that she is partly to blame for having personal information stored on the laptop and placing that valuable asset into someone else's hands, but I have to disagree here as she couldn't be expected to wipe her own hard drive before handing the laptop over for what should have been a simple repair.  I suppose encrypting her most sensitive data may have been an option, but how many users can do that on their own?

I know that carry-in or depot repair is becoming the norm and that Ms. Campbell may not have had an option, but I would almost always suggest buying a warranty or service contract that includes onsite repair, so your equipment never leaves your sight.  Unfortunately, Best Buy's Geek Squad performs in-home repair and your personal data might be as safe in their hands as you might think; as was described in this investigative article by The Consumerist.

So, regarding your next desktop/laptop purchase, you might want to consider budgeting for an onsite repair option and when the technician is working on the system; watch them like a hawk.