Best Buy sued for $54 million after Geek Squad loses laptop

A woman in Washington DC is suing the Best Buy retailer for $54 million over a lost laptop computer.

Raelyn Campbell, 37, had preferably chosen the amount of $54 million to draw public attention to the consumer property and privacy-protection practices at Best Buy.

"It shouldn't take a $54 million lawsuit to get Best Buy to do what it is legally required to do," Campbell said.

Campbell said she spent six months making every effort to get the retailer to explain what happened to her laptop computer, but was met with insults by Best Buy employees and representatives. Campbell asked for $5,000 compensation but only collected $1,110 and a $500 gift card.

After filing a civil complaint with the local Attorney General, Best Buy carefully placed the money back into her account.

Geek Squad technicians at Best Buy lost the computer sometime around July 2007, then the company misled her about its whereabouts for a few weeks before finally admitting that it had been lost.

Best Buy isn't saying much about the matter since it's still before the court.