Make Companies Pay for Losing Your Data

(Image is in the Public Domain)

Data breaches are common, but shouldn't be. They could easily stem the flow by putting better security in place, taking personal data offline, stop sending employees home with laptops that have personal data on them, and, above all stop storing our data once you no longer have need of it (you can't lose my credit card number if you don't have it).

Anyway, class action suits don't often work so one man decided to take a company to small claims court instead (and won!). A $700 settlement might not seem like much, but as he says:

...it was likely more than most consumers who filed class-action lawsuits ever received (after attorney fees are paid) and it would be received much more quickly.
Tags: , ,

Sue a Big Company In Small Claims Court

(Image used under: Creative Commons 2.0 [SRC])

The Consumerist has an article about a reader who has taken big companies to small claims court several times to get resolution to his problem. His average cost is about $24 and 45 minutes of time.

See, in all cases, he hasn't even had to go to court: the company calls him up the day before the court date and gives him a settlement. It seems they prefer to do that then pay to fly a company representative who isn't fully versed on all the facts to court.

See the original article for the full story of how he does it.

Tags: ,

Loading...

If you want to learn more about my professional background, click here to learn more.

Check out one of my guides/tutorials:

warranties Tutorial
|INDEX|next: Extended Warranties
First, always learn what coverage you get for free from the manufacturer.
When offered an extended warranty, make sure you understand the basics.
They want you to buy it, but is it as easy to use as they say?
Know beforehand what circumstances and terms put the purchase of a warranty in your favor
Once you need to use the warranty, make sure you know the steps to take.
Finally, learn why you should even bother with this mess.
Now it's time to make the decision of whether to buy or not.

... or check out any of my other guides and tutorials by clicking here!

Manufacturer Warranties

Products you purchase in the store almost always have warranties already. Depending on how good it is, you could be completely wasting your money buying an extended one when the default one will do.

[Click for full description]

Extended Warranties

What is an extended warranty and how do you know when you see one?

[Click for full description]

Surprise! You're Not Covered

If you're going to spend your money on a warranty, first consider all the factors.

[Click for full description]

Learning the Warranty Odds

Learn what important aspects of a warranty you need to look for to make sure you're getting a good deal.

[Click for full description]

How to Use Your Warranty

Once it's time to use your warranty, make sure you know how to navigate the system.

[Click for full description]

Warranty Successes

Read some examples of how I've personally used warranties in my favor over the years.

[Click for full description]

Warranty Decision

In the end, how do you decide whether to buy the warranty or not?

[Click for full description]