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Best Buy Sued Over "Shower Cam"

By David Wood
ConsumerAffairs.com

April 12, 2007

Best Buy • Connecticut Sues Best Buy • Best Buy Sued Over "Shower Cam" • Extended Warranties • Pricing Policies • Rebates • Returns --- • Appliances • Computers • Laptops • TV & Video • Cell Phones • Inside Best Buy --- • Best Buy Sued Over "Shower Cam" • Ohio Sues Best Buy

The Best Buy "Geek Squad" brochure says that only "agents you can trust" will be sent to repair your computer, but a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges just the opposite.

The suit, filed by 22-year-old Sarah Vasquez and her mother, alleges that Geek Squad employee, 26-year-old Hao Kuo Chi, placed a cell phone camera in the bathroom for the purpose of videotaping Sarah and her younger sister.

According to the lawsuit, Chi placed the phone on the bathroom sink at an angle that would record anyone in the vicinity of the shower.

Vasquez used the bathroom to take a shower and once out of the shower, she saw the camera phone along with its blinking red light.

Feeling that something wasn't right, Vasquez walked out of the bathroom to tell her sister about the phone, and when Vasquez returned to the bathroom, the phone was gone.

The younger sister later found the phone in her bedroom, removed the memory chip, and that's when it all fell apart for Chi. The video images on the chip show Vasquez in the shower.

The suit alleges negligent hiring, fraud, invasion of privacy, among others.

Best Buy released the following statement: "Best Buy was not informed of this action prior to being contacted by the media today. Obviously, we intend to cooperate fully with any investigation into this matter."

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