rockin'robin

A heterosexual man in Denver claims that a Best Buy employee wrongly "outed" him on Facebook after he left his phone for repair.

Rich Dewberry said he brought in his mobile device to get fixed and was given a new phone. Shortly afterward, his Facebook status read, "I am gay, I'm coming out."

"The phone just started ringing constantly after that from [an] ex-spouse to friends," he told ABC's Denver affiliate, KMGH.

Dewberry said he was logged into his Facebook account on the phone he left with the store.

"I feel I have been humiliated. My reputation has been tarnished," he said.

"Just having to explain it to certain people that I haven't been in contact for a while," he said. "I feel I shouldn't have to do that."

Dewberry filed a complaint with the store, which told him the employee was fired, he said. Best Buy provided a statement to KMGH:

"Each year, every employee of Best Buy is asked to review and sign our Code of Ethics, which includes details on how they are expected to handle customer information."

Dewberry told KMGH he is exploring his legal options with an attorney.

The company did not return a request for comment.

Best Buy Employee Wrongly 'Outed' Denver Man - Yahoo! News

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Sares

That could have been his bank account. Shows you should never leave devices around with open passwords and applications, even for repair. I feel for him but if you want to prosecute someone prosecute yourself for leaving it open first. We punch holes and burn the platter when we retire a hard drive.

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dereksbicycles

I would not want anyone to give out an open device. If I got an open device, I would not type on it.

It's like seeing bike that is out by the lake. It does not mean I would go and ride it away just because it is there.

Ethically, I think that employer deserves to be fired. Open device or no, you don't play with other people's account.

Tikra

yes reba is right and i know it from heart cuz at the company i work for has policy that force employees to take privacy/ethics policy test like i would say 2 to 3 times a year or more i am not sure on that. I dont know about best buy but if i were them they should do what my company do but who knows it depend on each employee just like that one that just broke the rule. I sure hope that customer win the settlement.

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Foxrac

I never take a test for privacy/ethic policy when I worked at walmart for almost 4 years.

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Reba

One difference is that the employees at Best Buy have access to customers' private information that is in their phones and computers. That adds an extra element (reason) for needing the ethics policy.

diehardbiker

Stupidity of that employee. It is about code of Ethics and respect customer's privacy. I have extremely high degree of respect on customer's privacy and regardless of what customer's lifestyle its still none of my business to share with anyone else.

Good thing that Best buy fired this sucker. Poor that customer that their reputation has been damaged.

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diehardbiker

Super strong magnet swipe over hard drive would do good. Best leave it (Magnet) on hard drive overnight.

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J-MAC's quote: "People who try and fail are more superior than people who don't try at all"

"If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls who live under tyranny."
Thomas Jefferson (1778)

Avatar picture is Cape Hatteras light house in OBX.

Foxrac

My point is about test, every companies, including Walmart has own ethics policy.

I don't think most companies do test employees due fear to be sued for discrimination.

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diehardbiker

Technican is a professional job. Any professional jobs has its own Ethic standards and it is pretty much common sense thing.

When I assist a customer with computer and sees their private stuff, does myself have the right to share with others what I see on customer's computer? The answer is downright obviously.

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J-MAC's quote: "People who try and fail are more superior than people who don't try at all"

"If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls who live under tyranny."
Thomas Jefferson (1778)

Avatar picture is Cape Hatteras light house in OBX.

LoveBlue

Actually, they would want to do the test to protect themselves from lawsuits. If they educate/test their employees on a regular basis (at hire and yearly, usually), then, when something like what happened at Best Buy happens, they can show that the employee was trained/tested on their ethics policy and therefore the employee will be the one to get in trouble, not the company.

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Foxrac

That's not what I was discussing.

My point is about taking exam for employees to make sure that they know about their policies.

I already made point about all companies have own ethics policy.

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Foxrac

Ok, you got good point.

I believe that all customers should logged out and remove any saved passwords before they turn it in for repair like I did at Apple store when they had to repair my iPhone.

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Jane B.

We don't know what the customers problem was. It may have been a matter of not being able to do the things that would have protected him/her from this.

diehardbiker

Does not matter what customer's problem is. It is about respect customer's privacy.

It is like, you go into doctor office and you have terrible disease, can doctors, nurses share your issue outside like on Facebook? Why would one need to know what your problem is? This applies same thing.

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J-MAC's quote: "People who try and fail are more superior than people who don't try at all"

"If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls who live under tyranny."
Thomas Jefferson (1778)

Avatar picture is Cape Hatteras light house in OBX.

Jane B.

I agree with you. What my point was is we don't know what the customer's problem was and thus the customer may not have been able to do the things some were suggesting should have been done before taking anything in for repair.

Foxrac

I don't blame on customers who are victim of privacy invasion.

I don't disagree with your post and you are got a good point but only issue is my question about test employees to make sure if they are complies with policies.

For doctors, nurses, VR, medical care, they have to follow the HIPAA or federal can heavily fine them for violation of HIPAA, plus sue by patients as well. For Best Buy, Target, Apple, Walmart, any non-medical workplaces, they are subjecting to regular law about protect the customer privacy or they can be sued for break the privacy. All companies have policies about privacy too.

Privacy invasion can be prevented if customers logged it out, remove the saved passwords, remove the personal information, etc, it is better than being victim of privacy invasion, also damage the reputation.

I don't trust anyone who willing to repair my phone, laptop, etc with my personal information. I heard about Geek Squad at Best Buy can be nightmare and just being cautious about them.

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geek4life90x

Yeah, I was not allowed to use my phone while I worked at the Geeksquad in Best Buy in two years ago. Every store have depend on strict polices for employments.

Jiro

now that's the definition of slander. since the customer suffered damage as the result of Best Buy employee's lie, it meets legal parameter for sufficient lawsuit under Defamation, Libel and Slander Law.

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Tikra

foxrac think about it, at ANY company it depend on position of employment. AS for myself I work for Tom Thumb as Pricing Cooridator, I am required to take privacy/ethics test. Some company may not giving their employees tests due to their decision. However Best Buy is responsible for hiring Techs to fixing the cell phones and be a responsible and respect toward to the customers.

However I think it also customers fault for not log out and clean out cell phone before turn phone in for repair but I would say it also customers right to sue cuz that tech took it too far to harm customer's personal life for that comment. It can happen anywhere you cant expect that to happen. Some people can be dumb and take it too far like that tech.

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Foxrac

Do you have any problems with my post?

Most of your post is just exactly what DHB said and it is quite too obvious.

I can't say if it is customer's fault and I'm no interest to blame on victims for mistake, however there are people around world that you cannot be trusted.

I did repaired some of customer's computers and it is none of my business to invade their privacy, even I'm major in IT at university.

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Tikra

I have nothing against you. sorry if i imply that way it just that when i mention about take test and you were bringing that subject up. So my apologies.

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Foxrac

No problem, at first, my post was misunderstood and embarassed because I don't understand about what article saying. It will be nice if OP or member PM me if they find my post to be confusing or not related so I could fix it in no time.

I'm strong advocate for protect the privacy and I don't think this employee who got fired for violation of company and ethics policy, will get other job due to bad employment history or bad evaluation.

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KristinaB

The policy is the same kind of thing as the HIPPA policy in the medical community. When I worked for the counseling agency, we had to redo our HIPPA training every 3 months. We handled client information regarding drugs, alcohol and family life, not to mention legal issues if they were county probation & parole or Federal probation & parole. I was the data entry and billing person who entered it all into the internal system, the state system for the Department of Mental Health and also did all the billing in the state system.

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