Best Buy has often been known to go the extra mile for its customers, but the company's most recent foray into great service has proven problematic. It stole a bunch of trade secrets and now owes $27 million in fines. Whoops!

What strikes me add oddest about this story is exactly what Best Buy reportedly stole. It was working with a company named TechForward to develop a Guaranteed Buyback Program. The program lets customers pay for the right to exchange products for store credit (minus the usual attached strings in these situations).

After working for months with TechForward, Best Buy decided it didn't need them anymore. The collaboration was called off, and Best Buy implemented its own Guaranteed Buyback Program. In doing this, as you might have guessed, Best Buy brought over some of TechForward's trade secrets involving the program.

Not sure what exactly is so secretive about it, but TechFoward is pleased with the California court's ruling. From a statement, "We are extremely pleased that the jury recognized Best Buy's misconduct, and we hope this verdict puts large companies on notice that there are real consequences to illegally exploiting start-up businesses like ours."

It wasn't exactly the company's best buy. I'm sorry. It had to be done.

Via BGR