did you read this article on consumerist:
Small Claims Court: Suing Big Companies In Small Claims Court Is Fun And Easy
I wish I would have known that it only takes a smooth $25 to cause such a big headache for companies. The article says that companies aren't allowed to use their own lawyers in small claims court, which is even better. It would be much easier for them to just part with $2k right from the start than to have to pay for a plane ticket, hotel, etc. to get a representative to the small claims.