> Small claims court does get a company's attention. They either have to show up or lose. Unfortunately this is state dependent. Good on California for not all

> Small claims court does get a company's attention. They either have to show up or lose. Unfortunately this is state dependent. Good on California for not allowing an appeal if you don't show up. In Texas, it's not uncommon for companies to no-show their small claims court date because they can immediately appeal for a de novo trial to a county court (which has more rigorous legal proceedings that give lawyers an edge).