Only the first lucky clutch of people in line today at AT&T stores will walk out with a new iPhone 3G in-hand. There were only 30 phones available in total at the the biggest AT&T store in Waterbury CT, at the Brass Mill Center, according to a store employee. Reporting from the line, reader Kevin says that everyone else was given an option to buy a slip of paper for $226.79 (see a scan of it posted inside), have the phone shipped from the warehouse to you, then you come back to the store to activate the phone. Customers will have to pay for the shipping charges for this favor.

It's Been 4 Months, GEICO, Where's My Money?

On January 1st, a friend of mine went to visit another friend in CT (I am from NJ), and unfortunately hit black ice, and proceeded into a guardrail. The accident, although at the time did not seem too terrible (even though the front end looked completely shot), and I figured I would be up and driving relatively soon. Little did I know this would not be true at all...

Dumpster Diver Finds Customer Financial Information In Bank Trash

For four months, James Hastings searched through trash bins outside People's United Bank branches in Fairfield County. He pulled out bags of paperwork with private information, including customers' Social Security numbers and account information.

"Help, I've Been Ripped Off By A Gas Station!"

Just wanted to let some of the folks living in or traveling in Southeast CT to avoid any of the Sunoco Stations that are owned by "Chucky's".

My wife and I stopped at the Sunoco that is located on Route 1 in Stonington the other night, because they had their lighted sign showing a price of $3.35 a gallon for premium fuel. It was night time and we did not notice until we were halfway thru pumping that the digital readout on the pump read $3.47 a gallon, which is obviously $.12 cents a gallon different.

When Telephone Companies Scam

"Competing by cheating has become a way of life for ... many of these corporations, many of the most reputable of them. Because it's done by AT&T, MCI, or Sprint, people are reluctant to use that word, but when all is said and done ... these are scams."

- Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal in a 200160 Minutes interview, and used as preface for Gotcha Capitalism. Blumenthal has sued AT&T and Qwest for slamming. In AT&T's case, they sent bills to people who weren't their customers and in Qwest's, they stole competitors customers by forging the customer's signatures and switching them without their consent.

Best Buy Charges Wrong Price, Lies When Confronted

Best Buy Refuses To Stop Misleading Customers With Secret Website

Best Buy Still Embracing Deceptive In-Store Kiosks

US Airways Cancels Your Flight, Treats You "Like Dirt"

700 Tubes Of Poison Toothpaste Seized

Sting Operation Busts 160 Illegal Contractors In Connecticut

When we say that we expect contractors to comply with the law we mean it," Commissioner Farrell said in announcing the results of the sting operation, which was conducted with cooperation from the Ridgefield, Redding, Stratford, Fairfield, and Trumbull Police Departments, Trumbull building officials, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. "Any person who wants to perform work in Connecticut must follow the State's legal requirements associated with the job. This should not come as a surprise to anyone. We intend to pursue appropriate penalties and punishment for these contractors."

Best Buy Confirms The Existence Of Its Secret Website

Millions in Lottery Winnings Go Unclaimed

The could-have-been club boasts a surprisingly large roster, with dozens of hefty jackpots left unclaimed around the country in recent years. There was $14 million in Illinois in 2005. In 2002, $4.6 million went wanting in Massachusetts. That same year, nobody stepped up to take $51.7 million in Indiana — apparently the largest forgone prize on record.

"Mr. Jackson, who lives in Hamden and could not be reached for an interview this week, told local newspapers back then that he had been distracted by caring for his sick father, who owned the floor-cleaning business where he worked. By the time Mr. Jackson realized he had the winning numbers, it was 11:45 p.m. on a Sunday night and he figured lottery headquarters would be closed. The next day was Columbus Day, a holiday, so he thought it was impossible to contact a state official.

Connecticut State's Attorney's Office Launches Investigation Into Best Buy's Secret Intranet Site

The state attorney general's office has started an investigation into whether Best Buy maintains a secret intranet site that may have been used by some salesmen to deny customers discounts that appear on the company's public Internet site.

Connecticut Blocks MySpace For The Children