Bill, who sent us the tip, writes,

Note that to replace this service, a person would have to buy at least a $7.99 per month service from a Usenet provider. But Comcast is not going to lower the price of their Internet service to compensate customers for the loss of Usenet access.

(Photo: Getty)

The AG also said that the stations were engaging in false advertising by only listing the lower cash prices on signs, leading to nasty surprises for consumers once they parked at the pump.

“With drivers hitting the road this weekend and gas prices through the roof, the last thing New York City drivers need are gas stations hitting them with exorbitant prices for paying with a credit card,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “Drivers across New York City need to be on the guard for gas stations that engage in deceptive practices to squeeze every last dollar out of their customers. Our investigation revealed that New York City is rife with gas stations that engage in deceptive practices where they display one price as a way to lure customers - and then charge them more at the pump."

Consumers who see gas stations prominently advertising the cash-only price on primary signage and then indicating at the pump that credit card customers will be charged more are urged to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Helpline at 1-800-996-4630.

For more information about how credit card surcharges work, click here. Remember, your state laws will vary.

ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO ISSUES CONSUMER ALERT FOR NYC DRIVERS AFTER INVESTIGATION REVEALS NEARLY 25% OF NYC AREA GAS STATIONS INSPECTED ENGAGED IN DECEPTIVE PRACTICES [NY AG]
(Photo: whatatravisty )

"The Camera Professionals" are not actually that professional, nor do they have cameras to sell you. That's what ZDNet reporter Josh Taylor discovered when he decided to take their Google AdWord bait and buy a camcorder they were offering for nearly $300 less than other stores. He didn't expect much success, and he was richly rewarded:

While stories like mine are sadly not that uncommon, I’m still absolutely stumped at what kind of scheme The Camera Professionals is trying to pull off. They never tried to upsell me, they never charged my credit card, they simply appeared to have taken an order for an item they seemingly have no intention of trying to fill.

After reading complaints online about the company, Taylor was expecting a call-to-confirm scam that would lead to an aggressive upsell, and a subsequent out of stock notice if he didn't take the bait. Instead, he simply got nowhere with them. We wonder if it had to do with his manner of payment (Amex).

What's funniest about the experience is that the company actually paid a small amount of money to take Taylor's order:

But that’s not all. Since I clicked on a Google sponsored link to visit them in the first place, they actually paid Google for the privilege of taking an order. It wasn’t much - looks to be about a nickel a click for the search term “Vixia HF10″ - but it’s still a nickel more than they made off my order.

"The worst shopping experience on the web?" [The ToyBox / ZDNet]

The New York Times explains:

The issue is not whether people should pay tax when they buy goods from out-of-state sellers like Amazon. For decades, the state has required them to pay sales or use tax.

The question is whether the vendors must collect that tax on behalf of the state. Generally, only those companies that have a physical presence — like an office or store — in the state where the purchase is made are required to collect the tax.

The new law is based on a novel definition of what constitutes a presence in the state: It includes any Web site based in the state that earns a referral fee for sending customers to an online retailer. Amazon has hundreds of thousands of affiliates — from big publishers to tiny blogs — that feature links to its products. The state law says that thousands of those have given an address in New York State, although the addresses have not been verified.

The law says that if even one of those affiliates is in New York State, Amazon must collect sales tax on everything sold in the state, even if it is not sold through the affiliate.

Amazon is challenging the constitutionality of this interpretation of the law and claims that the statue is "overly broad and vague," says the Times. They also claim that the law is unconstitutional because it was written specifically for Amazon, thus violating the 14th amendment.

Amazon Sues Over State Law on Collection of Sales Tax [NYT]
(Photo: Guillermo Esteves )

Consumers (who hadn't received their new cards) but were getting statements full of fraudulent charges for restaurant meals, computers and power tools, notified the police.

Authorities arrested Hank after a two-month-long investigation conducted jointly by the Fourth and Sixth squads along with agents of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

Hank, of 16 Park Blvd., was charged with five counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and three counts of second-degree forgery, police said. He was released on bail.

Police ask that anyone who believes they may have been victimized to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.

Cops arrest Smithtown postal worker [Newsday]
(Photo:Joy of the Mundane)

"I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and violates my or any sense of right or wrong," said Mr. Spitzer, who appeared with his wife Silda at his Manhattan office. "I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public to whom I promised better."

"I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family."

Before speaking, Mr. Spitzer stood with his arm around his wife; the two nodded and then strode forward together to face more than 100 reporters. Both had glassy, tear-filled eyes, but they did not cry.

As he went to leave, three reporters called out, "Are you resigning? Are you resigning?", and Mr. Spitzer charged out of the room, slamming the door.

A wiretap captured a man later identified as Spitzer "on a telephone call confirming plans to have a woman travel from New York to Washington, where he had reserved a hotel room, according to an affidavit filed in federal court in Manhattan". Spitzer then allegedly used the alias "George Fox" to meet the prostitute at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C, according to law enforcement officials. Unlike other famous alias, (Ron Mexico, for example) George Fox is a real person whom Spitzer may have "ID thefted" for the purpose of frequenting prostitutes.

Mr. Fox is a friend and donor to Mr. Spitzer. Asked in a telephone interview Monday whether he accompanied Mr. Spitzer to Washington on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14, Mr. Fox responded: "Why would you think that? I did not."

Told that the Room 871 at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel was registered in Mr. Fox's name but with Mr. Spitzer's Fifth Avenue address, Mr. Fox said, "That is the first I have heard of it. Until I speak to the governor further, I have no comment."

Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring [NYT]
(Photo:Patrick Andrade for The New York Times)

"The federal government's limited powers of enforcement and voluntary recalls are not enough to protect our children from the dangers of lead poisoning and other hazards," said Governor Spitzer. "In the absence of federal laws requiring that hazardous toys be removed from store shelves and further circulation, New York is prepared to launch a series of initiatives to better protect children from toys that are known to be unsafe."

Here is the most interesting initiative:

Mandatory, not voluntary removal: The State Health Department (DOH) will take summary action under existing Public Health Laws to ensure that recalled toys are removed from New York stores, returned to manufacturers and appropriately destroyed. State Health Department and the state Consumer Protection Board (CPB) staff will inspect retailers to make sure that they comply. In the past 24 hours, the state has found numerous of the recalled toys still on shelves throughout the state.

Legislative actions: The Governor will direct the CPB to draft legislation that would impose stiff civil and criminal fines against those who sell recalled products; require recalled products distributed in New York State to be destroyed and for manufacturers to certify their destruction to prevent the items from surfacing on the Internet or at a second-hand stores; require manufacturers to establish a notification system when recalling products and mandating that retailers post recall notices in a conspicuous fashion.

GOVERNOR SPITZER ACTS TO PROTECT NEW YORK CHILDREN FROM LEAD-POISONING THREAT IN TOYS [NY State]