With gas prices topping $4.00 a gallon in Chicago, Chicagoist started wondering how much gallons of other liquids cost. Turns out gas is still cheaper than the Champagne of Beers…
ILLINOIS
By 5.15.08
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Attention all you liver lovers, Chicago has reversed its foie gras ban. [Chicago Tribune] (Thanks, William!)
Thanks, Bank of America: "I Deposited A Check That Dosen't Exist, And I Have A Receipt."
By 5.7.08
It seems that everything isn’t going so swimmingly during the transition from LaSalle Bank to Bank of America. One reader says that a check he deposited and has a receipt for has mysteriously disappeared…
Chase Closes Bank Account, Hold Money Hostage
By 5.7.08
What makes the next story about reader Pavel trying to get satisfaction from Chase executive customer service so interesting is that Pavel himself is Executive Assistant to the President of his company. He knows how executive customer service is supposed to work. As he puts in, he has the ability to “walk on water” within in his company. Which makes his experience with Chase, where they closed his account for having a zero-balance for less than a week, and then held his money hostage, all the more frustrating…
Suburban Chicago Hospital Will Close After Being Crushed By Too Many Uninsured Patients
By 4.3.08
In a stunning development underscoring the plight of non-profit hospitals struggling with the increase in uninsured patients, the Catholic ownership of St. Francis Hospital & Health Center on Wednesday said it will shutter the hospital because nobody would buy it.
Are You Ready For The $35 Movie Ticket?
By 3.27.08
What recession? A group on investors think Americans are ready to pay $35 for a movie ticket, says Variety:
Best Buy Charges $2 Premium For Inferior Open-Box Mouse
By 3.21.08
The Best Buy in Champaign, Illinois wants Andrew to pay $2 extra for a used mouse covered with someone else’s hand gunk. We see plenty of these open-box pricing bloopers and Best Buy employees are always fast to rush to the comments screaming “But it’s policy!”
Mugger Used Our Credit Card, Now CapitalOne Sued Us Without Us Knowing For $1200 And Won
By 3.20.08
Andrew’s wife got mugged, the thief rand up purchases on her credit card, and now CapitalOne has sued them for $1200 and won. How can this be? Andrew writes:
In May of 2005 my wife was mugged at one of the elevated train stations in Chicago. After calling the police and filing a police report, she started calling each credit card company to cancel each account. Except she forgot about one card, her CapitalOne card. A card hardly ever used and only had a $500.00 limit…
CVS To Pay $36.7 Million For Improperly Switching Medications
By 3.18.08
CVS has settled a lawsuit that alleges the pharmacy giant improperly switched customers to a more expensive form of their medication in order to collect more money from Medicaid.
By 2.29.08
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10. Business fraud: 722
Yikes, that’s a lot of ID theft complaints. You should really consider shredding all of your paper garbage before you throw it out and all that other good stuff—whether you live in Illinois or not. [Sun-Times]
By 1.29.08
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As more states ban smoking indoors, the “smoking shelter” business is booming. [Chicago Tribune via Fark]
Should GameStop Charge Sales Tax On XBOX Live Memberships?
By 1.25.08
Reader Dave asks an interesting question. Should GameStop be charging sales tax on an XBOX live membership card? Generally speaking, only “tangible goods” are subject to sales tax, though every state is different.
Toy Maker Reluctantly Agrees To Recall Leadly "Jammin Jenna" Dolls
By 1.24.08
A toy-maker who refused to issue a recall for its lead-tainted toys has reversed its position. TY made some “Jammin Jenna” dolls with that were found to have more lead than 600 parts per million Illinois state limit. In response to recall requests, TY said it didn’t have to because they said federal law supersedes state law. However, the state AG and federal CPSC responded that states are allowed to adopt more restrictive laws in the absence of federal regulation. TY will pull the Jammin Jena dolls and replace their leadly shiny red vinyl shoes with cloth ones.
Owner Still Has To Pay For Dead Cat's Banfield Health Plan
By 1.16.08
Sarah Harper was surprised to learn she would have to keep making payments on her cat’s “wellness plan” even after the cat was dead. She was told that she had signed a one-year contract and would have to honor it. Though the service sold by Banfield pet hospitals is packaged like and sounds like insurance, it’s not, it’s a payment plan. The media kit Banfield sends to reporters explicitly says “wellness plans are not insurance policies.” The contract does say that owners will still have to make payments even if the animal has passed away. However, brochures provided to consumers don’t say anything like that, instead saying things like it’s, “”the best preventive care your pet needs to maximize its life,” and that after you enroll, “your pet is on its way to a happier, healthier and longer life!” Catveat emptor.
Best Buy Forbids You From Buying Assassin's Creed, Insists You're Buying It For A Minor
By 1.14.08
Matt writes:
Yesterday I went through the horror of taking my 15 year old brother to the Best Buy in Orland Park, IL on LaGrange Ave. I had close to $100 in Best Buy Gift Certificates given to me for Christmas. My brother and I were en route to dinner and we decided to swing by the aforementioned Best Buy to pick up a video game, Assassin’s Creed, and XBOX Live Gold. We entered the store. I browsed the camera aisle looking for a cable to possibly purchase for our flat screen then headed to the video game section. I picked up the said items and headed to check out where hell will shortly ensue.
Judge Dismisses Class Action Lawsuit Against Overstock.com Due To Mandatory Binding Arbitration Clause
By 1.11.08
Did you know that every time you purchase something from Overstock.com you agree to a mandatory binding arbitration clause and have no legal recourse against the company? Even if they illegally disclose too much of your information on your receipt?
Illinois AG (Still) Wants Ban On Magnets In Children's Products
By 12.24.07
Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan sent a second letter Friday to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urging a law banning magnets in children’s toys.
Fisher-Price Pulls Another Lead-Tainted Product In Illinois Only
By 12.20.07
Consumer Reports says that Fisher-Price has finished testing another toy blood pressure cuff and have found that it exceeds the Illinois lead limit for toys.
