One home was paying for both their power and their neighbor’s after their meters got crossed. Over seven years they overpaid by $11,000 despite making costly upgrades to reduce power consumption. [More]
virginia
Virginia AG Asks Supreme Court To Hear Health Care Case Now
By 2.3.11
Rather than wait for his case against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to run the appellate court gauntlet, the attorney general for the commonwealth of Virginia has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments about the legislation now. [More]
Shoplifter Forced To Dress As Bert, Carry "I Got Caught Shoplifting At Halloween Express" Sign
By 10.21.10
Talk about a punishment that suits the crime. [More]
The Christmas Creep Store
By 9.21.10
Christmas Creep is in high gear at Tyson’s Corner Mall in Mclean, Virginia, where they actually have a whole store dedicated it. [More]
Corporations Stole Billions Of Dollars Of Gas From Landowners
By 9.14.10
Energy companies were supposed to compensate rural Virginians for the billions of dollars worth of gas they sucked from their land, but a local newspaper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation found that the money has instead been diverted into escrow accounts for over 20 years. If the landowner even knows the money is there, it’s nigh impossible to get it out, and in any event, the companies have only been putting in a fraction of what they’re supposed to. A rubber-stamping regulatory board that hadn’t done an audit for a decade only compounded the problem. I drink your milkshake, indeed. [More]
Best Buy's "Mostly Free" Recycling Cost Me $20
By 4.7.10
Consumerist reader Jacqueline recently took a pair of old computers to be recycled at her local Best Buy in Virginia because, after close examination of the chain store’s recycling policy, she understood that it would be free. Alas, as she quickly found out — What Best Buy says in writing may not be true in reality. [More]
Yes Virginia, There Are Taxes For Shopping Online
By 2.11.10
People of Virginia: Online shopping is great, right? High discounts, cheap shipping and no taxes… oh, wait. Looks like the commonwealth’s State Senate Finance Committee voted 14-1 to get the ball rolling on a bill that would levy a sales tax on some products purchased through online retailers. [More]
Giant Mold Universe Found Inside Chef Boyardee Can
By 12.29.09
Larry says that he opened a can of chef boyardee recently only to find a horrible giant mold world growing inside. When he contacted the store he bought it from, Walmart, a low-level employee was openly hostile to them and said the manager “wouldn’t believe them.” Yes, that’s the new scam: steal a can of food, open it up, grow a massive mold culture inside it for several weeks, then try to return it for a buck oh nine. [More]
Hey Lowe's: Is Halloween Next? Or Christmas?
By 9.25.09
The Christmas trees are in full effect and the decorations are crowding out the Halloween stuff at the Lowe’s in Alexandria, VA.
Guy Sues BK For $100,000 For Not Holding The Pickles, Onions & Tomatoes
By 5.11.09
A little over two years ago, a Virginia man ordered a a drink and two sandwiches from Burger King. He then proceeded to take a bite and swallow— before he realized that his “specific request for the omission of onions, pickles and tomatoes had not been complied with.” The result? A lawsuit for $100,000 filed in the Virginia Beach Circuit Court.
Where Are New Job Opportunities? Try Wyoming, North Dakota, Virginia
By 5.6.09
As unemployment grows, MainStreet looked at where in the U.S. there are actually new job opportunities. Ranked #51 is Michigan. #1? North Dakota.
Robert Duvall Is Not Cool With Building A Walmart Near A Civil War Battlefield
By 5.5.09
Robert Duvall, a descendant of Robert E. Lee, is really just not cool with Walmart’s plans to build a Supercenter near the site of an important Civil War battle.
Feds Arrest Virginian For $11 Million Ponzi Scheme
By 3.12.09
The Ponz is everywhere! Seriously, was anyone doing any real investing over the past several years? John M. Donnelly of Charlottesville, Virginia, was arrested earlier this week and “indicted for fraudulently taking at least $11 million from as many as 31 investors in an alleged Ponzi scheme,” says their local paper the Hook. He was promising investors returns of up to 22% annually, but naturally had failed to make any investments with his clients’ money since 2002. One anonymous person—who may or may not have been a client, we don’t know—told the paper, “I visited his office once. He had a bunch of computers. It seemed like a very sophisticated operation.”
Upset With $350 Electrical Bill, Man Pays In Pennies
By 3.10.09
Not happy with the high cost of his $350 electrical bill, John Almany of Virginia decided to pay it entirely in pennies, all 35,000 and 170 pounds of them. It took two men with two large duffel bags transport them to the billing counter, and took Bristol Virginia Utilities two hours just to count up to $26. That’s certainly one way to go about it.
Comcast Raises Prices, Disconnects Complaint Line
By 12.2.08
Reader Benjamin is pissed because Comcast in his town of Richmond, VA they raised his rates, and justified it by saying they have to pass on the cost of rising gas, technology, and health care. He writes “Gas is a Buck’ 69, they haven’t improved the technology in my area, and health care… Really? They might as well of added a $5 fee to restock the candy bowl in the break room of the service center while they are at it.” If that’s not fun enough, see what happens when he tries to file a complaint about it. They try to route him to the complaint line…but it’s been disconnected!
CVS: 'Tis The Season… In October
By 10.30.08
Hey, there’s only one more day till the first of two holidays that no one cares about anymore and 1 month, 25 days till Christmas!
Court Changes Mind, Strikes Down Anti-Spam Law
By 9.12.08
The court noted that “were the ‘Federalist Papers’ just being published today via e-mail, that transmission by Publius would violate the [current Virginia] statute.”
Some States Continue To Sell Lottery Tickets Long After The Top Prize Has Already Been Awarded
By 7.8.08
Would you buy that “Million dollar” lottery ticket if you knew that someone had already claimed the million bucks? No? Well, if you buy lottery tickets in Virginia you may have been doing just that, according to a new lawsuit.
