Transcript of Friday's online Q&A with Jennifer Lewke
JenniferLewke - 6:49 PM 0 Votes Moderate User David55, You should check your current antenna first to see if that works with the new boxes. If not, you'll likely need to get a new one. We've heard from some folks who haven't had a problem with it and others who needed to spend quite a lot to replace their
antenna. It really depends on where you live
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Aaron Barron - 6:49 PM Yeah,that was my next move, Thanks Alot Hey, bye the way... We love your work, keep it up! Thanks for goin the extra mile for the people.
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JenniferLewke - 6:46 PM Aaron, I'll check in with Time Warner on Monday and see if they are having any problems on their end
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JenniferLewke - 6:45 PM Leadslinger, The way the online tax programs were designed was to automatically give you the extra stimuluis money until all of your information was submitted. Unless there was some other error made, your return is correct. The stimulus money was "free" it's not taxiable
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JenniferLewke - 6:41 PM MorningStar, I'm going to have to do a little research on this one. E-mail me at jenniferlewke@9wsyr.com and I can get back to you with more detials. thanks!
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David55 - 6:40 PM i have a outside antenna, will this still work with new digital system? we have the converter box.
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David55 - 6:36 PM do i need to change my old antenna for this new system? dave from sherburne ny
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JenniferLewke - 6:38 PM PurpleSpark, You shouldn't be paying anything to search out grants. Everything these companies do for a fee, you can do on your own for free. There's really not a ton of money out there unless you're a small business owner, a student, or a member of a non-profit. There are some opportunities for homeowners looking to make their homes more energy efficient... check with your city or county community development office
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morningstar - 6:37 PM We had a fire loss of our property in '08. I have heard that NY state considers insurance settlements as income if the money is not used to rebuild. Is this true? We are rebuilding. We have both structure loss and personal property loss. Are they both taxed as income? Where can I find
more info on this type of loss? The NY State website isn't very informative. Thanks
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JenniferLewke - 6:37 PM Nicotinfree, Unfortunatly, if you're name is on the loan, even as a co-signed, yes the creditor can come to you looking for the payment. Even if the person dropped out of school, they are still obligated to re-pay the loan. If they don't do it, the creditor will come looking for you. This can also affect your credit so you may want to try and get the situation straightend out
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JenniferLewke - 6:34 PM PurpleSpark, You shouldn't be paying anything to search out grants. Everything these companies do for a fee, you can do on your own for free. There's really not a ton of money out there unless you're a small business owner, a student, or a member of a non-profit. There are some opportunities for homeowners looking to make their homes more energy efficient... check with your city or county community development office
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Aaron Barron - 6:34 PM I did re-program the TV & it doesn't pick up the signals anymore. I lost the channels this week. I used to get the analogs & a couple HD channels of each, now I don't. Just the analogs
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JenniferLewke - 6:32 PM Aaron Barron, When did you lose the channels? Time Warner by law, has to pass through those channels. Try re-programming the TV and see if that works
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JenniferLewke - 6:30 PM JandDmom, We've contacted Time Warner for the past few days looking for an explanation to that very question. As soon as we have it, we'll do it on air and it'll be on the web!
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JenniferLewke - 6:29 PM Crosswinds, Did you switch to Agway? If you don't like their service you should be able to switch back to National Grid. I'd try contacting Grid directly to see what they can do for you
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nicoteinfree - 6:29 PM Hi, Jennifer-if a family member goes to college on a loan then quit and they used a fam member as a reference-not cosign)can the collectors harrass us? Im not giving info to no one and they didnt ask us if they could trust the student who happens to be related.how do I get the calls to
stop??
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JenniferLewke - 6:27 PM Dawn, That's a tough question. My only advice would be to use the computers at your local libarary. You also might try talking to your child's teacher to let them know that you don't have a computer readily available. I'm not aware of any internet service companies that offer a
discounted rate on service.
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purplesparck - 6:27 PM What's the deal with these "stimulus checks/Grants" ads I keep seeing on the 'net. And why would one need to keep paying upwards of 50-70 dollars a month to keep getting updates?
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Aaron Barron - 6:26 PM All of the sudden I lost my extra digital channels (of 3, 5 & 9)that my HD TV picks up w/o the cable box. What happened? Did Time Warner stop broadcasting them?
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JenniferLewke - 6:25 PM Josh2Fire, It is very hard to find a legit work at home job. Be very careful. If an offer seems too good to be true, it is. No company can promise you you're going to make X amount of money. Also, be very careful of upfront costs... you have to recoup all that money before you make a dime. There's really no database of legit jobs so please do your homework before you agree to anything.
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JandDMom - 6:25 PM What's the deal with Time Warner blasting their own commercials above the norm. For the past few weeks I have been jarred off my seat by any commercial pertaining to Time Warner advertising. I thought there was a law prohibiting stations from raising the sound.
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Ruth Koch - 6:21 PM The Sunday Post Standard publishes deaths of the previous week. My question is: Why don't they include the day before obituaries (Saturday)in that week? They publish the previous Saturdays obits but not the day before ones. Isn't that really the previous week?
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casper13035 - 6:21 PM Why does National Grid charge a higher rate for electric the mor you use, I went from 3.00 kilowatt hour to 5.00 kilowatt hour Mike
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josh2fire - 6:20 PM Are there any legitimate online jobs? I am about to graduate with my associate degree, have been taking classes strictly online. I know that most online jobs sites are scams.
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Tony C - 6:20 PM Why does it take 3 or more months for people to get a liquor license?
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Crosswinds - 6:20 PM We have Agway as our "provider" for National Grid. Agway is not functioning in this area...what is the deal? Should we contact National Grid?
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JenniferLewke - 6:18 PM James 304, we just did a story about this today. The company says their systems crashed and they're working to get the new system up and running and get the gas cards out. They met with the Florida Attorney General this week. The companies I've spoken with locally who handed out these
vouchers say they've been told the cards will start going out next week. we'll be sure to keep on it
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Martin19 - 6:17 PM I had dental work done that my insurance company refused to pay for. I would like to know if the Attorney General's office has a statue of limitations for filing a complaint against the insurance company for not providing services that should have been covered?
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josh2fire - 6:15 PM Hello, I am writing because I am physically handicapped and I have been trying to find employment over the internet. I m currently taking my last class, to graduate with an associates degree, but I still hope to find an online job.
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JenniferLewke - 6:15 PM AnneB, Was the magazine local? I'd suggest doing your homework very carefully here. There MAY be a few of those jobs available but I'm guessing what the article is promoting is some sort of service that you pay that helps you find one of those jobs. I wouldn't suggest that. Also, if it's a legit job, they will not ask you for any money upfront.
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Annie B - 6:15 PM I saw an add in the magazine for Medical Transcriptionest I was wondering if it is legit. Here's the PH#1-800-475-0100
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james 304 - 6:15 PM In October we got new cellphones we got a Gasoline Redemtion Voucher. We were to send 100.00 worth gas receipts each month for four months each month we were to receive a 25.00 gift cards. no longer able to reach this co. been waiting for 3mo to receive a gift card. Their email is info@freebiegas.com & phone#was 1-800-514-0366 was Purchesed at Universal store in No. Syracuse
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billythekid - 6:14 PM But i did get taxed on that amount. like i said i was getting 3500 and once i put that amount in it dropeed to 2500 why
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JenniferLewke - 6:10 PM Billythekid, Yes, tax programs are asking what the amount of your rebate was but that has no impact on your tax return. They're asking that to make sure you're not entitled to more. There is a small group of folks (women who've had a baby, college students, those who lost their high
paying jobs) that may get more stimulus money in their tax return but most of us will not. But, you are not getting taxed on that stimulus check.
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Annie B - 6:10 PM I was reading a magazine and saw an add for working at home as a Medical Transcriptionist earn up to $40,000 a year and was wondering if it is legit. Annie From Owasco
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Leadslinger - 6:06 PM These flourescent light bulbs! They claim to last 5 years or more. I've been buying them and using them in just about every light socket in my home. I have yet to see a single bulb last longer than a conventional light bulb! These things aren't cheap! I've got a box full of bad bulbs
that I don't know what to do with. Return them?? The store's won't take them. Mail them bact to the mfg?? I'd have to send out a dozen boxes to different mfg. I'd like to know if other people are having this same problem. These are not generic bulbs. They are name brand bulbs.
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Clarence13148 - 6:06 PM If you are trying to save money, why are you going to kohls?
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JenniferLewke - 6:04 PM Casper13035, Are you a Natural Gas customer? National Grid has the same per therm rate for all residential customers. But your delivery charges will vary depending on how much you use. If you own a business, those rates are different.
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JenniferLewke - 6:03 PM Jim, Time Warner owned and run stations and programs are only available to their cable customers, they use it as an incentive to get you to subscribe. To my knowledge, Time Warner would have to sell the rights to their network to Dish. I don't know if Dish has any interest in paying them
for it.
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billythekid - 6:03 PM When doing my taxes this year they asked if we got a stimulus check last year and when you say yes and put in the totqal they tax that amonunt why? was us getting 3500 and when i put the amount of the chek in it droped me to 2500 why
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casper13035 - 5:59 PM Why des National Grid charge different rates to everyone. The you use the more they charge? Not right. Mike
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JenniferLewke - 5:59 PM LeadSlinger, Yes, I think what you were signing up for online was a scam. You should NEVER need to provide your social security number. If you're looking to fix up your home, you may be able to seek out a grant through the county or city you live in. I don't know your finanical siutation but typically these grants are for lower income folks or the eldery. Check with the community development office or the office of the aging.
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JenniferLewke - 5:56 PM AutoDoc, The family got their headstone placed after we put a little pressure on the company who eventually went out of business.
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Martin19 - 5:56 PM Is the cell phone company Virgin Mobile available in the CNY area? If so, is it dependable?
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johnsonskins - 5:56 PM From Jim in Pennellville How can time warner block dish payers from su games when we pay for our dish tv yet time warner blocks channels during su games stating you must have their cable however cable is not offer in the area in which the dish owner resides. We pay for our dish thru dishnetwork yet time warner gets the right to say what we are able to watch and recieve even though we pay for our services. Who gives them the right to block stations we pay for just because we dont subscribe to a service they dont offer in area especially more north of Syracuse
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JenniferLewke - 5:55 PM Stupidme, Did you file a claim in that suit? If so, sit tight. The settlement has been approved but appeals have been filed which slows down the process. You can get updates on this website:https://www.listclassaction.com/ Normally these class actions take at least a year or two to settle. I'll keep you posted as we get any updates
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Leadslinger - 5:55 PM I recently went to a website looking for a govt. grant to fix up my house. I proceeded to fill an application until I was asked for my SS#. I then closed the site. About a week or so later, I have someone calling my house every 20 to 30 minutes (same #). I wasn't answering the call and they would not leave a message. They were calling every 20 to 30 minutes throughout the day for day's!. When I finally did answer it, it was someone asking for my information to apply for the grant. Now I can't imagine that the govt. is going to be calling me every 20 minutes for day's in a row to give me money. Do you suppose this could be a scam??
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autodoc - 5:54 PM what ever happen to the couple from chittenango than take money for headstone and the people never got the headstones
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fierce2009 - 5:52 PM Oh do you also know if there are plans to build a Kohls department store in the Fairmount or Camillus Area because I do like Kohls and driving to Clay or even Fayetteville does seem far.
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stupidme - 5:51 PM what ever happened to the credit reporting (transunion or equifax (can't remember which) that had a lawsuit against them and if you signed up you would get free credit report monitoring/score/money back? thanks
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JenniferLewke - 5:48 PM Clarence13148, I think the same thing everytime I open up my bills! Unfortunatly, our lawmakers have voted for an approved these taxes. It's likely only going to get worse. David Paterson's new budget includes more than 100 new taxes on everything from gym memberships to ski passes. My only advice here would be to write to your local assemblyperson to express your frustration.
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fierce2009 - 5:46 PM Now Id like to ask another question. I went to an oil change olace on south salina street in nedrow right across from Aldi's and just before the dollar general. Now do you know if that is under new ownership? It has no name on the front of the building and wanted to know if the place was
open because I never see anyone in there? Can you check into it for me
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JenniferLewke - 5:39 PM Dezireedivine, I haven't seen anyone selling the coupons but you should NOT buy them. The feds ran out of funding for the coupons but more money has just been approved so everyone on the waiting list should get the coupons before the deadline for free. We're extending our analog signal
until June, so you should be fine.
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Billy625 - 5:38 PM I no people hate cigarets but gas stations selling cigs are gouging cigs 4 xample the the cig suppliers give discounts like uy 1 get 1 free and they charge you full prices for the 2nd 1 as well
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Clarence13148 - 5:38 PM I have always wondered why there are so many taxes upon taxes on out cable bills, phone bills and utility bills. You pay for something, its taxed, then the wntire bill is taxed... also, I saw today something at a garage in manlius, ny... a lift fee. for them to put my car up on hydraulics, there is a fee.
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JenniferLewke - 5:38 PM CnySuz, Those calls can be so annoying! You're on the Do Not Call list right? If not, go to http://www.ftc.gov/ to put your name on the registery. If you're on the list, next time they call, use the prompts to try and get through to a live person. Ask as many questions as possible to get as
much information as possible about the name of the company, where they are located, what they are selling, who you're talking to and then file a complaint against them with the FTC. If you tell them you're going to file that complaint, they may stop calling then and there but if they don't...report them
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dezireedivine - 5:35 PM what if you come across of the DTV cards for sale what do you do because you can get them free and what if you have not got your card yet.
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cnysuz - 5:31 PM Is there any way to stop those annoying telemarketing robo-calls? They never give a name, just "push 9" and you'll be connected to a rep. The worst one is "Don't be alarmed..." and then talks about lowering my credit card interest! Thanks Sue
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JenniferLewke - 5:28 PM TeamBrown, Yes, National Grid is now offering incentives for you to make your home more energy efficient. The website is http://www.thinksmartthinkgreen.com/ There's a list of everything they offer on that site. Good Luck!
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JenniferLewke - 5:26 PM rellbanell, Yes, scammers are now using Chase's name to try and get you to give up your personal information. The best thing to do is just delete the message, responding only lets them know you're receiving the texts and then they'll continue to target you. It seems these scammers are
tyring to become more mobil!
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JenniferLewke - 5:23 PM Fierce2009, although the price of the barrel is down to around $40, it's not the cheapest we've seen. A month or two ago we were hovering around $30 and that's when we saw the cheaper prices. Oil futures are also going up and stations often react to that evem before they sell what they
have
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teambrown - 5:18 PM A few months back you had information about rebates/credits through national grid (i believe) if you put in new window or other energy saving improvements on your home. I can't find the information on this anymore. Could you please advise me where to find how to put in for these rebates.
Thanks you
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rellbanell - 5:17 PM Are scammers trying to do the same thing with Chase bank like they did with Empower? I got a text message stating I needed to call immediately and it gave an 877 number. I do not have an account at Chase which is why I'm thinking it's yet another scam!
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fierce2009 - 5:14 PM Why are gas prices continuing to rise even though Oil is still hovering around $40/barrel. Gas should be down around $1.40 or $1.50 can
you please find out why.
