Superior Court Wynne S. Carvill

Those deep discounts on handbags, housewares and other goods offered up by online discount superstore Overstock.com may not be such a steal after all. On Thursday, the Sonoma County District Attorney announced the retailer was liable for false advertising and unlawful business practices. The major issue at stake was Overstock's apparent overstatement of customer savings. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Wynne S. Carvill hit the web retailer with $6,828,000 in civil penalties. Overstock may also have to ante up for the costs of the suit.