Scams: no free TV with converter box
Consumer Reports led us to the Better Business Bureau's warning to consumers not to fall for advertisements promising free TV, without a government coupon.
The company, Ohio-based Universal Techtronics, is running full-page newspaper advertisements for converter boxes that translate digital television signals to analog ones.
That's what consumers who rely on over-the-air television signals will need to watch television after February 2009, but Universal Techtronics is charging a $59 fee for a 'five-year warranty' as well as shipping costs for the equipment.
Don't be fooled. The federal government is offering two $40 coupons toward the cost of converters, which retail at about $60!
Your total cost for this transaction would be about $20 now, and less when cheaper models hit the market.
Be sure to read our other tips and information about the digital television transition, and let us know if you're having trouble finding a converter box in stores.
A native of Vietnam, 