Digital TV Scamsters are Surfacing!!!

Opened the Sun Times yesterday, and saw a huge two-page ad

That shows jerks are already setting up their scams to take advantage of the government switch to digital TV signals!

No doubt you’ve read or seen the news that all TV signals will be switched to digital February 17, 2009.If you have a cable box, or dish, you have nothing to worry about- but if you get your signals via broadcast- have an older TV without a digital tuner-and use an antenna- you’ll need a special digital converter box to get the TV signal. The government will send you two coupons worth 40 dollars each on the purchase of these boxes, making them cheaper to buy.

Anyway, here’s this big two-page ad for a “Miracle” converter box. Why wait for that government coupon, trumpets the ad-

When this company will send you the box for FREE? Oh, wait, slight addendum- it’s free as long as you “cover” the 5-year warranty protection- at just 59 DOLLARS?! If you need more than two boxes, they’ll send you more at EIGHTY-EIGHT DOLLARS each…but the first two are “free”- at 59 bucks each for that keen warranty.

Oh, and they do state there’s a seventy-two hour deadline- after that, you’ll just have to get that government coupon, and end up paying…oh…maybe TEN or TWENTY bucks for a box- instead of the 59 BUCKS these geniuses are charging you for their “free” box.

Their ad is very pretty- big picture of an older gentleman, looking like a relative of the Empire Carpet Man, gleeful holding the paperwork for that 5 –year warranty, next to his TV set, which has a phony picture on it of a bogus newscast. What clarity on that picture! Must be thanks to the 59 dollar warranty box! There’s also a big picture of the Miracle TV box…and, a large certified stamp that includes the “free claim code: CV153”- and says the box is certified by the official-sounding “U.S. Department of Commerce -National Telecommunication & Information Administration!” Google that, and you’ll get the website for the National Telecommunication & Information Administration…which has the info for getting the government coupons, so you can purchase the box for ten or twenty bucks- and there’s no mention of the fine 59-dollar “free” box.

Hopefully, not many people will fall for this “free” box offer- though it probably falls into the gray area of legitimacy, it appears to be trying to fool under-informed and confused people into making this purchase- which will cost them MORE money-and, let’s face it- a five year warranty- don’t you think you might buy a NEW TV within the next 5 years, with a digital tuner- so you won’t need the “Miracle” box or any other box?!  #   #   #