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Feds Warn of Scam on 'Free' Digital Converter Box
Better Business Bureau warns consumers on Miracle ClearView offer for analog TVs
By Laila Weir
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Posted Jun 24, 08 7:00 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Consumers beware: “Free” digital converter boxes for analog TVs, advertised in newspapers across the country, could run you $100—some $80 more than just buying a box using a government coupon. The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about the ad from Universal TechTronics, designed to look like a news article, which can "confuse and mislead consumers," MSNBC reports.
“It’s a bad deal any way you look at it,” said a bureau spokesman. "They are preying on consumers’ lack of knowledge about digital TV conversion.” Counters a company rep: “The ad makes it clear that anyone purchasing the five-year warranty will get a box for free."