A Canton, OH-based company claims it’s giving consumers up to two free digital TV converter boxes-and isn’t even requiring them to submit $40 US government issued coupons. But the Better Business Bureau warns the so-called free offer from Universal TechTronics will actually cost consumers about $100 per box-or 400% more than the cost of the boxes in electronics stores.

The ads capitalize on the change that will occur early next year, when most television stations nationwide change the way they broadcast their signals. They’ll eliminate analog broadcasts in favor of all-digital programming. Most TVs will handle the switch just fine.

But consumers who receive their signals just from an indoor or outdoor antenna could lose their reception after Feb. 17, 2009 unless they buy a digital-to-analog converter box. To ease the transition, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the Department of Commerce, is offering all US households $40 coupons toward the purchase of up to two converter boxes.

Universal TechTronics claims it’s giving those converter boxes away. In ads running in newspapers nationwide, the company boasts its Miracle ClearView TV boxes give ordinary televisions superior pictures, better sound and access to free digital network channels. According to the ads, consumers can get the box free…as long as they buy a five-year warranty for $59 and pay shipping and handling fees-a total of nearly $100.

A BBB investigation found consumers could get the same converter boxes in electronics retail stores for about $20, just by using $40 government issued DTV coupons. “These ads confuse and mislead consumers,” BBB spokesperson Steve Cox said. Consumers who respond, “will end up paying more than they would have” simply by taking advantage of the government sponsored coupon program.

Universal TechTronics calls its offer “an alternative” to the government program and denies allegations that its ads are misleading.

The BBB, however, has received nearly 200 complaints in the past nine months about Universal TechTronics, which also does business as Heat Surge LLC. The company an unsatisfactory BBB rating because of a pattern of slow or non-delivery of products, difficulty reaching customer service representatives, difficulty getting refunds after returning merchandise, product quality issues and advertising claims.

Misleading or potentially deceptive ads for TV converter boxes are likely to increase this year because of confusion about digital TV conversion.

Telemarketers have reportedly tried to sell some consumers a device that turns analog TV into HDTV. But no such devise exists. There is a difference between a high definition TV, also known as HDTV, and digital television. Although a digital-to-analog converter box converts the digital signals to analog format for display on analog TVs, it does not turn an analog TV into an HDTV.

There are also reports that con artists have tried to sell consumers “converter box installation package.” But industry experts say there’s no need to pay someone to install the converter box because the process is extremely easy.

For more information about digital TV conversion consumers can call the DTV hotline at 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit DTV Answers.

Need a converter box? Consumers can apply for the government $40 coupons by:

• Phone: 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009) - Operators available in English, Spanish, French, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese
• TTY: 1-877-530-2634 (English), 1-866-495-1161 (Spanish)
• Online: www.DTV2009.gov
• Mail: PO Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208
• Fax: 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632)

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