Read the Report
TALLAHASSEE – In one year, 22 million Americans who rely on free
over-the-air analog broadcasting – including many elderly and other vulnerable
populations – will be at risk of losing access to TV, which for many is a
primary source of news and emergency information as well as entertainment.
On February 17, 2009, all TV
stations will begin broadcasting exclusively in digital signals. If you have an
older analog TV and Consumers with cable or
satellite service will not be affected. you receive over-the-air
television, your TV will go dark, unless you retrofit it with a digital
converter box.
Many consumers are just now
hearing about the government-ordered digital transition and they are going to
electronics retail stores to ask questions about what is necessary to maintain
their TV reception.
Florida PIRG, along with
other state PIRG’s recently conducted “secret shopper” surveys at 132
electronics stores in ten states – including Tallahassee,
Florida – to determine if America’s big
electronics retailers are properly preparing their customers for the digital
transition. The results were released
today in Florida PIRG’s new report: “Mixed
Signals: How Retailers Mislead Consumers on the Digital Television (DTV) Transition.”
“The results of our survey
are clear,” said Brad Ashwell, Consumer Advocate for Florida PIRG. “Many retail
sales clerks are not well informed about the DTV transition. As a result, they
are providing inaccurate information that will ultimately cost consumers time
and money.”
It is important to know that
next year’s change does not require any household to purchase a new television
set. Households with older sets still
receiving analog signals via antenna need only purchase a basic converter box
that costs approximately $40. And, the
government is offering up to two $40 coupons per home to offset the cost of the
most basic converters.
However, some sales clerks
tried to persuade PIRG’s “secret shoppers” to buy new, expensive digital
televisions or premium converters, which will not be covered in the government’s
coupon program.
"To consumers, it does not
matter whether sales clerks were intentionally misleading our secret shoppers
to sell more expensive items, or if they were simply misinformed,” continued
Ashwell. “The result is the same: consumers will pay too much for unneeded
equipment or services.
Nationally, almost half of
sales staff surveyed did not provide accurate information on the date the
transition would take place – answers ranged from “sometime soon” to “probably
not until 2010.”
Here in Florida we found the following:
- 100% of sales staff provided inaccurate
information about converter boxes.
- 100% of sales staff provided inaccurate or no information
about the coupon program.
- 80% of sales staff provided inaccurate
information about the transition date.
“To protect consumers against
misinformation or fraud,” said Ashwell, “retailers must provide proper
information about the converter boxes they sell and about the government-sponsored
coupon program that is designed to offset the cost of the converter boxes. They must also properly label analog TV sets
that are still on their shelves with warnings informing buyers about the need
for a converter box after next February.”
To be safe consumers should
seek information on how the transition will affect them before they enter an
electronics store.”
Additional tips for consumers
are included in the Florida PIRG report, downloadable at www.Floridpirg.org. Consumers
can also go online at dtv.gov or call the free government number 1-888-388-2009
to find out more about the government-sponsored coupon program.
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