Connecticut BBB: Nationwide Alert Issued About “Free” TV and “Free” Digital Converter Ads called Deceptive, Confusing and Misleading Wallingford, CT – June 27, 2008 – An Ohio-based company engaged in a nationwide advertising campaign promising free television channels, services and TV converter boxes is taking advantage of people’s lack of knowledge about broadcasters’ switch to digital television signals. A BBB investigation found that Universal TechTronics is selling five year warranties for $59 that must be purchased with their “free” digital converter box. When shipping and handling fees are folded-in, the total cost is almost $100. BBB believes these are the same boxes which you can buy in electronics stores using $40 federal government coupons that make the total cost to consumers about $20 per box. “Universal TechTronics ads,” according to Connecticut BBB President Paulette Hotton, “confuse and mislead consumers. Unfortunately, people who do respond to the ads find they may not receive the services and products as advertised, and also end up paying more than they should have had they taken advantage of the government DTV coupon program.” Television stations will stop broadcasting analog signals (broadcast signals that may be received by TV antennas) on February 17, 2009. An estimated 70 million televisions nationwide rely on antennas to receive TV signals. These will require a digital converter box to receive programming after the cutoff date. TV sets hooked up to cable TV or satellite receivers will not be affected by the changeover. Universal TechTronics, which also operates under the name Heat Surge, LLC is rated unsatisfactory by BBB of Canton, Ohio, because of an estimated 200 complaints in the past 9 months. Complaints concern slow delivery or non-receipt of products, difficulty reaching customer service representatives, delays in obtaining refunds after returning merchandise, product quality problems and advertising claims. The BBB Reliability Report for this company is available online at .bbb.org. For more information about digital TV conversion, consumers may call the Digital Television (DTV) hotline at 888-DTV-2009, or visit .dtv2009.gov/FAQ.aspx. ###