Feds Warn of Scam on 'Free' Digital Converter Box

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." (More television stories.)