Millions of digital converter box coupons have expired
July 31st, 2008, 6:00 am · 18 Comments · posted by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
Just 201 days before the TV world comes crashing into a blank screen. But my readers will be prepared (right?) because those of you who still watch TV with rabbit-ear antennas know you need to buy a digital converter box before Feb. 17, 2009.
I’ve recently received a number of inquiries about the coupons. So, a quick update for readers:
The government is giving away two $40 coupons per household to offset the cost of buying a new converter box, which sell for $40 and up. Such boxes translate the new digital TV signals to analog so older non-digital TVs can still be used. But the coupons are going fast, plus they expire three months after being mailed.
As of July 23, the government mailed out 21.3 million coupons, but only 6.6 million have been redeemed. More than 4 million coupons have expired.
According to numbers kept by the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Californians requested the second highest number of coupons, behind Texas, with 2.1 million requests. But so far, only 597,503 coupons have been redeemed.
In the Los Angeles/Orange County region, 1,035,467 have been requested and just 294,940 redeemed. Approximately 170,868 have expired.
Bart Forbes, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said that $1.5 billion has been set aside by Congress to fund the coupon program. That will take care of 33.5 million coupons.
And remember that huge auction last spring where the government sold off the wireless spectrum that UHF TV signals utilized? The government got $19.6 billion from the auction to help pay for stuff like this.
“That’s one of the major reasons why Congress has enforced this 12-year-long transition,” Forbes told me.
- Tax discount on digital TV converters bought with coupons
- 23 reviews of digital converter boxes
- Find a store that sells digital converter boxes
- Which (nearly) free digital TV converter box should I buy? (CNet)
- Who Acts as Tech Support for the DTV Transition? (PC Magazine)
- List of DTV converters eligible for the coupon afterdawn.com)
- Help parents survive the digital TV transition (Gadgetress)
- Guide to the 2009 Digital TV transition (Gadgetress)
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If you have cable or a dish which most people have why waste money. I noticed that some Seniors were confused (my parents) and thought they would have to by a new T.V., digital converter box ect. Not! I know the Feds can use the money for something much better.
WHY do the converter coupons expire at all.
Now those of us who did not buy the converter before it expired, will have to request new coupons.
Ridiculous..now the Government will have to mailout new coupons at a tremendous cost to WHO???
Please:
How to get replacements for our 2; and one for our disabled daughter’s
1 coupon which is lost?
Gadgetress and Orville Gardner,
You should contact your congressman/woman and senator and begin the upward pressure to get your card replaced. I ordered my cards and received them 64 days prior to expiring. I found one converter and because I have little trust for the retailer I went to (it is one that is certified) I opened the box prior to purchasing and found the power adapter damaged. I was told that a new shipment would be in the following Wednesday. Went there and found that the store was shipped two, both of which sold right after the store opened.
The only way that Congress/Senate will react to this is if you the voter impress the issue upon them.
I hope great success is yours in this endeavor.
Got the coupons…big deal! NOBODY in our area has any of the damn boxes in stock. Everybody is “sold out”….
no retailers in my area had the boxes either; by the time I DID find one, my coupons had expired. What a waste of money on the goverment’s part having these printed, mailed, etc. to only be useless
by many consumers such as myself. I’d bet that’s why many of the coupons haven’t been redeemed, we Americans that live in rural areas can’t find a box to purchase.
What retailer in his right mind would give up a profit/ commission on a new flat screen tv over a 10.00 profit from a dtv coupon program. Of course they are not available. I would hide them too, if I could sell you a brand new $1,000 + digital tuner flat screen. So your coupon expires because the retailer is playing hide the peanut while flim flamming you into a new digital tv, when all you need is the converter box. For the life of me I can’t understand where the government gets these program idiots from. With the pice of gas , no one has time to contiueously run after a converter box that is so conviently out of stock or not available. Just reissue the damned coupons to those who request it and monitor the retailers that are participants in the program.
Okay, so I’m a little slow and I was out of town for a month and my coupons expired. Has anyone gotten new coupons?
out of luck here too – envelope was delivered to the mail box of neighbor who put it aside and forgot to give to me until she was packing to move by which time, of course, it had expired.
We ordered ours early because they were pushing everyone to get their coupons early. We got them and put them aside til there were actually boxes available – didn’t notice the expiration date til now! It is very frustrating that there is an expiration date, and that they won’t reissue them! Apparently Consumer Reports is trying to get them to reissue them as well, but they say it will cost too much to send them out again – the whole thing doesn’t make sense.
My mother ordered 2 of these coupons.. I went everywhere looking for them and nothing. then one evening I went to Target and bam! They had them. It wasnt until I was getting checked out that the cards were denied… Why? Bc they were EXPIRED!. i had actually found them and only to find out that my coupns were expired. So I tried to reorder them.. Only to find out that I couldnt only 2 per household. So now… What to do?
Fingerhut through 1-888-301-5606 will take phone orders on converter boxes. My cards expired yesterday and I can not get them replaced. I will have to find someone who is not getting them and ask them to get their cards. I was also told if you bought a TV after March 2007, you will not need the boxes.
gloria, just heard Apex Digital Inc is giving you a $10 rebate of their DTV boxes using your expired coupons. price includes shipping included. no hassles or gas money. hope this helps
all who have expired coupons just went to Apex’s website. here is the link http://www.shop-apex.com. CNET rated their box as one of the better ones
When I requested for coupon replacement, NTIA responded that the law does not allow them to reissue the coupons for lost or expired ones.
what do i need to do if my coupon has expired
my elderly mother has been in the hospital and time got away from me
thanks for any assistance you can give me
have a great day
I ordered coupons for my grandmother. By the time I got around to finding a box for her, they had expired. She says she doesn’t need TV anyway.
Seems like a great number of people have expired coupons. Maybe putting an expiration date on them was not a good idea. Just my opinion.
i was thinking the same thing about the three month expiration. if the cards are lost or never used, then that money would be lost without the expiration date. i’m sure that money gets recycled into other projects.