DTV converter coupons: It's now or never

Use 'em or lose 'em. That's the bottom line with the $40 government coupons (seen at right) for buying digital converter boxes. Coupons expire 90 days after issue, and if you haven't used them by then, you're out of luck. You can't request a replacement.

That's a growing concern for consumers who rushed to request coupons earlier this year to ensure they didn't miss out on the program. They're anxious to buy a converter box before the coupon expires, but there are few models now in stores, and all cost more than $40, requiring shoppers to foot part of the bill. There will be $40 boxes this summer, but that's no help for those who need to redeem a coupon before then.

We just checked the websites for Best Buy, Circuit City, Radio Shack, and Wal-mart, and found that each had one or two boxes. Of the boxes listed, all but two cost $60; only Wal-mart had lower-priced models, for $50 and $53. With these four retailers, you can't buy the boxes online; they're available only in retail stores, or by phone from Radio Shack (877-773-8848) and Best Buy (877-229-3889).

Perhaps more significantly, none of those boxes have analog pass-through, a feature that consumers will need in areas served by a certain type of television stations that will continue broadcasting analog signals for some time to come. Only a handful of models now available have this feature. One such box, the Philco TB100HH9 (seen below), is available online for about $50. We'll post our review of it soon.

For all these reasons, Consumers Union has asked the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (the agency overseeing the program) to allow consumers to reapply for coupons if they haven't used them before expiration. Joel Kelsey, a CU advocate covering such issues, said, "It is unfair to penalize consumers who acted quickly because they were told to do so."

However, the agency said re-engineering of the coupon system to handle reissues, while technically possible, would increase the administrative costs of the program significantly. For now, at least, the unused funds from expired coupons will be released to "other needy households." An agency spokesperson told us that they "would have a better understanding of the impact of the 90-day expiration and the demands on Coupon Program funds as consumers began to redeem coupons in the coming months."

If you're among the consumers affected by this deadline dilemma, you can share your story at HearUsNow.org, a Consumers Union website.

—Eileen McCooey