DTV converter box coupon question...

[justthenumbers]

Let's say you purchase a $50 DTV converter box with the $40 coupon applied, and then you need to return the box for whatever reason.

Which of the following occurs?

(1) You get back $10 and a fresh $40 coupon for use at any retailer that carries the boxes (just like when the coupon arrived in the mail)

(2) You get back $10 and you get $40 of "DTV box store credit", meaning that you can use the store credit only towards another DTV box from that same retailer

(3) You get back $10 and you get $40 of regular store credit, meaning that you can use the store credit towards anything in the store

(4) You get back $10 and you are SOL with the $40 coupon

EDIT: I found a posting from March (link below) indicating that the answer is (1) at Wal-Mart but (4) at Radio Shack. What are the rules for the other stores?

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,95117.msg771875.html#msg771875

 

[anotherguyTN]

I was in K Mart recently and they had a no refund policy on the converter boxes. It din't go into exact details, but I'd think that all they would do would be to exchange a defective tuner for another one, probably closest to option 2. I doubt if any store would do option 3. If that happened some people would try to find ways to get extra coupons, buy a tuner, and then return it to get other merchandise in the store.

 

[justthenumbers]

I was in K Mart recently and they had a no refund policy on the converter boxes. It din't go into exact details, but I'd think that all they would do would be to exchange a defective tuner for another one, probably closest to option 2.

As picky as I am with my electronics, I would like to know that I can return the box for any reason (not just because of a defect)...so hopefully option #1 is more common. I'm reading the various DTV box reviews out there, but I have yet to find one that seems to have a good balance of the features I'm looking for.

I doubt if any store would do option 3. If that happened some people would try to find ways to get extra coupons, buy a tuner, and then return it to get other merchandise in the store.

Excellent point.

 

[kenglish]

Once the $40 coupon is "spent" at any given store, it is gone... back to the Government.

If a box is defective, the store has to replace it. If you want to trade it for a different model of box...at the same store....you can do that. If you just want to return the box, you only get your original money back. Not the $40.

This is why I advise the next Country that does this "switch' to require the retailers have the boxes hooked up and working, for demo purposes. Nothing like gettin' home and finding out you bought the wrong box!

 

[landtuna]

Once the $40 coupon is "spent" at any given store, it is gone... back to the Government.

I bought my first box at Wal-Mart. After running the coupon through the register they handed it back to me and told me to hang on to it in case I wanted to return the box. Subsequent purchases at Best Buy and Radio Shack 'confiscated' the coupons. I never had a problem with any of the boxes so didn't try the return process.

 

[Markxxx]

The best thing to do is buy the box for full price, bring it home and try it. If it works take it back, get a full refund of your money, then buy another brand new box with the coupon.

Oddly enough, I bought a box and I only got three digital channels with it. Then TV broke (it was 14 years old anyway), so I bought a new TV with a digital TV tuner and I get NO channels on the digital TV tuner. And YES it does have a digital tuner. It's my location.

So your tuner will vary, the digital TV tuners are not the same like analog tuners.

The new TV set I bought gets analog TV as well and I get all the analog stations fine.

 

[KML0224]

Here's my red flag about the little red coupon cards: What happens if the customer buys the box on the card's expiration date and the box proves to be defective? Are they S.O.L. if they return the box the next day? I the lowly Wal-Mart associate have usually handed the coupon back to the customer along with their sales receipt. Maybe I should think twice about that part?

We normally sell the Magnavox boxes for the pre-coupon price of $49.87. We also had a few RCA boxes side-by-side with them this weekend, The red Magnavox boxes have sold much better than the RCA ones.

 

[Robb_Reel]

The best thing to do is buy the box for full price, bring it home and try it. If it works take it back, get a full refund of your money, then buy another brand new box with the coupon.

I took a similar approach.

Since I am Mr. Has-a-TV-in-Every-Room-Plus-Garage, I bought a full-priced box with my own cash. I tested it on all my TVs [worked well for each of them since I have a good location]. Then I used my two vouchers on two more of the same variety box.

If you plan to convert three or more TVs, I recommend this path.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Once the $40 coupon is "spent" at any given store, it is gone... back to the Government.

I bought my first box at Wal-Mart. After running the coupon through the register they handed it back to me and told me to hang on to it in case I wanted to return the box. Subsequent purchases at Best Buy and Radio Shack 'confiscated' the coupons. I never had a problem with any of the boxes so didn't try the return process.

I bought an RCA tuner at Wal Mart, and then I bought an Insignia tuner at Best Buy. In both cases they kept the coupon. I didn't attempt to return either tuner, but the Insignia model was definitely better.

 

[MarcB]

I the lowly Wal-Mart associate have usually handed the coupon back to the customer along with their sales receipt. Maybe I should think twice about that part?

Kevin, I'm a cashier on the front end at The Southington store. The CSM said that the cashiers are supposed to collect the coupon cards and put them in their bag just like if the customer was paying with a Walmart gift card. If the Electronics Department doesn't have such a bag then I would guess you should just stick them underneath your til when the drawer opens. And stop hyphenating Walmart. Walmart is now one word.

 

[KML0224]

Yes...I must now pay homage to the Beast of Bentonville! Ohmmmmmmmm! Ohmmmmmmm! (LOL)

Just for the heck of it yesterday, I rand two of them up yesterday and placed the coupons under the drawer. I was giving them back, but this thread convinced me to stop that. Igt's been cashed in. Over and done.

Just for the heck of it, has anybody in your store ever tried an antenna on their TVs in back to see what digital signals come in? All I can get with an "antenna" in the Newington, CT store (a long hidden wire) are the digitals of CBS, PBS, NBC and FOX (WFSB, WEDH, WVIT and WTIC, respectively). With a real antenna, we would also get UNI (WUVN).

 

[MarcB]

Just for the heck of it, has anybody in your store ever tried an antenna on their TVs in back to see what digital signals come in? All I can get with an "antenna" in the Newington, CT store (a long hidden wire) are the digitals of CBS, PBS, NBC and FOX (WFSB, WEDH, WVIT and WTIC, respectively). With a real antenna, we would also get UNI (WUVN).

I'm gonna have to ask Donna the Department Manager or Mike one of the department associates next time I see them about that.

My dad bought an 26 inch Vizio a couple weeks ago. Him and my mom don't have any HD service yet. They have Directv at their house, but aren't very pleased with it. With all the nasty rain we got this summer they're fed up that the system doesn't work in the rain. Directv is holding them hostage. Saying if they cancel before the end of 2009 they'll be charged a $400 penalty. A friend of my father works at COX and another works for COMCAST. The friend says he's gonna see if COX will pay the $400 penalty for them so they can get COX Digital HD. I have a pair of rabbit ears, but my parents don't want me messing with their TV so I can't see what HD signals they can get with their TV. I imagine it won't be much. You've seen my posts on the New England TV board about the poor analogue reception over there.

 

[KML0224]

Yes, I have read those. Again, I'm partially blocked by Walmart Hill, er, WALNUT Hill Park in New Britain's south end and it gives me problems with WFSB-TV analog channel 3 AND digital channel 33. Pretty much the same thing with WUVN-TV analog channel 18 and digital channel 46. (Southington and New Britain are both in southern Hartford County for those of you not in Connecticut.) Our house only has a broken roof antenna in the attic. I think the VHF portion of it still works, as my grandmother's reception of both analog channel 3 (CBS) and analog channel 8 (ABC) of New Haven were always good.

Right now, I'm still begging to have February 17, 2009 off. Our department will be swarmed that day for certain.

 

[MarcB]

Right now, I'm still begging to have February 17, 2009 off. Our department will be swarmed that day for certain.

I don't blame you dude. If I was working in Electronics, I'd probably do the same thing. If you don't get it off you can always call out sick. ;D Meanwhile I told my supervisor that I want to work the 5AM Shift on Black Friday just to get it over with. I'm also waiting for them to post the schedule for that week so I can find out my schedule on Thanksgiving. They should be putting that schedule up tomorrow (or Thursday).