The Official Expired Converter Coupon Complaint Thread

[Jay]

This thread is for anyone wanting to speak up and voice their opinion about the government's $40 converter box coupon program.

I'll be posting various emails that I've received from frustrated coupon holder's to get the thread started, but please don't hesitate to add your own opinion.

This thread is only for comments and opinion only, not for questions. If you have a question about the coupon program, you may post it anywhere else within the Government Coupon Program Questions Forum.

If you're still a guest, you'll have to register to the forum before you can post a reply to this thread.

[george]

This program for these $40 DTV rebate cards IS a scam! In the first place, the $40 rebate falls about $20 - $25 short in covering the cost to buy a decent converter box for the coming analog/digital change THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS MANDATED. Secondly and more importantly, I don't understand why the cards have an expiration date!. I had misplaced my cards and found them literally the day AFTER their expiration. When I attempted to use them that day after expiration, the cards were "denied". When I called the DTV program phone number, I was told by a "specialist" that there was no way they could extend the expiration date by even 1 day. Then they told me I can't even reorder NEW cards because only 2 cards per address are allowed! This is so even though they can see by the card number that the card was not ever used. Additionally, my sister ordered 2 cards which never arrived in the 4-6 weeks they told her it would take. When she called up 8 weeks later to inquire as to their status, she was told that the cards WERE mailed out and that whether she received them or not, they couldn't replace them so she was out of luck. Again, they can see by the card numbers that the cards were not used....why can't they just cancel the old card numbers and reissue them???!!!

[cay]

Why did we ever need card to begin with? We didn't. Why a limit? Never should have happened. But now we have all this with an expiration date that never should have been there.

When smart people do stupid things...beware. All they have to do is publish a notice that all existing cards are extended. We have all sorts of ways to handle this...I smell a IBM in the wood pile and it stinks.

[ljb15]

In the last 6 months Ive been to all the major stores in my area and still have not seen ONE box!! Are the EBAY HOGS grabbing them????? I have two coupons I cant use that have now expired! Leave it up to our goverment to screw up another program!

[grammajen]

i too am a frustrated expired coupon holder. i don't understand this. in the first place, when i got the coupon, there were none of these converter boxes to be found in my area. Now I can't use the expired coupon, neither can i get issued a new one. who is the one making the money from this? surely not me.

[bag]

Hey! Dumba$$ government goons! Let's try to get this right the second time around shall we?

#1 A PAPER coupon that expired AFTER the switchover occurred should have been issued. Less cost overall. There could have been some security features built into the coupon to insure that it was a valid one - but no!

#2 Having spent who knows how much to create bunch of credit cards, you then decided to have them expire after 90 days! Did any of you stupid monkeys bother to check to see if ANY store had ANY in stock BEFORE you did so? I doubt it.

#3 NOW I read that you want to send out EVEN MORE CC's as a possible replacement to those that are now expired! How about just reactivate the old ones IF the holders contact you and re-up? That way, existing holders of now defunct cards can just use them instead of waiting who knows how long for new cards to be printed and issued?

Wake up and smell the da## coffee!

[Aaron62]

Originally Posted by bag

NOW I read that you want to send out EVEN MORE CC's as a possible replacement to those that are now expired! How about just reactivate the old ones IF the holders contact you and re-up? That way, existing holders of now defunct cards can just use them instead of waiting who knows how long for new cards to be printed and issued?

Wake up and smell the da## coffee!

At an expense to taxpayers and a profit to IBM I might add...

[terry1]

I agree with the choice to re-activate the expired coupons. Save money
by not reprinting. Lets do something soon, I hate doing stuff last
minute.

[MILatino]

What is the purpose of an expiration date? When I got mine in the mail after waiting a very long time, it was already the end of September. I didn't even think it would expire so I put them in my drawer until I had time and money to shop (other financial obligations, you know).

When I went to use them, I discovered they expired nine days ago. Expired?! Why in the world would they expire before February 17, 2009 let alone AT ALL? What is the purpose of that?

To what government office does one lodge a formal complaint?

[Jay]

Originally Posted by MILatino

What is the purpose of an expiration date? When I got mine in the mail after waiting a very long time, it was already the end of September. I didn't even think it would expire so I put them in my drawer until I had time and money to shop (other financial obligations, you know).

When I went to use them, I discovered they expired nine days ago. Expired?! Why in the world would they expire before February 17, 2009 let alone AT ALL? What is the purpose of that?

To what government office does one lodge a formal complaint?

There's some information on contacting your local congressman posted at this thread: Outdated coupon

If you want to send correspondance to the DTV Coupon program, here's their contact information: https://www.dtv2009.gov/ContactUs.aspx

I posted some info today at tvconversionhelp about congress sending a letter to the head of NTIA and the coupon program with questions and suggestions: http://www.tvconversionhelp.com/2008...oupon-program/ At this time, Congress seems more interested in asking questions than changing the expiration date on the converter coupons.