What is Digg?259 Comments
- jmichaelg, on 05/20/2008, -9/+214They may be scum but Best Buy may be right about the FCC not having authority to fine Best Buy. I'll be interested in seeing how this comes out in court.
If Congress didn't explicitly give the FCC authority to penalize retailers for not putting a sticker on the TV, the FCC shouldn't have the power to mandate the sticker. None of us voted for any of the FCC commissioners and they shouldn't try to claim powers they weren't explicitly granted. Better Best Buy screws *some* customers over than we *all* get screwed over by on overly expansive government agency. - bincoder, on 05/20/2008, -19/+90Why should BB be responsible for educating the public? I hate Best Buy too, but really, does every business have to provide each and every consumer with a degree in broadcast engineering or an education on whatever product they want to buy? I have no pity for people who refuse or are too lazy to find out what they are doing before they do it. If they are that helpless, go ahead, provide training, also charge an extra $5000 to the price for being forced to serve as an institution of higher learning. Maybe then, such people will strain themselves to the breaking point, by having to type the product name into google and actually reading for themselves.
- dantidote, on 05/20/2008, -5/+66$280,000 is ***** cupcake money for best buy.
- RevJonathan, on 05/20/2008, -1/+50I think I agree.
The FCC is correct in that this changeover is a good thing, and that analog sets should be sold with a warning label. However, it is also fair to say that they shouldn't be allowed to unilaterally fine sellers. Some Congressional oversight or maybe even Judicial involvement could go a long way here.
Checks and balances, the greatest thing to ever happen to Government. - ontain, on 05/20/2008, -9/+53Best Buyers Beware
- smotpoker, on 05/20/2008, -7/+44Typically, buyer-beware is the law of the land but there are some cases where it doesn't apply and this could be one. I don't know about FCC fines, but it could hold up in court and I smell a class action suit if they do not comply with the FCCs demand.
I think many people fail to consider (or choose to ignore) a little something called "reasonable expectation" and "bad faith" which can be legal grounds to file such suits (see Verizon v710 case). When you are selling something you know is flawed or will not perform to standard expectations, you have an obligation to inform the buyer. You cannot simply run around selling things you know won't meet consumer expectations. Otherwise it is a form of deceit/fraud.
With the Verizon suit, they were sued for handicapping bluetooth functionality without explicit disclosure. When every other bluetooth phone had full capability, the consumers had a reasonable expectation that the V710 would as well. When you buy a house, it is reasonable to assume the plumbing and wiring work well unless otherwise stated. If you buy a new car, it is expected to run on gasoline and continue working for at least a few years.
Similarly, when every other TV you have ever bought has worked fine for at least two years, it is reasonable to assume it will function for at least the duration of that time unless it is broken. If the seller *knows* it won't and does not notify you or hides the fact, you have grounds to sue I believe. - t0x2c, on 05/20/2008, -2/+34As a retail employee, I can tell you that all the precautions in the world wouldn't suede most customers. Real experience:
"Well this tv is an analog only tv and you won't be able to pick up the air waves once analog is shut down."
"Then I'll buy a new one when that comes"
"Well it's going to happen starting 2009"
"I don't get cable at my house how do you expect me to watch TV with no signal?"
"It's not us it's just how they're doing it in the government"
"So you want me to buy a new tv next year cause this one will be out of date?"
"That's why I'm telling you to get a digital capable one right now."
"Whatever."
The customer proceeds to leave the store, come back 10 minutes later and buy the analog tv. - mstrebe, on 05/20/2008, -0/+27Yeah, um, technology happens. Public airwaves are a shared resource in limited supply, and the VHS and UHF ranges are exceptionally valuable for their ability to follow the curvature of the earth rather than being highly line-of-site the way that microwave is. Having the entire spectrum from 100MHz to nearly 1GHz dedicated to something as stupid as television--especially when most of that bandwidth goes unused--for purely historical reasons is ridiculous.
And as for "auctioning it off", we live in a market based economy. There's no other fair way to do it. Even if the whole spectrum was devoted to something like an packet-based two way communication system that was highly useful for most of society (Oh yeah, it is), somebody has to pony up the research and development to create the signal towers and receivers, and they've got to have enough money at the starting gate to eat enormous up-front costs to get that done. Unless you've got 100 billion dollars in your pocket to develop, deploy, market, and service that kind of infrastructure, I suggest you learn why it is that the cell phone in your pocket works before you go spouting off your ill considered nonsense. - cdawzrd, on 05/20/2008, -0/+22That's the whole point of the fine.
- JoeB4ever, on 05/20/2008, -2/+20http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21344084/
Dated October 17th 2007
throwing the BS card - biggdeedubb, on 05/20/2008, -1/+19I see it like this... The grocery store does not have to tell you when your food will expire. That job is the manufacturers responsibility! Shouldn't the same be said for the electronics?! I know we all love to hate BB but there are other thing to pick them apart with that make sense.
- TheGuruStud, on 05/20/2008, -2/+19they don't deserve a TV
- sugarazor, on 05/20/2008, -1/+17The BBB has no authority to fine anybody either. Speaking of uneducated consumers, I don't know a single entity out there that is more misunderstood than the BBB. They're not a governing body of anything - public or private.
The government has no right to tell private businesses how to operate. - JoeB4ever, on 05/20/2008, -1/+17I'm a best buy employee, and I can kind of put this into retrospective.
Back when we had non-digital TV's we had these stickers to put on the TV displays saying how it didn't have the digital tuner. Not very big stickers, about 3"x3". Usually the only time we would forget to put one out if a TV got returned and we had to put on display, therefore forgetting the sticker.
But keep in mind we haven't carried a non-digital TV in about 9 months. - bjornski, on 05/20/2008, -0/+15That's why I think they'll wind up paying it, instead of labeling the TV's and jeopardizing the sales of them.
They'll make more than $280,000 selling those out-dated, obsolete TV's.
Fines. They're not punishment anymore. They're the cost of doing business. - eternal464, on 05/20/2008, -2/+17another retarded anti bestbuy hate *****. Sears and circuit city are also fighting it, both with heavier fines, but only best buy is covered by the article. puzzling, when both had higher fines. BUT OMFG CONSPIRACY!!!!!
- LucasJ218, on 05/20/2008, -2/+17You must have the worst digital TV ever - I live in rural Iowa and my reception is fine.
- czeman, on 05/20/2008, -3/+16Has Best Buy said why the stickers weren't put on to begin with? Was it an oversight, or did they flat out refuse to label the televisions?
- JoeB4ever, on 05/20/2008, -3/+15Wow, with their stock going up lately they must have a lot of dumb customers.
- apophenic, on 05/20/2008, -3/+15A. They postponed this by ten years. You've had time to pick up a digital tuner. You knew this was coming.
B. Okay, that's not a reason not to switch over to digital.
C. Okay, that's not a reason not to switch over to digital. - donatj, on 05/20/2008, -9/+20I say good for Best Buy actually, the FCC has been overstepping their grounds time and time again recently. Anyone remember the broadcast flag? What happened to limitation of powers?
- donatj, on 05/20/2008, -0/+10The FCCs job is to control the broadcasts onto the air waves, not what receives them, if it was you'd generally, although arguably logically, be giving them control over all metal / conductive material.
- apophenic, on 05/20/2008, -2/+11I do live in the city, so I do mean prettier picture.
- muchachoburacho, on 05/20/2008, -8/+17Part of a "free market economy" involves having an educated consumer base. If the FCC can't fine them, the BBB should, because selling these TV's is blatantly preying on undereducated consumers. All they are being asked to do is say that they wont work without an adapter after February 2009. Stop defending corporate greed.
- Mrdudeperson, on 05/20/2008, -5/+14Without Circuit City as competition Best Buy is going to start going crazy.
- groverblue, on 05/20/2008, -5/+14I have to agree with Best Buy. It's the consumer's responsibility to know what they are buying. If they don't, all the they have to do is ask. Customer service will determine Best Buy's faith.
- JoeHammer, on 05/20/2008, -6/+14HOW'S IT FEEL BEST BUY?!
Nothing but continued fines and eventual debt wished upon your company.
Carry on. - donatj, on 05/20/2008, -9/+17How is the changeover a good thing? Have you ever tried one of these digital TV's more than 30 miles outside a major metropolitan area? Where I used to be able to get a static-y channel, I get the message "Signal Strength: 0" And then they say its for "Emergency Use" and yet they sell the wavelength off to the highest bidder? I say its the fleecing of America. Millions if not Billions of TV's will no longer work so... who won, Verison(?) can make more money? Tell me how this is good for America?
- sugarazor, on 05/20/2008, -5/+13Seriously... did someone just say that cable isn't available in most of the country between major metropolitan areas of LA and New York?
Unless you're living in the Nevada desert or in the Rocky Mountains, I think you can find some sort of cable provider in America. - LetsGoHokies, on 05/20/2008, -0/+7What the ***** are you talking about?
- linuxpenguin, on 05/20/2008, -3/+10I don't get why everyone's making a big deal. Big frickin' deal - your analog antenna won't work! Not that there's any reason to buy a TV if you're using an antenna, though. If you've got basic analog cable, you can still just plug the cable into the TV and turn it on - unless your provider is taking the initiative to require you to switch to digital cable.
- DarkShroud, on 05/20/2008, -0/+7Why is it Bush is either an idiot that can barely tie his shoes or he's an omnipotent demi-god who is leaching money from the country at every turn while somehow planning and completely covering up 9/11?
- inactive, on 05/20/2008, -0/+7Except it's not bait and switch.
Calling this 'bait and switch' is like calling selling goods with a fresh date 'bait and switch!'
"Excuse me, Mr. Butcher? This meat can no longer be eaten and I've only had it for 5 weeks!" - xrisnothing, on 05/20/2008, -0/+7I don't know whose side to take! I hate best buy. The FCC is a bureaucracy. The issue is consumer awareness. hmmmm
- foosed, on 05/20/2008, -1/+8It opens a wireless spectrum that will be used to make wireless technology virtually dead-spot free. as ~80% of American households with a TV now pay for either cable or satellite service, the spectrum was virtually being wasted. The open access rules and the increases wireless bandwidth that come with the spectrum have the potential revolutionize the telecommunications industry. Those who continue to rely on over-the-air television can acquire government vouchers towards a converter box, and will continue to receive there signal with no noticeable difference in reception. The only way anyone can get screwed by the transition, is when stores such as best buy sell them outdated equipment without their knowledge. This transition is one of the smartest things the government has done this decade.
- Snuffs, on 05/20/2008, -3/+10***** Best Buy and the FCC
- TheGuruStud, on 05/20/2008, -2/+9Get a new antenna. My parent's house is 80 miles from STL and those channels are perfect. Now, some weaker towers (PBC) they have problems with, but that's normal. Those always came in fuzzy and *****. Put the antenna higher, get an amplifier and even another antenna if you want every channel. Digital is always better, face it.
- RandoTheKing, on 05/20/2008, -1/+8Last time I checked the FCC did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Just try watching the full version of any movie on television, or listening to an entire song on the radio without a word being censored.
- threepio, on 05/20/2008, -1/+7If the vendor doesn't call out the fact that it doesn't have a DTV tuner it might get missed. Given that it's something that would make the model sell less it makes it less likely that the vendor will be upfront with Best Buy about the missing feature. I sincerely doubt that any of these retailers will be ponying up for these fines.
- SuperCujo, on 05/20/2008, -0/+6He is using a set of rabbitears for his TV, ather than a proper antenna.
- kh99, on 05/20/2008, -4/+10"...does every business have to provide each and every consumer with a degree in broadcast engineering or an education on whatever product they want to buy?"
No, they should just put the stickers on like they were told they should.
I'm not sure how I feel about this one because on one hand many people are going to have cable and it won't matter, and BB *could* use the Feb 2009 deadline as an excuse to sell them a higher-priced TV. - centran, on 05/20/2008, -3/+9I am torn. Normally I would say the government shouldn't be getting involved. It is not like Best Buy is a monopoly.... BUT I know it is just TV but killing off analogue TV is huge.
Everyone needs to be on board and on the same page. The television stations are doing their part by taking money making advertising spots(and during prime time) to show a commercial informing their viewers of the change. Stores need to do their part as well.
Lets face it, people are stupid. Companies have been taking advantage of stupid people for a long time. Now is not the time to do that. When analogue goes dead there are going to be a lot of pissed off people. Even if they have been warned for years. Lets not make matters worse by knowingly selling them a TV that won't work in a year. - venir, on 05/20/2008, -1/+7If I'm not mistaken Analog broadcasts have a greater range than their digital counterparts. Also, as stated in a thread above, you can get partial analog signals, ie picture with some interference but digital is either there or not, so you are more limited on what you can receive when on the fringes of the broadcast area so some people who have analog sets may get some channels now that they will lose when the digital conversion is complete.
- donatj, on 05/20/2008, -3/+9If by prettier pictures you mean no pictures at all unless you live in the city.
- inactive, on 05/20/2008, -3/+9The absurdity is that the FCC is trying to dictate what someone has to do in their store on private property. The FCC lacks the power to make the sticker request.
And there IS a reason for me to be demanding $50,000... I want $50,000. Just like the FCC wants the stickers on the boxes.
Plus, TVs with analog tuners work fine with cable boxes that have digital tuners. The only people who are going to notice anything different on the Tuesday analog is switched off are the people who haven't purchased a new TV or even had CABLE since some time in the mid 90s. - apophenic, on 05/20/2008, -5/+11Because we get prettier pictures, that's how it's good for America.
- bigteebo, on 05/20/2008, -0/+6Mind you, any computer you buy there would be obsolete the moment you take it out of the store. What's the difference? :)
- inactive, on 05/20/2008, -1/+7You're acting like sitting in the garage for another 3 years before being sent to the land fill is some kind of world saving action.
- j3ff86, on 05/20/2008, -0/+6***** THING SUCKS!
- inactive, on 05/20/2008, -0/+5Sugarazor, Blizzard and PayPal changed the tune they were singing for a month once they got a letter from the BBB.
The BBB carries a lot of weight with older customers, too. The ones who tend to buy from brick and mortar stores instead of online. -
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