Analog TV lawsuit brewing?
June 30th, 2007The FCC has warned major retailers that failure to properly label analog television sets will bring large fines. But what about the consumer who purchased a soon-to-be obsolete TV from Best Buy, Circuit City, Kmart, Amazon.com, or other stores that received FCC citations over the past month? The government has not, as of yet, required any retailer to make amends to customers who were not warned of the transition to digital TV.
These facts have not escaped the notice of Finkelstein Thompson LLP, a Washington law firm specializing in class-action suits. The firm has placed online advertisements (headlined “Analog TV Investigation”) seeking over-the-air viewers who recently purchased analog TVs and were unaware of the February 17, 2009 deadline for the shutdown of analog TV broadcasts.
Consumers who “have information about the investigation” or who want to “discuss…possible legal remedies” can contact Finkelstein Thompson’s Washington, D.C., office.
Earlier:
• Analog TV labels: FCC cites 4 more retailers
• FCC is warning retailers on DTV warnings
• FCC mandates analog TV warning labels
Read more:
• Analog TV Labeling
Lostcub says:
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:38 am
I’m surprised that Wal-mart has not been cited. Wal-mart doesn’t mark any of them. In fact; when I’ve asked some of the sell persons about it, they simply said,”That mandate was set back once, and well be set back again”. Many of their “flat screens” have anolog only tuners, and will still require adaptors after the mandate passes.
What really gets to me is, many of these companies including Wal-mart, and others mentioned in this report, are still manufacturing this TVs, and DVD recorders. And will probably ’til the day the mandate goes in affect.
Steven Sande says:
July 2nd, 2007 at 7:30 am
Wal-Mart has not received citations, as far as I know. At the store(s) you described, do they display a consumer alert “in close proximity” to the analog-only TVs? That’s what the FCC requires.
I don’t know if you saw this, but a columnist in Philadelphia wrote about TV labeling confusion at Wal-Mart earlier this month:
• Wal-Mart has analog TVs. But where are the labels?
I would hope that the manufacturers who make TVs and related products for Wal-Mart and others are following the digital-tuner requirements by now. The stores don’t want any more analog-only TVs, and manufacturers who don’t follow the rules can face millions of dollars in fines:
• FCC busts DTV tuner rule violators
Steven Sande says:
July 6th, 2007 at 2:06 am
UPDATE: I missed this earlier, but yes, Lostcub, the FCC did cite Wal-Mart.