To no one's surprise, retailers are putting up a fight against
fines handed out by the FCC regarding point-of-sale notification that analog-only TVs will go black after the digital
switchover. Circuit City was the first to lodge a complaint and Best Buy followed quickly afterwards. Among the retailers' complaints are: the required signage was never made available for comment, the acts were not "willful or repeated," and that the FCC has no jurisdiction over the sales. We've tried to use arguments similar to those first two on speeding tickets -- you guess the result. Whether or not the FCC has jurisdiction is the more interesting point; the commission justified imposition of its point-of-sale rules in part III-B of its "Second Report and Order." Our take is that this legal action is really just a not-so-friendly way to negotiate the fines down, and expect the retailer bandwagon to get crowded if this is successful.
Read - Circuit City challenges FCC fine
Read - Best Buy challenges FCC fine
Read - FCC "Second Report and Order" [PDF link]
posted May 19th 2008 5:04AM
OMG How typical of the callous mass marketers in this country. Sell something that will only be good long enough to make that last dying breath then refuse the refund of the customers money and deny any knowledge of the impending blackout then have the brainless idiots behind the counter also deny what is going to happen. Then when the manufacturer's start getting phone calls for refunds they too can deny any knowledge and deny any responsibility in the mess that IS going to ensue. And you people have the gall to stand in front of a TV camera and say things like, "I've never seen this guy before. He just came in here with guns blazing and took out thirty of our best customers." and one of my favorites,"our hearts go out to the victims and their family's in the mass murder. We will do everything in our power to help". In other words, you're on your own get out of our store. I've been victimized like this first hand with a laptop I purchased November last year. If even one of the units had been turned on at one of the three store I visited in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Saint Petersburg, Florida so that I could see before hand that the Vista experience score on it is 2.5 I would have saved my $1100+ and gone elsewhere. I however have the common sense not to go out and purchase an automatic weapon and take out a store full of people. Then again some people don't have the time and resources to sue the #1 laptop maker in this country and electronics big box seller and their "award winning customer service" for false and misleading practices.
I however have the common sense to turn on expensive electronics in a store before buying them. Lucky me!