Canceled Tivo...will never go back.

[MosMom]

We have been Tivo customers for 7 1/2 years. 2 months ago we were wanting to upgrade our series 2 (that we have had for 7 1/2 years and still runs like a champ). We were going to go with a $99 series 3 offer I got in an email. When I called to upgrade, the sales guy told me the $99 deal was a refurb and if I spent an extra $100 I could do the Tivo Premiere and it would be brand new. Well, that sold me. I would prefer a new product.

Fast forward to last week, we get a green screen of death and we are told to send it back. We do and yesterday we got our replacement...it is a refurb. I call and explain that the whole reason I spent the extra $100 just two months ago is because I wanted a new product. He says I'm out of luck and they only replace with new for 30 days and since we were 27 days outside of 30 days we get a refurb. We go back and forth for quite some time and then I went chicken killer on the guy and finally gave up.

I tell them I will cancel unless they make it right, they refused. They are welcome to make whatever policies they want but I have every right to never use their service again. I will miss Tivo. I have always been a Tivo cheerleader and a loyal customer. I feel like leaving was the only way I could stand up for myself because I do feel wronged. I will be selling my Tivo's on eBay.

So, if you are going to upgrade think twice about going with a new product. Save yourself the money and go with refurb because you have a short period of time to actually have a new product if something happens.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

I had a Tivo with my old box, but since we upgraded to HD, DirecTV gave us a generic DVR. It works just fine and we lease it. I'm waiting for my contract to end b/c Fios finally came into my neighborhood and I want it where anything that's recorded can be watched in any room.

 

[surfgirl]

sorry to hear that... I lurve tivo, but I would be unhappy, too.

Check the credit card that you did the purchase on - if it was Am Ex, you have extra warranty protection. If it was another card, I would still check the warranty benefit ? Also, can you file a claim with the credit card that they aren't upholding the terms of their warranty ?

" For 90 days from the purchase date, the DVR will be replaced with a repaired, renewed or comparable products (whichever is deemed necessary by TiVo) if it becomes defective or inoperative. This exchange is done without charge to you for parts and labor (including applicable taxes, if any). You will be responsible for the cost of shipping. From 90 days to 1 year from the date of purchase your DVR will be replaced with a repaired, renewed, or comparable product (whichever is deemed necessary by TiVo) if it becomes defective or inoperative. "
http://www.tivo.com/buytivo/dvrlimitedwarranty.html

Nothing about 30 days in there ?

 

[Tinkermommy]

I hear ya OP. I would be really ticked as well and would cancel the service.

I work in marketing and it is soooo much more expensive to get a new customer than to keep an existing one.

Just recently our contract was up with our gas company. We kept getting all kinds of deals from other ones in the mail. DH called them up and said will you match this price from X. They said no, we canceled and went with X company.

Yesterday, we got a promo flyer from our old company advertising the same rate we requested plus $50 off.

The problem is the person on the end of the line has zero decision making power. They can only state "policy." It's not a smart way to treat a long time, loyal customer.

 

[MosMom]

Well, I plan on writing a letter to Tivo Corporate. At this point, I've come to terms with the fact I've canceled and I don't expect them to change their decision (although I do feel like I'm mourning a relationship breakup this morning haha). I just want them to know the impact their policy and lack of bend on that policy is hurting their bottom line. I know their bread and butter is monthly subscriptions and they lost ours. They probably won't care but I want to do it anyway!

 

[Nette]

We've been getting GSOD for a while on our TivoHD. I am *almost* ready to give up and use the Time Warner DVR... but I'm worried the software will suck compared to TiVo. OTOH, I'm sick of shows not getting recorded because the cable card cacks ... (I know that is TWs fault not TiVo, but it's frustrating.)

 

[RadioNate]

I had a Tivo with my old box, but since we upgraded to HD, DirecTV gave us a generic DVR. It works just fine and we lease it. I'm waiting for my contract to end b/c Fios finally came into my neighborhood and I want it where anything that's recorded can be watched in any room.

You can do this with the new DirectTV boxes.

http://www.directv.com:80/DTVAPP/content/directv/technology/wholehome

 

[DVCLiz]

Sorry for your pain, MosMom, but I think you're cutting off your nose to spite your face. It's getting to be pretty much an industry standard that refurbs are the norm after 30 days.

Personally, I'd never give up the convenience of Tivo or a DVR in order to feel better about being "wronged." Suck it up, buttercup. Really, you'd rather be mad about this forever than have the ability to use the service? Hope that is really what you want - it seems like a lot to give up in order to get to pout about it.

 

[MosMom]

Yep, I would. We watch much of our television through our computer these days anyway. I could suck it up but the only way to change something you don't like is to stand up against it.

 

[bicker]

Fast forward to last week, we get a green screen of death and we are told to send it back. We do and yesterday we got our replacement...it is a refurb.

TiVo's policy on warranty replacements is very clearly outlined in the terms and conditions. They don't hide it, and they've been very consistent in applying their policy in this regard.

You paid the extra $100 for a superior device: The TiVo Premiere is actually TWO iterations newer than the TiVo Series 3. (TiVo put out the TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL after the TiVo Series 3. The TiVo Premiere replaces the TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL.) The Premiere does a lot of things that the Series 3 does not, and does other things better than the Series 3 (and TiVo HD). This is coming from a Series 3 owner. If I could pay $100 plus my S3 to get a refurb Premiere, and bridge my Series 3 service onto it, I'd jump at the chance.

They are welcome to make whatever policies they want but I have every right to never use their service again.

Absolutely.

TiVo is the only company producing retail DVRs for encrypted cable, now. It's not a profitable business. As a TiVo subscriber, I'm surprised that we get the great customer service that we do get, given how much of TiVo's investors' money is going toward fostering our enjoyment of television and how they get essentially no financial benefit from it, today.

So, if you are going to upgrade think twice about going with a new product. Save yourself the money and go with refurb because you have a short period of time to actually have a new product if something happens.

I disagree with this advice. The Series 3 does not have the new Broadcom chipset. It would never be able to present MPEG-4. And there are several features that are only available on the TiVo Premiere, including the award-winning new user-interface. As a matter of fact, TiVo got slammed by a lot of its TiVo Series 3 and TiVo HD owners because this new software only works on the TiVo Premiere.

The TiVo Series 3 and the TiVo HD both had their day. Going forward, if having the best television viewing experience is important to you, the extra $100 for the TiVo Premiere is well worth it.


Having said all that....


I would think twice about buying a DVR now. Just rent them. The TiVo Premiere might be head-and-shoulders better than anything that the cable companies put out, but at this point, the whole situation is in flux. Despite this week's CableCARD rule changes, AllVid is still very much on the FCC's blotter, and once AllVid is in place, you can expect any DVR you buy today to be effectively obsolete.

 

[bicker]

Sorry for your pain, MosMom, but I think you're cutting off your nose to spite your face. It's getting to be pretty much an industry standard that refurbs are the norm after 30 days.

Company policy is that they'll do new-for-new replacements instead of refurb-for-new, during the first 30 days, regardless of whether the warranty allows them to do refurb-for-new from Day 1.

 

[MosMom]

We do not use cable cards so that was not a selling point for us. We paid more for a new product. Regardless of what their policy is, I think it is ****ty so we left. I posted so others who might be making a choice can consider our experience.

 

[Jaime4004]

Yep, I would. We watch much of our television through our computer these days anyway. I could suck it up but the only way to change something you don't like is to stand up against it.

I'd do the same!

 

[bicker]

We do not use cable cards so that was not a selling point for us. We paid more for a new product.

The CableCARDs aspect isn't one of the distinguishing factors - they're both the same in that regard (except that the TiVo Premiere can capitalize on the advantages that M-Cards afford).

The differences between the TiVo Premiere and TiVo Series 3 are numerous. I alluded to several: Chipset, software, etc. If you paid $100 more just for "new", rather than the myriad of advantages that the TiVo Premiere offers over the TiVo Series 3, then you're correct that you probably shouldn't have made the purchase, since the terms and conditions outline replacement in case of problems via refurb.

 

[MosMom]

I don't care about any of that. Just wanted to watch HD shows through it. But I'm sure your fingers thank you for typing all of that out.

 

[sbell111]

sorry to hear that... I lurve tivo, but I would be unhappy, too.

Check the credit card that you did the purchase on - if it was Am Ex, you have extra warranty protection. If it was another card, I would still check the warranty benefit ? Also, can you file a claim with the credit card that they aren't upholding the terms of their warranty ?

" For 90 days from the purchase date, the DVR will be replaced with a repaired, renewed or comparable products (whichever is deemed necessary by TiVo) if it becomes defective or inoperative. This exchange is done without charge to you for parts and labor (including applicable taxes, if any). You will be responsible for the cost of shipping. From 90 days to 1 year from the date of purchase your DVR will be replaced with a repaired, renewed, or comparable product (whichever is deemed necessary by TiVo) if it becomes defective or inoperative. "
http://www.tivo.com/buytivo/dvrlimitedwarranty.html

Nothing about 30 days in there ?

I bolded the bit that included the first thirty days.

Company policy is that they'll do new-for-new replacements instead of refurb-for-new, during the first 30 days, regardless of whether the warranty allows them to do refurb-for-new from Day 1.

So basically you are agreeing with DVCLiz.

To the OP, I get why you did what you did, but I wouldn't have. I likely would have given them a piece of my mind. (Is that what 'chicken killer' is?) I wouldn't have cancelled service, however. After all, The refurbed unit that you would recevie would still have the same warranty as your old one. If you consider the fact that they could have simply repaired your old one and returned it to you, there's really no difference in what they did.

It should also be noted that many refurbs are rband new, but failed testing and were fixed, so they actually have the same amount of time on them as new ones.

 

[bicker]

But I'm sure your fingers thank you for typing all of that out.

That seems a bit rude. You seem to be upset that I agreed with you that the product was not a good match for your needs.

 

[gometros]

I had a Tivo with my old box, but since we upgraded to HD, DirecTV gave us a generic DVR. It works just fine and we lease it. I'm waiting for my contract to end b/c Fios finally came into my neighborhood and I want it where anything that's recorded can be watched in any room.

Be careful, because Verizon DVRs are only the standard 160gig drives, which will hold up to 24 hours of HD programming. And they do not accept extended drives. That is why I got a TIVO in the first palce to use with my FiOS.

 

[bicker]

So basically you are agreeing with DVCLiz.

Am I? Perhaps the crux of the issue here is whether people are buying what is available for sale, versus what they wish was offered for sale. Especially with regard to emerging technologies, often we ignore the offer and just expect what we want. It causes all manner of problems.

It should also be noted that many refurbs are rband new, but failed testing and were fixed, so they actually have the same amount of time on them as new ones.

For that matter, many of the refurbs are reflections of buyers' remorse, and practically never used. Also, many refurbs receive more individual verification and validation than "new" units receive.

 

[Tinkermommy]

OP, I am with you on this one.

Quoting policy isn't going to help her situation. The policy stinks and more should be done about a long term, loyal customer who paid $100 more for a new DVR.

Companies put out attractive offers and loss leaders all the time to get new customers, but rarely do they really work hard at keeping your business once they get it.

Now they have lost all her business. And this is just the kind of thing that would make me mad and fire them also.