No Lifetime subscription? What?! wtf?

[murph1016]

Fellow tivotees,

Okay, I just recently found out that TiVo is no longer offering the lifetime subscription and I'm speechless. I myself own three Tivo's, I referred a half dozen more, and I have both the lifetime and monthly subscription services. Last year I purchased an 140 box with a 1 year gift subscription for a relative. When I purchased the gift subscription I was told that at any time during the gift I could call and upgrade them to the lifetime subscription and I'd be able to use a portion of the gift subscription toward a lifetime one. Well, today after vaguely remembering that Tivo has upped their prices I went on to check if that was still possible. Guess what? It wasn't.

I, being unhappy for the first time ever with a Tivo decision decided to call their usually extremely helpful customer service. To much surprise that typical friendly customer service was not there, and in fact, the "supervisor" I spoke to was extremely rude. He apologized for being curt with me saying that he's been taking the same call over and over again for 72 hours.

If Tivo is taking the same call for 72 hours in a row, don't you think they should think if it was the right decision? My days of referring a Tivo to a friend are over. I will no longer be a spokesman for them. Although I truly believe the actual service of the box is second to none, I find it hard that I cannot get assistance with my issue. In fact, when I asked this so called "supervisor" for his name he replied "John thanks." I asked he said John Banks and he said "No, John THANKS, as in Thanks for paying attention when I told you earlier". I'm sorry but this level of service isn't acceptable from anyone in any organization, especially someone in charge.

Is there anyone else out there that shares in my opinion? Does anyone else seem to care they they upped their prices by 33% and limited the "lifetime" to just 3 years? That's worse than oil prices.

Geez, I never thought I'd say I wish I just had the comcast box and was done with Tivo.

A disappointed Tivo fan.
-Chris

[Hunter Green]

Only the thousand people or so who've complained in the thread in the main forum.

But it all comes to this. It was a great deal. They can't afford how great it was, it was that great. Sorry.

Everything else is just gnashing of teeth.

[classicsat]

Fellow tivotees,

Is there anyone else out there that shares in my opinion? Does anyone else seem to care they they upped their prices by 33% and limited the "lifetime" to just 3 years? That's worse than oil prices.


Yes, but IMO, they aren't seeing the forest for the trees.

Lifetime is/was a long term loss for TiVo. After 4 years they no longer earn net subscription revenue on a box.

The current 12.95/6.95, so prices have not gone up, just a loss has been eliminated, and some new options added.

The new monthly options are there to entice new customers that would not have gotten TiVo if they had to pay upfront for a box, and pthe prepay option is there for those that want no montly fee, and understand Tivos position as why Lifetime cannot be offered anymore.

[mike3775]

prepay option is there for those that want no montly fee, and understand Tivos position as why Lifetime cannot be offered anymore.
But the prpay is only available once, then after that its monthly no matter what though. I think what Tivo should offer is after 3 yrs of continual service(either monthly payments, or prepaid 3 yr committment), they should offer discounts on the monthly fee. To me, its wrong to charge full price after the unit would have paid for itself already. To me, after paying $466.20 after 3 yrs, the unit has more than paid for itself, and to further charge another $12.95/month($155.40/yr) is not right, considering that the unit itself may last another 4 or 5 yrs, so someone could end up paying well over $1000 for a Tivo during its lifetime, which isn't fair to me.

[classicsat]

It isn't available once. You can choose to go a service only prepay after your bundle prepay runs out.

Once the bundle obligation passes, you can choose to go service only, either monthly or prepay. You are owed nothing, so are not entitled to any discount ed or free service, beyond the MSD.

[dgh]

The current 12.95/6.95, so prices have not gone up, just a loss has been eliminated, and some new options added.

Heh heh. That's was the TiVo Inc. line early on too: We eliminated the option that was too good of a deal, and we added new options that tend to cost even more, but... prices have not gone up. :D

Claiming one or the other is fine, but you can't claim both.

After a few days we finally did get a: I do agree that people who say prices have gone up have a point.

[robsal]

Due to the fact that Tivo Corp. announced the discontinuation of "lifetime service" early to mid month of March, I believe you can still get it if you complain loud enough. (At least through the end of the month.) That's what I did. I did get lifetime service just last week. (Although, I am a newbie), not sure if it's possible to get if you're an existing customer. Get on the phone and get the customer service rep to fill out an escalation ticket and request it.

[classicsat]

Heh heh. That's was the TiVo Inc. line early on too: We eliminated the option that was too good of a deal, and we added new options that tend to cost even more, but... prices have not gone up. :D

Claiming one or the other is fine, but you can't claim both.

After a few days we finally did get a: I do agree that people who say prices have gone up have a point.
Yes, on a whole, it costs more to have a TiVo, but stil, the $12.95/6.95 monthly fee HAS NOT GONE UP.

[tazzftw]

"Tivo is second to none"
"I wish I had comcast and was done with TiVo."

Hmmm.

[dgh]

Yes, on a whole, it costs more to have a TiVo, but stil, the $12.95/6.95 monthly fee HAS NOT GONE UP.

OK, whatever you say. You're in marketing, right? ;)

[bsporl]

TiVo makes a great product, no question about that.

Unfortunately TiVo hasn't made a dime, it's stock price has been flat for five years, and every week you hear a false rumor that TiVo is about to go under. Heck, its EPS is -.62. Any company that makes negative cash flow will eventually go out of business, doesn't matter how good their product is.

If TiVo is to survive it must charge more, even if it pisses off some of it's loyal customers.

[Virt]

TiVo makes a great product, no question about that.

Unfortunately TiVo hasn't made a dime, it's stock price has been flat for five years, and every week you hear a false rumor that TiVo is about to go under. Heck, its EPS is -.62. Any company that makes negative cash flow will eventually go out of business, doesn't matter how good their product is.

If TiVo is to survive it must charge more, even if it pisses off some of it's loyal customers.

Some people really think that is entirely due to the piss-poor marketing department at TiVo.

Can you really blame people who see a cable or satellite company commercial every 15 minutes about how great the cable company or satellite unit is, but can you ACTUALLY count on one hand the entire amount of ads that you have EVER seen or remember from TiVo in the last five years? Six years? Seven Years? Eight Years? If people don't know what it is or what it does, why will they buy it??? They simply don't buy stuff they have never heard of, and they simply pass on to others any bad talk they have heard from other folks about an item they have only heard bad about and know nothing more about.

Those who have supported TiVo are just starting to feel the frustration that TiVo Corporate has already created for themselves and felt for years...CASH PRESSURE!

[megazone]

Actually I've seen many TiVo ads over the years - saw one just two nights ago - and that's WITH TiVo that I use 30 second skip on religiously, for over 4 years now, so I've certainly skipped far more than I've managed to see.