Box Upgrade Fee?

[bpurcell]

I know it's been awhile, but what is a Box Upgrade Fee for? I saw this on tivo website when I looked at the site for the new DT's. I don't remember paying a box upgrade fee of 30 dollars!

[bpurcell]

Ok, I was able to answer my own question. When I first went to the tivo site and clicked on the DT, it took me straight to the DT add to cart page. After asking my question, I went back and went to the page that has ALL the tivo's available. Seems they are calling the DT and "upgrade" to the regualar tivo. The humax has an upgrade fee of 180. Now I understand.

[DrewTivo]

Ok, I was able to answer my own question. When I first went to the tivo site and clicked on the DT, it took me straight to the DT add to cart page. After asking my question, I went back and went to the page that has ALL the tivo's available. Seems they are calling the DT and "upgrade" to the regualar tivo. The humax has an upgrade fee of 180. Now I understand.

But it still begs the question of what hte fee is for. Since we're paying $240 dollars for the box (less the cost of service of $156 for a year at $12.95), I consider that an "upgrade fee" I'm paying them for a new box. They're giving it to me. Seems the upgrade fee is nothing more than a separate, additional charge. Is there any way out of it? If not, then why not build it into the price?

Or, if I understand your point correctly, it's an extra charge for a premium product as compared to a standalone, regular box.

[tazzftw]

It means exactly what it means. If you want to upgrade to a better box, then you pay a fee it oupgrade.

If the several boxes available, then you're looking at 6 different plans for each box. It's going to get confusing.

[Tivo Basic Mike]

It is a little confusing I tend to place upgrade fees with a product or software you already own. If i am buying Tivo for the first time and don't own anything from Tivo what am i upgrading from?

[classicsat]

Basically, it allows them to keep the same bundle pricing with different hardware that costs more.

Essentialy the upgrade fee is the theoretical difference between the higher priced boxes and the base 80 Hr series 2 ST.

[jfh3]

it's an extra charge for a premium product as compared to a standalone, regular box.

That's it exactly.

Tivo could have had seperate monthly plans for each of the boxes or normallize everything to the price of the base box (single tuner Series 2).

Using a one-time "hardware difference fee" that they chose is far easier than the alternatives - they've already got enough plans with the monthly and prepaid plans for 1-2-3 years.

[jfh3]

It is a little confusing I tend to place upgrade fees with a product or software you already own. If i am buying Tivo for the first time and don't own anything from Tivo what am i upgrading from?

Maybe they should just call is a "Hardware Features" fee and have $0 be the default for single tuner.

[BlackBetty]

I wonder what the upgrade fee will be for the Series 3

[DrewTivo]

Maybe they should just call is a "Hardware Features" fee and have $0 be the default for single tuner.

Yeah. I think the problem is the term "upgrade fee" not the concept of paying more for a product with additional features. Because they've now built the price of the box into the prices, they've created confusion by then having to add an upgrade fee to compensate.

They need a different term, because "upgrade fee" sounds like something you pay when you already have the service/software/product and want the newer version.

"Premium Hardware Charge"
"Premium Hardware Supplement"
"Premium Features Supplement"
"Hardware Supplement"

i dunno.

[ZeoTiVo]

I wonder what the upgrade fee will be for the Series 3


there is the correct question