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View Full Version : Horrible Tivo quality, very disappointed


pollycharlie
05-30-2006, 01:28 AM
I take this as a sign that I shouldn't have Tivo.

I had lots of experience with Tivo with a friend. I stationed at his house 24/7 to watch Tivo. I thought it was a great invention.

So I tried to get my hands on Tivo. I got the deal from Tivo website where I pay for a year of subscription and get a refurbished 40-hour Tivo for free. Great deal.

So the Tivo arrives. I am all excited. But on the first night, my Tivo starts to restart itself every hour, even in the middle of my shows. Very disappointed, I contacted Tivo tech support for about 5 times. They tell me to do the usual things like checking power line, etc. But nothing helped.

So I payed $150 to get an exchange unit while the defected unit is being shipped back to Tivo.

The exchange unit came about 2 weeks after the request. A little late, but better than never, right? So I plugged everything, and plugged in power. 1 second, 5 seconds, 2 minutes, wait, nothing is happening! No light, no image on the screen. So I switched power cord, switched power outlet. Yet nothing comes on. So I had to call Tech support again. After about 3 calls, they told me:"Oh I am sorry. It seems like you have a defective unit. Would you like our exchange program?".

So 3 weeks later, I have 2 defective Tivo, more than $300 out of pocket, and no Tivo service at all. I knew these were refurbished units. But hey, does Tivo even do any sort of Quality Control before a box goes out its door? Or this deal they have is just a tatic to get rid of defective boxes that they are hoping to slip under radar? What the hell?

I decided I didn't want to pay another $150 to get a third exchange unit, so I would wait till the shipping labels to arrive (I am not paying shipping on two Tivo boxes because they didn't work). Labels took about 4 weeks.

Ok. 7 weeks later, I got the labels for returning the 2 defective Tivo. I shipped them back.

1 week later, the third Tivo in 2 months arrives. Alas, it turned on ok, and for a week, no glitch. I should relax now, right? NO!!!

Then 1 week later, my service is suspended (and of course when I am out of town so nothing got recorded). 2 phone calls later they found out it's something about my credit card information update. OK. Now can I sleep at night? NO!!

Just two minutes ago my Tivo restarted itself.

So let me sum up. 9 weeks after the first Tivo arrives, about 10 phone calls to Tivo, 3 Tivo boxes, and a total of 9 days of uninterrupted service later, I end up with a Tivo box that restarts itself when recording a show.

Like I said. This is the last straw. I am calling Tivo tomorrow to return everything. I had enough dealing with this. Tivo is nice and all, but hey it's not the only thing out there. I am just going to get a DVR from my cable company. I heard that it's free.

ChuckyBox
05-30-2006, 01:33 AM
Bummer. Bad luck sucks. Enjoy your cable DVR.

Maxnl
05-30-2006, 01:37 AM
Sorry about your bad Tivo experience, you really should give it a longer time.
While its restarting this time does it say anything about a service update, as it could be installing new software, it does this with an automatic restart around 2 in the A.M.
Also, you have to remember, there are uncontrollable factors that can affect the Tivo, shipping for instance. The box the wouldn't power on may have gotten a disconnected cable while shipping.
In response to your part about wanting to return it, you may have even more of a problem there; you have had it past the 30 return policy. If you are sure you want to return the unit, I would suggest almost immediatly asking for a supervisor since they should be able to make an exception for return with the amount of time you had a somewhat working unit.
My advice, just give it a couple more days until you are sure you don't want it, then call to return.

Arcady
05-30-2006, 01:50 AM
How much is Time Warner paying these days?

samo
05-30-2006, 02:41 AM
Like I said. This is the last straw. I am calling Tivo tomorrow to return everything. I had enough dealing with this.
I don't think that it will work. You only have 30 days to get your money back. And if I recall it right, defective unit does not extend money-back guaranty.

wmcbrine
05-30-2006, 07:51 AM
I wonder if these units had proper ventilation.

Gospel
05-30-2006, 09:23 AM
How much is Time Warner paying these days?

Time Warner isn't paying me anything! :( Just kidding, I knew what you meant. :) For analog cable, I am paying about $45 a month. I don't do pay-per-view.

Enjoy life!

aus1ander
05-30-2006, 11:10 AM
Like I said. This is the last straw. I am calling Tivo tomorrow to return everything. I had enough dealing with this. Tivo is nice and all, but hey it's not the only thing out there. I am just going to get a DVR from my cable company. I heard that it's free.

I'm sorry to hear about your problems. If you have any thought of reconsidering, let us know your software version (7.2.2?).

There is a known rebooting issue with that software release and there is a patch available for download that could solve all of your problems with your latest Tivo.

http://research.tivo.com/72.2priority/

Its worth a shot--you've waited a couple months already, whats a couple more days to you... :) I can guarantee you will hate the DVR from your cable company.

ZeoTiVo
05-30-2006, 03:03 PM
try a TiVo from a brick and mortar store.

also contact TiVoOpsMgr on this forum (look under member listing) and he can help get you to the proper level of support to get you going properly ona a working TiVo

Atomike
05-30-2006, 03:28 PM
I had the same thing happen - almost. I did have 3 bad units shipped to me. Finally I got a good one, but Tivo had to send me a new one rather than a refurb. I was in limbo for over 7 weeks while trying to get a good unit. They paid a fortune in shipping, but finally did the right thing (although I was misled about the ability to get a full refund during this process - a very sleazy business practice). However Tivo finally did make it right.
The moral of the story - never get a refurb. Tivo does not quality control these units at all. Not even a little. They sent me a unit that was loud as an airplane, and one that was DOA. Don't let anyone here tell you they check refub boxes before they're sent out because it is not the truth.
But, you may eventually get one that works by accident. If you do, you'll like your Tivo. It's a good product. Money well spent. At least it was when lifetime was available. I wouldn't buy one today.

Shawn95GT
05-30-2006, 04:06 PM
FWIW, I bought one of the 'free' refurb units and it was indistinguishable from the other two brand new ones I had bought in the past except that the refurb didn't have the protective sticky plastic deal over the nightlight.

It's still going strong.

I hope you get your string of bad luck sorted out!

Redux
05-30-2006, 05:18 PM
This is the last straw. I am calling Tivo tomorrow to return everything. I had enoughWe are so thankful for customer experiences like yours. Since there are going to be a certain number of failures over the entire population of units, the only way we can continue to experience flawless performance is that some _other_ poor customer gets the problems. The more the better.

While I do in fact feel sorry about your troubles ... well ... thanks!

pollycharlie
06-03-2006, 01:54 AM
Thanks, especially to Redux.

I guess I get the moral of the story: I am unlucky.

Although I felt I was lucky, especially after reading Redux's message: My bad luck was only in Tivo. Well, I CAN live without Tivo. If my Tivo restarts I WON'T die. I think my bad luck with Tivo will give me good luck on other things... Such as a good car. I sincerely hope one day when Redux's life is dependant on something and it fails... You may smile in wherever you are and say:" I am ok. I am just 'some_other_poor customer gets the problems... It's ok that I die of it."

Thanks for all the other advices. Returning this Tivo has been a struggle like you all predicted. But I am going to get my money back.

pollycharlie
06-03-2006, 02:01 AM
Oh by the way, I am sure the restart wasn't about update software because I had already updated my software the 3rd day after I got my 3rd Tivo. Ever since the last restart Tivo had only restarted once. But I can tell the harddrive is failing soon because I get lots of small pauses on my programs.

I really believe Maxnl that Tivo doesn't QC the refurbish units at all. I work in automation, and I ship machines and computers all around the world all day long. I have never had a problem where a machine's power supply is just "disconnected" during shipping when shipped in proper boxes. Wires in the power supply were soldered, not plugged, into places. Unless the delivery truck was hot as the tip of a soldering iron I can't see why the power supply just stop working.

So good luck to all the newbies, and don't buy refurbished units.

zync
06-04-2006, 12:14 PM
To be fair, this is not an isolated problem. When I bought my S2 from Best Buy a few years ago it failed, and I did an exchange with TiVo which also failed. The 3rd unit however has been running solid ever since!