Will S3 Lifetim Transfer use up my Grandfathered Rights?

[Dajad]

Does anyone have a definitive answer to this?

Since the Lifetime transfer option is being made available to all current lifetime subscribers, will transferring my lifetime sub to a new S3 use up my unused one-time grandfathered lifetime transfer right?

...Dale

[Dan203]

Yes. The difference is that for you it's free. Everyone else has to pay $200 to do the transfer.

Dan

[Dajad]

Thanks Dan,

I understood the $200 part. But, what if I want to pay the $200 and retain the right. Believe it or not, I think I'd take that deal! That's how much I HATE recurring subscription fees!!!

...Dale

[MScottC]

Thanks Dan,

I understood the $200 part. But, what if I want to pay the $200 and retain the right. Believe it or not, I think I'd take that deal! That's how much I HATE recurring subscription fees!!!

...Dale


Ironically, I thought I had an answer to your question, but when I read the Grandfather rules;

"Grandfather transfer: The one-time "Grandfather transfer" (for people who purchased Product Lifetime on or before January 21, 2000 [as in, more than six years ago], and who have not already used their one-time transfer) is still allowed and will also be honored for future hardware releases from TiVo, such as the Series3...."

I became confused myself. If you pay the $299, then you aren't using your "one time transfer." This means you may have still preserved it... This is a very good question <G>.

[Aiken]

If you transfer the lifetime for $200, I would bet you'll effectively be getting a new lifetime, bought after January 21, 2000, and thus it probably won't qualify for the free one anymore.

[Dan203]

Nope! The reason the grandfather rule is in place is because the contractual wording of the original lifetime agreement was not clear that it was the lifetime of the machine and not the lifetime of the user. When TiVo updated the wording to make it more clear they instated a "grandfather" clause that allowed anyone who bought lifetime before the change to transfer their lifetime service once. They did this because after that lifetime service was transferred the user was effectively agreeing to the new terms and therefore could no longer be confused about those terms.

I'm 99.9% sure that if you transfer the lifetime service for any reason you are agreeing to the new terms and as such forfeiting your grandfather rights. Regardless of whether or not you pay for it.

Dan

[Dajad]

Humm.... Dan, you gave me an idea. I could buy a dual-tuner S2, transfer my grandfathered lifetime to it, then purchase an S3 before Dec 31 (well, I already purchased it, its on its way) and transfer the lieftime to the S3 for $200. By so doing, I'll have an S2 with guide data for a year and an S3 that is fully subbed. I could then sell the S2 after the year is up.

That assumes that the $200 transfer applies to units not purchased through TiVo. I wanted to purchase my S3 from TiVo but they won't ship to Canada so I had to purchase through Weaknees.

Does the $200 transfer now apply to S3's purchased from other etailers?

Now, that is something to consider!!!

...Dale

[classicX]

Humm.... Dan, you gave me an idea. I could buy a dual-tuner S2, transfer my grandfathered lifetime to it, then purchase an S3 before Dec 31 (well, I already purchased it, its on its way) and transfer the lieftime to the S3 for $200. By so doing, I'll have an S2 with guide data for a year and an S3 that is fully subbed. I could then sell the S2 after the year is up.

That assumes that the $200 transfer applies to units not purchased through TiVo. I wanted to purchase my S3 from TiVo but they won't ship to Canada so I had to purchase through Weaknees.

Does the $200 transfer now apply to S3's purchased from other etailers?

Now, that is something to consider!!!

...Dale

If it sounds counterintiutive, that's because it is. You can get an S2 with guide data for a year for less than $200. You would be wasting your money.

You should just use the grandfather for the S3.

[Dajad]

Humm ... really? Looks like I haven't followed the recent pricing closely enough.

Well, I have a new idea. My buddy also has an S1 with lifetime. IF, and I'm still looking to confirm this, TiVo will transfer lifetimes to S3s bought elsewhere from the TiVo Store, I may do this:

Use my grandfathered lifetime to purchase a dual-tuner S2, and give it to my buddy who is looking to upgrade to a dual tunder S2.

I give away my S1 to his sister in New York and she gets an old TiVo with one year left.

Use my buddy's non-granfathered, but lifetime subbed unit, to transfer his lifetime to the S3 for $200. I keep the S3.

He pays for the new dual-tuning unit and the $200 upgrade and gets a dual-tuning S2 with lifetime and I get an S3 with lifetime. At least I don't feel like its wasted.

Gosh, if only TiVo offered a lifetime option these days I wouldn't have to go through all these wretched gymnastics.

...Dale

[Stylin]

Yes, TiVo is allowing xfers from units bought from other retail outlets. So your plan could work...