Best method to sell lifetime subscription?

[Plympton]

Hey all,

I've got an original Series 1 with lifetime (Nov. 2000 - not grandfathered). I tricked it out over the years with TurboNet, streaming, web serving, etc. It's been a great ride, and it's still working great, but I'm not using it all that much, and the occasional show I want to watch I can pull off iTunes.

So, I'm thinking about selling my lifetime subscription. (is there a forum to do that here? It'd be great to keep it "in the community" so to speak). It would be worth it for someone transferring it to a S3, which I'm not planning on getting (kid on the way). I figure I would keep the hardware and keep using it until the 12-month extension ran out.

Any advice? (Any takers?)

Thanks!
-Dan

[Lord_Skywalker]

You can't sell just the lifetime service. The lifetime is tied to the box itself, not to the customer.

[bpurcell]

I figure I would keep the hardware and keep using it until the 12-month extension ran out.

I'm assuming you mean that the other person would use your TSN number to get the lifetime transfered to an S3 and you'd keep the S1 with the 1-year free service? That MIGHT work, but the S1 would no longer be in your account and techniquely would be the property of the S3 owner. I'm not sure Tivo has made it very clear how they feel about that and whether that's in the spirit of the S3 deal.

Second, you'd get more money if you simply just sold the box rather than tried to convince someone to just pay for the lifetime transfer. The best way to go is either Ebay (the way I went with my lifetime) or Craigslist. Lifetime boxes go for quite a lot nowadays.

[JustAllie]

I agree -- selling the TiVo box is probably your best bet. The buyer can move it to their account and then transfer the lifetime to their new S3 before the deadline. When you advertise the TiVo, highlight the fact that the person can use the Series1 in another room for a year without having to pay for service on that box. It's kind of a 2-for-1 deal.

Use some of the money from the sale to get a refurbished Series2 TiVo (http://www.tivo.com/2.1.1.0.ws.asp) with a year of service.

[bicker]

My understanding is that all boxes on the same account are required to be within the same domicile.

[lessd]

My understanding is that all boxes on the same account are required to be within the same domicile.

TiVo does not press the issue if you have other domiciles (a vacation home etc.)

[Plympton]

I was just planning on not shipping the box mainly to save $30 on postage since they probably wouldn't need it. I've seen a bunch of these transactions on eBay, and figured.. hmm.. why not?

-Dan

[lessd]

I was just planning on not shipping the box mainly to save $30 on postage since they probably wouldn't need it. I've seen a bunch of these transactions on eBay, and figured.. hmm.. why not?

-Dan

Sell the lifetime with the option to ship the unit to the buyer for $30..then it becomes the buyers problem if the buyer does not want the TiVo.

[ashu]

Keeping the box while selling the Lifetime - misrepresentation, and against TiVo's TOS.

Not to mention posting a for sale thread here under the guise of an exploratory thread. But hey, everyone does it ... :)

[lessd]

Keeping the box while selling the Lifetime - misrepresentation, and against TiVo's TOS.

Not to mention posting a for sale thread here under the guise of an exploratory thread. But hey, everyone does it ... :)

My friend has a home in Fl and CT and has about 5 TiVos some in Fl some in CT, TiVo has never come to him over the last 4 years about it. (He keeps them on all the time) They are all on one account in CT. When you xfer ownership of a TiVo, the Co. does not ask for proof that it is in your hands (if the unit has not been working for the last 4 months I not sure how you could prove where the unit is and who owns it). I am not sure TiVo cares as they are eliminating one lifetime and getting an additinal $200 and a sale of a series 3, and if you forget to call at the end of the "Free Year" your card will start to get charged $6.95/month. (I am not sure if that would commit you to another year at that time)

[ashu]

I'm not saying they will prosecute, and you do bring up all the reasons why they probably won't ... but make no mistake, it IS against their TOS. And they're definitely/eeasily aware of it.

[lessd]

I'm not saying they will prosecute, and you do bring up all the reasons why they probably won't ... but make no mistake, it IS against their TOS. And they're definitely/eeasily aware of it.

If your talking about the Series 3 lifetime Xfer..if the TiVo in question has not made a connection for say 2 months, how would TiVo know where the TiVo is and who owns it, if you have the TSN and do the Xfer and nobody complains to TiVo the deal is done and TiVo will never know, can't know, if the old unit is never used again. A unenforceable TOS is useless but many Co use them as the lawyers have to earn a living. I know that TiVo does not give official permission to upgrade the hard drives and can stop service to anybody that does upgrade the had drive but they leave it alone. As long as TiVo customers are not causing TiVo a real loss of money by doing something against the TOS TiVo will it alone. (In my friends case above all the TiVos are lifetime so if they are in one or two accounts it would not change TiVos revenue)

[bpurcell]

I am not sure TiVo cares as they are eliminating one lifetime and getting an additinal $200 and a sale of a series 3, and if you forget to call at the end of the "Free Year" your card will start to get charged $6.95/month. (I am not sure if that would commit you to another year at that time)

Since the Tivo's are at different locations, Tivo would charge 12.95/mo. and not 6.95. The example of your friend is very different than this issue, since your friend still had the Tivo's in his possession. I do believe this at least goes against the spirit of the S3 deal, but I don't know how Tivo would deal with this particular case.

[lessd]

Since the Tivo's are at different locations, Tivo would charge 12.95/mo. and not 6.95. The example of your friend is very different than this issue, since your friend still had the Tivo's in his possession. I do believe this at least goes against the spirit of the S3 deal, but I don't know how Tivo would deal with this particular case.

TiVo would assume that the non working TiVo is with the Series 3 owner (he Xfered the non working TiVo into his name so he could Xfer the lifetime to the new Series 3) so it would $6.95 as the Series 3 would be the 1st TiVo the non working TiVo the 2nd. (the fact that the non working TiVo may be in the town dump of a different city would be impossible for TiVo to know or care) The Series 3 owner must call TiVo before the year is up to cancel the 2nd TiVos service if he wants to avoid the monthly charge.

The case of my friend was just an example that TiVo does not pursue TOS in many areas as in my friends case the calls the TiVos made would be from two different ZIP codes, that would easy for TiVo to spot. But as I said I don't think he causing any finical loss to TiVo.

[bpurcell]

I figure I would keep the hardware and keep using it until the 12-month extension ran out.

Sorry about the confusion. You (lessd) were writing about a hypothetical, and I was writing about the OP's plan. I should have read your post more carefully.

I agree with you that Tivo's inclination would be to not go after these types of situations. One account with Tivo's in separate homes (example: parents paying for their kid's Tivo at college) I bet is pretty common and well within the rules, as long as they don't try to trick Tivo into getting MSD. My concern, albeit a very small concern, is that this particular S3 deal seems to be for the purpose of a second tivo within the same home.

I don't think this really is a big deal. I'm just saying the OP needs to keep this in mind when making his/her decision.

[mick66]

Sell the lifetime with the option to ship the unit to the buyer for $30..then it becomes the buyers problem if the buyer does not want the TiVo.


Shipping cost is always the buyers expense (problem) and a tivo can be mailed USPS for under $20

[lessd]

Shipping cost is always the buyers expense (problem) and a tivo can be mailed USPS for under $20

Not if you have to buy a box and have it packed for you otherwise yes $20 will do it most of the time.

[mick66]

Not if you have to buy a box and have it packed for you otherwise yes $20 will do it most of the time.

It's still the buyer who'll be paying for it.

[Plympton]

Well, you guys are right - it's better to just sell it and be done with it. That way there's no confusion or hassles. Thanks for the tips!

-Dan

[lessd]

It's still the buyer who'll be paying for it.

Thye orignal OP said "I was just planning on not shipping the box mainly to save $30 on postage since they probably wouldn't need it. I've seen a bunch of these transactions on eBay, and figured.. hmm.. why not?"

He was trying to save the buyer the money on shipping or did not know that the buyer pays for shipping and was trying to save himself the money.