Returned Tivo Series 3 lost by Tivo?

[ctakim]

I think that I've been cursed. I spent 4 weeks with the Series 3 in September but was unable to get it to work with any encrypted channel. Finally I gave up and returned the unit to Tivo.com. That went smoothly and I got the email notification that Tivo received the unit. Then 1.5 months later, still no refund. I call to ask and they say they can't locate the returned unit (yet they notified me it was received!). Now Customer Service is investigating this. Fortunately, the UPS tracking shows that it was received.

This is almost laughable if it weren't so painful. :mad:

[jfh3]

Misery loves company.

I'm in the same boat (two months now), but at least Tivo has acknowledged they got the box (the customer service supervisor actually went to the UPS site and verified the receipt).

[bidger]

That went smoothly and I got the email notification that Tivo received the unit.
Hope you saved that email.

This is one of the ways that TiVo as a company comes up short. I couldn't help but wonder watching the TiVo workshop video with two elves toiling away how close that was to the real scenario.

[ctakim]

I did, and I think it is just a matter of time because when they tracked the package on the UPS site, it is recorded as delivered.

I'm puzzled why I had so much trouble getting the series 3 to work with cable cards from my local cable service cooperative. It seems like the vast majority of folks got their Series 3 to work after only minor headaches. I'm probably going to wait for more market saturations in this area locally before trying to upgrade again. Most likely the cost of the Series 3 will be cheaper by then!

Sometimes being at the cutting edge causes you to get cut and bleed!

[krstone]

FWIW, I sent back an S3 and received a refund within days of the confirmation email. Not trying to gloat, just showing that not everyone has issues with returns.

[ctakim]

I know that I'm definitely in the minority. For what it is worth, they did refund my lifetime Tivo service transfer promptly when I returned the unit. They just seem to have lost track of it at their return center. As I recall, they had a lot of shipping problems when folks were first ordering the units in Sept.

[ctakim]

So now customer investigations is looking into locating the unit. Still no refund.

TIVO! I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!

[stanski]

I don't know if you payed with a credit card or debit card, but if you did I would consider disputing the charges.

[ctakim]

I don't know if you payed with a credit card or debit card, but if you did I would consider disputing the charges.

Thanks, that will be my next step, but I'm trying to work with TiVo in good faith. I will give them a week to call back as they said they would.

[sleepeeg3]

Uh ya... don't hold your breath. I would just dispute it, if it has already been 1 1/2 months. You have already done your fair share of waiting. It's the company's responsibility to find it. If they lost it - tough luck. Did you send it back with signature confirmation? If you have a name you can give them, that would help.

Their CS was superb on supporting the questions I had on installing - they either get paid well or had knives to their throats. :)

[stanski]

I understand that you would want to settle this in "Good Faith", but like sleep said "you have already waited 1 1/2 months.

Besides, I am sure they will respond to their Credit Card processor a lot faster than they would ever respond to you.

[Aiken]

So now customer investigations is looking into locating the unit. Still no refund.
If it's any consolation, it wasn't until customer service investigations (as opposed to regular CS) took over that I got my refund. You should be dealing with the right people now.

[roundy]

Well, at least I know I'm not alone. And that it can take up to 2 months to get money from TiVo.

Series 3 ordered late October. Changed my mind and refused delivery. Received at Tivo on 11/6/2006 per UPS. 12/1/06-no refund. Called on 11/20, 11/27, 11/29 and 12/1. Each time I get this message about them escalating the issue. One service rep even told me he put the highest priority on it (he called it "Hot" level).

I guess my next question is: How do I reach Customer Service Investigations? I keep dealing with the low level support and they say they can't do anything but escalate the issue.

Thanks for any help!

roundy

[hiker]

Well, at least I know I'm not alone. And that it can take up to 2 months to get money from TiVo.

Series 3 ordered late October. Changed my mind and refused delivery. Received at Tivo on 11/6/2006 per UPS. 12/1/06-no refund. Called on 11/20, 11/27, 11/29 and 12/1. Each time I get this message about them escalating the issue. One service rep even told me he put the highest priority on it (he called it "Hot" level).

I guess my next question is: How do I reach Customer Service Investigations? I keep dealing with the low level support and they say they can't do anything but escalate the issue.

Thanks for any help!

roundy
See TiVoPony's post here (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4619962&&#post4619962).

[ctakim]

Wow, that was slow and painful. So after never getting the S3 to work in 4 weeks and 3 visits from the cable company, the unit was returned and promptly lost by Tivo! What was strange was that they sent a confirmation that it was received on 10-16-06, but then had it lost in their system. After several more calls over a month later, they finally located the unit on 12-5-06 and sent an email that my credit card was refunded. Finally, today, I got a credit for $827.99.

This was after purchasing it for $865.99 in the last week of September. So I'm out $38 and the cost of the failed cable card installs. Older and wiser now, I'm thinking that maybe satellite is a better way to go.

Let me hereby pronounce that cable cards are horrible.

Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I'm free at last.

[minckster]

Wow, that was slow and painful. So after never getting the S3 to work in 4 weeks and 3 visits from the cable company, the unit was returned and promptly lost by Tivo! What was strange was that they sent a confirmation that it was received on 10-16-06, but then had it lost in their system. After several more calls over a month later, they finally located the unit on 12-5-06 and sent an email that my credit card was refunded. Finally, today, I got a credit for $827.99.

This was after purchasing it for $865.99 in the last week of September. So I'm out $35 and the cost of the failed cable card installs. Older and wiser now, I'm thinking that maybe satellite is a better way to go.

Let me hereby pronounce that cable cards are horrible.

Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I'm free at last. What's the $38 for with TiVo, shipping? I can't think of anything else that you shouldn't get back.

I'd refuse to pay for the failed cableCARD installs. You paid for a service, successful installation of cableCARDs, which you didn't receive. That's their incompetence and hence their problem, not yours. It never hurts to complain, loudly and often! :)

[bidger]

Glad it finally got resolved, but I'm sorry the S3 didn't work out for you.

[ctakim]

Thanks! I'm still a TiVo fan, by the way. I plan on testing the waters again when the market penetration is better and the local service is more comfortable with the units. By then the price will have dropped. I still have my S2 lifetime service.