TiVo Lifetime Subs - gone in US?

[ColinYounger]

A US friend tells me that as of 31 January, TiVo US no longer supply lifetime subscriptions. They'll honour existing subs, but you can't get a new one. You can transfer an existing lifetime subs to a new machine.

Anyone here know any details? Google didn't turn anything up for me.

Anything likely to happen in the UK?

[Automan]

In the UK I don't suppose more than 12 new customers sign up in a year so I doub't any change for us.

Automan.

[CarlWalters]

well after about five years of paying the monthly £10 - I rang up to swap over to a lifetime a couple of days ago (I know, I know, I should have done that five years ago :( ). No problem paying for it except that they would only take a credit card rather than a one off amount from the Direct Debit. But as I say that was a couple of days ago and TiVo is still showing "3: In Good Standing". It will certainly have made several daily calls by now - I was wondering how long it normally takes to get updated?

[ColinYounger]

NOTE: I am specifically talking about the US service here - in the UK, Sky handle the subs.

a couple of days ago In which case you would still be within the US deadline - today being 1st Feb and all that. :)

[ColinYounger]

12 new customers sign up in a yearIn which case, less people to pee off!

[MikeMar]

In the U.S. the lifetime sub went away almost a year ago maybe?? not sure

But the offer right now is that if you buy a Series 3 (HD) prior to Jan 31st I believe, you can pay $199 to transfer an EXISTING lifetime over to the Series 3 for the next month or two.

So yeah, you cannot BUY lifetime anymore really.

[ColinYounger]

you can pay $199 to transfer an EXISTING lifetime overAppreciate your diving into the UK pond! :)

So you have to pay for another lifetime sub (?) to transfer to the new machine, but if a S4 appears, you'll have to go to monthly?

Intriguing.

[MikeMar]

Appreciate your diving into the UK pond! :)

So you have to pay for another lifetime sub (?) to transfer to the new machine, but if a S4 appears, you'll have to go to monthly?

Intriguing.

yeah, there was an obvious big uproar when it happened :)

[Pete77]

So you have to pay for another lifetime sub (?) to transfer to the new machine, but if a S4 appears, you'll have to go to monthly?

Intriguing.

I'm sure the existing lifetimers will get an S4 upgrade path too as and when that product is released, given how expensive the latest Tivo boxes are and given that Tivo know an owner with an existing Lifetime sub won't upgrade to the next generation of machine unless there is some kind of Lifetime Sub upgrade path.

It would be foolish of Tivo to upset the best and most longstanding Tivo customers who no doubt in many cases unintentionally work as free and unpaid Tivo marketing agents.

[Pete77]

In the UK I don't suppose more than 12 new customers sign up in a year so I doub't any change for us.

Automan.

I would be surprised if it isn't at least 200 or 300 a year even now - judging from the number of people in just this forum who have muttered lately they have finally got round to going Lifetime.

[OrangeDrink]

Don't know a great deal about it but I did see on ebay that people were selling S1 and S2 Tivos with lifetime subscriptions saying you could use them to upgrade to a lifetime sub on a Series 3 you were about to buy...

[mk-donald]

well after about five years of paying the monthly £10 - I rang up to swap over to a lifetime a couple of days ago (I know, I know, I should have done that five years ago :( ). No problem paying for it except that they would only take a credit card rather than a one off amount from the Direct Debit. But as I say that was a couple of days ago and TiVo is still showing "3: In Good Standing". It will certainly have made several daily calls by now - I was wondering how long it normally takes to get updated?

Carl

Despite the slight inconvenience, I think you've potentially done yourself a favour by paying by credit card IF for any reason you don't get your £199 worth from TiVo UK - ie at least 19.9 months worth of subscription - as you'll be able to claim back from your credit card company under CCA74-S75 even if TiVo UK won't refund you. (Not suggesting you'd get/deserve any money back if your TiVo broke, or you gave up, just if TiVo UK failed to deliver the service you'd prepaid for - as clearly a "lifetime" must be more than 19.9 months or no-one would buy it!)

Thats was my rationale for paying by credit card the £398 (£199 x 2) at the time of buying my TiVo and one for folks, back in December 2002 - ie exactly £1000@£10/month worth ago - 60% saving so far :)

MKD