TiVo rep lied to me - don't let them sucker you, too

[vjp]

I just want to put this out there, so no one else falls for the same ruse...

I bought a Series 3 HD TiVo over a year ago, but kept my old Series 2 TiVo around as a backup. Last week, I decided it was time to let it go of what was now a boat anchor, so I called TiVo to cancel it.

After debating "Shermon" (the TiVo rep) for a while on the phone, he told me he'd cancel it, but needed a new credit card number (the old CC which that TiVo was on had just expired; my new TiVo was already being billed to a new CC). I said no way... it was only a couple of days into the new billing cycle, and I had poked around unsuccessfully on TiVo's website and tried to reach a TiVo rep days before that, trying to figure out how to cancel it even BEFORE the next billing period.

He said no problem... just give him the credit card number, and he'd charge it and then issue an immediate credit. But he HAD to have a credit card#, because it wouldn't let him cancel the account unless he zeroed it out first. He explicitly promised he would issue an immediate credit.

Silly me... not only did he lie about crediting the amount back (the charge showed up immediately, and 5 days have elapsed with NO credit issued), but he didn't even cancel my old TiVo! My account status shows my old TiVo as still active, and month-to-month billing enabled against the new CC#.

I guess I'm going to have to cancel BOTH TiVo's, and alert my CC company to no longer accept charges from TiVo.

I'm usually pretty patient, but I hate being lied to. I cancelled DirecTV over 5 years ago because a rep lied to me, and I never went back. It's a shame that TiVo has decided that lying is an acceptable way of doing business.

[timckelley]

Have you called back to ask them why they like to lie?

[bkdtv]

As part of the terms of service, I believe you agreed to maintain a valid credit card number on your account.

The TiVo employee was probably following some sort of procedure which told them to update the account information before they did anything else.

I would call TiVo to confirm that your subscription has been canceled, effective at the end of the current monthly billing cycle. There's no reason for them to cancel subscription for this month (or the next week, etc) when you already paid for it. Whenever you call to cancel services, it is common for a cancellatiion to take effect the day before the next billing cycle.

[MichaelK]

Seriously. Relax.

It’s way more likely that the rep you dealt with was a clueless moron then he and Tivo purposely lied to you to get another 8 bucks out of you.

[richsadams]

I wouldn't get too excited. I've changed things on various accounts, canceled some and created others over the years. As with most companies, the charge is almost immediate but credits can take as much as 30 days. The CSR's have no control over such things.

In about six or seven years of dealing with TiVo I've had them make a mistake or two and sometimes a follow up call was required. But no one has ever lied to me or taken money that wasn't rightfully theirs.

As others have recommended, I'd chill for a bit, gather your polite voice (honey/vinegar, etc.) and give them a call and have them walk you through what they show for your account on their end and find out when you can expect to see a credit if one is due. It'll work out.

[donnoh]

Tivo is notorious for phone junkies that have no clue about what they are talking about. A call back will generally resolve your issue, if not a threat to cancel will put you in a conversation with someone that will fix it.

It's a sad state of affairs when the first call to a company that we pay a service to, results in talking to a moron. Call Charter Cable and you'll see what I mean, escalation generally results in a more receptive person.

[ZeoTiVo]

wow - so you did not cancel it ahead of the next billing cycle - the rep explained he needed to zero out the account and would credit it

you see a charge for the month- just like the rep likely said he would charge and because you did not see an instant credit you assume the worst, and not only that but that the worst was deliberately done to you as an outright lie.

thread tools - ignore thread

[kdmorse]

Been there, done that, it's standard operating procedure, and there's no lying, suckering, or other evil intent here.

CSR's issue the Charge and the Credit at the same time. So - while you did not immediately *see* the credit, he likely did issue it the instant he said he did.

Charges take up to 48 hours to post, though in practice, it's usually under 6 hours.
I'm not sure they can cancel the account fully until the charge has posted.
Credits take up to 14 days to post, although in practice, it's been as long as 21 days.

You can call them back, but they'll likely say "I see the credit, it's in progress, it will take up to 'x' days". And in a couple of weeks, it will appear.

But yah, it's a little screwy that their only choice is to drive you into that direction, and leave you hanging for a couple of weeks. But it's what happens to everyone in your boat, and the credit side of things does rectify itself.

On the other issue, if someone goofed up and never did get your account canceled, I'm sure that was a simple oversight.

-Ken