Is Lifetime Subscription purchase available on Existing Tivo HDs?

[atomarchio]

I currently have 2 Tivo Series 3 HD boxes. One of them was originally purchased on a 3 yr deal ending in September. The second Tivo I am paying $6.95 per month.

Would like to purchase lifetime subscriptions for these. While shopping prices on Ebay, many of these state that unit cannot be activated already to qualify for lifetime.

Does this mean by existing Tivo's would not qualify? Can I still purchase a lifetime subscription from an Ebay seller or do I need to do this directly with Tivo?

Please let me know. Thanks.

[HomeUser]

You can purchase direct from TiVo Life time is $399 and a discount is available for existing customers.
TiVo® service (https://www3.tivo.com/store/plans.do)

[bkdtv]

Existing TiVos do qualify for lifetime, but you can't activate lifetime on your first unit until your three-year deal expires. At Tivo.com, the cost of the first lifetime is $399 and the cost of the second lifetime is $299.

You might see if you can activate lifetime for $299 on your three-year sub TiVo.

[ThAbtO]

Go to My Tivo Account (www.tivo.com/mma) and log in to see the current rates for subscriptions on your boxes. $399 is for your 1st box, $299 for each subsequent boxes for lifetime. You can also set Lifetime to be active once your previous subscription ends.

Do be aware of Ebay for Tivo service subscriptions.

[lessd]

I currently have 2 Tivo Series 3 HD boxes. One of them was originally purchased on a 3 yr deal ending in September. The second Tivo I am paying $6.95 per month.

Would like to purchase lifetime subscriptions for these. While shopping prices on Ebay, many of these state that unit cannot be activated already to qualify for lifetime.

Does this mean by existing Tivo's would not qualify? Can I still purchase a lifetime subscription from an Ebay seller or do I need to do this directly with Tivo?

Please let me know. Thanks.

To put Lifetime Service on any TiVo (from the TiVo web sight or from an E-Bay seller) the TiVo MUST have its service canceled first, If your going to purchase from TiVo itself than call TiVo and cancel the $6.95/month TiVo and ask that Lifetime Service be put on that TiVo first (may only cost you $299 if the other TiVo is a qualifying unit), after your contract runs out in Sept. cancel the service and get the best price you can for Lifetime. Before you canceled the 2nd TiVo disconnect it from calling home, the unit will work with the stored guide data for about 11 days or so giving you time to get your 2nd LS.

[netringer]

What you see on eBay are prepaid Lifetime cards that are only good on new, never subbed units. They usaully go for over $300. That will never make sense for you since you can add lifetime with the multi unit discount for $299.

[aaronwt]

To put Lifetime Service on any TiVo (from the TiVo web sight or from an E-Bay seller) the TiVo MUST have its service canceled first, If your going to purchase from TiVo itself than call TiVo and cancel the $6.95/month TiVo and ask that Lifetime Service be put on that TiVo first (may only cost you $299 if the other TiVo is a qualifying unit), after your contract runs out in Sept. cancel the service and get the best price you can for Lifetime. Before you canceled the 2nd TiVo disconnect it from calling home, the unit will work with the stored guide data for about 11 days or so giving you time to get your 2nd LS.

I was told the only way to cancel my $6.95 service was to pay the amount that was owed for the rest of the contract. SO it makes more sense just to keep paying monthly until the contract ends. In the meantime you can sign up for Lifetime service at todays rate of $299 and you won't be charged and it won't take effect until the $6.95 contract ends. And you can cancel the future Lifetime service anytime before it takes effect if you change your mind, which I did on two of my S3 units that the 3 year contract ends in December.

[lessd]

I was told the only way to cancel my $6.95 service was to pay the amount that was owed for the rest of the contract. SO it makes more sense just to keep paying monthly until the contract ends. In the meantime you can sign up for Lifetime service at todays rate of $299 and you won't be charged and it won't take effect until the $6.95 contract ends. And you can cancel the future Lifetime service anytime before it takes effect if you change your mind, which I did on two of my S3 units that the 3 year contract ends in December.

The $6.95/month TiVo is not on any contract as that price is a leftover from years ago, its the other TiVo that is on the contract.

[lessd]

What you see on eBay are prepaid Lifetime cards that are only good on new, never subbed units. They usaully go for over $300. That will never make sense for you since you can add lifetime with the multi unit discount for $299.

That is an untrue statement as the cards can be used on ANY non-activated TiVo. Most E-Bay LS sales (now) are not the cards, the people just put Lifetime Service on your TiVo using their own account for $299 and try to sell it for a small profit.

[atomarchio]

I am wondering whether it's worth it to pay $399/$299 for the lifetime. I have owned Tivo's for 3 years and have already replaced them both once. (S2 to S3's)

What are the odds that Tivo will not come out with a new box that I will want to buy within the next 3 years? And 3 years would just be the break even point, I would need to keep them 4 years for the lifetime to be worth it. Perhaps the annual pricing at $129/$99 would make more sense as it would give me flexibility to switch later if needed. At this annual price, do I have the option of buying a new Tivo and adding to the annual pricing plans?

Is anyone else thinking the same thing or is there something wrong with my logic?

[jcthorne]

The lifetime is locked to the box you buy it for. A 3 year or 1 year can be transferred to a new box at any time.

[aaronwt]

The $6.95/month TiVo is not on any contract as that price is a leftover from years ago, its the other TiVo that is on the contract.

I have several boxes on a $6.95 a month contract. With the youngest(a TiVoHD) ending sometime in 2010. And the oldest ending this December with my original Series 3 boxes.

[aaronwt]

I am wondering whether it's worth it to pay $399/$299 for the lifetime. I have owned Tivo's for 3 years and have already replaced them both once. (S2 to S3's)

What are the odds that Tivo will not come out with a new box that I will want to buy within the next 3 years? And 3 years would just be the break even point, I would need to keep them 4 years for the lifetime to be worth it. Perhaps the annual pricing at $129/$99 would make more sense as it would give me flexibility to switch later if needed. At this annual price, do I have the option of buying a new Tivo and adding to the annual pricing plans?

Is anyone else thinking the same thing or is there something wrong with my logic?

Yes that is the reason I cancelled a future lifetime subsription on one of my S3 boxes. I'll probably cancel another future Lifetime subscription too that I've reserved.

[lessd]

I have several boxes on a $6.95 a month contract. With the youngest(a TiVoHD) ending sometime in 2010. And the oldest ending this December with my original Series 3 boxes.

I knew that you could xfer a new TiVo to the $6.95/month plan if you already had that pricing plan, I did not know that one could get that $6.95/month today or even a few years ago as I thought that $6.95/month plan stopped when TiVo first stopped selling LS a few years ago (if you already had the $6.95 plan you could keep it month to month forever).
I apologize if I was incorrect about that $6.95/month deal.

As for the cost of LS one has to figure the higher resale value of a LS TiVo when you go to change TiVos. When I first went to the Series 3 I got over $320 net for my LS Series 2 TiVos, without Lifetime I may have gotten less than $40 net.