BRAND NEW TIVO Premiere $ 95 + FREE SHIPPING!

[Wingershute]

6th Ave Electronics has the TIVO Premiere for $ 95 with FREE SHIPPING after using coupon code AFL4COUPON. This is the best deal by far I have seen.
Absolutely incredible!

[netringer]

Holy crap.

Can't resist!

I ordered one.

It's $95.04 to be exact.

I hate you. ;)

[Wingershute]

http://www.6ave.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=TVOPREMIEREDVR

These things are flying off the shelves!

[netringer]

These things are flying off the shelves!

Well... maybe not,....which is why they're at fire sale pricing already.

[atmuscarella]

Well... maybe not,....which is why they're at fire sale pricing already.Well I bought one came to $102.65 with tax. wonder if I will be able to find CS rep that will give me lifetime for $199 instead of $299.

Thanks,

[iglesiab]

Just ordered one as well. I had also bought one last week from electroic expo for $160:rolleyes: which will be delivered Monday. Wonder what their return policy is..

[alyssa]

In for one
off to read the entire upgrade thread.

Sell out prediction times? I'm thinking noon est.

[noeltykay]

In for one
off to read the entire upgrade thread.

Sell out prediction times? I'm thinking noon est.


I am in for one too! I love my Tivo Premiere and can't wait to give the last Motorola DVR back to Time Warner!

[trip1eX]

I bought a 3rd for some reason even though I haven't even used by 2nd Premiere yet.

I figure I can always give it away as an xmas present or resell it.

[davezatz]

In a moment of weakness, I ordered one too. So my household will be 100% Premiere. With hopes of *streaming* MRV... Now I need to figure out how/where to unload my S3 and THD.

[netringer]

Well I bought one came to $102.65 with tax.

Oh. I was going to ask how, but you said, tax.

That coupon is worth $4.
ZCOUPON 6ave.com – Your Special Savings 1 ($3.96)


wonder if I will be able to find CS rep that will give me lifetime for $199 instead of $299.

Is that possible? Cool. For once in my life, I'll go for it.

I was thinking I'd give one S3 to my neighbor, but the only thing that prevents me from just having another live HD TiVo elsewhere in the house is the stoopid Comcast additional outlet fee (x 2) for the CableCARDs. I may keep 3 (5 currently!) for a while.

I'm going to do a 2TB disk upgrade on this Premiere ala Comer almost immediately.

[lessd]

Now gone, out of stock, I did get mine at that price.

[mec1991]

Just ordered one; ships in 3 to 5 business days with free shipping and no tax (TX). Thanks for the info! :up:

[bigpatky]

In a moment of weakness, I ordered one too. So my household will be 100% Premiere. With hopes of *streaming* MRV... Now I need to figure out how/where to unload my S3 and THD.

1. are the premiere's capable of streaming mrv?
2. if so, is that something you could see tivo ever implementing?

streaming mrv like what directv has now is pushing me dangerously close to the edge of dropping cable/tivo and going satellite. streaming mrv with the premiere or a tivo "extender" box would keep me for a long time.

[slowbiscuit]

Wow, if this isn't an indication that these are bombing in the market I don't know what is.

In 4 1, they're still in stock. :D

[slowbiscuit]

1. are the premiere's capable of streaming mrv?
2. if so, is that something you could see tivo ever implementing?
Yes, absolutely. Even the HD/S3's are capable of it.

Who knows? So far they've been incapable of delivering this, and the speculation is that there is some sort of backroom deal with the content providers preventing it. Which doesn't make sense since EVERY OTHER FREAKING DVR with network capabilities can do it, but little from Tivo makes sense these days.

[smbaker]

I'm not even all that happy with the Premiere I do own, and now I've ordered a second.... The psychology of a "good deal" at work. :)

[innocentfreak]

Best Buy is also supposed to have it for $99 next week in the flyer according to those who got the flyer today. This is supposed to be without a TV purchase.

[alyssa]

Now gone, out of stock, I did get mine at that price.
I just checked & it's still available.

[curiousgeorge]

Best Buy is also supposed to have it for $99 next week in the flyer according to those who got the flyer today. This is supposed to be without a TV purchase.

$299 -> $99 in a little over 6 months. If that isn't an indictment of TiVo's poor management of the platform and bad word of mouth on the new release, I don't know what is. It's shocking that heads haven't rolled in management over this debacle.

[innocentfreak]

$299 -> $99 in a little over 6 months. If that isn't an indictment of TiVo's poor management of the platform and bad word of mouth on the new release, I don't know what is. It's shocking that heads haven't rolled in management over this debacle.

BB has almost always had it for $99. They just required a TV purchase to get the price. The week before Thanksgiving and Black Friday with so many places doing sales early it isn't surprising it is on sale. These stores are pretty much selling it at cost to bring people in. These stores aren't losing money on them but instead choosing not to make a profit to drive traffic. It makes perfect sense during the holidays.

Google TV is also on sale for Black Friday. The Sony Blu-Ray player will be $299 so already down $100 within what a month or two? You can't use BF and Thanksgiving/holiday sales to really judge how well it is selling.

[curiousgeorge]

BB has almost always had it for $99. They just required a TV purchase to get the price. The week before Thanksgiving and Black Friday with so many places doing sales early it isn't surprising it is on sale. These stores are pretty much selling it at cost to bring people in. These stores aren't losing money on them but instead choosing not to make a profit to drive traffic. It makes perfect sense during the holidays.

Google TV is also on sale for Black Friday. The Sony Blu-Ray player will be $299 so already down $100 within what a month or two? You can't use BF and Thanksgiving/holiday sales to really judge how well it is selling.

This isn't a Black Friday thing. EE has had it for $136-$154 shipped for going on three months now. $99 is the natural progression of the fire sale for half-working dog with bad word of mouth. It was half price at EE 3 months after release.

[ECrispy]

New user here, I just ordered from 6ave and can't wait to see what I'm missing after using Comcast all these years.

Off to read drive upgrade thread and prepare for the Tivo.

[atmuscarella]

$299 -> $99 in a little over 6 months. If that isn't an indictment of TiVo's poor management of the platform and bad word of mouth on the new release, I don't know what is. It's shocking that heads haven't rolled in management over this debacle.I wouldn't made too much of it both my Series 2 TiVos were free after rebates. When the Series 3 & HD models came along TiVo tried to stop selling the hardware below cost, maybe they have decided that didn't workout so well and are back to selling the hardware below cost and hoping they make it up with subscriptions and advertising revenue.

Thanks,

[davezatz]

1. are the premiere's capable of streaming mrv?
2. if so, is that something you could see tivo ever implementing?

Yah, the hardware is capable. Someone just has to decide if/when it's a priority to implement. In my current Cox neighborhood, MRV (and TTG) is dead to me other than the locals due to the copy once CCI Byte flap. So I am hopeful it comes to TiVo's retail line in some form as it's something they need to integrate for their cable and satellite provider partners - as illustrated when they joined (http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2010-09/the-tivo-updates-of-the-week-samsung-moca/) the Multimedia over Coax Alliance, stating:

“Integrating MoCA into our products will enable service providers to offer a simple home networking solution that offers unrivalled Quality of Service.”

However, I'm not holding my breath and am exploring FiOS TV (no CCI Byte or SDV tuning adapters!) when we move next month...

By the way, it looks like the deal is still in play however TiVo no longer shows up in 6ave search. Need to use the direct link.

[innocentfreak]

This isn't a Black Friday thing. EE has had it for $136-$154 shipped for going on three months now. $99 is the natural progression of the fire sale for half-working dog with bad word of mouth. It was half price at EE 3 months after release.

Correct it has been around $150 shipped for some time. It has also been $99 with purchase of a HDTV from BB for some time. Their cost from the beginning has always been around $100 for the retail chains. We knew this from early on based off some Best Buy employees posting their employee price which is always a percentage over BB cost. This box is cheaper for TiVo to make and therefore cheaper to offer to retail stores.

At $150 they are still making money. Would you rather sell 1 unit for $200 profit or 10 units for $50 profit each while also constantly driving traffic to your site?

[innocentfreak]

Yah, the hardware is capable. Someone just has to decide if/when it's a priority to implement. In my current Cox neighborhood, MRV (and TTG) is dead to me other than the locals due to the copy once CCI Byte flap. So I am hopeful it comes to TiVo's retail line in some form as it's something they need to integrate for their cable and satellite provider partners - as illustrated when they joined (http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2010-09/the-tivo-updates-of-the-week-samsung-moca/) the Multimedia over Coax Alliance, stating:

“Integrating MoCA into our products will enable service providers to offer a simple home networking solution that offers unrivalled Quality of Service.”

However, I'm not holding my breath and am exploring FiOS TV (no CCI Byte or SDV tuning adapters!) when we move next month...

By the way, it looks like the deal is still in play however TiVo no longer shows up in 6ave search. Need to use the direct link.

Maybe we can get you a sit down with TiVo rather than Cnet so you can ask actual questions? :)

[ECrispy]

Selling at cost still makes Tivo a profit because of the service plan. So they can afford to let the retailers do it, its just a little less profit and makes total sense in the holidays.

[davezatz]

Maybe we can get you a sit down with TiVo rather than Cnet so you can ask actual questions? :)

TiVo's always willing to chat with me. But they rarely get into the hypothetical or future plans. So I almost always skip the formal interviews, knowing we won't get many juicy nuggets out of it. They hold things close to the vest and will announce/discuss on their schedule. I'd prefer they excite us by alluding to the numerous things they must be working on, but they're more like Apple than say Verizon FiOS TV in how they handle their outreach.

[innocentfreak]

TiVo's always willing to chat with me. But they rarely get into the hypothetical or future plans. So I almost always skip the formal interviews, knowing we won't get many juicy nuggets out of it. They hold things close to the vest and will announce/discuss on their schedule. I'd prefer they excite us by alluding to the numerous things they must be working on, but they're more like Apple than say Verizon FiOS TV in how they handle their outreach.

Yeah I wish they hinted more or even just a hey we are looking into it. Can't wait to see your post on streaming once you get your second Premiere ;) Maybe Rafe at Cnet misunderstood the second screen prompting from TiVo PR?

I don't mind them keeping things close to the vest like Apple if they are consistent with releases like Apple where you know when you just don't know what. I realize it is a no win situation for TiVo though.

[bciocco]

I got one. I had to call in. The site wasn't offering online ordering of the Premier anymore. I used the coupon AFL4COUPON and got it for $95.04.
I couldn't resist, even though I just installed a 1T Hard drive in my HD a few months ago. I think I want the new interface so the menus will fit on my TV without bleeding off the edge.
Now I may add a wireless keyboard.

[DaveMN]

I just bit on one of these. Is there any way to get the $199 lifetime offer on this? I already own a Series 1 and a TiVo HD, both with lifetime service.

[appleye1]

http://www.6ave.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=TVOPREMIEREDVR

These things are flying off the shelves!
Where is the "buy" button on that page? I don't see a way to purchase one. Or maybe that means they've finally run out.

[innocentfreak]

People are still having luck calling to get the price and ordering over the phone.

I just bit on one of these. Is there any way to get the $199 lifetime offer on this? I already own a Series 1 and a TiVo HD, both with lifetime service.

Some have and some haven't. You would have to call TiVo to see if they will give it to you.

[netringer]

Where is the "buy" button on that page? I don't see a way to purchase one. Or maybe that means they've finally run out.

Yeah. The hint is the "(Limit 2 Per Customer)" that wasn't there before.

How much you wanna bet that one or more of the resellers bought a few hundred because $99 is less than wholesale?

[alyssa]

I couldn't resist, even though I just installed a 1T Hard drive in my HD a few months ago. .Yeah, I don't have need of a new tivo either. My two S3's are chugging along with gobs of space. But... I just finished fixing a DS and I need a new project.

[treaty]

You guys think you'll be able to transfer your existing service plan to these or do you think you'll have to buy a new 12 month service plan at $19.99 a month?

http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivoservicepaymentplanstermsandconditions.html

2.1.2 When purchasing a TiVo Premiere box from a third party retailer at $99.99 (includes an instant $200 savings off MSRP) for the TiVo Premiere box or $299.99 (includes an instant $200 savings off MSRP) for the TiVo Premiere XL box, you may only subscribe to the TiVo Service on a monthly basis for $19.99 a month with a one (1) year commitment (renews monthly after one year).

[ECrispy]

The new terms are a bait and switch aren't they? There was no indication for those who bought at the the $99 price, or those who will buy tomorrow.

[tcfcameron]

TIVO JUST PULLED A BAIT & SWITCH!

http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivoservicepaymentplanstermsandconditions.html

I purchased BEFORE the policy changes, yet apparently will be stuck paying under the new rules, since the units have not arrived yet, and the rules apply based on ACTIVATION DATE.

I had a bit of an odd feeling upon revisiting the product page, a day after purchase, and noticing that there was an added link to TiVo's service agreement, right below the "Purchase" button... Now I know why.

Should I try to refuse delivery?

[davezatz]

I am hoping the 6ave price was a mistake and not related to the price point that Best Buy and TiVo.com have hit with the $20/mo plan. Then again, that'd be REALLY coincidental. If I can't transfer my MSD, I'll send it back.

[jcthorne]

$99 and free shipping now available at Amazon and Tiger Direct as of this morning. No limit at Amazon.

[davezatz]

$99 and free shipping now available at Amazon and Tiger Direct as of this morning. No limit at Amazon.

Actually both are $99.99 whereas 6ave is/was $99 flat. Not sure if this emphasizes it was a pricing mistake or not though... :/ I'm kinda worried I'm going to get hit with the new $20/mo service fee and might see about canceling my order.

[atmuscarella]

TIVO JUST PULLED A BAIT & SWITCH!

http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivoservicepaymentplanstermsandconditions.html

I purchased BEFORE the policy changes, yet apparently will be stuck paying under the new rules, since the units have not arrived yet, and the rules apply based on ACTIVATION DATE.

I had a bit of an odd feeling upon revisiting the product page, a day after purchase, and noticing that there was an added link to TiVo's service agreement, right below the "Purchase" button... Now I know why.

Should I try to refuse delivery?Not sure what is true for those of us that purchased our TiVos on 11/13. The new Tivo Payment Plans clearly states it is for TiVos purchased on or after 11/14 the next section (2.2) addresses TiVos purchased before 11/14 but activated after 11/14 which indicates we have the same options as before.

My bottom line is if I can not get lifetime for $299 or less my unit is going back.

Thanks,

[davezatz]

Not sure what is true for those of us that purchased our TiVos on 11/13. The new Tivo Payment Plans clearly states it is for TiVos purchased on or after 11/14 the next section (2.2) addresses TiVos purchased before 11/14 but activated after 11/14 which indicates we have the same options as before.

My bottom line is if I can not get lifetime for $299 or less my unit is going back.

Thanks,

According to that SlickDeals TiVo chat transcript, somehow it's tied to SKU/TSN. Who knows how accurate that is though. But if we do have to return units to 6ave.com we all may be eating the return shipping fee:

http://www.6ave.com/shop/usertpl.aspx?fle=faq.htm#if_my_q3

Free shipping
If your order was shipped for free or at a promotional shipping rate, you will incur the actual "to and from" UPS/Freight charges upon returning merchandise.

[atmuscarella]

According to that SlickDeals TiVo chat transcript, somehow it's tied to SKU/TSN. Who knows how accurate that is though. But if we do have to return units to 6ave.com we all may be eating the return shipping fee:

http://www.6ave.com/shop/usertpl.aspx?fle=faq.htm#if_my_q3That kind of sucks last time I looked it cost about $25 to ship a TiVo by UPS. However even if they are basing it on SKU/TSNs I am fairly sure they have to have away to manually over ride it and honer what their updated policy says - we did buy the units before 11/14, perhaps 6ave.com wasn't supposed to start selling them until 11/14 but that is not our problem. My email receipt clearly says 11/13 on it.

Thanks,

[mec1991]

perhaps 6ave.com wasn't supposed to start selling them until 11/14 but that is not or problem. My email receipt clearly says 11/13 on it.

Ditto. If they try to lock me in to a $20 plan I am going to be uber-pissed. (Never believed I would sound like one of the trolls we get here. :o)

This could really turn into a public relations nightmare for the company if a lot of folks buy one not knowing the full details ahead of time. Does anyone remember the "sale" Replay had by selling their lifetime boxes at a much lower price?

[davezatz]

Does anyone remember the "sale" Replay had by selling their lifetime boxes at a much lower price?

Yeah... and there was some trick/science to it. Like only the boxes that had a certain sticker or something. Man, that was a loooong while ago. But I do remember getting a deal somehow.

[cckrobinson]

perhaps 6ave.com wasn't supposed to start selling them until 11/14 but that is not or problem. My email receipt clearly says 11/13 on it.

Thanks,

I'll bet that's exactly what happened. They were probably supposed to wait until sunday to sell them at $99 like everyone else (bestbuy, amazon, tigerdirect). Instead, they started selling them early and they sold a boat load of them. I wasn't evening looking for a new Tivo when I bought mine on Friday night. I had intended to buy an external HD drive for my TivoHD. When I saw that the price of the Premiere was within $20 of a 1TB drive I pulled the trigger. This is a touchy situation.

[DaveMN]

My chat this morning with TiVo support:

Kaitlyn: Thank you for verifying your information. How may I assist you today?

Me: I ordered a new Premiere from an online retailer on 11/12. It has not shipped yet. Will I be subject to your new TOS at $20/mo when it arrives, or will I be able to purchase product lifetime service (including my multi-service discount)?

Kaitlyn: You could purchase either the TiVo Product Lifetime Service with a Multi-Service Discount or change your plan to the $20/month offer.

Me: It would be insane to opt-in to a $20/month plan, so you're confirming that (if I qualify for my multi-service discount), I can purchase product lifetime for $299, correct?

Kaitlyn: Yes that is correct.

[wjdennen]

so, wait, if I bought the Tivo from 6ave, I can't get the old pricing?

edit: I just chatted with Harry on 6ave and he said that if you purchased Tivo from them yesterday, you'd get the old pricing. This matches my reading of the new Tivo policy.

[slowbiscuit]

I don't see a problem for those of us who purchased one of these from 6ave before today, because the new service terms specifically say that we can get the old monthly or lifetime plans for a box purchased before 11/14. 6ave jumped the gun on the new price, that's all, and we should benefit from their mistake.

This is kind of like the ReplayTV fiasco in 2003 - in that one, all the 55xx series boxes had lifetime service included but then they switched to a 'service not included' deal - some retailers lowered the price to $150 on old stock but service was still included on the boxes, so Replay had to honor it. I got one of those.

[wjdennen]

I don't see a problem for those of us who purchased one of these from 6ave before today, because the new service terms specifically say that we can get the old monthly or lifetime plans for a box purchased before 11/14. 6ave jumped the gun on the new price, that's all, and we should benefit from their mistake.

Agreed. Thanks for the responses.

[trip1eX]

Yes looking good for those who purchased before today.

[atmuscarella]

6ave.com (http://www.6ave.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=TVOPREMIEREDVR) has now updated their site to clearly indicate TiVo's new subscription policy - good for them.

[smbaker]

edit: I just chatted with Harry on 6ave and he said that if you purchased Tivo from them yesterday, you'd get the old pricing. This matches my reading of the new Tivo policy.

This is good news. However, I'd be suspect that when all of us go to activate the units that we aren't going to be presented with the new pricing and have to go through some hoops with Tivo over the phone convincing them it was purchased before the new pricing. It sounds like, as others have said, some merchants jumped the gun and started selling product before they were supposed to.

Personally, I think I'll be putting lifetime on mine.

On a positive side, even if Tivo somehow refused to honor the old price, $95 is a great price for a parts Tivo (spare hard drive, spare power supply, etc).

[innocentfreak]

Most people on SD have verified with TiVo they will let you add lifetime if you bought prior to 11/14, but you will have to call. Now if you were interested in other plans I don't know.

Some people called in today who bought locally yesterday since they live near 6th Ave and had no problems.

[smbaker]

Most people on SD have verified with TiVo they will let you add lifetime if you bought prior to 11/14, but you will have to call. Now if you were interested in other plans I don't know.

What is SD?

[aadam101]

What is SD?

Slickdeals.net

[innocentfreak]

slickdeals.

[GPT999]

My chat this morning with TiVo support:

Kaitlyn: Thank you for verifying your information. How may I assist you today?

Me: I ordered a new Premiere from an online retailer on 11/12. It has not shipped yet. Will I be subject to your new TOS at $20/mo when it arrives, or will I be able to purchase product lifetime service (including my multi-service discount)?

Kaitlyn: You could purchase either the TiVo Product Lifetime Service with a Multi-Service Discount or change your plan to the $20/month offer.

Me: It would be insane to opt-in to a $20/month plan, so you're confirming that (if I qualify for my multi-service discount), I can purchase product lifetime for $299, correct?

Kaitlyn: Yes that is correct.

So is the possible $299 lifetime only if you already had lifetime on a different unit or just as long as you had any service agreement with them on a different unit? I currently am paying the $12.95 or something like that on a HD. As a side note, I am assuming the lifetime is a service agreement is per unit, correct?

[DaveMN]

So is the possible $299 lifetime only if you already had lifetime on a different unit or just as long as you had any service agreement with them on a different unit? I currently am paying the $12.95 or something like that on a HD. As a side note, I am assuming the lifetime is a service agreement is per unit, correct?

I'll get $299 since I qualify for the multi service discount:
http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivomultiservicediscountagreement.html

And yes, the lifetime is per unit.

[ernda]

Called customer service and told them I bought the Premiere yesterday at 6th ave. and there was nothing on the website about only $20 plans available (like there is today). They told me 6th ave jumped the gun when they should not have, etc. I said its not my problem and my choice is cancel the purchase and go with the cable DVR (even though I have two other series 2 boxes, one with lifetime) or offer me lifetime. They were very nice and gave me "one time" option to purchase lifetime for $299 when I activate.

[tcfcameron]

TiVo has also removed the "Change TiVo TSN" option from their website.

You now have to call-in to get that done. I'm going to assume that they have imposed restrictions, and you will have to get approval (beyond simply asking them to do it).

http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/index.html

[slowbiscuit]

I think the interesting question now is, are the pre-11/14 boxes more valuable because you can still get lifetime or $12.95 monthly on them?

And which retailers, if any, will be offering new boxes now at other than the $99.99 price? Because if you can't get lifetime on these, the $20/mo. price will drive away a lot of potential customers - Tivo is now more expensive than a cable DVR (on most systems).

I don't get the marketing here at all - the average consumer doesn't see the advantages that Tivo has that we do, and if they wanted to do something like this I think they should've priced it lower than cable (say, $15/mo.).

[darksurtur]

I think the interesting question now is, are the pre-11/14 boxes more valuable because you can still get lifetime or $12.95 monthly on them?

And which retailers, if any, will be offering new boxes now at other than the $99.99 price? Because if you can't get lifetime on these, the $20/mo. price will drive away a lot of potential customers - Tivo is now more expensive than a cable DVR (on most systems).

I don't get the marketing here at all - the average consumer doesn't see the advantages that Tivo has that we do, and if they wanted to do something like this I think they should've priced it lower than cable (say, $15/mo.).

I get the impression the $99 price is the ONLY price retailers will be offering from now on. I imagine this will shoot the price of lifetimed units up a fair bit, as now the cheapest lifetime option for a new subscriber is $700 + any tax (for an existing subscriber with the $199 options, it's still $460, right?).

[netringer]

There are three new hardware + monthly pricing tiers.

I started a new thread specifically on the pricing model here: http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=459176

[alyssa]

Just got off the phone with tivo CS; it'll either be $12.95 or $9.95 depending on if I qualify for a multiService discount. I assume, I'll be able to get lifetime for $299 with my MSD.

The rep said there'd been a few emails regarding the 6th ave people....:rolleyes:
Personally, I think the people who ordered on 11.13.10 squeaked in on a great deal.
$398.04 for a premier with lifetime? :up: :D

[tcfcameron]

Just got off the phone with tivo CS; it'll either be $12.95 or $9.95 depending on if I qualify for a multiService discount. I assume, I'll be able to get lifetime for $299 with my MSD.

The rep said there'd been a few emails regarding the 6th ave people....:rolleyes:
Personally, I think the people who ordered on 11.13.10 squeaked in on a great deal.
$398.04 for a premier with lifetime? :up: :D

Let's not forget that TiVo can stop offering LT service any time they want, without notice or reason. Some of us, yeah me, spent all our money on the boxes, and will have to wait on LT service, and hope it is still available.

[mec1991]

Is there any way a mod (we still have mods, don't we?) could please merge these two threads? This old man is getting confused trying to keep up with what is going on. :o

[alyssa]

Respectfully, I don't think this thread should be merged with any other threads. This thread is for people who bought a new unit a day or two prior to the policy change. It is needed because of the gray area brought into the matrix due to 6th Ave jumping the gun.
The other threads are for people trying to understand the new policy.

[mec1991]

Alyssa,

I guess I need to stick with this one then as I ordered one from them on the 13th also. :)

Thanks.

[NullQwerty]

I ordered mine on the 13th also. This is definite bull. Of course 6ave is closed now. I sent them an email saying if I will be charged $20 a month, then to cancel my order. They better honor it or I'm making a complaint to the bbb on them and Tivo and also contacting my cc company about disputing the charge and will try to refuse delivery on the package through UPS.

Man...that makes me mad. What shady business practices on the both of them.

[tcfcameron]

I ordered mine on the 13th also. This is definite bull. Of course 6ave is closed now. I sent them an email saying if I will be charged $20 a month, then to cancel my order. They better honor it or I'm making a complaint to the bbb on them and Tivo and also contacting my cc company about disputing the charge and will try to refuse delivery on the package through UPS.

Man...that makes me mad. What shady business practices on the both of them.

I am so right there with you on everything.

Except, there is potential for it to blow-back on us, leaving us stuck paying shipping both ways, and other potential penalties.

[wjdennen]

I ordered mine on the 13th also. This is definite bull. Of course 6ave is closed now. I sent them an email saying if I will be charged $20 a month, then to cancel my order. They better honor it or I'm making a complaint to the bbb on them and Tivo and also contacting my cc company about disputing the charge and will try to refuse delivery on the package through UPS.

Man...that makes me mad. What shady business practices on the both of them.

The new policy says if you bought before 11/14, you pay the lower price.

I asked 6ave if this is the case, and they confirmed it is.

[davezatz]

TiVo has also removed the "Change TiVo TSN" option from their website.

You now have to call-in to get that done. I'm going to assume that they have imposed restrictions, and you will have to get approval (beyond simply asking them to do it).

Considering I'm grandfathered with the $6.95 plan, the only way to migrate MSD from the S3 to a new Premiere was online I'm thinking. Between that, 6ave's return shipping policy (you pay), and the fact I already have a "backup" TiVo HD in the closet I went ahead and canceled my order from the 13th. Ah well, that's $95.04 saved for some other gadget.

[tcfcameron]

The new policy says if you bought before 11/14, you pay the lower price.

I asked 6ave if this is the case, and they confirmed it is.

Did you even read the policy, carefully, all the way through? That is NOT what is says. If it was, there wouldn't be three threads discussing the matter.

Why would you ask 6thAve? They have absolutely zero (0) ability to dictate what TiVo does or promise/guarantee anything about your service plan.

They may be a TiVo Authorized Reseller, but the questions posed about TiVo's contracts/policies need to go through TiVo directly, and as high up the chain-of-command as possible.

Even TiVo gives out wrong information, quite frequently, especially so if dispensed by a low-level CSR, and/or is fairly new.

It's even not unheard of for TiVo to make promises, and then fail to deliver.

[wjdennen]

Did you even read the policy, carefully, all the way through? That is NOT what is says. If it was, there wouldn't be three threads discussing the matter.

Why would you ask 6thAve? They have absolutely zero (0) ability to dictate what TiVo does or promise/guarantee anything about your service plan.


Please tell me what I got wrong. Policy states:

2.1 For TiVo Premiere boxes purchased on or after November 14, 2010:

(new policy)

2.2 For all other TiVo boxes activated on or after November 14, 2010, you may subscribe to the TiVo Service on a monthly basis for $12.95 a month with a one (1) year commitment (renews monthly after 1 year), you may purchase an annual plan for one (1) year of TiVo Service for an upfront fee of $129, or you may purchase a Product Lifetime Subscription (defined below) for a onetime fee of $399.

[digammatoo]

You know what I find funny. Everyone is complaining about the up in price yet nobody has stopped to think that maybe TiVo didn't really have a choice in the matter. The contract with TMS may have renewed and Tribune may have said pay this price or go somewhere else. I don't really have a huge problem with it since I was paying 28 bucks a month for my 10 hour DVR from CableOne.

[tcfcameron]

Please tell me what I got wrong. Policy states:

2.1 For TiVo Premiere boxes purchased on or after November 14, 2010:

(new policy)

2.2 For all other TiVo boxes activated on or after November 14, 2010, you may subscribe to the TiVo Service on a monthly basis for $12.95 a month with a one (1) year commitment (renews monthly after 1 year), you may purchase an annual plan for one (1) year of TiVo Service for an upfront fee of $129, or you may purchase a Product Lifetime Subscription (defined below) for a onetime fee of $399.

If you read it all carefully, the above highlighted words say it all. 2.2 is talking about TiVos other than Premieres (yes, you can still buy them new, used, and refurbished).

Then there's this: "For service plans activated between March 2, 2010 and November 13, 2010, see these prior terms & conditions." It leads one to believe that they go by activation date, not purchase date, to determine what policy revision you will be bound by.

[trip1eX]

You know what I find funny. Everyone is complaining about the up in price yet nobody has stopped to think that maybe TiVo didn't really have a choice in the matter. The contract with TMS may have renewed and Tribune may have said pay this price or go somewhere else. I don't really have a huge problem with it since I was paying 28 bucks a month for my 10 hour DVR from CableOne.

Folks are up in arms only because 6th AVenue sold them a day early at the $99 pricepoint with no mention of the $20/month 1 yr contract required.

And afaik their new rate isn't $20/month. IT's just part of this promotion. AFter that the same 'ole rates apply afaik.

[tcfcameron]

The pricing hasn't changed from what I read. This is only a happy middle ground promotion between buying one for $300 up front and signing up for 2 years & $20/month with $0 down.

http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/index.html

You really should fully & carefully read the whole updated policies (Updated 10/14). I can't imagine that you did, and would then post a statement saying that the pricing hasn't changed.

[smbaker]

If you read it all carefully, the above highlighted words say it all. 2.2 is talking about TiVos other than Premieres (yes, you can still buy them new, used, and refurbished).

That may or may not be what they intended, but that's not what it says.

Section 2.1: "For TiVo Premiere boxes purchased on or after November 14, 2010"

Section 2.2: "For all other TiVo boxes activated on or after November 14, 2010"

The "all other Tivo boxes" in 2.2 means Tivos that were not covered by the preceding section (2.1). A Tivo Premiere purchased prior to Nov 14th is not covered by Section 2.1 and therefore is considered part of "all other Tivo boxes".

Does Tivo do customer support via email? I'd really like to get a statement from a Tivo CSR in writing that my box will eligible for lifetime. It'd save having to argue about it over the phone.

[alyssa]

Call us Tivo CS & ask them for an email.
Personally I'm ok with the name of the CSRep. & the reference # of the call.

[t1voproof]

Electronics Expo still has the old pricing

[wjdennen]

That may or may not be what they intended, but that's not what it says.

Section 2.1: "For TiVo Premiere boxes purchased on or after November 14, 2010"

Section 2.2: "For all other TiVo boxes activated on or after November 14, 2010"

The "all other Tivo boxes" in 2.2 means Tivos that were not covered by the preceding section (2.1). A Tivo Premiere purchased prior to Nov 14th is not covered by Section 2.1 and therefore is considered part of "all other Tivo boxes".

This is the way I read it too. It's either a Premiere purchased on or after Nov 14, or it's not.

[Wingershute]

At the last minute, I decided not to purchase from 6 Ave mainly due to being kinda broke nowadays. This was before anyone pointed out the 2.1, 2.2 rule. I'm glad now since it appears Tivo may not honor lifetime. If they don't then everyone can either return the boxes or start up some of lawsuit/complaint against them and/or 6 Ave for not advertising the $20/month change. This may prove to haunt Tivo since everyone is clearly ticked off and feels "had". Just my 2 cents.

[NullQwerty]

It's really just missing a 2.3:
2.3 For Tivo Premier Boxes Purchased on or before November 13, but activated on or after November 14.

I think those of us that bought it for $99 on 11/13 aren't being addressed in those terms and conditions. Probably because they weren't supposed to go on sale until the 14th.

[ebf]

It's really just missing a 2.3:
2.3 For Tivo Premier Boxes Purchased on or before November 13, but activated on or after November 14.

I think those of us that bought it for $99 on 11/13 aren't being addressed in those terms and conditions. Probably because they weren't supposed to go on sale until the 14th.You're right, but I think the legalese means if it's a Premier purchased 11/14+, see section 2.1, anything else, see 2.2.

[Wingershute]

What are the expected ship dates for those of you that ordered a Tivo on 11/13/10 from 6 Ave? It's going to be interesting to hear as everyone chimes in on whether Tivo honored a Lifetime commitment instead of the new in effect plan. This thread will go absolutely bonkers if everyone is denied. To be continued for sure!

[TaurusKev]

For that price I am tempted, but I still want Tru2way...

[ebf]

What are the expected ship dates for those of you that ordered a Tivo on 11/13/10 from 6 Ave?...I got my order confirmation email for my order on the 12th, but the website status is still blank. I used PayPal, so maybe my status won't update until they accept the payment on Monday. Fingers crossed.

[Wingershute]

I got my order confirmation email for my order on the 12th, but the website status is still blank. I used PayPal, so maybe my status won't update until they accept the payment on Monday. Fingers crossed.

Please keep all of us posted. We are all following this very closely.

I just thought about something. If I remember correctly, isn't the TSN number displayed on the Tivo box itself? For those of you worried about about receiving Lifetime, why don't you just call Tivo and confirm it's status without opening the box. If Tivo denies you then atleast you still have A BNIB Premiere and can sell it to some dope on EBAY for $150 and still make a profit. :) My recommendation for anyone that receives their Tivo is to NOT open the box without confirming first.

[lessd]

IMHO TiVo will honer the MSD on Lifetime for the 11/13 sales of any TiVos, I don't think any co. can change things without notice as TiVo is a two part sale (unless purchased from TiVo itself) the user does the purchase than activates the TiVo, there is no requirement that this person read TiVo T&C just before they make a purchase. On the 13th you could get MSD Lifetime Service, if the $99 TiVos have new service restrictions that must be posted with the vendor so one would know before purchase. For $99 one could set up a nice parts dept for later use and sell off the hard drive and the remote.

[smbaker]

It's really just missing a 2.3:
2.3 For Tivo Premier Boxes Purchased on or before November 13, but activated on or after November 14.

Technically I think that would have to be a 2.1.5, so that the "all other tivos" clause in 2.2 would apply correctly, or section 2.2 would have to be reworded.

I think those of us that bought it for $99 on 11/13 aren't being addressed in those terms and conditions. Probably because they weren't supposed to go on sale until the 14th.

I agree, they didn't anticipate this situation happening.

Hopefully the end result will be to our advantage. In the worst case we either wait it out until the service plan becomes sane again, make enough noise to get our way, or we end up with a $95 box full of spare parts. $95 is really a pretty good deal for a hard drive with Tivo image, spare power supply, remote, case, etc. I'm reasonably confident from what people have reported from talking to CSRs that we'll be fine. This would become a very anti-Tivo forum otherwise and a PR nightmare for Tivo.

[slowbiscuit]

For that price I am tempted, but I still want Tru2way...
LOL, it's dead Jim. That's why the FCC is pitching the new AllVid gateway.

tcfcameron is apparently the only one on this board reading the new policy in a way that he'll get screwed on purchases prior to 11/14 - I am not worried at all, it's very clear to me that we'll get the old service terms. Not to mention that we didn't buy it at $99.99 per the new terms, we got it for $99.00 (minus coupon). :p

[noeltykay]

I ordered my Premiere from 6Ave on the 13th...called up yesterday and when I gave the order number to the 6Ave rep, before I can even tell her why I was calling, she stated, "You will qualify for Lifetime since you ordered prior to the 14th, call Tivo to confirm. If I am wrong call back and cancel your order."

I called up Tivo and spoke with a CSR who confirmed that I do qualify for a Lifetime and I get a multi service discount ($299).

[slowbiscuit]

Not surprised to hear this at all, folks on slickdeals have reported the same. Tivo will honor the old terms for any unit purchased prior to 11/14, as they should - otherwise it's a clear bait and switch.

6ave screwed up, pure and simple, but both parties will make it right. Tivo will probably have to eat the subsidy on these units unless they can get 6ave to make good on them.

[ht2]

I am new user and ordered two from 6Ave.
Can I qualify for two $299 lifetime? (1st one with PLSR code and 2nd one with MSD)

[NullQwerty]

I emailed 6ave after they closed and said if I have to pay 19.99 a month then to please cancel my order. This morning they replied back saying the order was cancelled.

I then called them this morning to find out the real story. They said that it was all a big screwup but that Tivo will honor the price of $13 a month if you purchased it on the 13th. They said that they will include a special letter to give to Tivo saying I should get it for $13 as proof. I said then can you uncancel my order because my email said to only cancel if I would be charged $20 a month. They said once it's cancelled it can't be uncancelled.

[ajbeaman]

This the response I received from 6th Ave after I cancelled my order based on Tivo's new billing schedule.


Dear

Here’s an important message about your TiVo Premier DVR purchase.

As of Sunday, November 14, TiVo has unexpectedly changed their service plan terms and conditions. TiVo's new plan for people who purchase it on or after 11-14-2010 is for $19.99/mo (compared to $12.99/mo before) and the Lifetime Plan is no longer available.
For those who purchased their TiVo before Nov 14, it looks like you may still eligible for the cheaper monthly plan and/or the lifetime plan. If you speak with a TiVo Customer Support team rep via chat or phone at 877-367-8486, and explain the situation, they should honor the pervious subscription rate. Please make sure to mention you purchased the item before Nov 14th and you activate over the phone. Activating online may just give you the new prices.

Now should TIVO for some reason not honor that subscription rate, we will take the item back from you, for full refund and shipping at out our cost.

NOTE: Please DO NOT open the box. You do not need to open the box to set up the subscription with TIVO. All the info needed is on an outer label on the TiVo box itself.

If you still wish to cancel your order, simply let us know and we will.

TIVO NEW TERMS & CONDITIONS
http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivoservicepaymentplanstermsandconditions.html

Thank you for your purchase.
Sincerely,
Veronica Bravo
CustomerService@6ave.com
877-684-2831

[ebf]

I got my order confirmation email for my order on the 12th, but the website status is still blank. I used PayPal, so maybe my status won't update until they accept the payment on Monday. Fingers crossed.

Please keep all of us posted. We are all following this very closely...Got my shipping confirmation at 10:30 today. I am hoping to activate it with MSD Lifetime now, even though I have not need for the box ATM, to get in with all the other folks before TiVo "forgets" about the 6ave debacale!

[NullQwerty]

AJBeaman, did they let you uncancel it?

[ajbeaman]

AJBeaman, did they let you uncancel it?

Based on their wording they never cancelled it. I guess they presumed I would keep it based on their "money back Guarantee".
I did cancel though, since I could no longer slide it in on MSD $6.95 online.

[smbaker]

FYI, emailed 6ave and asked for a confirmation that my order is eligible for the old pricing structure and got back the same form letter as ajbeaman. It bugs me a little that it has words like "may" and "should" in it, but having at least something in writing is good.

[iwbyte]

I spoke with Tivo and they said 'no dice' on using the old terms. I then spoke with 6ave and they said that tivo 'should' honor the old terms, and you may have to speak to a manager/different rep. If Tivo doesn't don't honor the old terms, 6ave.com 'will' provide a full refund and shipping back if we don't open the box.

I would love it if I could upgrade my current Lifetime box to lifetime on the premiere for $199 but I don't think that will happen. I'm debating if I want to do it for $299.. I bought two boxes since it seemed like such a good deal but now i may be stuck with an extra one - i don't think they'll let me return just one at full refund if tivo DOES honor the old terms.

[ebf]

I spoke with Tivo and they said 'no dice' on using the old terms...Do you have the box yet? It feels like folks calling with hypothetical questions cannot rely, either way, on the answer a CSR gives. Did you mention that section 2.2 of the new plan rules is what would apply to your case? :confused:

[iwbyte]

@ebf - Agreed - I figured it wouldn't make sense calling back until I have the box and are ready to jump on whatever they offer me if I want it.

Now i'm just deciding if I want to activate BOTH or just one unit.

We have a Series 2 with lifetime that we'll be replacing in the bedroom (not HD TV, but maybe for Chanukah? :) ), and a Humax DVD w/6.95 MSD that we'll be KEEPING downstairs since we like off-loading kids shows to DVD - we'll keep that unit for kids.

THen the question is - get an 'additional' unit for downstairs and do we pay lifetime on that one too?

[tcfcameron]

tcfcameron is apparently the only one on this board reading the new policy in a way that he'll get screwed on purchases prior to 11/14

I'm not the only one. There are four threads now, all discussing the matter.

One thing I'm not understanding at all (and it concerns me greatly), is why so many people are posting that they contacted either 6thAve or EE, and were promised that the old policies would apply. Resellers/Retailers can not make any such promise or guarantee. It's up to TiVo. Even TiVo hasn't been consistent in what they are telling people (who have reported back here). Some are being told "NO", period, and are being advised to return the TiVo if they don't want the new terms.

For those who haven't read the updated TiVo Policies:

http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivoservicepaymentplanstermsandconditions.html

http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivomultiservicediscountagreement.html

http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/index.html

[smbaker]

One thing I'm not understanding at all (and it concerns me greatly), is why so many people are posting that they contacted either 6thAve or EE, and were promised that the old policies would apply. Resellers/Retailers can not make any such promise or guarantee.

That's not what they guaranteed me -- the guarantee that I got was that they'd take the box back for full refund and eat the shipping if Tivo refused to honor the old service price. That's really all a retailer can do.

Regardless of what guarantees the retailer makes, the units in question were purchased on Nov 13th and the new policy made effective Nov 14th. I don't know what legal standing we have on this, our only recourse is probably to return the boxes if Tivo refuses to grant the old pricing. I think Tivo will do the right thing due to the PR mess that would occur if they do not. It's only 1 day worth of sales from 1 reseller.

[slowbiscuit]

Well a day and a half actually, 6ave jumped the gun on the 12th.

[speed_phreak]

The way I see it, by purchasing the Tivo from 6th ave, I am looking to become a TiVo customer (not really a 6th ave customer). I see 6th ave as a cell phone reseller, my ongoing relationship is really with the service provider, TiVo. I had a DirecTiVo and would very much like to get back into the TiVo game.

I called TiVo's customer service today and was told they would not honor the pre 11/14 pricing. I will call again to activate when I receive the box, if they refuse again, the box goes back.... If that happens, then I as a consumer will decide to be a TiVo lifetime non-customer. Period.

Its not like this wasn't the first sub $100 price for the Premiere...

MythTV, Windows Media Center, Boxee, I'll be evaluating you all soon...

[jpisano]

Hi guys,
Long time reader, first time poster. I took a ride out to 6th Ave. in Livingston, NJ on Saturday evening when I got the e-mail advertising the $99 Tivo Premiere and purchased one. I called today to activate it and after explaining the situation with regards to 6th Ave and the fact that I bought the unit a day prior to the service change, the guy on the activation line had to transfer me to someone in customer service. I expained the situation to him, and he put me on hold for a few minutes to see if he could get me the $199 Lifetime multi-service discount (I have a Series 2 and Series 3 box, one with Lifetime). He came back and told me that since I got the Premiere for $99 and bought it on 11/13, I would only be eligible to activate Lifetime service at $299, which I agreed to. I told him I had the receipt in hand and could fax a copy, but he said it wasn't necessary. The whole thing went pretty smoothly and they were pretty cool about it. Remember to explain the situation to the person you initially speak to in Activations, and they will transfer you to someone who can approve Lifetime. Hope this helps.

[tcfcameron]

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MSG, THAT I WAS PERSONALLY ASKED BY HIGH MANAGEMENT OF 6TH AVE TO DELIVER HERE, AND IT IS TIME SENSITIVE:

(This information is ONLY applicable to purchases from 6th Ave):

1. The price paid has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you will be eligible for TiVo Service under old or new policy.

2. The TiVo TSN of your unit has no factor in the same (they are not recording them, or making any list of them).

3. The date of purchase is the only factor, 11/14 being the cut-off date.

4. Orders that have been canceled, are being kept in a special holding queue, to give you the opportunity to un-cancel your order.

5. Some early cancellations were not placed in the above mentioned queue, and will be handled on an individual basis.

6. Today (11/15) is the last day that action can be taken to insure you are eligible for the old TiVo policies. If you do not un-cancel your order today, you will miss the last opportunity to get the old TiVo service terms.

7. 6th Ave has been fighting for us, for 72 hours, trying to insure that TiVo does not deny old service policy to eligible purchasers.

8. 6th Ave has pledged to fight for us, and will fight fiercely with TiVo, should they try to renege in any way.

9. TiVo's call center is supposed to be fully aware of the agreement that exists between TiVo and 6th Ave. If they try to tell you otherwise, try another rep, or contact 6th Ave, and they will fight for you.

10. I have been asked by 6th Ave, to provide links to the forum threads that are regarding this matter. (which I will do shortly).

11. I have been asked by 6th Ave, to report to them any new issues arising from this deal. (and I will).

12. All customers with an existing order, as well as those who canceled (and made the special holding queue), will receive an email from 6th Ave shortly.

-EDIT: It is requested, by 6thAve, that upon receiving your Premiere, that you DON'T OPEN THE FACTORY BOX, until you have called in the TSN (located on the outside of factory box) to TiVo, and verified that TiVo will allow you to activate under the previous TiVo service agreement policies.

6thAve is offering a full refund, including shipping (via pre-paid label), if you are denied activation under the previous TiVo service agreement policies, provided that you have contacted 6thAve to report the denial, and are still unable to resolve the matter.

I can't recall if not opening the factory box is a request, or a condition, regarding the full refund.

You can email customerservice@6ave.com regarding any issues.

Now, a personal msg from me: I'm sorry if I was the reason for anybody that canceled their order. However, if it had not been for 6th Ave's fight that they took to TiVo, my initial concerns about being stuck with the new policy, would have been true.

[smbaker]

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MSG, THAT I WAS PERSONALLY ASKED BY HIGH MANAGEMENT OF 6TH AVE TO DELIVER HERE, AND IT IS TIME SENSITIVE:

Tell them to log into the forum and post this themselves if it is true. There's no reason a reputable company should ask you to post this rather than them doing it themselves. It's as simple as logging in and creating a thread.

[tcfcameron]

Tell them to log into the forum and post this themselves if it is true. There's no reason a reputable company should ask you to post this rather than them doing it themselves. It's as simple as logging in and creating a thread.

Well, it's too late now, isn't it?

[ht2]

Yes good news.
I called Tivo and CSR told me I am qualify for pre 11/14 price and gave me reference number.
Thanks to Tivo and 6Ave for trying to do it right.

Only problem for me is PLSR code is not for new customer so first one is $399 and second one is $299. Ouch!:rolleyes:

[slowbiscuit]

Tell them to log into the forum and post this themselves if it is true. There's no reason a reputable company should ask you to post this rather than them doing it themselves. It's as simple as logging in and creating a thread.

So what was the all-important sh*t-hot message? Looks like tcfcameron deleted it.

[smbaker]

So what was the all-important sh*t-hot message? Looks like tcfcameron deleted it.

It had a bunch of interesting-looking stuff in it, about 6ave working with Tivo to ensure the old rates were honored, about there being an un-cancel queue, etc.

I'm not sure why he deleted it. I didn't mean to imply the information wasn't useful, but rather that if 6ave wants the information published they ought to do so themselves. It's all too easy for information to get distorted even when everyone has the best of intentions. Hearsay just isn't something we can rely on, nor can I imagine 6ave wants to be bound by statements someone else makes on their behalf.

[ebf]

My box is on the way, scheduled for Thursday delivery. Let the CRS fun begin...

[trip1eX]

Well my 6th ave Tivo arrived today and Tivo will not let me put lifetime on it. :mad:

My advice is to lie your ass off when you call. Tell them you received it 2 weeks ago as a gift from your father. Tell them you paid regular price.

Guy says no one is receiving lifetime on $99 Tivos. Yeah right. Obviously some are receiving it.

I bought Nov 12th too. I told him I would fax him my receipt. Doesn't matter. This CSR blamed every retailer for not advertising the 1-yr contract. :eek:

The fun will continue when I call them again after I calm down and see if I can get lifetime on the Premiere I bought 2 months ago and never activated.

[smbaker]

Well my 6th ave Tivo arrived today and Tivo will not let me put lifetime on it. :mad:

Have you written 6ave about it yet? I'd be interested to hear what they have to say about it, especially after they sent out the emails that tivo "may" and "should" honor the old price. Over at SD, someone quoted another 6ave email that said this:

We are writing because you recently purchased a TiVo Premier DVR from us. You requested your order be canceled, likely after hearing that TiVo unexpectedly changed its service plan terms and pricing. We were also unaware that this change would be taking place, but have worked with TiVo to secure the old rate of $12.99 per month for our customers whp purchased the TiVo Premier DVR before November 14th.

It may be a matter of repeated calls to find a CSR who knows what he's talking about (of which the number of CSRs may increase as these 6ave Tivos reach their destinations this week). When my Tivo gets here, I'd much prefer to be honest rather than having to lie to the CSR about it. Mine hasn't even shipped yet, and I'm clear across the country, so it may be next week before I see it.

I wonder if this denial by Tivo has anything to do with the tcfcameron deleting his post of 6ave information? His post is still quoted over at SD (post #816 in the Tivo thread over there). It also asserts that 6ave has worked out a deal for pre-Nov14 units. I'm still surprised that someone from 6ave hasn't posted and clarified the situation. Either they've worked out a deal with Tivo or they haven't -- a simple one sentence official response would eliminate the ambiguity.

[ebf]

Well my 6th ave Tivo arrived today and Tivo will not let me put lifetime on it. :mad:Are you a current TiVo customer? I am wondering if they are treating new and old customers differently.

[slowbiscuit]

I think it's obvious by now that Tivo has no way of knowing what price you paid or any way to track these by TSN, so if you just lie when you call Tivo for lifetime it's probably the easy way out, at least for the next couple of weeks.

Having said that, they don't have a leg to stand on for pre-11/14 purchases, and could very well get sued for bait-and-switch if they try to take a hard line on this. It's probably just a matter of escalating to a supervisor or getting a different rep.

[ebf]

I think it's obvious by now that Tivo has no way of knowing what price you paid or any way to track these by TSN, so if you just lie when you call Tivo for lifetime it's probably the easy way out, at least for the next couple of weeks...Someone, either here or over at SD, was (supposedly) asked to fax in the dated proof for purchase receipt from 6th Ave. So, lying could get sticky.

[tcfcameron]

Well my 6th ave Tivo arrived today and Tivo will not let me put lifetime on it. :mad:

My advice is to lie your ass off when you call. Tell them you received it 2 weeks ago as a gift from your father. Tell them you paid regular price.

Guy says no one is receiving lifetime on $99 Tivos. Yeah right. Obviously some are receiving it.

I bought Nov 12th too. I told him I would fax him my receipt. Doesn't matter. This CSR blamed every retailer for not advertising the 1-yr contract. :eek:

The fun will continue when I call them again after I calm down and see if I can get lifetime on the Premiere I bought 2 months ago and never activated.

Now does anybody believe me?

Anybody else want to say that I'm the only one that thinks the above can, and will, happen?

[smbaker]

I think it's obvious by now that Tivo has no way of knowing what price you paid

They do, it's called "Please fax/mail/email me your receipt" at which point I guess we respond "ummm.... sorry my dog ate it". It's one reason why it's good to not lie, even if you are technically on the right side of the issue.

At some point, word is going to get out that customers can simply lie to get lifetime service, and Tivo will have to take the hard line and demand proof of purchase.

Now does anybody believe me?

It's not a matter of believing or not believing you, it's a matter of what the service plan terms said. The language was clear enough that Premieres purchased prior to Nov 14th are not subject to the new pricing. Tivo has since edited that document, but absent a functional time machine cannot go back in time and undo what was written.

[Am_I_Evil]

They do, it's called "Please fax/mail/email me your receipt" at which point I guess we respond "uhhhh...sure..." and head to photoshop...i highly doubt they'll actually follow up with the retailer

fixed :D

[smbaker]

fixed :D

The deeper you dig yourself into a lie that harder it is to get back out. Now you've committed fraud by tampering with the receipt and you documented your commission of the fraud by faxing the tampered document to Tivo.

I'm just sayin' .... not the best solution to the problem.

[ebf]

...The language was clear enough that Premieres purchased prior to Nov 14th are not subject to the new pricing. Tivo has since edited that document, but absent a functional time machine cannot go back in time and undo what was written. Where is the new document? I am still seeing:
2.1 For TiVo Premiere boxes purchased on or after November 14, 2010...
and
2.2 For all other TiVo boxes activated on or after November 14, 2010, you may subscribe to the TiVo Service on a monthly basis for $12.95 a month with a one (1) year commitment (renews monthly after 1 year), you may purchase an annual plan for one (1) year of TiVo Service for an upfront fee of $129, or you may purchase a Product Lifetime Subscription (defined below) for a onetime fee of $399.

on this page (http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivoservicepaymentplanstermsandconditions.html).

[trip1eX]

Well I called twice in the last hour or so.

Denied both times.

I've been a Tivo customer for 6 years. I have 1 premiere. I just canceled a Series 2 Tivo $6.95/month rate on November 13th. And I have a lifetime SEries 2 tivo.


First time I was denied outright. I argued. Said I would fax my receipt. I said I purchased 2 days before your promotion was announced. I said I bought a Premiere for $150 2 months ago and had no problem getting lifetime on it. Why does $50 make or break getting lifetime on this Tivo? None of that mattered. Guy wouldn't budge. I finally said I know it is not your fault and I don't want to yell at you any more, good-bye. :)

Second time the girl put me on hold alot and finally came back and rejected me. She was nice and for a minute seemed like I might get somewhere, but nowhere. It seems they might be keeping track of the TSN because....


.....after I got rejected a 2nd time I put lifetime on my 2nd $150 Premiere which I had laying around unactivated. Figure its value just went up as it seems like it will be difficult for most to buy a Premiere this xmas and get lifetime. All the Premieres are $99.

I could try again, but from what I read Tivo has modified their policy a 2nd time. The NOv. 14th cutoff date is gone. Now it is just November which conveniently excludes all 6th avenue $99 dvrs.

[smbaker]

Where is the new document?

I've read in multiple threads that the document was modified, but I confess I haven't actually seen it... You're right, the official page seems to be the same.

[innocentfreak]

I am still seeing the old page also. I would call them and read it right from their web site if they give you problems.

[netringer]

...
I could try again, but from what I read Tivo has modified their policy a 2nd time. The NOv. 14th cutoff date is gone. Now it is just November which conveniently excludes all 6th avenue $99 dvrs.

Maybe we'll have to hurry to send the Premiere back to 6ave before Tivo modifies the policy again to say that we owe them $400 for looking at the outer box.

That's an exaggeration, but it is the issue. We bought the Premiere based on its value when we placed the order. Whether it was 6ave's fault or Tivo's, the value of the offrer was reduced after we ordered it and that is a dirty trick bordering on fraud. 6ave is right to offer to pay for return shipping.

[SmittyJ]

I registered just to chime in. I, too, am a current subscriber who purchased a unit from 6ave on 11/13/10 and was denied by Tivo via e-mail. They stated that all units purchased from 6ave.com only qualify for $20/mo (I had asked about lifetime). I hoped to have better luck over the phone after my unit arrived, but I see that isn't likely now.

I'm a constant critic of frivolous litigation, but in this case a class action might be justified. Tivo's own pricing policy still states that ALL units purchased prior to 11/14 qualify for the old price structure. Others have said this was updated, but I don't see it. I've forwarded this info to legal counsel to see what they think. If we have a case, then perhaps making Tivo aware of that fact will get them to honor their own policy as stated on their web site. If not.....

[smbaker]

I hoped to have better luck over the phone after my unit arrived, but I see that isn't likely now.

There's several people on the SD forum that are reporting success, a couple seem to have had no issue at all.

Consistency is the problem here, either the units are eligible or they aren't -- different people shouldn't be getting different results. It's a very simple binary proposition.

[DaveMN]

Here's a transcript of my chat with a CSR just now:

Me: As long as I purchased my new Premiere before 11/14, I should be able to still get lifetime service, correct?
Tamina: I can definitely help you with that. Where did you purchase the Premiere from?
Me: Does that matter?
Tamina: Yes it does.
Me: Who would I have to purchase it from to NOT be eligible?
Tamina: To know what service plans you qualify for I need to know where you purchased the Premiere and if you received any discount on the box.
Me: Your new terms of service explicitly state that any unit purchased prior to 11/14 is eligible for lifetime service. Are you saying there are additional restrictions not listed in the official terms of service?
Tamina: We are running a holiday promotion but some retailers offered the promotion early and therefore we need to ask these questions.
Me: Are you denying lifetime service on those units purchased prior to 11/14 if it was purchased from one of those retailers?
Tamina: We are not denying Product Lifetime Service to anyone as long as they did not purchase the Premiere for $99 as part of our holiday pricing promotion.
Me: Well, yes I did buy it for $99 prior to 11/14. At the time of the purchase, I had no idea TiVo was going to change the terms of service, and the retailer's issue should not be my issue. Are you saying then that I'm not eligible for lifetime service, even though I have 2 TiVos and have been a customer for over ten years?
Tamina: Since you purchased your box prior to 11/14 but for the $99 promotion you will need to call our Customer Support team to activate your service and discuss payment plans. Please explain the situation to them and they will take care of you.

Me: By "take care of", you mean I will be allowed to buy lifetime?
Tamina: You will have to ask a Customer Service agent when you call in. I do not know if they will be able to offer you the Product Lifetime Service since you did purchase the Premiere at the promotional pricing.
Me: Thank you- this is a good way to pass the buck.

EDIT: Just called on the phone. First level guy denied me. Went to his "supervisor" and was denied again. I reiterated they were going to lose a 10 year customer over this, and they didn't budge. Cancelling the order.

EDIT II: Called 6ave to cancel. The rep told me that their management had worked with TiVo to ensure that anybody who purchased prior to 11/14 would get the original terms of service. I explained that I'd just been shot down twice by TiVo, and all she could say is to try again after I got the box, and everything would be fine. I pointed out how ridiculous that sounded, and permanently cancelled the order. That's two more businesses that will never see another dime from me.

[mrsean]

If anyone is interested, here is the link to file a complaint with the California Attorney General's office.

I may be file one myself shortly.

http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL

[jlb]

You know all this price plan crap makes me happy I never left my retentioned rate of $6.95/mo for my TiVoHD. Long paid for, but I'll take the $6.95 in perpetuity anyday now....

[johnner1999]

Hey if any one wants I'll sell one of my 2 Premiers for $100 each ;-) they even have a factory extended warranty via TiVo -- PM me

[smbaker]

If anyone is interested, here is the link to file a complaint with the California Attorney General's office.

Problem is your complaint may be against 6ave, not against Tivo since 6ave is the one that sold the product. If so, then there's not much to complain about because 6ave has offered to take the units back, shipping included.

Granted, I think this is a very raw deal, and Tivo should simply honor the policy they've placed online. Refusing to budge is making Tivo look quite petty for a situation where the customer is clearly not the one at fault. We bought the items based on the full availability on information at the time. I can't think of a recent situation where a company has treated customers this poorly. Nevertheless, I'm reserving my actions until I receive my order and try to activate it myself.

[alyssa]

The wacky thing is, numerous people spoke with tivo on the 14th and were reasured we would be getting the old pricing. I've even got a name & reference #. The CSR even refered to an internal email regarding the policy.
Either the CSR's working today don't know about the policy *or* the policy regarding 'bought on the 13th' changed between the 14th & today.

[DaveMN]

Either the CSR's working today don't know about the policy *or* the policy changed between the 14th & today.
After just talking to them both online and on the phone, I get the distinct impression it is the latter.

[innocentfreak]

Problem is your complaint may be against 6ave, not against Tivo since 6ave is the one that sold the product. If so, then there's not much to complain about because 6ave has offered to take the units back, shipping included.

Actually it would be with TiVo. Their terms clearly state any TiVo purchased on or after 11/14/10. Most of these people bought them on 11/12 and 11/13 which would be prior to their terms. It is TiVo who is not honoring their posted policy.

[johnner1999]

so where is the rats deserting the sinking ship posts? personally I think TiVo has 9 lives and hasn't spent more than 5 at the most ;-)

[smbaker]

After just talking to them both online and on the phone, I get the distinct impression it is the latter.

I wonder if it had something to do with the quantity of Tivos sold on 11/12 - 11/13 perhaps being greater than Tivo first anticipated. It's clear that 6ave is still working on shipping Tivos from the 13th. Regardless, you can't just make up the rules as you go telling some people it's covered and others that it's not. It's going to lead to a lot of very angry (and very vocal) customers.

Actually it would be with TiVo. Their terms clearly state any TiVo purchased on or after 11/14/10. Most of these people bought them on 11/12 and 11/13 which would be prior to their terms. It is TiVo who is not honoring their posted policy.

I'm not so sure... We've entered no contractual agreement with Tivo. Tivo is certainly guilty of false advertising, but we purchased the box from 6ave. 6ave has agreed to take the boxes back, so a remedy is available. Exactly what damages can we claim we've suffered then? Mental anguish and depression at the failure to get the Tivo we desired?

[johnner1999]

I wonder if it had something to do with the quantity of Tivos sold on 11/12 - 11/13 perhaps being greater than Tivo first anticipated. It's clear that 6ave is still working on shipping Tivos from the 13th. Regardless, you can't just make up the rules as you go telling some people it's covered and others that it's not. It's going to lead to a lot of very angry (and very vocal) customers.

I agree BUT the retailer sold the product at the subsidized price early. They are the ones at "fault" as others have pointed out. I think the whole $100 price is 'stupid' but hey to each their own right.

[innocentfreak]

I agree BUT the retailer sold the product at the subsidized price early. They are the ones at "fault" as others have pointed out. I think the whole $100 price is 'stupid' but hey to each their own right.

6th Ave is only at fault for the price they sold it at. TiVo is at fault for not honoring their own policies.

They are punishing the customers/potential customers for a store mistake when they should in fact be taking it up with the store. The problem is without knowing the purchase arrangement between TiVo and 6th Ave it is impossible to know how it should be fixed other than that is between TiVo and 6th Ave and not TiVo and the customer.

[alyssa]

I ordered from 6th ave at 9am on the 13th and it hasn't shipped.

[smbaker]

I think the whole $100 price is 'stupid' but hey to each their own right.

Agree 100%. I don't know about other consumers, but I am getting extremely conscious of recurring fees. I (and others like me) would be more likely to buy into a lifetime promotion than to buy into this $20/month monstrosity. I think Moxi has the winning marketing model here. The only thing I'd change about Moxi's webpage is to increase the font size of "No monthly DVR fees" and put it in bold red underlined type with a drop shadow.

I think Tivo moved 180 degrees in the wrong direction with this promotion.

Tivo reminds me of a fish that jumps out of my Koi pond only to keep flopping in the wrong direction away from the water as it slowly dies. (someone asked for a 'rats deserting the sinking ship' analogy...)

[johnner1999]

Agree 100%. I don't know about other consumers, but I am getting extremely conscious of recurring fees. I (and others like me) would be more likely to buy into a lifetime promotion than to buy into this $20/month monstrosity. I think Moxi has the winning marketing model here. The only thing I'd change about Moxi's webpage is to increase the font size of "No monthly DVR fees" and put it in bold red underlined type with a drop shadow.

I think Tivo moved 180 degrees in the wrong direction with this promotion.

Tivo reminds me of a fish that jumps out of my Koi pond only to keep flopping in the wrong direction away from the water as it slowly dies. (someone asked for a 'rats deserting the sinking ship' analogy...)

110% correct... I'm buying a 3 tuner moxi and a mate asap.

[smbaker]

110% correct... I'm buying a 3 tuner moxi and a mate asap.

Well I don't know that I'd go that far (yet). I think Moxi has the superior marketing model and the superior MRV model (base + mates), but I still like the Tivo interface, HMO/HME, pyTivo, etc. I've said before that I'll never buy another monthly fee Tivo, so if the lifetime deal can't be worked out, then I'll be moved to the competition by the next generation of hardware.

[netringer]

so where is the rats deserting the sinking ship posts? personally I think TiVo has 9 lives and hasn't spent more than 5 at the most ;-)

Yo! If I don't get lifetime I'll be shipping mine back and I won't be buying another TiVo, ever. I'll be selling two of the four that I have.

None of that would cost Tivo a penny except the $299 (third $299 this year) they won't get from me.

Hint: The view over my back yard fence. Let me show it to you.

[GPT999]

I ordered from 6th ave at 9am on the 13th and it hasn't shipped.

Me too...

[johnner1999]

Yo! If I don't get lifetime I'll be shipping mine back and I won't be buying another TiVo, ever. I'll be selling two of the four that I have.

None of that would cost Tivo a penny except the $299 (third $299 this year) they won't get from me.

Hint: The view over my back yard fence. Let me show it to you.

hmmm sorry me confused by your post?

[netringer]

hmmm sorry me confused by your post?

That's the AT&T Uverse VRAD and the "video" cross connect box. It happens that my phone service comes from that box, which is an anomaly. (There's supposed to be another box in between.) The fiber runs just outside my property line.

I'll be forced to have a 100 foot long DSL loop getting like 30mps+ Internet and HDTV with real multi-room DVR.

[johnner1999]

Those are AT&T Uverse VRADs. The fiber runs just outside my property line.

I'll be forced to have a 100 foot long DSL loop getting like 30mps+ Internet and HDTV with real multi-room DVR.

Thats what I thought - just never saw two so close before. Then again no VRADS with-in 30 miles of my address :-(

[rbendorf]

I just canceled my order with 6ave.com. I also sent an email to Tivo stating that I will drop my yearly service on my HD at the end of this billing cycle.

I refuse to pay $19.99/mo. and will look for an alternate system i.e. the Moxi or similar. I have enjoyed my Tivo's for years, but this is pretty much the end of my relationship with Tivo.

OTOH: If they do decide to modify their pricing plan, I may reconsider.

[gespears]

I ordered my TiVo from 6th ave on the 12th and got the 95 dollar price. But today I received an email from 6th ave saying the order was canceled. I replied and stated that I didn't want to cancel and that I wanted the order reinstated. But after reading the last several threads I might not want the order reinstated:eek:

[mec1991]

Well, I guess my order has been canceled even though I never contacted 6ave one way or the other. :(

When I checked my bank account online this morning, I noticed the $99 payment I made through Amazon Payments had been reversed and the money was back in my account.

Can't say I blame them as TiVo has created such a fiasco by refusing to honor their part of the bargain. Please - no need for TiVo loyalists (of which I used to be) to tell me they're not at fault here.

I never thought I would say this in a thousand years, but I am done with the company after owning several since my first Sony series 1 back in 2001. They will never get another dime from me.

[DaveMN]

After being continually denied lifetime service on my 6ave 11/12 purchase, I send-off a politely worded email to customer service, basically accusing them of fraud and not honoring their own published terms of service. An hour later I received notice that they would honor the lifetime, along with a reference number to mention when I activate the box. You probably just need to complain loud enough, and it probably doesn't hurt that I've been a multi-unit customer for a long time. In the end, I'm happy they're doing the right thing, even though I'm not happy about the path required to get there.

[mec1991]

But Dave, if I "uncancel" the order - which I never canceled in the first place, it would go through with today's date, not the 13th. Its just not worth the hassel. I'm not a young man like you. :o

[slowbiscuit]

Wow, just wow. I can't believe Tivo is being so stupid about this - they need to work this out with 6ave, not take it out on the customer. They're going to get sued for this by someone, I would bet, especially since they're violating their own posted policy. It's just ridiculous.

My order from 6ave on the 13th has still not shipped and shows no status. I wonder if they're trying to work a deal with Tivo before they ship some of these that are pending.

[netringer]

I ordered from 6th ave at 9am on the 13th and it hasn't shipped.

I got my order confirmation email for my order on the 12th, but the website status is still blank. I used PayPal, so maybe my status won't update until they accept the payment on Monday. Fingers crossed.

I ordered my TiVo from 6th ave on the 12th and got the 95 dollar price. But today I received an email from 6th ave saying the order was canceled. ...

We're you in touch with 6ave at all?

I haven't contacted them and haven't gotten a word from them other acknowledging my order.

I suspect that the reason we haven't gotten ship notices on the $95 purchase is 6ave was waiting to see if TiVo really honored the old deal. 6ave would be better off getting the units on the dock than shipping them out and having to pay for return shipping en masse.

If all of the orders fall out, TiVo will be getting a few hundred Premieres back from 6ave still on the shipping pallets.

Still waiting to see where I'll stand in getting lifetime.

[GPT999]

So after ordering on sat 11/13 and getting my order confirmation from 6Ave, I had not received any other communications from the company. Online tracking of my order # did not have any info. I called 6Ave this am and they said they were "holding" all Tivo orders from pre 11/14 b/c people were having problems and wanted to cancel. They said they were trying to call every person that ordered one on 11/13 to confirm they really wanted the order. I politely said, "Wouldn't it have been easier to send an email to this effect to 5000 people ( their estimate) or at least an email stating what they were doing?" Anyway, now they say my order will go through ( although they have had my money since saturday) . I am keeping the faith and hope things will work out. I asked them (6Ave) if I could return if have problem and they said they would give full refund, I am still trying to get confirmation on the return shipping charges but I guess if you don't open the box you should be able to return it w/o paying; denial of delivery?

Anyway, I have a beef with 6Ave on how they handled this portion of it, nice of them to want to personally talk to everyone but not feasible in a timely manner.:mad:

[DaveMN]

I'm not a young man like you. :o
Thank you for making my day. :D

[rbendorf]

After deciding to cancel me order, and emailing 6ave.com, I just got the following short email from them:

Helpdesk <customerservice@6ave.com> Wed, Nov 17, 2010 at 8:57 AM
To: "Richard J. Bendorf" <rbendorf@gmail.com>
Dear Richard,

Your order is ready to ship. Your order is eligible for the previous deal posted earlier. If you have any problems Please do not hesitate to call us for assistace. Please advice if you still wish to cancel.

Thank you,
Jessica Penafiel
877-684-2831

I will wait for the unit to arrive and then, up for a good fight, I will engage Tivo. For me it is now the principal of the thing and not the money. I have two other Tivos, a series 2 with lifetime, and an HD with $99 yearly service. From what I can gather through the great deal of chatter on the forums, Tivo loyalty is amazing and "old guys" i.e. early adopters, would like for Tivo to work this out.

I will also restate/share another thought that I have heard...at present Tivo pricing is arbitrary and inconsistent. It seems that this "promotion" was not thought out well and aimed at new adopters with little or no regard for loyal customers. I also appears to me that this is sloppy marketing/management. Tivo really needs to come up with some kind of statement to clarify or mollify their existing customer base.

This is akin to a soap opera and it will be interesting to see what the final outcome is.

Peace,

Rich

[mec1991]

Thank you for making my day. :D

:)

[netringer]

I called 6ave to make sure my order wasn't canceled. For me it was my first contact and I haven't heard anything other than my order acknowledgment on 11/13.

Scary part: The automated order status system searches by phone number. After two tries it didn't know of an order on mine.

The scoop:

The first thing out of her mouth is "You can still get the old $12.95 rate... Some TiVo CSRs don't know but ask for a supervisor." Does that mean MSD and lifetime? I didn't ask.

You can send the Premiere back to 6ave if you can't get the old sub rate from TiVo. I didn't verify if they will pay return shipping.

NO, 6ave is not canceling orders. They are calling people who had called to cancel to offer them the chance to uncancel.

Almost does not compute: 6ave is also calling all the (over 600!) people who ordered to make sure they still want the Premiere, because in some cases people are saying they don't want to deal with the hassle of possibly having to ask Tivo repeatedly to get the old subscription rate deal.

I've decided to stay with the bet I placed. I told her to mark me as wanting it. My Premiere should be shipped although maybe 6ave will still call me.

[atmuscarella]

I called 6ave to make sure my order wasn't canceled. For me it was my first contact and I haven't heard anything other than my order acknowledgment on 11/13.

Scary part: The automated order status system searches by phone number. After two tries it didn't know of an order on mine.

The scoop:

The first thing out of her mouth is "You can still get the old $12.95 rate... Some TiVo CSRs don't know but ask for a supervisor." Does that mean MSD and lifetime? I didn't ask.

NO, 6ave is not canceling orders. They are calling people who had called to cancel to offer them the chance to uncancel.

Almost does not compute: 6ave is also calling all the (over 600!) people who ordered to make sure they still want the Premiere, because in some cases people are saying they don't want to deal with the hassle of possibly having to ask Tivo repeatedly to get the old subscription rate deal.

I've decided to stay with the bet I placed. I told her to mark me as wanting it. My Premiere should be shipped although maybe 6ave will still call me.I used their live chat this morning (I also ordered on the 13th early AM) and was told they were backed up due to high order volume and expect to get the Tivos shipped out Thursday and Friday. I didn't ask anything about the service rates; either I will get Liftetime for $299 or I will not sub the unit and just eat the $100 and keep it for spare parts, as I am fairly sure I will end up buying a Premiere sooner or later.

Thanks,

[SmittyJ]

UPDATE
My first e-mail to Tivo was rejected, despite clearly laying out the purchase date and such.

My second e-mail, in which I linked to their terms and conditions, pointed out the relevant parts (2.1 and 2.2, specifically), and advised them that I had sent a copy of all info to legal counsel, resulted in an apology and an offer of $299 lifetime service using my MSD.

There has been a lot of confusion surrounding the Premiere's purchased from 6th Avenue on the 13th for $99 since they were not supposed to be sold at that priced until the 14th. Since the terms and conditions do state that units purchased before the 14th are eligible for the normal service fees you will be able to activate service on your new Premiere with Product Lifetime Service and you do qualify for the Multi Service Discount so it will be $299.

Take this with a grain of salt for two reasons. 1) This still appears to be a front line rep. I don't see "supervisor" or "manager in her title. I can see someone else apologizing for her response and starting this all over again. 2) My Tivo isn't here yet, so it hasn't been activated. All I have is promises at this point, which aren't worth spit.

If people keep getting denied after receiving their units, please post it here. That info will be useful to my lawyer if we decide to go forward with this.

[smbaker]

UPDATE
My first e-mail to Tivo was rejected, despite clearly laying out the purchase date and such.

What is the email address folks are using for this? I'd like to get started on getting approval for mine as well.

[alyssa]

We're you in touch with 6ave at all?


No, I was going to call them this morning but an illness got in the way.
Thanks to all who called & posted their results!

[SmittyJ]

What is the email address folks are using for this? I'd like to get started on getting approval for mine as well.

It's not technically e-mail. You have to communicate with them via the Tivo web site. They reply via e-mail, but you still have to log in and use the site to respond.

[~kyle]

I emailed 6ave this morning simply asking for the status of my order I placed on the 13th and received this reply:

Dear Kyle,

Your order is in processing. Should be shipping within the next 3-5 business days. Once it ships you will receive an email confirmation with a tracking number.

Thank you,
Jessica Penafiel
877-684-2831

This is the first time they've contacted me since I got my order confirmation.

[MediaLivingRoom]

And TiVo wonders why they are losing Stand Along TiVo sales, the people who cheer for TiVo and such are being treated badly.

Case is point, how many post are on the site for TiVo related posting in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.

How many stand alone subs are they losing over all, they are losing more per month they they gain from retail.

I bet a lot of people who use to post here were TiVo fans and some are bitter TiVo users.

[miadlor]

I purchased on the 12th from 6th ave. and received it yesterday. I called TiVo and just stated I wanted to activate it. The rep asked what option I wished to have and he read off Lifetime $299. (This is my 5th). Never asked me anything else. All activated. I wish I could have gotten the $199 deal. Didn't really ask.

[trip1eX]

After being continually denied lifetime service on my 6ave 11/12 purchase, I send-off a politely worded email to customer service, basically accusing them of fraud and not honoring their own published terms of service. An hour later I received notice that they would honor the lifetime, along with a reference number to mention when I activate the box. You probably just need to complain loud enough, and it probably doesn't hurt that I've been a multi-unit customer for a long time. In the end, I'm happy they're doing the right thing, even though I'm not happy about the path required to get there.

Can you post a copy of the email? I'd like to use it and see if I can get lifetime. I could send my own, but it would interesting to see if the same exact email with the details changed around to fit my tivo history would get the same result. :)

[~kyle]

Just got my shipping confirmation about an hour ago. :D

[Wingershute]

Just coincidentally, there is a class action lawsuit settlement against computer maker HP. The settlement provides small refunds to purchasers/gift receivers of certain HP printers. I won't go into detail but the settlements allege that HP used false pop up messages that confused the users into believing their printers were low on ink or made the printers to stop working all together.
This does not pertain to Tivo but I can envision customers becoming so fustrated with this disastrous policy that a class action lawsuit may be coming.

Check out the settlement:
https://www.hpinkjetprintersettlement.com/Default.aspx

[mec1991]

Still no phone call or email from 6ave here and my bank account is still $99 "over".

Logged into Amazon Payments and the order status is listed as open, so I guess they did not cancel my order of the 13th after all.

We shall see in another day or two, I guess. :confused:

[NullQwerty]

After reading on this thread that 6ave was calling up cancelled orders and asking if they wanted to uncancel them, I decided to call 6ave. I asked if it was true. She said it was. I asked if we would definitely get the $13 per month price. She said they've been working with Tivo all week and yes we would definitely get the old pricing, but that I needed to ask to speak to a supervisor. I asked if she uncanceled my order, would the receipt still show it was ordered on the 13th. She said it would. I asked if Tivo wouldn't honor the old pricing, would they still accept the return and would they still pay for return shipping. She said they would. So I asked her to uncancel my order and she did. Took like 5 seconds. I think she said it would be ship on Friday. She actually had a list of all cancelled Tivo orders in front of her.

We'll see. Time will tell. Scheduled the CableCard install in the mean time.

[cherry ghost]

I had no problem getting lifetime for $299 on a Premiere bought from Amazon for $99. Just call in and plead your case.

[SmittyJ]

I had no problem getting lifetime for $299 on a Premiere bought from Amazon for $99. Just call in and plead your case.

This is a new wrinkle. What case did you plead? I wasn't aware that Amazon was selling the cheaper units prior to the 14th. I thought only 6ave.com fell in that boat, hence the reason some of us qualify for the old pricing.

[gespears]

NO, 6ave is not canceling orders. .

This is NOT true. I received this from 6th ave:

We are writing to confirm the cancellation of your order.

This cancellation will be processed within 24 hours and the charge on your credit card account will be released within 3-5 business days or less. Please note that credit cards are not charged until orders are shipped. If you have further questions, please contact Customer Service toll free at 1-877-684-2831 or email us at customerservice@6ave.com.


Sincerely,

Sixth Avenue Electronics

Customer Service

I did not ask to cancel the order. They did this on their own accord.:mad:

[netringer]

This is NOT true. I received this from 6th ave:

We are writing to confirm the cancellation of your order.

...I did not ask to cancel the order. They did this on their own accord.:mad:

Maybe 6ave couldn't reach you when they called to verify? That could have happened to me since I'm likely to not have recognized the name calling me.

Call and see if you can uncancel.

I got an email notice that mine shipped - after I called.

[~kyle]

Maybe 6ave couldn't reach you when they called to verify? That could have happened to me since I'm likely to not have recognized the name calling me.

Call and see if you can uncancel.

I got an email notice that mine shipped - after I called.

I got my email notice that mine shipped just a few hours after I emailed them to get the status. It makes me wonder if they would have cancelled mine if I hadn't asked about it.

[GPT999]

I got my email notice that mine shipped just a few hours after I emailed them to get the status. It makes me wonder if they would have cancelled mine if I hadn't asked about it.

Yeah, I got email last night that my unit has shipped, after talking to them yesterday am...

[MediaLivingRoom]

TiVo Customer Support said to me that all sales from 6ave.com that were placed before 11/14 will honor the older policy based on your account details regardless of price paid.

[gespears]

Maybe 6ave couldn't reach you when they called to verify? That could have happened to me since I'm likely to not have recognized the name calling me.

Call and see if you can uncancel.

I got an email notice that mine shipped - after I called.

I didn't miss a call or get a message. Anyway I emailed them today because I couldn't call. They sent a message saying that they must not have been able to charge my credit card. That's funny because I paid using a paypal balance. I emailed them back again saying I wanted the order reinstated but have not received another response yet.

[mec1991]

I emailed 6ave yesterday but it was most likely too late in the day to hear from them so I hope for a reply today.

It has been about 36 hours since I received an automated email from TiVo saying they would respond to my inquiry within 24 hours.

So I am still pretty much in the dark. :(

[alyssa]

The reply I got yesterday from 6th ave was;
Thanks for your e-mail. In regards to your order, it is currently in process to be shipped within 1-3 business days. Thanks.

eta; I left a message via the chat thingy

[wjdennen]

for what it's worth, mine shipped from 6ave late yesterday (Thursday 11/18) afternoon.

[mec1991]

Just received an email from Jasmine Whitaker at 6ave letting me know it has been shipped and that I will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours with tracking information. :up:

Now if only TiVo will live up to their own agreement terms.

[mec1991]

As a quick followup, I just got an email from Adam at TiVo Customer Service saying there should be no problem when I call to activate and choose the plan I want. He gave me a reference number to give the CSR I speak with. :up:

Maybe they do read these forums after all.

[smbaker]

Something a little weird with the shipping from this outfit. This morning I email asking when it's going to ship and then 30 seconds later, I get an email that it just shipped. This from an order placed on the morning of the 13th.

To anyone whose order hasn't shipped yet, try sending them an email, maybe they're holding them back for some reason.

[lessd]

Something a little weird with the shipping from this outfit. This morning I email asking when it's going to ship and then 30 seconds later, I get an email that it just shipped. This from an order placed on the morning of the 13th.

To anyone whose order hasn't shipped yet, try sending them an email, maybe they're holding them back for some reason.

I think they (6av) got way overloaded on the 12th when people thought that they could purchase a TP for $99 AND get the current TiVo service pricing that was on the TiVo web sight that day, what a deal!!
This has been a nightmare for both 6th av and TiVo, just give 6av some time and you will get your TiVo, getting the old service price on it is another thing altogether

[kidvicious1973]

Whats the big deal on the price, Amazon has them for $99. Dont you still have to pay the $20 per month sub if you dont have lifetime sub?

[smbaker]

Whats the big deal on the price, Amazon has them for $99. Dont you still have to pay the $20 per month sub if you dont have lifetime sub?

The big deal was that they went on sale 2 days before the Tivo service fees went up. It's of no consequence now to anyone who didn't order before Nov 14th.

[lessd]

Whats the big deal on the price, Amazon has them for $99. Dont you still have to pay the $20 per month sub if you dont have lifetime sub?

The big deal is that 6th Av started selling the $99 TP on Nov 13th when the old service plan was on TiVos web sight, Amazon did not start selling the $99 TP until Nov 14th when the new service plan was on the TiVo web sight. People who purchased on the 13th had no way to know that the TiVo service plan would change the next day. As of now people looking at the $99 TP on Amazon don't get any info about the new $20/month required.
And I don't know what you mean by $20 per month sub if you don't have lifetime sub? If you already had any TiVo with Lifetime, that would not change because TiVo is now selling the TP at $99.

[kidvicious1973]

The big deal is that 6th Av started selling the $99 TP on Nov 13th when the old service plan was on TiVos web sight, Amazon did not start selling the $99 TP until Nov 14th when the new service plan was on the TiVo web sight. People who purchased on the 13th had no way to know that the TiVo service plan would change the next day. As of now people looking at the $99 TP on Amazon don't get any info about the new $20/month required.
And I don't know what you mean by $20 per month sub if you don't have lifetime sub? If you already had any TiVo with Lifetime, that would not change because TiVo is now selling the TP at $99.


That explains a lot. I just bought one today, My first Tivo. I asked the customer service rep how much for two subscriptions. He said $20 each. Guess Ill only be using one.

[rbendorf]

That explains a lot. I just bought one today, My first Tivo. I asked the customer service rep how much for two subscriptions. He said $20 each. Guess Ill only be using one.

Welcome aboard. I have 2 Tivo machines and have enjoyed using the Tivo's over the years. I have a Series 2 and an HD machine and the new machines, i.e. HD and Premiere have nicer interfaces and much more capacity. Actually, I think they are a better buy than when I bought my first Tivo.

The 19.95 monthly fee may change at the end of your current subscription, so depending on whether or not they have the lifetime service, it might be a good deal.

[~kyle]

The big deal is that 6th Av started selling the $99 TP on Nov 13th....

Actually they started selling them at that price early evening of the 12th. It showed up before 8pm est on slickdeals.

[alyssa]

just got off chat with 6th ave.
me; got an eta on my order?
them; 24-48 business hours.
me; so it'll ship 10 to 11 days after the order was placed?
them; yes, we've got thousands of these shipping.
pause....pause
me; I've got nothing more to say. (what could I say, it's obviously abysmal)

eta; Has anyone who ordered a TP after 9:30am on Sat the 13 gotten a shipping notice?

[netringer]

...
eta; Has anyone who ordered a TP after 9:30am on Sat the 13 gotten a shipping notice?

Yes.
http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=8231373#post8231373

Saturday, November 13, 2010 12:36 AM
Thank you for your order number nnnnnnnn. Please take a moment to review your order details.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 4:45 PM
Your 6ave.com order has been shipped

Don't have it as of Friday PM.

[Pasty]

Just posting on my experience with TiVo, but first, I want to thank all of you that came before, both here and on SlickDeals, who no doubt made this easier for me.

It took me one call, 10 minutes, on the phone with Kevin and then Dave, his supervisor. Kevin was friendly and helpful. I told him that I had bought it Friday before all the TOS changes, and that I was advised by Customer Service to do a "Service Number Replacement" on my old S2DT box, which was costing me $9.95 with the MultiSubscriber Discount.

He got the number, typed it in, and we were done.

So, why the conversation with Dave the supervisor? I spoke with Dave because I wanted to make sure Kevin got credit for his hassle-free transition. I told Dave that I knew they've had a lot of headaches in the past weeks, and in light of that, I wanted to praise Kevin for his helpful attitude and doing the right thing.

I hope my experience is the same that you will have, but with 5 minutes to get done and 5 minutes to thank them for their service, I can't have asked for a better transition.

Good luck, all of you!

[mec1991]

Just received the official email with the tracking info; UPS says it will be delivered 11/24.

[alyssa]

netringer,
I'm glad you've at least gotten a shipping notice.
I ordered a unit about 9 hours *after* you did, at 9.30am ish. I'm wondering if the entire warehouse is so horrendously backed up or if they're deliberately slowing down the shipments.

[smbaker]

netringer,
I'm glad you've at least gotten a shipping notice.
I ordered a unit about 9 hours *after* you did, at 9.30am ish. I'm wondering if the entire warehouse is so horrendously backed up or if they're deliberately slowing down the shipments.

Send them an email asking status. I did and got a shipping notice 30 seconds later. Unfortunately, mine isn't going to be here until the 30th! Of course, it's not like I actually need it.

[lessd]

just got off chat with 6th ave.
me; got an eta on my order?
them; 24-48 business hours.
me; so it'll ship 10 to 11 days after the order was placed?
them; yes, we've got thousands of these shipping.
pause....pause
me; I've got nothing more to say. (what could I say, it's obviously abysmal)

eta; Has anyone who ordered a TP after 9:30am on Sat the 13 gotten a shipping notice?

I ordered at about 2PM on the 13th and the unit arrived today VIA UPS Nov 19th, It was very well packed in a large box with popcorn packing and a nice invoice dated Nov 13th.

[hirschma]

I hope my experience is the same that you will have, but with 5 minutes to get done and 5 minutes to thank them for their service, I can't have asked for a better transition.

Good luck, all of you!

I wish I had some of your luck :(

I ordered on the 12th from 6ave; I have an existing (admittedly, unused) lifetime activated 02/2000.

First attempt to activate: they agreed to offer me a lifetime at $399. Nothing else. Told me that it didn't matter when I ordered the unit, nor if I had proof - just that they were going to treat it as a $99 unit, and they were "doing me a favor" by offering up a $399 lifetime.

Second: they agreed to do a $12.95 monthly, or a $399 lifetime. Nothing else.

Is this really the best that I can do? I really want to start using Tivo again, but man - they're not making it easy :(

Thanks for any suggestions.

[overFEDEXed]

I ordered at about 2PM on the 13th and the unit arrived today VIA UPS Nov 19th, It was very well packed in a large box with popcorn packing and a nice invoice dated Nov 13th.


I ordered at 11pm on the 12th, got my tracking number on the 18th. Delivery date is Monday the 22nd. I guess that they have so many people processing orders that there is no logical system in place.

I did buy one at Bestbuy yesterday for the heck of it. I will post my results after I go a couple of rounds with the Tivo csr's. I have a $6.95 HD that I wanted to swap out.

[alyssa]

... I guess that they have so many people processing orders that there is no logical system in place.
...
:up::up:
I ordered early morning of the 13th & just got a shipping notice. No eta, just a notice. I wonder if other items they've sold are as backed up on shipping. Some how I find that hard to believe. But stranger things have happened.

eta; now I've got to decide between swap out for a 6.95 unit, life time or add a unit for 12.95.....Hey, with MSD, can I get lifetime for $199? or is it $299? How can someone get the 199 price?

[kidvicious1973]

Welcome aboard. I have 2 Tivo machines and have enjoyed using the Tivo's over the years. I have a Series 2 and an HD machine and the new machines, i.e. HD and Premiere have nicer interfaces and much more capacity. Actually, I think they are a better buy than when I bought my first Tivo.

The 19.95 monthly fee may change at the end of your current subscription, so depending on whether or not they have the lifetime service, it might be a good deal.

From what I understand, at the end of one year, I have to call to change it to the plan where I am not subsidizing the cost of the DVR.

[lessd]

From what I understand, at the end of one year, I have to call to change it to the plan where I am not subsidizing the cost of the DVR.

That not what TiVos T&C say as of today, once a $99 TP is on the $19.95/month it always will be $19.95/month, just no commitment after the 1 year is up, just month to month. BUT 1 year from now all can change as it has from a year ago in the TiVo service plans, so we can all guess away but it will never produce an answer except $99 + $239.40 paid monthly for 1 year of service on $99 TP now.

[ex007]

Does anyone think this "special" is going to attract customers? It seems insane that someone would commit to a $20 p/month obligation. It makes no sense at all to me.

[shwru980r]

Yes, because it's cheaper for the first year. and then you only have a month to month commitment after that.

[ebf]

Does anyone think this "special" is going to attract customers? It seems insane that someone would commit to a $20 p/month obligation. It makes no sense at all to me.I think it would work IF the price was just a bit less than the standard cable co price. They had been touting how much better, and cheaper, TiVo is versus the cable co dvr up until this new change. If the monthly price had been $16.95, with a $99 box, even for two years, I think it would be more appealing to new customers.

[slowbiscuit]

Yes, because it's cheaper for the first year. and then you only have a month to month commitment after that.
But will it be at $20/mo. after the year as Tivo says, or can you switch to another plan? This is the big unknown with these 'marked' boxes.

[mec1991]

I went to do some online banking this morning and noticed my account was still $99 over, just like it was back on the 17th.

I then went to UPS to check the progress of the shipment and learned the status had not changed; although they still say it will be delivered 11/24 it is still in the "billing information received" state, meaning UPS does not have possession of the TiVo yet.

So despite my receiving two emails from 6ave and a third one from Amazon Payments informing me the order had shipped, it has not?

And yes, I have emailed 6ave.

[alyssa]

yeah, I checked the shipping status of my order & no change. My last communication stated 24-48 business hrs for shipment, ie tues or wen.

[noeltykay]

My order shipped over the weekend from 6AVE with a delivery date of 11/29. When I receive it I will call Tivo and activate the lifetime for $299 prior to opening the box. I will have my Tivo case number in hand. I was told by the CSR that I qualify for lifetime on my unit. Let's hope they keep to their word.

[lessd]

My order shipped over the weekend from 6AVE with a delivery date of 11/29. When I receive it I will call Tivo and activate the lifetime for $299 prior to opening the box. I will have my Tivo case number in hand. I was told by the CSR that I qualify for lifetime on my unit. Let's hope they keep to their word.

They will, don't worry, just be nice on the phone, TiVo has been easy to deal with if you have any upgrade offers on your account.

[dpalbsp]

Hi,

I will also receive my Premire on 11/29 (ordered on 11/13), is the $299 lifetime plan is for everybody who ordered before 11/14? I am hoping I will also get the 299 lifetime service.

thanks,

[netringer]

http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=13409&d=1290457994

Can't say much for the way it was packed. The poorly taped seals on the outer carton were open and it was leaking those work-of-satan Styrofoam peanuts. The shipping guys must have torn through the huge backlog stack.

[rbendorf]

http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=13409&d=1290457994

Can't say much for the way it was packed. The poorly taped seals on the outer carton were open and it was leaking those work-of-satan Styrofoam peanuts. The shipping guys must have torn through the huge backlog stack.

I just received my Premiere from 6ave and it was packed OK. On the other hand I did not get the Beaujolais nouveau...oh, well, I guess that I will have to settle for a California Cabernet.

Anyway, I just call Tivo and they offered my a lifetime for $299, which I took. They asked me to fax (no email) them a copy of the bill of sale from 6ave to verify that it was indeed purchased before the 14th.

I will let you know what happens.

[trip1eX]

Finally got lifetime on the pre-Nov 14th Premiere purchase.

Rejected the first few times.

Sent an email as someone suggested. Was asked to fax in receipt. and given reference number. Did that and called back today. And wha la.

Now I have 3 Premieres. :confused:

[smbaker]

Sent an email as someone suggested. Was asked to fax in receipt. and given reference number. Did that and called back today. And wha la.

Wrote them today and received a similar email asking for a receipt. Mine hasn't arrived from the ups truck yet, but I'm not worried anymore that I'm going to have problems purchasing lifetime. It looks like Tivo is gonna do the right thing.

[mec1991]

Glad everyone is having good luck. :up:

Mine is at least in transit now with a rescheduled date of 11/29.

[~kyle]

Finally got lifetime on the pre-Nov 14th Premiere purchase.

Rejected the first few times.

Sent an email as someone suggested. Was asked to fax in receipt. and given reference number. Did that and called back today. And wha la.

Now I have 3 Premieres. :confused:

Wrote them today and received a similar email asking for a receipt. Mine hasn't arrived from the ups truck yet, but I'm not worried anymore that I'm going to have problems purchasing lifetime. It looks like Tivo is gonna do the right thing.

What email address did you use? Where you both offered $299 lifetime?

[smbaker]

What email address did you use? Where you both offered $299 lifetime?

I used the online form (somewhere under the section about contacting support). I explained to them when I purchased it (13th), listed the section in the terms (2.1) that mentioned the date of the 14th, let them know I was expecting to get lifetime for $299 (I listed the price), and asked for confirmation of this.

[~kyle]

I used the online form (somewhere under the section about contacting support). I explained to them when I purchased it (13th), listed the section in the terms (2.1) that mentioned the date of the 14th, let them know I was expecting to get lifetime for $299 (I listed the price), and asked for confirmation of this.

Thanks, I recieived mine today but haven't contacted them yet. I wonder if I should try calling first or just send an email.

[gespears]

Well after sending more emails asking why they canceled my order, and 6th ave still saying there was a billing problem (not true, I paid by PayPal and they actually issued a refund to my PayPal account after they canceled the order,) I called them and they said the supervisor had canceled the order and they had to talk to him. Then they came back to the phone after several minutes and said they would reissue the order. They then transferred me to the sales department where after again going over everything the salesman said "oh I've heard about these PayPal orders." I'm not sure what all this meant but they did reinstate the order.

[GPT999]

Well after sending more emails asking why they canceled my order, and 6th ave still saying there was a billing problem (not true, I paid by PayPal and they actually issued a refund to my PayPal account after they canceled the order,) I called them and they said the supervisor had canceled the order and they had to talk to him. Then they came back to the phone after several minutes and said they would reissue the order. They then transferred me to the sales department where after again going over everything the salesman said "oh I've heard about these PayPal orders." I'm not sure what all this meant but they did reinstate the order.

Huh! I paid with PayPal and had no problems. Me thinks they had some "problems" on their side and are not owning up to it. My unit is arriving today and I hope the activation goes smoothly as it has for some of you!

[~kyle]

I paid with Paypal as well, got mine yesterday with no problems.

[andrews777]

Anyone had any luck applying their "upgrade" offer to these units? I am about to buy another one and I have 2 (or perhaps 3 if you believe the Tivo site) upgrades still available.

Brad

[netringer]

Anyone had any luck applying their "upgrade" offer to these units? I am about to buy another one and I have 2 (or perhaps 3 if you believe the Tivo site) upgrades still available.


I just activated my 6ave $95 Premiere with $299 Lifetime. No hassles whatsoever. I clearly said, "purchased on November 13th from 6th Ave Electronics."

The rep explained that I have 3 of the regular MSD "upgrades" remaining where I could have a Premiere with lifetime for $468. This one time $95 deal cost me $394.

I have never been offered the $199 deal because I have PLS on all except one S2DT on monthly.

The scary part? I activated the box before I opened the box, knowing that I can cancel service in the first 30 days.

When I hooked it up with HDMI, after the "starting up..." I got a green screen! I swore, damned my luck, power cycled and got a green screen again. Then I remembered I had the same problem with my recent S3 OLED. I connected the composite video to another old TV and there was the guided setup screen. WTF? How could a customer who didn't have my setup get past that? My HDTV doesn't even have composite inputs. I guess component works? [EDIT: I think I figured it out. My HDTV has three HDMI inputs and evidently only the first two have HDCP working, even though the Tivo said HDMI/HDCP was working. I swapped the cable at the TV and it worked seeing the TiVo. Just great. Defective by design.]

I called Comcast and they're coming out tomorrow. $16 for the truck roll. The good news there is I'll get a 5th CableCard for only $1.50 a month. I'm paying $9.45 and $7.95 + $1.50 (also $9.45) a month for the two cards each in my two S3s now.

[andrews777]

I wouldn't have "bought before the 14th" though. That is my concern.

Brad

[radiusmax]

Just received my 6ave.com Tivo Premiere today. Called Tivo and told them I purchased my 6ave.com Tivo Premiere on Nov 12th and would like to activate lifetime service on it. He went ahead and told me it would be $299.00 and activated the Tivo for me.

I have a Tivo HD with lifetime and a Series 2 that I had already called in to cancelled monthly service at the end of December.

No issues and simple.

[smbaker]

I wouldn't have "bought before the 14th" though.

In your case, you would not be eligible. There are people on the SD forums that openly admit to lying about the purchase date to get the lifetime deal, which is probably why Tivo is now requiring us to fax in receipts to prove our purchase date.

[slowbiscuit]

Which is also easy to get around, because it's dirt-simple to edit the order and 'fix' the date before you fax it in. It's not like they're going to call 6ave and verify yours was purchased before the 14th. Not that I'm recommending it btw, but it's something anyone with Notepad could do.

[smbaker]

It's not like they're going to call 6ave and verify yours was purchased before the 14th.

If people start submitting forged receipts, then they will.

[MediaLivingRoom]

TiVoPony,

Can you give us a final ruling on this purchased date vs activation date when is comes to the 6ave sales of 11/13? What if I wanted to wait until late Dec to activate?

[andrews777]

I already have 4 lifetime units (3 Tivo HDs, 1 Premier XL). Tivo needs to stop worrying about squeezing every last dollar out of me....

Brad

[MediaLivingRoom]

I already have 4 lifetime units (3 Tivo HDs, 1 Premier XL). Tivo needs to stop worrying about squeezing every last dollar out of me....

Brad

Right on!!!


When they say they have 1.5 million stand alone units, that really means 700,000 customers. Since the average person has about 2 TiVo's each.

[netringer]

I already have 4 lifetime units (3 Tivo HDs, 1 Premier XL). Tivo needs to stop worrying about squeezing every last dollar out of me....


:p I was just vowing that I need to stop jumping on every chance to get another TiVo deal. I even have spare parts!

[GPT999]

I got my unit today and just activated my Premiere for $299 for lifetime! Whew, I thought that was going to be harder! She gave the option w/o me asking so it went very smoothly. Now I will be looking at the Premiere HDD upgrade forum ;-)

[atmuscarella]

I am almost embarrassed to post what has happened with my deal. But thought others might find it interesting.


Order a Premiere from 6ave.com on 11/13 (about 7:00 am)
Received unit 11/23 - double boxed came in good shape
Called TiVo 4:00 pm 11/23 to purchase service - was told options were $19.99/mo only. Politely told the person I new that wasn't true and that I wanted to buy lifetime service for it. Was put on hold and then given fax number to fax receipt in and told to call back in 2 hours.
Faxed in receipt and waited until 6:00 pm called back gave them my case number. They looked it up and told me I was approved for $199 lifetime for the unit.
Purchased lifetime for $199 (plus tax because I live in NY).


The above is somewhat amazing to me because I never mentioned wanting lifetime service for $199 (actually never mention anything about price). It was there first offer to me.

So I ended up buying a Premiere with lifetime service for $295 (plus tax).

I could not be happier and really thing TiVo provided me with an exceptional deal.

Thanks,

[tcfcameron]

I am almost embarrassed to post what has happened with my deal. But thought others might find it interesting.


Order a Premiere from 6ave.com on 11/13 (about 7:00 am)
Received unit 11/23 - double boxed came in good shape
Called TiVo 4:00 pm 11/23 to purchase service - was told options were $19.99/mo only. Politely told the person I new that wasn't true and that I wanted to buy lifetime service for it. Was put on hold and then given fax number to fax receipt in and told to call back in 2 hours.
Faxed in receipt and waited until 6:00 pm called back gave them my case number. They looked it up and told me I was approved for $199 lifetime for the unit.
Purchased lifetime for $199 (plus tax because I live in NY).


The above is somewhat amazing to me because I never mentioned wanting lifetime service for $199 (actually never mention anything about price). It was there first offer to me.

So I ended up buying a Premiere with lifetime service for $295 (plus tax).

I could not be happier and really thing TiVo provided me with an exceptional deal.

Thanks,

I bought mine under the same circumstances, same price, same reseller, escalated the matter all the way to the top, and was told that the computer simply would not allow $199 Lifetime Service as an option. I was told $299 was the absolute best that could be done, due to it being one of the promotional units that 6th Ave started selling early. I offered to fax my receipt, begged, then eventually allowed them to charge the $299.

I have four TiVo HDs that are all listed under "see my upgrade offers".
The two that have Lifetime service, produce offers of $30-off full price on a Premiere + Lifetime service on the new unit for $199 (while retaining LT on the THD).
The two that are monthly, produce offers of $100-off full price on a Premiere, and no Lifetime (discount) offer.
These offers are, of course, supposed to only be applicable to units ordered directly from TiVo.

Now I am extremely p'd off. I spent days calling, waiting far callbacks, returning calls, can't even remember how many calls total...

But, good for you. Also, good for all the others that have been able to get Lifetime Service, on these units, at all. Things are definitely working out better than I had predicted, early on. Last I heard, from my top level source, was that each case would be determined on an individual basis. But, I just don't understand the disparity in Lifetime service pricing. $100 is a substantial amount of money, period.

Is there anything you could share with the rest of us, that may help those of us who paid $299 to be able to help us get the $100 difference back?

Anything would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[mec1991]

It may depend on what you currently have an upgrade offer for. When I checked the website the other day I noticed I have an upgrade offer for my old lifetime Sony S1 TiVo for $199. The offers on my other TiVos are for $399.

I am hoping for $199 naturally but would gladly accept $299. :)

[~kyle]

I activated my Premiere about an hour ago for $299 with no problems whatsoever. I did email them first and I did fax them my dated invoice.

The lady I spoke with was very pleasant and helpful, I gave her good marks on their survey afterwards.