I saved this post figuring that it would be like pulling teeth to transfer my lifetime subscription at some time in the future. When I got a TiVoHD I found the process to be effortless. Before I said anything I was asked if I wanted to transfer my lifetime subscription. I read AVS Forum religiously and appreciated Richard Bullwinkle's tips and problem solving.
http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000797-3.html
posted January 21, 2000 10:35 PM
Okay, I'm back in this thread...
First of all, let me begin by stating that TiVo never had any intention of misleading anyone. The implications to that are unfounded, and not particularly well thought out. We have never wavered on what we meant by the lifetime policy. We understand that some of the phrasing on the original FAQ may have been unclear to some of you, but our modifications of the FAQ were intended to clarify the original policy, not change it mid-stream in any way. I myself have posted MANY posts stating that lifetime was for the life of the receiver, not the person. Check on this forum! Check on Usenet. I've never stated anything to the contrary.
Consider the competition. We created the Lifetime Subscription to compete against the idea of the Lifetime Service for the box being bundled into the cost of the box. When the Lifetime Service is bundled in the price of the receiver, there is less of a question as to whether it is the life of the person, or the receiver. We created the Lifetime Subscription to serve those who hate monthly fees.
On the other hand, many of you have stated different ways in which you have interpreted the policy, and we respect your opinions.
Here is the new FAQ I have posted today, January 21. We've worked pretty hard on this, and we're confident it's much clearer than the previous version - I hope you agree:
Q: What Does Lifetime Service Mean?
A: Lifetime Service:
- Applies to the lifetime of the receiver (not of the subscriber).
- Remains in effect after storage capacity upgrades by the manufacturer or an authorized vendor.
- Remains in effect when the receiver is repaired or replaced during service by the manufacturer or an authorized vendor.
- Accompanies the receiver in case of ownership transfer.
- Cannot be transferred to a receiver from a different manufacturer or to a receiver with a different model number.
- Each receiver purchased requires its own service subscription.
Moving forward, it seems that most of the questions that have been raised in this forum are cleared up by the new FAQ, but what do we do about those of you who misunderstood the earlier FAQ on Lifetime Service?
TiVo really cares about keeping our early adopters happy - if you misunderstood TiVo's Lifetime Service policy we want to help make it up to you. We will allow you to transfer your service to a new receiver made by any manufacturer. You will have to speak to a TiVo Customer Care Representative to get this done - tell them you are an "early adopter who wants the one-time exception to be allowed to transfer your Lifetime Service to a receiver from a different manufacturer" - your case will need to be escalated to an account specialist who will be able to complete the transfer. You don't have to worry about this until a new receiver that you fancy comes along, but when it does, and it will, call Customer Care with your new serial number and they will make it happen. This is not just for members of this forum, but any early customer who activated the TiVo service prior to today, January 21, 2000. We do, however, want to make clear that this is not a change of policy. This is a one time only exception that Customer Care has been empowered to make for our early customers (people who bought before we posted this new clarified FAQ).
We also, of course, hope that when you do upgrade you will pass along your old receiver at a fair price to someone who will also get a subscription to the Service, but that is not a condition to this deal.
I hope you guys find this to be fair.
Cheers,
Richard Bullwinkle
TiVo Webmaster