Buying a TiVo + lifetime sub from Craigslist

[Puffy_McScrote]

Hey folks,

Saw a great deal on Craigslist from a guy trying to sell an 80hr TiVo with Lifetime Sub.
How would I go about activating that? Would I buy it then add it to my account? Is this a good idea?

[TivoGuy30]

Hey folks,

Saw a great deal on Craigslist from a guy trying to sell an 80hr TiVo with Lifetime Sub.
How would I go about activating that? Would I buy it then add it to my account? Is this a good idea?


Thought Tivo wasn't sellng Lifetime Subscriptions anymore?

[funtoupgrade]

Saw a great deal on Craigslist from a guy trying to sell an 80hr TiVo with Lifetime Sub.
How would I go about activating that? Would I buy it then add it to my account? Is this a good idea?
Just call TiVo and add it to your account. Just get the owner's registered name and email address for his account.

[GoHokies!]

Thought Tivo wasn't sellng Lifetime Subscriptions anymore?
Doesn't mean that the boxes aren't available on the private market.

[TiVo Steve]

Bought over 250 TiVos via eBay, most
without problems - subbed & unsubbed units.
And I thought that I watched too much TV! :p

[brebeans]

Hi:

I didn't think that, because Tivo wasn't selling Lifetime subscriptions any longer that applied to previously purchased lifetimes.

I thought ALL lifetime subscriptions went with the Tivo Box if they were sold or given away. Otherwise, why would MY lifetime subscription stop on my lifetime boxes?

Can anyone help clarify this. I'm thinking of giving my box away to my sister , but if the lifetime subscription doesn't apply, what's the use?

Thanks.

[ashu]

Lifetime is for the Lifetime of the BOX, not the buyer.

It stays with the box, and can be transferred when the box transfers ownership.

I recently bought one from a family friend and xferrd the Lifetime to my new S3. No problem at all (not counting the long hold times and slower-than-optimal service ... which may have been an anomaly)

[petew]

I thought ALL lifetime subscriptions went with the Tivo Box if they were sold or given away. Otherwise, why would MY lifetime subscription stop on my lifetime boxes?


The registered owner can transfer lifetime to another box when Tivo have special promotions such as the S3 Lifetime promotion running till the end of the year. If you buy a box on ebay and don't transfer the ownership through Tivo, the previous owner can yank the lifetime out from under you.

[Einselen]

If you buy a box on ebay and don't transfer the ownership through Tivo, the previous owner can yank the lifetime out from under you.

Even if you do transfer it the previous owner can transfer it right back just as easily.

[brebeans]

HI:
Thanks. Well, I WANT to transfer this to someone else, so I won't be pulling it out from under.

My sister won't be transferring to S3, etc. I just want her to have the S2 with lifetime that I have. So, it sounds as if that is ok to do.

I always thought it was, but when I saw the previous post, it made me wonder.

Thanks.

Hopefully the box that I'll be giving away will have a few more good years in it.

[ashu]

HI:


Hopefully the box that I'll be giving away will have a few more good years in it.

That's a great gift to give someone :)

And even if the box 'dies', more often than not, it's just the hard drive - and that's easily rectified! Even power supplies can be replaced :)

You could pre-emptively open it, clean out the dust and switch to a new, quiet fan to partially guarantee a good next-phase lease of life to that TiVo!

[mattack]

Lifetime is for the Lifetime of the BOX, not the buyer.

Except for the DirecTivo, which is tied to the account.

[brebeans]

Hi:
thanks. This is not a DirecTivo.....it's a Tivo SA S2 80 hours, which I've had for about 31/2-4 yrs with NO problems.

If my sister doesn't want it, I guess I'll put it on Craig's list ebay...

[pdhenry]

Make sure the seller doesn't transfer the lifetime sub out from under you. There's only a limited time left for this, but someone with a lifetime sub in their account can transfer it to an S3 through (I think) January 2007. The best approach would be to verify lifetime on the box and then transfer it into your name ASAP.

There was a post around here somewhere from someone who bought a lifetimed S1 a few years ago. He didn't bother to transfer the lifetime to his account and the previous owner Xfered it on him.

[Einselen]

Make sure the seller doesn't transfer the lifetime sub out from under you.

Also keep an eye out to make sure that even after you transfer lifetime into your name that the seller does not transfer it back from right under you.