# New System Message



## spitfires

New System Message this morning


> Subject:	TiVo's hooked up with Virgin Media in the UK
> From:	The TiVo Team
> Date:	Fri 4th Feb 2011
> Expire:	Fri 18th Feb 2011
> 
> If you are on the cable footprint, you can get Virgin Media's top TV package and a brand new TiVo box at a very special price. Find out about more and be one of the first to get this offer at virginmedia.com/tivoupgrade.


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## cwaring

So you can't find anything to complain about in this message? Bet that's annoying the hell out of you


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## mikerr

No system messages for the best part of ten years, and we even questioned if it was possible - now It's almost a weekly mail!


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## Milhouse

The way it is phrased does at least suggest they are aware not everyone can sign up for the new VM TiVo, which is (hopefully) promising.


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## Andy C

Some people are being sent a tivo remote with a web link to a web address for install. They are not paying a penny, free tivo, no install or activation fee and no monthly charge...


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## Milhouse

Andy C said:


> Some people are being sent a tivo remote with a web link to a web address for install. They are not paying a penny, free tivo, no install or activation fee and no monthly charge...


eh?


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## cwaring

^ I was just thinking the exact same thing.

Andy C, rhat's a really bad first attempt at Trolling. Perhaps you need some guidance. I can suggest a couple of names, if you like


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## Milhouse

cwaring said:


> Milhouse. That's a really bad first attempt at Trolling. Perhaps you need some guidance. I can suggest a couple of names, if you like


eh? 

Maybe I'm just having a bad day... who are you saying is a troll? Hopefully not me...


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## cwaring

Sorry. Looks like _I'm_ the one having the bad day  Wrong attribution. Post corrected.


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## frobozz

cwaring said:


> ^ I was just thinking the exact same thing.
> 
> Andy C, rhat's a really bad first attempt at Trolling. Perhaps you need some guidance. I can suggest a couple of names, if you like


I've just been over to cableforum and he is NOT trolling!

It looks like a 1000 VIP's are getting tree Tivo and no monthly fee. The original poster also uploaded some photos of the letter he received. He didn't do a good job of disguising the unique url in the letter either (it's easy to guess it) so you can watch his video too 

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11/33674585-one-of-a-thousand.html


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## Milhouse

frobozz said:


> I've just been over to cableforum and he is NOT trolling!
> 
> It looks like a 1000 VIP's are getting tree Tivo and no monthly fee. The original poster also uploaded some photos of the letter he received. He didn't do a good job of disguising the unique url in the letter either (it's easy to guess it) so you can watch his video too
> 
> http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11/33674585-one-of-a-thousand.html


Nice.


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## Andy C

cwaring said:


> ^ I was just thinking the exact same thing.
> 
> Andy C, rhat's a really bad first attempt at Trolling. Perhaps you need some guidance. I can suggest a couple of names, if you like


C'mon guys, I've been on the forums and am old enough to know better than to troll! There's a thread on CF called One of a thousand from guys who have received the remote in the post... they can then go online and book an install date. These are people on VIP50. They are getting the boxes free by all accounts, some quotes...



> Just got a nice surprise A Tivo remote with my name on it. Apparently I'm one of 1000 customers to be given the Tivo. You get the remote in a nice box with your name on and a unique number to enter on a personalised webpage.
> 
> When you go on the site the women in the video talks to you personally and shows you your remote with your name on. Very cool. You then fill in a form for installation and have a link for a tivo forum( that dosnt appear to be working yet)





> Yes free box and no tivo monthly fee for life, very generous.





> I had one too and hope it is free but how do we find out for certain?





> look on the back of the letter that is stuck inside your remote box, it says there.





> Another lucky (and very happy ) VIP50 user here. I got the remote this morning.


...and so on. Quite frankly VM are going to be making some customers happy, while the rest of us are getting fed up of the way this rollout is going.

Time to email Mark Davidson. It's his name on the bottom of the letter.

A.


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## Andy C

frobozz said:


> I've just been over to cableforum and he is NOT trolling!


Thank you 

A.


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## frobozz

Andy C said:


> Thank you
> 
> A.


No problem. Have you tried putting your name in the url, instead of the OP to find out if you are on the list? I'm not  but then I'm not VIP


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## Andy C

frobozz said:


> No problem. Have you tried putting your name in the url, instead of the OP to find out if you are on the list? I'm not  but then I'm not VIP


Well I am on VIP50 but all I can see of the URL is tivo.virg.... I've got a fair idea which I'll try, but feel free to PM the full URL. 

Cheers,

A.


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## frobozz

Andy C said:


> but feel free to PM the full URL.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> A.


Done. Best of luck.


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## Andy C

frobozz said:


> Done. Best of luck.


No PM waiting mate... fancy giving it another bash? Ta.

A.


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## frobozz

Andy C said:


> No PM waiting mate... fancy giving it another bash? Ta.
> 
> A.


Sorry I think I may have sent email rather than PM. second time lucky


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## Andy C

Thanks for that, no such luck here tho


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## Andy C

If you find a name that works the video says they will never have to pay for their tivo service for life as a thank you. Can't say I'm happy about his the amount I pay them in service charges each month!


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## cwaring

My apologies to Andy C but then I also wasn't being _entirely_ serious.


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## deshepherd

frobozz said:


> I've just been over to cableforum and he is NOT trolling!
> 
> It looks like a 1000 VIP's are getting tree Tivo and no monthly fee. The original poster also uploaded some photos of the letter he received. He didn't do a good job of disguising the unique url in the letter either (it's easy to guess it) so you can watch his video too
> 
> http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11/33674585-one-of-a-thousand.html


Not unreasonable ... peopel subscribing to the VIP pacakage are meant to be getting the best package VM offer. I think in the past they appeared to get a better deal on V+ boxes ... but of course its all smoke'n'mirrors with the way all the component prices get added together then a "VIP discount" is applied. I'm sure that over time these discounts can be "adjusted" so that VM make the money they want.

Anyway, remember when V-Tivo launch was first discussed I think there was intially an implicit assumption that it would only be available for the VIP package at the start.


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## VirginMediaPhil

Turns out that it is entirely random and by choice. Somebody who is not on VIP and joined VM only last week received a remote...

I'm sorry, but as a loyal VM customer for 9 years this year stretching back to Telewest Active Digital, this is a really huge kick in the teeth. You can't even say it is a marketing campaign, because if it was, there would be ads like "Were you one of the lucky 1000?" etc. It's all a bit insulting really. Why should some chap who only joined last week, and hasn't even registered for TiVo, get free TiVo for life and a thank you instead of someone who has paid every month since 2002 without threatening to leave? Complete and utter tosh if you ask me. Really feel let down right now. Completely unreasonable.


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## M_at

VirginMediaPhil said:


> Turns out that it is entirely random and by choice. Somebody who is not on VIP and joined VM only last week received a remote...
> 
> I'm sorry, but as a loyal VM customer for 9 years this year stretching back to Telewest Active Digital, this is a really huge kick in the teeth. You can't even say it is a marketing campaign, because if it was, there would be ads like "Were you one of the lucky 1000?" etc. It's all a bit insulting really. Why should some chap who only joined last week, and hasn't even registered for TiVo, get free TiVo for life and a thank you instead of someone who has paid every month since 2002 without threatening to leave? Complete and utter tosh if you ask me. Really feel let down right now. Completely unreasonable.


IT'S A MARKETING CAMPAIGN.

1000 people, each of which are getting a remote, are going to talk about it. Whether they are VIP50 subscribers or not they are going to talk about it.

Maybe they're people who make a lot of calls or people who send a lot of email.

Maybe they're random. May be they're not - unless you've performed some analysis of the people they've sent these to you can not tell.

But one thing is for sure - they're going to be happy, they're going to feel a lot happier about TiVo than users who pay for it and they will provide word of mouth marketing for the product and Virgin Media.

Why did you not get it - either luck of the draw or because you're not seen by Virgin as being a positive viral marketing candidate - and as you've seen the negative in this action so quickly that may have been a good call by them.


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## VirginMediaPhil

M_at said:


> Why did you not get it - either luck of the draw or because you're not seen by Virgin as being a positive viral marketing candidate - and as you've seen the negative in this action so quickly that may have been a good call by them.


You're not helping by insulting me.


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## jonphil

I view it as no different to a competition. I would have loved a free Tivo, but to be honest I'm really happy to have spent &#163;149 for Tivo.
I'm not quite sure what all the fuss is about.
I hope nobody feel insulted by this comment, but why complain other people are getting something for free, you either want Tivo or you don't. Giving 1000 people a free one is a great way to get people talking about Tivo and they may well have targeting people who showed no interest on purpose so they realise what Tivo is all about and tell friends who then decide to purchase one.
It is a way of marketing the product, that's all.


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## dvdfever

M_at said:


> IT'S A MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
> 
> 1000 people, each of which are getting a remote, are going to talk about it. Whether they are VIP50 subscribers or not they are going to talk about it.


Have all 1000 been given out, do we know?


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## Tony Hoyle

Probably.. but I bet about 500 think 'nothing is ever free' and bin it


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## M_at

Just so that people understand - I don't mind having a remote with Maureen or Phyliss written on the back so please send me your unwanted named remotes and letters 

Or if Virgin could just call me that'd be grand too.

But if the post I just saw elsewhere is anything to go by and there were 40,000 registrations on the web site I may have a little while to wait - even though I signed up in the first day or two.


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## frobozz

M_at said:


> Just so that people understand - I don't mind having a remote with Maureen or Phyliss written on the back so please send me your unwanted named remotes and letters


From what I have read in other threads the existing remote can control most Tivo functions. That means vice versa must be true and the Tivo remote will control a V+. As the Tivo remote is the best invented, EVER ( my daughter even used it as an example of brill design in an A level project and got an 'A').

They have already won IMHO.


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## Pete77

mikerr said:


> No system messages for the best part of ten years, and we even questioned if it was possible - now It's almost a weekly mail!


On my S1 this new system message from Virgin has replaced the previous one as I never deleted that.

Also like the previous system message from Virgin it did not cause the new message waiting icon to illuminate on my Tivo in the normal menus or in the EPG screen in Live Tv. Only messages about channel changes generated by the box itself during the normal daily update seem to cause the message waiting icon to illuminate.

At least the changed message from Virgin must mean that Virgin sales people have encountered quite a few unhappy S1 users who are not in the Virgin cable area during their telesales activities so Virgin should now be beginning to be aware of the issue.


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## Tony Hoyle

Pete77 said:


> At least the changed message from Virgin must mean that Virgin sales people have encountered quite a few unhappy S1 users who are not in the Virgin cable area during their telesales activities so Virgin should now be beginning to be aware of the issue.


Or they read this forum 

I expect there are a few VM marketing bods hanging around here and other forums getting a feel for what we're saying.


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## RichardJH

Taken from http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/35168419-post151.html

Dear Mr ,

Thanks for your email, we are always grateful to receive feedback from our customers. I am very sorry that you feel disappointed by our Tivo roll out, I can assure you that we thought long and hard about how best to delight our customer base, and planned our customer communications very carefully. The first customers to get their hands on our new Tivo product was our staff last December, we are now in the process of going out to segments of our customer base and we will continue to do so until April when we open the offer out to new customers. We believe we have developed an offer for existing customers that is very compelling, and is better than the offer being made available to new customers, this is a core principle for us. The only new customers we have approached so far, as you indicated in your email, are some of the Tivo series 1 customers, and this is for some very specific contractual reasons which could not be avoided.

Thanks and regards,

Executive Director
Digital Entertainment
Virgin Media


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## Pete77

RichardJH said:


> *What is meant by the last line*
> 
> and this is for some very specific contractual reasons which could not be avoided.


They presumably mean that Tivo contractually required Virgin to offer the new Virgin Tivo to existing UK S1 customers who were not existing Virgin customers at the same time as it was offered to certain special select groups of existing Virgin customers.


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## Trinitron

That Tivo insisted on offering it to _their_ loyal customers first, and not to the VM masses?


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## big_dirk

Trinitron said:


> That Tivo insisted on offering it to _their_ loyal customers first, and not to the VM masses?


afraid so


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## jodie98deg

Trinitron said:


> That Tivo insisted on offering it to _their_ loyal customers first, and not to the VM masses?


...which is absolutely fine if this is how it is to be played out however, I just wish communication between VM and existing customers had been better. I don't mind getting TiVo in the final stages if I KNEW / KNOW this from regular communication from VM.


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## jonphil

The thing I get from the messages on here is the age old thing of;

you can't please everyone!

No matter how Virgin decided to target the first people to get Tivo's someone would be upset about it. 
Tivo has been a long time returning to the UK and I don't know why it's made so many people on this forum turn really quite childish.
Phone calls only started on Monday, so it's unreasonable to expect everyone to have been contacted in that time considering the number of wasted calls they must be getting with people being out.


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## jodie98deg

jonphil said:


> Tivo has been a long time returning to the UK and I don't know why it's made so many people on this forum turn really quite childish.


johphil I'm sure you're speaking in general but just in case that's directed towards me as well, I reiterate I've no problem with who gets anything first, what I *DO * have a problem with is lack of communication and I stand by that regardless of what is said!!

Communication as ever is key!!


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## smokie

I would have thought that lifetime sub holders who already have VM ought to have been the target (or even VM XL). Then they would know that the product would get rapturous applause (from most), which would spread fairly quickly as nerdy TiVo owners love going on forums to talk about their devices 

I've had all services, first from Telecential then NTL then Virgin, since they first laid cable in the road (mid to late 90s?). I pay for three V+ boxes and a stadard box, and also have phone, internet and two Virgin mobile phones. I'm a bit miffed that I didn't qualify...


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## redpizza

jodie98deg said:


> Communication as ever is key!!


I agree. I was very happy when I was phoned as an existing S1 owner and given the opportunity to pay £149 plus £3pm. Yesterday I find out that people on VIP50 are getting them for free! I'm on VIP100 so what should I do? Surely they must start offering VIP100 customer Tivo for free (there can't be many of us).

I guess in a couple of days there will be another "special" offer for customers who watch a lots of Movies on Demand, or some other marketing criteria. Why can't Virgin just say what people are going to pay, and if they will get Tivo for free in their package or not. People don't like to look like fools paying full whack and then finding out it's discounted or free the next day.

I'm cancelling my Tivo install, as I'm certainly not paying out £150 and then finding it free on my package a couple of days later. I've waited years for Tivo on VM, so I guess I can wait a couple of months - they might have added the 3rd tuner by then.


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## JayAy

redpizza said:


> ... Yesterday I find out that people on VIP50 are getting them for free!


The 1000 free was not restricted to VIP50, but was across the board of all VM customers.


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## cwaring

Indeed. One person who received one has apparently only been a customer for a few weeks. So it looks completely random.


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## Pete77

cwaring said:


> Indeed. One person who received one has apparently only been a customer for a few weeks. So it looks completely random.


Well I don't think Virgin are behaving rationally in their current strategy, especially bearing in mind what an M package customer will otherwise be required to pay to upgrade the Tivo service.

All they are likely to do my dropping them randomly out of the Sky on many dumb and unappreciative box owners is to get a lot of other customer's backs up amongst people who desperately want one and/or cannot afford one under Virgin's normal "you must upgrade to XL" requirements.


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## cwaring

Where did anyone mention the 'M' Pack? It's more than likely that they are completely random but limited to customers with the 'XL' pack.


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## TCM2007

Most are VIP50 as I understand it.


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