# Roamio Deals?



## Smirks

Has anyone been able to get or find any deals directly from Tivo or any other retailers?

I currently have two S3s which I want to replace with a Roamio Plus and a Mini (both with lifetime). One of my S3s has lifetime, the other has the grandfathered $6.99 MSD.

I've heard of some folks being able to get a $99 lifetime deal on existing S3s, which I could then use to bring up my MSD box and then turn around and sell it (with the other S3).

Guess I should just call Tivo directly to see what they offer, and if it's nothing good go with Weakness before their $25 off coupon expires...

Anywho, if you were able to get a deal from somewhere, post it here! Thx!


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## tivogurl

I haven't seen any, other than the Weaknees promo. The GROUPER promo is already dead.


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## Dan203

You can usually only get the $99 lifetime if you call and buy a new TiVo directly from TiVo.

Your S3s with lifetime should go for $200-$250 each, without lifetime maybe $40. So you'll add about $100 of resale to the monthly TiVo if you can get the $99 lifetime deal but you'll miss out on the $25 coupon and have to pay sales tax so your total savings will be only be about $50.


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## Smirks

Dan203 said:


> You can usually only get the $99 lifetime if you call and buy a new TiVo directly from TiVo.


I wonder if the mini applies. Then I could get the mini directly from Tivo to get the $99 lifetime upgrade, and then the Plus from Weakness.


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## Dan203

I don't think so. Plus the Mini is $11 cheaper on Amazon with no tax and free shipping, so that eats into that $25 coupon from Weaknees pretty good anyway.


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## Smirks

So if I did my math right, it looks like the best deal for now (not including tax and shipping), and if I can get the $99 LT upgrade, is to buy everything from Tivo.



Code:


[U][B]Scenario 1 - TiVo[/B][/U]
[I]Buy[/I]
Roamio Plus     $399.00
Roamio LT       $399.00
Mini            $99.00
Mini LT         $150.00
LT Upgrade      $99.00
[B][I]Total Buy[/I][/B]	$1,146.00 

[I]Resale[/I]	
Tivo HD         $250.00
Tivo HD         $250.00
[B][I]Resale Total[/I][/B]	$500.00 

[B][I]Grand Total[/I][/B]	$646.00 (buy - resale)
	
[B][U]Scenario 2 - Multiple[/U][/B]
[I]Buy[/I]	
Roamio Plus 	$375.00 (Weakness)
Roamio LT 	$399.00 (Tivo)
Mini            $88.00 (Amazon)
Mini LT         $149.00 (Tivo)
[B][I]Total Buy[/I][/B]	$1,011.00 

[I]Resale[/I]	
Tivo HD (LT)	$250.00 
Tivo HD (NS)	$40.00 
[B][I]Resale Total[/I][/B]	$290.00 

[B][I]Grand Total[/I][/B]	$721.00 (buy - resale)

Since that is the case I'll probably wait a few weeks to see if Tivo offers up any upgrade specials.


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## Dan203

Go with option #1 but buy the Mini from Amazon instead and save yourself about $20 in cost and taxes.


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## Smirks

Dan203 said:


> Go with option #1 but buy the Mini from Amazon instead and save yourself about $20 in cost and taxes.


Yes, yes, duh. Amazon has a warehouse in my state, so no tax savings for me.


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## innocentfreak

Smirks said:


> Yes, yes, duh. Amazon has a warehouse in my state, so no tax savings for me.


TiVo also charges taxes in most states iirc.


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## Smirks

They do, at least for me when I added stuff to my cart. (Haven't bought anything yet, though.)

Need to call them tonight to see if they have any unadvertised upgrade paths yet, and to see if I can get the $99 LT special.


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## tivogurl

innocentfreak said:


> TiVo also charges taxes in most states iirc.


Weaknees doesn't.


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## Tivogre

For what it's worth, I got the Best Buy in Springfield VA to match the weaknees promo of $40 off the Roamio Pro. 

I had to bring up the site on my ipad in the store and show them that it was listed in stock, and the promo code worked.

Was able to get out for $559 vs $599. 

YMMV.


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## TxDan

In August BB honored my birthday 10% coupon on a Pro. The very first time I got to use it over the years of receiving that coupon. He had to manually override to get the coupon to work.


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## the block

How is TiVo about Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals? I too want replace my lifetime'd Tivo HD with a Roamio Plus w/ lifetime & Mini w/ lifetime. I'm in no rush, and if they actually have decent sales around this time, I'm happy to wait. It just seems to me $1,050 + tax is a lot of money to plunk down on this.


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## aaronwt

Tivogre said:


> For what it's worth, I got the Best Buy in Springfield VA to match the weaknees promo of $40 off the Roamio Pro.
> 
> I had to bring up the site on my ipad in the store and show them that it was listed in stock, and the promo code worked.
> 
> Was able to get out for $559 vs $599.
> 
> YMMV.


I wish I had tried that since the Springfield store is where I purchased my first Pro and my replacement Pro. Although they did give me three years no interest on my purchase. And when I got a replacement they gave me a credit and I made a second purchase so I was able to get Reward Zone points on both purchases. So I got 1698 points which is just shy of $35 in Reward Zone dollars. Still not as good as $40 off.



TxDan said:


> In August BB honored my birthday 10% coupon on a Pro. The very first time I got to use it over the years of receiving that coupon. He had to manually override to get the coupon to work.


I only got a triple points coupon for my birthday. It's been a long time since I've received a percent off coupon from BestBuy and I've spent over $6K at BestBuy this year. And the Magnolia store couldn't even get the coupon entered into the Magnolia system. Although they did spend some time trying, but they said they have a separate system and couldn't do it.


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## BigJimOutlaw

the block said:


> How is TiVo about Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals? I too want replace my lifetime'd Tivo HD with a Roamio Plus w/ lifetime & Mini w/ lifetime. I'm in no rush, and if they actually have decent sales around this time, I'm happy to wait. It just seems to me $1,050 + tax is a lot of money to plunk down on this.


In the past they've run deals/price drops towards the end of quarters... March, June, September... For some reason I don't remember a lot of holiday sale pricing directly from Tivo on brand new DVRs. It might have happened. Maybe I'm just forgetting. But some resellers do run their own sales.

It wouldn't surprise me if they did some kind of bundle that discounted the Mini since that's been out for a short while now, but that's just conjecture.

With new fall-released DVRs (S3, Elite, Roamio*), March has been the historic price drop timeframe.

*Technically summer this time, but they hustled for a symbolic Aug 20 release since that was a "Blue Moon" day on the calendar.


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## imacericg

Amazon has the Roamio Basic for $195


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## HazelW

Sale: $599.98
Reg. Price: $599.99
You Save: $0.01


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## BlackBetty

HazelW said:


> Sale: $599.98
> Reg. Price: $599.99
> You Save: $0.01


Seriously? Seriously?


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## Keen

BlackBetty said:


> Seriously? Seriously?


Yeah, it's been that way for weeks now. I kept hoping it meant they were going to have an actual discount on them soon.


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## mandm1

I just emailed my sales rep at Abt.com and asked for a price quote on a Roamio Pro. She offered me a price of $538.00 with free shipping, and said that these were in stock now.

I then decided to call TiVo directly at (877) 289-8486 and ask what they could do for me. The phone sales rep said that they were just starting a promo for $100.00 off the Pro, so I purchased it for $500.00, along with PLS for $399.99 (multi-service discount) and a 3-year warranty for $39.99. Total came to $939.98.

Glad I decided to make the call to TiVo!


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## aaronwt

mandm1 said:


> I just emailed my sales rep at Abt.com and asked for a price quote on a Roamio Pro. She offered me a price of $538.00 with free shipping, and said that these were in stock now.
> 
> I then decided to call TiVo directly at (877) 289-8486 and ask what they could do for me. The phone sales rep said that they were just starting a promo for $100.00 off the Pro, so I purchased it for $500.00, along with PLS for $399.99 (multi-service discount) and a 3-year warranty for $39.99. Total came to $939.98.
> 
> Glad I decided to make the call to TiVo!



WOW!! That was a sweet deal!!


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## innocentfreak

It would make sense if they plan on starting to offer an upgrade offer to push for holiday sales.

I may need to look for homes for my Premiere XLs.


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## NYHeel

mandm1 said:


> I just emailed my sales rep at Abt.com and asked for a price quote on a Roamio Pro. She offered me a price of $538.00 with free shipping, and said that these were in stock now.
> 
> I then decided to call TiVo directly at (877) 289-8486 and ask what they could do for me. The phone sales rep said that they were just starting a promo for $100.00 off the Pro, so I purchased it for $500.00, along with PLS for $399.99 (multi-service discount) and a 3-year warranty for $39.99. Total came to $939.98.
> 
> Glad I decided to make the call to TiVo!


That actually makes a lot of sense. $500 is probably the price it should have been in the first place. By pricing it at $600 to start Tivo just got a lost of business for the Western Digital 3TB hard drive. Thats what I did with the Plus and a 3TB drive.

I'm actually kind of annoyed just because $600 was such an absurd price point to start. It seems Tivo is finally realizing that.


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## Dan203

I'm hoping prices will eventually drop to $299/$399 for the Plus/Pro. After they milk us early adopters for R&D costs of course. Those seem like more reasonable prices especially considering the cost of service is so high these days. Back in 2006 people thought it was absurd for the S3 to cost $799 + $199 for lifetime. These days a Roamio Pro costs $599 + $499 which is actually $100 more.


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## TeddyG

Thanks @mandm1, I just called Tivo and got the same deal. It was $500 for the Pro + $400 for lifetime (he called is a "package"). So $900 + tax, ground shipping is free.

I wish it was a bit cheaper, but it's a hell of a lot better than $1100.


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## NJguy

They are starting this "Promo" because people can buy a Roamio Plus and a 3TB hard drive for $130 and it, in effect gives you a Pro for $530. So, this discourages people from doing that. 

Wait till holiday shopping season and I do think there will be "deals" on these.


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## HarperVision

Any specials on the plus?


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## Leon WIlkinson

Dan203 said:


> . Back in 2006 people thought it was absurd for the S3 to cost $799 + $199 for lifetime. These days a Roamio Pro costs $599 + $499 which is actually $100 more.


It just hit me, Roamio w/LT is the same price a 40hr S1 TiVo was back in 1999/2000.


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## Dan203

Leon WIlkinson said:


> It just hit me, Roamio w/LT is the same price a 40hr S1 TiVo was back in 1999/2000.


The original TiVos were 30 hours and 14 hours. The 30 hour was $999 and lifetime was $199. The 14 hour was $699. In late 1999 they dropped to $699 and $399 respectively and then in March of 2000 they dropped to $399 and $199. That's when I bought my first one. (I had wanted one for a while, so I was keeping my eye on pricing)

When the S3 first debuted they were $800 and at the time lifetime service had actually just been discontinued. You could still find a few lifetime cards in BestBuys for $199, but otherwise your only option was to pay $299 for 3 years of service. At the time a S2 TiVo was only $250 so the $550 premium for HD was excessive and people were upset. Less then a year later TiVo released the TiVo HD for $300.


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## socrplyr

According to a comment on zatznotfunny, If you call in via phone you can get $25 off a Roamio, $50 off a Roamio Plus, and $100 off a Roamio Pro.
http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2013-10/secret-tivo-roamio-pro-100-price-drop-ymmv/


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## HarperVision

The rep I talked to today said its $50 on a pro only.


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## RickStrobel

Do they log your calls? i.e. - can you keep calling and trying different reps to get the deal you want?


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## t1voproof

RickStrobel said:


> Do they log your calls? i.e. - can you keep calling and trying different reps to get the deal you want?


Yeah, I think they log every call. Go to Support > My Support on the TiVo site.


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## bmgoodman

Anybody get the $100 discount today? I'm planning to call this afternoon. I'll post back.


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## DM3MD157

Does Weeknees charge sales tax?


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## Tivogre

DM3MD157 said:


> Does Weeknees charge sales tax?


Not to me, they didn't. I'm in VA. You can confirm in cart before the final purchase approval.


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## DM3MD157

So the best current deal for the Roamio base is 589 for lifetime?


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## gigaguy

I've called them twice recently and the last rep told me she was looking thru my call notes, cause I had referred to the $199 Premiere lifetime the previous rep told me about. You do get a lot of inconsistent info and it seemed like I was informing her as much as she was me. It was confusing at times.
I wasn't ready to deal but if you get offered something you like, I think you should take it. You never know when you call back what you'll hear.


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## jwbelcher

DM3MD157 said:


> So the best current deal for the Roamio base is 589 for lifetime?


Current customers $25 off Roamio base + 399.99 lifetime = 574.98. I received $100 off today with Pro (for existing customers).

New and existing customers are eligible for $100 off lifetime with Roamio.


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## DM3MD157

They charge tax on the hardware and subscription if I recall correctly? And weaknees doesn't?


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## jwbelcher

Yes on hardware, but not on service for me (depends on state).

check http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/31


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## jwbelcher

Btw, consider return policy too. Tivo will work with you to extend your policy if your having issues (e.g. CableCard / Tuning Adapter) with Roamio. For me, that was worth paying sales tax.


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## JuryDuty

This deal's still on. I just upgraded to a Roamio and got the base unit for $174.99 + tax, free shipping, by calling.


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## tivogurl

DM3MD157 said:


> They charge tax on the hardware and subscription if I recall correctly? And weaknees doesn't?


If I recall correctly Weaknees only charges sales tax if you're in CA, while TiVo charges sales tax in every state that has a sales tax.


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## dslunceford

tivogurl said:


> If I recall correctly Weaknees only charges sales tax if you're in CA, while TiVo charges sales tax in every state that has a sales tax.


Yeah, with tax in VA, the deal for a Pro from Weaknees (w/code) or from TiVo (w/$50 off) basically is a wash. Actually, TiVo is $4 cheaper. Both have free shipping. If TiVo had the offer when I was buying, I would have bought direct, but they didn't, so I purchased from Weaknees...


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## Loach

tivogurl said:


> If I recall correctly Weaknees only charges sales tax if you're in CA, *while TiVo charges sales tax in every state that has a sales tax*.


You might think that by the way TiVo words their FAQ on the topic, but it is not the case. For example, sales tax in Nebraska is 5.5% + any applicable city rate, but per the FAQ, TiVo does not charge sales tax in Nebraska. I don't want to get too technical here, but basically TiVo charges sales tax in states where they are considered to have a "business presence" - and selling products and service over the internet is not in and of itself a business presence.

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/31/kw/sales tax


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## tivogurl

Loach said:


> I don't want to get too technical here, but basically TiVo charges sales tax in states where they are considered to have a "business presence" - and selling products and service over the internet is not in and of itself a business presence.


What is TiVo's "business presence" in, say, Arizona or Florida? So far as I know there are no TiVo retail stores anywhere in the US, or sales/service offices in those states.


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## lessd

tivogurl said:


> What is TiVo's "business presence" in, say, Arizona or Florida? So far as I know there are no TiVo retail stores anywhere in the US, or sales/service offices in those states.


Old telephone hubs or Web hubs ??


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## Bierboy

Dan203 said:


> ...When the S3 first debuted they were $800 and at the time lifetime service had actually just been discontinued....


Ugh...don't remind me. I paid $860.51 total for the S3 the day it went on sale (shipping and tax)....


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## Dan203

Bierboy said:


> Ugh...don't remind me. I paid $860 total for the S3 the day it went on sale (shipping and tax)....


I bought two.


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## Bierboy

Dan203 said:


> I bought two.


But I LOVED that S3!! It was my first HD DVR and my first dual tuner DVR....Up until then I was an HD and dual tuner virgin...


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## Dan203

I had a horrible Moxi DVR from Charter which I was happy to get rid of.


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## rainwater

Dan203 said:


> I had a horrible Moxi DVR from Charter which I was happy to get rid of.


You didn't like the jet engine fan or the fact that you could fry an egg on top of it?


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## Dan203

rainwater said:


> You didn't like the jet engine fan or the fact that you could fry an egg on top of it?


That didn't bother me, but the stupid spoiler window that could not be turned off was a huge PITA. Also the search was funky and sometimes couldn't find things I knew were on. The one thing I did miss was access to VOD, but I got over it.


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## nooneuknow

As I believe somebody else stated already, I'm also holding out for TiVo to offer a promotion, where you can transfer lifetime, for a fee, that brings down the total cost.

They've done it in the past, where the transfer left lifetime service on the original unit it was purchased for. While that was nice, and all, with the flood of used lifetime TiVos already on eBay driving down the value of the units, I'd much rather get a lower lifetime transfer fee, and use the old ones for parts, or target practice, possibly a little of both, or other creative ways to say "goodbye forever, you POS frustrating box!" I can already tell the Roamio is a true TiVo innovation, or at minimum, what the Premiere should have been, and much more. That alone doesn't increase my available credit or the money in my bank account, though... So wait, I must.

To be clear, that I am clear on the TOS/TiVo Policies, lifetime service is absolutely not transferrable, unless it's within warranty (and even then, a fee can be charged under certain circumstances).

But, this has been the policy for a long time, and hasn't stopped them from offering limited-time promotions that trump policy.


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## steve614

Yep, I was hoping they'd do that for the Premiere, but looking back I'm glad they didn't. No way would I want to be stuck with the Premiere. 

I won't be getting a Roamio unless TiVo does a lifetime transfer promo or one of my TivoHDs die.

Surely TiVo is looking to get S2s off the server teat. (Hint, hint)


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## HazelW

So anyone else get the $100 off the Pro?


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## Loach

tivogurl said:


> What is TiVo's "business presence" in, say, Arizona or Florida? So far as I know there are no TiVo retail stores anywhere in the US, or sales/service offices in those states.


You'd have to ask them that question. They may have employees in those states who are working from home, for example.


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## Bierboy

steve614 said:


> ...I won't be getting a Roamio unless TiVo does a lifetime transfer promo or one of my TivoHDs die...


Me, too. I'm satisfied with my XL4 even though it's a bit slow at times. I'm certainly not as dissatisfied as some on these boards are...we have an HD that I'd gladly transfer lifetime from...


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## bmgoodman

I called today and was offered $971.18 to include the 3-year warranty and $31.20 of Virginia sales tax. I'm considering taking this deal versus keeping my Series 3 until it dies. It's a bit more complicated than that, but I'll leave it out to keep the thread more on-target.


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## slowbiscuit

So basically, the same $100 off a Pro + MSD lifetime deal that everyone else is getting, plus the cost of the warranty.

Have to agree with Bierboy here, my Elite may not be all that quick but it gets the job done pretty reliably for the most part. It's hard to justify dumping another $800 into a Plus w/lifetime not even a year and a half after I put $700 into the Elite, especially given the lower resale value of the Premieres now. I'll wait for someone like woot to start clearancing some Plus's (or a refurb from Tivo maybe).


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## dslunceford

I think if you skipped the Series 4 boxes, it's much easier to rationalize/make the jump...


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## Somboy

Depending on your sales tax situation, the best deal on a base Roamio might be Abt.com for $199.99 -$20 with free shipping using the FALLSAVINGS code - that's what I did. You need to get over $200.00 so I added some batteries I needed. I've had good luck with Abt on a couple of orders- good CSRs and a good return policy.


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## worachj

Somboy said:


> Depending on your sales tax situation, the best deal on a base Roamio might be Abt.com for $199.99 -$20 with free shipping using the FALLSAVINGS code - that's what I did. You need to get over $200.00 so I added some batteries I needed. I've had good luck with Abt on a couple of orders- good CSRs and a good return policy.


Thanks for the FALLSAVINGS code! The only problem is that it failed for me because it requires a $200 minimum purchase and the TiVo is $199.99. I would need to buy an additional item to make it work.


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## tds4182

worachj said:


> Thanks for the FALLSAVINGS code! The only problem is that it failed for me because it requires a $200 minimum purchase and the TiVo is $199.99. I would need to buy an additional item to make it work.


Order an ~$8 POE filter and you're just above the $200 limit and you'll probably need the POE filter at some time in the future for a MOCA system.


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## tds4182

HarperVision said:


> The rep I talked to today said its $50 on a pro only.


I ordered a Plus yesterday afternoon and got the $50 discount without even asking for it.


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## TK-421

The minute they offer some sort of lifetime transfer deal, I'm in. I'm ready to move on.


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## slowbiscuit

You're going to waiting a very long time, they don't do transfer deals. The best you're going to get is a lower price on the box itself, then pay MSD lifetime. That's all I've seen ever since the S3s came out, with the exception of the one-time glitch where you could get $199 lifetime on Premieres when they changed the sub model (and it was only good for a few days).


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## sbourgeo

slowbiscuit said:


> You're going to waiting a very long time, they don't do transfer deals. The best you're going to get is a lower price on the box itself, then pay MSD lifetime. That's all I've seen ever since the S3s came out, with the exception of the one-time glitch where you could get $199 lifetime on Premieres when they changed the sub model (and it was only good for a few days).


The last one I know of was the TiVo HD lifetime transfer deal in 2007 (I paid ~$400 for the hardware & xfer back then).


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## aaronwt

slowbiscuit said:


> You're going to waiting a very long time, they don't do transfer deals. The best you're going to get is a lower price on the box itself, then pay MSD lifetime. That's all I've seen ever since the S3s came out, with the exception of the one-time glitch where you could get $199 lifetime on Premieres when they changed the sub model (and it was only good for a few days).


They gave us launch Premieres with $200 lifetime service. For every S3 you owned you could get a launch Premiere with Lifetime service for $200. MSD lifetime cost $300 at that time.

Or you could also transfer monthly service to the new Premiere leaving the S3 with one year of service. I did this on one Premiere since I had a $6.95 monthly rate. Which is the only two tuner Premiere I still have now.

I had hoped they were going to offer something when the Roamio launched, but they never did.


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## SlappyMcgee

I was offered a Deal over the holidays last year by Tivo. I believe it was $99 lifetime on my Tivo HD, transfer my current subscription to a new Premiere. Might have been $199 lifetime, I will have to check the email when I get home.


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## steve614

Yeah, I'm not getting my hopes up, but TiVo has offered some pretty good deals in the past.
IIRC, TiVo had a deal to transfer lifetime from an S2 to the original S3 for like $200 or something like that.
I would have jumped on the offer if the original S3 hadn't had the $800 price tag.


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## slowbiscuit

aaronwt said:


> They gave us launch Premieres with $200 lifetime service. For every S3 you owned you could get a launch Premiere with Lifetime service for $200. MSD lifetime cost $300 at that time.


But they really just took $100 off the box, right? That's not what he was asking for I think, plus you can already get $100 off the Pro now.

Hoping that they're going to give you more than $100 off of lifetime + box for upgrades might mean you'll be waiting for a while.


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## aaronwt

slowbiscuit said:


> But they really just took $100 off the box, right? That's not what he was asking for I think, plus you can already get $100 off the Pro now.
> 
> Hoping that they're going to give you more than $100 off of lifetime + box for upgrades might mean you'll be waiting for a while.


No, they gave me lifetime service for $200. According to the bills for my launch Premieres they charged me $200 for lifetime service. It wasn't a lower price for the Premiere.


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## jlin

Get additional 10% back when using Discover (5% online shopping and 5% from ShopDiscover portal) at abt.com -- if you can find something to buy to bump up to $200


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## leiff

Thx for abt $20 off coupon. Picked up $200 base roamio and $88 mini for $262 after %2 casback for fatwallet. 

Subtotal	$288.49
Discount	Savings - FALLSAVINGS - $ 20.00 Savings
Standard Shipping	0.00
Taxes	$0.00
Total $268.49


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## prisk

I called ABT today (chatted, actually). Asked them to match the $100 off TiVo was offering on the Roamio Pro and they did! Also gave me 3 Mini's for $82 each. Total: $744. They arrive Wednesday. They also told me that if there is a price drop on Cyber Monday they will honor the match, even if it is just 30 days outside the price guarantee window. Best part, 12 months interest-free, so I can pay it over time.


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## lickwid

Wrong place to post, but if anyone is interested, I have a Roamio Plus + Lifetime for $700 + shipping. PM me. I can provide Tivo Service Number to verify lifetime. This is an extra one I bought for my father but he didn't want it.


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## aryndub

lickwid said:


> Wrong place to post, but if anyone is interested, I have a Roamio Plus + Lifetime for $700 + shipping. PM me. I can provide Tivo Service Number to verify lifetime. This is an extra one I bought for my father but he didn't want it.


Please PM me. Sorry to threadcrap, not enough posts to PM. I got rid of my TivoHD years ago.


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## JonHB

Got a Roamio Pro for $446 and two Mini's for $73.50 each.... Thanks to a friends employee discount (at a retailer, not Tivo). Added lifetime to the Pro for $399.

I'm retiring an HD and Premiere XL (lifetime) with this upgrade and I have to tell you, the Roamio is the best performing Tivo yet. This thing smokes what the old HD and Premiere are doing. Only 2 days into it, but quite happy so far.


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## lessd

JonHB said:


> Got a Roamio Pro for $446 and two Mini's for $73.50 each.... Thanks to a friends employee discount (at a retailer, not Tivo). Added lifetime to the Pro for $399.
> 
> I'm retiring an HD and Premiere XL (lifetime) with this upgrade and I have to tell you, the Roamio is the best performing Tivo yet. This thing smokes what the old HD and Premiere are doing. Only 2 days into it, but quite happy so far.


And can you get us that deal, this post is for deals we all can get, my son giving me a Roamio for free as a gift does not help anybody get a good deal on a Roamio.


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## bmgoodman

JonHB said:


> Got a Roamio Pro for $446 and two Mini's for $73.50 each.... Thanks to a friends employee discount (at a retailer, not Tivo). Added lifetime to the Pro for $399.
> 
> I'm retiring an HD and Premiere XL (lifetime) with this upgrade and I have to tell you, the Roamio is the best performing Tivo yet. This thing smokes what the old HD and Premiere are doing. Only 2 days into it, but quite happy so far.


Please post your friend's phone number as I'd really like to take advantage of this deal, too!


----------



## jlin

New ABT $25 off coupon "THXOCT13"

Use Discover to get additional 10% off.


----------



## aaronwt

prisk said:


> I called ABT today (chatted, actually). Asked them to match the $100 off TiVo was offering on the Roamio Pro and they did! Also gave me 3 Mini's for $82 each. Total: $744. They arrive Wednesday. They also told me that if there is a price drop on Cyber Monday they will honor the match, even if it is just 30 days outside the price guarantee window. Best part, 12 months interest-free, so I can pay it over time.


That's a great deal especially since Cyber Monday isn't until December this year.


----------



## leiff

I have a $270 tivo order from abt due to arrive later this week. They told me they would price match for 30 days. Should i assume ill be price match covered for cyber Monday?


----------



## retiredjd

Got the pro for $349. from TIVO


----------



## slowbiscuit

Yeah I got one for free too, just now, because I complained that my Elite was a slow pig.  
Stop trolling and explain how you got it.


----------



## CoxInPHX

retiredjd said:


> $50.00
> Got the *pro* for $349. from TIVO


$50 Off would be a Plus not a Pro,

$349 for a Pro is wishful thinking, IMO


----------



## Philmatic

Here are my prices for a TiVo Roamio Plus (California resident)

*Weaknees.com*
$410.61 = $399 - $25 (ROAMIOPLUS) + $35.62 CA Tax + Free Shipping

*TiVo.com*
$397.99 = $399 - $50 (Existing customer deal) + $48 CA Tax + Free Shipping

*ABT.com online*
$374.99 = $399 - $25 (THXOCT13) + $0 CA Tax + Free Shipping

So I called ABT and asked them to price match TiVo's $50 off, not only did they match it, *they beat it by $10 for no reason!*
$339.99 = $399 - $60 + $0 CA Tax + Free Shipping



> [Me] Price match on TiVo Roamio Plus Black Digital Video Recorder Model: TCD848000 | SKU: TCD848000
> [ABT CSR] Hello, and welcome to Abt Live Chat.
> [ABT CSR] Hi customer.
> [ABT CSR] We'll gladly try to match the price from another authorized (as listed by the manufacturer) dealer for their total delivered price on in stock, brand new merchandise, model for model, service for service. The price match would be done before any applicable taxes. More information about this can be found here: http://www.abt.com/custserv/pricematch.php3
> [Me] TiVo currently has a deal where they will take $50 off the price of the TiVo Roamio Plus, is this something you can do?
> [Me] I would much rather purchase from ABT since you do not charge sales tax in CA and I have a much better history with you
> [ABT CSR] I would be happy to extend $339.00 plus tax for the unit
> [Me] But ABT doesn't charge tax in CA, so would you still honor the $339 price? I'm ready to purchase now
> [ABT CSR] correct
> [ABT CSR] If you would like to proceed with ordering please call me at ***.***.****
> [ABT CSR] First Name Last Name
> [ABT CSR] Thanks for contacting Abt. It was a pleasure chatting with you. Have a nice day.


Suffice it to say, I ordered from ABT. So it seems $339.99 for a TiVo Roamio Plus is the price to beat. Also, the outstanding service ABT has shown me during this purchase experience will definitely lead to me returning to purchase some other things I need.


----------



## bayern_fan

Philmatic said:


> Suffice it to say, I ordered from ABT. So it seems $339.99 for a TiVo Roamio Plus is the price to beat. Also, the outstanding service ABT has shown me during this purchase experience will definitely lead to me returning to purchase some other things I need.


+1
Just ordered my Roamio Plus for $339 (free shipping/no Tax) via phone. I haven't ordered from ABT before, but was highly impressed by their polite and helpful service rep! Definitely recommend buying from here, and thank you Philmatic for the suggestion.


----------



## 1283

Thanks for these ABT reports. I bought my Roamio Plus from ABT about three weeks ago and just got a price adjustment. I bought many of my previous TiVos from ABT as well.


----------



## retiredjd

retiredjd said:


> Got the pro for $349. from TIVO


sorry, I meant plus.


----------



## retiredjd

CoxInPHX said:


> $50 Off would be a Plus not a Pro,
> 
> $349 for a Pro is wishful thinking, IMO


sorry, I meant plus...


----------



## imacericg

Amazon has the basic at $191.87

http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...2?ie=UTF8&qid=1383403906&sr=8-2&keywords=Tivo


----------



## rgr

Just placed my order with ABT referencing the deal as you've laid it out and got the same $339 price.

Thanks for doing the legwork to find this!



Philmatic said:


> Here are my prices for a TiVo Roamio Plus (California resident)
> 
> *Weaknees.com*
> $410.61 = $399 - $25 (ROAMIOPLUS) + $35.62 CA Tax + Free Shipping
> 
> *TiVo.com*
> $397.99 = $399 - $50 (Existing customer deal) + $48 CA Tax + Free Shipping
> 
> *ABT.com online*
> $374.99 = $399 - $25 (THXOCT13) + $0 CA Tax + Free Shipping
> 
> So I called ABT and asked them to price match TiVo's $50 off, not only did they match it, *they beat it by $10 for no reason!*
> $339.99 = $399 - $60 + $0 CA Tax + Free Shipping
> 
> Suffice it to say, I ordered from ABT. So it seems $339.99 for a TiVo Roamio Plus is the price to beat. Also, the outstanding service ABT has shown me during this purchase experience will definitely lead to me returning to purchase some other things I need.


----------



## chrispitude

I have a lifetime Premiere, and I want a lifetime Roamio Plus. It sounds like I get a $100 discount on the new lifetime contract if I purchase the unit through TiVo, but not through ABT?

I guess I have some phone calls to make on Monday to see where all the numbers end up!


----------



## NJguy

chrispitude said:


> I have a lifetime Premiere, and I want a lifetime Roamio Plus. It sounds like I get a $100 discount on the new lifetime contract if I purchase the unit through TiVo, but not through ABT?
> 
> I guess I have some phone calls to make on Monday to see where all the numbers end up!


You'll still get the $100 discount if you purchase elsewhere. I did not buy direct from TiVo and got lifetime for $399.


----------



## chrispitude

NJguy said:


> You'll still get the $100 discount if you purchase elsewhere. I did not buy direct from TiVo and got lifetime for $399.


Oh wow, awesome. Thanks NJguy!


----------



## tiffanydawnn

I was also able to get the ABT deal for $339! I have been wanting a Roamio Plus and I don't know if I will get a better deal than this any time soon, so I jumped on it. Thanks guys!


----------



## bmgoodman

I asked BB tonight to match Tivo's $500 Roamio Pro offer and they did it only minor effort on my part! They first asked me for an offer email, but I explained I read about the $100 discount here and I had to phone Tivo to get it. That was all it took to get the match! 

True, my return window is 14 days (vs. 30 with Tivo), but it's much easier to swap in case of problems.


----------



## chrispitude

chrispitude said:


> Oh wow, awesome. Thanks NJguy!


Just placed the order with ABT - $339 shipped, just like everyone else got. Thanks everyone!


----------



## bayern_fan

It looks like this "deal" even made its way to the front page of Slickdeals!
http://slickdeals.net/f/6382732-tivo-roamio-plus-339-shipped-at-abt-electronics-ymmv?src=pdw


----------



## laria

I got an email with a coupon code from TiVo today offering $125 off a Basic + Lifetime, $150 off a Plus + Lifetime, and $200 off a Pro + Lifetime for existing customers.


----------



## bayern_fan

laria said:


> I got an email with a coupon code from TiVo today offering $125 off a Basic + Lifetime, $150 off a Plus + Lifetime, and $200 off a Pro + Lifetime for existing customers.


Very interesting, can you post a screen cap? Just received my Roamio Plus today and perhaps it can be matched by ABT (minus the service)


----------



## Kingpcgeek

laria said:


> I got an email with a coupon code from TiVo today offering $125 off a Basic + Lifetime, $150 off a Plus + Lifetime, and $200 off a Pro + Lifetime for existing customers.


Yea but its really $25/$50/$100 off since as a current subscriber you would already be eligible for the discounted $400 lifetime.


----------



## laria

Kingpcgeek said:


> Yea but its really $25/$50/$100 off since as a current subscriber you would already be eligible for the discounted $400 lifetime.


Yeah, I just realized that and came back to post that I guess it's just an email offering me what people were getting on the phone.


----------



## bayern_fan

laria said:


> Yeah, I just realized that and came back to post that I guess it's just an email offering me what people were getting on the phone.


Ahh thanks for the clarification. I got a bit too excited for a moment there haha


----------



## steve614

I also received the above offer. Here's the landing page link that was in the e-mail.





Kingpcgeek said:


> Yea but its really $25/$50/$100 off since as a current subscriber you would already be eligible for the discounted $400 lifetime.


And I noticed this too.
Meh.

Give me something like a lifetime transfer from an S2 for a reduced fee. Something like that would mean a lot more to me as an existing customer, since it seems that *anyone* can get a deal for a few dollars off. 
(Yes I feel entitled.)


----------



## HazelW

Steve, are you sure that is not a unique code for you?


----------



## jlin

I was able to get the Base unit for $169 from ABT this morning via Chat.


----------



## sbourgeo

HazelW said:


> Steve, are you sure that is not a unique code for you?


I think it is unique, the link from my email has a different promo code.


----------



## jlin

It's never a good deal to buy directly from Tivo as it's tax'ed at the full retail price, not the subsidized rate.


----------



## ltxi

TiVo CS offered me a second Plus at $350 shipped when when I was on the line with them rearranging some TSNs and told them I was going to buy another one.

No thanks became a really good answer when Plus number two developed an issue reading cable card insertion. Amazon's immediate replacement policy for suspected defectives can't be beat with a stick. And TiVo charges tax.


----------



## bayern_fan

ltxi said:


> Amazon's immediate replacement policy for suspected defectives can't be beat with a stick. And TiVo charges tax.


Amazon is starting to charge sales tax in more and more states. Good though for those of you not included!


----------



## scooby2

Any discounts on lifetime for non recent customers? I had the original TiVo with lifetime and most of DirectTivos and am thinking about coming back.


----------



## lentiman

Hey! I just ordered a Roamio Pro from ABT. They price matched the TiVo deal at $100 off. So $499 with no tax and no shipping. I tried at two different best buy locations last night and got shot down both times. No problem at ABT. FYI, if you are thinking of getting a Roamio Plus and swapping for a 3TB hard drive then this deal has the equivalent cost with no hassle and gives you an intact warranty.


----------



## waterchange

scooby2 said:


> Any discounts on lifetime for non recent customers? I had the original TiVo with lifetime and most of DirectTivos and am thinking about coming back.


I believe you can use code PLSR to get $100 off lifetime ($399 instead of $499) as long as you don't buy the TiVo unit directly from TiVo.


----------



## L David Matheny

Kingpcgeek said:


> Yea but its really $25/$50/$100 off since as a current subscriber you would already be eligible for the discounted $400 lifetime.


On the offer screen, under "Common questions" clicking on "Are you offering current TiVo subscribers a Multi-Service Discount if they purchase a new box?" brings up answer "Yes. Current TiVo subscribers may qualify for an additional $2 off of each monthly service fee or $100 off of Product Lifetime service as long as their current qualifying TiVo service subscription remains active in accordance with the Multi-Service Discount Agreement. Log onto tivo.com to see if you qualify."


----------



## worachj

Amazon has Roamio Basic for $177.73 with free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCD84050...ie=UTF8&qid=1377023001&sr=8-1&keywords=roamio


----------



## hooper

worachj said:


> Amazon has Roamio Basic for $177.73 with free shipping.
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCD84050...ie=UTF8&qid=1377023001&sr=8-1&keywords=roamio


Back up to 186


----------



## rassi

L David Matheny said:


> On the offer screen, under "Common questions" clicking on "Are you offering current TiVo subscribers a Multi-Service Discount if they purchase a new box?" brings up answer "Yes. Current TiVo subscribers may qualify for an additional $2 off of each monthly service fee or $100 off of Product Lifetime service as long as their current qualifying TiVo service subscription remains active in accordance with the Multi-Service Discount Agreement. Log onto tivo.com to see if you qualify."


any idea how long the 2nd box has to remain active to qualify for the $100 off lifetime?


----------



## booboy97

The Basic and Plus are on backorder now at ABT.

Got the Pro for $499 shipped. Took less than 10 minutes via Live Chat and call to give the credit card.

Top notch service!

At TiVo.com, it wanted to charge me tax of $72 for California for a Pro at $499. Not sure why so high.


----------



## dcpmark

booboy97 said:


> The Basic and Plus are on backorder now at ABT.
> 
> Got the Pro for $499 shipped. Took less than 10 minutes via Live Chat and call to give the credit card.
> 
> Top notch service!
> 
> At TiVo.com, it wanted to charge me tax of $72 for California for a Pro at $499. Not sure why so high.


What am I missing? ABT's website says $599.99. Do you have to call to get the $100? I'd like to try to get a price match from a local place.


----------



## booboy97

dcpmark said:


> What am I missing? ABT's website says $599.99. Do you have to call to get the $100? I'd like to try to get a price match from a local place.


You actually have to discuss it with them at least via "Live Chat". You could print out the text from the "Live Chat" and use that, but ABT was so good, I just went with them.

I went to Best Buy and showed them what TiVo would give me ($350 for Plus/$499 for Pro) in my shopping cart and they wouldn't budge.


----------



## booboy97

rassi said:


> any idea how long the 2nd box has to remain active to qualify for the $100 off lifetime?


I think the MSD would only apply to the monthly payment. One you have lifetime on the unit, there is nothing else to purchase.


----------



## waterchange

rassi said:


> any idea how long the 2nd box has to remain active to qualify for the $100 off lifetime?


And if you're buying a Roamio from any place that's not directly TiVo, you can use code PLSR to get $100 off lifetime anyways. So you don't have to worry about having a qualifying first box active. (Anyone, please correct me if this is no longer the case.)


----------



## bmgoodman

booboy97 said:


> You actually have to discuss it with them at least via "Live Chat". You could print out the text from the "Live Chat" and use that, but ABT was so good, I just went with them.
> 
> I went to Best Buy and showed them what TiVo would give me ($350 for Plus/$499 for Pro) in my shopping cart and they wouldn't budge.


I wonder if you have to call around to multiple Best Buy locations? I had no trouble getting them to match the Tivo, Inc "phone in" price.


----------



## adaymerced

What evidence did you show them to get them to match the "phone-in" price? I chatted with a TiVo rep today to try to get a screen grab of the discount offer, and they said they couldn't do it and I'd have to call their sales department. My experience with Best Buy is that they'll only do it if you can show them evidence of the price from another vendor.


----------



## Tivogre

For some reason with Best Buy, you also have a lot more leverage if you purchase the item from them first, and THEN negotiate the price under threat of a return. 

Be prepared to follow through with a (now open box) return if they don't see things your way.


----------



## booboy97

adaymerced said:


> What evidence did you show them to get them to match the "phone-in" price? I chatted with a TiVo rep today to try to get a screen grab of the discount offer, and they said they couldn't do it and I'd have to call their sales department. My experience with Best Buy is that they'll only do it if you can show them evidence of the price from another vendor.


My closest Best Buy wouldn't do it even though I showed them them the final price using the screen grab and promo code in the online shopping cart. They basically said they would not match TiVo's price period. Hello ABT!


----------



## bmgoodman

adaymerced said:


> What evidence did you show them to get them to match the "phone-in" price? I chatted with a TiVo rep today to try to get a screen grab of the discount offer, and they said they couldn't do it and I'd have to call their sales department. My experience with Best Buy is that they'll only do it if you can show them evidence of the price from another vendor.


I told them I had *no* evidence, but I could call the Tivo order phone number. They didn't bother to call. I'm not sure if the weekend management was less picky? Or because it was so close to closing time?


----------



## lentiman

I'm an Elite Plus rewards member with best best buy and they wouldn't price match. ABT made it very easy to buy.


----------



## booboy97

lentiman said:


> I'm an Elite Plus rewards member with best best buy and they wouldn't price match. ABT made it very easy to buy.


Same here (Elite Plus). Plus I just bought a Thermador Built-in from them (Pacific Sales).

I should have not wasted my time going to Best Buy in the first place.

Unfortunately all Roamios are backordered at ABT. Luckily I got in this morning!


----------



## Bierboy

ANY visit to a Best Buy is a waste of time....


----------



## bayern_fan

Bierboy said:


> ANY visit to a Best Buy is a waste of time....


Fact. They will become even more irrelevant to savvy shoppers once Amazon same-day delivery rolls out in more cities


----------



## Starfury9

I was able to get ABT to match TiVo for $350 (Roamio Plus), but not the $339.99 that others have been getting.

The PLSR code worked like a charm for the lifetime activation.
Now I just need to wait for the TiVo service activation to flow through. "We're still processing your activation. Try again in 24 hours"


----------



## DM3MD157

Just ordered a Roamio Plus! Hopefully this is worth me upgrading from my Premiere 4!


----------



## jwc553911

So is the Roamio Pro $100 off gone now? or am i missing a promo code somewhere? Looks like $599+399 both at Tivo and ABT.


----------



## HarperVision

Starfury9 said:


> I was able to get ABT to match TiVo for $350 (Roamio Plus), but not the $339.99 that others have been getting.
> 
> The PLSR code worked like a charm for the lifetime activation.
> Now I just need to wait for the TiVo service activation to flow through. "We're still processing your activation. Try again in 24 hours"


Just keep making the TiVo force calls home and it'll update eventually.


----------



## laria

jwc553911 said:


> So is the Roamio Pro $100 off gone now? or am i missing a promo code somewhere? Looks like $599+399 both at Tivo and ABT.


There was a code emailed to some people. But it sounded like you needed to call TiVo to get the deal before that (or if you don't have the email).


----------



## lentiman

jwc553911 said:


> So is the Roamio Pro $100 off gone now? or am i missing a promo code somewhere? Looks like $599+399 both at Tivo and ABT.


If you're buying from TiVo you have to call in to get this deal. If you call or chat with ABT they will price match it. Best Buy is not interested in price matching this deal as there is no printed documentation from TiVo.


----------



## larrs

lentiman said:


> If you're buying from TiVo you have to call in to get this deal. If you call or chat with ABT they will price match it. Best Buy is not interested in price matching this deal as there is no printed documentation from TiVo.


OK, I am finally willing to get a Roamio and ditch a Premiere/multiple premieres. Can someone run down my current options? Hard to tell in this thread what is possible as of today.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## bayern_fan

larrs said:


> OK, I am finally willing to get a Roamio and ditch a Premiere/multiple premieres. Can someone run down my current options? Hard to tell in this thread what is possible as of today.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Officially,

Roamio Base: $25 off + $399 lifetime
Roamio Plus: $50 off + $399 lifetime
Roamio Pro: $100 off + $399 lifetime

All other offers YMMV.


----------



## tiffanydawnn

waterchange said:


> I believe you can use code PLSR to get $100 off lifetime ($399 instead of $499) as long as you don't buy the TiVo unit directly from TiVo.


Correct. I activated the unit I bought from abt.com and used that code. Lifetime was $399.


----------



## celtic pride

Does ABT accept bill me later a paypal company? as well as creditd cards?


----------



## Philmatic

celtic pride said:


> Does ABT accept bill me later a paypal company? as well as creditd cards?


Yep


----------



## celtic pride

cool! I didnt know that darn it!I'll go check the website thanks for the information!


----------



## aaronwt

bayern_fan said:


> Fact. They will become even more irrelevant to savvy shoppers once Amazon same-day delivery rolls out in more cities


I actually use BestBuy more now. Especially since Amazon charges taxes in Virginia and typically when they use same day delivery they use Lasership. I've tried a few same day deliveries and it's been 50/50 whether I get it because Lasership is incompetent. I had a two day package today that never showed up because of Lasership. And I've had packages delivered to Amazon lockers from Lasership that sat there for days because a pickup code was never issued. I've had a bunch of packages with messed up deliveries because of Amazon using LaserShip. So typically now, since BestBuy matches Amazon prices, I can just stop by one of the four BestBuy stores that are on my way home and pick up the item with much more certainty than Amazon delivering it.

Now granted Amazon will typically give me a $10 or $20 credit when Lasership does this, but sometimes I want the item right away. Giving me a credit doesn't get me the item. Since it has to be reordered and they say they can't control who is used for the delivery. I always hope it's UPS, but unfortunately half the time it ends up being Lasership.


----------



## scooby2

How fast is Tivo shipping? Are any other places offering this deal? ABT is local and showing out of stock.


----------



## dcpmark

I just had no trouble getting Best Buy to match TiVO's $100 off a Pro tonight. I called first to make sure they would do it before going over there, and asked for a manager. Never got to one. The guy who picked up put me on hold, then initially came back and said that it was $599.99 on TiVO's website. I said that you had to call in to TiVO for $100 off. He put me on hold for 30 secs while he checked with the manager, and then came back on and said "no problem." I'm setting it up as we speak.

As always, YMMV.


----------



## worachj

Don't know anything about this site, but MClego online has Roamio Basic for $159.99 with free shipping. I just bought one using PayPal for $159.99, no tax and free shipping.

http://mclego.com/products.php?product=TiVo-Roamio-Black-Digital-Video-Recorder-%2d-TCD846500


----------



## pautler

FYI...

You can use the PLSR discount code for $100 off lifetime service even if you buy the Roamio directly from TiVo, however it turns out to be an $85 discount because you have to initially select the monthly $14.99 service plan, wait 31 days until the first $14.99 is charged, and then you can upgrade to lifetime using the code ($399 instead of $499). You can't use the PLSR code until after 31 days have passed and you have paid the $14.99 for the first month.

(I just did this process)

-Joe


----------



## Bierboy

aaronwt said:


> ...So typically now, since BestBuy matches Amazon prices....


ONLY if Amazon is the seller and not a third party vendor on Amazon...


----------



## hooper

I saw on slick deals that someone was able to get their $6.95 plan moved over to a roamio. Anyone else had success doing this?


----------



## bmgoodman

pautler said:


> FYI...
> 
> You can use the PLSR discount code for $100 off lifetime service even if you buy the Roamio directly from TiVo, however it turns out to be an $85 discount because you have to initially select the monthly $14.99 service plan, wait 31 days until the first $14.99 is charged, and then you can upgrade to lifetime using the code ($399 instead of $499). You can't use the PLSR code until after 31 days have passed and you have paid the $14.99 for the first month.
> 
> (I just did this process)
> 
> -Joe


I phoned and got lifetime for $399 right away without paying that first month you're referring to. And I got my Roamio Pro from BB.


----------



## aaronwt

Bierboy said:


> ONLY if Amazon is the seller and not a third party vendor on Amazon...


Yes. 80% of my purchases on Amazon are from Amazon and not a third party seller. Less hasseles going through Amazon even if it is a little more expensive than the third party seller.


----------



## philhu

I work for BB one night a week (3 hours), JUST to get the BB discounts.

Pay sucks but discounts are great!

My day work is very close to NH, so my BB discount, plus no sales tax, priceless (relatively speaking, of course!)


----------



## BlackBetty

Phil, can you hook up a fellow Mass hole?


----------



## soobaerodude

worachj said:


> Don't know anything about this site, but MClego online has Roamio Basic for $159.99 with free shipping. I just bought one using PayPal for $159.99, no tax and free shipping.
> 
> http://mclego.com/products.php?product=TiVo-Roamio-Black-Digital-Video-Recorder-%2d-TCD846500


Stay away

Looks like a scam store that never ships.
More reports of not shipping orders

Too bad.


----------



## worachj

soobaerodude said:


> Stay away
> 
> Looks like a scam store that never ships.
> More reports of not shipping orders
> 
> Too bad.


Thanks, doesn't look good! That's one reason I used PayPal for another layer of protection. So far everything has been as expected. I received an order confirmation and PayPal confirmation within minutes of ordering. 30 minutes later I received another email stating my order was moved to processing.

Getting it shipped is the problem. The web site claims delivery in 5-10 days so I should find out quickly if they shipped it or if theyre scamming!


----------



## lentiman

hooper said:


> I saw on slick deals that someone was able to get their $6.95 plan moved over to a roamio. Anyone else had success doing this?


I'll be doing this on Monday or Tuesday next week. I love my $6.95 plan! I didn't have any problems transferring it to a TiVo HD last year when my S3 died. I don't think I'll have any problems this time either, but we'll see. If they won't transfer it I'll be returning the Roamio.


----------



## scooby2

Took a lot of work but I did get my local BB to price match on the Roamio Pro. PLSR worked like a charm. Now to wait for Comcast to bring me a cable card tomorrow! Thanks everyone for the great thread!


----------



## Wpfma

I am getting ready to buy a roamio plus. I am new to the tivo community. With black friday, cyber monday and the rest of the holiday season approaching does it make sense to wait a bit to see if there would be any better deals or just order through ABT?


----------



## psywzrd

Wpfma said:


> I am getting ready to buy a roamio plus. I am new to the tivo community. With black friday, cyber monday and the rest of the holiday season approaching does it make sense to wait a bit to see if there would be any better deals or just order through ABT?


I would love to know the answer to this as well. My S3 is potentially on the verge of dying and I'm thinking about grabbing a Roamio Plus or Pro. They're very pricey though so I'm trying to save money if at all possible.


----------



## aaronwt

I'm going to try to get my $6.95 plan from my OTA Premiere transferred to a Roamio Basic tonight. I need to call them when I get home from work.


----------



## mattack

scooby2 said:


> Any discounts on lifetime for non recent customers? I had the original TiVo with lifetime and most of DirectTivos and am thinking about coming back.


Oh, I guess you mean you don't have a Tivo now?

There's an ad that showed up on my Premiere 4 within the past day or so that seems like a pretty good deal.. But I can see no hints of it at tivo.com. I don't remember what the prices were, someone else can clarify.. I thought it was way less than the $700 that a Roamio Plus with lifetime would be.


----------



## hooper

aaronwt said:


> I'm going to try to get my $6.95 plan from my OTA Premiere transferred to a Roamio Basic tonight. I need to call them when I get home from work.


 Let me know how it goes. The ad on my premiere says you can transfer your current plan + $100 off


----------



## aaronwt

hooper said:


> Let me know how it goes. The ad on my premiere says you can transfer your current plan + $100 off


Apparently there is a deal called the "Non PLSR Roamio offer". As long as you don't already have a Roamio on your account, with this offer you can transfer the lower monthly plan from your Premiere to a Roamio that you purchase directly from TiVo. I'm not sure if it's all Roamio models but it is certainly for the Roamio Basic.


----------



## hooper

Just ordered a plus from tivo. They guaranteed the $6.95 month plan would transfer. Unfortunately they did hit me with sales tax. Not a bad deal though.


----------



## psywzrd

philhu said:


> I work for BB one night a week (3 hours), JUST to get the BB discounts.
> 
> Pay sucks but discounts are great!
> 
> My day work is very close to NH, so my BB discount, plus no sales tax, priceless (relatively speaking, of course!)





BlackBetty said:


> Phil, can you hook up a fellow Mass hole?


Not a fellow Mass hole but I'd love a discount too if at all possible. Even if you can't do it, maybe you could point me in the right direction to help me find a decent discount? I'm looking to get a Pro and they're obviously very expensive.


----------



## conitor

Confirmed transfer of $6.95 plan tonight to Roamio Pro


----------



## adaymerced

Tried Best Buy last night with a photo on my iPad of the offer screen from the TiVo offer that comes through on the TiVo Unit. Best Buy wouldn't go for anything that they couldn't find on the internet. Figured I'd also try Fry's Electronics since they also had the unit and it was in the neighborhood. No joy there either.

I could order it online through ABT or Tivo and get the discount, but now my stubborn streak kicks in and I want to figure out how to get Best Buy to go for it. That and I'm about to travel for a week and would rather pick it up in person than worry about getting something shipped to my house while I'm out of town for an extended period.


----------



## laria

I plan to try Best Buy next month because we get BB gift cards for the holidays usually, and I'll get some reward points, and there's the instant gratification.  I have the email offer to show them, but if they don't take it, oh well... we don't have sales tax here so I don't care about ordering it directly from TiVo.

Edit: Maybe it was only Amazon that tax was an issue...


----------



## DeltaOne

laria said:


> and there's the instant gratification.


We bought TiVo hardware about six weeks ago and purchased from Best Buy. 80% for the instant gratification, and 20% for an easy "return" if something went wrong with the change-over from Comcast equipment to TiVo equipment.

My original plan was to keep the Comcast STBs for a month -- give us plenty of time to evaluate TiVo. By day 2 everyone in the household was saying to go ahead and return the Comcast stuff. I did so -- the next weekend.


----------



## kemnyc

I just bought a Roamio Plus and so far, so good. I had it set up when my cable technician came to set me up with cable (I'd been using OTA with my Premiere) and setup took a few phone calls but wasn't too bad. So far, I've had none of the bugs I had with the Netflix and Hulu apps on the Premiere. The faster processor means I actually use the features that I think I theoretically could have used on the Premiere, but didn't because the HD menus were too slow - for example, if I see an old movie in the suggestions bar but it's not available on Netflix (which it tells me), I can quickly create a wish list so that TiVo will record it if it ever shows up on cable. Awesome.

I've always loved TiVo, but the Premiere was not ready for prime time and really changed my view of the company. The Roamio seems to finally be delivering what the Premiere promised (plus there's the other cool stuff like streaming that I haven't tried yet).

For those on the fence or considering waiting for the holidays for a better deal: The Roamio is getting great reviews, including a recent one in the NY Times. It is a MUCH better product than the Premiere was. If you wait, there's a decent chance it will sell out. 

Here's how I made the decision: Assume you'll keep your TiVo for at least 3 years (I kept one of mine for 9). You can get a 3-year extended warranty from TiVo for $40 if you want to make sure to get the full return on your investment. Do the math: if you keep it for 3 years, your monthly cost ranges from $18 for the basic to $28 for the Pro (paying full price and using the PSLR code to get lifetime service). Add in the cost of your cable card. Compare that to what your cable provider would charge you for a DVR set-top box. Then factor in the value to you of the advantages (better interface, probably much more space based on all my friends' complaints about their cable DVRs; ability to integrate Netflix, Hulu; etc.; less need for pay per view because you more easily find things you like on cable) and disadvantages (inability to use VOD, although why anyone would prefer that to TiVo I can't imagine). If you think you'll like the TiVo better, and the cost is comparable to a cable DVR, then it may make sense to pull the trigger rather than wait hoping for a "deal." 

Also, keep in mind that you'll probably be able to sell your unit with lifetime for a good amount of money when you're ready to upgrade, so that also sweetens the deal. Premieres with lifetime still go for hundreds of dollars on EBay, even though they suck compared to the Roamio.

I went with the Plus, and my monthly cost of $25.33 is only slightly higher than what Cablevision and FioS charge for a DVR that has a much smaller capacity and is not user-friendly at all. Hopefully I'll keep the Roamio even longer, and/or sell it for a decent amount of money in a few years, so I may end up better off financially. But even if I don't, I think the extra money will be well worth it.

I know this is a thread about "deals," but based on my experience so far I think the Roamio is a steal at any price.  That's worth keeping in mind - don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good!


----------



## nooneuknow

kemnyc said:


> I just bought a Roamio Plus and so far, so good. I had it set up when my cable technician came to set me up with cable (I'd been using OTA with my Premiere) and setup took a few phone calls but wasn't too bad. So far, I've had none of the bugs I had with the Netflix and Hulu apps on the Premiere. The faster processor means I actually use the features that I think I theoretically could have used on the Premiere, but didn't because the HD menus were too slow - for example, if I see an old movie in the suggestions bar but it's not available on Netflix (which it tells me), I can quickly create a wish list so that TiVo will record it if it ever shows up on cable. Awesome.
> 
> I've always loved TiVo, but the Premiere was not ready for prime time and really changed my view of the company. The Roamio seems to finally be delivering what the Premiere promised (plus there's the other cool stuff like streaming that I haven't tried yet).
> <snip>


While I'm happy for those who can afford the Roamio platform, this post says many of my own sentiments about the Premiere.

1. They sold the Premiere as the "One Box" - Yep, the one box that makes a relaxing break to watch TV and let the stress slip away, become the new stressor and I don't feel relaxed when using it.

2. The Roamio does everything the Premiere "should have" - While I don't expect Roamio-only features on my Premiere, I *do* expect it to work, and any advertised feature to work.

3. If I wasn't so invested in so many Premieres and HDs, and could afford the cost to replace them with Roamios, I'd probably be more happy than I have in years, and be on here saying so. - But, when a company fails to deliver what I paid for and/or the product is always malfunctioning, and I'm always the "only one to report the problem" or "the first one to", see so many others having those problems and getting those same lines, and I get no compensation or adequate discount on the newer model, just to get something to do what the old one was supposed to, I reconsider if I want to give that company my business anymore.

But, again, I'm not going to be a hater of everybody who posts that their Roamio is doing the things the Premiere was supposed to, and doing them well. So, good for you. Enjoy.


----------



## KeinoDoggy

So I see this advertisement displayed on my Tivo today and thought I would call and order a Roamio plus and transfer my lifetime service from another unit. My service agent totally refused, saying it is impossible to transfer a lifetime service. I pointed out the ad stating I could transfer a service to a new Roamio. She still refused. I think this is totally false advertising and told her so.


__
https://flic.kr/p/10788802794


----------



## HarperVision

nooneuknow said:


> While I'm happy for those who can afford the Roamio platform, this post says many of my own sentiments about the Premiere.
> 
> 1. They sold the Premiere as the "One Box" - Yep, the one box that makes a relaxing break to watch TV and let the stress slip away, become the new stressor and I don't feel relaxed when using it.
> 
> 2. The Roamio does everything the Premiere "should have" - While I don't expect Roamio-only features on my Premiere, I *do* expect it to work, and any advertised feature to work.
> 
> 3. If I wasn't so invested in so many Premieres and HDs, and could afford the cost to replace them with Roamios, I'd probably be more happy than I have in years, and be on here saying so. - But, when a company fails to deliver what I paid for and/or the product is always malfunctioning, and I'm always the "only one to report the problem" or "the first one to", see so many others having those problems and getting those same lines, and I get no compensation or adequate discount on the newer model, just to get something to do what the old one was supposed to, I reconsider if I want to give that company my business anymore.
> 
> But, again, I'm not going to be a hater of everybody who posts that their Roamio is doing the things the Premiere was supposed to, and doing them well. So, good for you. Enjoy.


Bravo, well said!


----------



## HarperVision

KeinoDoggy said:


> So I see this advertisement displayed on my Tivo today and thought I would call and order a Roamio plus and transfer my lifetime service from another unit. My service agent totally refused, saying it is impossible to transfer a lifetime service. I pointed out the ad stating I could transfer a service to a new Roamio. She still refused. I think this is totally false advertising and told her so.
> 
> 
> __
> https://flic.kr/p/10788802794


I agree it seems a little misleading, but I see in your picture of the offer from TiVo on your tv that there's an arrow pointing down that signifies there's more to the message below. What does it say further down in the message?


----------



## KeinoDoggy

HarperVision said:


> I agree it seems a little misleading, but I see in your picture of the offer from TiVo on your tv that there's an arrow pointing down that signifies there's more to the message below. What does it say further down in the message?


I've updated the link to show all the screenshots of the offer. I think it is extremely misleading. I have owned Tivos since 2001, presently have 3 in service. You would think they would consider loyalty as important.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/


----------



## aaronwt

KeinoDoggy said:


> I've updated the link to show all the screenshots of the offer. I think it is extremely misleading. I have owned Tivos since 2001, presently have 3 in service. You would think they would consider loyalty as important.
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/


It sounds like it's the deal I mentioned earlier in the thread. It allows you to transfer your subscription to a Roamio as long as you don't already have a Roamio on your account. But it is the monthly subscription that can be transferred, not lifetime service. If it was lifetime they would specifically mention it and the specific cost to transfer. They would not let you transfer lifetime service for no cost. That would be crazy.


----------



## socrplyr

KeinoDoggy said:


> I've updated the link to show all the screenshots of the offer. I think it is extremely misleading. I have owned Tivos since 2001, presently have 3 in service. You would think they would consider loyalty as important.
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/


Does the particular box that you are seeing the ad on have lifetime service?


----------



## Lyme Greene

I received the offer on my Tivo HD that is transfer of current discounted service (as in the pics). My series 2 with lifetime, that I really want to upgrade, received the discounted lifetime (399) and box offer (199, 349, xxx). I really would love a better offer (99, 199 or even 299 if you let me buy from a retailer) to transfer my Series 2. What would be the harm in a transfer rate? They would make the transfer fee and the box sale off someone like me, who isn't likely to upgrade otherwise (kids TV). What would be Tivo's added cost in this situation?


----------



## CrispyCritter

Lyme Greene said:


> I received the offer on my Tivo HD that is transfer of current discounted service (as in the pics). My series 2 with lifetime, that I really want to upgrade, received the discounted lifetime (399) and box offer (199, 349, xxx). I really would love a better offer (99, 199 or even 299 if you let me buy from a retailer) to transfer my Series 2. What would be the harm in a transfer rate? They would make the transfer fee and the box sale off someone like me, who isn't likely to upgrade otherwise (kids TV). What would be Tivo's added cost in this situation?


The fact that they lose money on the box sale. All their profit comes from service, and overall, TiVo as a company has never made any money, except for patent litigation, so it's very hard to validly claim that box plus service fees are over-priced.


----------



## mattack

KeinoDoggy said:


> I've updated the link to show all the screenshots of the offer. I think it is extremely misleading. I have owned Tivos since 2001, presently have 3 in service. You would think they would consider loyalty as important.
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/


OK, now I have to look at the deal on mine again.. BTW, I mentioned this earlier in the thread too, but was admittedly vague, since I wasn't near my Tivo.

For me, it's something close to $600 for a Roamio Plus, including lifetime subscription. But IIRC, that is NOT *transferring* service, that is buying a new one with lifetime. Though the prices you list are VERY low/compelling, the prices they give are probably actually better, due to resellability of current Premiere + Tivo Stream.


----------



## mattack

nooneuknow said:


> 2. The Roamio does everything the Premiere "should have" - While I don't expect Roamio-only features on my Premiere, I *do* expect it to work, and any advertised feature to work.
> 
> 3. If I wasn't so invested in so many Premieres and HDs, and could afford the cost to replace them with Roamios, I'd probably be more happy than I have in years, and be on here saying


I think the Premiere is slow as dirt in the HD UI (my only experience is with the Premiere 4), but it DOES (mostly) work. I say mostly since *unfortunately* everything has bugs, especially when dealing with external (i.e. non build in, not literally necessarily physically external) hardware like cablecards & tuning adapters.

Also, do you have lifetime subscriptions? Have you done the math as far as upgrading to *fewer* Roamios (due to more tuners)? It might make sense. It comes pretty close to making sense to me (esp with the deal talked about elsewhere, but I have some Best Buy gift cards I want to use so might not take advantage of that deal).


----------



## nooneuknow

mattack said:


> I think the Premiere is slow as dirt in the HD UI (my only experience is with the Premiere 4), but it DOES (mostly) work. I say mostly since *unfortunately* everything has bugs, especially when dealing with external (i.e. non build in, not literally necessarily physically external) hardware like cablecards & tuning adapters.
> 
> Also, do you have lifetime subscriptions? Have you done the math as far as upgrading to *fewer* Roamios (due to more tuners)? It might make sense. It comes pretty close to making sense to me (esp with the deal talked about elsewhere, but I have some Best Buy gift cards I want to use so might not take advantage of that deal).


I hear and understand what you're saying. But if you read my sig, you'd already know that I have lifetimed everything, with 2TB in each one, plus a couple HD's for parts, with no subs. I like that I have so much storage, and can have more than one TiVo record the shows I really would hate to miss when a TA inevitably flakes-out, especially right now, while Cox is moving at least 2 channels a day to SDV, and it's hard top keep all the TAs working when they are messing with the mappings. The linear channels are affected as well, so I have to sometimes watch half from one TiVo, then watch the rest from another...

No matter how great the Roamio may be, it still has a cablecard and TA that can knock it offline, and nothing records, no matter how many tuners it has.

I'd still have to have at least two units, and if I decide I want OTA as a fallback, then three units. I won't be able to front that kind of money any time soon, and ebay is bursting at the seams with used TiVos, that have lost much of their value due to the sheer number for sale, and the word getting around that you really don't want anything but a Roamio...

Cox only charges like $1.50 per cablecard, TAs are free, and I have boxes of new and recertified 2TB drives just waiting to be used...

Now, if I had excess money laying around, instead of excess inventory, I'd at least be trying out a Roamio.


----------



## DM3MD157

mattack said:


> OK, now I have to look at the deal on mine again.. BTW, I mentioned this earlier in the thread too, but was admittedly vague, since I wasn't near my Tivo.
> 
> For me, it's something close to $600 for a Roamio Plus, including lifetime subscription. But IIRC, that is NOT *transferring* service, that is buying a new one with lifetime. Though the prices you list are VERY low/compelling, the prices they give are probably actually better, due to resellability of current Premiere + Tivo Stream.


Holy crap, $600 for a Plus with Lifetime? Now I have buyer's remorse for ordering it for $750+ tax. Scheduled to be delivered tomorrow.


----------



## aaronwt

Yes some of the current offers would have been sweet back in August when many of us paid retail price for the Roamio models along with $400 MSD lifetime. These current offers with lifetime service are great. As well as the offer to transfer the lower monthly fee, like the old $6.95 subscription.


----------



## 1283

mattack said:


> For me, it's something close to $600 for a Roamio Plus, including lifetime subscription.


I don't think that's the correct amount.


----------



## aaronwt

They've made some extremely good offers that are easily $200 less than what prices were at launch with MSD pricing. I guess they are really trying to get people to switch from the older models to the new Roamio TiVos?


----------



## steve614

aaronwt said:


> I guess they are really trying to get people to switch from the older models to the new Roamio TiVos?


If that is the case, they aren't trying very hard. The deal to transfer a monthly subscription is pretty good if you have one of the lower rates (especially if it is $6.95), but there is really nothing for lifetime owners. $100 off isn't going to get me to jump. 
If TiVo was serious about getting users to dump old models, they'd be offering some sort of lifetime transfer deal.


----------



## aaronwt

steve614 said:


> If that is the case, they aren't trying very hard. The deal to transfer a monthly subscription is pretty good if you have one of the lower rates (especially if it is $6.95), but there is really nothing for lifetime owners. $100 off isn't going to get me to jump.
> If TiVo was serious about getting users to dump old models, they'd be offering some sort of lifetime transfer deal.


They are offering them with lifetime for between $150 and $300 less(depending on the model), than it cost with lifetime MSD pricing a few months ago. It is more than $100 off. Of course YMMV on those prices and the pricing seems to be for people who don't already have a Roamio on their account. It seems like a big incentive to me. Especially since you could sell your older Lifetime model to cover a nice portion of the lifetime Roamio cost. Of course the caveat is you have to purchase them through TiVo and not have a Roamio on the account.


----------



## slowbiscuit

mattack said:


> For me, it's something close to $600 for a Roamio Plus, including lifetime subscription. But IIRC, that is NOT *transferring* service, that is buying a new one with lifetime. Though the prices you list are VERY low/compelling, the prices they give are probably actually better, due to resellability of current Premiere + Tivo Stream.


More like $750 for a Plus with lifetime, please say how you can get one for $600.


----------



## bayern_fan

slowbiscuit said:


> More like $750 for a Plus with lifetime, please say how you can get one for $600.


Agreed. The best reported price for a Roamio Plus so far has been $339 shipped, no tax and the $399 MSD lifetime service for a total of $738


----------



## slowbiscuit

aaronwt said:


> They are offering them with lifetime for between $150 and $300 less(depending on the model), than it cost with lifetime MSD pricing a few months ago. It is more than $100 off.


I don't know where you're getting those figures from but don't think that's true. You get $50 off of Plus MSRP, $100 off of Pro, and the standard MSD lifetime of $100 off. So at most a $200 discount, which is really just $100 since MSD lifetime is a given.


----------



## cherry ghost

aaronwt said:


> They are offering them with lifetime for between $150 and $300 less(depending on the model), than it cost with lifetime MSD pricing a few months ago. It is more than $100 off.


Where have you seen that?


----------



## slowbiscuit

bayern_fan said:


> Agreed. The best reported price for a Roamio Plus so far has been $339 shipped, no tax and the $399 MSD lifetime service for a total of $738


I think he's talking about a Basic. Very annoying when folks don't get the models straight on deals here.


----------



## bayern_fan

slowbiscuit said:


> I think he's talking about a Basic. Very annoying when folks don't get the models straight on deals here.


I feel like we should make a sticky about the lowest price per Roamio model from various retailers (like ABT). This could help cut down on incorrect or repetitive information being posted.


----------



## the block

Any guesses at what kind of deals we're going to see on Black Friday / Cyber Monday? Think they'll beat a $738 lifetime plus?


----------



## aaronwt

slowbiscuit said:


> I don't know where you're getting those figures from but don't think that's true. You get $50 off of Plus MSRP, $100 off of Pro, and the standard MSD lifetime of $100 off. So at most a $200 discount, which is really just $100 since MSD lifetime is a given.


They are making offers for those discount prices I listed but not for everyone. Again Your Mileage May Vary.


----------



## aaronwt

the block said:


> Any guesses at what kind of deals we're going to see on Black Friday / Cyber Monday? Think they'll beat a $738 lifetime plus?


They already are if you are a lucky enough to get a golden offer which gets you one for $600 instead of the $738 you mentioned.

This is lower than the normal pricing. I have no idea what the critera is to receive the offer. But TiVo has typically had multiple deals out at the same time where they aren't all offered to everyone.


----------



## philhu

Ok, so, assuming I can get an unbelievable  deal on the Roamio Plus (I work at Best Buy at night), how does one add a discounted lifetime to it? (The $100 off plan).


----------



## HarperVision

philhu said:


> Ok, so, assuming I can get an unbelievable  deal on the Roamio Plus (I work at Best Buy at night), how does one add a discounted lifetime to it? (The $100 off plan).


Use the code PLSR when activating lifetime online.


----------



## slowbiscuit

aaronwt said:


> They are making offers for those discount prices I listed but not for everyone. Again Your Mileage May Vary.


Proof please, all you're giving is hearsay. I've seen no one other than mattack claim that they can get a Plus w/lifetime for $600, and I have a feeling he's talking about a Basic. If those deals are out there, we need to know the criteria to get them otherwise it's just a one-off bone that Tivo's throwing to keep someone happy.


----------



## Tanquen

Got this email offer today. Anyone think it will get better in the next few months?


----------



## DM3MD157

Tanquen said:


> Got this email offer today. Anyone think it will get better in the next few months?


That is the same deal everyone is getting. Basic= -$25, Plus=-$50, Pro=-$100. You get $100 off of the lifetime if you're an existing customer, but also you get get it as a new customer as well if you use the code PLSR.


----------



## jayn_j

Tanquen said:


> Got this email offer today. Anyone think it will get better in the next few months?


I don't have lifetime and the offer I got was for transferring existing service. Prices were $179/349/499. That means that your deal is the same as mine if you figure in $399 discounted lifetime. The advantage is that you get to keep the old box activated.


----------



## Tanquen

DM3MD157 said:


> That is the same deal everyone is getting. Basic= -$25, Plus=-$50, Pro=-$100. You get $100 off of the lifetime if you're an existing customer, but also you get get it as a new customer as well if you use the code PLSR.


So wait then?


----------



## DM3MD157

Tanquen said:


> So wait then?


I didn't. I should be getting the Plus any minute now. The UPS guy should be out for delivery! You can always wait for black friday, but from doing some research I didn't see they had any deals last year.


----------



## laria

I don't really recall TiVo ever having anything memorable for a Black Friday sale. And this current promotion is dated through 1/31/14.


----------



## mattack

slowbiscuit said:


> More like $750 for a Plus with lifetime, please say how you can get one for $600.


Well, yeah, I got an email today where that was the price. I'm guessing the deal *on the Tivo* had typos in it... and I bet it will have changed when I get home!!

Oh wait, MAYBE this deal is on my Tivo HD with lifetime? I will get pictures tonight if it's still there....


----------



## cherry ghost

slowbiscuit said:


> Proof please, all you're giving is hearsay. I've seen no one other than mattack claim that they can get a Plus w/lifetime for $600, and I have a feeling he's talking about a Basic. If those deals are out there, we need to know the criteria to get them otherwise it's just a one-off bone that Tivo's throwing to keep someone happy.


Pretty sure he can't provide proof. There have been no legitimate reports around here of anyone getting a Plus w/lifetime for $600


----------



## slowbiscuit

I'd love to get in on it if there is a way, assuming I could net $400 or so on the sale of my Elite.


----------



## aaronwt

cherry ghost said:


> Pretty sure he can't provide proof. There have been no legitimate reports around here of anyone getting a Plus w/lifetime for $600


I have no idea what the criteria is for the offer. The deal was not offered to me but someone else. I was offered a deal to transfer my $6.95 rate from my Premiere to a Roamio Basic. Which is all I really wanted. Since whether I had a Premiere for OTA or a Roamio, I was still going to be paying the $6.95 a month. Although using a Roamio is preferred since it's the newest hardware. So when I got the deal I took it.


----------



## cherry ghost

aaronwt said:


> I have no idea what the criteria is for the offer. The deal was not offered to me but someone else. I was offered a deal to transfer my $6.95 rate from my Premiere to a Roamio Basic. Which is all I really wanted. Since whether I had a Premiere for OTA or a Roamio, I was still going to be paying the $6.95 a month. Although using a Roamio is preferred since it's the newest hardware. So when I got the deal I took it.


When you say "someone else", are you referring to mattack in this thread? He has not yet confirmed that he received an offer of $600 for a Plus w/ Lifetime


----------



## aaronwt

cherry ghost said:


> When you say "someone else", are you referring to mattack in this thread? He has not yet confirmed that he received an offer of $600 for a Plus w/ Lifetime


No I am not referring to mattack. Someone else was offered the deal I'm referring too.


----------



## worachj

worachj said:


> Don't know anything about this site, but MClego online has Roamio Basic for $159.99 with free shipping. I just bought one using PayPal for $159.99, no tax and free shipping.
> 
> http://mclego.com/products.php?product=TiVo-Roamio-Black-Digital-Video-Recorder-%2d-TCD846500


UPDATE:

I got my Roamio Basic today from MCLogo.com.

I had some concerns after reading web reviews about people not getting their orders filled. The TiVo was shipped only in its original box, it was not doubled boxed. On the outside of the box it had a Best Buy invoice and shipping label with my address, meaning it was bought and shipped from Best Buy. Not sure what to make of that! What the ?????? Anyway, everything looks factory new and OK.

I ordered on Friday, they shipped on Monday, UPS delivered on Wednesday, registered with TiVo.com today. No problems.

Next step is dealing with Comcast and cable cards.


----------



## leiff

Will abt pricematch MClego?


----------



## rsm1444

worachj said:


> UPDATE:
> 
> I got my Roamio Basic today from MCLogo.com.
> 
> I had some concerns after reading web reviews about people not getting their orders filled. The TiVo was shipped only in its original box, it was not doubled boxed. On the outside of the box it had a Best Buy invoice and shipping label with my address, meaning it was bought and shipped from Best Buy. Not sure what to make of that! What the ?????? Anyway, everything looks factory new and OK.
> 
> I ordered on Friday, they shipped on Monday, UPS delivered on Wednesday, registered with TiVo.com today. No problems.
> 
> Next step is dealing with Comcast and cable cards.


Does it show the price paid to Bestbuy ?


----------



## worachj

rsm1444 said:


> Does it show the price paid to Bestbuy ?


No price. Its just Best Buy's standard shipping invoice that contains order number, product description and ship to address. Also contained their return policy/instructions and a return label. So any problems I have with the TiVo it gets sent back to Best Buy.


----------



## laria

Maybe it fell off a truck.


----------



## mattack

Yup, I must have been imagining it/misreading it *multiple* times. I wish I had taken a snapshot of it when I *thought* it was a Roamio Plus w/lifetime for ~600. I'd jump on that price in a second.


----------



## alyssa

even i'd jump on that one!

<notabletorationalizetheupgrade>


----------



## slowbiscuit

aaronwt said:


> No I am not referring to mattack. Someone else was offered the deal I'm referring too.


So provide the name, stop making it a big secret. Then we can PM the crap out of that person to get the details.


----------



## ADG

Clearly there is no deal for $600 and the individual who said there is is probably just too embarrassed at this point to fess up. The deal being offered by TiVo is $750 and the fact is that while TiVo says it saves us $150, it actually represents a saving of only $50 since it's only being offered to existing TiVo owners.


----------



## sevenx7

Just got an email from tivo to upgrade one of my boxes to a Roamio without extending my year commitment and continuing where the old agreement left off.
for 349.00 i think it was fine and i went ahead and ordered it. My 2 Tuner premiere will be put out to pasture. Here comes the 6 tuner!


----------



## marklyn

sevenx7 said:


> Just got an email from tivo to upgrade one of my boxes to a Roamio without extending my year commitment and continuing where the old agreement left off.
> for 349.00 i think it was fine and i went ahead and ordered it. My 2 Tuner premiere will be put out to pasture. Here comes the 6 tuner!


This must be the plus, right? Also are they going to charge you the same monthly service rate or the higher one associated with a Roamio?


----------



## manload

Heads up! Amazon has the Roamio Plus for $249.99 + $19.99 shipping and Roamio Pro at $399.99 + $19.99 shipping.


----------



## JAaronT

manload said:


> Heads up! Amazon has the Roamio Plus for $249.99 + $19.99 shipping and Roamio Pro at $399.99 + $19.99 shipping.


Shipping seemed to come up as free for me. A fantastic deal (if they don't call it a mistake and cancel the order first).


----------



## laria

I see $399.99 plus free shipping.  But it's not from Amazon, it's from someplace called Etailz.


----------



## innocentfreak

Might be able to get a Best Buy Price match out of it if they don't look closely.


----------



## laria

Well, I went for it. $200 off was too good to pass up... I was going to use the $100 coupon from TiVo in a month or so anyway.


----------



## Tivogre

That "deal" is gone now. Hopefully those of you who pulled the trigger will get the Roamio!


----------



## laria

I hope so but I kinda am assuming the order will be canceled.


----------



## bobrt6676

laria said:


> Well, I went for it. $200 off was too good to pass up... I was going to use the $100 coupon from TiVo in a month or so anyway.


Just went to Amazon 399 price gone.


----------



## JAaronT

JAaronT said:


> Shipping seemed to come up as free for me. A fantastic deal (if they don't call it a mistake and cancel the order first).


Aaaaand canceled: "Out of Stock"


----------



## laria

JAaronT said:


> Aaaaand canceled: "Out of Stock"


Yup, mine too. Oh well.


----------



## overFEDEXed

laria said:


> Yup, mine too. Oh well.


laria,

I read the negative reviews about Etailz not shipping item and such. Amazon answered each one with the "We take responsibility for this seller" Try calling them and see what they say about making good on the sale. All they can say is no.


----------



## leiff

Mark me as one of the cancels 
+1 post any here on any sucess calling in here.


----------



## aaronwt

I got my Roamio Basic from TiVo today. They transferred the monthly $6.95 rate I had on my Premiere over to it. I just need to wait for it to pull down the activation. Once that is done then I will call back to see if they will offer a deal for lifetime on the Premiere. If they were to offer it for $99 I would take it, but if the offer is $199(which is what I would expect) then it will just go into storage.

I wish I could convince my GF to get a Roamio Basic for OTA. The tuners in it seem to be pretty good at pulling in the stations in my area. There were a couple of stations that had been having issues recently on my Premiere, since the foilage has been off most of the trees. The Roamio BAsic is still pulling in those channels just fine. When I had the S3 it also had the same issues with those stations this time of year. So the S5 tuner seems to be a little better than both the S3 and S4 in my situation.


----------



## Philmatic

aaronwt said:


> I got my Roamio Basic from TiVo today. They transferred the monthly $6.95 rate I had on my Premiere over to it. I just need to wait for it to pull down the activation. Once that is done then I will call back to see if they will offer a deal for lifetime on the Premiere. If they were to offer it for $99 I would take it, but if the offer is $199(which is what I would expect) then it will just go into storage.
> 
> I wish I could convince my GF to get a Roamio Basic for OTA. The tuners in it seem to be pretty good at pulling in the stations in my area. There were a couple of stations that had been having issues recently on my Premiere, since the foilage has been off most of the trees. The Roamio BAsic is still pulling in those channels just fine. When I had the S3 it also had the same issues with those stations this time of year. So the S5 tuner seems to be a little better than both the S3 and S4 in my situation.


The threshold is three years, if you have been paying monthly or yearly for service on your Premiere, they'll offer the $99 deal. I got it on my three Premiere's when I upgraded to the Roamio Plus. Adding Lifetime to the Premiere for $99 increased it's value by $300, so I net $200 off each box.


----------



## Wpfma

Just ordered the roamio plus from ABT. Back in stock, free shipping, no tax to mass. And $339.00. Did what others have done chat on line then phone call to order. Should be here wed.  thanks to all that shared this deal.


----------



## aaronwt

Philmatic said:


> The threshold is three years, if you have been paying monthly or yearly for service on your Premiere, they'll offer the $99 deal. I got it on my three Premiere's when I upgraded to the Roamio Plus. Adding Lifetime to the Premiere for $99 increased it's value by $300, so I net $200 off each box.


Great!!
I've had the rate since 2007 or 2008. I transferred it from a TiVoHD to a Premiere when they launched. So hopefully they'll do the $99 deal. Although I still wouldn't use it for anything right now. I would probably just keep it around as a backup for my GFs S3 boxes.


----------



## Brighton Line

I just called Tivo on the email offer of Roamio Pro $499.99/Plus $349.99
I have Premier activated 2/1/2012 at $14.99 a month and a Premier XL activated 11/12/2010 at $99 a year and an HD with Lifetime (sold but never moved off my account) oh yah and I have a Tivo Stream.
They said if I added a Roamio to my account, only the XL would be elligable for the $99 lifetime upgrade. The Roamio would become primary at $14.99, the Premier (2012) would be multiprice discounted.
So it does prove the 3 year threshold for $99 lifetime.
My Premier has an external drive (no issues for as 4 years on the drive).
I've been passing the $99 a year service from tivo to tivo since my Humax. Never can come up with the cash for the box AND lifetime.

I just wonder if it is worth it to get the $99 on the XL and then sell it to fund the Premier, I would love to replace the Premier over the XL but they won't give me the upgrade on it. Also have to check my cable card if they are NDS then moot point as Cablevision still does not have 6 tuners on that card, SA will work though.


What do you think?


----------



## slowbiscuit

Absolutely, the XL w/lifetime is worth way more than $100. But check the sold listings on fleabay to see what they're going for before you decide.


----------



## aaronwt

Philmatic said:


> The threshold is three years, if you have been paying monthly or yearly for service on your Premiere, they'll offer the $99 deal. I got it on my three Premiere's when I upgraded to the Roamio Plus. Adding Lifetime to the Premiere for $99 increased it's value by $300, so I net $200 off each box.


Sweet!! I just got off the phone with a TiVo CSR and they gave me the $99 price for lifetime on the Premiere. I looked and I originally got the $6.95 rate on a TiVo HD in 2007 and then had it transferred to a launch Premiere in 2010. So the Premiere was on it for over 3.5 years. So this works out great. I can keep it around to use in case my GF has any issues with her S3 boxes.


----------



## jwc553911

So this is what i have: 2 TivoHD's Activated lifetime since 05/2008. I want to change 1 (one) of them out for a Roamio Pro. I have a code for $60 off a Pro thru Tivo. What is the best place and pricing for me currently? Is there a $100 off via phone conversation somewhere? Am i eligible for a discounted lifetime or transfer? What should i be paying in my circumstance?
Thanks , Your always helpful!

Sorry, i know i already posted before, but things change quickly and i am ready to buy now.


----------



## alyssa

See my sig for what I've got.

Is there any way to get more of a discount on a romeo pro with lifetime for $749.99? I haven't gotten any emails from tivo. 
i take it the $99 lifetime offer is only good on Premieres?


----------



## chrispitude

alyssa said:


> See my sig for what I've got.
> 
> Is there any way to get more of a discount on a romeo pro with lifetime for $749.99? I haven't gotten any emails from tivo.
> i take it the $99 lifetime offer is only good on Premieres?


Are you referring to the Plus, for $350 plus $400 lifetime? You can save $10 (and perhaps tax) by ordering a Plus from ABT.


----------



## alyssa

it was the deal i see on the tivo home screen on my tv. I wasn't quite sure what the breakdown is.


----------



## leiff

Warning-
Annyone who bought the amazon $250 plus roamio that was cancelled. Your card was charged. It caused me a $35 overdraft fee. I would have noticed except i remember amazon saying in the cancelation email they dont charge. Im pissed and calling amazon. Or maybe your only charged if you used a debt card like me


----------



## jwc553911

Well I walked into BestBuy in Lafayette Indiana today and told them about the phone-in $100 off of a Roamio Pro and they didn't even blink. Rung it up as an: Other/phone promo. $499 and even gave me free shipping to my house. (they don't carry them in store) Guess my next argument will be with Tivo over a Lifetime deal. What should I expect? $399 or better?? I will have the unit Wednesday.


----------



## Saxion

Has anyone tried to get a deal on PLS by buying service for a Roamio and several Minis at the same time?


----------



## g808

Not the best deal, but I saw my local Costco had the Roamio Plus in store for $350. Might be good to save on shipping and the instant gratification factor.


----------



## JulienPDX77

I spoke at length with a customer service person this week about how 3 updates ago; they pretty much destroyed/killed off any third-party (netflix, hulu, amazon..etc) functionality and I'd long since bought a PS3 to be able to do that stuff. 

I used that as justification for being able to buy a retail unit and have it swapped and to get a really low rate from now on to offset the cost. 

They agreed. I payed 199 at BestBuy for a standard Roamio (don't care about the stream stuff) and my rate as of this month and forward is 8.99 a month. I haven't been on this site in a long time nor have I bothered to read if anyone else was mad like me about how much faster roamio is and how tivo themselves were the ones who screwed up the premiere. The guy said he's taken a ton of calls with similar requests so ill assume most of you have already done so. 

Anyway; I have read on this forum today that it looks like upgrades to the roamio are even easier than they were for the premiere. I'll be dropping a 3 or 4TB drive in there when I can some more reading.


----------



## BlackBetty

jwc553911 said:


> Guess my next argument will be with Tivo over a Lifetime deal. What should I expect? $399 or better?? I will have the unit Wednesday.


Haha. Good luck trying to get a better deal on lifetime.


----------



## aaronwt

g808 said:


> Not the best deal, but I saw my local Costco had the Roamio Plus in store for $350. Might be good to save on shipping and the instant gratification factor.


TiVo doesn't charge any shipping for a TiVo. Shipping is free.


----------



## aaronwt

JulienPDX77 said:


> I spoke at length with a customer service person this week about how 3 updates ago; they pretty much destroyed/killed off any third-party (netflix, hulu, amazon..etc) functionality and I'd long since bought a PS3 to be able to do that stuff.
> 
> I used that as justification for being able to buy a retail unit and have it swapped and to get a really low rate from now on to offset the cost.
> 
> They agreed. I payed 199 at BestBuy for a standard Roamio (don't care about the stream stuff) and my rate as of this month and forward is 8.99 a month. I haven't been on this site in a long time nor have I bothered to read if anyone else was mad like me about how much faster roamio is and how tivo themselves were the ones who screwed up the premiere. The guy said he's taken a ton of calls with similar requests so ill assume most of you have already done so.
> 
> Anyway; I have read on this forum today that it looks like upgrades to the roamio are even easier than they were for the premiere. I'll be dropping a 3 or 4TB drive in there when I can some more reading.


The largest drive you can put in is 3TB. If you want to use a larger one you will need to purchase it from Weaknees. Weakness has a process to get larger than 3TB drives working in the Roamios.


----------



## BlackBetty

aaronwt said:


> The largest drive you can put in is 3TB. If you want to use a larger one you will need to purchase it from Weaknees. Weakness has a process to get larger than 3TB drives working in the Roamios.


That needs to be clarified. Currently weakness is the only option right now for larger than 3TB. Until someone creates a tool for us DIY'ers.


----------



## lessd

BlackBetty said:


> That needs to be clarified. Currently weakness is the only option right now for larger than 3TB. Until someone creates a tool for us DIY'ers.


I don't think the demand for more than 450 h of HD storage is that large that anybody will spend the time to make a DIY option anytime soon. I guess we should do a poll on how many people would use a DIY option for a 4Tb drive. I watch a lot of TV and only have a 2Tb in my Roamio + as 318 h of HD storage is more than I need.


----------



## untfan

Not the greatest of deals, but Best Buy is giving a $50 giftcard with the purchase of a (full price) Roamio. Looks to be available online so you could feasibly get discover cash back.


----------



## alyssa

lessd said:


> <snip>we should do a poll on how many people would use a DIY option for a 4Tb drive.


Raises hand

i would very much like that option- course i don't even have a Roamio yet but that'll happen soon enough


----------



## aaronwt

I could certainly have used a 4TB drive in my Roamio Pro. SInce it replaced my two Premiere ELites which each had a 2TB drive. But I made some adjustments to some SPs and my storage seems to hover in the low 90s now. I would prefer it to hover in the 70's which would happen with a 4TB drive, but not enough to really replace the drive.

If I had picked up a Roamio Plus and were replacing the drive, then a DIY solution for a 4TB would have been great. But since I started with a 3TB, it's just not worth the extra money to me right now for only an extra 1TB.


----------



## g808

aaronwt said:


> TiVo doesn't charge any shipping for a TiVo. Shipping is free.


True, my bad. Still might be good for those who don't like waiting.


----------



## videojanitor

untfan said:


> Not the greatest of deals, but Best Buy is giving a $50 giftcard with the purchase of a (full price) Roamio. Looks to be available online so you could feasibly get discover cash back.


I walked into a Best Buy today and picked up a Roamio base model (need OTA only). As the transaction was concluding, the cashier had to call over a manager because the register told her that I was due a $50 gift card. They rung one up for me on the spot, bringing my net cost down to $149. Of course, that means I have to apply it towards something else in the future, but I thought it was pretty sweet!


----------



## atmuscarella

lessd said:


> I don't think the demand for more than 450 h of HD storage is that large that anybody will spend the time to make a DIY option anytime soon. I guess we should do a poll on how many people would use a DIY option for a 4Tb drive. I watch a lot of TV and only have a 2Tb in my Roamio + as 318 h of HD storage is more than I need.


I am OTA only so I have more options than users on a cable system that restricts copying.

But the general question of how much storage one needs (ok maybe wants not needs) is interesting.

I went from 3 TiVos with 5.25TB of storage (that was/is 95% full) to 1 TiVo with 300GB. Because it is so easy (and fast) to move shows between my Roamio and my computers I decided to not upgrade my Roamio's hard drive instead I am moving shows onto my 2 computers both have SSD boot drives and 2TB storage drives plus I have several 1TB bare drives I use in USB devices. With the net result being I have over 6TB available for TiVo files. Will interesting to see how much is used by the end of this year's TV season.

But to answer the question I would find 3TB insufficient.


----------



## en sabur nur

atmuscarella said:


> I am OTA only so I have more options than users on a cable system that restricts copying.
> 
> But the general question of how much storage one needs (ok maybe wants not needs) is interesting.
> 
> I went from 3 TiVos with 5.25TB of storage (that was/is 95% full) to 1 TiVo with 300GB. Because it is so easy (and fast) to move shows between my Roamio and my computers I decided to not upgrade my Roamio's hard drive instead I am moving shows onto my 2 computers both have SSD boot drives and 2TB storage drives plus I have several 1TB bare drives I use in USB devices. With the net result being I have over 6TB available for TiVo files. Will interesting to see how much is used by the end of this year's TV season.
> 
> But to answer the question I would find 3TB insufficient.


If I add more drives in my desktop computer. Will the tivo see the added drives? Or does it only see I drive per computer. I have a some sata drives lying around that I can add to my desktop. Right now, it has a 2tb drive in it. I am also considering a Netgear Nas, which has a Tivo Archiving feature.


----------



## aaronwt

atmuscarella said:


> I am OTA only so I have more options than users on a cable system that restricts copying.
> 
> But the general question of how much storage one needs (ok maybe wants not needs) is interesting.
> 
> I went from 3 TiVos with 5.25TB of storage (that was/is 95% full) to 1 TiVo with 300GB. Because it is so easy (and fast) to move shows between my Roamio and my computers I decided to not upgrade my Roamio's hard drive instead I am moving shows onto my 2 computers both have SSD boot drives and 2TB storage drives plus I have several 1TB bare drives I use in USB devices. With the net result being I have over 6TB available for TiVo files. Will interesting to see how much is used by the end of this year's TV season.
> 
> But to answer the question I would find 3TB insufficient.


I couldn't do that because the Roamio Basic still transfers to the PC at half the speed of the Roamio Pro. I transferred some shows this morning from my Romaio Basic and got around 92Mb/s transfer rates which still takes a while to transfer an hour long HD show. While my Roamio Pro will transfer at 180Mb/s to the PC. Which still takes some time to transfer an hour long HD show, but at least it's in around half the time as the Roamio Basic.

I prefer to have more local storage and only transfer content the PC for archiving. Now if they implemented streaming from the PC then I could see having less storage on the TiVos and transferring it to the PC for viewing later. Since you would not need to transfer it back.


----------



## atmuscarella

en sabur nur said:


> If I add more drives in my desktop computer. Will the tivo see the added drives? Or does it only see I drive per computer. I have a some sata drives lying around that I can add to my desktop. Right now, it has a 2tb drive in it. I am also considering a Netgear Nas, which has a Tivo Archiving feature.


It only sees the TiVo folder so where ever that is, is what you can access without moving files around. When I put files on one of my USB drives it does require copying them to the drive and back again so I only use them if I have too.


----------



## atmuscarella

aaronwt said:


> I couldn't do that because the Roamio Basic still transfers to the PC at half the speed of the Roamio Pro. I transferred some shows this morning from my Romaio Basic and got around 92Mb/s transfer rates which still takes a while to transfer an hour long HD show. While my Roamio Pro will transfer at 180Mb/s to the PC. Which still takes some time to transfer an hour long HD show, but at least it's in around half the time as the Roamio Basic.
> 
> I prefer to have more local storage and only transfer content the PC for archiving. Now if they implemented streaming from the PC then I could see having less storage on the TiVos and transferring it to the PC for viewing later. Since you would not need to transfer it back.


My transfer speed on my Roamio is about the same as yours. But it is more than fast enough for what I need (actually the Premiere's transfer speed was fine also). I have my computers set to "Auto Transfer" certain shows that I plain on watching latter so I never really see them being pulled to my computer. As far as going back, yes streaming would be great, but I can start watching a show within seconds and never catch up with the transfer while skipping commercials so again that is fast enough for me. One of my computers is actually attached to my TV and there is no issue streaming TiVo files to it from the other computer, but I find watching shows easier with my TiVo than my HTPC.


----------



## leiff

aaronwt said:


> I couldn't do that because the Roamio Basic still transfers to the PC at half the speed of the Roamio Pro. I transferred some shows this morning from my Romaio Basic and got around 92Mb/s transfer rates which still takes a while to transfer an hour long HD show. While my Roamio Pro will transfer at 180Mb/s to the PC. Which still takes some time to transfer an hour long HD show, but at least it's in around half the time as the Roamio Basic.
> 
> I prefer to have more local storage and only transfer content the PC for archiving. Now if they implemented streaming from the PC then I could see having less storage on the TiVos and transferring it to the PC for viewing later. Since you would not need to transfer it back.


Im sure your aware that when you transfer a show from pc to tivo your given the option to play imidiately. I do this with my roamio basic. Isnt this as good as streaming? Or are you just bothered by the fact youd have to delete the program from your tivo afterwards to avoid duplicates?
Aarronwt; i see you recently aquired a basic roamio. Have you observed its fan noise to be louder than your pros? Im bothered by my basics and am going to try to run fanless and keep the top lid off


----------



## leiff

I have tivo desktop though i haven't tried auto series transfer yet. Does it offer to delete original from tivo afterwards?


----------



## atmuscarella

leiff said:


> I have tivo desktop though i haven't tried auto series transfer yet. Does it offer to delete original from tivo afterwards?


Not that I am aware of. I manually delete all my auto transfer shows once or twice a week after I check that they actually auto transferred - guess I am just not willing to trust the tech 100% yet .


----------



## aaronwt

leiff said:


> Im sure your aware that when you transfer a show from pc to tivo your given the option to play imidiately. I do this with my roamio basic. Isnt this as good as streaming? Or are you just bothered by the fact youd have to delete the program from your tivo afterwards to avoid duplicates?
> Aarronwt; i see you recently aquired a basic roamio. Have you observed its fan noise to be louder than your pros? Im bothered by my basics and am going to try to run fanless and keep the top lid off


I forgot about that. I don't use TiVo Desktop as much as I did in the past and most recently it has been to send content to TiVo Desktop and then burned to disc.
So yes if viewing commences immediately then that is almost as good as streaming.

For fan noise on the Roamio Basic I compared it to the two tuner Premiere, and it has been quieter than the Premiere. I'll need to listen more closely one day and compare it to the Pro. But right now in it's location I have not had any noise to worry about from it. But it also is not in a quiet room, it is in an area that has more extraneous noise. I'll need to move it into another room one day to find out how it really sounds in a very quiet room.


----------



## HarperVision

videojanitor said:


> I walked into a Best Buy today and picked up a Roamio base model (need OTA only). As the transaction was concluding, the cashier had to call over a manager because the register told her that I was due a $50 gift card. They rung one up for me on the spot, bringing my net cost down to $149. Of course, that means I have to apply it towards something else in the future, but I thought it was pretty sweet!


Use the $50 Gift card towards a larger hard drive to throw into the Roamio!


----------



## steve614

en sabur nur said:


> If I add more drives in my desktop computer. Will the tivo see the added drives? Or does it only see I drive per computer. I have a some sata drives lying around that I can add to my desktop. Right now, it has a 2tb drive in it. I am also considering a Netgear Nas, which has a Tivo Archiving feature.


As atmuscarella said, the Tivo only sees the My Tivo Recordings folder.

But, you can create shortcuts for other folders/hard drives where you store videos.
Once you create the shortcut(s), move it(them) into the My TiVo Recordings folder. They will show up in the list on the Tivo as subfolders at the bottom of the list.


----------



## SlappyMcgee

Ordered a Roamio Pro last night with the $100 off / Transfer current service. When I receive and activate my Roamio they are going to allow me to purchase lifetime for my TivoHD for $99


----------



## atmuscarella

steve614 said:


> As atmuscarella said, the Tivo only sees the My Tivo Recordings folder.
> 
> But, you can create shortcuts for other folders/hard drives where you store videos.
> Once you create the shortcut(s), move it(them) into the My TiVo Recordings folder. They will show up in the list on the Tivo as subfolders at the bottom of the list.


Thanks for the shortcut/subfolder tip. I might put 2 of my 1TB drives into my computers instead of using them in USB enclosures when I fill up the 2TB ones in the computers.


----------



## the block

SlappyMcgee said:


> Ordered a Roamio Pro last night with the $100 off / Transfer current service. When I receive and activate my Roamio they are going to allow me to purchase lifetime for my TivoHD for $99


Are they allowing you to transfer lifetime service from the TivoHD, or are you just transferring monthly service from the TivoHD and then adding on lifetime to the TivoHD for $99?

If you're transferring lifetime, I see the cost breakdown as follows:
$599.99 - $100 = $499.99 Pro + $99 TivoHD Lifetime service = $598.99 + tax for a TivoHD w/ lifetime & Roamio Pro w/ lifetime?

If that's the case, that's a pretty damn good deal, especially considering what you could sell the TivoHD w/ lifetime for. Please confirm.


----------



## aaronwt

the block said:


> Are they allowing you to transfer lifetime service from the TivoHD, or are you just transferring monthly service from the TivoHD and then adding on lifetime to the TivoHD for $99?
> 
> If you're transferring lifetime, I see the cost breakdown as follows:
> $599.99 - $100 = $499.99 Pro + $99 TivoHD Lifetime service = $598.99 + tax for a TivoHD w/ lifetime & Roamio Pro w/ lifetime?
> 
> If that's the case, that's a pretty damn good deal, especially considering what you could sell the TivoHD w/ lifetime for. Please confirm.


They let you transfer your current subscription, ie. monthly service, not lifetime.

This is what they did for me with a Roamio BAsic recently. I transferred my $6.95 rate from a two tuner Premiere to the Roamio. Then they gave me lifetime service on my Premiere for $99.

I've had the $6.95 rate since 2007. Initially on a TiVo HD, then transferred to a launch Premiere. And now on a Roamio BAsic.


----------



## en sabur nur

aaronwt said:


> They let you transfer your current subscription, ie. monthly service, not lifetime.
> 
> This is what they did for me with a Roamio BAsic recently. I transferred my $6.95 rate from a two tuner Premiere to the Roamio. Then they gave me lifetime service on my Premiere for $99.
> 
> I've had the $6.95 rate since 2007. Initially on a TiVo HD, then transferred to a launch Premiere. And now on a Roamio BAsic.


I hope I get that deal when I call them. I'm getting a Roamio Pro and will transfer service from a Premiere 4. Hopefully they offer me that lifetime deal on the Premiere 4 too.


----------



## aaronwt

en sabur nur said:


> I hope I get that deal when I call them. I'm getting a Roamio Pro and will transfer service from a Premiere 4. Hopefully they offer me that lifetime deal on the Premiere 4 too.


Based on what Philmatic said, it depends on how long you've had service on the box whether you can get the $99 lifetime service.



Philmatic said:


> The threshold is three years, if you have been paying monthly or yearly for service on your Premiere, they'll offer the $99 deal. I got it on my three Premiere's when I upgraded to the Roamio Plus. Adding Lifetime to the Premiere for $99 increased it's value by $300, so I net $200 off each box.


----------



## en sabur nur

aaronwt said:


> Based on what Philmatic said, it depends on how long you've had service on the box whether you can get the $99 lifetime service.


It's been three years with the Premiere 4.


----------



## SlappyMcgee

the block said:


> Are they allowing you to transfer lifetime service from the TivoHD, or are you just transferring monthly service from the TivoHD and then adding on lifetime to the TivoHD for $99?
> 
> If you're transferring lifetime, I see the cost breakdown as follows:
> $599.99 - $100 = $499.99 Pro + $99 TivoHD Lifetime service = $598.99 + tax for a TivoHD w/ lifetime & Roamio Pro w/ lifetime?
> 
> If that's the case, that's a pretty damn good deal, especially considering what you could sell the TivoHD w/ lifetime for. Please confirm.


No they are allowing me to transfer my current service plan to the Roamio. Then when I call to activate it they will put lifetime on my TivoHD for $99.

Now the wait for them to ship it is killing me.


----------



## bern43

Just spoke to them and they'd do the 99 lifetime on the premiere XL I have if I bought a roamio with lifetime. Wasn't thinking about upgrading, but thinking it might be worth it as a premiere with lifetime actually has some re-sale value.


----------



## SlappyMcgee

Yeah the way I see it. With the $100 off on the Pro. you are buying a Pro for regular price and getting free product lifetime on the Tivo HD


----------



## Philmatic

bern43 said:


> Just spoke to them and they'd do the 99 lifetime on the premiere XL I have if I bought a roamio with lifetime. Wasn't thinking about upgrading, but thinking it might be worth it as a premiere with lifetime actually has some re-sale value.


Without Lifetime the XL is worth $75-$100, with Lifetime you're looking at $400. It's worth the $100 upgrade, you'll still net $200.


----------



## SlappyMcgee

Since this is my first time to buy a Tivo from Tivo directly. How long does it normally take them to finally ship the product?


----------



## aaronwt

SlappyMcgee said:


> Since this is my first time to buy a Tivo from Tivo directly. How long does it normally take them to finally ship the product?


I ordered my Romaio Basic from TiVo on Friday the 8th. It shipped on Monday the 11th. And I received it on Thursday the 14th.

But I had also placed the order late in the day on Friday. Around 6:30PM EST.


----------



## SlappyMcgee

aaronwt said:


> I ordered my Romaio Basic from TiVo on Friday the 8th. It shipped on Monday the 11th. And I received it on Thursday the 14th.
> 
> But I had also placed the order late in the day on Friday. Around 6:30PM EST.


Hmmm... Not sure if they do anything over the weekend. So with your time frame. I should receive mine around next Tuesday. Dang that means I have to wait an entire week  Amazon and Newegg have spoiled me


----------



## MarkSFCA

Amazon now has the basic Roamio at $149.99.

http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...F8&qid=1384898100&sr=8-2&keywords=tivo+roamio


----------



## Philmatic

Incredible...


----------



## overFEDEXed

MarkSFCA said:


> Amazon now has the basic Roamio at $149.99.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...F8&qid=1384898100&sr=8-2&keywords=tivo+roamio


And a Roamio Composite cable?
http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Roamio-C...ie=UTF8&qid=1384900563&sr=1-8&keywords=roamio

Oh, just the Breakout cable, or part of it, http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Mini-Composite-Component-Cable/dp/B00G3MP39M/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_1 my bad.


----------



## soobaerodude

MarkSFCA said:


> Amazon now has the basic Roamio at $149.99.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...F8&qid=1384898100&sr=8-2&keywords=tivo+roamio


Pricematch at Best Buy and get an additional $50 gift card?


----------



## ThAbtO

MarkSFCA said:


> Amazon now has the basic Roamio at $149.99.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...F8&qid=1384898100&sr=8-2&keywords=tivo+roamio


I just jumped at it and ordered. Amazon Prime will get it here Thursday.
Last time, the price dropped to $176 and missed it.

Update: It looks like it will be here Wednesday (overnight) and I did not choose overnight speed.


----------



## nooneuknow

en sabur nur said:


> If I add more drives in my desktop computer. Will the tivo see the added drives? Or does it only see I drive per computer. I have a some sata drives lying around that I can add to my desktop. Right now, it has a 2tb drive in it. *I am also considering a Netgear Nas, which has a Tivo Archiving feature*.


I want this too (for use with Premieres/HDs), but am having a hard time finding them.

I managed to get the WNDR3800 Netgear router with all the TiVo features, after it was discontinued, but while still available from Newegg. Netgear doesn't even offer support for it anymore, and I just bought it.

I couldn't find any of the Netgear NAS *standalone (no PC required)* devices with the same TiVo extras. Anything 64-bit won't work, and just like the router, it's not like there were a lot of products released with the TiVo specific functions.

It may be that anything works with a Roamio (for all I know), but older TiVo platforms seem to have not ended up being worthy of the NAS manufacturers building in standalone TiVo support for, or just turned out to be non-profitable.


----------



## imacericg

MarkSFCA said:


> Amazon now has the basic Roamio at $149.99.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...F8&qid=1384898100&sr=8-2&keywords=tivo+roamio


BOOM! This thread payed off. Just pulled the trigger myself.


----------



## jhirsche

soobaerodude said:


> Pricematch at Best Buy and get an additional $50 gift card?


Curious if anyone tries this and gets it to work? $150 Roamio + $50 BB gift card... scha-weet!


----------



## overFEDEXed

jhirsche said:


> Curious if anyone tries this and gets it to work? $150 Roamio + $50 BB gift card... scha-weet!


It's going to be YMMV. I read somewhere, that it was against store policy. The manager has the final say but if you buy a lot from them or know them pretty well, they might.

I buy a good bit of stuff from them, but I'm still cheap. Since they price-match Amazon, it makes it easier. I purchased an Xbox one, PS4 and a Roamio Plus, in the last couple of months. They might let me slide, who knows.

I'll try it this evening.


----------



## eric102

jhirsche said:


> Curious if anyone tries this and gets it to work? $150 Roamio + $50 BB gift card... scha-weet!


One poster on the slick deals site said he got the $150 price match at the store and when checking out the gift card rang up automatically without asking for it. Good deal, very tempted.


----------



## ktown.ee

soobaerodude said:


> Pricematch at Best Buy and get an additional $50 gift card?


I was able to get Best Buy to price match the Amazon price of 149.99 this morning and I still received the $50 gift card. I had no problem at all doing this.


----------



## Cap'n Preshoot

imacericg said:


> BOOM! This thread payed off. Just pulled the trigger myself.


Just pulled the same trigger  except added the TIVO Mini for $86 addt'l
Anxious now to see what sort of deal TIVO can offer me on my (current) lifetime sub. We have 2 TIVO Premiere's both w/lifetime. Plan on keeping one of the Premiere's. The new Roamio will replace the other one and the Mini will replace a (real POS) Comcast HD box in the guest BR. Will definitely add lifetime sub to the Mini. Hoping TIVO will make me a deal.


----------



## iWish

Just received a Tivo Roamio from ABT for $169.99. 

Called to get the $150 price match. 

No hesitation from ABT. 

Highly recommend ABT for avoiding Amazon tax in CA and great customer service!


----------



## cbrrider

Yesterday, I saw the Roamio Plus for $349 at the Almaden Costco in San Jose, CA.


----------



## soobaerodude

iWish said:


> Just received a Tivo Roamio from ABT for $169.99.
> 
> Called to get the $150 price match.
> 
> No hesitation from ABT.
> 
> Highly recommend ABT for avoiding Amazon tax in CA and great customer service!


Same for me. Instant pricematch over chat.


----------



## Philmatic

Cap'n Preshoot said:


> Just pulled the same trigger  except added the TIVO Mini for $86 addt'l
> Anxious now to see what sort of deal TIVO can offer me on my (current) lifetime sub. We have 2 TIVO Premiere's both w/lifetime. Plan on keeping one of the Premiere's. The new Roamio will replace the other one and the Mini will replace a (real POS) Comcast HD box in the guest BR. Will definitely add lifetime sub to the Mini. Hoping TIVO will make me a deal.


If the Premiere's are more than 3 years old, they'll offer $99.


----------



## en sabur nur

nooneuknow said:


> I want this too (for use with Premieres/HDs), but am having a hard time finding them.
> 
> I managed to get the WNDR3800 Netgear router with all the TiVo features, after it was discontinued, but while still available from Newegg. Netgear doesn't even offer support for it anymore, and I just bought it.
> 
> I couldn't find any of the Netgear NAS *standalone (no PC required)* devices with the same TiVo extras. Anything 64-bit won't work, and just like the router, it's not like there were a lot of products released with the TiVo specific functions.
> 
> It may be that anything works with a Roamio (for all I know), but older TiVo platforms seem to have not ended up being worthy of the NAS manufacturers building in standalone TiVo support for, or just turned out to be non-profitable.


The newest ones (they came on the market earlier this year) still have the Tivo app. They're on Amazon.


----------



## eric102

ktown.ee said:


> I was able to get Best Buy to price match the Amazon price of 149.99 this morning and I still received the $50 gift card. I had no problem at all doing this.


I caved in and just picked one up also, used a $5 rewards point card BB sent me for no apparent reason (hadn't bought anything there for 3 or 4 months) so I'm in for $95 plus tax.


----------



## bern43

Just called back to get the 99 lifetime on my premiere if I buy the Roamio with lifetime also and now CS is telling me that they can only offer me the $199 lifetime for my premiere. Sort of ridiculous that you have to play CS roulette with them. Guess I should have jumped on it yesterday when I spoke with them. Minus one for TIVO.


----------



## tamathat

eric102 said:


> I caved in and just picked one up also, used a $5 rewards point card BB sent me for no apparent reason (hadn't bought anything there for 3 or 4 months) so I'm in for $95 plus tax.


SWEET! Gonna try tonight!

I called TIVO last month and got them to put on my notes that if I upgrade to Roamio they will honor $199 lifetime on my 2 premieres.


----------



## videojanitor

Nice. I believe they price-match during the exchange/return period, so I will heading over to BB soon with my receipt to claim my fifty bucks! Already got the gift card at the time of purchase ...


----------



## waterchange

nooneuknow said:


> The thing that got me wondering about the $149.99 amazon deal, was the "List Price", which was $199.99.
> 
> Isn't the list price $299.99, or did TiVo lower it?


Base Roamio list price has always been $199. $399 for the Plus, $599 for the Pro.


----------



## nooneuknow

waterchange said:


> Base Roamio list price has always been $199. $399 for the Plus, $599 for the Pro.


Then the "deal" offered on my Premiere screen, from TiVo, is no deal, at all.

It would be full price base Roamio, full price LT Service, plus sales tax.

Has anybody bought multiple TiVos, from Best Buy, with Price-Match? What are the limitations, should I choose to walk into Best Buy and get multiple TiVos and hopefully multiple gift cards?

I know they have their store policies online, but that's a LOT of reading, to find what they may, or may not be enforcing, which this thread kind of shows a YMMV situation about.


----------



## Keen

videojanitor said:


> Nice. I believe they price-match during the exchange/return period, so I will heading over to BB soon with my receipt to claim my fifty bucks! Already got the gift card at the time of purchase ...


No, they pricematch themselves within the return period. You can sometimes argue with them that you can just return and rebuy with a pricematch to get them to help you out. But their policy is to not post-purchase pricematch competitors.


nooneuknow said:


> Has anybody bought multiple TiVos, from Best Buy, with Price-Match? What are the limitations, should I choose to walk into Best Buy and get multiple TiVos and hopefully multiple gift cards?
> 
> I know they have their store policies online, but that's a LOT of reading, to find what they may, or may not be enforcing, which this thread kind of shows a YMMV situation about.


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Payment...ee/pcmcat297300050000.c?id=pcmcat297300050000

2 paragraphs is 'a LOT of reading'?


----------



## jhirsche

Tried to get the deal at the local BB last night, and the manager wouldn't budge. Basically, $150 on the Roamio, but would not include the $50 GC. Going to try online next, and if they won't move, then on to another local store branch.


----------



## tamathat

I walked in to my local Best Buy with the amazon print out.. They honored amazon.com price with no issues, she did verify that it was amazon as the seller and not a third party and that there was no shipping charge. The manager was called over to perform a register override and mentioned that I wouldn't be offered the gift card since I was price matching, I smiled and responded, "well let's just see if the register agrees with you." Once she keyed in the override the register prompted the sales girl to scan the gift card for the $50 promotion automatically. The manager looked at me and said "it must be your lucky day." I just smiled, thankfully the information from this forum allowed me to be a little smug. 

I see no problem with buying multiple tivos with the price match and getting multiple gift cards. My Best buy actually had about 8 tivo roamios on the shelf with tells me they anticipated the sales because since the release there have only been 1-2 on the shelf at any one time.


----------



## nooneuknow

Keen said:


> No, they pricematch themselves within the return period. You can sometimes argue with them that you can just return and rebuy with a pricematch to get them to help you out. But their policy is to not post-purchase pricematch competitors.
> 
> http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Payment...ee/pcmcat297300050000.c?id=pcmcat297300050000
> 
> 2 paragraphs is 'a LOT of reading'?


It used to be much more reading, and in much finer print, the last time I went looking into the fine print.

Nevertheless, I was emphasizing the YMMV factor, and looking for stores being difficult or easy, or "best approach", if I wanted to acquire multiple TiVos (and not necessarily all the same "item", or model).

The SARCASM was not necessary.


----------



## tamathat

jhirsche said:


> Tried to get the deal at the local BB last night, and the manager wouldn't budge. Basically, $150 on the Roamio, but would not include the $50 GC. Going to try online next, and if they won't move, then on to another local store branch.


Try again, the gift card is done automatically by the register after the override is keyed in. Not at the managers discretion.


----------



## Edvin

ktown.ee said:


> I was able to get Best Buy to price match the Amazon price of 149.99 this morning and I still received the $50 gift card. I had no problem at all doing this.


I was able to get this as well, but the store only had one and I need to replace my second premier as well. I went to another store and the manager there said I could get either the price match or the gift card. So basically this varies by store and person.


----------



## jhirsche

tamathat said:


> Try again, the gift card is done automatically by the register after the override is keyed in. Not at the managers discretion.


Well, I'll go give it another shot tonight then! Kinda decided I'd buy in at $150, regardless of if a GC is offered...


----------



## RickStrobel

Anyone have a feel for any possible deals on a Plus or Pro for Black Friday / Cyber Monday?


----------



## eric102

jhirsche said:


> Tried to get the deal at the local BB last night, and the manager wouldn't budge. Basically, $150 on the Roamio, but would not include the $50 GC. Going to try online next, and if they won't move, then on to another local store branch.


I didn't think this gift card and price match deal would last very long before BB figured it out, every store manager probably got a memo today.


----------



## tamathat

eric102 said:


> I didn't think this gift card and price match deal would last very long before BB figured it out, every store manager probably got a memo today.


I'm sure in the grand scheme of things its just a drop in the bucket. The gift card will be spent on another item in their store allowing them to recoup their profit. I'm already thinking about buying another Roamio with the gift card I received today, that or a hard drive to upgrade.


----------



## eric102

tamathat said:


> I'm sure in the grand scheme of things its just a drop in the bucket. The gift card will be spent on another item in their store allowing them to recoup their profit. I'm already thinking about buying another Roamio with the gift card I received today, that or a hard drive to upgrade.


Yeah, I'll probably put mine into an extended warranty and/or mini.


----------



## StevesWeb

I got this deal with no hesitation in Corona, CA, they never even blinked an eye at the price match, and the gift card should look very nice in an envelope as a holiday gift.

I dropped in a 2TB drive I had laying around, and now it is talking to the mother ship.


----------



## bobrt6676

RickStrobel said:


> Anyone have a feel for any possible deals on a Plus or Pro for Black Friday / Cyber Monday?


Probably not, but I just received a Weaknees E-mail. A Roamio Plus 3TB (same HD size as Pro) 
Now $489.99
Use Code: RPLUS3


----------



## adaymerced

I got the Roamio Plus at BB last week using a $10.00 off coupon. Last night I went with my receipt and they gave me the $50.00 Gift Card. It took a lot of cash register jockeying on their side, but I just waited and eventually it all came out just fine.


----------



## gostan

Just received email from WeaKnees with early Black Friday specials. $50 off 150 hr Roamio Plus and $80 off 475 hr. Roamio Plus. and more, of course.


----------



## abeln2672

Just adding to the success stories. Got 2 today at my local Best Buy (Carmel, IN). No problem with either the price match or the gift cards. The manager strolled over, keyed in his override, then walked away. The register jockey took my payment, saw the prompt for gift cards, and went ahead and prepared those both. I turned around and bought a Stream (clearance for $69) and some Amazon.com gift cards. Man, what a sweet deal!


----------



## videojanitor

I tried to get a post-purchase price-match today and they said the would do it, but when they saw I already got the $50 gift card, they said I was not eligible. That's a shame!


----------



## innocentfreak

Here are the full Weaknees deals.

Black Friday Specials Arrive Early
(While Supplies Last!)

TiVo Roamio Series5 DVRs

4 Tuners to record 4 shows at once
Works with cable or FiOS or OTA antenna (but only one at a time!)
TiVo Peanut RF remote

TiVo Roamio - 300 HD Hours
2 TB Internal Hard Drive - $50 off
Now $299.99
Use Code: ROAMIO

TiVo Roamio - 630 HD Hours - Largest single drive unit
4 TB Internal Hard Drive - $100 off
Now $499.99
Use Code: ROAMIO4

TiVo Roamio - 1280 HD Hours
Dual 4TB Hard Drives (Int+Ext) - $150 off
Now $799.99
Use Code: ROAMIO8

TiVo Roamio Plus Series5 DVRs

TiVo Roamio Plus - 150 HD Hours
1 TB Internal Hard Drive - $50 off
Now $349.99
Use Code: RPLUS

TiVo Roamio Plus - 475 HD Hours
3 TB Internal Hard Drive - $80 off
Now $489.99
Use Code: RPLUS3

TiVo Roamio Plus - 630 HD Hours
4 TB Internal Hard Drive - $120 off
Now $599.99
Use Code: RPLUS4

TiVo Roamio Plus - 1280 HD Hours
Dual 4TB Hard Drives (Int+Ext) - $170 off
Now $899.99
Use Code: RPLUS8


Where is the Roamio Pro?
The Roamio Pro is identical to the Roamio Plus except that the Pro comes 
with a 3 TB drive from TiVo. We can upgrade a Plus with a 3TB hard 
drive, giving you the same unit at a much better price ($110 less, with 
the code above). Or, our 4TB Roamio Plus is the same price as the 3TB 
Roamio Pro, so we just couldn't justify discounting the Pro.

*All offers expire 12/31/13. While supplies last.


----------



## mattack

ktown.ee said:


> I was able to get Best Buy to price match the Amazon price of 149.99 this morning and I still received the $50 gift card. I had no problem at all doing this.


Weird that the base Roamio is discounted (to match BB's price?) but not the other ones.. like the Plus that I'm interested in (to replace my Premiere 4 + Tivo HD.. at least potentially.. Definitely replace the Premiere 4.. May keep the Tivo HD in lieu of a tivo mini if I get another TV)


----------



## nooneuknow

Who has two thumbs, and is now a member of the Roamio owner club, thanks to this thread? This guy!

I went to closest Best Buy, and when price match override was needed, the manager denied matching the $149.99 amazon price at ring-up, claiming the $50 gift card was the same as matching the amazon sale price. I tried going to the other end of store, and same guy followed me and made sure I didn't get past him at another checkout. He claimed Best Buy had AN AGREEMENT WITH TIVO, not to let the FINAL price be any less than amazon/or $149.99.

So I drove to other side of town and to a different store, produced the same documents, no problem, paid $149.99, got $50 gift card, handed card to my relative in line, who got the same deal, and used my gift card to pay $50 of the $149.99 amazon price match, and he received a $50 gift card (and paid me the $50 in cash for my card that he used)! Both the sales associate, and the manager at this store were smiling and being very friendly, even though the gift card seemed to be a surprise to them (like they'd never seen it happen).

The manager at the first store was VERY ASSERTIVE, that any stores doing the $149.99 ring-up, then giving the gift card (which is an automatic process once the transaction has cleared), is in violation of pre-arranged terms with TiVo. He was VERY unfriendly, when all I was really saying was I would be OK if he rang it up at $149.99, and just didn't give me the gift card. I explained how I don't see a store-specific gift-card as being the same as a "price match", but he stood his ground that "it was wrong, if any store, associate, or manager, allowed the combo to take place, anywhere in the whole country."

I do sincerely hope that the helpful and friendly folks at the second store don't get written up, or in any trouble.

-----

Now, is it correct, that I can put the new TiVos on a monthly plan, and then, within 30-days, change them over to Lifetime? It would help, if that's the case, giving me more breathing room for at least a couple weeks, until my next check, and allowing me to get the new Roamios set up in their new homes.

Thanks again, to all those who helped build this helpful thread. I might have never tried the methods I did, or never gave them another try, without the helpful posts here!


----------



## RickStrobel

innocentfreak said:


> Here are the full Weaknees deals.
> 
> Black Friday Specials Arrive Early
> (While Supplies Last!)
> 
> ...
> 
> TiVo Roamio Plus - 475 HD Hours
> 3 TB Internal Hard Drive - $80 off
> Now $489.99
> Use Code: RPLUS3


Why would anyone buy this when you can get $100 off on a Pro from TiVo making it $499. $10 more to have it all stock? I'd pay $10 more. Am I missing something?


----------



## BlackBetty

RickStrobel said:


> Why would anyone buy this when you can get $100 off on a Pro from TiVo making it $499. $10 more to have it all stock? I'd pay $10 more. Am I missing something?


Shipping and taxes?


----------



## Brighton Line

gostan said:


> Just received email from WeaKnees with early Black Friday specials. $50 off 150 hr Roamio Plus and $80 off 475 hr. Roamio Plus. and more, of course.


If I purchase a Tivo from a third party, is there anyway to get the $99 lifetime on a Premier I've owned for 3+ Years?

Tivo offered me that if I bought it from them on one of my Premiers but I like the weeknees deal, if I get it from weaknees and then call to activate can I get the $99 lifetime on the older box?

TIA


----------



## innocentfreak

RickStrobel said:


> Why would anyone buy this when you can get $100 off on a Pro from TiVo making it $499. $10 more to have it all stock? I'd pay $10 more. Am I missing something?


The TiVo price isn't advertised so you might not know about it?


----------



## BrentOMatic

ktown.ee said:


> I was able to get Best Buy to price match the Amazon price of 149.99 this morning and I still received the $50 gift card. I had no problem at all doing this.


I also got pricematch and gift card from Best Buy with no issues.


----------



## DonnieZ

Has anyone been able to get Best Buy to match the TiVo $40 off on the Plus coupon code that is part of their holiday sweepstakes?

I just bought a new TV and was going to wait on the Roamio purchase, but if I can get $40 off, making it $359 plus the $50 BB Gift Card, that would make the Plus $309. On top of that, I have $35 in reward certificates from my recent TV purchase, which would make my cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $274. Not too bad


----------



## laria

I'm confused. I guess I thought that the $50 gift card was only for the Basic. Is it on all the models?


----------



## midlomuncher

the $50 gift card is available for all three Roamios on best buy.com. I just picked up the basic with the Amazon.com $149 price match and the $50 gift card about an hour ago. I just showed the Amazon price on my phone and they matched it no problem. The Amazon price for the Plus & Pro are at or close to normal retail so there isn't quite the kicker with the gift card that the basic offers.


----------



## DonnieZ

laria said:


> I'm confused. I guess I thought that the $50 gift card was only for the Basic. Is it on all the models?


According to the Best Buy website, the $50 gift card is available on all Roamio models.


----------



## laria

Ok, I guess I must had been mixing it up with the $50 off price match from Amazon, which was only the Basic.


----------



## ejuand

Ultimate Home Theater (never heard of it) has the Roamio Plus for $359. If Amazon matches it then with gift card that comes out to $309 + taxes.


----------



## HarperVision

ejuand said:


> Ultimate Home Theater (never heard of it) has the Roamio Plus for $359. If Amazon matches it then with gift card that comes out to $309 + taxes.


Amazon isn't doing the gift cards, best buy is.


----------



## DonnieZ

Just got an Email from TiVo for existing customers advertising a Roamio upgrade offer for $174, Roamio Plus for $349, and the Roamio Pro for $499. 

($25,$50,$100 off respectively)

If I can get Best Buy to match that, that would be great. Too tempting...


----------



## laria

Does anyone know how long the Best Buy gift card deal is for?


----------



## RickStrobel

DonnieZ said:


> Just got an Email from TiVo for existing customers advertising a Roamio upgrade offer for $174, Roamio Plus for $349, and the Roamio Pro for $499.
> 
> ($25,$50,$100 off respectively)
> 
> If I can get Best Buy to match that, that would be great. Too tempting...


That would be awesome! If they match that and give you the $50 gift card too you'd end up with a Roamio Pro for $450!


----------



## atmuscarella

If anyone is interested Weakness has sent out an email with black Friday codes in it (they are good now).

Roamio Plus duel 4TB drives $900 use code RPLUS8
Roamio Plus single 4TB drive $600 use code RPLUS4
Roamio Plus 3TB drive $490 use code RPLUS3
Roamio Plus $350 use code RPLUS
Base Roamio dual 4TB drives $800 use code ROAMIO8
Base Roamio single 4TB drive $500 use code ROAMIO4
Base Roamio single 2TB drive $300 use code ROAMIO


----------



## laria

RickStrobel said:


> That would be awesome! If they match that and give you the $50 gift card too you'd end up with a Roamio Pro for $450!


Yeah, that's why I am wondering how long the gift card deal is. 

I got the email from TiVo several weeks ago... it expires 1/31/14. So, when that Amazon.com deal for the $399 Pro fell through, I figured I'd go back to my original plan of trying to get BB to price match my email offer, but I was waiting until we get our birthday and Christmas gift cards. We have some relatives that always give us a BB one or two.


----------



## chrispitude

For those of you with American Express cards, check your offer list. I have one for spend $250 at Best Buy, get a $25 statement credit. Note that you need to activate the offer before using it.


----------



## RickStrobel

I didn't get an email from TiVo 

Can someone forward theirs to me? PM me for the address if you can.

Thanks!


----------



## Edvin

For those of you with Best Buy credit cards don't forget to take advantage of your 5% off when you choose the option at checkout.


----------



## laria

RickStrobel said:


> I didn't get an email from TiVo
> 
> Can someone forward theirs to me? PM me for the address if you can.
> 
> Thanks!


The email offer is tied to a service number... at least mine is. Sorry.


----------



## tamathat

RickStrobel said:


> I didn't get an email from TiVo
> 
> Can someone forward theirs to me? PM me for the address if you can.
> 
> Thanks!


The special offers section on the main tivo screen is where I saw my upgrade deal


----------



## tamathat

videojanitor said:


> I tried to get a post-purchase price-match today and they said the would do it, but when they saw I already got the $50 gift card, they said I was not eligible. That's a shame!


Pack up the box and take it in to the store. Go to cust svc and tell them you want to return it andbuy another with the price match. They will cave just so they don't have to sell it as an open box. Heck you might even get another gift card out of the deal!


----------



## richk2

I also did the best buy - amazon price match today in Chicago area and it was very easy to get price match and the gift card


----------



## ThAbtO

Today, I saw Amazon's price on the Basic Roamio is at $143.99 with Prime shipping.


----------



## HarperVision

ThAbtO said:


> Today, I saw Amazon's price on the Basic Roamio is at $143.99 with Prime shipping.


......and direct prime from amazon is down to $145.40 as well!


----------



## jhirsche

Stopped by BB tonight and got the roamio for $145.40, plus the $50 GC. Price matched amazon.com. Even the clerk was surprised by how good the deal was... Thanks all!


----------



## lentiman

Has anyone been able to get Best Buy to PM TiVo's promo email for a Plus at $350 and get the $50 gift card? I'd like to do that to upgrade our other TiVo HD to a Roamio Plus. Why not get a Mini you say? Because.


----------



## eric102

lentiman said:


> Has anyone been able to get Best Buy to PM TiVo's promo email for a Plus at $350 and get the $50 gift card? I'd like to do that to upgrade our other TiVo HD to a Roamio Plus. Why not get a Mini you say? Because.


Seems unlikely, Tivo is not on Best Buys list of price match competitors.


----------



## ltxi

I must have too much money or something. Find all this flailing and energy wasted over saving ten to a hundred dollars both not worth it and no longer amusing.


----------



## DonnieZ

eric102 said:


> Seems unlikely, Tivo is not on Best Buys list of price match competitors.


Eh.. It's way more likely than you think. Your local Best Buy manager really has final say in what gets matched and what doesn't. Sometimes if the amount isn't too great it boils down to the employee.

Either way, I see the tougher challenge being that it's an "upgrade offer" vs. a flat out sale. Somewhat akin to the not matching membership club prices on like items. If it weren't so damned close to Christmas and I didn't just buy a new Samsung 60F7100, I'd be all over this. Oh well, maybe I'll get some gift cards for Christmas and I can get one!


----------



## lentiman

ltxi said:


> I must have too much money or something. Find all this flailing and energy wasted over saving ten to a hundred dollars both not worth it and no longer amusing.


Yah know, it's different for everyone. Sometime I'd agree with you. Other times it's the thrill of getting the deal. I personally find enjoyment in getting a good deal. $10 though, not worth it. I don't understand people who are getting a Plus to just upgrade it with a 3TB drive when you can get a Pro for basically the same price with TiVo's $100 of, which makes the Pro $500. But that's how I see it.


----------



## BlackBetty

ltxi said:


> I must have too much money or something. Find all this flailing and energy wasted over saving ten to a hundred dollars both not worth it and no longer amusing.


And yet you're hanging out and posting in this thread.


----------



## mattack

ltxi said:


> I must have too much money or something. Find all this flailing and energy wasted over saving ten to a hundred dollars both not worth it and no longer amusing.


I could *maybe* see $10. But even though I can afford it, saving $100 is WELL WELL worth it to me, and I also sort of like "getting a deal". (Yes, I realize they do that on purpose.)


----------



## nooneuknow

So much for hoping people would ignore, or at least not quote, a post, essentially taking a swipe at those who don't have money to burn, while essentially admitting they are here for their own amusement.

How about hoping for that we show we are not stupid, and not provide the amusement...


----------



## BlackBetty

nooneuknow said:


> So much for hoping people would ignore, or at least not quote, a post, essentially taking a swipe at those who don't have money to burn, while essentially admitting they are here for their own amusement.
> 
> How about hoping for that we show we are not stupid, and not provide the amusement...


Grandpa is that you?


----------



## skywalkm

I just used WeaKnees price of 349.99 with RPLUS coupon code and they said initially they don't match that site. But having called earlier, they said they would. So, I just repeated that with confidence and he gave it to me. Then I mentioned the $50 gift card to which he knew nothing about. I informed him and he gave it to me. Very happy with the whole process!


----------



## tomm1079

skywalkm said:


> I just used WeaKnees price of 349.99 with RPLUS coupon code and they said initially they don't match that site. But having called earlier, they said they would. So, I just repeated that with confidence and he gave it to me. Then I mentioned the $50 gift card to which he knew nothing about. I informed him and he gave it to me. Very happy with the whole process!


It is policy for best buy to match price and give a 50 gift card?

I just went to best buy and they had no clue


----------



## davefred99

tomm1079 said:


> It is policy for best buy to match price and give a 50 gift card?
> 
> I just went to best buy and they had no clue


i just got back from Best Buy in Riverside Ca. and they refused to give me the $50 gift card and price match Amazon $149.98 price. The sales guy said it looked ok but had to ask his supervisor and he rang it up and the card came up but he then said he needed to talk to his store manager who refused to do it. Said I could have one or the other but not both period.


----------



## dmk1974

Well, I actually got lucky I guess. Went to my local Best Buy to get my Dad the base 4-tuner Roamio. They honored the Amazon price AND gave me the $50 gift card. No hassles or anything. Pretty good deal!


----------



## Avatar26

I too just got home from Best Buy. They matched Amazon on the Basic price as well as the Stream price, and gave us the $50 GC. Not bad! Now it's time to prep for a hard drive upgrade...


----------



## RusRus

What a deal. I too, went to Best Buy this morning and got a new Roamio for $143.99 plus tax and a also received a $50.00 gift card.

As a rule I never buy the extra warranty on new items as I feel if it is going to fail it will during the manufacturer's warranty period, but, since there was nothing else I wanted from BB I opted for the four year warranty for $34.99 which I paid with my gift card. Still have $15.00 left.

:up:


----------



## videojanitor

These stories are frustrating! It's amazing that *I* am always the one who is denied the "deal." Guess I need to keep trying -- eventually I'll hit the right store, though will have burned through more than $50 worth of gas at that point!


----------



## RusRus

videojanitor said:


> These stories are frustrating! It's amazing that *I* am always the one who is denied the "deal." Guess I need to keep trying -- eventually I'll hit the right store, though will have burned through more than $50 worth of gas at that point!


What I did was I went to Best Buy web site, printed out the page showing the Tivo purchase and gift card.

Then I went to amazon, printed out the page with the lowest Tivo price.

I also printed out the page on this site showing others getting the deal.

Do the same and present the Amazon page first, then, if necessary, show the Best Buy page. Finally, if necessary, show the page from this site.

Let us know if it works.


----------



## videojanitor

Thanks for the tips. I did have items 1 and 2 when I went in -- this was AFTER the sale -- they were prepared to match the Amazon price until they called up the transaction and saw that I received the gift card. They said I could have one or other, but not both. Perhaps their system won't let them do this after the fact -- but I don't see why I couldn't return it, and then buy it again, to get around this. That would be a big hassle for all involved, so hopefully it doesn't come to that. I definitely plan to print out some messages in this thread!


----------



## davefred99

videojanitor said:


> Thanks for the tips. I did have items 1 and 2 when I went in -- this was AFTER the sale -- they were prepared to match the Amazon price until they called up the transaction and saw that I received the gift card. They said I could have one or other, but not both. Perhaps their system won't let them do this after the fact -- but I don't see why I couldn't return it, and then buy it again, to get around this. That would be a big hassle for all involved, so hopefully it doesn't come to that. I definitely plan to print out some messages in this thread!


I don't know how others have been able to get this but I went to the store with all the above listed items and even had them look at this site and they read the posts that showed some had succeeded and some had not . I was told there policy to price match does not allow for both and I could take my choice but no way was I allowed to get both a price match and the best buy card and any store that did do so was not following company policy. The manager was friendly but firm on his decision.

I am just going to wait till Black Friday or cyber Monday and see what deals pop up. I am not buying until I get the best deal I can.


----------



## videojanitor

Well, it certainly seems like this deal is really something that BB did not anticipate. I'm not even sure WHY they are bundling a gift card with the Roamio, but no doubt they did not factor in the price-match issue. Now, I have no problem with them giving the "one or the other" edict, but it needs to be applied uniformly. They shouldn't be giving it to some and not others. I suspect it's just a matter of what store you go to, and who handles the transaction.


----------



## jhirsche

Like another user here said... Just go in and grab a roamio basic, head to the customer service counter, ask for an amazon price match, and then proceed with checking out. At the very end of the transaction, the computer will tell the customer service associate to scan a $50 gift card for the purchase. It was that simple for me. Got a little nervous because the gift card wasn't part of the transaction until payment/ checkout was complete (after I paid) - at which point the computer told the associate to scan and surrender a $50 gift card. Worked flawlessly for me, and even the associate was surprised by the good deal on that one.


----------



## aaronwt

jhirsche said:


> Like another user here said... Just go in and grab a roamio basic, head to the customer service counter, ask for an amazon price match, and then proceed with checking out. At the very end of the transaction, the computer will tell the customer service associate to scan a $50 gift card for the purchase. It was that simple for me. Got a little nervous because the gift card wasn't part of the transaction until payment/ checkout was complete (after I paid) - at which point the computer told the associate to scan and surrender a $50 gift card. Worked flawlessly for me, and even the associate was surprised by the good deal on that one.


Can't you just go to checkout for a price match? I've never gone to the customer service counter when I had a price match, I've just given a printout to the cashier and they took care of the pricematch. Which is pretty much just about every time I buy something from inside a BestBuy store.


----------



## jhirsche

aaronwt said:


> Can't you just go to checkout for a price match? I've never gone to the customer service counter when I had a price match, I've just given a printout to the cashier and they took care of the pricematch. Which is pretty much just about every time I buy something from inside a BestBuy store.


Probably.... I always do pm's at customer service... Less issues with people in line behind me ;-)


----------



## tomm1079

anyone try this with the plus and the weakness price match?


----------



## tomm1079

jhirsche said:


> Like another user here said... Just go in and grab a roamio basic, head to the customer service counter, ask for an amazon price match, and then proceed with checking out. At the very end of the transaction, the computer will tell the customer service associate to scan a $50 gift card for the purchase. It was that simple for me. Got a little nervous because the gift card wasn't part of the transaction until payment/ checkout was complete (after I paid) - at which point the computer told the associate to scan and surrender a $50 gift card. Worked flawlessly for me, and even the associate was surprised by the good deal on that one.


What this said is what to do. Last night when i was turned down i made the mistake of bringing up the $50 gift card

i just got a pricematch with the plus to weakness. I printed out the checkout page that shows the price match. Then grabbed a Roamio plus and went to CS counter. She checked with manager to confirm she can price match. Once they said yes she rang it up. during the transaction she told me "you also get a $50 gift card for best buy".
then i paid.

Then i asked her if i can use the $50 gift card and price match a tivo mini with amazon.com. She said yes. So i went and got a mini and then she price matched and used my gift card for the mini.

Thanks for the suggestions guys!!! hope this helps someone!


----------



## videojanitor

I notice that most everyone getting this deal are doing so at the time of purchase. That might be my problem. I'm trying to get it post-purchase, as the lower Amazon price wasn't in effect when I bought it (last Sunday). Born loser ... I bought one day too soon. But I plan on trying again today, at a different store. Since I am within the return period, it could come down to returning it, then re-buying. Seems dumb, but might be the only way to beat their system.


----------



## videojanitor

Born loser no more! Went to another store today and received the deal with no guff. Fortunately I had brought the gift card with me, as they refunded the previous transaction, which meant voiding that card -- then they sold the TiVo to me again at the Amazon price, and gave me a new gift card. Sweet!


----------



## lentiman

Woot. Got Best Buy to price match the $349 TiVo email price on the Roamio Plus and got the $50 gift card also. All done at the front checkout. I bought in a printed copy of the email. No hassles.


----------



## Mr.Broncosfan

tomm1079 said:


> What this said is what to do. Last night when i was turned down i made the mistake of bringing up the $50 gift card
> 
> i just got a pricematch with the plus to weakness. I printed out the checkout page that shows the price match. Then grabbed a Roamio plus and went to CS counter. She checked with manager to confirm she can price match. Once they said yes she rang it up. during the transaction she told me "you also get a $50 gift card for best buy".
> then i paid.
> 
> Then i asked her if i can use the $50 gift card and price match a tivo mini with amazon.com. She said yes. So i went and got a mini and then she price matched and used my gift card for the mini.
> 
> Thanks for the suggestions guys!!! hope this helps someone!


Did BB charge for tax? Does weaknees?


----------



## yukit

Just picked up a Plus at Costco: $350. It is the same offer I got from Tivo.

Looked for a 3TB green drive at Frys (Sunnyvale, CA) but they had none in stock. I was hoping to be able to setup the new drive tonight. I have to order one online get one in time for the holidays.

I am hoping for a better deal around Black Fri.


----------



## Mr.Broncosfan

tomm1079 said:


> What this said is what to do. Last night when i was turned down i made the mistake of bringing up the $50 gift card
> 
> i just got a pricematch with the plus to weakness. I printed out the checkout page that shows the price match. Then grabbed a Roamio plus and went to CS counter. She checked with manager to confirm she can price match. Once they said yes she rang it up. during the transaction she told me "you also get a $50 gift card for best buy".
> then i paid.
> 
> Then i asked her if i can use the $50 gift card and price match a tivo mini with amazon.com. She said yes. So i went and got a mini and then she price matched and used my gift card for the mini.
> 
> Thanks for the suggestions guys!!! hope this helps someone!


No love for me. Went to BB with the quote from weaknees. They would only either offer the same deal but with no $50 g/c, or I could pay their price and get the g/c. Off to another BB.


----------



## videojanitor

Mr.Broncosfan said:


> Off to another BB.


That would be my suggestion -- it worked for me. I went to two different locations and had two completely different experiences. Should've gone to the second place first -- but I always get things backwards. You should see me with USB plugs -- never, ever have it oriented the right way first!


----------



## innocentfreak

Mr.Broncosfan said:


> No love for me. Went to BB with the quote from weaknees. They would only either offer the same deal but with no $50 g/c, or I could pay their price and get the g/c. Off to another BB.


I think the Giftcard shows up either way so don't mention the giftcard. Just have them pricematch when they ring it up.


----------



## atseng

For those that are interested in Roamio Plus, make sure you check out your Amex Offer. For those with $20 back when spending $200+ from abt electronics, many have been able to get the Roamio Plus for $339 with free shipping.

So if you don't have to pay tax buying from Abt and get the Amex offer, you end up getting the Roamio Plus for $319, which is cheaper if your state tax is higher than 5.4% (e.g. NY/CA, etc.), not to mention that you don't have to deal with figuring out what to buy with the $50 gift card.


----------



## tomm1079

atseng said:


> For those that are interested in Roamio Plus, make sure you check out your Amex Offer. For those with $20 back when spending $200+ from abt electronics, many have been able to get the Roamio Plus for $339 with free shipping.
> 
> So if you don't have to pay tax buying from Abt and get the Amex offer, you end up getting the Roamio Plus for $319, which is cheaper if your state tax is higher than 5.4% (e.g. NY/CA, etc.), not to mention that you don't have to deal with figuring out what to buy with the $50 gift card.


it was easy to figure out what to buy with the 50 gift card. a mini!!!


----------



## nooneuknow

innocentfreak said:


> I think the Giftcard shows up either way so don't mention the giftcard. Just have them pricematch when they ring it up.


Yes, this ^^^

The gift card is AUTOMATIC (when one is applicable), once they have price-matched another seller they match, have charged your credit/debit card, or you have given them cash, and they have accepted it.

Some store managers are aware of this "double-dipping", as I heard it called, at the first store I went to, and is well-known at stores with managers who know about the gift card. A manager, or possibly, anybody with a register override key, will always be a part of this.

The six magic ingredients are in this this sauce:

1. ONLY ask for a price match, DO NOT say anything about any gift card, ask questions about gift cards, try to verify one applies, or otherwise bring up the subject. Just play dumb.

2. Make sure you have a (just printed, so it is current) printout, clearly showing the price you want matched, is from a store (online, or another physical store are irrelevant), which they price-match by policy.

3. Get them to get the total you are to pay price to show the correct, price-matched, price (factoring in it will include sales tax).

4. PAY QUICKLY, AND GET THE TRANSACTION TO GO THROUGH.

5. Do all the above, and if nobody meddles, if a gift card is applicable (as in, still a CURRENT store promo), the register will prompt them to give you one. As long as their register says you are due one, they CAN'T refuse to give it to you, at that point.

6. If you are dealing with an Amazon price-match, make sure your screen printout is clearly showing a model sold directly through Amazon, NOT A 3rd-PARTY seller on amazon. The same goes for any other re-seller they match, in that they need to be sure they aren't matching a 3rd-party, instead.

Keep in mind that the gift-card is transferrable to anybody you want to give it to, as well as that they have to accept it as in-store legal tender (treat it as any other valid form of payment), meaning if you have somebody else at the store with you, you can give them the card, and they can use it to buy anything, including another TiVo. I suggest that the other person use the same guidelines above, as well as keeping the gift-card out-of-sight, until the transaction has ben authorized as a price match, and it is then time to pay.

One thing that came to mind, for me, is that while they may try to claim the gift card is the same as a price match, would they price match another store/reseller that involves use of a gift-card of their own, or one of those pre-paid credit/debit cards, or a total price based on a rebate? I think NOT. So, if you hit a snag, getting the line that the gift-card is the SAME as a price-match, you might argue these points, or just try another store.


----------



## aaronwt

videojanitor said:


> I notice that most everyone getting this deal are doing so at the time of purchase. That might be my problem. I'm trying to get it post-purchase, as the lower Amazon price wasn't in effect when I bought it (last Sunday). Born loser ... I bought one day too soon. But I plan on trying again today, at a different store. Since I am within the return period, it could come down to returning it, then re-buying. Seems dumb, but might be the only way to beat their system.


BestBuy doesn't typically price match after the sale any more. Except for BestBuy and BestBuy.com. They only pricematch the online merchants at the time of sale. Of course if you are still within the return period you can threaten to return it and buy a new one. But I've done that with a few other products in the past and they still did not match the price. So I returned the item and bought a new one with the price match. Which of course is stupid of BestBuy because now they have a returned open product by not matching the price on the original item I had.


----------



## marklyn

Just noticed a $320 price on a Roamio Plus, but I've never heard of this online company before.
http://www.sophiamart.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/

Just read this is likely a scam site, so I'd recommend staying away.


----------



## midson

Scam site. Only 90 days old and based in Panama.


----------



## Dan203

This guy is selling a Roamio Pro for $500 shipped over in the seller area...

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=511146


----------



## Hbmike

Just purchased a Roamio Plus at Costco. $349 + tax. Don't mind a few dollars more than ABT and others as Costco's return privileges are the best in case I can't get it to work with Comcast. I will not hook it up until I'm sure there aren't any super black Friday specials anywhere.


----------



## yukit

Hbmike said:


> Just purchased a Roamio Plus at Costco. $349 + tax. Don't mind a few dollars more than ABT and others as Costco's return privileges are the best in case I can't get it to work with Comcast. I will not hook it up until I'm sure there aren't any super black Friday specials anywhere.


I did the same yesterday. I was going to wait for the new hard drive & Black Friday deals, but I found a spare 3TB (EZRX version) to start my upgrade today 

If there is a better deal on the Plus on Black Fri, Costco would get that one as a return.

[update] I am sure these were already covered, but I have not had a chance to read through all old threads
1. unboxing was under-whelming -- main unit, power cord & remote (batteries included) no A/V or HDMI cables, I almost thought this was Costco-specific packaging, but I believe this is the new Roamio package
2. I put a NTFS partitioned disk directly from my Windows PC into this Tivo -- Tivo booted itself up, reconfigured itself for 476 hours of capacity. Very cool.


----------



## lessd

marklyn said:


> Just noticed a $320 price on a Roamio Plus, but I've never heard of this online company before.
> http://www.sophiamart.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/
> 
> Just read this is likely a scam site, so I'd recommend staying away.


Its $320 free ship and they take PayPal for payment, good protection I think, I going to try, let you all know what happens.


----------



## cdp1276

I'm thinking of buying Roamio Plus from ABT, and this box would replace an HD 20 hr box. I'm currently on a yearly subscription renewal of $99. If I let this renew and try to activate this new Roamio Plus they are saying I need to pay more, unless I purchase from TiVo and they transfer the service. Is that true? Also, how are people getting a $99 Lifetime deal these days? Been a customer since 2001 on my 6th box and they don't seem to care.


----------



## ThAbtO

cdp1276 said:


> I'm thinking of buying Roamio Plus from ABT, and this box would replace an HD 20 hr box. I'm currently on a yearly subscription renewal of $99. If I let this renew and try to activate this new Roamio Plus they are saying I need to pay more, unless I purchase from TiVo and they transfer the service. Is that true? Also, how are people getting a $99 Lifetime deal these days? Been a customer since 2001 on my 6th box and they don't seem to care.


You would not be able to get a $99 lifetime on Roamio, only Premieres and older models.


----------



## brianj20

laria said:


> I don't really recall TiVo ever having anything memorable for a Black Friday sale. And this current promotion is dated through 1/31/14.


I just activated two new roamio's and the rep was impressed that i had been a customer for 13 years. So I asked what kind of deal they could give me on a mini with lifetime service - Nothing. But he said to look for sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and that there would be some good sales going on. We'll see.


----------



## nooneuknow

ThAbtO said:


> You would not be able to get a $99 lifetime on Roamio, only Premieres and older models.


The missing requirements that usually (almost always), apply, as you said, for Premieres and older models:

1. That you have purchased, a newest generation model, and have activated it, or wish to activate it, at the same time you bring up the older gen models.

2. That the older gen models have an ACTIVE monthly subscription.

3. That those in #2 have each been consecutively paid monthly for 3 years.

Don't expect $99 LTS on something that hasn't been active for at least 2 years, but you can always ask, hope, and/or try calling back and getting another CSR who is having a good day.

The quickest way to get to the right department (customer retention), and to have the best odds, is to specifically say you are calling to CANCEL service on a TiVo (I do believe it's one of the number buttons you can press on your phone, in the automated menus). Unless customer retention has too many calls on their queue, you should get right through to them.

Most success stories involve people calling with the actual intent to cancel (or being convincing that is the case), after buying/activating a newest gen model, not so much with those who go straight to "give me a deal", but it varies sometimes.

Lastly, there are specific threads devoted to TiVo service deals/offers/promos, and the stories range from $99 to $199 (with some only getting a best offer of $299, which is likely due to not making the 3 years of paying monthly service).

IMHO, it would likely be best to keep this thread for deals on the Roamio hardware (or bundled Roamio deals, including lifetime, which is pretty much a TiVo exclusive situation, AFAIK). After all, this is a "Roamio deals" thread, not an "unannounced/unadvertised deals you can get on Premieres, and/or older models" thread.


----------



## midas

I'm still not ready to buy, but I checked today and my Costco doesn't carry any Tivos. So anyone looking for one may have to call around to find a location that stocks them.


----------



## RickStrobel

Yeah, what's up with Costco and TiVos? I've seen several posts from people who bought their TiVo at Costco. I was in my Costco the other day and didn't see any and the employees said they didn't have them. Also, a search on costco.com returns zero results for "tivo".


----------



## RickStrobel

nooneuknow said:


> 4. PAY QUICKLY, AND GET THE TRANSACTION TO GO THROUGH.
> 
> 5. Do all the above, and if nobody meddles, if a gift card is applicable (as in, still a CURRENT store promo), the register will prompt them to give you one. As long as their register says you are due one, they CAN'T refuse to give it to you, at that point.


What happens if you get to that point and no gift card is offered? Guess your only recourse would be to head over to the return counter.

Anyone know when this $50 gift card deal expires?

Been a TiVo customer since 1999. I haven't gotten any email from TiVo with the $50 off for the Plus.  Anyone care to send me a copy of theirs?


----------



## nooneuknow

RickStrobel said:


> What happens if you get to that point and no gift card is offered? Guess your only recourse would be to head over to the return counter.
> 
> Anyone know when this $50 gift card deal expires?
> 
> Been a TiVo customer since 1999. I haven't gotten any email from TiVo with the $50 off for the Plus.  Anyone care to send me a copy of theirs?


If you search "Roamio" on Best Buy's web site, they have a separate SKU listed for each model TiVo, with the gift card as a bundled item. I'd say once those three extra bundle listings disappear, you might want to assume your chances of getting a gift card are slim to none, but not impossible. They were giving out the cards, before the extra SKUs appeared on their website (or I somehow missed them being there). Otherwise, the return counter isn't far to walk to, and the box will be still-sealed.

The TiVo Promo emails are linked to a specific TSN. How they decide who gets an email, or how they pick the TSN, I don't know. I got one, can't be transferred. Check your spam filter, perhaps...


----------



## nexusplexus9

Went to BestBuy last night.

Bought a Tivo Roamio Basic + Tivo Mini. PM them both to Amazon.com
I linked my Amex to the $25 credit for spending $250 at BB earlier.
149+86
Total was ~254 after taxes and got a $50GC.
Manager override was needed for the Roamio.
No issues.


----------



## srauly

I haven't tried this (at least not yet), but I saw a 10% "Birthday" coupon for Best Buy floating around on SlickDeals. I didn't see TiVo listed in the exclusion list. I'm wondering if you could use that on the Roamio Plus for $400 - $40 (= $360) and still get the $50 Best Buy Gift Card promo they're currently offering.


----------



## yukit

RickStrobel said:


> Yeah, what's up with Costco and TiVos? I've seen several posts from people who bought their TiVo at Costco. I was in my Costco the other day and didn't see any and the employees said they didn't have them. Also, a search on costco.com returns zero results for "tivo".


Fell off the truck on their way from/to Tivo main office?

Two Costco stores I have been to had a stack of Roamio Plus. The first time I saw it last week, a couple people checking it out. I didn't pick it up then because I thought I should get a Basic initially.

Maybe only Bay Area Costco stores carry Tivo. I picked up one of my old Tivo there as well. Two stores I visited are closest to Tivo in Alviso


----------



## wmhyland

RickStrobel said:


> ...
> Anyone know when this $50 gift card deal expires?
> ...


Per the display flyer at BestBuy, DC, $50 gift card deal valid through December 2, 2013.


----------



## TK-421

Anyone seen anything for Black Friday/Cyber Monday yet? Was thinking of a Plus/Pro, but it's looking pretty barren.


----------



## Sixto

TK-421 said:


> Anyone seen anything for Black Friday/Cyber Monday yet? Was thinking of a Plus/Pro, but it's looking pretty barren.


Nothing that I've seen yet. I'm looking to pick up one more Roamio and a couple more clients, but will wait to Friday/Monday.


----------



## waterchange

Just saw a post on slickdeals that Tiger Direct has the mini for $49.99 after a $50 rebate. For those of you who have the AMEX $30 of $100 at Tiger Direct or the $20 off paying with v.me, this would put the Mini at $20 or $30 + 0.01 filler. If you're paying by AMEX anyways, get free Shoprunner shipping.


----------



## overFEDEXed

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8038294&sku=TS10-2000


waterchange said:


> Just saw a post on slickdeals that Tiger Direct has the mini for $49.99 after a $50 rebate. For those of you who have the AMEX $30 of $100 at Tiger Direct or the $20 off paying with v.me, this would put the Mini at $20 or $30 + 0.01 filler. If you're paying by AMEX anyways, get free Shoprunner shipping.


i see the Tivo Stream for $50 after rebate , where is the Mini for $50?


----------



## ADG

TK-421 said:


> Anyone seen anything for Black Friday/Cyber Monday yet? Was thinking of a Plus/Pro, but it's looking pretty barren.


It appears TiVo's deals for this Holiday will be for Premiers and not Roamio's.


----------



## waterchange

overFEDEXed said:


> http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8038294&sku=TS10-2000
> 
> i see the Tivo Stream for $50 after rebate , where is the Mini for $50?


Here's the slickdeals thread. Currently sold out.


----------



## OCSMITH

We got the deal for $149.99 plus $50.00 GC!!! Two stores turn us down, they would match the price but no GC Me so happy!!!


----------



## lessd

marklyn said:


> Just noticed a $320 price on a Roamio Plus, but I've never heard of this online company before.
> http://www.sophiamart.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/
> 
> Just read this is likely a scam site, so I'd recommend staying away.


I placed an order with them, got a UPS tracking number, Roamio + at $320.99 paid using PayPal VIA a credit card should provide good safety, the unit is being shipped out of OH and I will get it on Dec 3, will let you know what I do get. So far it does not look like a scam, but the money did go out of the USA (according to PayPal).


----------



## BP-isMe

FYI:

Amazon has deals on the Base Model Roamio

Brad


----------



## thewebgal

BP-isMe said:


> FYI:
> 
> Amazon has deals on the Base Model Roamio
> 
> Brad


Thanks for that - Printed the Amazon page, went to Best Buy (Fair City Mall, Fairfax, VA) picked up the base Roamio. Went to checkout, asked the cashier if they did price match - showed the ad, she punched it all into her register, got a manager to confirm it, I thanked him (and her), just before I wiped my VISA I asked about the gift card, she said - Oh, its right here on the screen, so - $158 total and ... a $50 Gift card!

I already ordered a WD 3TB AV-GP HDD from NewEgg - so within a few days, I'll let you know how it all works.

And thanks to ALL of you for the heads up in this thread!
Its a great time and a great reason to upgrade from my old TIVOHD!


----------



## claw

Ordered the Plus/Gift Card combo from Best Buy online yesterday morning, and redeemed the Amex offer.

To my surprise it was delivered to my home this afternoon even though the Best Buy site claimed it would not be shipped until next week.

Activated online with the promo code.

Setting it up now (no cable card yet.)


----------



## the block

claw said:


> Ordered the Plus/Gift Card combo from Best Buy online yesterday morning, and redeemed the Amex offer.
> 
> To my surprise it was delivered to my home this afternoon even though the Best Buy site claimed it would not be shipped until next week.
> 
> Activated online with the promo code.
> 
> Setting it up now (no cable card yet.)


I'm guessing you weren't able to price match if you ordered online?


----------



## claw

Didn't even try. Figured the gift card and the Amex offer was good enough.

If I hadn't found this forum, I wouldn't have been aware of these offers. Nor the promo code for activation. And would likely have paid full price.

Will be glad to return the problematic Pace DVRs to Mediacom Cable.

Will apply the gift card to a mini when I receive it. Don't do a lot of business with Best Buy.


----------



## thewebgal

Must have missed that - there is a Promo code for Activation?
If anyone can point me at that, I'd really appreciate it!



claw said:


> Didn't even try. Figured the gift card and the Amex offer was good enough.
> 
> If I hadn't found this forum, I wouldn't have been aware of these offers. Nor the promo code for activation. And would likely have paid full price.
> 
> Will be glad to return the problematic Pace DVRs to Mediacom Cable.
> 
> Will apply the gift card to a mini when I receive it. Don't do a lot of business with Best Buy.


----------



## lessd

thewebgal said:


> Must have missed that - there is a Promo code for Activation?
> If anyone can point me at that, I'd really appreciate it!


The code is *PLSR* but is only needed if you don't get MSD, the lowest you will pay for Lifetime on the Roamio is $399 + tax in some states.


----------



## headless chicken

Does anyone have the $50/$100 off e-mail? I don't see the discount on tivo.com and the offer is no longer showing up on my S3; it's been replaced by a deal on the Premiere.

I recall the Roamio deal was good until sometime in January.


----------



## the block

headless chicken said:


> Does anyone have the $50/$100 off e-mail? I don't see the discount on tivo.com and the offer is no longer showing up on my S3; it's been replaced by a deal on the Premiere.
> 
> I recall the Roamio deal was good until sometime in January.


I'd like a copy of the email too if someone would like to provide it.


----------



## sbourgeo

FYI, the emails were tied to an account-specific promo code so you'd probably have to call TiVo if you didn't get the email and the offer disappeared from your TiVo menu.


----------



## Rawson819

I didn't get a $50/$100 email, but I did get the below one after signing up for the Holiday Cash Sweepstakes. Hope this helps.


----------



## AdamNJ

This Premiere black friday deal is pretty ****ty, imho. Roamio or Mini deals would drive sales, new customers, Premiere not so much.


----------



## Tanquen

At this moment $149

http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...385704009&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=tivo+roamio


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## nooneuknow

Tanquen said:


> At this moment $149
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...385704009&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=tivo+roamio


I had a suspicion it may go back down again. It's past midnight Eastern Time, now.

I'm used to their prices fluctuating, but wasn't expecting full-on list price, until maybe after Cyber-Monday.

I've seen very little change in the Plus/Pro, since I started watching Amazon, for about a week, usually a buck or two in total fluctuation.

Thanks for the update. :up:


----------



## Tanquen

nooneuknow said:


> I had a suspicion it may go back down again. It's past midnight Eastern Time, now.
> 
> I'm used to their prices fluctuating, but wasn't expecting full-on list price, until maybe after Cyber-Monday.
> 
> I've seen very little change in the Plus/Pro, since I started watching Amazon, for about a week, usually a buck or two in total fluctuation.
> 
> Thanks for the update. :up:


Yea, I went for it. Used 15 hundredth of a Bitcoin so almost free.


----------



## lentiman

Was able to PM the Roamio Pro at Best Buy for $499.99 and get the $50 gift card. No problems. Brought in a copy of the TiVo email with the promo pricing.


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## headless chicken

lentiman said:


> Was able to PM the Roamio Pro at Best Buy for $499.99 and get the $50 gift card. No problems. Brought in a copy of the TiVo email with the promo pricing.


I never got a promo email from TiVo, but I did see the offer on my Tivo though it's been since replaced by a crappy Premiere deal. Could someone kindly forward me a copy of the promo email?


----------



## nooneuknow

headless chicken said:


> I never got a promo email from TiVo, but I did see the offer on my Tivo though it's been since replaced by a crappy Premiere deal. Could someone kindly forward me a copy of the promo email?


As a few have already pointed-out, every time the promo email comes up (Besides being a non-transferrable offer):

1. It is linked to one of the recipient's SPECIFIC TSNs, contained in the email.

2. You should never give your TSN to anybody except TiVo, or your warranty provider.

3. It has a promo-code, specific to the customer, as well.

4. It has the customer's name in it.

I received mine on November 4th. Check your spam filter, if you own a Premiere product and didn't receive the email.

I would never send a copy, without blacking-out all personalized/personal information, which wouldn't result in something you could use to walk into Best Buy with.

At least one person already posted it here, with the personal info blacked-out. So, I'd look around Nov 4th. I saw somebody else post their full personalized emailed version, with all their details. I doubt that one is still around.

Thanks for reminding me about the email. I forgot about it, then couldn't find it, but I try to help when I can, so I looked. I may use mine at Best Buy.


----------



## innocentfreak

For those buying at Costco, be aware at least in the past, their return policy doesn't count as an extended warranty. There have been complaints in the past from people who returned units and were unable to transfer lifetime.


----------



## pwlcheng

Just went to Best Buy trying to PM a Roamio Plus but they said no more PM until next Tuesday.


----------



## emax

pwlcheng said:


> Just went to Best Buy trying to PM a Roamio Plus but they said no more PM until next Tuesday.


Same here, gotta wait til Tuesday


----------



## Sixto

I was hoping for some better deals today, but it seems the same. 

I need another Roamio and two more Mini's. Was hoping for some super Black Friday deals but not seeing anything different.


----------



## the block

emax said:


> Same here, gotta wait til Tuesday


No price matching? Why? What was the reason? I planned to go over there later today.

Edit: I just called my local bb and they're not doing it today either, though the rep I talked to says it resumes tomorrow.


----------



## tomm1079

the block said:


> No price matching? Why? What was the reason? I planned to go over there later today.
> 
> Edit: I just called my local bb and they're not doing it today either, though the rep I talked to says it resumes tomorrow.


yeah all best buy's stop price matching from Thanksgiving to The tuesday after. so they dont get screwed for Black Friday/Cyber Monday.


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## Sixto

Just price matched a Roamio and two Mini's a few minutes ago. And got the gift card to use on one of the Mini's.


----------



## nooneuknow

tomm1079 said:


> yeah all best buy's stop price matching from Thanksgiving to The tuesday after. so they dont get screwed for Black Friday/Cyber Monday.


Unfortunately, if you look at today's and recent past prices, on TiVos from Amazon, and hard drives from anywhere, they pretty much all end MONDAY Dec 2. Weaknees Black Friday deals are today only.

Very big possibility, that those who waited to buy, hoping for best deals, or hoping TiVo would announce some super-secret today-only deals, and/or if they wanted to go for a Best Buy price match, are going to be very disappointed, and mad that they waited (Like me, for example).

If it's so well-known about not price-matching Black Friday to Cyber Monday, I'm surprised nobody said a word, until today.

If I had known, I'd have made sure to mention it here (likely, several times), for those who didn't know, didn't remember, or live in a cave/under a rock...

I had several candidates to try and get Best Buy to price-match, today. Big waste of time and printer paper/ink, now that this comes to light...  

Also, Monday Dec 2, is the last day of the Best Buy gift cards... Excuse me, while I go make a noose (just kidding).


----------



## the block

nooneuknow said:


> Unfortunately, if you look at today's and recent past prices, on TiVos from Amazon, and hard drives from anywhere, they pretty much all end MONDAY Dec 2. Weaknees Black Friday deals are today only.
> 
> Very big possibility, that those who waited to buy, hoping for best deals, or hoping TiVo would announce some super-secret today-only deals, and/or if they wanted to go for a Best Buy price match, are going to be very disappointed, and mad that they waited (Like me, for example).
> 
> If it's so well-known about not price-matching Black Friday to Cyber Monday, I'm surprised nobody said a word, until today.
> 
> If I had known, I'd have made sure to mention it here (likely, several times), for those who didn't know, didn't remember, or live in a cave/under a rock...
> 
> I had several candidates to try and get Best Buy to price-match, today. Big waste of time and printer paper/ink, now that this comes to light...
> 
> Also, Monday Dec 2, is the last day of the Best Buy gift cards... Excuse me, while I go make a noose (just kidding).


I'm in the same boat 

Had I known about the price matching blackout I would have bought it Wednesday. From what I'm reading it seems pretty hit or miss on which stores are still doing price matches.


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## lentiman

Yeah, but if you are just pricmatching the gift card is the only thing you're missing. TiVo's promo prices are good through January-ish.


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## nooneuknow

lentiman said:


> Yeah, but if you are just pricmatching the gift card is the only thing you're missing. TiVo's promo prices are good through January-ish.


It currently breaks down to this:

Amazon's base Roamio price: $149.99 was = to BB price match of $50.00 (plus the prior ability to maybe get $50 GC)

TiVo's Roamio price discounts, adjusted to remove the TiVo service:

Base: $25 off (this is $25 less than $50, & bye-bye $50 Best Buy gift card) So, bye-bye at least $75 in savings.
Plus: $50 off
Pro:$100 off

It's a store by store matter, if they will even touch this. Valid arguments against are:

1. TiVo's promo email is a BUNDLE, including TiVo service. So, it's not the exact SAME PRODUCT, if they go by the letter of their law (Best Buy).

2. Disseminating how it breaks down, based on the email promo's fine print, is not obvious. Why take the customer's word for it?

3. Best Buy makes no mention of matching a manufacturer's price (probably so they can decide if they will, or won't, per case, per store, etc.)

4. It's a personalized, non-transferrable, offer for (apparently only some) current TiVo subscribers only, not a public advertisement.

Also, TiVo's email promo, makes it appear like more of a discount, than it is, when you further look at the LT service pricing, and realize you get the same price as using MSD, or the PLSR code, and the fine print specifically states you can't use MSD or any other promotions in conjunction with the offer.

I NEED the ability to fallback to OTA, so the Plus and Pro aren't an option for me.

TiVo sent out a more recent "sweepstakes" email that gives you a personal discount code, if you enter the sweepstakes, that breaks down this way:

Base: $20 off
Plus: $40 off
Pro: $60 off

Check your spam filters if you didn't receive it.


----------



## headless chicken

nooneuknow said:


> I had several candidates to try and get Best Buy to price-match, today. Big waste of time and printer paper/ink, now that this comes to light...
> 
> Also, Monday Dec 2, is the last day of the Best Buy gift cards... Excuse me, while I go make a noose (just kidding).


I don't see anything about the GC deal expiring 12/2 on the website. Are you checking the circular?

In any case, why not buy now and get the GC, and then price match with print out after 12/2? If you buy with Discover, they have a low price guarantee and will honor the lowest price for the product by crediting a refund for the difference up to 90 days after the purchase. Other credit cards may have a similar policy, but I'm not sure.


----------



## Burnout143

lessd said:


> I placed an order with them, got a UPS tracking number, Roamio + at $320.99 paid using PayPal VIA a credit card should provide good safety, the unit is being shipped out of OH and I will get it on Dec 3, will let you know what I do get. So far it does not look like a scam, but the money did go out of the USA (according to PayPal).


Hey man hows it going? Just want to know how things are going with your purchase. I too bought a TV from them at a very good price, and i too am wondering if it was a scam or not. I used Paypal too so, i should be covered if it a scam. i would however like to avoid going through all of that. Please let me know how things turn out.


----------



## Burnout143

I hope not


----------



## Burnout143

midson said:


> Scam site. Only 90 days old and based in Panama.





marklyn said:


> Just noticed a $320 price on a Roamio Plus, but I've never heard of this online company before.
> http://www.sophiamart.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/
> 
> Just read this is likely a scam site, so I'd recommend staying away.


Hope not as i bought a T.V from them. They had PayPal so i felt alittle better as to buying one. I also sent them an email and they responded.


----------



## the block

I just tried best buy. They were willing to price match, but would not price match my online chat with Abt, or my shopping cart at weaknees because neither price could be confirmed on either website. He wouldn't do the chat with Abt to confirm, and weakness requires you to enter the coupon code for it to work and he wouldn't accept that. All in all a pretty frustrating day. I'll probably just order from Abt now.


----------



## Bluesfan77

For those price matching...what are you price matching to? I'm looking at getting the Roamio Plus.


----------



## headless chicken

Bluesfan77 said:


> For those price matching...what are you price matching to? I'm looking at getting the Roamio Plus.


Roamio Plus is 349.99 at Costco and via Tivo directly.


----------



## the block

headless chicken said:


> Roamio Plus is 349.99 at Costco and via Tivo directly.


They probably won't price match costco because it's a club that requires membership. Also good luck finding documentation from TiVo that they are sale for 349.99. I can get them to acknowledge it over the phone but they wouldn't give me anything in writing I could bring with me some where.


----------



## HeatherA

Are you guys finding TiVo in Costco? I can't see any listings on their website.


----------



## AdamNJ

HeatherA said:


> Are you guys finding TiVo in Costco? I can't see any listings on their website.


I can tell you from experience that what costco has in stores is not usually on their website.

Which is something I hate for stores that do that. Instead of driving me to go to the store, it drives me away to buy elsewhere.


----------



## laria

AdamNJ said:


> I can tell you from experience that what costco has in stores is not usually on their website.
> 
> Which is something I hate for stores that do that. Instead of driving me to go to the store, it drives me away to buy elsewhere.


That's annoying for me, as I have a membership but we have no store nearby.


----------



## Pikeshadow

I was able to get BB to price-match Amazon yesterday afternoon...the gift-card didn't pop up until after I swiped my card, but then the guy says "...and you get a $50 gift-card with the purchase of a Tivo."
So boom, got the deal! of course it's more like a $42 deal since I had to pay sales tax. Then I take another tax hit when I use the gift card. But all said and done, It's at least a $35 better deal than buying through Amazon. 
I actually called tivo before heading to the store to see if they'd match anyone. They put me on hold for a minute which made me somewhat hopeful, but then the girl came back and said the $25 discount is the only offer they are currently giving.


----------



## ThAbtO

Best Buy's Low Price Guarantee



Best Buy said:


> If you find a lower price on a qualifying product at a local retail competitor's store or shipped from and sold by a designated major online retailer, we will match the price. At the time of purchase, we will match the current pre-tax price for new, identical, immediately available products from a local retail competitor's store or shipped from and sold by a designated major online retailers: *Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Rakuten.com Shopping, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com*. We will match prices between our stores and BestBuy.com®. We will also match prices post purchase if we lower our price within 15 days of your purchase.


----------



## Ky_Shag

http://www.sophiamart.com/tivo-roamio-dvr-tcd846500/
144.99 no tax no shipping


----------



## headless chicken

nooneuknow said:


> 1. If the price match difference is $50, some stores will claim the $50 gift card is the same as a price match. So, they will only ring it up at their full current price (because they know the gift card is automatically added, once you PAY, either full, or a price-matched, price). I'm not sure what they do if the price-match you ask for is greater, or less than, $50.
> 
> 2. People who go back and ask for the difference, after either getting the price match (before gift cards were introduced), or the gift card, but no price match, are being turned-away, being told they got what they were entitled to.


Of course YMMV, but it's been done successfully by many people on slickdeals.



nooneuknow said:


> Not everyone has a Discover card, nor does everybody have any other kind of card.


Obviously. I was just letting you know that price matching can be done via credit card post-hoc with Discover, and perhaps with other companies as well. That's something I learned only recently myself, and wanted to share since you were bemoaning the loss of a potential deal.



nooneuknow said:


> In the future, headless chicken, please take the time to read what has already been posted, before asking questions that have already been answered. Wanting clarifications is all fine and well. The former matter, will lead to people just glossing right over your posts, and annoy some a heck of a lot more, than the tiny bit I am. Again, please consider I still answered your questions, before you take things the wrong way, and/or lash-out at me.


Judging by the long diatribe you seem more than a tiny bit annoyed, but it's no skin off my back. I took the time to share what info on deals I had. Prefacing your post with "no offense" and then spewing vitriol is just silly. If you want to skim over my posts, please do by all means. I'll make it a point to do the same. It's a shame there's no "ignore this user" function here.

I've read the relevant parts of this thread and post in existing topics before creating a new thread if applicable. Obviously with BF and Cyber Monday, jumping on deals is a time sensitive matter.


----------



## Keen

nooneuknow said:


> If it's so well-known about not price-matching Black Friday to Cyber Monday, I'm surprised nobody said a word, until today.
> 
> If I had known, I'd have made sure to mention it here (likely, several times), for those who didn't know, didn't remember, or live in a cave/under a rock...
> 
> I had several candidates to try and get Best Buy to price-match, today. Big waste of time and printer paper/ink, now that this comes to light...


How's that, it's right there in Best Buy's PM policy:


> The Guarantee is limited to one price match per identical item, per guest and does not apply to: ... items for sale Thanksgiving Day through 11:59 p.m. on the Monday after Thanksgiving.


----------



## lessd

Ky_Shag said:


> http://www.sophiamart.com/tivo-roamio-dvr-tcd846500/
> 144.99 no tax no shipping


They also have the Roamio + for $320.99 that I ordered, I will have my 10lb package from them on Dec 2nd, you pay using PayPal (and I pay PayPal using AX for extra safety) I will let you all know what's in the package when I get it Tuesday.


----------



## midson

lessd said:


> They also have the Roamio + for $320.99 that I ordered, I will have my 10lb package from them on Dec 2nd, you pay using PayPal (and I pay PayPal using AX for extra safety) I will let you all know what's in the package when I get it Tuesday.


I REALLY hope this is a legitimate shopping site, but I have my doubts. The website is well done (no grammatical errors, easy browsing), but remember the old adage, if it's too good to be true, it probably is. This beats the best price on a pro by quite a bit; the MO of these sites is to hook you with a low price. I almost was taken by a similar site buying running shoes. They were $50 cheaper than anywhere else. It didn't feel right so I backed out. I was glad I did because I later found out it was a scam site. Please let us know if you receive your product. And please be honest, because many of us here will likely order if it's indeed legit.


----------



## KevinG

I also hope it is legit, but this makes me think it isn't:

http://www.scamadviser.com/is-sophiamart.com-a-fake-site.html

More details:
http://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/sophiamart.com


----------



## Toshirick

Just got back from best buy in Rancho Cucamonga and they price matched and received the gift card.


----------



## Carlos_E

headless chicken said:


> Roamio Plus is 349.99 at Costco and via Tivo directly.


I am logged into my Tivo account and it it showing me the Roamio Plus for $399. I even added it to the cart to see if the price changed and I'm still seeing the same price.

Where are you seeing the Roamio Plus for $349.99 on Tivo's website?


----------



## jwbelcher

Carlos_E said:


> I am logged into my Tivo account and it it showing me the Roamio Plus for $399. I even added it to the cart to see if the price changed and I'm still seeing the same price.
> 
> Where are you seeing the Roamio Plus for $349.99 on Tivo's website?


You have to call Tivo sales. Pricing is available to current customers.


----------



## johnm4

Best Buy is offering $10 savings code per $100 spent for online orders with in-store pickup through Monday 12/2. Code is valid 12/9 - 12/24. Max $50.

Details: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/global-...er/pcmcat288300050007.c?id=pcmcat288300050007

They have the Roamio w/ $50 giftcards listed as separate items, all at MSRP. You would need to find some fillers to do:

Basic: $199 + filler - $50 giftcard - $20 savings code = about $130 +tax
Plus: $399 + filler - $50 giftcard - $40 savings code = $310 + tax
Pro: $599 + filler - $50 giftcard - $50 savings code = $500 + tax

Tax will be based on MSRP + filler price.

If you have Amex, stack with Amex Sync $25 off $250 at Best Buy.


----------



## bootman_head_fi

What is the Costco item number for the pro?
Easy to call your local store with the number before heading out.
They will also look up the item number and tell you what stores have them.


----------



## nooneuknow

I'm going to suggest that anybody thinking of taking a voyage to any retail store(s), looking for price matches, take the time to review, and print, the store(s) policies BEFORE leaving the house, for these reasons:

1. Since these policies (as they do state), are subject to change at any time, for any reason, without advance notice, it just makes sense to do so.

2. If you don't, then post about not getting what you went out for, you make an easy target for people who like to take cheap shots, by posting the policy as it currently stands (which may have been different the day, or even hours, before).

Happy deal hunting!


----------



## lessd

midson said:


> I REALLY hope this is a legitimate shopping site, but I have my doubts. The website is well done (no grammatical errors, easy browsing), but remember the old adage, if it's too good to be true, it probably is. This beats the best price on a pro by quite a bit; the MO of these sites is to hook you with a low price. I almost was taken by a similar site buying running shoes. They were $50 cheaper than anywhere else. It didn't feel right so I backed out. I was glad I did because I later found out it was a scam site. Please let us know if you receive your product. And please be honest, because many of us here will likely order if it's indeed legit.


I will know this Tuesday, but using PayPal VIA AX if it is a scam I can get my money back. They did give me a UPS tracking number and the 9.2 Lb box (that I hope is a new Roamio +) was shipped from OH.

This is from the UPS web sight

Scheduled Delivery:
Tuesday, 12/03/2013
Approximate Delivery Time: 
Approximate Delivery Time
An Approximate Delivery Time is an estimated delivery time. This time is not guaranteed and may vary based on your driver's workload, weather, or traffic conditions.

1:15 PM - 5:15 PM 
Last Location:
Arrived - Shrewsbury, MA, United States, Sunday, 12/01/2013 
Special Instructions:

The driver may not leave this package without your authorization.Authorize Shipment Release 
Shipment Release Authorized
Cancel Shipment Release Authorization 
Leave At:
Side Door


----------



## Carlos_E

johnm4 said:


> Best Buy is offering $10 savings code per $100 spent for online orders with in-store pickup through Monday 12/2. Code is valid 12/9 - 12/24. Max $50.
> 
> Details: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/global-...er/pcmcat288300050007.c?id=pcmcat288300050007
> 
> They have the Roamio w/ $50 giftcards listed as separate items, all at MSRP. You would need to find some fillers to do:
> 
> Basic: $199 + filler - $50 giftcard - $20 savings code = about $130 +tax
> Plus: $399 + filler - $50 giftcard - $40 savings code = $310 + tax
> Pro: $599 + filler - $50 giftcard - $50 savings code = $500 + tax
> 
> Tax will be based on MSRP + filler price.
> 
> If you have Amex, stack with Amex Sync $25 off $250 at Best Buy.


What do you mean by filler?


----------



## laria

Carlos_E said:


> What do you mean by filler?


Some cheap item to push you up over the next $100 level, since the TiVo is $x99.


----------



## jackief

hello everyone, I have been following this thread in anticipation of buying a roamio, hopefully a plus, sometime soon.

re. post 478 with the best buy promo, when I try to add either the plus or the pro bundled with the giftcard to my cart I see that it is unavailable at all local stores for pickup. However the unbundled units are available. The bundles can be shipped. Has anyone had luck in getting this?

I did a chat with best buy, who told me that he couldn't get it ordered and then had me call. I called talked to one person who could not do it, and then bumped to another level who also couldn't do it. He suggested I go to the store and see if they will allow me to order the bundle for pickup.


----------



## snoopdogg1

Looking to get a Roamio Pro to replace my HDXL. It looks like the best deal will be the (now disappeared) offer for $900 ($500 for Pro and $400 for lifetime service) from Tivo, right? From what I understand, I need to call TiVo to get this discount. When I sign in to my account, it shows the Pro for $600 and $400 for lifetime service.

I thought that deal was good through January, 2014, but I can't find it anywhere except earlier in this thread.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.


----------



## laria

snoopdogg1 said:


> From what I understand, I need to call TiVo to get this discount. When I sign in to my account, it shows the Pro for $600 and $400 for lifetime service.
> 
> I thought that deal was good through January, 2014, but I can't find it anywhere except earlier in this thread.


Yes, as has been mentioned many times, if you did not get the email with a code that you can enter in the cart at checkout, then you need to call them.

No, no one can share their email with you, it's tied to the recipient's service number. 

The email is where the 1/31/2014 date comes from. That is the expiration date listed in the small print in the bottom of the email.


----------



## the block

I decided to finally just order from Abt as I don't think there's going to be anything better deal-wise out there. It was a painless process, got a Plus for $339.00 with no tax and free shipping.

I saved $92.99 over buying it from a retail location w/ tax.

OR I saved $42.98 buying it from Best Buy, paying tax, and dealing with the $50 gift card.

I still need to buy a Mini. Abt had them on back-order and I didn't want to wait that long, so I figure I can order from Amazon for $86 and eat the additional $6.88 NYS tax, putting me at $92.88 total for a Mini. I'll probably order from Amazon in the next few hours to make sure it goes out today, but if someone knows a store that has it and will match $86 and doesn't charge tax to NYS residents, I'm all ears.

*EDIT:* I ended up finding a Mini on Amazon from "THE CONNECTION DEPOT" (4.9 stars out of 906 feedback ratings) for $84.00 free shipping and no tax. This just saved me $8.88 on the cost of the Mini over buying it directly from Amazon and paying tax.

Worst case $431.88 I think $423.00 for a Roamio Plus and Mini is pretty decent. I just wish TiVo gave better discounts on service as it always seems so steep. It's going to be an additional $549.98 plus $44.00 tax for a total service cost of $593.98.

Grand total $1025.86 $1016.98 all said and done for a Plus, Mini, and lifetime service for a NYS resident. If I paid normal retail price on everything including tax it would have cost $1133.96, so I ended up saving $108.10 $116.98 all said and done.

I'm upgrading from a TivoHD w/ 1TB & Lifetime, so I suppose I could sell that to make back some of the difference. Looks like they're going for about $250 or so on eBay. If the TivoHD would stream from the Roamio, it would have been much more useful to me as I wouldn't have to buy the Mini, but I guess that's not how it goes sometimes. I surely don't plan to transfer shows between the two as that would take far too long to be practical for spontaneous tv watching. Related question: If I sell the HD, is there a way to sever it from my account, or will the new owner forever have their new tivo listed under my account? If this is the case it means they won't be able to remotely schedule shows, correct?

*EDIT Again:* I've discovered Amex has a spend $200, get $20 back offer right now with Abt. I called the Amex rep to confirm and it will be applied automatically after 2 billing cycles.










This brings my grand totals to:
$319 TiVo Roamio Plus
$84 Mini
=====
$403 for equipment

$399.99 + $32 tax = $432.99 TiVo Roamio Plus Lifetime Subscription
$149.99 + $12 tax = $161.99 TiVo Mini Lifetime Subscription
=====
$594.98 for service

$403.00 + $594.98 = $997.98 for a TiVo Roamio Plus w/ Lifetime and a TiVo Mini w/ Lifetime (NYS Resident). This is a savings of $135.98 (or about 12%) had I paid full retail/tax costs.


----------



## Carlos_E

laria said:


> Some cheap item to push you up over the next $100 level, since the TiVo is $x99.


Ahh. Thank you!


----------



## jhirsche

For those getting the $50 BB GC with Roamio purchase, I can confirm that you can purchase a $50 Amazon Kindle GC with it (go to the computer section of the store and grab one)... and then use the $50 GC on Amazon to purchase your hard drive upgrade from Amazon...


----------



## Holazola

the block said:


> I decided to finally just order from Abt as I don't think there's going to be anything better deal-wise out there. It was a painless process, got a Plus for $339.00 with no tax and free shipping.


Am I missing something? The plus shows as $399, with no obvious offers. Is there $60 off somewhere else? help. Thanks!


----------



## the block

Holazola said:


> Am I missing something? The plus shows as $399, with no obvious offers. Is there $60 off somewhere else? help. Thanks!


Yes, it is an unadvertised special. Start a chat session and tell the rep you want the Plus for $339. He'll either ask for your phone number or give you his. Give him a call and you'll have a Plus ordered for $339 in about 5 minutes.


----------



## VajraTLR

I just bought a Roamio from Bestbuy, what's the best lifetime service deal out there?


----------



## CloudAtlas

nooneuknow said:


> or those who can't take some constructive criticism.


@nooneuknow - You do realize the above is you, right? You have very thin skin and tend to take replies in the worst possible way. This isn't the Hell's Angels community forum. No one is out to get you.

But I for one notice a lot of people posting *wrong* or *misleading* information based on nothing more than that's what they think. No reason to actual confirm before posting.

So I'm happy when someone calls b/s and corrects a post otherwise people read it as fact. Then use it to slam TiVo for all the world's ills.

There's another thread where someone wants to buy a Roamio *if* they can transfer their $6.95 monthly service fee. Someone then replies that it's impossible as TiVo doesn't transfer monthly service fees. Yet I just finished reading a thread where numerous people have done so.

Should people not reply correcting this and showing why for fear the person might take offence?


----------



## the block

VajraTLR said:


> I just bought a Roamio from Bestbuy, what's the best lifetime service deal out there?


I'm pretty sure there isn't one. The usual $399.99 is as good as it gets.


----------



## chicagobrownblue

CloudAtlas said:


> There's another thread where someone wants to buy a Roamio *if* they can transfer their $6.95 monthly service fee. Someone then replies that it's impossible as TiVo doesn't transfer monthly service fees. Yet I just finished reading a thread where numerous people have done so.


This can be a result of different CSRs.

I always make a note of who I am talking to and then call back, checking that I am getting someone different, until I either get what I want or get a clear explanation of why I can't get what I want. Even if they say I can't get it, I still call back. I'm nice, polite and focused on what I want. Works with TiVo, Citibank, ....


----------



## clorox

Anyone know if you buy the Best Buy one online (without the GC) for in store pickup if it rings up with the $50 gift card? It seems like people who have been buying them in-store (many of them looking to price match Amazon) see the $50 GC print right up at checkout. I'm curious as that would allow me to get the extra benefit of the $40 card plus the $50 GC plus the $25 AMEX which would drop the price of the plus to $284 which would be a pretty good deal I think.


----------



## the block

clorox said:


> Anyone know if you buy the Best Buy one online (without the GC) for in store pickup if it rings up with the $50 gift card? It seems like people who have been buying them in-store (many of them looking to price match Amazon) see the $50 GC print right up at checkout. I'm curious as that would allow me to get the extra benefit of the $40 card plus the $50 GC plus the $25 AMEX which would drop the price of the plus to $284 which would be a pretty good deal I think.


Your reasoning makes sense to me, though I am pessimistic about these things and assume best buy will find a way to only give you one or the other. At least they can't screw you out of your amex rewards.


----------



## RickStrobel

ABT rocks!

Spent about 2 minutes chatting. They called me and it took 5 minutes to complete order for TiVo Roamio Plus and a TiVo Mini for $427.50 delivered.

Much better than the Best Buy deal. I calculated that the Best Buy deal would have been cheaper by about $17 overall. But I save 6% sales tax with ABT and free shipping. A total of 7 minutes of my time vs probably an hour of aggravation at Best Buy trying to convince someone to make me a deal.

The TiVo Minis are out of stock. My Roamio should ship tomorrow. The Mini is supposed to come in Thursday and ship Friday or so. Fine by me.


----------



## clorox

RickStrobel said:


> ABT rocks!
> 
> Spent about 2 minutes chatting. They called me and it took 5 minutes to complete order for TiVo Roamio Plus and a TiVo Mini for $427.50 delivered.
> 
> Much better than the Best Buy deal. I calculated that the Best Buy deal would have been cheaper by about $17 overall. But I save 6% sales tax with ABT and free shipping. A total of 7 minutes of my time vs probably an hour of aggravation at Best Buy trying to convince someone to make me a deal.
> 
> The TiVo Minis are out of stock. My Roamio should ship tomorrow. The Mini is supposed to come in Thursday and ship Friday or so. Fine by me.


Did you get the price over the phone or through instant chat?


----------



## the block

clorox said:


> Did you get the price over the phone or through instant chat?


You confirm price through the chat, then the rep gives you his number and you call him directly to complete the order.


----------



## chrispitude

jhirsche said:


> For those getting the $50 BB GC with Roamio purchase, I can confirm that you can purchase a $50 Amazon Kindle GC with it (go to the computer section of the store and grab one)... and then use the $50 GC on Amazon to purchase your hard drive upgrade from Amazon...


Hey, that's pretty slick. Clever orchestration. :up:


----------



## snoopdogg1

Thanks! Found the code in an old e-mail. Valid through 1/31/14!



laria said:


> Yes, as has been mentioned many times, if you did not get the email with a code that you can enter in the cart at checkout, then you need to call them.
> 
> No, no one can share their email with you, it's tied to the recipient's service number.
> 
> The email is where the 1/31/2014 date comes from. That is the expiration date listed in the small print in the bottom of the email.


----------



## VajraTLR

the block said:


> I'm pretty sure there isn't one. The usual $399.99 is as good as it gets.


I'm down for $399, how do I sign up for that? I see $499 as regular price.


----------



## headless chicken

the block said:


> I decided to finally just order from Abt as I don't think there's going to be anything better deal-wise out there. It was a painless process, got a Plus for $339.00 with no tax and free shipping.


How did you get the $339 offer...did you have the promo email from Tivo which ABT price matched?

I'd like the same deal but I don't have the promo email.


----------



## CloudAtlas

chicagobrownblue said:


> I always make a note of who I am talking to and then call back, checking that I am getting someone different, until I either get what I want or get a clear explanation of why I can't get what I want. Even if they say I can't get it, I still call back.* I'm nice, polite and focused on what I want.* Works with TiVo, Citibank, ....


*Nice and polite go a long way.* I once was denied checking my bags late on a flight to Vancouver. The counter people explained that boarding had completed. I pleaded my case but finally the supervisor firmly told me I'd have to take the next flight.

I start walking away stunned and then turn back to ask her what are my options? I calmly explain my situation to her (I'm meeting up with friends in Vancouver and taking a chartered bus to Whistler) and she tells me a bit annoyed to get on that line. I tell her "thank you" and I get on the line. 30 seconds later she comes over and asks me "How many bags do I have to check?" She explains that most people scream and yell at her and just for being nice she's getting me on this plane.

She then calls down to the gate to tell them we have a late boarder and then has counter people check my bag!! I've never been so relieved and happy in my life.


----------



## the block

VajraTLR said:


> I'm down for $399, how do I sign up for that? I see $499 as regular price.


Use code PLSR.


----------



## the block

headless chicken said:


> How did you get the $339 offer...did you have the promo email from Tivo which ABT price matched?
> 
> I'd like the same deal but I don't have the promo email.


It's their own unadvertised special. If you ask for the $339 Roamio Plus the rep will know right what you're talking about and offer it to you. No promo email or price matching hassle required. I'm assuming it's tax free to everyone outside of Illinois, too.


----------



## gmacted

I just ordered a Roamio Pro from ABT for $489 and a Mini for $86. I chatted on-line to get that price. I then placed my order on-line with my Discover Card and then called the representative with the order number and they adjusted the price. I'm hoping I get the 10% Cashback bonus though ShopDiscover plus the 5% for buying on-line, but I probably won't because the price was adjusted, but I can still hope. Bottom line $575 shipped. I contacted Tivo sales about lifetime service for both the Pro and the Mini and they said that since I was going to activate two devices that I would get a $100 multi device discount even though I was a new customer and didn't buy direct from Tivo. We'll see what happens.


----------



## jackief

I just did an ABT order also, hassle free. One plus and one mini for $425. They are out of stock right now, but that is not a problem for me. They have been "flying off the shelves" according to the guy I chatted with.


----------



## Burnout143

lessd said:


> They also have the Roamio + for $320.99 that I ordered, I will have my 10lb package from them on Dec 2nd, you pay using PayPal (and I pay PayPal using AX for extra safety) I will let you all know what's in the package when I get it Tuesday.


So what did you find out about Sophiamart?


----------



## lessd

Burnout143 said:


> So what did you find out about Sophiamart?


I looked again at the UPS information and was shocked that the ship from address was *BESTBUY.COM FINDLAY, OH, US *, the truth will come out Tuesday when I get the 9.2lb package from UPS/ Best Buy ??? Will it really be a new Roamio+ ???
Stay tuned


----------



## magicspell

bootman_head_fi said:


> What is the Costco item number for the pro?
> Easy to call your local store with the number before heading out.
> They will also look up the item number and tell you what stores have them.


Was at my local Costco this evening. Didn't purchase one but they had the Roamio plus as others have indicated for $349.99. Costco item number 800040.


----------



## worachj

lessd said:


> I looked again at the UPS information and was shocked that the ship from address was *BESTBUY.COM FINDLAY, OH, US *, the truth will come out Tuesday when I get the 9.2lb package from UPS/ Best Buy ??? Will it really be a new Roamio+ ???
> Stay tuned


If it makes you feel any better I had a similar experience when I purchased a TiVo from McLego.com. They shipped from Bestbuy.com. Everything was as if I purchased the TiVo directly from BestBuy and not McLego.com. In fact there was no mention of McLego.com anywhere on the box. The shipping invoice and return shipping label were all BestBuy.

BestBuy must be handling the shipment of some of the small internet companies. I had zero problems with my shipment. If you have any problems with the TiVo you will be dealing with BestBuy, which may be a better thing.


----------



## the block

worachj said:


> BestBuy must be handling the shipment of some of the small internet companies.


Yeah it's called drop shipping, though there usually is at least an attempt to disguise the distributor's identity with labels and package slips and what not. Guess not in this case.


----------



## soobaerodude

the block said:


> Yeah it's called drop shipping, though there usually is at least an attempt to disguise the distributor's identity with labels and package slips and what not. Guess not in this case.


Or it could be fencing. Selling goods online way below market value is a great way to cash out stolen credit card numbers.


----------



## DM3MD157

soobaerodude said:


> Or it could be fencing. Selling goods online way below market value is a great way to cash out stolen credit card numbers.


Wow, I never thought of that!

That McLego site is mad shady. Try clicking on the links on the bottom, *none* of them work except for the "contact us" link.


----------



## lessd

soobaerodude said:


> Or it could be fencing. Selling goods online way below market value is a great way to cash out stolen credit card numbers.


Good point, who would have the loss, me for purchasing stolen TiVo or Best Buy for taking in a stolen CC or the CC company ??


----------



## headless chicken

bootman_head_fi said:


> What is the Costco item number for the pro?


Costco is not selling the pro, they are selling the Plus. Item #80040

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/f64inp87zfdevhv/bhp5ne3Nie


----------



## nooneuknow

lessd said:


> Good point, who would have the loss, me for purchasing stolen TiVo or Best Buy for taking in a stolen CC or the CC company ??


That's a tough one. Even if you simply suspect something could be stolen, or purchased with stolen money/CC/DC, and you do the right thing, you could find yourself having to hand over what you purchased as evidence.

Then the nightmare has only begun.

I'd play dumb, maybe even redact posts about it, if I suddenly had such suspicions.

I'd review the fine print of the protection your card gives you, and be sure if the property is taken as evidence, you get your money back (and WHEN you get it back), before making any inquiries.


----------



## soobaerodude

lessd said:


> Good point, who would have the loss, me for purchasing stolen TiVo or Best Buy for taking in a stolen CC or the CC company ??


This is a common problem with pre-paid phone service cards/pins. If the carrier finds out the pin was purchased with a stolen credit card, they will revoke the credit from the phone account that used the pin.


----------



## karlegas

headless chicken said:


> Costco is not selling the pro, they are selling the Plus. Item #80040
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/sc/f64inp87zfdevhv/bhp5ne3Nie


Please indicate the Costco location I did not find in Southern California, not all Costcos carries the same stuff, inclusive in the same area.

About purchase in Costco is good because the return policy, but you pay taxes instead online offer ABT.com is free taxes and shipping, I must add Tivo protection.


----------



## nooneuknow

Re: Fenced TiVos?

New thread material perhaps, before panic/chaos/wild speculation consumes this one, which has kept on-track amazingly well, so far?


----------



## palover

karlegas said:


> About purchase in Costco is good because the return policy, but you pay taxes instead online offer ABT.com is free taxes and shipping, I must add Tivo protection.


I don't see it on sale at ABT.com so even with tax Costco has a better price.


----------



## chicagobrownblue

I have a Premiere that started service in February 2009. I've signed up for the annual service which is ~$129. If I buy a new Roamio do you think I'll get the lifetime $99 offer on my old Premiere and if yes, what would the Premiere with Lifetime be worth? Thanks.


----------



## the block

palover said:


> I don't see it on sale at ABT.com so even with tax Costco has a better price.


If you read the thread it has been mentioned several times the Abt sale is unadvertised and all you need to do is initiate an online chat with a sales rep to get it.


----------



## headless chicken

the block said:


> If you read the thread it has been mentioned several times the Abt sale is unadvertised and all you need to do is initiate an online chat with a sales rep to get it.


ABT wouldn't give it to me for $339, but I managed to get it down to $350

[Kate D.] I do apologize I am unable to offer an additional $10 off past the $349.99
[Kate D.] The price of $349.99 is the lowest we are able to offer on that unit


----------



## nooneuknow

chicagobrownblue said:


> I have a Premiere that started service in February 2009. I've signed up for the annual service which is ~$129. If I buy a new Roamio do you think I'll get the lifetime $99 offer on my old Premiere and if yes, what would the Premiere with Lifetime be worth? Thanks.


Look at my signature.

Nobody's asking about the LT Premieres...


----------



## chicagobrownblue

nooneuknow said:


> Look at my signature.
> 
> Nobody's asking about the LT Premieres...


So your prices are too high. I can offer my Verizon stock at $60 a share and it won't move. VZ closed at $49.60 which should be able to clear the market for my position. So, what are LT Premieres worth besides less than what you are asking?


----------



## hooper

chicagobrownblue said:


> So your prices are too high. I can offer my Verizon stock at $60 a share and it won't move. VZ closed at $49.60 which should be able to clear the market for my position. So, what are LT Premieres worth besides less than what you are asking?


I sold 2 lifetime premieres on eBay last week. One xl for 355 and one base for 328 with 320gb drive. Both were 2 tuners.


----------



## justthisonce

I've been following this thread to see if Sophia mart is legit. Sophia mart claims to be under darkspero.com. So i emailed a contact at juicekick.com, a darkspero company, which appears to be reputable. here is the response: 

We have no connection to sophiamart, but are receiving a lot of calls from customers who have purchased something on their website. They placed our company info on their site. We are not affiliated with them in any way. We have emailed them to remove our info from their site, but thus have not heard back. 

Sincerely,
Jessica 

Please do NOT order from sophia mart. I hope lessd gets their order. to add my speculation, I"m guessing sophia mart will fulfill a few orders through bestbuy and then use the boost in reputation to get a lot of orders and then disappear. 

Sorry to highjack this forum but I'm guessing I'm not the only one tempted by the deals on sophia mart.


----------



## karlegas

Yesterday I bought for $339.99 maybe still on offer if you chat with them

http://www.abt.com/product/72409/TiVo-TCD848000.html

Costco is only available in store not stores in all cities, not all members.


----------



## the block

headless chicken said:


> ABT wouldn't give it to me for $339, but I managed to get it down to $350
> 
> [Kate D.] I do apologize I am unable to offer an additional $10 off past the $349.99
> [Kate D.] The price of $349.99 is the lowest we are able to offer on that unit


I'd try again with a different rep, unless the promotion actually finally ended today. I spoke with 2 or 3 reps before I was ready to pull the trigger and they all offered $339.


----------



## larrs

OK, I chatted with Tivo today and can transfer my $6.99 monthly service to a Roamio and then get $99 lifetime for the Premiere that currently has the $6.99 monthly. 

Here is the question: If I keep the Roamio and one Premiere I paid full price on the lifetime on my account (qualifying box for the $6.99 monthly), I take it I can sell all my other lifetime units to pay for another 3 minis, right? Can I have one Roamio plus, one premiere and 4 minis with no issues (except for potential tuner conflicts)?

Will the minis ever be able to snag tuners from the 2 tuner Premiere or should I keep my Elite and my Roamio Plus to give me 10 total tuners? And, if you have both, do the minis go to either unit or do they have to be "tied" to a unit?


----------



## the block

I've got some more good news concerning the Abt $339 deal. I was just looking over my Amex offers on the Amex website and came across this offer. If you paid with your Amex card, the Abt deal is now a $319 Plus  I called Amex to confirm the offer and the rep says it'll be applied automatically after 2 billing cycles.


----------



## ThAbtO

Did you know Walmart will also do price-matching, just without the gift card offer. Earlier I tried to look at the Wal-mart web site and it was too busy.


----------



## johnm4

Questions about doing the Abt.com pricing:

- After chatting, the deal is completed on the phone? So that would negate any click-through shopping portal cash back I'm guessing? Or do they adjust the price in your cart?

- Can anyone foresee any problems paying with 2 Abt.com gift cards + remaining balance on credit card?


----------



## mattack

Note, you can still order the Roamio + $50 gift card from bestbuy.com as "backordered" and supposedly ships within 1-2 weeks.

Argh, somehow I thought the other deal (the other money back) was more than just yesterday.. ohwell..

Also, note you can get 1% back (it too was more -- 4% yesterday at least for some items) through ebates.com.

and today I bought $150 Best Buy gift cards from Safeway because I got a $25 off $50 grocery store coupon (sure, more than I usually spend, but I get into the $30-40 range EASILY, so can just buy a bit more stuff that I need anyway earlier than I will otherwise).


----------



## lessd

justthisonce said:


> I've been following this thread to see if Sophia mart is legit. Sophia mart claims to be under darkspero.com. So i emailed a contact at juicekick.com, a darkspero company, which appears to be reputable. here is the response:
> 
> We have no connection to sophiamart, but are receiving a lot of calls from customers who have purchased something on their website. They placed our company info on their site. We are not affiliated with them in any way. We have emailed them to remove our info from their site, but thus have not heard back.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Jessica
> 
> Please do NOT order from sophia mart. I hope lessd gets their order. to add my speculation, I"m guessing sophia mart will fulfill a few orders through bestbuy and then use the boost in reputation to get a lot of orders and then disappear.
> 
> Sorry to highjack this forum but I'm guessing I'm not the only one tempted by the deals on sophia mart.


I got the TiVo from the sophia mart order but it was fulfilled by Best Buy, the Roamio + had a DOM of Oct 13, 2013 so it is new, again my payment was $320.99, if I needed to return the Roamio+ it gives Best Buy as the place to return the unit, if there is a scam here I have not found it, YMMV. My invoice does has a Best Buy order number and there is no mention of sophia mart on any paperwork that came with the Roamio +.
The Web address is

http://www.sophiamart.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/


----------



## emax

I got my Roamio Pro from best buy, they did PM the Tivo offer but manager told me right away no GC. He called it double dipping . I had also AMEX offer for $25 @BB. Happy camper here. 

I live in Bay Area and saw Tivo + in 2 different Costco's for $350.


----------



## nooneuknow

emax said:


> I got my Roamio Pro from best buy, they did PM the Tivo offer but manager told me right away no GC. He called it double dipping . I had also AMEX offer for $25 @BB. Happy camper here.
> 
> I live in Bay Area and saw Tivo + in 2 different Costco's for $350.


Well, I'm sure that at least one Best Buy General Manager is aware of this thread, and who knows how many total Best Buy employees come through here in a day.

Even say what I just said isn't true, want to guess how many people blurted out that they were aware of other stores doing it, when the store they were at said no, then referenced TCF, or even slapped down a printed copy of a success-story, or my how-to guide? People get downright scary in that holiday shopping window. There were shootings and robberies in my area over holiday deals. Mix that with: "This guy got it, I want that too!" People get crazy.

I'm beginning to think the two different listings, with two different SKUs, per Roamio model, one with GC, and one without, were part of a plan to thwart "double-dipping", that didn't quite work as well as designed, or too many of the right people didn't get the inter-store memo (or maybe just didn't understand it).

They do have internet at their fingertips, at every checkout. Just a few things overheard, and a bit of searching could lead right here. I'm just happy to be done with it, and have the hardware I sought.

Thanks, again, to those who got the BB "double-dip" PM+GC ball rolling!


----------



## headless chicken

nooneuknow said:


> I'm beginning to think the two different listings, with two different SKUs, per Roamio model, one with GC, and one without, were part of a plan to thwart "double-dipping", that didn't quite work as well as designed, or too many of the right people didn't get the inter-store memo (or maybe just didn't understand it).


You are correct. The website had two listings for each Tivo model--one with GC and one without--the last time I checked. As per your own words the GC promotion ended 12/2 so I haven't checked again since Sunday.


----------



## headless chicken

mattack said:


> Also, note you can get 1% back (it too was more -- 4% yesterday at least for some items) through ebates.com.


Never use ebates...by the time your cashback is posted, they usually lower the rate to 1% and will only honor the 1% rate. If you tell them it was higher when you ordered they will say, sorry but you are wrong. *Even* with a screenshot proving otherwise. This has happened to me twice.


----------



## headless chicken

lessd said:


> I got the TiVo from the sophia mart order but it was fulfilled by Best Buy, the Roamio + had a DOM of Oct 13, 2013 so it is new, again my payment was $320.99, if I needed to return the Roamio+ it gives Best Buy as the place to return the unit, if there is a scam here I have not found it, YMMV. My invoice does has a Best Buy order number and there is no mention of sophia mart on any paperwork that came with the Roamio +.


You could always go to the BB website or call them with your order # and see if it pulls up a valid purchase. I suspect it may not but who knows.


----------



## lessd

headless chicken said:


> You could always go to the BB website or call them with your order # and see if it pulls up a valid purchase. I suspect it may not but who knows.


I going let sleeping dogs lie, I put Lifetime Service on the unit without any problem, the only problem I had was I could not fully test out the Roamio + as the TiVo servers were down, back up now and the unit is now downloading the first service update for the initial setup.

With the best Buy web sight you need the order # (that I have) and the Tel # to trace an order, don't know what Tel # was used.


----------



## palover

the block said:


> If you read the thread it has been mentioned several times the Abt sale is unadvertised and all you need to do is initiate an online chat with a sales rep to get it.


Sorry, just jumped in yesterday when I saw the Plus at Costco. Thanks for the info.



justthisonce said:


> I"m guessing sophia mart will fulfill a few orders through bestbuy and then use the boost in reputation to get a lot of orders and then disappear.


Their website is well constructed, with more depth than I'd expect to see from a hit and run outfit. They offer registration for saving acct. info. I wouldn't expect them to bother with that if they're not legit. Then again it may be quick and easy to set up. I know nothing about website construction.

At any rate, I took the purchase process all the way to the payment stage and was pleased to see PayPal, which has buyer protection. A couple of months ago I (along with 6-8 other buyers) was the victim of fraud on eBay concerning iPad purchases- out $300. Once the date arrived when I could file a claim, they refunded my $ very quickly to my PayPal acct.

So I ordered today from Sophiamart and I'm not concerned, since if a site accepts PayPal, then PayPal is insuring the purchase.

You're Protected if:
1. Your order never arrives
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/security/safe-online-shopping


----------



## soobaerodude

palover said:


> Their website is well constructed, with more depth than I'd expect to see from a hit and run outfit. They offer registration for saving acct. info. I wouldn't expect them to bother with that if they're not legit. Then again it may be quick and easy to set up. I know nothing about website construction.


This is very easy to setup for these usually Chinese/Russian criminal rings


----------



## palover

soobaerodude said:


> This is very easy to setup for these usually Chinese/Russian criminal rings


I think they're more likely Romanian.

Seriously, I'm not gonna spend any time wondering who or what Sophiamart is. They'll either ship me a unit via Best Buy or I'll get my money back through PayPal. I have order confirmation and order status emails from the seller, and a PayPal transaction #. If Sophiamart doesn't come through, then it's PayPal's problem.


----------



## lessd

lessd said:


> I got the TiVo from the sophia mart order but it was fulfilled by Best Buy, the Roamio + had a DOM of Oct 13, 2013 so it is new, again my payment was $320.99, if I needed to return the Roamio+ it gives Best Buy as the place to return the unit, if there is a scam here I have not found it, YMMV. My invoice does has a Best Buy order number and there is no mention of sophia mart on any paperwork that came with the Roamio +.
> The Web address is
> 
> http://www.sophiamart.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/


The sophiamart sight just sent me an E-Mail to review the Roamio + I just received, looks legit to me as Amazon started out in Jeff Bezos garage shipping books, but I guess it still could be some type of scam. They also could be a front for Best Buy itself as they sell a lot of stuff that Best Buy sells, I don't understand why Best Buy would take the return risk at that price. ($320.99 no tax free shipping as Best Buy has two stores within 5 miles of my CT home, could this be a sneaky way for Best Buy to avoid sales tax?? )


----------



## slowbiscuit

Maybe but you'd have to figure that price is at or near BB's cost, so why would they bother? Getting rid of overstock maybe?

I agree that it looks a whole lot more fishy than it does legit if they are just drop-shipping from BB.


----------



## justthisonce

lessd said:


> Amazon started out in Jeff Bezos garage shipping books, but I guess it still could be some type of scam.


Legit or not, my concern comes from the apparent fact that sophia mart has deliberately made itself appear to be a part of a company that it is not a part of. That is not a good indicator of trustworthiness. but as long as it works


----------



## MarkSFCA

The base TiVo Roamio is back to $199 on Amazon but this other company still has it for $149:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1002482&Q=&is=REG&A=details


----------



## lessd

slowbiscuit said:


> Maybe but you'd have to figure that price is at or near BB's cost, so why would they bother? Getting rid of overstock maybe?
> 
> I agree that it looks a whole lot more fishy than it does legit if they are just drop-shipping from BB.


What fishy about a drop shipment from Best Buy, overstock on a TiVo made in Oct of 2013 ? I guess we can all guess about what just happened and why but I got a Roamio + for $320.99 and I also got Lifetime service on the TiVo web sight so I a happy camper. If they have problems why would PayPal get into this as PayPal will return your money if you don't receive your shipment. My guess is that Best Buy gets the Roamio + for about $285 and that will give them about a 40% mark up to the retail price of $399, but still the shipping had to cost Best Buy at least $6 to $10 and if the sight took a $10 profit that left Best Buy with a gross of $20, not much, unless this sight sells 100,000 Roamio + s.


----------



## bootman_head_fi

headless chicken said:


> Costco is not selling the pro, they are selling the Plus. Item #80040
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/sc/f64inp87zfdevhv/bhp5ne3Nie


Thanks for the clarification!


----------



## andyw715

MarkSFCA said:


> The base TiVo Roamio is back to $199 on Amazon but this other company still has it for $149:
> 
> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1002482&Q=&is=REG&A=details


B&H is a good company.

Q about multi service discount on lifetime. 
How long do I have to keep my TiVo Hd w/lifetime to get the discount on Romios and minis?


----------



## AdamNJ

MarkSFCA said:


> The base TiVo Roamio is back to $199 on Amazon but this other company still has it for $149:
> 
> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1002482&Q=&is=REG&A=details


I know the BestBuy GC deal is over, but since someone posted their price match policy it is worth mentioning that BB will match B&H prices.


----------



## palover

andyw715 said:


> B&H is a good company.
> 
> Q about multi service discount on lifetime.
> How long do I have to keep my TiVo Hd w/lifetime to get the discount on Romios and minis?


If you're going to sell it I'd guess you'd be fine until the new owner set it up. If you bought the lifetime, you'd be on record with Tivo and I wouldn't think it would matter.



MarkSFCA said:


> The base TiVo Roamio is back to $199 on Amazon but this other company still has it for $149:
> 
> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1002482&Q=&is=REG&A=details


Between the price and B&H I'd be a buyer if I was looking for the base box.


----------



## Fred C Dobbs

Thanks to the great info here,
I just bought the Plus from abt at the $339 price,
plus the $20 off from AMEX.

Looking forward to upgrading my s3 Tivo.

One question - 
I know I can transfer season pass info through the Tivo app,
but is there any way to easily transfer my Wishlists?

thanks,

FCD


----------



## CoxInPHX

Fred C Dobbs said:


> One question -
> I know I can transfer season pass info through the Tivo app,
> but is there any way to easily transfer my Wishlists?


KMTTG is your best friend (Thanks Kevin )

http://sourceforge.net/projects/kmttg/
http://sourceforge.net/p/kmttg/wiki/remote_season_passes/

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=387725


----------



## the block

CoxInPHX said:


> KMTTG is your best friend (Thanks Kevin )
> 
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/kmttg/
> http://sourceforge.net/p/kmttg/wiki/remote_season_passes/
> 
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=387725


My Roamio should be arriving tonight and I'm going to need to transfer all my shows/season passes/wish lists from my TivoHD. I've heard of this kmttg software before, but never used it. Will this let me do a TiVo to TiVo transfer of everything without having to offload all my shows and everything to a middle man machine first? I was hoping to find a way to transfer everything tonight while I sleep.


----------



## HazelW

the block said:


> My Roamio should be arriving tonight and I'm going to need to transfer all my shows/season passes/wish lists from my TivoHD. I've heard of this kmttg software before, but never used it. Will this let me do a TiVo to TiVo transfer of everything without having to offload all my shows and everything to a middle man machine first? I was hoping to find a way to transfer everything tonight while I sleep.


You don't need it to transfer shows. Just cue them up on the current TiVo to transfer to the new one. Can be tedious if you have a lot.


----------



## the block

HazelW said:


> You don't need it to transfer shows. Just cue them up on the current TiVo to transfer to the new one. Can be tedious if you have a lot.


I've never had to do this before. Will I have to wait for 1 show to transfer before I can queue up and transfer another show? If that's the case it will be a nightmare. If instead I can queue up 100+ shows, even if I have to do them 1 by 1, and it will keep on transferring while I do that, I'm ok with doing that since it'll be a 1 time deal.


----------



## HazelW

the block said:


> I've never had to do this before. Will I have to wait for 1 show to transfer before I can queue up and transfer another show? If that's the case it will be a nightmare. If instead I can queue up 100+ shows, even if I have to do them 1 by 1, and it will keep on transferring while I do that, I'm ok with doing that since it'll be a 1 time deal.


I said you do it on the current TiVo, but you do it on the new TiVo. I don't know if there is a limit on how many you can queue. Also note yo can not transfer shows that have the copy bit set.


----------



## eric102

the block said:


> I've never had to do this before. Will I have to wait for 1 show to transfer before I can queue up and transfer another show? If that's the case it will be a nightmare. If instead I can queue up 100+ shows, even if I have to do them 1 by 1, and it will keep on transferring while I do that, I'm ok with doing that since it'll be a 1 time deal.


I queued up about 40 shows at once when I got my Roamio, don't know what the limit is though. On my network it took about 8 minutes per one hour show to transfer so it goes pretty fast.


----------



## Chris Grant

Fred C Dobbs said:


> Thanks to the great info here,
> I just bought the Plus from abt at the $339 price,
> plus the $20 off from AMEX.


Did you get a "Thank You for using your Enrolled Card!" email from AMEX after your purchase? I ordered a $489 Roamio Pro from ABT and did not get the email! I also ordered something at Blue Nile and did get the AMEX email. That makes me wonder if I'll be seeing the $20 credit! The difference in the transactions was that Blue Nile was entirely online, while the ABT was completed by phone.


----------



## the block

Son of a *****. I checked my UPS tracking for my Roamio that was supposed to arrive today and see this:

Exception - Due to local operation disruption, packages not unloaded from trailer, expect a one day business day delay


----------



## rainwater

the block said:


> Son of a *****. I checked my UPS tracking for my Roamio that was supposed to arrive today and see this:
> 
> Exception - Due to local operation disruption, packages not unloaded from trailer, expect a one day business day delay


You should call them. You might could pick it up from the local office.


----------



## the block

rainwater said:


> You should call them. You might could pick it up from the local office.


I would but it's about 2 hours away. Hasn't made it to the local UPS warehouse yet. Better be here tomorrow. I don't want to go the whole weekend without not being able to set it up and get it going.


----------



## soobaerodude

justthisonce said:


> Legit or not, my concern comes from the apparent fact that sophia mart has deliberately made itself appear to be a part of a company that it is not a part of. That is not a good indicator of trustworthiness. but as long as it works


*This is the number one reason why this site is not legit*. But people don't care, as long as they get a 'good deal' on the item.



lessd said:


> What fishy about a drop shipment from Best Buy, overstock on a TiVo made in Oct of 2013 ? I guess we can all guess about what just happened and why but I got a Roamio + for $320.99 and I also got Lifetime service on the TiVo web sight so I a happy camper. If they have problems why would PayPal get into this as PayPal will return your money if you don't receive your shipment. My guess is that Best Buy gets the Roamio + for about $285 and that will give them about a 40% mark up to the retail price of $399, but still the shipping had to cost Best Buy at least $6 to $10 and if the sight took a $10 profit that left Best Buy with a gross of $20, not much, unless this sight sells 100,000 Roamio + s.


Whatever makes you feel better about your purchase


----------



## andyw715

palover said:


> If you're going to sell it I'd guess you'd be fine until the new owner set it up. If you bought the lifetime, you'd be on record with Tivo and I wouldn't think it would matter.


Yeah so lets say I bought a Roamio with monthly (12.99 multi service price). Then sold the HD, I would imagine the price would jump up to the normal non multi service price.

But if I buy the Roamio with liftetime (399 multi service price). Then keep the HD for a little while (say a few months), then sell it. You think TiVo would try to charge me 100 ?


----------



## palover

soobaerodude said:


> *This is the number one reason why this site is not legit*. But people don't care, as long as they get a 'good deal' on the item.
> 
> Whatever makes you feel better about your purchase


You've got 7 posts here, as of now, and 5 of 'em are just scare tactic posts about 2 so called scam sellers, both of which have delivered. Are your boogeyman warnings making you feel better about your own purchase?

I don't know what your hang up is, but maybe you should try a different topic.



andyw715 said:


> Yeah so lets say I bought a Roamio with monthly (12.99 multi service price). Then sold the HD, I would imagine the price would jump up to the normal non multi service price.
> 
> But if I buy the Roamio with liftetime (399 multi service price). Then keep the HD for a little while (say a few months), then sell it. You think TiVo would try to charge me 100 ?


Not sure how it works if you buy a used box with lifetime, but if it's activated in your acct. it'll show there. I bought a new Premiere 4 that included lifetime (got it on eBay), and my lifetime sub is listed in my acct. I'm assuming my lifetime sub for the new Roamio (purchased directly through Tivo) will be the discounted $400.

If you're thinking that Tivo will come back at you and say 'you sold your HD w/lifetime so now you owe us another $100', I wouldn't worry about that.


----------



## RickStrobel

A friend of mine got her first TiVo, a Roamio Basic, and called up TiVo and activated it with Product Lifetime Service for $499. She wasn't aware of the $399 deal. I told her to call back and give the PLSR code to get the $399 price, and to try calling back if denied. She was told that the code expired.

Suggestions for her to get the $399? Is the PLSR really expired?


----------



## aaronwt

YEs, once lifetime is already purchased it's fine. The problem might arise when you pruchase another TiVo and want to put lifetime one it. If the current TiVo is not an MSD qualifier, then it would be $500 for lifetime on the new TiVo. OF course you would just use the PLSR code anyway, without even having to worry about a lifetime qualifier, to get lifetime for $400.


----------



## HarperVision

RickStrobel said:


> A friend of mine got her first TiVo, a Roamio Basic, and called up TiVo and activated it with Product Lifetime Service for $499. She wasn't aware of the $399 deal. I told her to call back and give the PLSR code to get the $399 price, and to try calling back if denied. She was told that the code expired.
> 
> Suggestions for her to get the $399? Is the PLSR really expired?


I'd say have her cancel service if its still in the initial 30 day period, then go back online and use the PLSR code.


----------



## soobaerodude

palover said:


> You've got 7 posts here, as of now, and 5 of 'em are just scare tactic posts about 2 so called scam sellers, both of which have delivered. Are your boogeyman warnings making you feel better about your own purchase?
> 
> I don't know what your hang up is, but maybe you should try a different topic.


My hang up is that these are obliviously shady sites. Why purchase from them when there are legitimate deals from ABT or B&H?

Oh wait, you save $20-$25 so it doesn't matter


----------



## clorox

HarperVision said:


> I'd say have her cancel service if its still in the initial 30 day period, then go back online and use the PLSR code.


PLSR code is no longer working online. Makes me feel better about selling my Premieres on eBay now.


----------



## aaronwt

clorox said:


> PLSR code is no longer working online. Makes me feel better about selling my Premieres on eBay now.




Wow!! That code had been active for many, many years.


----------



## clorox

aaronwt said:


> Wow!! That code had been active for many, many years.


No kidding - I remember I used it in 2010 back when you could get 10% cash back on service gift card purchases through Tivo.com, which I used to buy two lifetime subs for $300 each ($270 each after the cash back!) at the time. And I think back then my Premiere also only cost $100 which was a pretty good deal at the time.


----------



## Fred C Dobbs

Chris,
yep, I got the AMEX confirmation, thanks.

FCD



Chris Grant said:


> Did you get a "Thank You for using your Enrolled Card!" email from AMEX after your purchase? I ordered a $489 Roamio Pro from ABT and did not get the email! I also ordered something at Blue Nile and did get the AMEX email. That makes me wonder if I'll be seeing the $20 credit! The difference in the transactions was that Blue Nile was entirely online, while the ABT was completed by phone.


----------



## NJguy

clorox said:


> PLSR code is no longer working online. Makes me feel better about selling my Premieres on eBay now.


Worked for me yesterday. Wow. Guess I got in just in time.


----------



## HarperVision

clorox said:


> PLSR code is no longer working online. Makes me feel better about selling my Premieres on eBay now.


Yeah that's pretty shocking actually. Is that 100% confirmed, especially since someone just used it yesterday?


----------



## clorox

HarperVision said:


> Yeah that's pretty shocking actually. Is that 100% confirmed, especially since someone just used it yesterday?


----------



## jackief

Since my new roamio is en route, I hope it is just a scare, as I was looking forward to not spending the extra $100. If it is confirmed I might wait until Christmas to setup service to see if something else crops up


----------



## nooneuknow

clorox said:


> View attachment 19984


PLSR code never worked if buying the TiVo hardware directly through TiVo.

That's why many choose to pick one up at Best Buy, or anyplace but from TiVo, so that they can use that code.

Can anybody provide a screenshot of it being rejected on a TiVo purchased from elsewhere?

If all the talk about the code not working is based solely on people who don't know it never worked on direct hardware/service orders through TiVo, then nothing may have changed, and the code could still be working.


----------



## HarperVision

nooneuknow said:


> PLSR code never worked if buying the TiVo hardware directly through TiVo.
> 
> That's why many choose to pick one up at Best Buy, or anyplace but from TiVo, so that they can use that code.
> 
> Can anybody provide a screenshot of it being rejected on a TiVo purchased from elsewhere?
> 
> If all the talk about the code not working is based solely on people who don't know it never worked on direct hardware/service orders through TiVo, then nothing may have changed, and the code could still be working.


Great point, I forgot about that!


----------



## clorox

nooneuknow said:


> PLSR code never worked if buying the TiVo hardware directly through TiVo.
> 
> That's why many choose to pick one up at Best Buy, or anyplace but from TiVo, so that they can use that code.
> 
> Can anybody provide a screenshot of it being rejected on a TiVo purchased from elsewhere?
> 
> If all the talk about the code not working is based solely on people who don't know it never worked on direct hardware/service orders through TiVo, then nothing may have changed, and the code could still be working.


My apologies - never remembered that of course when I bought mine it was from elsewhere and not TiVo several years ago anyway.


----------



## jackief

that's good to hear nooneuknow, still some hope! When I ordered a couple days ago from abt they were out of stock,, so I don't expect to get mine until next week. I look forward to hearing others' experience trying to activate a new purchase!


----------



## the block

Can someone clear the whole PLSR code thing for me. My roamio is en route from Abt, and I already have a TiVoHD w/ lifetime on my account. Doesn't that alone qualify me for $399.99 lifetime on additional TiVos as a multi service discount without even having to worry about promo codes to bring it down to $399.99? I thought the $499.99 lifetime was for new customers only. I'm really going to be pissed if I have to pay $499.99 as an existing customer, especially if I missed the cutoff of that code by a day or two if it in fact has expired. Can someone clarify? Thanks


----------



## Brudha

the block said:


> Can someone clear the whole PLSR code thing for me. My roamio is en route from Abt, and I already have a TiVoHD w/ lifetime on my account. Doesn't that alone qualify me for $399.99 lifetime on additional TiVos as a multi service discount without even having to worry about promo codes to bring it down to $399.99?


Yes.


----------



## RickStrobel

My friend who paid 499 bought her TiVo from Best Buy. Don't know if she ordered service over the phone or online. She didn't know about the 399 deal.


----------



## nooneuknow

I wonder...

I should be MSD eligible for $399 lifetime...

PLSR code provides $399 lifetime, so long as the code continues to work (yet to be verified it still does)...

Can anybody share any insight into if it matters, at all, which way I get the price? Is there ANY downside to choosing one, over the other?

They are both "discounted", which would make the unit it is applied to not a "full price" lifetime.

I'm worried that I may have just agreed to sell my first two lifetime TiVos, which one of which was my "full price" lifetime.

I've seen the posts that it shouldn't matter, because I paid full price, and selling the unit does not change that I paid it.

Can a few people tell me that they have actually verified that the last part remains true, once the full price lifetime "anchor TiVo" is placed on another person's account? I just want to be 100% sure about this.


----------



## nooneuknow

The other thing is that according to the MSD terms, even a full price lifetime unit MUST have connected to the TiVo service within the last 180 days.

So, if I sell my full price unit, and it dies, or the buyer quits using it, it would appear that the MSD terms would mean I would not be MSD eligible down the road (beyond 180 days).

Then, only PLSR could give me the $399 lifetime, and that code could be taken out of use at any time.


----------



## lessd

soobaerodude said:


> *This is the number one reason why this site is not legit*. But people don't care, as long as they get a 'good deal' on the item.
> 
> Whatever makes you feel better about your purchase


Why would Best Buy deal with a site that is not legit ?? and sell at such a low price ??


----------



## emax

the block said:


> Can someone clear the whole PLSR code thing for me. My roamio is en route from Abt, and I already have a TiVoHD w/ lifetime on my account. Doesn't that alone qualify me for $399.99 lifetime on additional TiVos as a multi service discount without even having to worry about promo codes to bring it down to $399.99? I thought the $499.99 lifetime was for new customers only. I'm really going to be pissed if I have to pay $499.99 as an existing customer, especially if I missed the cutoff of that code by a day or two if it in fact has expired. Can someone clarify? Thanks


You don't need a code if you are existing customer. 
I bought roamio pro 2 days ago in BB. Went to tivo.com > my account and clicked on "activate tivo". Got 399 price for lifetime. Without any codes. 
So you have nothing to worry about.


----------



## lessd

emax said:


> You don't need a code if you are existing customer.
> I bought roamio pro 2 days ago in BB. Went to tivo.com > my account and clicked on "activate tivo". Got 399 price for lifetime. Without any codes.
> So you have nothing to worry about.


I just tested the code on a blank old TiVo account that has no active TiVos in the account and it did work as Lifetime went from $499 to $399 after I entered the code!!


----------



## soobaerodude

lessd said:


> Why would Best Buy deal with a site that is not legit ?? and sell at such a low price ??


Do a google search for "triangulation fraud" or "drop ship scams". There's a lot of discussion about this in the Lego collector community. But hey, you got the goods and saved a little scratch. No harm done, right? Everyone wins.

Anyway, to get this thread back on track with legit deals: Amazon is selling the Roamio basic for $149 again


----------



## nooneuknow

lessd said:


> I just tested the code on a blank old TiVo account that has no active TiVos in the account and it did work as Lifetime went from $499 to $399 after I entered the code!!


Thank You for posting that, and setting the record straight.

While the scare originated because somebody was trying to enter the code while buying direct through TiVo, we didn't have verification that it was still working on units purchased elsewhere. Now we do.


----------



## jackief

Thanks lessd!


----------



## RickStrobel

nooneuknow said:


> Thank You for posting that, and setting the record straight.
> 
> While the scare originated because somebody was trying to enter the code while buying direct through TiVo, we didn't have verification that it was still working on units purchased elsewhere. Now we do.


No, I started the scare. I have a friend who bought a TiVo at Best Buy. She paid $499 not knowing about the promo code. I told her to call in to fix it. She was told that the PLSR code had expired.


----------



## RickStrobel

So her best bet at this point would be to cancel the Lifetime Service she just ordered a couple of days ago, then reactivate her TiVo online, not over the phone?

Will the TiVo work for a short time with the subscription cancelled?


----------



## nooneuknow

RickStrobel said:


> No, I started the scare. I have a friend who bought a TiVo at Best Buy. She paid $499 not knowing about the promo code. I told her to call in to fix it. She was told that the PLSR code had expired.


I'm sure everybody appreciates when a stand-up guy, like yourself, takes the blame. It was likely the screenshot posted by another person, that would've incited panic for a while, either until I took a long look at it and realized why THAT scenario wasn't working with PLSR, or somebody else noticed what was kind of obvious (unless it had been awhile, or it just didn't come to mind).

That same screenshot, redeemed that person who posted it, for giving somebody a chance to spot and state the situation there, and they did post that they were wrong (so, it's all good). Then another person verified the code still works (now, it's all better).

That's all proof there are still good people on here, that are willing to try and help, or set things straight. Which I was actually feeling a need to see proof of.


----------



## Loach

soobaerodude said:


> Do a google search for "triangulation fraud" or "drop ship scams". There's a lot of discussion about this in the Lego collector community. But hey, you got the goods and saved a little scratch. No harm done, right? Everyone wins.
> 
> Anyway, to get this thread back on track with legit deals: Amazon is selling the Roamio basic for $149 again


Thanks for posting this. So ultimately in this case the retailer (Best Buy) gets left holding the bag when the fraudulent credit card purchase from the drop-shipper/scammer gets reversed. Unless the buyer is kind enough to return the merchandise to them and claw back against the drop-shipper via Paypal.

Just to be clear, I don't know if Sophiamart is legit or not, but if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck..........


----------



## nooneuknow

RickStrobel said:


> So her best bet at this point would be to cancel the Lifetime Service she just ordered a couple of days ago, then reactivate her TiVo online, not over the phone?
> 
> Will the TiVo work for a short time with the subscription cancelled?


There's no grace period on a cancelled unit. Any recordings that exist already *should be* viewable, but I doubt the SP list & To Do List will survive. There's a small, but possible, risk that cancelling, then re-subscribing, could assign the unit a different Media Access Key, that *could* "bork" everything.

If it's the only TiVo on the account, the possibility of the MAK being changed, is much more likely, than if there were others on the account (since the MAK is the same on all units on an account).

With just about any company, except TiVo, I'd suggest asking them about it. She can still ask, but TiVo tends to say one thing, then do something very opposite what they tell you. I speak from experience, and reading what others post, as well.

I'll defer to the other qualified folks to hopefully be more helpful.


----------



## nooneuknow

Loach said:


> <snip>Just to be clear, I don't know if Sophiamart is legit or not, but if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck..........


If it "talks" like a duck, I'd be suspicious. I don't trust ducks that talk.


----------



## lessd

Loach said:


> Thanks for posting this. So ultimately in this case the retailer (Best Buy) gets left holding the bag when the fraudulent credit card purchase from the drop-shipper/scammer gets reversed. Unless the buyer is kind enough to return the merchandise to them and claw back against the drop-shipper via Paypal.
> 
> Just to be clear, I don't know if Sophiamart is legit or not, but if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck..........


I don't understand how Best Buy would not know about this problem if it is a problem, when I order something to be shipped to an address that does not match my credit card I have to provide much more information unless I am an old customer of the co. like say Amazon, if I was the first order from Sophiamart OK, but who would Best Buy come after, somebody tried to scam one of my CC once and I got a call that day to see if the transaction was legit, I would think Best Buy would do the same.


----------



## Carlos_E

Right now what is the best deal on the Roamio Plus? What is the sale price on ATB.com?


----------



## HarperVision

RickStrobel said:


> So her best bet at this point would be to cancel the Lifetime Service she just ordered a couple of days ago, then reactivate her TiVo online, not over the phone?
> 
> Will the TiVo work for a short time with the subscription cancelled?


Since the TiVo unit won't know it's been cancelled until it calls into the server I'd think that you could call, cancel, then go online soon after and before the next daily call, then input the PLSR code to reactivate it. It may be a gamble but if anything gets borked up I'm sure you can just call TiVo back and explain the situation that you changed your mind and decided to keep your TiVo.

Or just call, cancel, return that Roamio, buy a new one, then activate THAT one online with PLSR.


----------



## soobaerodude

Carlos_E said:


> Right now what is the best deal on the Roamio Plus? What is the sale price on ATB.com?


You have to chat with or call abt.com and ask them to sell you one for $339


----------



## nooneuknow

HarperVision said:


> Since the TiVo unit won't know it's been cancelled until it calls into the server I'd think that you could call, cancel, then go online soon after and before the next daily call, then input the PLSR code to reactivate it. It may be a gamble but if anything gets borked up I'm sure you can just call TiVo back and explain the situation that you changed your mind and decided to keep your TiVo.
> 
> Or just call, cancel, return that Roamio, buy a new one, then activate THAT one online with PLSR.


I had thought about suggesting she pull her network cable, do the cancellation, re-subscribe, then plug the network cable back in, after giving 24-72 hours for TiVo's system to get things done. Plug in before it is all the way done on TiVo's end, and problems are likely.

Maybe force at least two back-to-back connections, then make sure the Guide Data is complete and goes as far forward as it should, then do as I said above, but wait 72 hours before reconnecting the network cable. It really should work fine that way, with the only glitch I see, being if the guide data changes while unplugged (The programming gets changed, or times of it changed), a show or three might get missed, or chopped. Of course, the usual apps and any features that get disabled without a connection, will do so.

I'd do all this to get $100 back in my pocket.


----------



## davefred99

I just pulled the plug and purchased a Roamio Plus from ABT.com. Could not have been simpler. Went there online chat and simply said a friend had purchased a Plus for $339 a few days ago and could I get the same deal.
A fellow named Nick said sure can I call you to take your order. Within 5 minutes I was done and should have it here in 4 or 5 days. how easy can that be ?

Dave


----------



## palover

Loach said:


> Thanks for posting this. So ultimately in this case the retailer (Best Buy) gets left holding the bag when the fraudulent credit card purchase from the drop-shipper/scammer gets reversed. Unless the buyer is kind enough to return the merchandise to them and claw back against the drop-shipper via Paypal.


Why do you assume that Best Buy would deal with a new, unknown outfit without without assuring themselves that they're not going to be scammed? This company goes back almost 50 yrs. I don't think they're dumb or inexperienced.



lessd said:


> I don't understand how Best Buy would not know about this problem if it is a problem, when I order something to be shipped to an address that does not match my credit card I have to provide much more information unless I am an old customer of the co. like say Amazon, if I was the first order from Sophiamart OK, but who would Best Buy come after, somebody tried to scam one of my CC once and I got a call that day to see if the transaction was legit, I would think Best Buy would do the same.


Both Best Buy and PayPal would have to be clueless to get involved with a scammer when they could be left holding the bag. I'm sure they've both seen every trick in the book at some point, and have safeguards in place to prevent getting duped.

"The website is not blacklisted by trusted security services such as Google SafeBrowsing, ThreatLog and MalwareDomainList.

The website has a good trustworthiness score in the WOT (Web of Trust) reputation and it should be considered a safe and not harmful website.

The website has a good vendor reliability score in the WOT (Web of Trust) reputation, this means* users have reported a good shopping experience and the website may be considered reliable for business transactions in general.*

We have searched the website address in the most popular social networks to see how many users have shared it and we have found in total 13 links, that indicates the website is at least popular in social networks.

The domain name of the website was 1st registered only 3 months ago, this means the website is very new and we cannot judge the safety of this website yet. Every business has to start and we cannot judge a website as a scam only because it is new, but as always we should be cautious."
http://www.scamvoid.com/check/sophiamart.com

I would certainly be adverse to buying from a new site that advertises the lowest price if I didn't have buyer protection. PayPal provides that, so worst case scenario, I have to wait for PayPal to issue a refund.


----------



## soobaerodude

Man, why are you so vehemently defending this crap site?



palover said:


> Why do you assume that Best Buy would deal with a new, unknown outfit without without assuring themselves that they're not going to be scammed?


There is no working relationship between Best Buy and sophiamart. It just looks like a regular purchase to Best Buy. The scammers have access to the stolen credit card's online account management to where they can change the billing zip code or add a shipping address.



palover said:


> "The website is not blacklisted by trusted security services such as Google SafeBrowsing, ThreatLog and MalwareDomainList.
> ...
> blah blah worthless 'Web of Trust' check


The contact information on their website has already been found to be bogus:



justthisonce said:


> I've been following this thread to see if Sophia mart is legit. Sophia mart claims to be under darkspero.com. So i emailed a contact at juicekick.com, a darkspero company, which appears to be reputable. here is the response:
> 
> We have no connection to sophiamart, but are receiving a lot of calls from customers who have purchased something on their website. They placed our company info on their site. We are not affiliated with them in any way. We have emailed them to remove our info from their site, but thus have not heard back.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Jessica


Not worth it to save $20 on a Roamio Plus


----------



## Huzordaddy

I received an email from Tivo this morning again offering the $50 discount and lifetime subscription for Roamios. I won't post the discount code here because I believe it is a on-time use coupon.

Subject: TiVo Roamio, the Ultimate Family Present! Special Upgrade Pricing.

Tivo Roamio: $574.99
Tivo Roamio Plus: $749.99
Tivo Roamio Pro: $899.99


Or call (877) 289-8486 Promo code required at final checkout: XXXXXXXXX
Discount pricing will be reflected at final purchase step.



&#8226; Record 4 shows at once
&#8226; Record up to 75 HD hrs.
&#8226; Built-in WiFi
&#8226; Req. TiVo Stream (sold sep.) to watch on iOS devices&#8224;
&#8226; Access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon and more&#8224;&#8224;
&#8226; Works with digital cable or HD antenna
Learn more





&#8226; Record 6 shows at once
&#8226; Record up to 150 HD hrs.
&#8226; Built-in WiFi & streaming to iOS devices&#8224;
&#8226; Access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon and more&#8224;&#8224;
&#8226; Works with digital cable
Learn more


----------



## gostan

Not much of a deal.


----------



## Loach

palover said:


> Why do you assume that Best Buy would deal with a new, unknown outfit without without assuring themselves that they're not going to be scammed? This company goes back almost 50 yrs. I don't think they're dumb or inexperienced.


Why do you assume that Best Buy is "dealing" with them as opposed to just taking an online order? EVERY large company that's doing business online experiences some degree of fraud losses, not just "dumb or inexperienced" ones.

Yes, they have controls to minimize it and shut it down when it pops up, but some will always slip through. It's like whack-a-mole.


----------



## palover

soobaerodude said:


> Man, why are you so vehemently defending this crap site?


Man, why are you so vehemently attacking any site with a lower price than you paid? You're the one with over 70% of your posts claiming the lowest priced sites to be scams. Even though sophiamart has delivered product and nobody is claiming to be defrauded, you're clearing hoping that they're not legit. I think that's kind of sad. I don't know why you're obsessed with chasing people away from a site that has no dissatisfied customers yet, but you clearly are.

I've just put you on 'ignore'. Since you only post in this thread I doubt I'll miss any useful info.


----------



## clorox

In case anyone is keeping track sophiamart.com is down....

"Store Unavailable

This store is currently unavailable due to maintenance. It should be available again shortly.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused."

Not saying it necessarily means anything, just an observation...


----------



## nooneuknow

palover said:


> Man, why are you so vehemently attacking any site with a lower price than you paid? You're the one with over 70% of your posts claiming the lowest priced sites to be scams. Even though sophiamart has delivered product and nobody is claiming to be defrauded, you're clearing hoping that they're not legit. I think that's kind of sad. I don't know why you're obsessed with chasing people away from a site that has no dissatisfied customers yet, but you clearly are.
> 
> I've just put you on 'ignore'. Since you only post in this thread I doubt I'll miss any useful info.


I don't get it either.

Maybe a plant from another TiVo reseller, that wants to suck business in, by sucking it out of the site with the lowest price?

I'm not accusing, just a guess.


----------



## soobaerodude

nooneuknow said:


> I don't get it either.
> 
> Maybe a plant from another TiVo reseller, that wants to suck business in, by sucking it out of the site with the lowest price?
> 
> I'm not accusing, just a guess.


Yes, I am a plant. You got me  .... No, I just don't want to see people scammed. If you do a google shopping search for 'roamio plus', sophiamart lists the lowest price. Anyone doing due diligence might stumble upon this "Roamio Deals" thread. They should be made aware of the risks.


----------



## Carlos_E

soobaerodude said:


> You have to chat with or call abt.com and ask them to sell you one for $339


Thank you


----------



## Raoul99

FYI: Newegg has a 10% (save up to $20 on up to $200)coupon code ( NAFSAVETENDEC6W ) good for today only.

I just got a great deal on a WD30EURS...pretty good on an extra 10% off:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=22-136-926

Hope this helps some of you guys...


----------



## CloudAtlas

> Man, why are you so vehemently attacking any site with a lower price than you paid? You're the one with over 70% of your posts claiming the lowest priced sites to be scams. Even though sophiamart has delivered product and nobody is claiming to be defrauded, you're clearing hoping that they're not legit. I think that's kind of sad. I don't know why you're obsessed with chasing people away from a site that has no dissatisfied customers yet, but you clearly are. .


I'd be more worried about credit card fraud. Support you local merchants - BestBuy?

http://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/sophiamart.com
*Low Trust Rating. This Site May Not Be Safe to Use.
Site is United States based , But The Real Location is Being Hidden*
Website: sophiamart.com
Domain Age: 101 Days
Website Speed: Slow
Owner: WHOISGUARD PROTECTED
Owner Address: P.O. BOX 0823-03411
*Owner City: PANAMA*
Owner Postcode: NA
Owner Country: Panama 
Website Location: United States

Probable website origin :-
59%; United States
25%; Panama

Notes:-
Alert ResultThe owner of the website is using a service to hide their identity
Alert ResultThis website is 101 Days old


----------



## karlegas

Raoul99 said:


> FYI: Newegg has a 10% (save up to $20 on up to $200)coupon code ( NAFSAVETENDEC6W ) good for today only.
> 
> I just got a great deal on a WD30EURS...pretty good on an extra 10% off:
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=22-136-926
> 
> Hope this helps some of you guys...


I made the same, but I forget share I was on other site the code and get the a different more update version drive 
WD AV-GP WD30EURX 3TB IntelliPower 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive.

Also ABT.com shipped today my Roamio Plus maybe you can ask for the $339.99 price for the Roamio Plus


----------



## the block

Got my roamio plus and mini today. Been on hold now with twc's cable card support now for 45 minutes waiting for them to pick up. Wish you could activate cable cards online. This is getting frustrating.


----------



## jterwelp

Has anyone purchased a Roamio from Best Buy after Monday of this week and received a $50 gift card? I know it was stated earlier in the thread that this deal ended on Monday, 12/2, but it is still listed on the Best Buy web site (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/tivo-ro...?id=pcmprd213900050004&skuId=9999215000050004) with no expiration date that I can find.


----------



## MarkSFCA

When you click on View Full Features it says this:

Special package savings of $50 (discounted from individual-item total: reg. price $199.99 DVR + $50 gift card = $249.99 - $50 gift card instant savings = $199.99 final price)

It's confusing to say the least. Amazon has the Roamio for 149 again:

TiVo Roamio HD Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player (TCD846500)
http://amzn.com/B00EEOSZK0


----------



## aaronwt

lessd said:


> I don't understand how Best Buy would not know about this problem if it is a problem, when I order something to be shipped to an address that does not match my credit card I have to provide much more information unless I am an old customer of the co. like say Amazon, if I was the first order from Sophiamart OK, but who would Best Buy come after, somebody tried to scam one of my CC once and I got a call that day to see if the transaction was legit, I would think Best Buy would do the same.


BestBuy is crazy sometimes. WHo knows why they do some things. I purchased a Dell PC from them on Thanksgiving for $400($200 off the normal price). I get free expedited shipping from Best Buy for Reward Zone Elite. So the PC was shipped by two day air. But the package was required to be delivered to my home address. BestBuy had restricted the package from being held at the local UPS Depot. After three delivery attempts it would have been sent back and the order canceled. And that is just crazy since to pick up an item you need to show ID. So I have no idea why BestBuy does some of the things they do.

But the combination of BestBuy restricting the package and the temp UPS drivers being incompetent, I almost didn't get it. The two UPS people couldn't even read a map. And then once I flagged them down in front of the street sign they passed multiple times looking for my street, they didn't even know there was another package from BEstBuy to deliver to me. That also would have been sent back if not delivered on that third attempt. I spent literally hours on the phone with BestBuy and UPS trying to get these two packages. What a PITA.


----------



## steve614

Huzordaddy said:


> I received an email from Tivo this morning again offering the $50 discount and lifetime subscription for Roamios. I won't post the discount code here because I believe it is a on-time use coupon.


It wouldn't matter. I received the e-mail also. If you look closely, you'll see that the offer is tied to the TSN of an older Tivo on your account. No one else would be able to use that promo code.

It's the same upgrade offer that was emailed out before, just under a different heading.



gostan said:


> Not much of a deal.


Yeah, not really worth it. MSD is included with the price so you're really only getting $25, $50, or $100 off depending which model you choose.


----------



## laria

steve614 said:


> Yeah, not really worth it. MSD is included with the price so you're really only getting $25, $50, or $100 off depending which model you choose.


I don't know of a better deal on the Pro, though.


----------



## lessd

aaronwt said:


> BestBuy is crazy sometimes. WHo knows why they do some things. I purchased a Dell PC from them on Thanksgiving for $400($200 off the normal price). I get free expedited shipping from Best Buy for Reward Zone Elite. So the PC was shipped by two day air. But the package was required to be delivered to my home address. BestBuy had restricted the package from being held at the local UPS Depot. After three delivery attempts it would have been sent back and the order canceled. And that is just crazy since to pick up an item you need to show ID. So I have no idea why BestBuy does some of the things they do.
> 
> But the combination of BestBuy restricting the package and the temp UPS drivers being incompetent, I almost didn't get it. The two UPS people couldn't even read a map. And then once I flagged them down in front of the street sign they passed multiple times looking for my street, they didn't even know there was another package from BEstBuy to deliver to me. That also would have been sent back if not delivered on that third attempt. I spent literally hours on the phone with BestBuy and UPS trying to get these two packages. What a PITA.


I not sure what that has to do with my post, what you call crazy is more protection for Best Buy and a PIA for you, so why would Best Buy fall for a simple CC scam on a drop shipment that, buy the way, did not need anybody home to deliver.


----------



## CloudAtlas

Huzordaddy said:


> I received an email from Tivo this morning again offering the $50 discount and lifetime subscription for Roamios. I won't post the discount code here because I believe it is a on-time use coupon.
> 
> Subject: TiVo Roamio, the Ultimate Family Present! Special Upgrade Pricing.
> 
> Tivo Roamio: $574.99
> Tivo Roamio Plus: $749.99
> Tivo Roamio Pro: $899.99
> 
> Or call (877) 289-8486 Promo code required at final checkout: XXXXXXXXX
> Discount pricing will be reflected at final purchase


So breaking out the multiple-discount Lifetime price of $400 (reg $499) gives:


 Tivo Roamio : $174.99 
 Tivo Roamio Plus: $349.99 
 Tivo Roamio Pro : $499.99

Free shipping and buying directly from TiVo makes it hassle free on the discount Lifetime. Now I just need TiVo to send me the promo email and Christmas present shopping for my parents is done!


----------



## joy_division

CloudAtlas said:


> So breaking out the multiple-discount Lifetime price of $400 (reg $499) gives:
> 
> 
> Tivo Roamio : $174.99
> Tivo Roamio Plus: $349.99
> Tivo Roamio Pro : $499.99
> 
> Free shipping and buying directly from TiVo makes it hassle free on the discount Lifetime.


But Tivo charges tax. ABT doesn't, right? So right there, about $40 savings on the Pro.
Or does Tivo give you a hard time if you bought the box elsewhere to get the Multi Service Discount?


----------



## the block

joy_division said:


> But Tivo charges tax. ABT doesn't, right? So right there, about $40 savings on the Pro.
> Or does Tivo give you a hard time if you bought the box elsewhere to get the Multi Service Discount?


Abt only charges tax to Illinois residents as far as I know. They didn't charge me tax and I live in New York. I don't know about calling TiVo and dealing directly with their reps, but I had no trouble activating my bought-from-reseller plus and mini through their site and getting my multi service discount. They do however charge tax for the see service, but that was to be expected and no way around that.


----------



## laria

joy_division said:


> But Tivo charges tax. ABT doesn't, right? So right there, about $40 savings on the Pro.


We don't have tax in my state, so ordering from Tivo is no different for me than ordering anywhere else. It seems like I am just going to use the coupon from Tivo for the $100 off the Pro... I was waiting for a while to see if there would be any better deals, but there don't seem to be any.


----------



## pshivers

MarkSFCA said:


> When you click on View Full Features it says this:
> 
> Special package savings of $50 (discounted from individual-item total: reg. price $199.99 DVR + $50 gift card = $249.99 - $50 gift card instant savings = $199.99 final price)
> 
> It's confusing to say the least. *Amazon has the Roamio for 149 again:*
> 
> TiVo Roamio HD Digital Video Recorder and Streaming Media Player (TCD846500)
> http://amzn.com/B00EEOSZK0


I put a Roamio on my Amazon "Wishlist" about a week ago, Amazon emailed me a couple days ago to let me know the price had been reduced to $149 from $199. Ordered and it is being delivered today (Sunday) by USPS along with my 3rd and final Tivo Mini.

My house will finally be fully Tivoized!


----------



## clorox

Just chatted with ABT and they gave me the $339 immediately on the Plus, no hassle at all. I just said my friend got it for $339 can you give me the same and they said they would be happy to honor that price.

I had synced my Amex to the deal and got an email from AMEX less than 1 minute after they charged my card saying "Thank you for using your synced card!"

So in the end it was $319, cheaper than Sophiamart with free shipping, no tax. Saved me $62 vs. TiVo's offer for me to upgrade at $749.99.


----------



## alyssa

$339 (price from abt) + $399 (LT multi service discount) = $738 minus $350/375 (price i can get for my 317 hr hd premiere w/lt on ebay) = $388/363 (depending on what i can get for the premiere on ebay) I gotta get this to below $300 before i can bite. 

I'm holding out for a $250 (ish) pro. My wait may be long.


----------



## Carlos_E

Is there anyone who offers a trade in for the a Tivo HD or Tivo Premiere XL?


----------



## jwbelcher

jterwelp said:


> Has anyone purchased a Roamio from Best Buy after Monday of this week and received a $50 gift card? I know it was stated earlier in the thread that this deal ended on Monday, 12/2, but it is still listed on the Best Buy web site (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/tivo-ro...?id=pcmprd213900050004&skuId=9999215000050004) with no expiration date that I can find.


Just did this today, w/ PM amazon, still going strong.


----------



## nooneuknow

jterwelp said:


> Has anyone purchased a Roamio from Best Buy after Monday of this week and received a $50 gift card? I know it was stated earlier in the thread that this deal ended on Monday, 12/2, but it is still listed on the Best Buy web site (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/tivo-ro...?id=pcmprd213900050004&skuId=9999215000050004) with no expiration date that I can find.


I tested the link you posted, and the Best Buy website came up stating: "WE'RE SORRY - We couldn't find what you are looking for", which is exactly what I've been getting on every try since 12/2.

Regional differences, perhaps? Are you posting a link while logged-in, or logged out, of Best Buy's website? Have you tried both, to see if the link you'd paste here changes?

I don't need the deal, anymore. I'm just tying to be helpful.

I'm also curious why I see at least one other person posting it works, with a quote of the same post I just quoted.


----------



## jwbelcher

Interesting, it was on their website earlier today. I even got the deal in-store. Its pretty unusual for deals to end on Sunday, but maybe it did. Guess I got lucky.

Google cache of deal :
http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...04+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a


----------



## delgadobb

FWIW, I just purchased a base Roamio tonight in Las Vegas at Best Buy's 'private shopping' event. I tried (unsuccessfully) to price match Amazon's $149.99 price last week at the Best Buy @ Decatur & 215 (Las Vegas) but the store manager there got super anal about 'double dipping'. Since Decatur & 215 was not doing the 'private shopping' event tonight, my buddy & I went to the Lake Mead & Rainbow store instead. The event was getting most of the attention but the store wasn't THAT busy; an added bonus was that most people didn't sign up for their drawing(s) since you had to register online (smartphone) while at the store, so we both won $25 gift cards. 

Since they were more focused on the event tonight, I just grabbed a Roamio, went up front with the Amazon price printout, the guy did the checkout then called manager over for the pricematch override, manager was busy so he hurried over & entered his user info & approved. In addition, I had an e-mail $10 credit sent from Best Buy (CEO) to be used by December 24th. It took a little time, but all worked out well. 

My total: 

Subtotal: $149.99 
Sales Tax: $ 12.15 
Total: $162.14 
less ($10.00) Best Buy CEO $10 offer 
less ($25.00) gift card won in drawing 
less ($50.00) gift card included - yet to be used 
Net cost $ 77.14 

Plus, tonight they were offering 2x reward points, whatever that happens to get me ... despite my reservations about Roamio after the recent outage, I couldn't pass this one up ... hope it helps someone out there still wanting to try the Best Buy deal ...


----------



## jterwelp

jterwelp said:


> Has anyone purchased a Roamio from Best Buy after Monday of this week and received a $50 gift card? I know it was stated earlier in the thread that this deal ended on Monday, 12/2, but it is still listed on the Best Buy web site (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/tivo-ro...?id=pcmprd213900050004&skuId=9999215000050004) with no expiration date that I can find.


The link I posted a few days ago is no longer active. I just found another link for the same deal: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/promo/tivo-roamio-offer-115640

I saw two reports of members getting gift cards yesterday (Sunday, 12/8) so there may still be hope for this deal. I will try it tonight if I can get out of work before Best Buy closes.


----------



## nooneuknow

delgadobb said:


> FWIW, I just purchased a base Roamio tonight in Las Vegas at Best Buy's 'private shopping' event. I tried (unsuccessfully) to price match Amazon's $149.99 price last week at the Best Buy @ Decatur & 215 (Las Vegas) but the store manager there got super anal about 'double dipping'. Since Decatur & 215 was not doing the 'private shopping' event tonight, my buddy & I went to the Lake Mead & Rainbow store instead. The event was getting most of the attention but the store wasn't THAT busy; an added bonus was that most people didn't sign up for their drawing(s) since you had to register online (smartphone) while at the store, so we both won $25 gift cards.
> 
> Since they were more focused on the event tonight, I just grabbed a Roamio, went up front with the Amazon price printout, the guy did the checkout then called manager over for the pricematch override, manager was busy so he hurried over & entered his user info & approved. In addition, I had an e-mail $10 credit sent from Best Buy (CEO) to be used by December 24th. It took a little time, but all worked out well.


You could have asked me... That first store is closest to me, but the "General Manager" IS ANAL, to the point of convincing other shoppers to just walk out of the store, when I was there the second try at that store, and he started yelling unprovoked accusations that by trying the same thing on a different day was attempted theft and I had tried to rip him off just the other day, and cost him money, and get out of the store and don't come back....

Everybody around me looked at this guy who looks like a jerk, talks like a jerk, and makes slanderous/libelous accusations loudly, for all to hear, and pretty much everybody around me (people who were not with me), just walked right out. Then the guy starts yelling for me to come back and put the TiVo back where I found it, before I exit the store he has just kicked me out of....

After a little conversation with some of the walk-outs, they all said they wanted nothing to do with that BB store, and would go elsewhere.

I saw what looked like all of that crowd at the second closest BB store, the same one as your second stop.

I wound up with a total of 3 base Roamios, each costing $112 and change. I used the Gift Card to buy 2 ChromeCasts, just to get rid of the card. All were bought at the second store you mentioned. It didn't take a General Manager to key in the price match override, on any of the three visits, and Roamio purchases, there.

So, Decatur & 215 Best Buy gets no business from me any more. If I do ever set foot in the store, I'll use the store to return anything I have to from any other Best Buy Store. This store also had nobody coming up and asking if they could help. It was like a "Blue Shirt" shortage there, and the store was not any more busy than any other time I've been there.

That makes Lake Mead & Rainbow Best Buy, my new first stop for anything I buy from/through Best Buy in the future. Great people work there. You can't even change which department you walk through without a Blue Shirt asking if they can help (and do actually help, if you need any).

Not much good data in this latter part, since I'm speaking of local stores, and we are both local. BTW, I just emailed you, to finish up the discussion I took a brief pause from. Good to hear you got a great deal! (since I emailed first, and read this second). Time to update my sig and my posts over here, in the buyer/seller area:

*TCF-only listing for Premieres: * http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=511998
*TCF-only listing for HDs: *http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=511999


----------



## chicagobrownblue

nooneuknow said:


> Everybody around me looked at this guy who looks like a jerk, talks like a jerk, and makes slanderous/libelous accusations loudly, for all to hear, and pretty much everybody around me (people who were not with me), just walked right out. Then the guy starts yelling for me to come back and put the TiVo back where I found it, before I exit the store he has just kicked me out of....


I'd complain to Best Buy headquarters about this manager. They really want to know about stuff like this. Maybe they can escort you in for another visit and see first hand his lousy customer service.


----------



## aaronwt

I would be calling the corporate office if I got treated like that in any store I went to. They need to fire that manager ASAP.


----------



## nooneuknow

aaronwt said:


> I would be calling the corporate office if I got treated like that in any store I went to. They need to fire that manager ASAP.


I'd guess his store was already underperforming, and he doesn't posess the skills to turn it around, in the right ways. How often does a General Manager hover over every transaction that isn't a standard sale, and single-out people as stealing, or attempting theft, by asking for a price-match, knowing a gift card gets issued if the price-match is granted?

I'm fine with a store not doing it. But, being treated like I tried to steal money from his own pocket, smack in the middle of everybody else making transactions around me, had an instant-karma effect. It's a pretty small store, or it sure feels small in the layout it is in. Seeing the effect of his actions and behavior just made me figure the crystal ball sees a change in management coming.

I actually thought of the rest of you, and that me complaining to corporate just might force corporate to make sure none of the stores let the double-dip work. Who would want to be "that guy"? I sure didn't, despite what some may think of me.


----------



## jterwelp

jterwelp said:


> The link I posted a few days ago is no longer active. I just found another link for the same deal: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/promo/tivo-roamio-offer-115640
> 
> I saw two reports of members getting gift cards yesterday (Sunday, 12/8) so there may still be hope for this deal. I will try it tonight if I can get out of work before Best Buy closes.


I just got back from Best Buy and I am happy to report that the price match + $50 gift card deal is still available!

I don't know if this was the case with the gift card deal earlier in the month, but the current deal applies to all 3 Roamio models, not just the base model (see link quoted above). For the purpose of price matching, refer to Best Buy's list of Designated Major Online Retailers.

The Roamio $50 gift card is published in Best Buy's weekly ad so I expect it will be included with all Roamio purchases through December 14th, although I make no guarantees.


----------



## ThAbtO

jterwelp said:


> Best Buy's list of Designated Major Online Retailers.


http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=9914259#post9914259

Already quoted that in this thread.


----------



## GerryinNV

I just saw the Roamio Plus for $319.98 at http://www.electronicmegasale.com. Anyone know if this is a legit vendor? They only let you use paypal bank account payment to get that price.


----------



## midson

GerryinNV said:


> I just saw the Roamio Plus for $319.98 at http://www.electronicmegasale.com. Anyone know if this is a legit vendor? They only let you use paypal bank account payment to get that price.


Here we go again! This looks like the exact format of the sophiamart.com website that is now shut down. Just stay away. It's not worth saving $30 for the hassle that it will likely cause you. Go to Costco and get it for $349.


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## Time_Lord

A friend of mine just got an email from time offering him an upgrade from his old HD with Lifetime to a Roamio - basic $175, Plus - $350, Pro - $500, each option had the note "DVR + transfer current monthly or Annual service plan"

as I read it they will transfer the existing plan to the new unit.

-TL


----------



## lessd

midson said:


> Here we go again! This looks like the exact format of the sophiamart.com website that is now shut down. Just stay away. It's not worth saving $30 for the hassle that it will likely cause you. Go to Costco and get it for $349.


I just checked and it is sophiamart.com with a different name, I can tell as both sights have the weight of the Roamio at 1lb and the font is the same, order quick (say a prayer) and you just may get an even better deal than I get from sophiamart.com by $10 for the Roamio +.
*OK* I just called Best Buy and asked how much money I could exchange my TiVo order for if I wanted, I gave out only the order number and CSR said $399.98 + CT tax was paid for that order and I could exchanged it for that price. WOW so sophiamart.com paid $399.98 + 25.40 tax for a total of $425.38 !! So sophiamart.com only had a loss on my order of $104.39, not bad if you can make it up in volume


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## CrispyCritter

lessd said:


> I just checked and it is sophiamart.com with a different name, I can tell as both sights have the weight of the Roamio at 1lb and the font is the same, order quick (say a prayer) and you just may get an even better deal than I get from sophiamart.com by $10 for the Roamio +.
> *OK* I just called Best Buy and asked how much money I could exchange my TiVo order for if I wanted, I gave out only the order number and CSR said $399.98 + CT tax was paid for that order and I could exchanged it for that price. WOW so sophiamart.com paid $399.98 + 25.40 tax for a total of $425.38 !! So sophiamart.com only had a loss on my order of $104.39, not bad if you can make it up in volume


But if Sophiamart.com is paying BestBuy via a stolen credit card number (as is possible), then that volume means profit will mount up quickly (as you may be pointing out)!

Too much danger for me of ending up with merchandise that will eventually be deemed as being stolen.


----------



## lessd

CrispyCritter said:


> But if Sophiamart.com is paying BestBuy via a stolen credit card number (as is possible), then that volume means profit will mount up quickly!
> 
> Too much danger for me of ending up with merchandise that will eventually be deemed as being stolen.


How does Best Buy get taken by this scam if a stolen credit is being used, they are a big co. they must have a ton of scams tried on them by now and know how to deal with them. After my order with Sophiamart.com was delivered they asked me to rate their service (is was great for me) but I would not answer that E-Mail, so maybe they get some good ratings than take a bunch of orders and go away, with your money.


----------



## CrispyCritter

lessd said:


> How does Best Buy get taken by this scam if a stolen credit is being used, they are a big co. they must have a ton of scams tried on them by now and know how to deal with them. After my order with Sophiamart.com was delivered they asked me to rate their service (is was great for me) but I would not answer that E-Mail, so maybe they get some good ratings than take a bunch of orders and go away, with your money.


I have no idea what sophiamart.com does or doesn't do, but how would Best Buy protect against a scam where a company with 1,000 stolen credit card numbers invented 1,000 electronic logins to BestBuy.com, and shipped 1,000 TiVos directly to 1,000 third party addresses (eg including lessd's)? All transactions would appear to Best Buy as being completely separate. But the result would be the third parties basically getting TiVos that had been electronically shoplifted.


----------



## HazelW

A little off topic but weighs in on the discussion. I bought a $200 item from an amazon marketplace vendor for $175. (Everyone sells this item for $200) The Amazon online invoice gives the price, a small shipping charge and no sales tax. That is what I was charged by Amazon. It arrived today and has an invoice form a totally different company for $200, plus shipping plus sales tax. The Amazon company is in CA, the shipping company is in NJ.

Same thing happened last week from buy.com. Item arrives with an invoice for the list price from a different company.

I'm not complaining, just don't understand it.


----------



## soobaerodude

midson said:


> Here we go again! This looks like the exact format of the sophiamart.com website that is now shut down. Just stay away. It's not worth saving $30 for the hassle that it will likely cause you. Go to Costco and get it for $349.


Or $339 and no tax for most from ABT.

Heh, the new site still lists the phony contact info in the About Us section

They set up the domain the same day our favorite sophia mart closed shop.
WhoIs Info:
Domain Name: ELECTRONICMEGASALE.COM
Creation Date: *2013-12-06* 23:29:00Z


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## Ky_Shag

I got my roamio today from sofiamart no problems 144.99
Ordered it on 4th of dec it came from bestbuy
Activated it on TiVo.com in like 30 minutes lifetime
I got a bestbuy invoice with it wonder if I can get a gift card?


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## BlackBetty

Anyone think we see a price reduction or some good sales after January? I would love to see $250 for the plus.


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## IceBlue

Like the others, I ordered my Roamio plus from ABT for $339 today, plus another $20 off via the AMEX sync promo. Easy as pie, a 5 minute phone call got it on the way. Forget the shady vendors and order from a legit store like ABT. 

Then went to Amazon and ordered a TiVo mini for $86, plus another $25 off via the sync promo. 
I'm upgrading from a TiVoHD and a Premiere. Let the fun begin!


----------



## palover

BlackBetty said:


> Anyone think we see a price reduction or some good sales after January? I would love to see $250 for the plus.


Who wouldn't want to see a $250 price, but have you ever seen them offer a 38% discount? I'd be more than shocked at such a price from any seller.


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## lessd

palover said:


> Who wouldn't want to see a $250 price, but have you ever seen them offer a 38% discount? I'd be more than shocked at such a price from any seller.


Used on E-Bay ?? from somebody that did not like their gift of a Roamio +


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## the block

BlackBetty said:


> Anyone think we see a price reduction or some good sales after January? I would love to see $250 for the plus.


 You're not going to see that kind of discount until the Roamio's replacement is out and they're trying to clear out Roamios. TiVo is definitely not the greatest company when it comes to offering deals, probably because things are always so tight there.


----------



## elkyss

Am I reading that Best Buy will pricematch PLUS the $50 gift card?

I would think they would price match Costco's $349 for the Plus


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## JAaronT

Has anyone been successful in getting a price match to the Tivo deal (unlikely, I know).


----------



## nooneuknow

Best Buy is a wildcard. When it would seem it should work, some stores will turn you away, some will say price-match, but no gift card, or no price-match, because you get a gift card, and the gift card is the same as a price-match.

Going back after a purchase, and trying to get either one (on that purchase), alone, is unlikely, unless you just return your purchase, then buy another one and try (with no guarantee of success).

Since that subject is over 50% of what has been talked about on this thread, I would suggest doing some reading, of what has already been posted on the subject.

The subject of getting any store to match TiVos promos has also been discussed at great length, and is a wildcard.


----------



## palover

lessd said:


> Used on E-Bay ?? from somebody that did not like their gift of a Roamio +


It would have to be used IMO. Even then, the seller could easily get more than $250 if he/she were paying attention to the prices.

I got my $320 Roamio Plus today from Sophiamart, but it looks like they've stopped selling.


----------



## lessd

palover said:


> It would have to be used IMO. Even then, the seller could easily get more than $250 if he/she were paying attention to the prices.
> 
> I got my $320 Roamio Plus today from Sophiamart, but it looks like they've stopped selling.


Well I guess you can get the Roamio + from http://www.electronicmegasale.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/ for $319.99 no tax or shipping cost, pay by PayPal without using a CC on PayPal, looks like the same sight I got my Roamio from, just using a different name.


----------



## Xabanero

So I just became a member of Tivo and have been reading these forums for a while before purchasing a Roamio+ from ABT. I just used the PLSR code on the tivo site, after almost overlooking the "Have Promo Code?" link at the top of the page...kinda strange place/look for it...like they're trying to hide it.

Anyway, I noticed there was a ** on the Promo code. Anyone notice this before or know what it means? Sounds like when the expiration date hits you begin monthly payments/new lifetime service...which may be why they take $100 off???

_"Promo Code**: PLSR

** Promotion period ends Dec 31, 2018. After your promotiom ends, you will begin being billed the standard unit fee for this payment plan."
_


----------



## nooneuknow

Xabanero said:


> So I just became a member of Tivo and have been reading these forums for a while before purchasing a Roamio+ from ABT. I just used the PLSR code on the tivo site, after almost overlooking the "Have Promo Code?" link at the top of the page...kinda strange place/look for it...like they're trying to hide it.
> 
> Anyway, I noticed there was a ** on the Promo code. Anyone notice this before or know what it means? Sounds like when the expiration date hits you begin monthly payments/new lifetime service...which may be why they take $100 off???
> 
> _"Promo Code**: PLSR
> 
> ** Promotion period ends Dec 31, 2018. After your promotiom ends, you will begin being billed the standard unit fee for this payment plan."
> _


I rarely say this: I have no idea what to even say. 

I qualified for MSD discounted lifetime, when I activated three Roamios, and then sold my qualifying full-price boxes, figuring (based on what I read on here), that I could always hope that code would remain active if I no longer qualify for MSD on a future purchase.

I don't like the way that appears to work, but will let others comment to get some perspective, first.


----------



## steve614

That doesn't make any sense, as I've never read of anyone being up-charged after making a Lifetime purchase.

I suppose it could be referring to people who use the code to get a discount on the monthly subscription price? It would make sense, but then that's counter to what PLSR stands for (Product Lifetime Service Rebate).


----------



## aaronwt

I never noticed this before on my PLSR purchases. I've made at least six of them over the years. If true then this would really suck.

But didn't TiVo mention something earlier this year about possibly doing something with boxes that were on lifetime past a certain age to get more money and a new subscription again? So they could be counted as subscribers again?


----------



## nooneuknow

aaronwt said:


> I never noticed this before on my PLSR purchases. I've made at least six of them over the years. If true then this would really suck.
> 
> But didn't TiVo mention something earlier this year about possibly doing something with boxes that were on lifetime past a certain age to get more money and a new subscription again? So they could be counted as subscribers again?


Let's hope that IF this is the case, the boxes will be easy to identify.

I remember there being lifetime w/expiration date scenarios, and TiVo was telling people that it was on units that never should have been on the market.

They could only be identified by TiVo. So, we know it's possible for a unit to say lifetime one day, and not the next. I just hoped it was in the past, to stay.

The major issue is going to be this: How does a buyer of a used TiVo know they are getting true product lifetime, or special service lifetime w/expiration date?

Unless TiVo makes the units easily identifiable, the resale value of "lifetime" TiVo's is going to take a MAJOR hit.

This is all speculative, except that it's already been established that TiVo can do the "worst case scenario". It makes sense for their retail market, that I hear they lose money on, consistently. The fact that TiVo can only count subs for a limited time, when the financial reports come in, also points towards it making sense to expire-out a limited "lifetime" sub, then get a new sub that they can count again. I don't like it. I'm just processing the facts, and laying out what I know. Like I said, unless easily identifiable, such units being out there, will hurt the value of the ones we are most familiar with. If they are going this route, they need to make sure it doesn't hurt the ones who pay full-price, and/or used their earned MSD pricing and paid the MSD amount.

I am a bit repetitive, in this post, but I am for a reason.


----------



## lessd

CrispyCritter said:


> But if Sophiamart.com is paying BestBuy via a stolen credit card number (as is possible), then that volume means profit will mount up quickly (as you may be pointing out)!
> 
> Too much danger for me of ending up with merchandise that will eventually be deemed as being stolen.


Another member (we were PMing) did order from sophiamart.com because of me, the Web sight went down before he got any tracking so he though he was screwed, he went to PayPal and put in a claim, and before PayPal got back to him his Roamio + was delivered, so the PayPal claim was canceled.
We both think this new site is the same http://www.electronicmegasale.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/ but who knows, if I needed another Roamio I would try again with the new sight.


----------



## ADG

site


----------



## lessd

ADG said:


> site


 The sight has the link in my post 673


----------



## steve614

lessd said:


> The sight has the link in my post 673


​


----------



## lpwcomp

lessd said:


> The sight has the link in my post 673


I'm pretty sure he sighted your cite of the site. He was correcting your spelling.


----------



## CrispyCritter

lessd said:


> Another member (we were PMing) did order from sophiamart.com because of me, the Web sight went down before he got any tracking so he though he was screwed, he went to PayPal and put in a claim, and before PayPal got back to him his Roamio + was delivered, so the PayPal claim was canceled.
> We both think this new sight is the same http://www.electronicmegasale.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/ but who knows, if I needed another Roamio I would try again with the new sight.


The issue is not whether you will get your Roamio from the site, because you will (and if not, you're protected), the issue is whether in two months Best Buy will realize it got paid with a stolen credit card and categorize your TiVo as stolen merchandise.


----------



## ltxi

678 posts of agonizing over how to save a few dollars on a product with a nominal four to five year, or more, life cycle. Who the **** cares?

Buy from a reputable dealer or TiVo direct....where it can be returned without hassle if it dies within the usual electronics infant mortality window. 

Buying from "It Fell Off The Back Of The Truck.com" is a loser's false paradise.


----------



## lessd

CrispyCritter said:


> The issue is not whether you will get your Roamio from the site, because you will (and if not, you're protected), the issue is whether in two months Best Buy will realize it got paid with a stolen credit card and categorize your TiVo as stolen merchandise.


And what would stolen merchandise mean to me, Best Buy is responsible to check on any CC fraud they get, not me, as I would have no idea, nor do you, that a CC was even used. If the price was 80% off list that would be one thing but many places are giving 20% off list now on stuff, so that not way out of line for a normal transaction.


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## CrispyCritter

lessd said:


> And what would stolen merchandise mean to me


Legally? You lose the TiVo, with no recompense from Best Buy. You would have to sue the "thief" to get any money back.

Now I agree that the chances that Best Buy would ever go after your TiVo are practically non-existent; it's not worth it to them either financially or customer relationship-wise. But if your TiVo malfunctions under warranty; I'd bet there's no way you could go through Best Buy to get the TiVo exchanged.

Personally, I prefer not to buy stolen merchandise.


----------



## mattack

headless chicken said:


> Never use ebates...by the time your cashback is posted, they usually lower the rate to 1% and will only honor the 1% rate. If you tell them it was higher when you ordered they will say, sorry but you are wrong. *Even* with a screenshot proving otherwise. This has happened to me twice.


Heh, I have $3.xy from them from back in the 1990s! I WAS going to get a Roamio through them just to up the price to whatever I could cash out (I should look again, maybe I can cash out to paypal below $5).. but today a deal through the ibotta app came out for $10 off $100 or more.. and it's supposedly available in a BB I'll be near.. So I'll get it in person instead.

(yeah, I'll play these games to do deals, even though I admit it's relatively small amounts of money.. Mostly I'm using up some small BB bonus rewards that supposedly expire.. I know 'real' gift cards can't expire if they're to a specific store, but these ones supposedly can.)


----------



## CloudAtlas

ltxi said:


> 678 posts of *agonizing over how to save a few dollars on a product with a nominal four to five year, or more, life cycle*. Who the **** cares?


:up:


----------



## lessd

CrispyCritter said:


> Legally? You lose the TiVo, with no recompense from Best Buy. You would have to sue the "thief" to get any money back.
> 
> Now I agree that the chances that Best Buy would ever go after your TiVo are practically non-existent; it's not worth it to them either financially or customer relationship-wise. But if your TiVo malfunctions under warranty; I'd bet there's no way you could go through Best Buy to get the TiVo exchanged.
> 
> Personally, I prefer not to buy stolen merchandise.


Just because I purchased a Roamio for a few $ less does make the unit stolen, under the law Best Buy could not come back to me as I purchased from a web site that used PayPal as payment, it is not up to me to vet any or all web sites I use, PayPal on the other hand should (or may have) been doing this.


----------



## 1283

ltxi said:


> 678 posts of agonizing over how to save a few dollars on a product with a nominal four to five year, or more, life cycle. Who the **** cares?


Why are you reading this thread?


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## nooneuknow

c3 said:


> Why are you reading this thread?


+1 :up: My thoughts, exactly! Posts like that should be reported and removed, IMHO. (hint) (hint)


----------



## BlackBetty

nooneuknow said:


> +1 :up: My thoughts, exactly! Posts like that should be reported and removed, IMHO. (hint) (hint)


+1. Gotta love the folks that get off on thread dumping.


----------



## alyssa

the block said:


> You're not going to see that kind of discount [Plus @ $250] until the Roamio's replacement is out and they're trying to clear out Roamios. TiVo is definitely not the greatest company when it comes to offering deals, probably because things are always so tight there.


Not necessarily, discounted Tivo's have been found within a year of new models being introduced. It really depends on a store offering a discount. 6-9 months after the S3 was introduced Dell offered a major discount. I think within the same time frame a store offered a major discount on the Premiere.

It really is matter of keeping a look out for a deal & accepting that it will take a while. Will it be close to $250, maybe not but i've decided what i am willing to pay for the upgrade. 
Of course, if my current systems fail all bets are off.


----------



## tturner23

Does anyone have any info on SellMoreTivo.com? Someone posted a promo code from this website on reddit a couple days ago so I Googled them and their website says they are offering the following discounts on hardware and service plans:

Roamio Plus: $299.99 + $9.99/month service
Roamio Pro for $399.99 + $9.99/month service
Mini's for $49.99 + $5.99/month service.

The prices (especially the discounted service) make me think this is a scam but I haven't seen this website mentioned in this thread and was wondering if anyone knows anything about them.


----------



## HazelW

Terms and conditions for the SellMoreTiVo Boxes Offer (the "Offer"):

Only available for a limited time, while supplies last to retail employees who have completed a TiVo® eLearning module. TiVo® reserves the right to terminate this promotion at any time, for any reason, including the Promotional Subscription pricing any time in the future.
Only certain current employees identified by TiVo of the retailers for which this promotion was designated (the "Retailers") are eligible for this promotion. User must pass employment verification by TiVo, and must receive an award code from TiVo to be eligible. Furthermore, you must remain an eligible employee of Retailer to continue to receive Promotional Subscription pricing as part of this Offer. This Offer is non-transferable.
Offer is for: One (1) TiVo Roamio DVR for $149.99 + $9.99 monthly service or $499.99 (includes one-time service payment option), (1) TiVo Roamio Plus DVR for $299.99 + $9.99 monthly service or $599.99 (includes one-time service payment option), (1) TiVo Roamio Pro DVR for $399.99 + $9.99 monthly service or $699.99 (includes one-time service payment option), (1) TiVo Mini for $49.99 + $5.99 monthly service or $174.00 (includes one-time service payment option), (1) TiVo Stream for $97.50, subject to the terms of this offer and any taxes, if applicable.
In the event that you are no longer an eligible employee of Retailer, or TiVo otherwise discontinues this Offer and/or the Promotional Subscription pricing, your existing subscription to the TiVo service received as part of this offer shall revert to the then current one (1) year monthly TiVo subscription price.
Connection to TiVo service required via a broadband internet connection and wired or wireless home network (Ethernet cable or compatible wireless network adapter required, sold separately).
Not eligible for Multi-Service Discount. Cannot be combined with any other offer, including TiVo rebates.
TiVo DVRs come pre-activated and your subscription begins immediately.
Money Back Guarantee applies only to initial activation if canceled within 30 days and DVR is returned for a full refund.
No early termination fee applies to subscriptions received as part of this Offer.
Terms and conditions of the TiVo Service Agreement, available at www.tivo.com/policies.

Promotional offer is for One (1) TiVo Roamio DVR, (1) TiVo Roamio Plus DVR, (1) TiVo Roamio Pro DVR, (1) TiVo Mini (available with purchase of a TiVo Roamio DVR), (1) TiVo Stream per eligible user.


----------



## marklyn

tturner23 said:


> Does anyone have any info on SellMoreTivo.com? Someone posted a promo code from this website on reddit a couple days ago so I Googled them and their website says they are offering the following discounts on hardware and service plans:
> 
> Roamio Plus: $299.99 + $9.99/month service
> Roamio Pro for $399.99 + $9.99/month service
> Mini's for $49.99 + $5.99/month service.
> 
> The prices (especially the discounted service) make me think this is a scam but I haven't seen this website mentioned in this thread and was wondering if anyone knows anything about them.


This is only applicable to people who work in some form of retail that sell Tivo's and the service plans are valid until such time you no longer work for said retail company. Doesn't apply to regular consumers.


----------



## tturner23

marklyn said:


> This is only applicable to people who work in some form of retail that sell Tivo's and the service plans are valid until such time you no longer work for said retail company. Doesn't apply to regular consumers.


Interesting... So hypothetically, if I had a friend who worked for something like Best Buy, he could take the survey or whatever and give me the code?


----------



## marklyn

tturner23 said:


> Interesting... So hypothetically, if I had a friend who worked for something like Best Buy, he could take the survey or whatever and give me the code?


I suppose so but if you friend tires of BB and leaves, then one day (not sure how), your lifetime sub may disappear. Plus I think it'd be a hassle since you'd probably have to sign up under his/her name since the code is tied to how he/she registered to get it. I'd think this would be too much of a hassle and risk.


----------



## tturner23

marklyn said:


> I suppose so but if you friend tires of BB and leaves, then one day (not sure how), your lifetime sub may disappear. Plus I think it'd be a hassle since you'd probably have to sign up under his/her name since the code is tied to how he/she registered to get it. I'd think this would be too much of a hassle and risk.


I'll jump through some serious hoops to save a couple hundred bucks. Thanks for the info.


----------



## palover

tturner23 said:


> I'll jump through some serious hoops to save a couple hundred bucks. Thanks for the info.


If the subscription were to end with the person's employment (BB is not usually career employment), it would be a hoop not worth jumping through.


----------



## CrispyCritter

lessd said:


> Just because I purchased a Roamio for a few $ less does make the unit stolen, under the law Best Buy could not come back to me as I purchased from a web site that used PayPal as payment, it is not up to me to vet any or all web sites I use, PayPal on the other hand should (or may have) been doing this.


I agree that we don't know that the unit is stolen. In the scenario I posted (a company laundering its stolen credit card numbers by getting paid for TiVos via Paypal from third parties), the merchandise is stolen. In all jurisdictions, stolen merchandise is returned to the user. In some jurisdictions, unknowing possession of stolen merchandise is a crime (eg Ohio).

Irrespective of whether you get your money back or not from Paypal, in the scenario I posted you would be receiving a stolen TiVo. I personally prefer not to buy stolen merchandise, even if it's cheap.


----------



## tturner23

palover said:


> If the subscription were to end with the person's employment (BB is not usually career employment), it would be a hoop not worth jumping through.


I am pretty sure once you buy lifetime (even at the reduced price) you would keep lifetime even after leaving the retailer. I assume (dangerous, I know) that the part about the rate reverting to the regular price would only apply to those that choose the monthly service from the get go. If I were to pay them a couple hundred of dollars for lifetime and then a month later, quit the retailer, it would be crazy for them to cancel the lifetime and switch it to monthly. What would they ask next... For me to pay them the difference between a full retain box and the discounted box? I don't think so.

But who knows with TiVo these days.


----------



## lessd

CrispyCritter said:


> I agree that we don't know that the unit is stolen. In the scenario I posted (a company laundering its stolen credit card numbers by getting paid for TiVos via Paypal from third parties), the merchandise is stolen. In all jurisdictions, stolen merchandise is returned to the user. In some jurisdictions, unknowing possession of stolen merchandise is a crime (eg Ohio).
> 
> Irrespective of whether you get your money back or not from Paypal, in the scenario I posted you would be receiving a stolen TiVo. I personally prefer not to buy stolen merchandise, even if it's cheap.


Your post talks like I know that the TiVo is stolen, and you but not I would prefer not to buy stolen merchandise, even if it's cheap, I don't want to purchase any stolen merchandise but if you purchase anything from E-Bay that item could be stolen also, it hard for me to think anybody would know if something purchased off the web is stolen or not, I don't know the law in OH but I am sure if you purchase something in a normal way (and using PayPal is a normal way) you can't be charged with having stolen merchandise, if you go into a mom and pop say bicycle store (in OH) and purchase a new bicycle that unknown to you was stolen, you could be charged with a crime in OH!!, that not a reasonable outcome from such a normal transaction, but I don't know how that law is applied in OH.


----------



## gonzotek

lessd said:


> Your post talks like I know that the TiVo is stolen, and you but not I would prefer not to buy stolen merchandise, even if it's cheap, I don't want to purchase any stolen merchandise but if you purchase anything from E-Bay that item could be stolen also, it hard for me to think anybody would know if something purchased off the web is stolen or not, I don't know the law in OH but I am sure if you purchase something in a normal way (and using PayPal is a normal way) you can't be charged with having stolen merchandise, if you go into a mom and pop say bicycle store (in OH) and purchase a new bicycle that unknown to you was stolen, you could be charged with a crime in OH!!, that not a reasonable outcome from such a normal transaction, but I don't know how that law is applied in OH.


Think this might be relevant:
http://www.jud.ct.gov/ji/criminal/part9/9.1-15.htm
You can draw your own conclusions as to what that means to your situation. I'm not judging or commenting on anyone's actions, motivations or legal liabilities.


----------



## lessd

gonzotek said:


> Think this might be relevant:
> http://www.jud.ct.gov/ji/criminal/part9/9.1-15.htm
> You can draw your own conclusions as to what that means to your situation. I'm not judging or commenting on anyone's actions, motivations or legal liabilities.


Good post, note the part that said (to the jury I guess)

*It would not be enough for you to conclude that the defendant exercised poor judgment when (he/she) acquired the property or that (he/she) was careless and should have suspected that the property was stolen. There must have been an actual belief in the defendant's mind that the property was, or probably was, stolen. 
*


----------



## clorox

I just don't understand why anyone would even bother ordering a Roamio Plus from Sophiamart.com or that other new site when you can get it for $1 cheaper from ABT as long as you don't live in IL, WI, IN, or MI (where they charge tax).

On a related note, I got my Roamio from Abt for $319 (after $20 Amex benefit) and my Mini from Amazon for $61 (after $25 Amex benefit), and I was able to sell 2 2-tuner, 45 hour Lifetime Premieres and a wireless N adapter on eBay for $600 AFTER all of the eBay/PayPal fees.

I think now is a decent time to be selling Premieres since who knows how long they'll last and they pull in a decent price right now (After 3 years I've been getting worried one would break down with a non hard drive issue and be either a costly replacement or worthless).

So I'm getting:
$600 in cash

Paying:
$380 for the devices
$400 lifetime on the Roamio
Lifetime on Mini pays for itself in less than 2.5 years because I don't have to paying $5/month on Fios for a second cable card.

Net cost is about $180 (a little more when I add taxes to the service cost and if I present value the savings on the one fewer cable card), but I'm also getting a new device that ought to be worth a few hundred bucks if I decide to sell it in a few years!


----------



## CrispyCritter

lessd said:


> Good post, note the part that said (to the jury I guess)
> 
> *It would not be enough for you to conclude that the defendant exercised poor judgment when (he/she) acquired the property or that (he/she) was careless and should have suspected that the property was stolen. There must have been an actual belief in the defendant's mind that the property was, or probably was, stolen.
> *


Yes, that is the law in Connecticut (your state); it's different in different jurisdictions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possession_of_stolen_goods


> All US states also have laws regarding receipt of stolen property; however, there usually is no minimum dollar amount in many jurisdictions, and, of course, the requirement in Federal law regarding interstate commerce does not apply. Also, in many states (Ohio, for example), the burden to prove criminal intent is not as stringent or is nonexistent.[5] This means that one can be charged with the crime - usually a minor degree of felony - even if the person did not know the item in question was stolen.


----------



## lessd

clorox said:


> I just don't understand why anyone would even bother ordering a Roamio Plus from Sophiamart.com or that other new site when you can get it for $1 cheaper from ABT as long as you don't live in IL, WI, IN, or MI (where they charge tax).
> 
> On a related note, I got my Roamio from Abt for $319 (after $20 Amex benefit) and my Mini from Amazon for $61 (after $25 Amex benefit), and I was able to sell 2 2-tuner, 45 hour Lifetime Premieres and a wireless N adapter on eBay for $600 AFTER all of the eBay/PayPal fees.


Not everybody can get the AX benefit


----------



## Mr.Broncosfan

Just bought a Plus from ABT for $339. In live chat, they said the sale was over, but they would still honor it. The lady called me and we completed the order. 

On a side note, I received an email promo from Tivo for the Plus w/lifetime for $749. I called Tivo to see if they would match ABT and then I would use the PLSR promo code for liftetime at $399. They wouldn't match ABT, but he said he would throw in the MoCA adapter for free. Doesn't it already come MoCA ready?


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## Dan203

The Plus has built in MoCa but unless you're on FIOS you'll need a MoCa adapter at the router too. (The FIOS router has MoCa built in)


----------



## Mr.Broncosfan

Dan203 said:


> The Plus has built in MoCa but unless you're on FIOS you'll need a MoCa adapter at the router too. (The FIOS router has MoCa built in)


Gotcha. I don't want to derail this thread, but I can just use the wifi to stream everthing and for updates to the program guide, correct? MoCA just makes it faster?


----------



## HarperVision

Dan203 said:


> The Plus has built in MoCa but unless you're on FIOS you'll need a MoCa adapter at the router too. (The FIOS router has MoCa built in)


Not if he has the plus near the router. Then he could just plug it into the router via Ethernet and use the plus to create the MoCA bridge.


----------



## HarperVision

Mr.Broncosfan said:


> Gotcha. I don't want to derail this thread, but I can just use the wifi to stream everthing and for updates to the program guide, correct? MoCA just makes it faster?


........and way more reliable , especially with streaming and downloading.


----------



## aaronwt

Mr.Broncosfan said:


> Gotcha. I don't want to derail this thread, but I can just use the wifi to stream everthing and for updates to the program guide, correct? MoCA just makes it faster?


If your WiFi network is setup properly then it will work great. From a user perspective with my Roamios and Minis I see zero difference between WiFi, MoCA and Ethernet. The only time I'll see a difference is with the transfer speeds to my TiVo Dekstop machine from my Roamio Pro since that will hit around 180Mb/s. With my Roamio Basic I'll get 95Mb/s transfer rates whether I use WiFi or Ethernet.
But again from a user perspective,(ie, streaming to the Minis, watching content between TiVos, and using apps) I see no difference.


----------



## HarperVision

aaronwt said:


> If your WiFi network is setup properly then it will work great. From a user perspective with my Roamios and Minis I see zero difference between WiFi, MoCA and Ethernet. The only time I'll see a difference is with the transfer speeds to my TiVo Dekstop machine from my Roamio Pro since that will hit around 180Mb/s. With my Roamio Basic I'll get 95Mb/s transfer rates whether I use WiFi or Ethernet. But again from a user perspective,(ie, streaming to the Minis, watching content between TiVos, and using apps) I see no difference.


. You still gotta admit that there's more "potential" for issues with wifi compared to MoCA and wired Ethernet.


----------



## alyssa

Amazon has dropped the price of the Pro to $569.53

http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1387023639&sr=1-5


----------



## bobrt6676

alyssa said:


> Amazon has dropped the price of the Pro to $569.53
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1387023639&sr=1-5


You can get a Plus from Weaknees with a 3TB drive(same as Pro) the only difference is the nameplate (PRO vs. Plus) for 489.99. free shipping. Code: RPLUS3


----------



## AdamNJ

FYI, the ABT.com deal of the Roamio Plus for $339 still works through chat / phone call. I paid with amex as well to try getting the $20 cash back. This one is destined for a friend who will be new to Tivo.


----------



## johnm4

Any recent datapoints of pricematching + gift card at Bestbuy?

What are you pricematching against? Amazon has the basic for $150. I have a TiVo email for 20/40/60 off. I'd like to get the Plus down to $350 if it's still possible.


----------



## AdamNJ

johnm4 said:


> I'd like to get the Plus down to $350 if it's still possible.


See my post directly above yours. U can get it for 339 from abt.com.


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## johnm4

AdamNJ said:


> See my post directly above yours. U can get it for 339 from abt.com.


$350 - $50 giftcard = $300 + tax net cost


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## AdamNJ

johnm4 said:


> $350 - $50 giftcard = $300 + tax net cost


I don't recall any seller publicly advertising the Plus for 350, which is what you would need for BB to price match. I also don't think anyone here was successful in getting BB to price match the Tivo email, since it doesn't show the deal on the tivo website.

Also unless you live in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, or Michigan, then ABT means no sales tax and free shipping.


----------



## TomJHansen

Just saw a new display in Mesa, Arizona with the Roamio Plus for $349.00. I might get it from them because it will be eligible for the Costco return policy. I had an old S2 from Costco that I had for about 3 years and then returned it for a newer one and got back $200 difference on the price drop.


----------



## NewRoc

HarperVision said:


> I agree it seems a little misleading, but I see in your picture of the offer from TiVo on your tv that there's an arrow pointing down that signifies there's more to the message below. What does it say further down in the message?


It is an available offer to transfer monthly service plans to one of the three Roamio models (Pro purchase price is "further down") purchased directly from TiVo (not at retail).

The "value proposition" of TiVo technology, pricing models and technical support however continues to fall behind


----------



## tomm1079

AdamNJ said:


> I don't recall any seller publicly advertising the Plus for 350, which is what you would need for BB to price match. I also don't think anyone here was successful in getting BB to price match the Tivo email, since it doesn't show the deal on the tivo website.
> 
> Also unless you live in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, or Michigan, then ABT means no sales tax and free shipping.


this is what i did.

I showed them the Weaknees cart with promo code added and they priced match that and gave me the 50 dollar gift card.


----------



## the block

tomm1079 said:


> this is what i did.
> 
> I showed them the Weaknees cart with promo code added and they priced match that and gave me the 50 dollar gift card.


When I tried that they wouldn't do it because you had to enter a promo code to get the price, whatever kind of moronic logic that follows. Getting it through Abt was cheaper anyways, just had to wait a few extra days for shipping.


----------



## aaronwt

HarperVision said:


> . You still gotta admit that there's more "potential" for issues with wifi compared to MoCA and wired Ethernet.


No question about it. Although the fact that most WiFi networks are not setup properly is the cause of most issues people have.

Just last night I was transferring content to my Roamio Basic to take to my GFs house. I noticed that the transfer rates had dropped to around 70Mb/s over wireless instead of the normal 90Mb/s+ speeds. I looked closer today when I got home and I realized that with the addition of several extra IP cameras recently was using up more of the available Wi-Fi bandwidth in that room So I setup another AP to offload some of the bandwidth. Now my transfer rates are back over 90Mb/s. In a typical house there would be only one AP, instead of the several needed and too many devices connected for the wireless bandwidth available. Which would slow down the throughput of the devices. I've seen it many times.


----------



## marklyn

Well, I just pulled the trigger and ordered a Roamio Plus and 3 mini's from ABT. It couldn't have been easier. Went into chat with Megan and asked what the best price was for a Roamio Plus and a mini. She quoted $339 and $85 respectively, and no shipping.
She asked to call me direct and we continued the sale from there.
I asked if they were in stock and when could they ship. She said they were in stock and would ship today so I ordered a Plus and 3 minis. Very easy company to deal with.


----------



## NewRoc

johnm4 said:


> Any recent datapoints of pricematching + gift card at Bestbuy?
> 
> What are you pricematching against? Amazon has the basic for $150. I have a TiVo email for 20/40/60 off. I'd like to get the Plus down to $350 if it's still possible.


Plus at 349.xx at some Costco Warehouses (members or w/GC), YMMV.


----------



## AdamNJ

1) price match policy
I went to best buy in East Brunswick nj to find and buy an item the bb website had at a low price matching Amazon. I brought the item and printout to customer service and asked for them to match the website price. The girl told me she would have to get approval as they don't typically price match clearance items. Short story is I got it for the price I wanted. But if an item is on their own website and available for free shipping, they should just match it. If they told me no, then bestbuy.com would have gotten the sale not the store.

2) display/promoting TiVo
This is a magnolia store so they have roamio plus/pro in store. None of their magnolia tv's had it on display, they only TiVo related thing in the area was a piece of 8.5 x 11 paper that mentioned the $50 gift card deal.
So then I walked around the store some and found where they had the TiVo stuff stocked and there was a roamio basic on 'display'. It was not hooked up to cable or OTA so there was no signal at all. It was also not hooked up to the internet at all and TiVo service wasn't enabled, so there were error messages abound. It looked like total crap. There is no way that will help to make a sale, if anything it will turn people away.


----------



## iceturkee

tivo is still offering existing customers the $499 romaio pro with $399 lifetime until the end of january. i verified that with tivo monday (12/16).


----------



## marklyn

iceturkee said:


> tivo is still offering existing customers the $499 romaio pro with $399 lifetime until the end of january. i verified that with tivo monday (12/16).


For clarification, if I order Roamio Plus from a company like ABT and then when I set it up, do I contact TIVO by phone to buy lifetime service using PLSR code, or do I do it all online with Tivo.com?


----------



## iceturkee

marklyn said:


> For clarification, if I order Roamio Plus from a company like ABT and then when I set it up, do I contact TIVO by phone to buy lifetime service using PLSR code, or do I do it all online with Tivo.com?


all from tivo as far as i know. i called yesterday to verify if that deal was available and told through the end of january. i asked the csr to note my account i was interested as i can't pay for it until sometime next week. this is for the romaio pro.


----------



## Loach

marklyn said:


> For clarification, if I order Roamio Plus from a company like ABT and then when I set it up, do I contact TIVO by phone to buy lifetime service using PLSR code, or do I do it all online with Tivo.com?


You'll want to do it online. If you try to use PLSR over the phone there's a good chance they'll tell you it's expired. Purchase lifetime online and you likely won't have a problem with it.


----------



## marklyn

Loach said:


> You'll want to do it online. If you try to use PLSR over the phone there's a good chance they'll tell you it's expired. Purchase lifetime online and you likely won't have a problem with it.


I have a tivo account that is still active from a few years ago when I had a tivo unit with DirecTV. Would it be fair to assume that I can login and activate online and use the code when making the payment?


----------



## Loach

marklyn said:


> I have a tivo account that is still active from a few years ago when I had a tivo unit with DirecTV. Would it be fair to assume that I can login and activate online and use the code when making the payment?


Yes, there should be a field for the promo code on the screen where you enter your payment information.


----------



## iceturkee

marklyn said:


> I have a tivo account that is still active from a few years ago when I had a tivo unit with DirecTV. Would it be fair to assume that I can login and activate online and use the code when making the payment?


i had directv tivos from years ago. as i remember, they were under my directv account and not tivo.


----------



## marklyn

iceturkee said:


> i had directv tivos from years ago. as i remember, they were under my directv account and not tivo.


Mine are under tivo.com, I just logged in and it still shows my account info, past order history, etc.


----------



## nooneuknow

Loach said:


> You'll want to do it online. If you try to use PLSR over the phone there's a good chance they'll tell you it's expired. Purchase lifetime online and you likely won't have a problem with it.


Just a friendly reminder that *PLSR does not work if you buy the TiVo from TiVo directly*, and try to use the PLSR code at checkout.

It *might* work if you buy a monthly plan, when buying directly, but not until you have completed your commitment period, and/or cancel the monthly service from TiVo. Then you *might* be able to use the PLSR code.


----------



## bobrt6676

OK, would there be any reason NOT to get Roamio Plus w/3TB drive (same as Pro) from Weakness for 489.99, no tax, free shipping VS Roamio Pro from Tivo for 499.99 + Tax, free shipping?? Is there anything I'm missing? Seems Weaknees would save me about $75.


----------



## lessd

bobrt6676 said:


> OK, would there be any reason NOT to get Roamio Plus w/3TB drive (same as Pro) from Weakness for 489.99, no tax, free shipping VS Roamio Pro from Tivo for 499.99 + Tax, free shipping?? Is there anything I'm missing? Seems Weaknees would save me about $75.


Yes, and your warranty would be with WK, or you could purchase from ABT for $339 + $120 for the 3Tb drive saving you another $30 and have a 1Tb drive left over. (You also may find the 3tb drive for less $)


----------



## laria

bobrt6676 said:


> OK, would there be any reason NOT to get Roamio Plus w/3TB drive (same as Pro) from Weakness for 489.99, no tax, free shipping VS Roamio Pro from Tivo for 499.99 + Tax, free shipping?? Is there anything I'm missing? Seems Weaknees would save me about $75.


If you live somewhere with tax, probably not.

For me, the difference is only $10, since TiVo also has free shipping.


----------



## mjcxp

I am looking to upgrade my Roamio base to a Pro. Does ABT still have the Pro for $489.99?


----------



## iceturkee

bobrt6676 said:


> OK, would there be any reason NOT to get Roamio Plus w/3TB drive (same as Pro) from Weakness for 489.99, no tax, free shipping VS Roamio Pro from Tivo for 499.99 + Tax, free shipping?? Is there anything I'm missing? Seems Weaknees would save me about $75.


you might not get lifetime for $399. although i didn't ask, it sounded like tivo's deal with $399 lifetime didn't require another tivo unit on your account for the multi unit discount.


----------



## tatergator1

iceturkee said:


> you might not get lifetime for $399. although i didn't ask, it sounded like tivo's deal with $399 lifetime didn't require another tivo unit on your account for the multi unit discount.


The Tivo deal is a targeted upgrade offer to existing customers. The $499 + $399 deal for the Pro requires a unique promo code, at least when ordering online. Perhaps by calling Tivo Sales directly, you can get in on this offer without actually having anything to upgrade; YMMV.


----------



## nooneuknow

tatergator1 said:


> The Tivo deal is a targeted upgrade offer to existing customers. The $499 + $399 deal for the Pro requires a unique promo code, at least when ordering online. Perhaps by calling Tivo Sales directly, you can get in on this offer without actually having anything to upgrade; YMMV.


If you are talking about a promo code in an email that TiVo sent you, each one is specific to an existing TiVo, and you have to get the email in the first place. Then the code from the email can be used to get $399 LTS (which you qualified for already, most likely, as long as you have an existing TiVo on your account that you paid full price for LTS or pay full price for monthly service).


----------



## laria

nooneuknow said:


> If you are talking about a promo code in an email that TiVo sent you, each one is specific to an existing TiVo, and you have to get the email in the first place. Then the code from the email can be used to get $399 LTS (which you qualified for already, most likely, as long as you have an existing TiVo on your account that you paid full price for LTS or pay full price for monthly service).


Yes, but as has been mentioned many times in this thread before the emails even started going out originally, existing customers had/have been getting this offer if they called TiVo without the email. So for customers who have not gotten the special email (yet? I figured everyone would have gotten it by now... I have gotten 3 of them so far), they should be able to get the $499 + $399 deal by just calling them up and asking for it.


----------



## iceturkee

tatergator1 said:


> The Tivo deal is a targeted upgrade offer to existing customers. The $499 + $399 deal for the Pro requires a unique promo code, at least when ordering online. Perhaps by calling Tivo Sales directly, you can get in on this offer without actually having anything to upgrade; YMMV.


i already have or did you not notice the part where i called them, asked them if i could get the offer and they said yes. and then they notated my account.


----------



## Loach

nooneuknow said:


> Just a friendly reminder that *PLSR does not work if you buy the TiVo from TiVo directly*, and try to use the PLSR code at checkout.


Not sure why my post was quoted as I never said that would work. The post I was responding to was regarding a possible purchase from ABT, not Tivo.


----------



## tatergator1

Finally decide to pull the trigger on the Plus from Abt. I was still able to get it for $339 (and another $20 off via AmEx for $319 shipped). As was mentioned by another user and from my own chat session, it seems the sale is technically over, but they "can still honor the $339 price." If you've been on the fence, it's likely this deal will be gone very soon.


----------



## dmk1974

tatergator1 said:


> Finally decide to pull the trigger on the Plus from Abt. I was still able to get it for $339 (and another $20 off via AmEx for $319 shipped). As was mentioned by another user and from my own chat session, it seems the sale is technically over, but they "can still honor the $339 price." If you've been on the fence, it's likely this deal will be gone very soon.


Too bad I live in Illinois. Where Abt is, Cook County tax there is like 8.75%.


----------



## nooneuknow

Loach said:


> Not sure why my post was quoted as I never said that would work. The post I was responding to was regarding a possible purchase from ABT, not Tivo.


It was intended for the benefit of those who may have just been coming into the thread for the first time. The PLSR code has often come up as being "no longer available", or "not working", when people have tried it with a direct purchase, and not realizing the reason why (and not just in this thread).

I'd never expect anybody just coming into this thread, to actually read every post, just to know all the specifics and variables.

I'll try to not quote any posts, and instead just post a quote-less reminder, on such things, in the future, but MMMV on that.


----------



## ThAbtO

dmk1974 said:


> Too bad I live in Illinois. Cook County tax there is like 8.75%.


Here in Oakland, CA, its 9% and the next town (about 8 miles away) over is 9.25%.


----------



## 1283

9.5% in Union City, CA, and the highest in CA is 10%.


----------



## Bierboy

c3 said:


> 9.5% in Union City, CA, and the highest in CA is 10%.


I guess where I'm at in Illinois I have a bargain at 6.75%...(Illinois 6.25% and East Moline .50% -- we have no county sales tax)


----------



## bobrt6676

Called TiVo tonight and said I wanted a Roamio Pro for the 499.99 upgrade price and got it with no hesitation. Originally tried to get a discount code from support to order online (I deleted my e-mail upgrade offer). They actually gave me a code but when entered I got an error "this code has already been redeemed" When I reported that the code did not work, they said that was the only code they had. That I would have to call to get the upgrade price.


----------



## mattack

elkyss said:


> Am I reading that Best Buy will pricematch PLUS the $50 gift card?
> 
> I would think they would price match Costco's $349 for the Plus


Ooh, I forgot about that price.. I did get them to price match Amazon last weekend.. Sure, it was only about $5 off, but that's still $5 less than I would have paid without matching.. and yes, you can still get the $50 BB gift card too.. (no of course it doesn't count to pay for part of that purchase)


----------



## lpwcomp

mattack said:


> Ooh, I forgot about that price.. I did get them to price match Amazon last weekend.. Sure, it was only about $5 off, but that's still $5 less than I would have paid without matching.. and yes, you can still get the $50 BB gift card too.. (no of course it doesn't count to pay for part of that purchase)


But you could use it toward purchase of a 3TB drive.


----------



## BlackBetty

lpwcomp said:


> But you could use it toward purchase of a 3TB drive.


How much is BB charging for 3tb drive? Amazon has it for $128


----------



## laria

Best Buy doesn't sell the WD DVR drives, although there are some available on the marketplace. Can you use gift cards for marketplace purchases?

I don't know about any other brands... I always seem to get WD.


----------



## marklyn

I just received my 3Tb WD30EURX from Provantage. $121 + $5.50 shipping. Now all I need is my Roamio plus, held up in a UPS trailer in my city. Arggh.


----------



## lpwcomp

BlackBetty said:


> How much is BB charging for 3tb drive? Amazon has it for $128





laria said:


> Best Buy doesn't sell the WD DVR drives, although there are some available on the Marketplace. Can you use gift cards for marketplace purchases?
> 
> I don't know about any other brands... I always seem to get WD.


They have the WDBH2D0030HNC-NRSN for $129.99 and the WD30EZRX for $139.99. Both from Best Buy, not the Marketplace. The WD30EZRX is also available from the BB Marketplace for 129.45.

While neither of these drives are AV, I would think that at least the EZRX would be fine.

Whether or not this is the _*best*_ use of the gift card would depend on a lot of factors. I was merely pointing out that it is _*a*_ use relevant to the purchase.


----------



## jterwelp

I used my Best Buy gift card to buy a Kindle gift card, which I used to toward the purchase of the drive I wanted from Amazon. Best Buy places the Kindle gift cards next to the Kindle devices in their tablet section, not up front next to the other gift cards as one might expect.


----------



## laria

Is there something different about a Kindle gift card than a regular Amazon one? Or is it just that they don't sell the Amazon ones?


----------



## mjcxp

laria said:


> Is there something different about a Kindle gift card than a regular Amazon one? Or is it just that they don't sell the Amazon ones?


Kindle GCs and Amazon GCs are the exact same. I have purchased them several times. It appears Best Buy doesn't sell the regular GCs because Amazon is their competitor. When you read the back of the card it states that they can be used to purchase anything at Amazon.


----------



## laria

mjcxp said:


> Kindle GCs and Amazon GCs are the exact same. I have purchased them several times. It appears Best Buy doesn't sell the regular GCs because Amazon is their competitor. When you read the back of the card it states that they can be used to purchase anything at Amazon.


Ah ok.  I will need to do some more number crunching once I find out exactly how many Best Buy gift cards we get for Christmas this year. It might be a better deal than the TiVo email special for a Pro.


----------



## nooneuknow

lpwcomp said:


> They have the WDBH2D0030HNC-NRSN for $129.99 and the WD30EZRX for $139.99. Both from Best Buy, not the Marketplace. The WD30EZRX is also available from the BB Marketplace for 129.45.
> 
> While neither of these drives are AV, I would think that at least the EZRX would be fine.
> 
> Whether or not this is the _*best*_ use of the gift card would depend on a lot of factors. I was merely pointing out that it is _*a*_ use relevant to the purchase.


Best Buy does a terrible job providing specs. I don't want anybody to buy a drive without knowing the specs, so I'm providing some Newegg links. This is just a FYI. I'd never recommend the first drive.

That first one you posted a link for is *not a Green drive*. Only Green drives are recommended for TiVo use, like the second one you posted. There is no gain in performance by using a *"mainstream desktop drive"*, like the first one. It will draw more power, and will run hotter, without giving your TiVo any performance gain (and could, potentially, end up shortening the life of the Drive and power supply of the TiVo, especially the base Roamio).

The only alternative to a WD Green (or Green-AV) drive is a WD Red NAS drive, which despite being called "Red", is actually a green drive. It also is AV-rated, although that is not necessary. The Red NAS line comes with a 3yr warranty, just like a WD Green-AV (AV-GP model).

Here's a Newegg link for that first one you listed, with all the specs, which Best Buy fails to provide: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G15X3841

Here's a Newegg link for the second one you listed: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136874

Here's the popular AV-GP drives at Newegg, which are the same ones TiVo uses: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236602&Tpk=WD30EURX , http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136926&Tpk=WD30EURS

Here's the Red NAS drive, which I use, at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236344

Newegg is good about providing specs and reviews. I always double-check at western digital's website http://www.wdc.com , before I pull the trigger, in case there is anything wrong, or omitted by a retailer/reseller listing. SATA 2 is all you need, but soon all that you'll be able to get are SATA 3 drives (even TiVo is using a mix of both). If you can get a SATA 2 drive cheaper than SATA 3, there's no performance difference (when used in ANY existing TiVo).

As you stated, AV-rating is not a requirement, nor will you gain anything by having it, other than a 1yr longer warranty, which comes with both WD AV-GP and WD Red NAS drives.


----------



## Wingershute

marklyn said:


> Well, I just pulled the trigger and ordered a Roamio Plus and 3 mini's from ABT. It couldn't have been easier. Went into chat with Megan and asked what the best price was for a Roamio Plus and a mini. She quoted $339 and $85 respectively, and no shipping.
> She asked to call me direct and we continued the sale from there.
> I asked if they were in stock and when could they ship. She said they were in stock and would ship today so I ordered a Plus and 3 minis. Very easy company to deal with.


Hey thanks for the tip. I tried the chat thing even though the Roamio was $399 and the mini $88. I asked for a deal for one of each and was quoted $339 for Roamio and $ 83 for mini. No tax and free ship. cheaper than Tivo even with the special code they sent me for $150 off a Roamio with lifetime.


----------



## jeffosoft

I would like to see the $0 down on the basic model.. that would be awesome.

Tivo and forum users always claim it was a hassle and wont be back.. but It pops up fairly often still... but just not on the Roamio yet 

I Gave up on the High end with lifetime a long time ago. I found that the basic models are fine and significantly cheaper.


----------



## lpwcomp

nooneuknow said:


> Best Buy does a terrible job providing specs. I don't want anybody to buy a drive without knowing the specs, so I'm providing some Newegg links. This is just a FYI. I'd never recommend the first drive.
> 
> That first one you posted a link for is *not a Green drive*. Only Green drives are recommended for TiVo use, like the second one you posted. There is no gain in performance by using a *"mainstream desktop drive"*, like the first one. It will draw more power, and will run hotter, without giving your TiVo any performance gain (and could, potentially, end up shortening the life of the Drive and power supply of the TiVo, especially the base Roamio).
> 
> The only alternative to a WD Green (or Green-AV) drive is a WD Red NAS drive, which despite being called "Red", is actually a green drive. It also is AV-rated, although that is not necessary. The Red NAS line comes with a 3yr warranty, just like a WD Green-AV (AV-GP model).
> 
> Here's a Newegg link for that first one you listed, with all the specs, which Best Buy fails to provide: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G15X3841
> 
> Here's a Newegg link for the second one you listed: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136874
> 
> Here's the popular AV-GP drives at Newegg, which are the same ones TiVo uses: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236602&Tpk=WD30EURX , http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136926&Tpk=WD30EURS
> 
> Here's the Red NAS drive, which I use, at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236344
> 
> Newegg is good about providing specs and reviews. I always double-check at western digital's website http://www.wdc.com , before I pull the trigger, in case there is anything wrong, or omitted by a retailer/reseller listing. SATA 2 is all you need, but soon all that you'll be able to get are SATA 3 drives (even TiVo is using a mix of both). If you can get a SATA 2 drive cheaper than SATA 3, there's no performance difference (when used in ANY existing TiVo).
> 
> As you stated, AV-rating is not a requirement, nor will you gain anything by having it, other than a 1yr longer warranty, which comes with both WD AV-GP and WD Red NAS drives.


In keeping with the spirit of the season, I will refrain from responding as I initially was inclined to do, and merely say that I was not recommending anything, merely pointing out that those two WD 3TB are available from BB, which was the subject of that particular discussion and not general drive availability, prices or recommendation.


----------



## moolman

Just wanted to post how I just bought my Tivo Roamio Pro today.

Kinda takes a bit of legwork but worth it for me.

Check out one of the deal sites about the ISIS 20% cashback especially if you use T-mobile. ISIS is a mobile payment system like Google Wallet where you tap your phone to pay. If you fund it using an AMEX Serve card, you get 20% cashback up to $200 until January 31, 2014. Took me about 15 minutes to set it all up, link my credit card. Besides that if you use a non-AMEX credit card to fund your SERVE account, you get CC points, miles, or cashback. It does warn you that your CC can consider the charge a cash advance but I have yet to find a CC that does, it goes as a purchase.

I went to CVS bought a gift card for $545. ($500max per gift card, so 2 cards) I used ISIS to pay at the register.
I went to BEST BUY, had them pricematch the Roamio Pro for $499.99 from the website that had the Roamio Plus and Lifetime for $899.99. The Best Buy guy saw it, I told him it was $100 off the machine, $100 off the Lifetime and he did it. This is YMMV cause some people reported that they won't match it I think but I found the website on Tivo.com by googleing Tivo Roamio Discount.
Best Buy has the $50 gift card back and to my surprise, they gave me another $15 gift card, don't know why, the website only says $50 but I didn't complain.

I paid $500 plus tax 9%, so $545, pricematch to Tivo.com
I will get back $109 from ISIS
I got a $50 and $15 Best Buy GC.
$371 for the Tivo Roamio Pro after tax, in my hands.

Good luck to everyone else, this sounds complicated but didn't take me long at all.


----------



## laria

moolman said:


> Best Buy has the $50 gift card back and to my surprise, they gave me another $15 gift card, don't know why, the website only says $50 but I didn't complain.


Hrm, I wonder if one of mine is a $15 one. That would be sweet!  The guy handed me 2 cards today... I assumed that they were both $25 ones.

I ended up not trying to pricematch anything and got a Plus at Best Buy with our Christmas gift cards ($125 worth) and a 3 TB hard drive at Amazon (got another $25 card there). I plan to use the Best Buy cards I got with the TiVo to do the thing mentioned up-thread, get a Kindle gift card with them to use at Amazon. I didn't wait to order the hard drive because I drop a lot of money at Amazon... it doesn't really matter if I am using the gift card on this or whatever my next order is. Then I used my Amex to pay at Best Buy and will be applying for the "Get $25 when you spend $250 at Best Buy" deal on my Amex account.


----------



## aaronwt

moolman said:


> Just wanted to post how I just bought my Tivo Roamio Pro today.
> 
> Kinda takes a bit of legwork but worth it for me.
> 
> Check out one of the deal sites about the ISIS 20% cashback especially if you use T-mobile. ISIS is a mobile payment system like Google Wallet where you tap your phone to pay. If you fund it using an AMEX Serve card, you get 20% cashback up to $200 until January 31, 2014. Took me about 15 minutes to set it all up, link my credit card. Besides that if you use a non-AMEX credit card to fund your SERVE account, you get CC points, miles, or cashback. It does warn you that your CC can consider the charge a cash advance but I have yet to find a CC that does, it goes as a purchase.
> 
> I went to CVS bought a gift card for $545. ($500max per gift card, so 2 cards) I used ISIS to pay at the register.
> I went to BEST BUY, had them pricematch the Roamio Pro for $499.99 from the website that had the Roamio Plus and Lifetime for $899.99. The Best Buy guy saw it, I told him it was $100 off the machine, $100 off the Lifetime and he did it. This is YMMV cause some people reported that they won't match it I think but I found the website on Tivo.com by googleing Tivo Roamio Discount.
> Best Buy has the $50 gift card back and to my surprise, they gave me another $15 gift card, don't know why, the website only says $50 but I didn't complain.
> 
> I paid $500 plus tax 9%, so $545, pricematch to Tivo.com
> I will get back $109 from ISIS
> I got a $50 and $15 Best Buy GC.
> $371 for the Tivo Roamio Pro after tax, in my hands.
> 
> Good luck to everyone else, this sounds complicated but didn't take me long at all.


 WOW!! That was a sweet deal!!!


----------



## ThAbtO

laria said:


> Hrm, I wonder if one of mine is a $15 one. That would be sweet!  The guy handed me 2 cards today... I assumed that they were both $25 ones.


There should be a number on the back of the card you can call to get a balance on the cards.



laria said:


> I ended up not trying to pricematch anything and got a Plus at Best Buy with our Christmas gift cards ($125 worth) and a 3 TB hard drive at Amazon (got another $25 card there). I plan to use the Best Buy cards I got with the TiVo to do the thing mentioned up-thread, get a Kindle gift card with them to use at Amazon. I didn't wait to order the hard drive because I drop a lot of money at Amazon... it doesn't really matter if I am using the gift card on this or whatever my next order is. Then I used my Amex to pay at Best Buy and will be applying for the "Get $25 when you spend $250 at Best Buy" deal on my Amex account.


I have stored all my money in Amazon GC codes that I could spend on orders which I paid for using cash only. The cash was turned into GC codes using Coinstar machines.


----------



## alyssa

here's why you got a $15 gc at bb

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/global-...Pt8&siteID=jDfRMawUPt8-lal.J8jPvCyFSTSxQOwXWQ


----------



## laria

Sweet! I love surprise money.  I need to check the cards and make sure they are indeed 50 and 15.


----------



## moolman

alyssa said:


> here's why you got a $15 gc at bb
> 
> http://www.bestbuy.com/site/global-...Pt8&siteID=jDfRMawUPt8-lal.J8jPvCyFSTSxQOwXWQ


Thanks, I saw that online too. Always good to get free extra money. Good thing I didn't procrastinate too much. Ready to go for the cable installer tomorrow.


----------



## alyssa

yeah, i'm hoping to get to bb today, do a price match to amazon for the base OTA model which would bring the unit down to $85 + PA tax. My folks have agreed to a tivo, finally.

eta;
success
OTA tivo for $85
As i was being rung up the cashier looked at the screen & call her co-worker over they both shrugged & said i got the two bb gc cards, To which i did a Mocked surprise face & twinkled. They laughed! <grin>


----------



## cdp1276

I didn't want to play all the games to price match as my current S3 is all of a sudden crashing a lot & needing help to get past stuck stages of the reboot cycle so I ordered the Plus today from ABT for $339. Just used the chat feature as mentioned before and they honored that price. Then I will get the AMEX credit of $20.

I hope it is as easy as many of you say to transfer shows from my old S3 when I get this new Roamio Plus to replace it.


----------



## ThAbtO

cdp1276 said:


> I hope it is as easy as many of you say to transfer shows from my old S3 when I get this new Roamio Plus to replace it.


It may not be possible to transfer shows from your S3 unless it is up and running, and still subscribed to Tivo Service (as well as the newer Tivo). Don't forget to get your S3 to connect to Tivo Service after you have activated and subscribed your new Roamio or they will be able to transfer anything. to Roamio.


----------



## steve614

cdp1276 said:


> ... as my current S3 is all of a sudden crashing a lot & needing help to get past stuck stages of the reboot cycle...
> 
> I hope it is as easy as many of you say to transfer shows from my old S3 when I get this new Roamio Plus to replace it.


If you can't get your S3 to boot up, or keep it running for any length of time, your going to have problems.
It's probably time for you to open the S3 and check the power supply for capacitor plague.


----------



## rmpearl

Just got my Plus last night. Got Best Buy to price match Costco for $349.99. Received $65 in gift cards on top of that.


----------



## tomm1079

rmpearl said:


> Just got my Plus last night. Got Best Buy to price match Costco for $349.99. Received $65 in gift cards on top of that.


i been holding out and replacing my elite but with the 65 dollars in gift cards from best buy i think i need to go and do it with the amazon price match to basic.

Already got a plus.


----------



## Mahty

rmpearl said:


> Just got my Plus last night. Got Best Buy to price match Costco for $349.99. Received $65 in gift cards on top of that.


Which particular Best Buy gave you the price match with the gift cards, if you don't mind my asking? (The one particular Best Buy that I tried for a Costco price match said that their $50 gift card would effectively match the Costco price. I rather get the price match outright and not get stuck with a $50 Best Buy gift card that I'd have to use.)


----------



## rtkane

I just got a great deal at Best Buy. They matched the Tivo Upgrade offer for $499 on a Roamio Pro and when checking out, the register added in a $50 gift card (as part of their Tivo promotion) and another $15 for spending $100 or more. 

Took that Tivo out and put it in the car. Went back in and picked up a Tivo Mini and priced matched it to B&H for $86. Applied the $65 in gift cards brought that down to $21. And then by adding in a $15 item I had to buy anyway, I ended up getting another $15 gift card for spending $100, which I'll use on a future purchase. 

Factoring in everything, I ended up paying $505 for a Roamio Pro and a Mini. Of course, I have to add in NJ tax, but figured I'd give the pre-tax prices on everything so you can apply your own tax rate. 

$599
-$100 price matche
=$499 for the Roamio Pro
+$99 for Tivo Mini
-$13 price match to B&H
-$50 gift card
-$15 gift card
-$15 gift card
=$505 for both 

(for me, it was another $40.95 in tax, so $545.95 out the door, and yes, I'm factoring in that second $15 gift card on a future purchase because I'm always buying something at Best Buy).

One thing to note: Before I went into the store, I did get on chat with Tivo Support to get them to confirm that the offer they currently have for upgrading is $200 off Lifetime Service and the box which splits out to $100 off on each. That seemed to be the key to the Best Buy associate approving the price match.


----------



## tomm1079

you guys make it hard to not upgrade.


Price matched a basic with amazon and got the 50 and 15 dollar gift cards.


on a side note: i have 2 - 2 turner premieres now and a 4 tuner elite and a tivo HD i need to sell

The HD is the only one that does not have lifetime.


----------



## Scopeman

jterwelp said:


> Has anyone purchased a Roamio from Best Buy after Monday of this week and received a $50 gift card? I know it was stated earlier in the thread that this deal ended on Monday, 12/2, but it is still listed on the Best Buy web site (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/tivo-ro...?id=pcmprd213900050004&skuId=9999215000050004) with no expiration date that I can find.


I have purchased Roamio twice in the last two days, because Best Buy not only give out the $50 GC after the Amazon price match but throw in an additional $15 GC right now for any purchase over $100. So $149, plus you get $65 in GCs back from Best Buy (which, in my case, were spent right away on ANOTHER Roamio, $149 with $65 in GCs yet again given back, which were then used on a Mini, where they matched Amazon's $86 price.) SO the total was like this:

$149 for the first Roamio
$84 for the next Roamio
$19 for the Mini

Add about 8% sales tax, and you get $273 out of pocket for a whole house upgrage of my Tivo gear.

CRAZY good deal.


----------



## slowbiscuit

If you totally ignore the cost of service, sure. But good deal on the hardware alone.


----------



## alyssa

rmpearl said:


> Just got my Plus last night. Got Best Buy to price match Costco for $349.99. Received $65 in gift cards on top of that.


**jealous** 
do you have a link to the costco pricing? I tried searching their site & couldn't find anything.


----------



## HarperVision

slowbiscuit said:


> If you totally ignore the cost of service, sure. But good deal on the hardware alone.


Yep, it's like cell phones now, where you pay little for hardware but then get gouged on service fees.


----------



## alyssa

plus for $319 free ship 
http://www.onlyindecember.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/


----------



## HarperVision

alyssa said:


> plus for $319 free ship
> http://www.onlyindecember.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/


And they have the pro for $480


----------



## HarperVision

And Xbox one for $399. I'm sensing a fishy website.


----------



## midson

Likely another scam site. Looks like all the others mentioned here earlier.


----------



## rmpearl

Mahty said:


> Which particular Best Buy gave you the price match with the gift cards, if you don't mind my asking? (The one particular Best Buy that I tried for a Costco price match said that their $50 gift card would effectively match the Costco price. I rather get the price match outright and not get stuck with a $50 Best Buy gift card that I'd have to use.)


I went to the Best Buy in Chandler, AZ. As long as you don't mention the Gift Cards when you're trying to do the price match you should be fine. The gift cards are automatic at the end. I couldn't find the Tivo at a Costco near me so just used the picture off of a Costco website (Costco Couple).


----------



## Loach

midson said:


> Likely another scam site. Looks like all the others mentioned here earlier.


Yep. Even the fonts and the "about us" section look strikingly similar to Sophiamart. I would guess any Tivos bought from that site will be drop-shipped from Best Buy or another legitimate retailer using credit cards stolen from Target.


----------



## nooneuknow

Loach said:


> Yep. Even the fonts and the "about us" section look strikingly similar to Sophiamart. I would guess any Tivos bought from that site will be drop-shipped from Best Buy or another legitimate retailer using credit cards stolen from Target.


As a Target credit card holder, my "who cares?" attitude, which I never even expressed here, has changed a bit, towards those buying TiVos from these short-lived web stores (and *knowing* something's off about it).

*Somebody ends up paying for credit card number theft.* If (more like when), my rates go up (I'm on a variable rate, that never goes down), once it has been long enough for Target's finance company to claim it is for some other reason (other than getting the money back over the massive theft), I'll be thinking of those with such an attitude.

Losses (or false claims) paid for by insurance, or things that have fraud protection (and are hit by fraud), scammers and thieves wind up passing the cost onto consumers, *in the long term.*

So, thanks in advance, for the inevitable APR increase I'll see as the result of not only the scammers and thieves, but those who turn a blind eye to where their "discount" merchandise comes from and/or how it is "paid for", before being drop-shipped/fenced.

It's almost comparable to Cox Communications giving me a "free" speed increase on my internet, and more "free HD programming", which I don't ask for, only to see my bill double 6-8 months later "as a result of increased operating costs". I just love it when fraud and scams are legal, like that. Then, the next bill I'll likely see increase will be my Target card, even though I pay 3x my minimum payment due, each month, every month, before the due date.


----------



## alyssa

rmpearl said:


> I couldn't find the Tivo at a Costco near me so just used the picture off of a Costco website (Costco Couple).


i am unable to find that pic from the costco site 

I tried to get BB to price match the 'onlyindecember' site, no go. <yeah i know there wasn't much of a chance but i had to try>
the CS guy did point me to the list of sites bb would price match, Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Rakuten.com Shopping, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com.

nooneyouknow, i will not order from onlyindec site- to much bad karma, it's not worth it


----------



## mrsean

I just walked out the BB in Secaucus NJ with a Roamio Basic and a Mini for $62.51. It will be giving to either a friend or my mom. I had $125 in gift cards beforehand that I was saving towards a Roamio Pro for me but the bonus $65 turned out to be too good to pass up. Of course I acted all kinds of surprised when the Magnolia salesman handed me the new gift cards, but he and the manager didn't even care to notice. My spouse said "All that time you spend watching soap operas is finally paying off". The cool thing is that I never had to produce the Amazon website to show the salesman or his manager. They already knew Amazon's price. I guess they must had pm the Basic for another customer recently. Also when I asked for the Mini pm, they asked me what Amazon was selling it for and again without me having to show anything. I was thinking of lying and saying $70, but then I didn't know if they were testing me to see if I would be honest or not.

I did tell the salesmen that Tigerdirect was selling the both Mini and the Stream for $50 AR earlier this month. The manager who was still around seemed really surprised by this. So much that I thought he might even give me the Mini for that price but the purchase and already rang and he did not say anything further plus I knew that TD does not currently have the Mini (or Stream) listed on their website.

Thanks for heads up on this great deal guys! Does anyone know if I activate both the Basic and Mini at the same time do I a discount on the Mini activation? I know it's $399 for the Basic ready because of my MSD.


----------



## midson

Did the Plus/mini deal at the Tualatin, OR BB. The sales supervisor that helped me knew all about the double dipping but did it anyway. So $370 for plus and a mini after price matching and gift cards. Plus another $5+ off for using my cash rewards visa. Now the painful part; paying tivo for lifetime. Thanks to all in this thread for your reports. And let me know if you're in the market for a lifetime Tivo HD with 2GB drive!


----------



## CoxInPHX

alyssa said:


> i am unable to find that pic from the costco site


http://costcocouple.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr/


----------



## laria

Bummer, I wish I'd seen that before. I could have got another $50 off maybe.


----------



## lessd

alyssa said:


> plus for $319 free ship
> http://www.onlyindecember.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/


The same ad as on http://www.electronicmegasale.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/

I did purchase and got my Roamio +as a drop ship from Best Buy from their OH distribution center. The unit came with Best Buy shipping paper saying that I could exchange the unit or send it back to Best Buy if I needed to. I called Best Buy and said I got this Roamio + as a gift what was it worth if I wanted to exchange the unit at a nearby store, they look up the order# and told me $499 + tax, go figure. (I still have the Roamio+)


----------



## slowbiscuit

That's proof right there that you got lucky using a stolen card website.


----------



## Davisadm

alyssa said:


> plus for $319 free ship
> http://www.onlyindecember.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/


This site is a scam. They have registered many web sites and between these sites "offer" many different products. The scam is this:
You order a product.
They charge your PayPal
They order the product from BestBuy (or other big store) online, using a stolen credit card, and have BB ship to your address.


----------



## palover

Davisadm said:


> This site is a scam. They have registered many web sites and between these sites "offer" many different products. The scam is this:
> You order a product.
> They charge your PayPal
> They order the product from BestBuy (or other big store) online, using a stolen credit card, and have BB ship to your address.


Best Buy's been selling the Plus for $320 for a while now, to random credit card accts. that come up as stolen? Somehow I don't think they're that stupid. At that price I'd be shocked if they're even accepting credit card payment and the 3% charge that goes with it.


----------



## jntc

palover said:


> Best Buy's been selling the Plus for $320 for a while now, to random credit card accts. that come up as stolen? Somehow I don't think they're that stupid. At that price I'd be shocked if they're even accepting credit card payment and the 3% charge that goes with it.


BestBuy is selling it at full price to these 'scammers' running these sites using a stolen credit card. The 'scammers' are charging $320.


----------



## nooneuknow

The "For Dummies" version of one of many credit card scams:

1. Steal a credit card, like the recent Target credit/debit card account theft.*

* If you are asking "Huh, what?", then just crawl back under a rock, and keep up the good job of not keeping up with current events.

2. Buy something with that stolen account info (stolen card).

3. Accept payment from a non-stolen card, or other means.

4. Provide what you "bought" with the stolen card to the buyer.

5. Pocket whatever you sold the product for, since you never paid for it in the first place.

Simply use technology to do this in bulk, and cover your trail by re-inventing yourself (fake identity) and your means (fake web store fronts).

If you can't understand this, then please stop asking how the sites selling TiVos at, or below, cost are doing so, as there is no more simple of a way to put it, or dumb it down.

Just because the end-consumer used a valid card, or other legitimate means to pay for something, doesn't mean that no credit/debit card fraud ever occurred. It's all about the chain of events, before you ever pay for it, or receive it. If you are buying something at a price that is "to good to be true", from some new web store, you might not be committing the theft, yourself, but you are certainly part of the problem. You create the demand, for the supply of stolen card accounts, and the merchandise purchased with them.

I was finding all the "sophiamart" naysayers and doomsday posters annoying, until I realized I was also being part of the problem (being complacent and staying silent).

I didn't have my Target card account info stolen. Yet, the fact that I am a cardholder has raised my awareness level.

There's plenty of others who will keep on calling some of the "deals" out as potential scams, so this is what I have to say, and they can keep plugging away. If you want to help thieves and scam artists get rich, at the cost of everybody else, in the long term, I hope that karma does exist, and truly can be a real b**ch.

If you didn't know better, and already bought from one of these "here today, gone tomorrow" possible fencing sites that might have used theft of accounts, and drop-shipping, I hold nothing against you. We all make mistakes.


----------



## lessd

jntc said:


> BestBuy is selling it at full price to these 'scammers' running these sites using a stolen credit card. The 'scammers' are charging $320.


It sure sounds simple, Best Buy keeps accepting bad (stolen) credit cards and keeps shipping, I guess it good for Best Buy to increase its sales, (or the stolen cards belong to say a Bill Gates and he does not check on such small purchases) but these sights have been going on for over 5 months, you would think Best Buy would know by now, I purchased my unit before the Target CC problem, that started on Nov 27 to Dec 15th. You would think Best Buy would get back to me to see who I made payment to on PayPal if this was a scam.


----------



## shaggy2002

for those of you that got best buy to price match the roamio pro for $499, What did you show them? Your upgrade email?


----------



## nooneuknow

lessd said:


> It sure sounds simple, Best Buy keeps accepting bad (stolen) credit cards and keeps shipping, I guess it good for Best Buy to increase its sales, (or the stolen cards belong to say a Bill Gates and he does not check on such small purchases) but these sights have been going on for over 5 months, you would think Best Buy would know by now, I purchased my unit before the Target CC problem, that started on Nov 27 to Dec 15th. You would think Best Buy would get back to me to see who I made payment to on PayPal if this was a scam.


What you say does seem logical, just so long as one of the next big new items is Best Buy (and perhaps other stores) being investigated and/or punished for turning a blind-eye, and/or not meeting their obligations to prevent fraud in the first place. Target is the focus at the moment. Who says Best Buy is, or isn't, next?

I don't foresee the end-purchasers, who bought a reasonable number of fenced items for personal use, without confessing to knowledge of the reason for the price, being penalized. However, this can often come down to state and other jurisdictional laws, which might not take into consideration anything more than the "letter of the law", no matter how arcane, or outdated, it is.

This is a great example of laws not keeping up with technology. Shouldn't buyers be protected from being able to wind up in possession of the spoils of a theft? Should it really be a crime, when the crime was not obvious, and the consumer not protected from being an unwilling participant?

If this takes off too much, I'd like to see a new thread for the matter, and keep this thread as the great resource it has been, which is a good thing, when the "Roamio deals" are 100% legitimate.

It's the technology that allows the cloak of secrecy about the path an item takes from TiVo to the end-purchaser. The old-school way involving real "fences" (shady people, in a shady neighborhood, perhaps in a shady brick store, with no proof of where they got their goods), was the way that would wind up with the last person holding the goods facing those goods being reclaimed by the authorities.

It's also one thing for say Newegg to sell a $199 item for $19, when we *KNOW* that Newegg is just doing an insane promo. It's something different, when the online stores pop up like the heads in a "whack-a-mole" game.

Now that this thread has exposed that "sophiamart" seems to be one of many fronts for the same "virtual fence", it's hard for anybody to claim complete and total ignorance if they got the link to the new front from this thread...

People can go back and forth all they like about it, and are free to do as they wish, like just dismissing this as alarmism, and purely speculation, then buying from "buycheapherebeforeweregone.com", and they may never be directly implicated, or directly affected.

It's all speculation, until the other shoe drops (or doesn't)...


----------



## nooneuknow

shaggy2002 said:


> for those of you that got best buy to price match the roamio pro for $499, What did you show them? Your upgrade email?


It's 50/50 at best with those emails. It doesn't hurt to try. Some have done it. I wouldn't burn extra gas just to try, unless I was willing to accept a good possibility of either returning empty-handed, or willing to forgo the price-match.

Even the amazon price matching for $50 off of base models, has had mixed results. Some stores say the $50 GC is the same as a price match, some will accuse you of "double-dipping", if you try for both, some will just ring it up with the PM, then hand you a GC.

I still can't believe people are starting new threads on Best Buy's PM and/or GC policies, and how to try for both...

BIG SECRET (for those who have not read anything older than this) :

Don't ask about gift cards before a purchase, especially if you are trying to get a price match. Once they have processed the sale, gift cards, when applicable, are automatically prompted by their own system.


----------



## atmuscarella

nooneuknow said:


> If you can't understand this, then please stop asking how the sites selling TiVos at, or below, cost are doing so, as there is no more simple of a way to put it, or dumb it down.


While what you say sounds reasonable and may be true, the problem is you have no actual facts that prove any particular web site is "fencing stolen goods" - it is all an assumption on your part.

Regarding selling TiVos below cost, well according to people posting here Best Buy is selling Base Roamios for $85 after you factor in the gift cards which by my math is more than 50% off the retail price of the Roamio. The $320 for a Roamio Plus in lessd's link is allot less of a discount off the full retain price than that.

So do you think Best Buy is fencing stolen Roamios because they are selling them at such a low price point? The reality is you are again making assumptions about what a Plus costs and can be sold for without any access to real facts.


----------



## nooneuknow

atmuscarella said:


> While what you say sounds reasonable and may be true, the problem is you have no actual facts that prove any particular web site is "fencing stolen goods" - it is all an assumption on your part.
> 
> Regarding selling TiVos below cost, well according to people posting here Best Buy is selling Base Roamios for $85 after you factor in the gift cards which by my math is more than 50% off the retail price of the Roamio. The $320 for a Roamio Plus in lessd's link is allot less of a discount off the full retain price than that.
> 
> So do you think Best Buy is fencing stolen Roamios because they are selling them at such a low price point? The reality is you are again making assumptions about what a Plus costs and can be sold for without any access to real facts.


I *NEVER* claimed that "Best Buy is fencing stolen Roamios". I've only mentioned that they are the possible go-to source of them for those doing the fencing (via drop-shipping), while never claiming they have any knowledge of it.

I *DID* claim this:



nooneuknow said:


> *It's all speculation, until the other shoe drops (or doesn't)...*


I'm also not the first one to chime in on this. I've actually sat the whole matter out until today, which has been quite a while. If you are going to call me out on not being clear enough about the uncertainty of what is going on, you've been asleep at the wheel, and need to call others out over it as well, if all are to be treated equally.

I've seen some pretty outlandish statements made, along with many statements lacking any mentions of "if" being the key word, and/or no mention of things being speculative.

It's unrealistic for anybody to claim they know exactly what is going on, and present everything as fact, just as it is to claim nothing will ever come of it.


----------



## nooneuknow

I know an argument that there is no way to come out on top of.

I know the usual players, that will debate until the mods come in.

That is why I'm excusing myself from further discussion on the subject in the title of this post.

I may address a question, or ask a few, but I'm not here for debate.

I already got my (legitimate) deals, and am happy with what I got, directly from a real "brick & mortar" Best Buy, using their price-matching policies, and gift-card promotions.

Happy (legitimate) deal hunting!

P.S. I'm not accusing anybody of *deliberately* getting any illegitimate deals.


----------



## lessd

nooneuknow said:


> What you say does seem logical, just so long as one of the next big new items is Best Buy (and perhaps other stores) being investigated and/or punished for turning a blind-eye, and/or not meeting their obligations to prevent fraud in the first place. Target is the focus at the moment. Who says Best Buy is, or isn't, next?
> 
> I don't foresee the end-purchasers, who bought a reasonable number of fenced items for personal use, without confessing to knowledge of the reason for the price, being penalized. However, this can often come down to state and other jurisdictional laws, which might not take into consideration anything more than the "letter of the law", no matter how arcane, or outdated, it is.
> 
> This is a great example of laws not keeping up with technology. Shouldn't buyers be protected from being able to wind up in possession of the spoils of a theft? Should it really be a crime, when the crime was not obvious, and the consumer not protected from being an unwilling participant?
> 
> If this takes off too much, I'd like to see a new thread for the matter, and keep this thread as the great resource it has been, which is a good thing, when the "Roamio deals" are 100% legitimate.
> 
> It's the technology that allows the cloak of secrecy about the path an item takes from TiVo to the end-purchaser. The old-school way involving real "fences" (shady people, in a shady neighborhood, perhaps in a shady brick store, with no proof of where they got their goods), was the way that would wind up with the last person holding the goods facing those goods being reclaimed by the authorities.
> 
> It's also one thing for say Newegg to sell a $199 item for $19, when we *KNOW* that Newegg is just doing an insane promo. It's something different, when the online stores pop up like the heads in a "whack-a-mole" game.
> 
> Now that this thread has exposed that "sophiamart" seems to be one of many fronts for the same "virtual fence", it's hard for anybody to claim complete and total ignorance if they got the link to the new front from this thread...
> 
> People can go back and forth all they like about it, and are free to do as they wish, like just dismissing this as alarmism, and purely speculation, then buying from "buycheapherebeforeweregone.com", and they may never be directly implicated, or directly affected.
> 
> It's all speculation, until the other shoe drops (or doesn't)...


You make some good points but near xmiss getting less than a 20% discount is not that unusual, if the discount had been say 70% maybe, but than again sometimes on E-Bay, if nobody is bidding on an item, I have bagged items for 80% off list (not TiVos). AX is a great card to use because if the vender can't prove shipment you get your money back, this has happened a few times for me over the years (again not TiVos) and I have no problem getting my money back from AX.


----------



## alyssa

CoxInPHX said:


> http://costcocouple.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr/


Thank you!
I have to try for the price match over the phone since I'm not close to any bb stores that have them in stock. I'll give the a call tomorrow.


----------



## hizhonor

shaggy2002 said:


> for those of you that got best buy to price match the roamio pro for $499, What did you show them? Your upgrade email?


I used https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/roamio-upgrade-offer-landing-page

And explained it was $100 off the box and $ 100 off the lifetime service. "Since I have to buy the service from TiVo directly, would you price match the box".

The manager glanced at the web page on my phone asked if it was a bundle, to which I replied I have to buy the service directly from TiVo. She told the clerk to go ahead, she'd rather have the sale. After that was agreed to, I also asked if she would price match Amazon on a Mini. She said as long as it's sold by Amazon-- quickly looked at the web site on my phone --and agreed.

It probably didn't hurt that she was busy running around helping others. I didn't mention anything about the two gift card promos at the time. They already had the $15 card for spending $100 ( now expired) laying with the TiVo box. The $50 card rang up at the end. The clerk was surprised and I just said "that's great".

Steve


----------



## alyssa

The $50 gc offer from bb seems to have expired


----------



## laria

alyssa said:


> The $50 gc offer from bb seems to have expired


Yes, the email that I got about it from TiVo said it expired 12/28/13.


----------



## shaggy2002

Just got bestbuy to price match $499.99. I did not get a gift card. Just confirming what others have already said that the gift card promotions are gone.


----------



## moolman

For those that don't have a BB or like amazon better because of no sales tax, amazon has the pro for 529.99 right now, lowest in a long time.


----------



## laria

Wow... wish that was the price a couple weeks ago for price match at Best Buy.


----------



## cjbell82

Amazon is really knocking the price of the Roamio Pro at the moment.

$431.23 from them direct, or $399.99 from reseller Etailz.

http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...TF8&qid=1389405692&sr=8-1&keywords=roamio+pro


----------



## mjcxp

Amazon has the pro for $431.23. I just picked one up to replace my basic.


----------



## tatergator1

cjbell82 said:


> Amazon is really knocking the price of the Roamio Pro at the moment.
> 
> $431.23 from them direct, or $399.99 from reseller Etailz.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...TF8&qid=1389405692&sr=8-1&keywords=roamio+pro


This won't last long. And order from Amazon. Those Etailz orders are sure to get cancelled. I'm guessing they messed up and listed inventory for the Roamio Plus under the Pro model.

You can bet the Amazon price is their rock-bottom of wholesale+shipping allowance. No profit margin at that price.


----------



## mjcxp

tatergator1 said:


> This won't last long. And order from Amazon. Those Etailz orders are sure to get cancelled. I'm guessing they messed up and listed inventory for the Roamio Plus under the Pro model.
> 
> You can bet the Amazon price is their rock-bottom of wholesale+shipping allowance. No profit margin at that price.


Yep I figured if I ordered from them I would receive the Plus and not the Pro. Hopefully Amazon will honor the orders.


----------



## tivaulo

tatergator1 said:


> This won't last long. And order from Amazon. Those Etailz orders are sure to get cancelled. I'm guessing they messed up and listed inventory for the Roamio Plus under the Pro model.
> 
> You can bet the Amazon price is their rock-bottom of wholesale+shipping allowance. No profit margin at that price.


Thank you for pushing me over the wall. I was about to start researching about etailz as this sure looks like a product mistake.

I was looking for a plus instead, but this is too good to pass. At least if anything goes wrong with the transaction, the headache with Amazon will be a lot lighter than with the other company.

BTW, I think this is a case of Amazon's bot automatic price match. Thanks etailz for the mistake, crossing my fingers.


----------



## laria

I'd be surprised if the order went through. Etailz had the Pro listed at $399.99 in mid-November, too, and a couple of us placed orders, but we all got emails within a day that the order had been cancelled because the product was out of stock.


----------



## JAaronT

laria said:


> I'd be surprised if the order went through. Etailz had the Pro listed at $399.99 in mid-November, too, and a couple of us placed orders, but we all got emails within a day that the order had been cancelled because the product was out of stock.


I was just searching for our posts about the experience with them.

Spend the $30 and get it from Amazon. I just did.


----------



## DonnieZ

Just got settled in with my new Roamio Plus and Mini which are replacing two TiVo HD units.

Got Best Buy to match the email from TiVo for $349 for the Plus, and got them to match the $86 price from Amazon for the Mini. Wish I could have bought when they had the gift card deal as well, but you can't win them all.

Gawd.. These things set up so fast! Thanks to the person who posted the Comcast Cable Card hotline somewhere on this forum. I was up and going in 5 minutes from the time I powered up the Roamio and inserted the M-Card from my TiVoHD!!! Guided setup took about an hour with all the updates, reboots, and some dinner cooking in the middle.


----------



## laria

I still haven't called to pair my card and we went and got it the day after Christmas.


----------



## mike3775

The ones who got the pro from best buy are lucky as hell. My best buy stores only had the basic $199 model and the others I had to order online through them, and I figured since I am going to order online, I may as well go through Tivo and use some promo codes I got in an email.

I have to give Tivo credit. I initially screwed up and ordered a roamio plus w/lifetime and it cost $962.98, and I realized I had forgotten to enter my promo code after I clicked purchase. I called them up immediately, and they went into my order and put in the promo code and while doing so I asked if I could just cancel that order and put in an order for the pro as it would come out to be about the same price with the promo code, which they did cancel the original, and did an order over the phone and my total for pro with lifetime was $962.99, so with the promo code, and 1 cent more, I got the pro.

I am waiting for my delivery to arrive. It was supposed to arrive today, but UPS is still having issues from the weather event earlier this week so I should get it tomorrow, and I went ahead and got my cable card from Comcast the day after I placed my order, so I am hoping installation and activation of it will be painless, as for my HDTivo, Comcast was in my place for over 7 hours getting it set up(this was in 2008)


----------



## lessd

JAaronT said:


> I was just searching for our posts about the experience with them.
> 
> Spend the $30 and get it from Amazon. I just did.


For me it would be $30 + $27 in sales tax, that $57, I took my chance and ordered the $399 Roamio Pro version, I got a confirm from Amazon, if the order falls through, no problem for me as I will get my money back.


----------



## Tom Pich

Amazon is back to $529.99 for the Pro which is still a good price. I was lucky enough to get in on the $431.23 price x2. Hopefully Amazon will ship these units!

Etailz is still showing $399.99.


----------



## Tom Pich

Amazon price is $433.59 for the Roamio Pro right now. I'm sure it won't last long.


----------



## alyssa

I was able to get best buy to price match to costco for a plus over the phone. The plus price ended up being $350 with fee shipping. (I had an additional $100 bucks in gcards for bb)

How I did it was
Call a costco that is located with 50 miles of a best by
, ask them what they have the plus at, 
Call best buy, tell them you saw it in a costco at xxxx
They'll call the costco and verify
Then give you the plus at the price matched mark with free shipping.


----------



## sicariis

Didn't think this low price would hang around all day. I cancelled my Elitz order, and went to Best Buy and got them to match Amazon's $433, well worth the little extra for getting it today.


----------



## DonnieZ

alyssa said:


> I was able to get best buy to price match to costco for a plus over the phone. The plus price ended up being $350 with fee shipping. (I had an additional $100 bucks in gcards for bb)
> 
> How I did it was
> Call a costco that is located with 50 miles of a best by
> , ask them what they have the plus at,
> Call best buy, tell them you saw it in a costco at xxxx
> They'll call the costco and verify
> Then give you the plus at the price matched mark with free shipping.


That's pretty good you got them to match Costco.. I thought their policy was not to match membership clubs.


----------



## tivogurl

Is the Pro really worth it? I'd probably lose at least $100 reselling my 2TB Lifetime Basic.


----------



## mike3775

tivogurl said:


> Is the Pro really worth it? I'd probably lose at least $100 reselling my 2TB Lifetime Basic.


I only got the pro because of the promo codes TiVo sent. I would have been happy with the middle one because I still have the extender from the HDTivo that died 6 months ago, and figured I would simply add that to the one, but the promo codes made is the same as the middle, and I will plug the extender into it when it arrives Monday(Freiking UPS and their BS weather excuses for delaying the delivery)


----------



## laria

We wanted the Plus/Pro because we already had 4 tuners with our two S3's and needed the 6 tuners. We knew we'd either upgrade the Plus or just get the Pro because we also wanted the increased hard drive space.


----------



## Diana Collins

tivogurl said:


> Is the Pro really worth it? I'd probably lose at least $100 reselling my 2TB Lifetime Basic.


Depends on the deal you get. At list, there is a $200 difference in price, and a 3TB drive runs between $100 and $140 depending on what type of drive you buy. Personally, it is worth $60 to $75 to me to not have to open up the box. YMMV.


----------



## cjbell82

Got Best Buy to pricematch the Amazon price of $433.59 for the pro. No problems, although they did double check this on their own iPad!

Didn't want to risk going through Etailz, as they seem to keep getting further stock in, and one wonders how they can be priced so much cheaper than the rest, but good luck to those who are trying that route!


----------



## shrike4242

cjbell82 said:


> Got Best Buy to pricematch the Amazon price of $433.59 for the pro. No problems, although they did double check this on their own iPad!
> 
> Didn't want to risk going through Etailz, as they seem to keep getting further stock in, and one wonders how they can be priced so much cheaper than the rest, but good luck to those who are trying that route!


Best part is that I ordered one on Tuesday at $535.99 and it dropped right after shipment and I emailed to get my $6 back. Last night, my camelcamelcamel.com price alert went off to alert me to the $431.23 price and I emailed them again to get my $98.76 back.

Amazon will price adjust and credit back the difference within 7 days of shipment, so if anyone ordered one from Amazon and received it in the last 7 days, email Amazon to get your difference back, before they put it back up to $529.99 again.

I will be very surprised if Etailz ships at that price and I would be even more surprised if they do anything before Monday, since they're likely to be getting hit with dozens of orders at that price.


----------



## robby818

My Roamio Pro arrived yesterday. I purchased it on Wednesday night for $529.90 on Amazon.com. I contacted Amazon by Chat and received a credit for $96.40. This is why I love Amazon. Instant customer service & resolution even on a Saturday evening. 

Yeah Amazon :up:


----------



## Loach

lessd said:


> For me it would be $30 + $27 in sales tax, that $57, I took my chance and ordered the $399 Roamio Pro version, I got a confirm from Amazon, if the order falls through, no problem for me as I will get my money back.


Good heavens man! How many Roamios are you going to buy?


----------



## alyssa

cjbell82 said:


> Got Best Buy to pricematch the Amazon price of $433.59 for the pro. No problems, although they did double check this on their own iPad!


it's a good price with a 3tb hdd
if you got bb to price match a plus to $350 & add a 3tb hdd for $120 = $470


----------



## lessd

Loach said:


> Good heavens man! How many Roamios are you going to buy?


I going to end up with 3 Roamios and sell my remaining TP4, I find the Roamio a great unit that I will (for the foreseeable future) not have to upgrade again.


----------



## Loach

lessd said:


> I going to end up with 3 Roamios and sell my remaining TP4, I find the Roamio a great unit that I will (for the foreseeable future) not have to upgrade again.


Why 3 DVRs and one Mini though instead of two of each? Are you really going to use 18 tuners and 8TB of recording space? Or are you less than impressed with the Mini?


----------



## nooneuknow

Loach said:


> Why 3 DVRs and one Mini though instead of two of each? Are you really going to use 18 tuners and 8TB of recording space? Or are you less than impressed with the Mini?


While not a part of the discussion, I've seen this question posted a lot lately.

I think it merits it's own thread, as there are many reasons to want either configuration, as well as each having it's own upsides/downsides. But, it is still a YMMV situation. One size (way) does not fit all (although many would try to insist their way is the better/best way).

I'm using three Roamio basics, all upgraded with WD 3TB Red NAS drives (by myself), and would never consider a Mini.

I'll explain it all when somebody starts a thread (it's inevitable). Then, everybody who wants to ask this question, or post the pros/cons, can link over to that thread, keeping this thread for the deals only, and undiluted.

Each Roamio Basic cost me $99 (plus tax), each 3TB WD Red NAS drive cost me $119, and I lifetimed all of them at MSD pricing. All my TiVo HDs and Premieres which were lifetimed, 2-tuner w/2TB drives, have been sold and shipped.

I'm quite happy with what I have, and have no regrets about not going with Plus/Pro models (or using any Minis), regardless of some of the current deals, not available on the other models, in the window I had to make my decisions.

Anybody want more details, and/or to argue that I'm an idiot for what I chose? Start a dedicated thread then, please.

Add: P.S. There's always the PM option, if you are of the mind that this forum has too many threads already.


----------



## jwbelcher

$50 Gift cards returned at Best buy yesterday

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/promo/tivo-roamio-offer-115640


----------



## tatergator1

jwbelcher said:


> $50 Gift cards returned at Best buy yesterday
> 
> http://www.bestbuy.com/site/promo/tivo-roamio-offer-115640


Now, if Etailz would pop back up on Amazon with the $399 Pro, and Amazon adjusts back to ~$433 for the Pro, that would be one hell of a price match deal with the $50 gift card!


----------



## lessd

Loach said:


> Why 3 DVRs and one Mini though instead of two of each? Are you really going to use 18 tuners and 8TB of recording space? Or are you less than impressed with the Mini?


I am never going to need 18 tuners, because of the speed of the Roamio, at a good price, I wanted to replace the three TP4s that I had before with the Roamio, if TiVo had personal groups than what your suggesting would make sense for our family, but without personal groups each TiVo is its own personal group, the Mini is for my wife at her makeup area in our master bathroom.
When I set down to watch a recorded show on my TiVo I don't want to have to go through a bunch a shows that others have recorded.
The other thing is that now I will have a consistent interface on all my TiVos and I don't think I will (for the foreseeable future) have to upgrade our Roamios to anything new TiVo may come out with.


----------



## Loach

nooneuknow said:


> While not a part of the discussion, I've seen this question posted a lot lately.
> 
> I think it merits it's own thread, as there are many reasons to want either configuration, as well as each having it's own upsides/downsides. But, it is still a YMMV situation. One size (way) does not fit all (although many would try to insist their way is the better/best way).
> 
> I'm using three Roamio basics, all upgraded with WD 3TB Red NAS drives (by myself), and would never consider a Mini.
> 
> I'll explain it all when somebody starts a thread (it's inevitable). Then, everybody who wants to ask this question, or post the pros/cons, can link over to that thread, keeping this thread for the deals only, and undiluted.
> 
> Each Roamio Basic cost me $99 (plus tax), each 3TB WD Red NAS drive cost me $119, and I lifetimed all of them at MSD pricing. All my TiVo HDs and Premieres which were lifetimed, 2-tuner w/2TB drives, have been sold and shipped.
> 
> I'm quite happy with what I have, and have no regrets about not going with Plus/Pro models (or using any Minis), regardless of some of the current deals, not available on the other models, in the window I had to make my decisions.
> 
> Anybody want more details, and/or to argue that I'm an idiot for what I chose? Start a dedicated thread then, please.
> 
> Add: P.S. There's always the PM option, if you are of the mind that this forum has too many threads already.


There's already a separate thread on that general topic here. I was just looking for lessd's specific take on it, which he has graciously provided.


----------



## OCSMITH

laria said:


> I'd be surprised if the order went through. Etailz had the Pro listed at $399.99 in mid-November, too, and a couple of us placed orders, but we all got emails within a day that the order had been cancelled because the product was out of stock.


My order was just canceled........


----------



## nooneuknow

Loach said:


> There's already a separate thread on that general topic here. I was just looking for lessd's specific take on it, which he has graciously provided.


Good to know. I'll post something in there when I'm not busy trying to figure out why only my Roamios will do Netflix @ 1080p/24, and not my Roku 2XS or WD TV Live Hub (the latter two used to, now refuse to)...

While the Roamios are nice, they still have that famous TiVo tendency to spontaneously reboot when using Netflix, and I can only get 720p with my other devices.


----------



## a0lsux

Ordered from Amazon 433 with overnight and just got it today. Didn't want to take a risk with Blitz.


----------



## alyssa

the $50 gift card deal seems to be back at bb at least on the plus

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/roamio-...3&skuId=1503982&st=tivo roamio plus&cp=1&lp=1


----------



## mike3775

Got my roamio today and set up real fast. I have to give credit to the one who posted the 877 number for Comcast, saved me a bunch of wait time on the phone trying to get the cable card activated.

Now I am waiting to decide whether or not I hook the extender into the pro or not


----------



## mrsean

OCSMITH said:


> My order was just canceled........


Mine was cancelled at 1:17pm. I wonder if Etailz shipped any?

*EDIT:* If you ordered last week from Etailz, you can get Amazon to honor their $431.23 price from the same period. However, you will have to spend at least 40 minutes and push them hard on chat. Phone might be easier if you want to go that route. Good luck!


----------



## Eric2500

Overall are people liking the new Roamio? A couple months ago I upgraded to a TiVo XL Premier 4 tuner... versus the 2 turner... plus added a TiVo Mini in the bedroom. I bought them on eBay and saved a few bucks. NEXT DAY they introduced the Roamio. I was not too happy about it. So what did I do... I entered the TiVo Holiday Cash Sweepstakes hoping I would win one of the three cash prizes so I could buy one. 

Guess what... just a few hours ago I got an email stating that I won the $2,500 prize. Naturally I just looked at the email and thought... yeah right... I won... sure... for the 10th time this month I won a contest. But after further review, I'm 95% sure this is legit. All the information in the email is the same as the sweepstakes. A contact phone number to a large company that deals with promotions (info Googled and verified) was given in the email with an extension to a woman I can contact if I would like. 

So I either won $2,500... or I'll be playing the fool in Identity Theft II. 

If I did win, is the 6 tuner Roamio a nice unit? 

I am currently using a MoCA adapter instead of wireless adapters... which baffles me why people use wireless when MoCA is an option.


----------



## HF444

I would call TIVO and see what they say about who won their prize.


----------



## jwbelcher

Eric2500 said:


> Overall are people liking the new Roamio? A couple months ago I upgraded to a TiVo XL Premier 4 tuner... versus the 2 turner... plus added a TiVo Mini in the bedroom. I bought them on eBay and saved a few bucks. NEXT DAY they introduced the Roamio. I was not too happy about it. So what did I do... I entered the TiVo Holiday Cash Sweepstakes hoping I would win one of the three cash prizes so I could buy one.
> 
> Guess what... just a few hours ago I got an email stating that I won the $2,500 prize. Naturally I just looked at the email and thought... yeah right... I won... sure... for the 10th time this month I won a contest. But after further review, I'm 95% sure this is legit. All the information in the email is the same as the sweepstakes. A contact phone number to a large company that deals with promotions (info Googled and verified) was given in the email with an extension to a woman I can contact if I would like.
> 
> So I either won $2,500... or I'll be playing the fool in Identity Theft II.
> 
> If I did win, is the 6 tuner Roamio a nice unit?
> 
> I am currently using a MoCA adapter instead of wireless adapters... which baffles me why people use wireless when MoCA is an option.


Yes, very happy with Roamio and 6 tuners. I got the Pro - upgraded from TivoHD - and like the disk space w/o having to open the unit to upgrade the drive.


----------



## Eric2500

jwbelcher said:


> Yes, very happy with Roamio and 6 tuners. I got the Pro - upgraded from TivoHD - and like the disk space w/o having to open the unit to upgrade the drive.


Thanks for the response.

I did in fact win the $2,500 prize through their sweepstakes... confirmed through TiVo PR department today. Naturally my wife has other plans ALREADY to fix up our kitchen. This single people... is why you don't get married.

Happy I won though... I never win anything. Guess I can't say that now.


----------



## OCSMITH

mrsean said:


> Mine was cancelled at 1:17pm. I wonder if Etailz shipped any?
> 
> *EDIT:* If you ordered last week from Etailz, you can get Amazon to honor their $431.23 price from the same period. However, you will have to spend at least 40 minutes and push them hard on chat. Phone might be easier if you want to go that route. Good luck!


I did just that yesterday afternoon, took about 15min. (in chat) My new Roamio Pro will be here today...... Thanks anyway:up:


----------



## tivaulo

Got my new Roamio Pro from Amazon, thanks for the heads up about etailz!

Now I need to get rid of my premiere+tivo2 setup.

I think I read somewhere (maybe this thread?) that if you have a device active for more than two years that you can buy a lifetime subscription at a big discount ($100 final price?). Is that so? If so, does it work for both premiere and tivo 2?

This way I could pass the older units to (non-tivo) friends and just charge them lifetime subscription.


----------



## dlongnecker

How do you all keep up with all these deals? I want to get a Roamio Plus, and of course don't want to pay the $399 list. My local costco's don't have it (at least when I checked Sunday). So is the best buy $389 and the $50 gift card the best deal now?


----------



## ThAbtO

tivaulo said:


> Got my new Roamio Pro from Amazon, thanks for the heads up about etailz!
> 
> Now I need to get rid of my premiere+tivo2 setup.
> 
> I think I read somewhere (maybe this thread?) that if you have a device active for more than two years that you can buy a lifetime subscription at a big discount ($100 final price?). Is that so? If so, does it work for both premiere and tivo 2?
> 
> This way I could pass the older units to (non-tivo) friends and just charge them lifetime subscription.


You should be able to get $99 lifetime on Premiere and older models, but you have to call to get it, not online.


----------



## jwbelcher

Eric2500 said:


> Thanks for the response.
> 
> I did in fact win the $2,500 prize through their sweepstakes... confirmed through TiVo PR department today. Naturally my wife has other plans ALREADY to fix up our kitchen. This single people... is why you don't get married.
> 
> Happy I won though... I never win anything. Guess I can't say that now.


Congrats dude. You should at least carve out enough to get the base unit. The speed improvement is worth it alone - you could auction off your premier to offset the difference. Honest, you wont regret it - my wife (and kids) love it.


----------



## todd_j_derr

I did get my $431 amazon order today, got it set up. 

After being un-impressed with the fact Verizon apparently wanted me to save some paper that came with the CC with an "activation code" on it so I could do the swap myself, I was very impressed with their support. I was able to get someone on chat at 1:30am and he re-paired the card on the first try with no problems. I have some real nightmarish memories of pairing Comcast CC's.

Now, I just have to transfer 117 shows from my XL4 to the Roamio so I can sell it. I'm not very impressed with that, apparently the only way to automate it is taking an extra hop through a PC? It would be nice to have a "one click" transfer all - as well as the Channel Lineup (with selected channels), Wishlists, Manual Recordings, other stuff I'm probably overlooking, etc.

Regardless, I'm definitely liking the speed and the new UI look.


----------



## tivaulo

ThAbtO said:


> You should be able to get $99 lifetime on Premiere and older models, but you have to call to get it, not online.


Thanks ThAbtO. That makes me wonder if I should install a quiet notebook HD on my premiere and keep it for the bedroom instead of buying a mini...


----------



## alyssa

todd_j_derr said:


> Now, I just have to transfer 117 shows from my XL4 to the Roamio so I can sell it. I'm not very impressed with that, apparently the only way to automate it is taking an extra hop through a PC? It would be nice to have a "one click" transfer all - as well as the Channel Lineup (with selected channels), Wishlists, Manual Recordings, other stuff I'm probably overlooking, etc.


I used kmttg to port my season passes over- wicked quick & a great program 
Then went threw the roamio & transferred each show <sigh>
Currently i'm looking at a bunch of non transferable shows on the premiere & doing the debate, if watching them is worth waiting to sell the premiere.



dlongnecker said:


> I want to get a Roamio Plus, and of course don't want to pay the $399 list. My local costco's don't have it (at least when I checked Sunday). So is the best buy $389 and the $50 gift card the best deal now?


call around to costco's that are located within 50 miles of a best buy. then call best buy online & get them to pricematch down to $350.


----------



## lpwcomp

tivaulo said:


> Got my new Roamio Pro from Amazon, thanks for the heads up about etailz!
> 
> Now I need to get rid of my premiere+tivo2 setup.
> 
> I think I read somewhere (maybe this thread?) that if you have a device active for more than two years that you can buy a lifetime subscription at a big discount ($100 final price?). Is that so? If so, does it work for both premiere and tivo 2?
> 
> This way I could pass the older units to (non-tivo) friends and just charge them lifetime subscription.


Before spending $99 to put a TiVo 2 on PLS, you might want to check out Craig's List and eBay.


----------



## dbenrosen

I was able to get the Roamio Plus a couple of days ago from ABT for $350 by chatting them up and saying I had the email coupon from TiVo for $50 off the Plus. They don't charge tax in my state, free shipping and just 2 days from order to arrival.


----------



## tivaulo

lpwcomp said:


> Before spending $99 to put a TiVo 2 on PLS, you might want to check out Craig's List and eBay.


I see. It doesn't make sense. Thanks.


----------



## Tom Pich

Received the two Roamio Pros I ordered from Amazon @431.29ea yesterday. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to set them up till I can spring for lifetime on both boxes.


----------



## HarperVision

Tom Pich said:


> Received the two Roamio Pros I ordered from Amazon @431.29ea yesterday. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to set them up till I can spring for lifetime on both boxes.


Why not set them up as monthly initially which gives you 30 days to upgrade to lifetime, then if you still don't have the funds call again before the 30 days is up and ask for another 30 day extension, which they've always done. If after 60 days you still don't have funds, just cancel service. I'm sure if you called to cancel after that long with the reason being you didn't have money for lifetime, then they'd maybe extend your trial period again. Worth a try I think.


----------



## Tom Pich

So I can set them up monthly and buy Lifetime in say a few weeks and not be on the hook for the full year?


----------



## alyssa

Yes


----------



## lessd

*FYI* I ordered a Roamio Plus (as that Amazon Etailz canceled me and others for the Roamio Pro at $399) for $319 free shipping and no Tax, not quite as good a deal as Etailz, but close, and better than Amazon as I now have to pay tax at Amazon, see below, will be at my home today, order was on the 13th of Jan. Payment by PayPal, and PayPal told me the payment was covered under their buyer protection plan. 
The sight is http://www.electronichotdeal.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/

Tracking Jan 2014 UPS (Free Shipping) 1ZW4946xxxxxxxx Unit coming from NY


----------



## tatergator1

lessd said:


> *FYI* I ordered a Roamio Plus (as that Amazon Etailz canceled me and others for the Roamio Pro at $399) for $319 free shipping and no Tax, not quite as good a deal as Etailz, but close, and better than Amazon as I now have to pay tax at Amazon, see below, will be at my home today, order was on the 13th of Jan. Payment by PayPal, and PayPal told me the payment was covered under their buyer protection plan.
> The sight is http://www.electronichotdeal.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/
> 
> Tracking Jan 2014 UPS (Free Shipping) 1ZW4946xxxxxxxx Unit coming from NY


Ugh, there's no stopping you, is there lessd. Another scam site, slightly different look.

See the About us. 
Looks like the scammer missed that one "Walt's" reference.

Where the it came from: Walts


----------



## midson

Thanks to Target's data breach, there are plenty of stolen CC numbers out there to use! Score for lessd!


----------



## Zu Nim

Anyone who buys from electronichotdeal.com is participating in triangulation fraud. These sites all use bigcommerce.com to build a store with one of the stock themes and then they disappear a month later. sophiamart.com and electronicmegasale.com used the Classic theme. Nobody gets a printed receipt with their shipment except to say it was shipped by another retailer. The fraudsters can't even be bothered to complete the sites (or they lift the content from someone else) except for the database of products.


----------



## lapdog12

Just got the roamio pro from Best Buy. I had them match the $499 price from this page:

https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/roamio-upgrade-offer-landing-page

I did as someone else did, I explained that they discounted the box $100 as part of the deal and the manager gave it to me. I think it helped that I went early on a weekday morning when they were not busy at all.

I also got the $50 gift card as well. I personally used that to pay for half of the 4 year geek squad warranty. I know some people don't bother with the warranty, but I wanted a bit of piece of mind. I like being able to go right to best buy instead of having to ship things back and forth with tivo.

It's still in the box. Now I need to get a cable card from TWC socal. fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly.


----------



## randian

Not even electronichotdeal is aggressive enough to match Etailz.


----------



## MrWizzu

Just got amazon to match the $430 price they had while etailz offer of $399. Just linked them my cancelled order number and they matched it. Took less than 5 minutes.


----------



## mrsean

MrWizzu said:


> Just got amazon to match the $430 price they had while etailz offer of $399. Just linked them my cancelled order number and they matched it. Took less than 5 minutes.


Sounds like nobody else had to go through the ordeal that I did to get the $423 price. It serves me right though since I contacted Amazon in the middle of the night which means da da da.... I had to deal with India.


----------



## ThAbtO

mrsean said:


> Sounds like nobody else had to go through the ordeal that I did to get the $423 price. It serves me right though since I contacted Amazon in the middle of the night which means da da da.... I had to deal with India.


I hate outsourced CS, especially from India, terribly hard to understand their accents. Philippines is not as bad.


----------



## lessd

randian said:


> Not even electronichotdeal is aggressive enough to match Etailz.


But Etailoz does not ship, electronichotdeal does, and still as a drop ship from Best Buy, because of some people on this forum calling electronichotdeal a scam I called Best Buy with their order number and asked them to check if there was any type of problem with that Best Buy order number, they looked it up and said it was paid for *and not by credit card*, bank xfer, and I will have no problem with that sale, it was not any type of scam. But if you look at BB stock, down 25% yesterday, maybe they don't know what happening anyways.


----------



## tatergator1

lessd said:


> ...it was paid for *and not by credit card*, bank xfer, and I will have no problem with that sale, it was not any type of scam.


Even worse, the scammers are potentially using stolen bank account info to do ACH transfers out of unsuspecting victim's accounts. These are illegitimate sites. The money paid to Best Buy is dirty, whatever the source.


----------



## lessd

tatergator1 said:


> Even worse, the scammers are potentially using stolen bank account info to do ACH transfers out of unsuspecting victim's accounts. These are illegitimate sites. The money paid to Best Buy is dirty, whatever the source.


I don't know you *tatergator1* but I sure do know Best Buy, so your saying Best Buy is being scammed, you know this for sure but Best Buy is a baby in the woods, you should offer your services to Best Buy, as you could save them a ton of money as this sight is selling a lot more than TiVos. You seem to have such an easy answer, how does Best Buy miss this, their fraud dept. must have heard about the big retail customer thief (if this transition is part of this) and not question all this new business coming from this and other so called (by you) scam sights. I will leave the possibility open that PayPal, Best Buy, and myself are being taking, *OR* Best Buy is trying to dump inventory in a way that does not make Best Buy look any worse than they already are (BBY stock is now down about 35% in two days). 
The undisputed facts are:

I payed PayPal, a legitimate money receiver

I received my product from Best Buy, a legitimate Co that would not send my a stolen product.

People purchase from E-Bay all the time and the buyer has no knowledge where the product came from (in most cases).

I could see your point if I went to the back of a Best Buy store and paid say a Lenny $300 cash and he came back with my TiVo from the Best Buy stock room.


----------



## tatergator1

Other facts:

You are paying $319 to an online "business" which, in turn pays the full retail of $399 to Best Buy to drop ship it to you. 

This "business" website uses an "About Us" description taken directly from another online electronics retailer, even forgetting to change one of the references to "electronichotdeal."

This same item has been offered for the same price at least two other short-lived online businesses: sophiamart and electronicmegasale.

Those two other sites used the exact same e-commerce website template sold by bigcommerce.com.

The current site, electronichotdeal, uses a different template from the same company.

If it looks like a duck and walks/quacks/flies like a duck, it is a duck.

As an aside, I actually do have some insight into Best Buy's loss prevention as I recently sat on a Jury for an identity theft trial. The incidents occurred 3 years ago and was just making it to trial, but in 2010/2011, the Best Buy stores in my geographical region had some of the worst video surveillance in terms of quality and usefulness. Ironically, a nearby Target Store's surveillance using an antiquated VHS system was 10 times better.

I've said my piece.


----------



## cherry ghost

Was the jury sequestered at a Holiday Inn Express?


----------



## tatergator1

cherry ghost said:


> Was the jury sequestered at a Holiday Inn Express?


I suppose I deserved that a little. (Put's soap box away.)


----------



## lessd

tatergator1 said:


> Other facts:
> 
> You are paying $319 to an online "business" which, in turn pays the full retail of $399 to Best Buy to drop ship it to you.
> 
> This "business" website uses an "About Us" description taken directly from another online electronics retailer, even forgetting to change one of the references to "electronichotdeal."
> 
> This same item has been offered for the same price at least two other short-lived online businesses: sophiamart and electronicmegasale.
> 
> Those two other sites used the exact same e-commerce website template sold by bigcommerce.com.
> 
> The current site, electronichotdeal, uses a different template from the same company.
> 
> If it looks like a duck and walks/quacks/flies like a duck, it is a duck.
> 
> As an aside, I actually do have some insight into Best Buy's loss prevention as I recently sat on a Jury for an identity theft trial. The incidents occurred 3 years ago and was just making it to trial, but in 2010/2011, the Best Buy stores in my geographical region had some of the worst video surveillance in terms of quality and usefulness. Ironically, a nearby Target Store's surveillance using an antiquated VHS system was 10 times better.
> 
> I've said my piece.


I know that is your position and I respect that, but your not answering my question, how do you know about this so called scam and PayPal and Best Buy do not ?? Are you just more carful about Web sights that you have no business with, and PayPal/Best Buy are not ??


----------



## tatergator1

lessd said:


> I know that is your position and I respect that, but your not answering my question, how do you know about this so called scam and PayPal and Best Buy do not ?? Are you just more carful about Web sights that you have no business with, and PayPal/Best Buy are not ??


Can I say 100% this is a scam. No. 99%, Probably. It's likely Paypal and Best Buy are well aware of the tactics of said sites, it's just hard to kill it and track in real time. Why do these sites only last a few weeks? PayPal caught on and terminated their account? IIRC, another member Googled sophiamart and found several complaints from people who never received anything after paying.

My guess is the Best Buy orders are individually placed using a different stolen ID each time. Just like a parent ordering a new tech gadget for a college student, they put in all the stolen payment info to the BB site, and use your shipping address, like it was a gift.

I would never order anything from one of those sites. Never. Regardless of assurances from payment processors that would make me whole if it were a fraud.

Little in life is certain. I don't know the precise mechanics. However, everything about this stinks, badly.


----------



## JDSmooth

In a small attempt to get this thread back on track, I will say that I just picked up a Roamio Basic for our master bedroom to replace our Premiere 4 XL. I price matched to the $149 Amazon Price, used a $100 giftcard I got from a Black Friday sale, and got the $50 giftcard with absolutely no issues. Truthfully the manager who had to emerge from a strange door at the front of the store looked annoyed at having been bothered to authorize the transaction more than anything else. 

After using the Roamio Plus in the Living Room, the TP4 was getting really frustrating. Even my wife noticed the difference. I ordered a 2tb WD AVGP drive to swap in before I set it up next week.


----------



## BlackBetty

Bummed I missed the amazon $430 price for the pro. Hopefully it comes back.


----------



## Zu Nim

lessd said:


> I know that is your position and I respect that, but your not answering my question, how do you know about this so called scam and PayPal and Best Buy do not ?? Are you just more carful about Web sights that you have no business with, and PayPal/Best Buy are not ??


It can take up to 60 days for a consumer or bank to realize something is amiss (and do something about it). Some fraudulent charges are found quickly, but mostly when the banks are liable and will have to eat the cost. ACH charges? Good luck.

eBay is littered with triangulation fraud, too. It's a clever criminal scheme and (usually) not obvious to the consumer until after the purchase. But eBay fraudsters get shut down abruptly because consumers report it, which is inconvenient for larger-scale fraudsters. So they've moved into making cookie-cutter websites that aren't rigorously patrolled. It doesn't make it more legitimate.


----------



## mongo69

If you go to electronichotdeal.com and click on "about us", it states they have been in business in Arizona for 50 years. If you click on "contact us" the address is Long Beach, CA. On scamvoid.com and geolocation.mynetworkisrich.com, the IP address is located in Dallas. scamvoid.com also states that the website was only registered 22 days ago.

That's enough red flags for me to avoid it. I was just about to pull the trigger on a laptop deal but was suspicious because the deal was so much better than elsewhere.


----------



## lessd

Zu Nim said:


> It can take up to 60 days for a consumer or bank to realize something is amiss (and do something about it). Some fraudulent charges are found quickly, but mostly when the banks are liable and will have to eat the cost. ACH charges? Good luck.
> 
> eBay is littered with triangulation fraud, too. It's a clever criminal scheme and (usually) not obvious to the consumer until after the purchase. But eBay fraudsters get shut down abruptly because consumers report it, which is inconvenient for larger-scale fraudsters. So they've moved into making cookie-cutter websites that aren't rigorously patrolled. It doesn't make it more legitimate.


I guess I feel that I should protect myself from being scammed, not PayPal or Best Buy for that matter, every day I get people trying to give me millions of $ (I won a sweepstakes or I am just a good person to leave money to) if I would verify myself with my name, address, SS number, and bank info so they can deposit this money into my account (I think there is a movie now out about this, _*Nebraska*_ ). If you offer me advice not to give out this information, I would be 100% on your side, but I don't feel I am responsible to check out any Web sight before I purchase, if I like the payment system (and price) I purchase, only once in the last 10 years did I not get delivery, called my CC co. up and they gave me my money back, no hassle. I would not purchase from *Amazon.com *if payment was only by* western Union*.


----------



## todd_j_derr

Yeah - holy crap, how can you even argue that site is legitimate? Between the sloppily copied text from Walt's, the "contact us" address in CA (which is actually the address of a strip mall management office: http://www.marketplacelongbeach.com/contact), and all the other shadiness, it's pretty obvious something is amiss. You can choose to be willfully ignorant of all that, and maybe you'll even avoid getting screwed personally, but it is likely that someone is getting the shaft. Is saving a few bucks really worth participating in fraud?


----------



## lpwcomp

lessd,

I assume you would also buy from this site.


----------



## soobaerodude

todd_j_derr said:


> Yeah - holy crap, how can you even argue that site is legitimate? Between the sloppily copied text from Walt's, the "contact us" address in CA (which is actually the address of a strip mall management office: http://www.marketplacelongbeach.com/contact), and all the other shadiness, it's pretty obvious something is amiss. You can choose to be willfully ignorant of all that, and maybe you'll even avoid getting screwed personally, but it is likely that someone is getting the shaft. Is saving a few bucks really worth participating in fraud?


To lessd and palover, it is worth it to them. Despite all of the obvious red flags and minuscule 'savings', it's not their problem.


----------



## lessd

soobaerodude said:


> To lessd and palover, it is worth it to them. Despite all of the obvious red flags and minuscule 'savings', it's not their problem.


:up::up:


----------



## lessd

lpwcomp said:


> lessd,
> 
> I assume you would also buy from this site.


Why !! your you assume that??
If any web sight offers something I want at a good price, and I think my payment is safe I will purchase, I am not, as some of you seem to be, the Web police. To purchase from a Web sight and say I am part of a fraud is disingenuous on your part, unless some official gov. agency tells me not to deal with a sight (then I would obey such a request) it not my problem !! It is not my problem because some of you spend time checking out web sights, I don't, just my payment safety. I have not had any loss yet.


----------



## randian

The site might be illegitimate, but a CA company having a server in Dallas isn't evidence of that. I'm in AZ and use a hosting company in MA.


----------



## lpwcomp

lessd said:


> Why !! your you assume that??
> If any web sight offers something I want at a good price, and I think my payment is safe I will purchase, I am not, as some of you seem to be, the Web police. To purchase from a Web sight and say I am part of a fraud is disingenuous on your part, unless some official gov. agency tells me not to deal with a sight (then I would obey such a request) it not my problem !! It is not my problem because some of you spend time checking out web sights, I don't, just my payment safety. I have not had any loss yet.


The reason I assume that is that it you are only concerned with whether or not you are risking a loss, not with the distinct probability that you are in essence receiving stolen goods. You're not the regular police any more than you are the Web police, so I infer that you would have no problem with it.


----------



## lessd

lpwcomp said:


> The reason I assume that is that it you are only concerned with whether or not you are risking a loss, not with the distinct probability that you are in essence receiving stolen goods. You're not the regular police any more than you are the Web police, so I infer that you would have no problem with it.


I have a big problem with receiving stolen goods, but when I purchase from E-Bay or other web sights I don't assume that I am receiving stolen goods, if, as I said before, I go to the back of say Best Buy and pay a* Lenny *$300 for a Roamio Plus and he comes back out with the box and no receipt, that I would never do, even though Lenny may have won that TiVo from Best Buy and was not stolen. I would never purchase from the back of a truck or any other such thing, but from a web sight taking PayPal, no problem for me. Amazon was small at first selling book at a great price, were the first people buying book from Amazon think that the books may be stolen ?? If you deal with well known payments systems you can't get into any trouble with the law. Anyone ever purchase from a pawn shop ??


----------



## tatergator1

lessd said:


> I go to the back of say Best Buy and pay a* Lenny *$300 for a Roamio Plus and he comes back out with the box and no receipt, that I would never do, even though Lenny may have won that TiVo from Best Buy and was not stolen.


So as long as Lenny has a website and accepts Paypal, the transaction becomes kosher?

I agree with your assessment of eBay, sometimes fraud is unclear. However, after what was learned from the first Roamio from sophiamart, it's tough to justify purchases from the subsequent sites.


----------



## lpwcomp

What if Lenny came back from BB with a receipt that shows he payed $399? Would you still think it was kosher? When you contacted BB to verify the purchase, did you ask them how much was paid?

You're engaging in what is known as "willful blindness".

You must think the site is owned by Milo Minderbinder.


----------



## krao

lessd said:


> I guess I feel that I should protect myself from being scammed, not PayPal or Best Buy for that matter, every day I get people trying to give me millions of $ (I won a sweepstakes or I am just a good person to leave money to) if I would verify myself with my name, address, SS number, and bank info so they can deposit this money into my account (I think there is a movie now out about this, _*Nebraska*_ ). If you offer me advice not to give out this information, I would be 100% on your side, but I don't feel I am responsible to check out any Web sight before I purchase, if I like the payment system (and price) I purchase, only once in the last 10 years did I not get delivery, called my CC co. up and they gave me my money back, no hassle. I would not purchase from *Amazon.com *if payment was only by* western Union*.


Did you get your Tivo from Electronichotdeal yet ? Just want to be sure before I order.


----------



## lessd

krao said:


> Did you get your Tivo from Electronichotdeal yet ? Just want to be sure before I order.


*YES*, it came from Best Buy, mfg date 29th of Oct 2013, took about 1 week to get my tracking number. The BB shipping papers said if I had any problems with the unit I could exchange the unit at any BB store or send it back to Best Buy. I already activated the Roamio and I am now xfer programs from my TP4 to the new Roamio Plus (upgraded to 2Tb)
The sight is http://www.electronichotdeal.com/tivo-roamio-plus-dvr-tcd848000/

This Thread was started for people to report good deals on Roamios, if you don't like the site I purchased it from, don't use it, I don't care as I have no interest in this site except to purchase the TiVo. Calling me names because I used this site is just wrong, as it not my fault if some people don't like this site, just don't use it but don't get mad if somebody uses it and gets a good deal, that not your problem, if the FBI comes to my home and halls me off the jail, that would be my problem!!
(Because of a PM I know at least one other TC member that had a good experience with his TiVo purchase)
I would guess anybody using site would not tell us, who needs to be called names, I have thick skin and don't care what anybody will say about me using this site.

Good luck


----------



## 1283

Please stop using "sight". It's "site".


----------



## Zu Nim

tatergator1 said:


> I agree with your assessment of eBay, sometimes fraud is unclear. However, after what was learned from the first Roamio from sophiamart, it's tough to justify purchases from the subsequent sites.


:up:

Triangulation fraud is very clever because a consumer can be ignorant of their participation. This happens to be a situation where a consumer can be informed ahead of time.

lessd, Lenny bought that TiVo from Best Buy fraudulently. He got a receipt from Best Buy because the payment processor (the bank) hadn't caught on to Lenny yet. The TiVo isn't clean.

Having said that, Best Buy may consider it a "legitimate" transaction because the bank may have no recourse to getting its money back from Best Buy. It may depend on the agreements they have and what the law says about who's bears the cost of fraudulent charge. If Best Buy bears the cost, you bet they'll consider themselves wronged and want the goods back. If the bank bears the cost, well... now they run the risk of annoying a "customer" and nothing's in it for them, which means they won't lift a finger.

This is probably a no-risk crime for the purchaser. But let's not pretend these particular stores are legitimate retailers paying with clean, traceable money. They're not. People get hassled, the banks lose money - and banks don't lose money (everyone else loses out, if only a bit). The money paid to these sites probably left the country, too. These criminals can run this type of enterprise from anywhere, and being outside the U.S. makes it more difficult to prosecute as long as they keep relatively low profiles.


----------



## dslunceford

Eric2500 said:


> Thanks for the response.
> 
> I did in fact win the $2,500 prize through their sweepstakes... confirmed through TiVo PR department today. Naturally my wife has other plans ALREADY to fix up our kitchen. This single people... is why you don't get married.
> 
> Happy I won though... I never win anything. Guess I can't say that now.


Congrats! Absolutely buy a Roamio...best upgrade yet. The reason I've had a TiVo so long us due to winning their contests. Won a Series 1 with a poem back in 2000, then a TiVo HD with a video content when it was first introduced.


----------



## miketx

So anyone have any new deals to report? This thread has gotten off track in the last few pages.


----------



## sldozier

No new deals, but just to provide confirmation to those who may be skeptical: I just within the last hour returned from my local Best Buy with a new Roamio in hand. BB price matched amazon.com's 149.99 price "and" I got the $50.00 gift certificate to boot , no hassle, no store supervisor's involved, no questions asked. Sweet deal, and I owe it all to the forum. Thanks :up:


----------



## Cap'n Preshoot

I'm always a bit skeptical about the very latest model of something showing up on eBay, especially when priced 15% or more below the current going price on Amazon or BB. If the eBay seller's "store" is not listed as being an authorized reseller, and they have product availability in some quantity, then at a minimum the merchandise is considered "grey market". This doesn't necessarily mean it's stolen, but could be a legitimate wholesale distributor's unauthorized sales diluting the retail channel, in violation of their distributorship agreement.The biggest problem you might encounter with such purchases is warranty claims & product returns.


----------



## chicagobrownblue

c3 said:


> Please stop using "sight". It's "site".


I sea .


----------



## ThAbtO

dslunceford said:


> Congrats! Absolutely buy a Roamio...best upgrade yet. The reason I've had a TiVo so long us due to winning their contests. Won a Series 1 with a poem back in 2000, then a TiVo HD with a video content when it was first introduced.


Back in around 2000, I won a S1 from a website just for answering a few multiple choice questions. Got an email requesting info for UPS delivery. Back then Lifetime service was just $199.00.


----------



## lessd

Cap'n Preshoot said:


> I'm always a bit skeptical about the very latest model of something showing up on eBay, especially when priced 15% or more below the current going price on Amazon or BB. If the eBay seller's "store" is not listed as being an authorized reseller, and they have product availability in some quantity, then at a minimum the merchandise is considered "grey market". This doesn't necessarily mean it's stolen, but could be a legitimate wholesale distributor's unauthorized sales diluting the retail channel, in violation of their distributorship agreement.The biggest problem you might encounter with such purchases is warranty claims & product returns.


I don't think such a "grey market" exists for TiVos, but for say the Rolex watch, and other stuff a "grey market" does exist, and warranty claims could be problematic. I got kicked off E-Bay because I was selling a new Bose item US made, and offering international sales, once I removed any possible international sales all was ok with selling Bose on E-Bay.


----------



## pricebri

FYI just read through this thread and was bummed about missing out on deals on the Roamio Plus/Pro. Called Tivo directly and was offered a pretty good upgrade (Currently have a Premire) deal on a Roamio Plus at $324.99 and got a Mini for $49.99. Tax and everything brought the total to 413.59 with the 1st month of service on the Mini. No shady online reseller involved!


----------



## lessd

pricebri said:


> FYI just read through this thread and was bummed about missing out on deals on the Roamio Plus/Pro. Called Tivo directly and was offered a pretty good upgrade (Currently have a Premire) deal on a Roamio Plus at $324.99 and got a Mini for $49.99. Tax and everything brought the total to 413.59 with the 1st month of service on the Mini. No shady online reseller involved!


They gave you a Roamio plus for $324.95 without any monthly contract ??


----------



## squiddohio

Excellent reference to Milo Minderbinder!
Keep up the good work.


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## Bighouse

I am going to take tivo's offer of $200 off on a roamio pro later this week! Just waiting for my credit card billing cycle to flip.

Not sure what to do with my series three and series two...both of which also have lifetime services on them.


----------



## RayinMaui

Hi everybody!

I used to be active on this board years ago, but then went to DirecTV. Now I'm with FIOS and got a Roamio Pro from Best Buy yesterday!

They price matched tivo.com, so I got it for $499, a $50 card and interest free for 18 months. Also saved $100 on Lifetime thanks to this site.

Had trouble authorizing the Mcard and couldn't do it till this morning. Once authorized, I had to restart the Roamio Pro before it was recognized, but now it is great!

The Roamio should be standard with FIOS, it's so simple. It automatically changed itself to MoCa, even though I had setup wireless WiFi. No worrying about ethernet or anything!

I got a Mini and will set that up this evening.

I love being back to a TiVo!

Great to be back!

Ray


----------



## HarperVision

Sweet! I didn't know they had fios on maui? I wish they had that here on the big island, I'd dump Oceanic TW in a heartbeat!


----------



## realfun4u

Received an e-mail yesterday Jan 21st from TiVo saying 

A Special thank-you from TiVo! 
as a TiVo Advisors Panelist ....... (and it goes on)

If you have been thinking of upgrading to a Roamio here is a one time code for $50 off a Romaio, $100 of a Plus and $200 off a Pro! and $75 of a mini

so i ordered the Pro and a mini both with lifetime and got them for $1000.46 inc tax and delivery!

think i got a good deal - as it should of normally of been with out the discount! $1398.96

so ended up saving $398.50!

the one time code was valid until the 31st Jan 

so check your e-mails you never know if you have that code!


----------



## takeagabu

realfun4u said:


> Received an e-mail yesterday Jan 21st from TiVo saying
> 
> A Special thank-you from TiVo!
> as a TiVo Advisors Panelist ....... (and it goes on)
> 
> If you have been thinking of upgrading to a Roamio here is a one time code for $50 off a Romaio, $100 of a Plus and $200 off a Pro! and $75 of a mini
> 
> so i ordered the Pro and a mini both with lifetime and got them for $1000.46 inc tax and delivery!
> 
> think i got a good deal - as it should of normally of been with out the discount! $1398.96
> 
> so ended up saving $398.50!
> 
> the one time code was valid until the 31st Jan
> 
> so check your e-mails you never know if you have that code!


I'm a panelist. Where is my e-mail?!?!


----------



## Grakthis

I got one too. Pretty big savings. I'm going with the Plus and a Mini for total hardware costs of about 325 + tax. With lifetimes and MSD and tax, it comes out to just a shade under 900. for my setup, that gives me a breakeven of 27 months, which is 3 months longer than I normally like for technology, but TiVo's are not normal technology and generally last longer than 2 years (my S3 is going strong for.. uh.. 8 now?).

This is exactly the kind of deal I was waiting on to pull the trigger on an upgrade.


----------



## lessd

takeagabu said:


> I'm a panelist. Where is my e-mail?!?!


I just the Roamio offer in the mail (USPS) $750 for the Roamio plus and Lifetime service, nice color mailer.


----------



## shrike4242

takeagabu said:


> I'm a panelist. Where is my e-mail?!?!


Same here, no email for me with this quite attractive offer.

I did get my January survey email for what that's worth.


----------



## George Cifranci

I got the offer as well via email. Does anyone know if I would have to buy service at the time I buy the Roamio directly from TiVo?


----------



## lessd

George Cifranci said:


> I got the offer as well via email. Does anyone know if I would have to buy service at the time I buy the Roamio directly from TiVo?


TiVo never sells any TiVo itself without service, monthly or Lifetime.


----------



## triftraf

takeagabu said:


> I'm a panelist. Where is my e-mail?!?!


I got my email (maybe coincidentally) within an hour of completing January's survey...


----------



## tlc

Tempting. Now I have to go find out why a Roamio is better than my XL4+Stream.


----------



## aaronwt

lessd said:


> TiVo never sells any TiVo itself without service, monthly or Lifetime.


They sold me my Roamio Basic without service. But that was because my $6.95 rate on my Premiere was going to be transferred. So I had to contact them after receiving my Roamio Basic from them to transfer the monthly rate as well as get $99 lifetime on the Premiere.


----------



## George Cifranci

triftraf said:


> I got my email (maybe coincidentally) within an hour of completing January's survey...


Same here. I filled out the January survey and it seemed like it came soon after that. The email mentioned being a TiVo Advisor in good standing.


----------



## lessd

aaronwt said:


> They sold me my Roamio Basic without service. But that was because my $6.95 rate on my Premiere was going to be transferred. So I had to contact them after receiving my Roamio Basic from them to transfer the monthly rate as well as get $99 lifetime on the Premiere.


I never had monthly service so I guess I did not know about special monthly service xfers, no Lifetime xfer. however.


----------



## realfun4u

George Cifranci said:


> I got the offer as well via email. Does anyone know if I would have to buy service at the time I buy the Roamio directly from TiVo?


Yes it clearley states on the e-mail

Service required

so you will either have to take the monthly or lifetime service options at time of purchase


----------



## BlackBetty

Anyone have an extra advisory panel code they don't plan on using? I'd love to order a mini and a roamio pro both with lifetime. Please pm me if you don't mind. I'll modify this post once I recieve one to let the community know all set. If by chance I get an extra code I'll be sure to get them into those hands that will use them. Thanks!!!


----------



## Willin

Add me to the list of those in desperate need of a code. I'm waiting to purchase...


----------



## chicagobrownblue

Willin said:


> Add me to the list of those in desperate need of a code. I'm waiting to purchase...


Call up TiVo and ask for what you want. The worst he/she could say is no. If you get a no, call back tomorrow. Someone called this CSR rouletter . I like that term.


----------



## lesliew

Didn't notice the survey at the bottom of my email before reading the last couple of comments, but just completed mine. Hopefully I'll get the offer discount. Been itching to get the Pro, this would definitely satisfy my craving.


----------



## twhiting9275

Dan203 said:


> Go with option #1 but buy the Mini from Amazon instead and save yourself about $20 in cost and taxes.


I did this as well for my Roamio (basic). Price dropped from $199 (from TiVo directly) to $150 (from Amazon). They also have the Pro at $523 as opposed to $599 on TiVo directly right now

Personally, I'm loving my Roamio. This thing is just faster than anything I've had from TiVo in the past and I've been around for a few years


----------



## jtrain

I'm curious if anyone has brought their 'advisory panel' promo code e-mail to BestBuy and asked if they'd match the price? I've got BB gift cards to use up from Christmas and would break for either a Pro or Plus at this price point, but i was curious if anyone had even tried a price match at BB.


----------



## alburtis

I mentioned this in another thread, but figured I would add it here.

As far as I can tell, Amazon is currently offering the base Roamio for $149.

Best Buy is offering it for the normal price of $199 with a $50 gift card with purchase this weekend. This seems to apply to both online and in-store purchases.

While I cant confirm that you can receive the gift card and the price match, I will try it tomorrow and will report back. I will simply go to the register with the Amazon print out and the Roamio box. I will not mention the gift card and will hope it will just show up...since that is their offer this weekend.

If I do get the giftcard, I will then hand it over to my wife with an Amazon printout for a $97 Tivo Stream at Amazon ($129 at Best Buy) and will then use the gift card on the stream. That would be $149 + $97 - $50 = $196 for the retail cost of $129 + $199 = $328. (Edit: You would still have the $50 coupon if you went to Best Buy to put towards the stream which would be $278 but my point was against no promotions).

If Tivo is abandoning its hardware, I would like to take advantage of a weak consumer electronics holiday season to push my obsolescence date out as long as I can!


----------



## Qwijib0

alburtis said:


> I mentioned this in another thread, but figured I would add it here.
> 
> As far as I can tell, Amazon is currently offering the base Roamio for $149.
> 
> Best Buy is offering it for the normal price of $199 with a $50 gift card with purchase this weekend. This seems to apply to both online and in-store purchases.
> 
> While I cant confirm that you can receive the gift card and the price match, I will try it tomorrow and will report back. I will simply go to the register with the Amazon print out and the Roamio box. I will not mention the gift card and will hope it will just show up...since that is their offer this weekend.
> 
> If I do get the giftcard, I will then hand it over to my wife with an Amazon printout for a $97 Tivo Stream at Amazon ($129 at Best Buy) and will then use the gift card on the stream. That would be $149 + $97 - $50 = $196 for the retail cost of $129 + $199 = $328. (Edit: You would still have the $50 coupon if you went to Best Buy to put towards the stream which would be $278 but my point was against no promotions).
> 
> If Tivo is abandoning its hardware, I would like to take advantage of a weak consumer electronics holiday season to push my obsolescence date out as long as I can!


This works, I did it. At the register, I had them PM amazon and they did-- I was about to ask about the gift card and look like a real cheap guy but the register just tacked it on before I had the chance. I also had the advisor code to get the $175 mini with lifetime and $175 for a mini with lifetime was too good a deal. The call center also transferred my ancient $10.99/mo TivoHD contract to the Roamio so with the great bby deal I went from single room 2 tuner to multi-room 4 tuner with double the storage for $275 up front with no change to my monthly fee.


----------



## chicagobrownblue

alburtis said:


> While I cant confirm that you can receive the gift card and the price match, I will try it tomorrow and will report back. I will simply go to the register with the Amazon print out and the Roamio box. I will not mention the gift card and will hope it will just show up...since that is their offer this weekend.


This is what I did and it worked fine.



alburtis said:


> If Tivo is *abandoning *its hardware, I would like to take advantage of a weak consumer electronics holiday season to push my obsolescence date out as long as I can!


They will not design any new hardware, but the new Roamio line is great. I think it will work for me for 4-5 years. I might buy a spare from BB with PM and gift card just to have one on hand. M cards only support 6 streams, so there is no point in adding extra tuners for cable.


----------



## HeatherA

chicagobrownblue said:


> This is what I did and it worked fine.
> 
> They will not design any new hardware, but the new Roamio line is great. I think it will work for me for 4-5 years.


Did I miss something? What's all this about?


----------



## Keen

HeatherA said:


> Did I miss something? What's all this about?


Tivo laid off 5 people, and the internet lost its damn mind.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=513841


----------



## HeatherA

Keen said:


> Tivo laid off 5 people, and the internet lost its damn mind.
> 
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=513841


Great summation... thank you


----------



## twhiting9275

Keen said:


> the internet lost its damn mind.


The internet *always* loses it's damn mind, every time something happens.


----------



## HoOn

oh no! I was going to get the $50 gift card promo from Best Buy and it's not showing up anymore online!


----------



## HarperVision

HoOn said:


> oh no! I was going to get the $50 gift card promo from Best Buy and it's not showing up anymore online!


Yeah, their prior week's sales usually end at COB Saturday and new ones start on Sundays.


----------



## chicagobrownblue

HoOn said:


> oh no! I was going to get the $50 gift card promo from Best Buy and it's not showing up anymore online!


Be patient. Just like on "Poltergeist" it'll be back. Maybe.


----------



## murgatroyd

HoOn said:


> oh no! I was going to get the $50 gift card promo from Best Buy and it's not showing up anymore online!


I read the fine print yesterday when debating whether or not to go for the Best Buy deal. Apparently customers can either price match or get a Best Buy promotion, but they aren't supposed to get both.

If Amazon or one of the other online retailers on their list is still offering the $149.99 price, call customer service and they're supposed to do the price match for you. It won't be the same as getting the gift card, but you'll still get something off.

(Yes, I know some people got the PM *and* the gift card. But the fine print says that shouldn't have happened.)


----------



## Keen

Okay, I'll bite. Which fine print?


----------



## murgatroyd

Keen said:


> Okay, I'll bite. Which fine print?


The page which explains the BB policy on price matching:

Best Buy Low Price Guarantee



> Low Price Guarantee
> Online or In Store: Find a Lower Price and We'll Match It.
> 
> At the time of purchase, we will match the current pre-tax price for new, identical, immediately available products from a local retail competitor's store or shipped from and sold by a designated major online retailers: Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Rakuten.com Shopping, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com. We will match prices between our stores and BestBuy.com®. We will also match prices post purchase if we lower our price within 15 days of your purchase.
> 
> The Guarantee is limited to one price match per identical item, per guest and *does not apply to*: Contract mobile phones sold by any online retailer, the online prices of retailers not listed, the online prices of products shipped from or sold by third party vendors (Marketplace vendors) on designated major online retailers websites, post purchase price match requests to competitor's prices, Best Buy for Business™, offers that include financing, *gift card offers*, bundling of items, free items, pricing errors, mail-in offers, coupon offers, competitors' service prices, items that are advertised as limited-quantity, out of stock, open-box, clearance, refurbished/used items, our and our competitor's Deal of the Day, daily deals, special hour sale event items and credit card offers, BestBuy.com Clearance & More and Marketplace items, and items for sale Thanksgiving Day through 11:59 p.m. on the Monday after Thanksgiving.


Maybe I'm wrong, but I interpreted that to mean that you could either price-match or take a BB promo, but not both.


----------



## lpwcomp

murgatroyd said:


> The page which explains the BB policy on price matching:
> 
> Best Buy Low Price Guarantee
> 
> 
> Maybe I'm wrong, but I interpreted that to mean that you could either price-match or take a BB promo, but not both.


It could also be interpreted to mean that they won't match _*another retailer's*_ gift card offer.


----------



## Keen

lpwcomp said:


> It could also be interpreted to mean that they won't match _*another retailer's*_ gift card offer.


That's the way I've always read it. Otherwise, they wouldn't let you use Best Buy Credit Card financing on purchases that involved pricematching (i.e. 'financing' right before gift card offers), which would be ridiculous.


----------



## Luckyluc

I have 2 current 45HR Tivo Premiere's. One with Lifetime and one on ASP. I am looking at the F&F plan offer which seemingly offers lower monthly service on a new Roamio Pro vs the AP offer. Difference is about $45 upfront but the lower monthly plan makes the F&F plan seem better.
Problem is then I have 3 TIVO's when I only need 2. I tried to get on the phone with Tivo to get the $99 offer to upgrade the Tivo to lifetime and the CSR wouldn't budge. Any recommendations or advice?


----------



## pricebri

lessd said:


> They gave you a Roamio plus for $324.95 without any monthly contract ??


Roamio Plus for $325 and I xfer my existing monthly service to the device at the normal rate. I'm guessing that in 3 years they may have yet another new device or I may finally dump cable all together so I'm hesitant to go the lifetime service route. With my upgrade history I would not have broken even on anything other than my old SD DirectTV Tivo, every other Tivo I have upgraded within 3 years.


----------



## rassi

If I buy a Roamio from another vendor, can I buy lifetime for it from TiVo, or do I have to buy the Roamio from TiVo to get lifetime for it?


----------



## BigJimOutlaw

rassi said:


> If I buy a Roamio from another vendor, can I buy lifetime for it from TiVo, or do I have to buy the Roamio from TiVo to get lifetime for it?


You can buy the Roamio from anywhere and buy Lifetime from Tivo during activation.


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## ThAbtO

rassi said:


> If I buy a Roamio from another vendor, can I buy lifetime for it from TiVo, or do I have to buy the Roamio from TiVo to get lifetime for it?


Yes you can, you have 30 days in case something goes wrong with it and can be move to another.
Its $499.99 if its your first box, $399.99 for subsequent boxes, FYI.


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## tarheelblue32

ThAbtO said:


> Yes you can, you have 30 days in case something goes wrong with it and can be move to another.
> Its $499.99 if its your first box, $399.99 for subsequent boxes, FYI.


Or $399.99 on the first box if you use the code "PLSR".


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## randian

tarheelblue32 said:


> Or $399.99 on the first box if you use the code "PLSR".


Isn't that code defunct now?


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## imacericg

randian said:


> Isn't that code defunct now?


Nope. Used it yesterday.


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## Brighton Line

Luckyluc said:


> I tried to get on the phone with Tivo to get the $99 offer to upgrade the Tivo to lifetime and the CSR wouldn't budge. Any recommendations or advice?


First time I called CSR gave me $99 on a 3+ Year old Premier. Would not budge on my 2.1 Year old Premier so I did that and added the Roamio Pro at $399 lifetime.

Week later when I've transferred everything from the 2.1 year old I called back to CANCEL Service as the first of the month I was going to monthly without commitment. That's when the CSR said "Oh I see you just added a Roamio Pro Lifetime, is this the box you are replacing?"
I said yes and that is when she offered me $199 lifetime on the 2.1 year old box which also still has 0.9 left on its 3 year extended warranty. Getting rid of it since my other Premier is an XL and this one is just regular with the small HD.

On my account page the "next service plan" for the Premier is listed as $199 lifetime to take effect on 2/1/14.
FWIW


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## wkearney99

Fwiw, I just picked up a new Roamio Pro & Mini, both with Lifetime. Right out of the gate their price wasn't as low as the winter promo mail. When I pointed that out I ended up with around $800 for the Pro $200 for the Mini. I picked up an extra remote too, but the Slides are still out of stock.

So if you've been a long time customer it's certainly worth ask for better prices.


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## alyssa

when i called a few weeks ago to start service on a new premiere, the CSR said i didn't qualify for MSD because i didn't have any 'qualifying unit' 

to which i responded i've had tivos since 03, i don't know what a qualifying unit was. lol 
he then came back & said i had pushed through a msd on my parents premiere the week after christmas for a month to month so they really couldn't do another MSD on my lifetime premiere.

to which i responded, oh yeah, i'm still within my 30 day trial on that unit, why don't we cancel the month to month unit then re-enroll it on a full price month to month with a 1 year comitment & then you can give me the lifetime multi service discount on my unit.

he choked and said 'you want to cancel a service?"
he disappeared for 5 min's, then said "i talked to my boss & my bosses boss & we'll give you the MSD on your lifetime--- "


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## waynomo

alyssa said:


> when i called a few weeks ago to start service on a new premiere, the CSR said i didn't qualify for MSD because i didn't have any 'qualifying unit'
> 
> to which i responded i've had tivos since 03, i don't know what a qualifying unit was. lol
> he then came back & said i had pushed through a msd on my parents premiere the week after christmas for a month to month so they really couldn't do another MSD on my lifetime premiere.
> 
> to which i responded, oh yeah, i'm still within my 30 day trial on that unit, why don't we cancel the month to month unit then re-enroll it on a full price month to month with a 1 year comitment & then you can give me the lifetime multi service discount on my unit.
> 
> he choked and said 'you want to cancel a service?"
> he disappeared for 5 min's, then said "i talked to my boss & my bosses boss & we'll give you the MSD on your lifetime--- "


So which MSD did they give you?
(I've seen several different statements so I'm not sure which is which.)


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## alyssa

they let me keep the month to month msd on my parents unit AND gave me the msd on a new premiere i wanted to put lifetime on


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## waynomo

alyssa said:


> they let me keep the month to month msd on my parents unit AND gave me the msd on a new premiere i wanted to put lifetime on


How much was it a month?


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## alyssa

idk, $13/m the standard msd for a new sub.
i didn't have any subs i could transfer the new premiere into.


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## wkearney99

alyssa said:


> he choked and said 'you want to cancel a service?"
> he disappeared for 5 min's, then said "i talked to my boss & my bosses boss..."


Yup, losing customers is a no-no. Had to pull that out more than once back in the days of having DirecTV and dealing with CSR nonsense. But much like the fable, you don't want to go crying wolf too often...


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## Lyrical1

My apologies for dropping into this thread so late, but it seems like an on-going guide for getting the best deal on a Roamio, so here goes.

I have had Tivos for more than a decade and had several SD units initially with DTV and now have one 5-year-old lifetime (HD XL) with a Comcast cablecard.

Reading through this thread, it seems that people have been getting some pretty good deals on Roamios (when moving from monthly to lifetime?). I tried phoning Tivo and they wouldn't do anything for me other than their recent current-user deals with lifetime service (Roamio Basic: $575, Roamio Plus: $750, and Roamio Pro: $900)

Are these the best prices? Is there some _secret password_ to use to get a better deal? Thanks for any assistance.


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## StevesWeb

Lyrical1 said:


> Are these the best prices? Is there some _secret password_ to use to get a better deal? Thanks for any assistance.


The basic Roamio has been listed at $149 occasionally on Amazon, that sort of deal might come up again. You'd still be able to get the MSD on lifetime. Not a big savings though over the TiVo offer.


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## Lyrical1

Grumpy Old Geek, thanks. In reviewing this thread again, it seems that those who are getting these great deals on lifetime service (like $99) are those who had been on month-to-month service and whose contract period is now up. They call, threatening to cancel their service, and then the Tivo rep may offer them a sweet deal if they now go to lifetime.

But, for those purchasing new Tivos there's not much of a better deal than that which Tivo offers its current clients. Oh well.


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## ncfoster

As it was explained to me on the phone, I do not believe that there is any need to threaten anything. I believe that offering $99 lifetime on most units that have been subscribed for at least 2 years is now standard. There may be some other limitations that I am not aware of, but the various reps that I talked to weren't shy about it at all, and even recommended getting lifetime and selling the unit on eBay. Just figure it will save people some grief if they realize that they don't need to threaten anything or complain to get the deal.


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## nooneuknow

ncfoster said:


> As it was explained to me on the phone, I do not believe that there is any need to threaten anything. I believe that offering $99 lifetime on most units that have been subscribed for at least 2 years is now standard. There may be some other limitations that I am not aware of, but the various reps that I talked to weren't shy about it at all, and even recommended getting lifetime and selling the unit on eBay. Just figure it will save people some grief if they realize that they don't need to threaten anything or complain to get the deal.


This is a "blanket post" intended for the benefit of all:

There's a trend on TCF where people say "X years old", which is not really relevant. It should be "on active subscription, which has been active for at least 3 years", the status on the System Information screen MUST be "in good standing".

Generally a monthly sub, with or without commitment period, that has been continuously/contiguously active for 3 or more years gets you the $99 LTS offer, if they are going to give it to you. The best way to get the deal offered is to call to remove the TiVo service subscription from the desired unit (whether or not that is your true intention). Otherwise, they are less likely to give you the offer. YMMV, depending on when you call, and if you have purchased a newer model recently, along with "behind the scenes" matters with what TiVo reps are authorized to offer (or not, at that time).

There is a YMMV offer where if the unit has been subbed for 2 or more years, just less than 3, where they may offer $199 LTS, but it's not always on the table. The same easy way to get it (calling to cancel) applies.

If you just call asking about the offer, it's the minority that actually get it (YMMV). You become the majority by not asking about the deal, and going straight to calling to cancel (YMMV).

Calling to cancel gets you sent directly to the "retention" department, staffed with the people who want to give you an offer, if they can at the time. They have the ability to use their discretion, and sometimes use their own judgement (but, may sometimes need a supervisor's OK).

Calling in just to ask for offers usually won't get you sent to retention, unless you switch from asking for a deal, to being sent to the cancellation department. Why waste your time playing CSR Roulette, when such a quicker, easier, and more likely to proceed option exists?

As other have stated, TiVo takes notes every time you call. It is ill-advised to try asking first, then trying the cancellation approach, when any department will see you are seeking out a deal, which may cause them to believe it could be an empty request (threat)?

It's only on limited-time occasions, where calling to ask for anything other than a cancellation results in being given an offer, and the YMMV factors increase, regardless.

I'm not advocating threatening or blackmailing TiVo by using the "call to cancel" approach. I'm just saying it can save time, and the number of calls you need to make. Just because you get a deal offered without bringing up cancelling a service sub, doesn't mean everybody will get the offer too.

While those rare, and often time-sensitive (limited time) offers have existed, from time to time, where you get an offer without doing anything but calling in, for any reason, it doesn't mean they are now "standard practice" just because somebody got one.

I think what you might truly mean, is to call in to make some form of account change (add a unit, change existing service plans, etc), and you may just be presented an offer. It happens, but only when the CSRs have been directed to look for those 3 yr, or sometimes 2yr, subs and make the offers. When that is not what they are directed to do, the retention department is still your best shot.

I'd rather my TiVo call logs show I've called in to cancel, didn't ask for an offer, was given one, and accepted it, rather than my call logs showing me asking for deals, and accepting them. As long as they buy that you didn't call in looking for deals, it increases the odds that a future request that you make yourself, for a deal, may be considered and granted. Less so, if your call logs show a history of seeking deals and being given them.


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## Silly Burrito

It looks like Best Buy has stopped offering the $50 discount, and Amazon has brought the price back up to $179. Is Amazon's price still the best out there? Should've picked it up at $149, I guess, but my DirecTV contract ends tomorrow. Ah well..


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## HarperVision

Silly Burrito said:


> It looks like Best Buy has stopped offering the $50 discount, and Amazon has brought the price back up to $179. Is Amazon's price still the best out there? Should've picked it up at $149, I guess, but my DirecTV contract ends tomorrow. Ah well..


 I'll sell you my Roamio pro and 2 minis, all with lifetime.


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## Silly Burrito

HarperVision said:


> I'll sell you my Roamio pro and 2 minis, all with lifetime.


Thanks, but I just want the basic for OTA. Still never understood why they only allow OTA on the basic one.


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## steve614

Silly Burrito said:


> Still never understood why they only allow OTA on the basic one.


To save hardware costs on the Plus and Pro models. To get OTA on the Plus and Pro models, TiVo would have had to add an additional OTA tuner and possibly another microchip with its associated drivers.


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## sangs

randian said:


> Isn't that code defunct now?


Nope, just used it this past Monday.


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## M.Jones2014

HarperVision said:


> I'll sell you my Roamio pro and 2 minis, all with lifetime.


Would you sell just the roamio, and if so, how much?


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## HarperVision

M.Jones2014 said:


> Would you sell just the roamio, and if so, how much?


PM me with an offer.


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## Nailz

HarperVision said:


> I'll sell you my Roamio pro and 2 minis, all with lifetime.


Dave,

I could not send a PM to you, my post count is not high enough.

I was curious as to why you are selling your Tivo equipment? I have been researching alternatives to cable DVR/box rental and have settled on the Tivo as my preferred solution. I am looking to purchase a Roamio Plus with two Mini's, all with lifetime. I have been waiting for a discount or sale because of the large up front cost.

Are there any problems buying equipment from an individual as far as registering equipment & lifetime service with Tivo?

I noticed you have both your CTS and ISF, congrats. I have my CTS and having been working on my Crestron programming cert.

Thanks, Curtis


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## Kishore

There are always alternatives (moving from cable, making a quick buck, HTPC et al)...

Hope there will be better deals coming up.


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## HarperVision

Nailz said:


> Dave, I could not send a PM to you, my post count is not high enough. I was curious as to why you are selling your Tivo equipment? I have been researching alternatives to cable DVR/box rental and have settled on the Tivo as my preferred solution. I am looking to purchase a Roamio Plus with two Mini's, all with lifetime. I have been waiting for a discount or sale because of the large up front cost. Are there any problems buying equipment from an individual as far as registering equipment & lifetime service with Tivo? I noticed you have both your CTS and ISF, congrats. I have my CTS and having been working on my Crestron programming cert. Thanks, Curtis


Are you on AVS and have enough posts to PM there? If so I'm "Dave Harper" there.


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## Nailz

No I am not registered on the AVS forum, although I am a lurker there, LOL. If you PM me then maybe I could respond?


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## ejuand

Called Tivo and asked about options since the 2-tuner premier I have will auto renew in a month on the $129 yearly plan.
She offered me a plus for $339.00 and offered to transfer the annual plan to it.
I had the premier for 3 years already. 
I don't do lifetime because I have not stayed with the same cable provider in the past (Comcast/directtv/uverse/Comcast).
My promo with Comcast ends in another 16 months.

I will call back later to see if I can lifetime the unit for $99.


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## dslwizard

Not sure if you really call this a deal, but I noticed Sam's Club is now stocking and selling TiVo Roamio Plus 6 Tuner DVR item#1893 for $348.

I was at a local club here in Minneapolis and noticed a new display with them on a pallet.

Here is the website:
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/tivo-6-tuner-dvr-roamio-plus/prod12290525.ip

I think they just got them in.

Good Luck. I am really interested in getting a Roamio. This might be the deal for me as a first time Tivo user.


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## Joe01880

dslwizard said:


> Not sure if you really call this a deal, but I noticed Sam's Club is now stocking and selling TiVo Roamio Plus 6 Tuner DVR item#1893 for $348.
> 
> I was at a local club here in Minneapolis and noticed a new display with them on a pallet.
> 
> Here is the website:
> http://www.samsclub.com/sams/tivo-6-tuner-dvr-roamio-plus/prod12290525.ip
> 
> I think they just got them in.
> 
> Good Luck. I am really interested in getting a Roamio. This might be the deal for me as a first time Tivo user.


That is a deal, the survey panel code was $299 regularly $399. I wonder if TiVo will offer special service prices because its a Costco TiVo.


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## JoshDB

I have a basic roamio sealed in box with Lifetime subscription for sale on ebay section of this forum. Fell free to contact me or pm me if you are in the market for one. Im asking 575 and I will pay for ground shipping.


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## nusslejj

I was paying $12.95/month for my Premier. Waited until very last day of their Roamio sale (If I recall it was Jan 31). They were advertising the Roamio for $175. After some dickering, I got the Roamio for $150, free shipping, no tax in Ohio, and they dropped my monthly charge to $9.95 - permanently.

I think that was a pretty good deal. I pulled the trigger when they dropped the monthly charge to $9.95. :up:


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## HarperVision

I have 3 codes for the TiVo sales training specials and maybe 3 more. I'm not sure what to do with them. It seems that people got mad on these forums with someone who tried selling them. I don't need them as I already have a Pro and 2 minis. I'll probably list the actual products on eBay and then drop ship them. Any thoughts or ideas?


----------



## Loach

HarperVision said:


> I have 3 codes for the TiVo sales training specials and maybe 3 more. I'm not sure what to do with them. It seems that people got mad on these forums with someone who tried selling them. I don't need them as I already have a Pro and 2 minis. I'll probably list the actual products on eBay and then drop ship them. Any thoughts or ideas?


The problem with listing the actual products on eBay is that you don't know which combination of actual products people want to use the codes on. I wouldn't be deterred by a couple crybabies on the forum that whined about how much the other guy was asking for the codes (even though he sold some of them in auctions and others in "best offer" listings).

I'd auction the codes on eBay. They're worth what they're worth.


----------



## midson

The Plus is down to 299.97 at my local costco. They're clearing them out!


----------



## Photo_Joe

midson said:


> The Plus is down to 299.97 at my local costco. They're clearing them out!


Midson,

Where is your local Costco? I was just wondering if it was anywhere near local to me. Las Vegas or Northern California... Thanks...


----------



## midson

In the Tigard, OR store (Portland meteo area).


----------



## avmike

HarperVision said:


> I have 3 codes for the TiVo sales training specials and maybe 3 more. I'm not sure what to do with them. It seems that people got mad on these forums with someone who tried selling them. I don't need them as I already have a Pro and 2 minis. I'll probably list the actual products on eBay and then drop ship them. Any thoughts or ideas?


Would you be interested in sharing a code? I'd like to buy a Roamio Pro and 3 minis with lifetime. Not sure I want to deal with the people selling codes on eBay.

Thanks,
Mike


----------



## HeatherA

My Premiere renews at $129 on May 18. I need to find a Roamio deal before then so I can get a new box+lifetime and not re-sub the 2 tuner Premiere. Are there any current deals? I was hoping there'd be something somewhere for Easter.


----------



## chicagobrownblue

HeatherA said:


> My Premiere renews at $129 on May 18. I need to find a Roamio deal before then so I can get a new box+lifetime and not re-sub the 2 tuner Premiere. Are there any current deals? I was hoping there'd be something somewhere for Easter.


Call TiVo. They will probably give you $25 off a basic and let you transfer your subscription to the new machine. After that, others might pipe in on canceling your Premiere to get a $99 lifetime deal on it and then sell it on eBay.


----------



## HarperVision

avmike said:


> Would you be interested in sharing a code? I'd like to buy a Roamio Pro and 3 minis with lifetime. Not sure I want to deal with the people selling codes on eBay. Thanks, Mike


Let me see if I have one left. If not I think I also have some March Madness $75 and $50 off coupons left.


----------



## moonscape

Harper - tried to send you a PM but your box is full!


----------



## HarperVision

moonscape said:


> Harper - tried to send you a PM but your box is full!


Try again


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## eboydog

I have a March Madness $50 off coupon code for anyone wanting it for a new Roamio, it expires April 28th PM me or email me at my user ID @gmail.com 

I have a $75 off code too but I'm saving it just in case a used Roamio I just bought doesn't work out, if I end up not needing it it will offer it too. 

Also, believe that someone posted awhile back that Bestbuy will match most coupon discounts too if you want to buy locally, as I recall someone applied the coupon code while checking out on Tivo. Com, printed the screen and took it to their Bestbuy were they price matched it.


----------



## bob2k2

avmike - I would be willing to purchase one if you are interested - my tivo community name at gmail.com.


----------



## bob2k2

Just getting back to Tivo - anyone who can direct me to coupons for purchase as well as lifetime subscriptions for a Roamio Plus - would like to get another subscription for a relative who has a roamio already - thanks- my email is my community name @gmail.com - Thanks for you consideration. Bob


----------



## eboydog

bob2k2 said:


> avmike - I would be willing to purchase one if you are interested - my tivo community name at gmail.com.


Email reply sent. I included both $50 and $75 off codes! Let me know if don't use them or if you use one of them, let me know which one you use so I can pass the other along to someone else before they expire.


----------



## chucka

I'm ready to pull the trigger on 2-3 Mini's with lifetime. want to get the $175 each deal if I can but want to try not buy one of the ebay auctions that offer it. so if anyone can help with it you can pm me or email me cbrooke74 at hotmail, i would greatly appreciate it.


----------



## eboydog

chucka said:


> I'm ready to pull the trigger on 2-3 Mini's with lifetime. want to get the $175 each deal if I can but want to try not buy one of the ebay auctions that offer it. so if anyone can help with it you can pm me or email me cbrooke74 at hotmail, i would greatly appreciate it.


If you call Tivo directly you should get the Mini's for $50 each per the last I heard esp if you buy lifetime and you will get free shipping. That's the best offer I have seen for the Mini but you have to call and ask as it not an advertised offer. Anything better better requires buying the eBay auction coupon codes which cancels any true savings.


----------



## chucka

eboydog said:


> If you call Tivo directly you should get the Mini's for $50 each per the last I heard esp if you buy lifetime and you will get free shipping. That's the best offer I have seen for the Mini but you have to call and ask as it not an advertised offer. Anything better better requires buying the eBay auction coupon codes which cancels any true savings.


great, I'll call later today! so I guess If I buy 2 for $400 it would be the same as paying $50 on ebay and paying $350 for them. i'll just cut out the middle man. it would save me $25 if I end up buying a 3rd one though.


----------



## wickedsmart

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I have been renting a TiVo Premiere from RCN for the past few years and I have decided to cut the cord and buy a TiVo Roamio.

Would someone be kind enough to send me a $75 off coupon to purchase the Roamio?

Thanks in advance!


----------



## chucka

eboydog said:


> If you call Tivo directly you should get the Mini's for $50 each per the last I heard esp if you buy lifetime and you will get free shipping. That's the best offer I have seen for the Mini but you have to call and ask as it not an advertised offer. Anything better better requires buying the eBay auction coupon codes which cancels any true savings.


ok, just got off the phone with them and they said that $50 deal wasn't good anymore. even put me on hold to get a manager to try to do it for me. couldn't do it. I even said I would buy 2 right now if i could get it for that price. didn't happen. 

guess I'll try to bid on an ebay auction to see if I can get it a lot cheaper than $50. or maybe someone on here that can do it will see this and could help me out.


----------



## HarperVision

wickedsmart said:


> Long time lurker, first time poster. I have been renting a TiVo Premiere from RCN for the past few years and I have decided to cut the cord and buy a TiVo Roamio. Would someone be kind enough to send me a $75 off coupon to purchase the Roamio? Thanks in advance!


Here is one for anyone who wants it:

Congratulations on making a big shot!
Below is your unique code for $75 savings off a new TiVo Roamio(TM), Roamio Plus or Roamio Pro. You must use this code before April 28, 2014 and it is not valid with other promotions.
Your unique code is:
YF0404K2U8
Go to www.tivo.com or call 1-877-289-8486 to redeem your code.
Thanks,
The TiVo Team


----------



## eboydog

chucka said:


> ok, just got off the phone with them and they said that $50 deal wasn't good anymore. even put me on hold to get a manager to try to do it for me. couldn't do it. I even said I would buy 2 right now if i could get it for that price. didn't happen.
> 
> guess I'll try to bid on an ebay auction to see if I can get it a lot cheaper than $50. or maybe someone on here that can do it will see this and could help me out.


That's rotten! Yea, the only other option I guess is check out those eBay sellers or perhaps wait as TiVo seems to constantly have promotion of some sort every month, they might be starting something new for May once the coupon codes from March madness expires on the 28th.

Another thing too is try calling more than once and at a different time of the days, it's a common result that different calls get different results. I was told a month ago that a used Premeire I have which had been unsubscribed for awhile wasn't eligible for the $99 lifetime upgrade offer that other have been receiving so I just re-subscribed it for monthly with no commitment. I called last Saturday to cancel it and was offered the $99 upgrade to lifetime! Doesn't hurt to be persistent. Doesn't hurt to be persistent, might also look around here and post a few requests for codes as most of them have expiration dates and they might go cheap when the dates get close.


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## wickedsmart

Used
YF0404K2U8

TYVM HarperVision!


----------



## HarperVision

wickedsmart said:


> Used YF0404K2U8 TYVM HarperVision!


You're very welcome, enjoy!


----------



## chucka

called again last night and the lady said the only way she could give me a deal like that is if I had a promo card for it. oh well. 

thanks for all the help.


----------



## 2004raptor

I'm looking for a spare code if someone has an unused $50 or $75. Just pm me please. Thanks.


----------



## HarperVision

Did you get one yet?


----------



## 2004raptor

HarperVision said:


> Did you get one yet?


Me? Not yet.


----------



## eric102

2004raptor said:


> Me? Not yet.


$75 code on the way, enjoy!


----------



## aaronwt

I forgot about this code I received in March. If anyone wants it here it is. First come first serve. Just post a response if you used it please.



> Congratulations on making a big shot!
> Below is your unique code for $75 savings off a new TiVo Roamio, Roamio Plus or Roamio Pro. You must use this code before April 28, 2014 and it is not valid with other promotions.
> Your unique code is:
> YF0004E5AY


----------



## Kephale

I've got 2 codes I won't be using. Enjoy.

$50 - YF0101SY7D
$75 - YF030318PG


----------



## dmk1974

I'm not going to be using my March Mayhem code either. Here you go!

$75 off:
YF0004J5KY


----------



## ROSW-BK

Save 20% on Select Tech Products with your Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card. Here's how:
1. Add qualifying items to your cart.
2. Select your Amazon.com Rewards Visa card as your payment method at checkout.
3. Enter promo code TCH20ARC in the "Gift Cards & Promotional Codes" box. You will then see "Promotion Applied" in your Order

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=cbcc_tech_vc?node=9094657011

TiVo Basic is on the list

http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-Recorder-Streaming-TCD846500/dp/B00EEOSZK0


----------



## avmike

$75 off YF05028UH6 by 4/28

I found a better deal buying a code off ebay. Got a Roamio Pro for $699 w/lifetime, plus Minis for $174 w/lifetime.

Mike


----------



## chucka

avmike said:


> I found a better deal buying a code off ebay. Got a Roamio Pro for $699 w/lifetime, plus Minis for $174 w/lifetime.
> 
> Mike


I ended up doing the same thing. Bought 3 minis w/lifetime.


----------



## aaronwt

WoW!! That looks like a great deal!!


----------



## neo_ny

avmike said:


> $75 off YF05028UH6 by 4/28
> 
> I found a better deal buying a code off ebay. Got a Roamio Pro for $699 w/lifetime, plus Minis for $174 w/lifetime.
> 
> Mike


how much did you have to pay for the code? Thanks!


----------



## leepoffaith

neo_ny said:


> how much did you have to pay for the code? Thanks!


I just bought one of those codes as well. They are a great deal if you are looking for a unit with lifetime. I'm getting a Roamio Plus and two Minis with lifetime for under $1000 after taxes.

I paid $30 for my code.


----------



## davidjplatt

I got a Roamio Pro with lifetime and a 3 year extended warranty and 2 Minis with lifetime and 3 year extended warranties and paid $1201.56 including sales tax. The code was $49.

Pro was $399.99 plus $300 for lifetime plus 39.99 for the 3 year warranty. That was only $100 more than the Roamio Plus.

Minis were $49.99 plus $124.01 for lifetime plus 39.99 for the 3 year warrant each. Cam to $1,1697.96 plus $33.60 tax. Original price was $1,771.51 with tax so I saved $570 less the $49.00.


----------



## htruong74

Below is your unique code for $75 savings off a new TiVo Roamio

Roamio Plus or Roamio Pro. You must use this code before April 28, 2014 and it is not valid with other promotions.

Your unique code is:
YF03032HG3


----------



## jerrymc

I just got a pretty good deal by calling TiVo:

$175 ($25 off) Roamio Basic
$99 annual plan transferred from my Series 3
$99 Lifetime Service for my Series 3
$99 Lifetime Service for my TiVo HD



So, I have a $50 off March Madness coupon code I won't be using. PM me if you want it. Good till 4/28. First come, first served.


----------



## nooneuknow

htruong74 said:


> Below is your unique code for $75 savings off a new TiVo Roamio
> 
> Roamio Plus or Roamio Pro. You must use this code before April 28, 2014 and it is not valid with other promotions.
> 
> Your unique code is:
> YF03032HG3


:up: :up: :up:

Nobody else noticed htruong74 used their first post to post a discount code?

I just felt the need to recognize this person for doing so, even though I have no use for any codes at this time.


----------



## yukit

nooneuknow said:


> :up: :up: :up:
> 
> Nobody else noticed htruong74 used their first post to post a discount code?
> 
> I just felt the need to recognize this person for doing so, even though I have no use for any codes at this time.


That is cool.

I was about to use his code to place an order for another Tivo Roamio, but the transaction was charging me 30.50 for shipping. It didn't seem right, so I cancelled the transaction. I hope I didn't waste the promo code by cancelling the transaction.


----------



## waynomo

jerrymc said:


> I just got a pretty good deal by calling TiVo:
> 
> $175 ($25 off) Roamio Basic
> $99 annual plan transferred from my Series 3
> $99 Lifetime Service for my Series 3
> $99 Lifetime Service for my TiVo HD
> 
> 
> 
> So, I have a $50 off March Madness coupon code I won't be using. PM me if you want it. Good till 4/28. First come, first served.


How did you get them to transfer for $99?


----------



## jerrymc

waynomo said:


> How did you get them to transfer for $99?


I told them at the beginning of the call I was a 14 year customer and was thinking about buying a Roamio. The rep checked my account and immediately offered me $25 off plus transfer of my $99 annual deal (I have multi-service discount).

I asked what happens to my Series 3 box without the service since I have lots of shows to finish watching and wanted to then give it to my elderly mother, and he offered me the $99 Lifetime deal on it.

Then I pushed a bit and asked if I could get the same deal on my TiVo HD. He put me on hold for a couple of minutes and when he came back, it was done. My next monthly renewal of fee changes to Lifetime for $99.

Wasn't able to get him to apply the $50 MM coupon code though. But I came out better then I had hoped going in.


----------



## htruong74

yukit said:


> That is cool.
> 
> I was about to use his code to place an order for another Tivo Roamio, but the transaction was charging me 30.50 for shipping. It didn't seem right, so I cancelled the transaction. I hope I didn't waste the promo code by cancelling the transaction.


someone print the screenshot of the cart and went to best buy to have bestbuy price match it. I would try that method and give it a shot. you never know unless you try.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## 2004raptor

htruong74 said:


> someone print the screenshot of the cart and went to best buy to have bestbuy price match it. I would try that method and give it a shot. you never know unless you try.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I tried that last week and BB said No. He pulled up a list of acceptable stores they can price match (Amazon, Newegg, etc) and Tivo wasn't listed. They did have an "Other" so I asked him to just use that because I was wanting to pricematch the manufacturer of the product. Kinda like if I wanted a Western Digital hard drive and found it on WD site. He still said No.
YMMV of course.


----------



## yukit

htruong74 said:


> someone print the screenshot of the cart and went to best buy to have bestbuy price match it. I would try that method and give it a shot. you never know unless you try.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Seems Tivo is running some sort of promotion at the end of their quarter. I can wait 3 month for another deal to come around.

Another Roamio is a nice-to-have to replace one of TivoHDs, but they work just fine as a DVR. Maybe I will check Amazon/Costco occasionally.

Thanks.


----------



## avmike

neo_ny said:


> how much did you have to pay for the code? Thanks!


Sorry for the delay. I paid $30 as well. It was an ebay ad listed for $49 or best offer. We settled on $30.

I also bought the slide remote at a discount. I bought more Mini's than I need. Can't decide whether to return them, sell them, or just keep them for possible future use...


----------



## ThAbtO

neo_ny said:


> how much did you have to pay for the code? Thanks!


Having to pay $ in order to save $ doesn't make any sense at all.


----------



## tarheelblue32

ThAbtO said:


> Having to pay $ in order to save $ doesn't make any sense at all.


If you save more money than you pay, then actually it does make sense.


----------



## HarperVision

ThAbtO said:


> Having to pay $ in order to save $ doesn't make any sense at all.





tarheelblue32 said:


> If you save more money than you pay, then actually it does make sense.


Yeah, someone said they paid $30 or $45 and saved $570. In what world does that NOT make sense???


----------



## trip1eX

waiting on a deal. I'm switching back to tivo. going to grab a roamio and mini or two.


----------



## HarperVision

trip1eX said:


> waiting on a deal. I'm switching back to tivo. going to grab a roamio and mini or two.


I think this code for $75 is still valid:

YF0404K5QT


----------



## slowbiscuit

trip1eX said:


> waiting on a deal. I'm switching back to tivo. going to grab a roamio and mini or two.


Make an offer for one of the Tivo discount codes on fleabay, will save you big bucks. Just got a Plus and 2 Minis (all lifetime) for $971.50 shipped + $20 for the code.


----------



## bgartz

How do these codes work? I am happy to give someone some $$s for a code, but how do I know I got a legit code. Is there risk that Tivo will get mad at people doing that and shut off the lifetime service of these boxes. Also I assume I once I have the code I order in my own name and shipped to me? I always work on the premise if a deal looks to good to be true it usually is. But I have seen enough feedback on the various boards to make me what to consider going this route.

Thanks,


----------



## chucka

$175 x3 Mini w/lifetime
$25 ebay code
Total = $550 

$250 x3 Mini w/lifetime
Total = $750

saved $200, made sense to me. 

I researched a LOT before I did that also. best deal that made sense to me.


----------



## tarheelblue32

bgartz said:


> How do these codes work? I am happy to give someone some $$s for a code, but how do I know I got a legit code. Is there risk that Tivo will get mad at people doing that and shut off the lifetime service of these boxes. Also I assume I once I have the code I order in my own name and shipped to me? I always work on the premise if a deal looks to good to be true it usually is. But I have seen enough feedback on the various boards to make me what to consider going this route.
> 
> Thanks,


They are legit codes. TiVo gives them out to electronics retailer employees like Best Buy who sell TiVos so that the sales people can have and use a TiVo so they know what they are trying to sell to customers. The employees then turn around and sell extra codes they have on places like ebay. TiVo isn't going to shut off lifetime service because you used a code they provided to get a discount. If they did they would get sued. If TiVo doesn't like these codes being used, then they can just stop giving out the codes. It takes a lot of research to even know these codes exist, so I doubt very many people are using them. Clearly TiVo doesn't really seem to care if a few people get a really good deal using these codes.


----------



## lemieuxfan67

I was a previous Tivo user, but I am now back. I paid $25 for a discount code on ebay via Best Offer. Within 30 mins I had the code and placed order. Saved over $200+.

TiVo Package, Product Lifetime TiVo Roamio Plus $599.99
TiVo Mini Bundle, Product Lifetime TiVo Mini (RA9200) $174.00
TiVo Slide Pro Remote $34.99
Tax $23.10 
Order total $832.08


Fios was going to charge me $42 per month for 2 TV's with their new VMS system (6 tuners). My break-even with Tivo is 21 months!

Glad to be back!!!


----------



## bgartz

lemieuxfan67 said:


> I was a previous Tivo user, but I am now back. I paid $25 for a discount code on ebay via Best Offer. Within 30 mins I had the code and placed order. Saved over $200+.
> 
> TiVo Package, Product Lifetime TiVo Roamio Plus $599.99
> TiVo Mini Bundle, Product Lifetime TiVo Mini (RA9200) $174.00
> TiVo Slide Pro Remote $34.99
> Tax $23.10
> Order total $832.08
> 
> Fios was going to charge me $42 per month for 2 TV's with their new VMS system (6 tuners). My break-even with Tivo is 21 months!
> 
> Glad to be back!!!


This is my exact position. I also have the free MRDVR for life, so to upgrade to the new VMS would eliminate the discount. So I want to keep the free box, and then add the Pro and a Mini in the mix. My oldest kid will like having her own DVR and and she is the only one that even uses any of the on demand features.

Thanks for the feedback.


----------



## jerrymc

Don't need mine, and it's only good through today, so I'm posting it here. If you use it, please tell the thread. Enjoy!

Save $50 on TiVo Roamio through April 28th.
Use promo code: 
YF01024C0K


----------



## jerrymc

(Deleted duplicate post)


----------



## herbman

My $75 code which I never used:
YF03037921


----------



## lessd

My $50 code which I never used:
YF01020B4E


----------



## Carlos_E

I bought a Roamio Basic for a 2nd room using the $75 promo code.

I have a spare code if anyone wants it.

*March Madness $75 Off* 
*Code:* YF05020UNE


----------



## mae

herbman said:


> My $75 code which I never used:
> YF03037921


I didn't use your code, but did figure out it would even give $75 on a basic. I printed the page and got the local Best Buy to price match the $125 and was able to use some gift cards that I had. This is contrary to an earlier post where BB wouldn't price match TiVo, so it may be worth a try at your local store (or two).

I also bought the BB 4 year extended warranty for all of $25 because of my experience a few months ago when they replaced my 3 year 10 month old Premier with a Plus and TiVo moved my lifetime since it was under an extended warranty.

As always, YMMV.


----------



## hytekjosh

ABT electronics will sell the tivo roamio plus for 33x and roamios for 8x if you just ask. no sales tax either (at least to nyc) and free shipping. they seem willing to deal


----------



## Carlos_E

hytekjosh said:


> ABT electronics will sell the tivo roamio plus for 33x and roamios for 8x if you just ask. no sales tax either (at least to nyc) and free shipping. they seem willing to deal


What do you mean by 33x and 8x?


----------



## bengalfreak

Carlos_E said:


> What do you mean by 33x and 8x?


I think he means $330 and change and $80 and change.


----------



## aridon

slowbiscuit said:


> Make an offer for one of the Tivo discount codes on fleabay, will save you big bucks. Just got a Plus and 2 Minis (all lifetime) for $971.50 shipped + $20 for the code.


The ebay codes are the best deals. Amazing pricing if you get over the hang up of buying the code on ebay. Got my pro w/life time for dirt cheap as well.


----------



## chucka

This is what came in the mail today.


----------



## lessd

chucka said:


> This is what came in the mail today.


You said you ordered three Minis, so you got three Minis, we believe you.


----------



## Oldelpa

I used herbman's code! Thanks!


----------



## aaronwt

I see Amazon has a deal where you can get 20% when you use the Amazon.com Rewards Visa card with select items. The Roamio BAsic is one of the items and the regular price for it is $175 right now. So I guess it would be 20% off that.

http://www.amazon.com/b?node=9094657011


----------



## rvanspran

Sometime today, Sam's Club reduced the price of the Plus to $298 with free shipping. In for one.


----------



## tarheelblue32

rvanspran said:


> Sometime today, Sam's Club reduced the price of the Plus to $298 with free shipping. In for one.


Very nice. I think that is a new record low advertised price point for the Plus.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/tivo-6-tuner-dvr-roamio-plus/prod12290525.ip?navAction=

I wonder if Best Buy would match that price?


----------



## shrike4242

tarheelblue32 said:


> Very nice. I think that is a new record low advertised price point for the Plus.
> 
> http://www.samsclub.com/sams/tivo-6-tuner-dvr-roamio-plus/prod12290525.ip?navAction=
> 
> I wonder if Best Buy would match that price?


They are these days, though I've had CS reps at Best Buy be selective on matching Sam's Club prices.

Their online information about the price guarantee does say they will match warehouse club prices:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Payment...ee/pcmcat297300050000.c?id=pcmcat297300050000


----------



## celtic pride

I noticed they listed the roamio pro for $498.88.


----------



## avmike

bgartz said:


> How do these codes work? I am happy to give someone some $$s for a code, but how do I know I got a legit code. Is there risk that Tivo will get mad at people doing that and shut off the lifetime service of these boxes. Also I assume I once I have the code I order in my own name and shipped to me? I always work on the premise if a deal looks to good to be true it usually is. But I have seen enough feedback on the various boards to make me what to consider going this route.


You are protected by Paypal if they try to scam you. If it helps, I bought my code from "kjv2794" on eBay. I have no relation to "kjv2794", and no it is not me - it is who I bought my code from.

Thanks,
Mike


----------



## Bytez

After paying for Fios DVR for a year, I decided to go back to Tivo. Could anyone be kind enough to PM me the discount code? Thanks in advance.


----------



## filovirus

Looking to add one Mini to an existing Roamio Pro/Premiere XL household. Tivo priced the mini at 49.99 for being an existing customer. Lifetime is 149.99. 

Is this the best deal I can expect at this time or should I wait a bit longer?


----------



## slowbiscuit

That's not a bad price, only $26 more than what you can get with a coupon code.


----------



## tarheelblue32

slowbiscuit said:


> That's not a bad price, only $26 more than what you can get with a coupon code.


Which you would have to pay at least $26 to someone on ebay to obtain.


----------



## filovirus

That's what I was thinking. The coupon code vs. tivo's deal would be a wash.


----------



## waynomo

If like to get another mini myself. If we could get a group together that could make it worth it.


----------



## filovirus

waynomo said:


> If like to get another mini myself. If we could get a group together that could make it worth it.


How low could we get the price. I had an advisory panel cert in Jan that could have gotten me the unit for 25 dollars, but I wasn't ready for one at the time.


----------



## lessd

filovirus said:


> How low could we get the price. I had an advisory panel cert in Jan that could have gotten me the unit for 25 dollars, but I wasn't ready for one at the time.


Remember the full price starts at $250, getting the Mini (with lifetime) for say $200 is a 20% discount from the full price, not bad but not close to a 50% discount that one may think they are getting with a $50 Mini


----------



## trip1eX

filovirus said:


> Looking to add one Mini to an existing Roamio Pro/Premiere XL household. Tivo priced the mini at 49.99 for being an existing customer. Lifetime is 149.99.
> 
> Is this the best deal I can expect at this time or should I wait a bit longer?


Is this a deal anyone can get if they buy a Roamio?


----------



## rock342

FYI - Sams Club has the Roamio Plus for $299 and the Roamio Pro for $499. That amounts to $100 off each from full retail.


----------



## Bytez

When did Tivo start offering the $100 of Roamio Plus/Pro and $200 off the lifetime subscription with the discount code? Is that the best deal ever?


----------



## slowbiscuit

rock342 said:


> FYI - Sams Club has the Roamio Plus for $299 and the Roamio Pro for $499. That amounts to $100 off each from full retail.


Yep, but the fleabay discount code deal still blows this away if you want lifetime (and you should).


----------



## slowbiscuit

Bytez said:


> When did Tivo start offering the $100 of Roamio Plus/Pro and $200 off the lifetime subscription with the discount code? Is that the best deal ever?


It's a promo thing they're running with retailers to get them to sell more Tivos, workers at these places are taking the codes and reselling them. Yes, it's the best deal you're going to get right now and probably for quite a while.

http://www.sellmoretivo.com

I'm sure the codes are not supposed to be resold but Tivo is apparently looking the other way, to our advantage.


----------



## spherular

Anyone who wants to discuss this feel free to contact me.

spherular <at> gmail <dot> com


----------



## slowbiscuit

What, how you're selling codes that you're not supposed to? I mean I was glad to take advantage but I'm mildly surprised Tivo hasn't busted your balls given that you're essentially undercutting the retailer you work for.


----------



## tarheelblue32

slowbiscuit said:


> What, how you're selling codes that you're not supposed to? I mean I was glad to take advantage but I'm mildly surprised Tivo hasn't busted your balls given that you're essentially undercutting the retailer you work for.


So you were "glad to take advantage" of the "codes that you're not supposed to" in order to save yourself a few bucks, but you are criticizing someone trying to make a few bucks themselves by selling the codes and undercutting the retailer they work for? This is just the type of entrepreneurial spirit that the modern American capitalist economy is built on. You communist.


----------



## spherular

slowbiscuit said:


> What, how you're selling codes that you're not supposed to? I mean I was glad to take advantage but I'm mildly surprised Tivo hasn't busted your balls.


It's not as clear cut as that. I've been working with them for some time, some people sell codes which they acquired through, shall we say, interesting methods and have fallen foul. I've never had a problem with any code I've provided and maybe that is why people keep coming back.

Ultimately TiVo want their product to sell and if I'm helping someone to buy that just needed that little extra incentive, then they are all for it. We all know that if you choose TiVo, you're often an advocate for the brand, allowing a few more people to buy at a lower price invariably drives new users to the Roamio platform.

TiVo's latest quarterly numbers show that for the first time 6 years that net active TiVo owners increased 6k to 966k boosted by the 49k in gross additions made in the quarter ending January 31. You know the shareholders and management want to get back up to a million before the year is out!


----------



## Mike1973

I got a code on ebay (not from spherular, from another user), did a best offer and got it. Used it today for a Roamio Pro, service and a Slide Pro remote. Glad to be back with Tivo!


----------



## squint

I'm curious if this supply of codes will dry up anytime soon.


----------



## mcluvin

I got a code from Spherular recently. Just took delivery of the order yesterday. Saved ~$1K. I haven't owned a Tivo since the Series 2 and if I were paying retail, I probably wouldn't have bought these. IMO the monthly fees are crazy if you have a few minis, so lifetime is the better option, though a lot of money up front even when discounted. Crossing my fingers this setup works well and I get more than 2 years out of it.


----------



## nooneuknow

Wow! So what's the "baseline" one could expect to spend on each model, perhaps broken down to those with lifetime, and those bought without service right now?


----------



## Bytez

I must say that I wouldn't have gone back to Tivo if it weren't for the codes. How much is the slider remote with the discount code?


----------



## mcluvin

Bytez said:


> I must say that I wouldn't have gone back to Tivo if it weren't for the codes. How much is the slider remote with the discount code?


$35, but you can only get the Roamio version which doesn't have the dongle. You need the dongle to use the keyboard with a Mini.


----------



## HeatherA

My son works for Best Buy... wonder if he could get me a code? Hmmm....


----------



## aridon

The codes are legit, I used one but I'm a buyer and not a seller.

Thing is I never would of come back to Tivo because their retail pricing is ridiculous. The codes saves substantial amounts of $$ which made the deal palatable to me after feeling pretty screwed after the premiere.


----------



## steve614

I don't see the big deal on someone re-selling discount codes as long as they are getting them legitimately. 
In the end, TiVo is getting another subscription on the books. That's probably all they care about.


----------



## slowbiscuit

But the problem is that Tivo expressly prohibits the transfer of these codes when they're received, if you click through the sellmoretivo.com signup you can see that. It seems apparent that they're willing to boost sales even though it's really to the detriment of the retailers selling their product.


----------



## waynomo

I wouldn't think it would have a major impact on sales or the bottom line one way or another.


----------



## slowbiscuit

Agreed, and that's probably why they don't care. But it's very easy to find on fleabay.


----------



## psywzrd

Can anyone post what we can expect to pay for the various Roamio devices with one of these codes?

And is it worth it to pay extra for the Roamio Pro vs. the Plus or would it be cheaper to just get the Plus and buy a bigger HDD for it (if that's even possible)?

I'm thinking about upgrading either one or both of my S3 Tivos to Roamios. I'm hoping that I can transfer shows from my S3 Tivos and my computer to the Roamios AND that the Roamios will allow me to transfer shows from them to my computer too.


----------



## CoxInPHX

http://www.sellmoretivo.com/

SellMoreTiVo
Sales Accommodation Program

Learn about TiVo Roamio™ DVRs and compatible accessories and get your own for a great price!

Complete this short product training lesson to take advantage of this special offer just for sales associates.

You get:
Your choice of TiVo products:

TiVo Roamio DVR
$149.99 + $9.99/mo. service, 1-year commitment required
$499.99 (includes one-time service payment)

TiVo Roamio Plus DVR
$299.99 + $9.99/mo. service, 1-year commitment required
$599.99 (includes one-time service payment)

TiVo Roamio Pro DVR
$399.99 + $9.99/mo. service, 1-year commitment required
$699.99 (includes one-time service payment)

TiVo Mini
$49.99 + $5.99/mo. service, 1-year commitment required
$174.00 (includes one-time service payment)

TiVo Stream
$97.50


----------



## psywzrd

@CoxInPHX: So the prices are the same whether we do it through the website you posted OR buy a code on ebay?


----------



## spherular

psywzrd said:


> @CoxInPHX: So the prices are the same whether we do it through the website you posted OR buy a code on ebay?


FYI on eBay the prices I offer are as follows - note the slide pro is included and the Roamio base model is $50 cheaper on lifetime. Remember that the website route is only open to those in the retail industry.

TiVo Roamio DVR (2 Options - monthly or lifetime service)
$149.99 + $9.99/mo. service, 1-year commitment required - Saving $110 - MSRP $199.99 and $14.99/mo. service
$449.99 (includes one-time service payment) - Saving $250 - MSRP $199.99 and $499.99 product lifetime service

TiVo Roamio Plus DVR (2 Options - monthly or lifetime service)
$299.99 + $9.99/mo. service, 1-year commitment required - Saving $160 - MSRP $399.99 and $14.99/mo. service
$599.99 (includes one-time service payment) - Saving $300 - MSRP $399.99 and $499.99 product lifetime service

TiVo Roamio Pro DVR (2 Options - monthly or lifetime service)
$399.99 + $9.99/mo. service, 1-year commitment required - Saving $260 - MSRP $599.99 and $14.99/mo. service
$699.99 (includes one-time service payment) - Saving $400 - MSRP $599.99 and $499.99 product lifetime service

TiVo Mini (2 Options - monthly or lifetime service)
$49.99 + $5.99/mo. service, 1-year commitment required - Saving $50 - MSRP $99.99 and $5.99/mo. service
$174.00 (includes one-time service payment) - Saving $76 - MSRP $99.99 and $149.99 product lifetime service

TiVo Stream & TiVo Slide Pro Remote
Stream $97.50 - Saving $32.50 - MSRP $129.99
Slide Pro (for Roamio Only) $34.99 - Saving $15.00 - MSRP $49.99


----------



## psywzrd

@spherular:

Is your ebay id the same as your username here? If not, can you please PM your ebay id or just link me to one of your listings? Thank you.


----------



## spherular

@psywzrd

Yes it's the same. The link it's in my signature.

You can email me at the same username at gmail too.


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## filovirus

spherular said:


> @psywzrd
> 
> Yes it's the same. The link it's in my signature.
> 
> You can email me at the same username at gmail too.


$125 dollars or best offer? Tivo discounts are appreciating faster than bitcoin!


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## mcluvin

I bought an extra plus and mini for my parents but think I'm just going to let them go with a Brighthouse DVR. If anyone has an interest, you can have them for price paid + $20. If you want a slider remote, I can offer one at the discounted price. Prefer dealing with someone local. I'm in the Jacksonville, FL area for a couple more weeks, then moving to Deland, FL. Items are brand new unopened.

Thanks,
Chris


----------



## nooneuknow

mcluvin said:


> I bought an extra plus and mini for my parents but think I'm just going to let them go with a Brighthouse DVR. If anyone has an interest, you can have them for price paid + $20. If you want a slider remote, I can offer one at the discounted price. Prefer dealing with someone local. I'm in the Jacksonville, FL area for a couple more weeks, then moving to Deland, FL. Items are brand new unopened.
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris


Sounds like a (potentially) smart move...

I often regret being the one to suggest (sometimes push) TiVo to friends and family. It tends to come back and bite me, since they tend to expect me to provide ALL support and even handle getting RMAs, etc...

If I have to be the villain, one more time, due to them missing "Days of Our Lives", or whatever show, even when it was their own fault, I'm about ready to rip out their TiVos, pay them off, and tell them to enjoy whatever alternative they choose, and to call the support number that goes with their choice, instead of taking every issue out on me.

TiVo isn't for everybody. One thing leased equipment has going for it is that you can abuse it, or when accidents happen (even intentional ones), it just gets replaced, at no cost. Yes, I realize this still causes loss of recordings. At least I won't be the one they get mad at when it happens.

I still have to keep reminding myself of the "pros" of owning TiVos, when mine get poltergeists in them, and I get caught in the middle of TiVo and the Cable Company each blaming each other, or just telling me it's my problem, not theirs...

The day TiVo locks down on being able to swap in bigger drives, will likely be the day I part-ways with TiVo ownership. I've locked that down as being what keeps me with TiVo. The rest of the things TiVo has that leased equipment doesn't, even added together, doesn't equal enough

*Don't get me wrong. I love TiVo.* It's a love/hate relationship, though. What I really hate is when everything is working, TiVo pushes out a software update, and then things aren't working well, at all, even two more updates later...

Admittedly, I seem to be in an unlucky minority of people who are negatively affected by a change TiVo made to try and improve things for the majority.


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## yukit

I took advantage of spherular deal on ebay (actually the seller was spherular2 so it may have been a poser.) The code did work fine.

This did save me at least $100 on the similar transaction I was temped with the hoops deal. It is not a lot in a bigger picture, but I figure I will take the deal now rather than waiting for another offer at the next quarter-end.


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## sakaike

Like yukit, I recently purchased a code from Spherular2 (who is the same as Spherular), and the code was legitimate, and saved me hundreds over a direct purchase of my Roamio Pro and Mini, both with lifetime directly from TiVo.

This is the real deal, nothing complicated in the transaction with TiVo. Just input the coupon code provided via email from Spherular which was received within minutes of payment confirmation, and you're done.

Units were activated with lifetime prior to shipping, so upon receipt at home, it was just a matter of inserting the cablecard and initiating Guided Setup. I have Fios and have no premium channels, so pairing was not required. Couldn't have been an easier experience overall.

If any of you are on the fence regarding purchasing codes from Spherular, I hope this endorsement helps your decision making.


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## spherular

sakaike said:


> Like yukit, I recently purchased a code from Spherular2 (who is the same as Spherular), and the code was legitimate, and saved me hundreds over a direct purchase of my Roamio Pro and Mini, both with lifetime directly from TiVo.
> 
> This is the real deal, nothing complicated in the transaction with TiVo. Just input the coupon code provided via email from Spherular which was received within minutes of payment confirmation, and you're done.
> 
> Units were activated with lifetime prior to shipping, so upon receipt at home, it was just a matter of inserting the cablecard and initiating Guided Setup. I have Fios and have no premium channels, so pairing was not required. Couldn't have been an easier experience overall.
> 
> If any of you are on the fence regarding purchasing codes from Spherular, I hope this endorsement helps your decision making.


Thanks for the write up...if I can help anyone else out please reach out

<spherular> <at> <gmail.com>


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## ohmark

spherular said:


> Thanks for the write up...if I can help anyone else out please reach out
> 
> <spherular> <at> <gmail.com>


Two questions:
1. Do Tivo's terms and conditions of your codes permit transfer and/or sale of the code?
2. If transfer/sale is not permitted, then what assurance is there that Tivo won't, at some point, do an audit and revoke the lifetime subscriptions?
Thanks.


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## spherular

ohmark said:


> Two questions:
> 1. Do Tivo's terms and conditions of your codes permit transfer and/or sale of the code?
> 2. If transfer/sale is not permitted, then what assurance is there that Tivo won't, at some point, do an audit and revoke the lifetime subscriptions?
> Thanks.


I obtain my codes directly from TiVo and not through the channels discussed elsewhere, as such the same set of terms and conditions do not apply. TiVo have the right to Audit code use, but codes obtained legitimately will not have any issue, those that are not...


----------



## ohmark

spherular said:


> I obtain my codes directly from TiVo and not through the channels discussed elsewhere, as such the same set of terms and conditions do not apply. TiVo have the right to Audit code use, but codes obtained legitimately will not have any issue, those that are not...


Great; but again--do the terms and conditions of the codes that you obtained from Tivo allow transfer/sale?


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## spherular

ohmark said:


> Great; but again--do the terms and conditions of the codes that you obtained from Tivo allow transfer/sale?


There are no such terms in effect. The codes I offer are unrestricted.


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## slowbiscuit

Very interesting.


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## acheapjoe

Spherular, will the codes work for existing customers or only good for new fresh accounts?


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## spherular

acheapjoe said:


> Spherular, will the codes work for existing customers or only good for new fresh accounts?


It works fine for existing customers, but only on new equipment - so no $300 discounted lifetime for existing TiVo's, sorry.


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## acheapjoe

Thanks, have a Premiere with lifetime and looking to add a Roamio.


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## spherular

acheapjoe said:


> Thanks, have a Premiere with lifetime and looking to add a Roamio.


Feel free to email me <spherular> <at> <gmail.com> or contact me on eBay. I'll help out all I can.


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## Prepper

I ordered a code from spherular yesterday afternoon for a very fair price. I received it almost instantly. Great communication, this guy is legit.

Just used the code this morning to order a Roamio Pro, 3 minis and a slide remote and saved over $400!

Anybody thinking about upgrading or adding to your existing system, this is DEFINITELY the way to go.

Thanks again spherular!


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## Huzordaddy

I bought a code from Spherular today. I contacted him via email. It came quickly, and worked just fine to save me hundreds off the price of a Roamio Pro.


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## tarheelblue32

Nooneuknow makes a fair point. I think it is fine to generally point out in this thread that these codes do exist. But if someone wants to discuss their own experience with a specific code seller, or if someone wants to know more about where or from whom they can get these codes, they should be redirected to the buyer/seller forum area.


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## aaronwt

I'd say this is a better spot since this is a deals thread. So people can post the deal and the experience with the seller. I don't think I would ever be looking for info like that in the sales forum. I would expect there to be only sales there,


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## lessd

aaronwt said:


> I'd say this is a better spot since this is a deals thread. So people can post the deal and the experience with the seller. I don't think I would ever be looking for info like that in the sales forum. I would expect there to be only sales there,


I agree, as the sales part of this Forums is for the hardware itself, most likely a one time offer, the codes are different, no hardware itself, just how to get a good deal on such hardware.


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## Prepper

I only knew about the codes and this particular seller because of THIS thread, so that is why I posted here. I don't see anything wrong with letting anyone else like myself who comes to THIS thread looking for a deal that this seller is legit.


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## lessd

Prepper said:


> I only knew about the codes and this particular seller because of THIS thread, so that is why I posted here. I don't see anything wrong with letting anyone else like myself who comes to THIS thread looking for a deal that this seller is legit.


You were looking for a deal on a new Roamio, not somebody's resale, so you came to this Thread, for any resale of a Roamio itself one would go the sellers Thread.
If Best Buy has a great sale for a new Roamio, post to this Thread, if one has a Roamio (or other TiVo hardware) to sell, post in the other Thread.


----------



## Bytez

Prepper said:


> I only knew about the codes and this particular seller because of THIS thread, so that is why I posted here. I don't see anything wrong with letting anyone else like myself who comes to THIS thread looking for a deal that this seller is legit.


I also found the deal from this thread.


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## randy1649

In the past, sometimes, Tivo had FATHERS DAY sales. Free units, but with longer contract terms. Would be nice. Just wondering....


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## boyet_m

randy1649 said:


> In the past, sometimes, Tivo had FATHERS DAY sales. Free units, but with longer contract terms. Would be nice. Just wondering....


Hope it happens.


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## stedmakr

The bottom line is that I upgraded from a TIVO HD and a $12.95 monthly charge to a Roamio Plus $299 and lifetime $300 for a total of $599. The code cost me $30. The Roamio and its Ipad app are out of this world compared to the functional TIVO HD and lifetime will payoff in 23 months. In total I saved around $300 off of the best alternate price I could find and I'm excited that the payoff time is so short.

So the way it worked was the seller posted a "buy it now" code on ebay. I offered less than the buy it now price. Within 3 minutes I received an email from the seller saying that he accepted the bid. I paid through paypal and the seller sent me the code. The entire process took about 15 minutes. At this point I told my wife what I was going to do and received her okay.

The next step was to go to the tivo site and buy the tivo with lifetime. It took a few minutes for me to find the "enter promo code" section of the cart. I did so and purchased the item. Tivo sent a receipt about two hours later. The Tivo shipped from Texas and upon receipt I took the cable card out of the TIVO HD and put it in the Roamio. It took two calls to comcast before HBO came through. Everything was too easy.

If you look at the item on ebay and then the sellers feedback percentage its a strong indicator that you will get what you pay for.


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## spherular

I hope no-one thinks I'm out of line, but I just wanted to caution people about the price paid for a code. Sometimes I have a large supply of codes and sometimes I don't. Right now supply is less than normal so I'm unlikely to accept lower offers. It may be that the price accepted goes down again, but it may well have to increase.

I'm always happy to entertain offers, but please don't expect the price paid to always be the same for everyone.

Thanks again


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## tallmomof2

Thanks to spherular I just saved $551.95 on a Roamio Pro and two minis! Totally legit, I received the code within 5 minutes and ordered from Tivo within another 5 minutes. Now, off to Verizon.com to order a cable card and return my lousy Motorola boxes.


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## P42

randy1649 said:


> In the past, sometimes, Tivo had FATHERS DAY sales. Free units, but with longer contract terms. Would be nice. Just wondering....


Like these:
http://slickdeals.net/f/6975580-tivo-roamio-0-roamio-plus-99-roamio-pro-199-99-with-2yr-commitment


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## aaronwt

P42 said:


> Like these:
> http://slickdeals.net/f/6975580-tivo-roamio-0-roamio-plus-99-roamio-pro-199-99-with-2yr-commitment


Ouch.. that is expensive. You pay all that money and at the end of two years you still don't have lifetime service.


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## tarheelblue32

aaronwt said:


> Ouch.. that is expensive. You pay all that money and at the end of two years you still don't have lifetime service.


Well, yes it's more expensive than just buying lifetime service in the long run, but those prices aren't terrible compared to their usual retail pricing. They are effectively charging $5/month more than normal for monthly service, so over 2 years that amounts to $120. So you are basically paying $120 for a Roamio basic, $220 for a Plus, and $320 for a Pro.


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## jadziedzic

Another thumbs-up for spherular's TiVo discount codes on eBay: I purchased a Roamio Pro and two Minis and saved a chunk of money using a discount code. The equipment arrived yesterday from TiVo, already pre-activated, and everything works just like the equipment I purchased at full price.


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## celtic pride

I just received an email from tivo for a $200.00 off the purchase of a roamio pro,for a total cost of $899.00 with lifetime. shouldnt it be $799.00 with lifetime if i already have 2 tivo premieres or is the ebay discount cheaper? ( I will go check the ebay codes.Ifi decide to order from tivo shouldnt i also get the $100.00 off lifetime since i already have tivo service? I t makes it sound like i;m getting $100.00 off the pro and $100.off lifteime


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## spherular

celtic pride said:


> I just received an email from tivo for a $200.00 off the purchase of a roamio pro,for a total cost of $899.00 with lifetime. shouldnt it be $799.00 with lifetime if i already have 2 tivo premieres or is the ebay discount cheaper? ( I will go check the ebay codes.Ifi decide to order from tivo shouldnt i also get the $100.00 off lifetime since i already have tivo service? I t makes it sound like i;m getting $100.00 off the pro and $100.off lifteime


$899 for the Roamio Pro with Lifetime is an all in one price offered by tivo to existing customers. Their standard offer is $599.99 for the Pro Unit and $499.99 for lifetime, so you are getting a $200 saving versus a new customer or $100 as an existing customer (as you only pay $399.99 for lifetime on additional units).

The code allows you to get a Roamio Pro with lifetime for $699.99, so it's $200 cheaper than the price you have been offered. There may also be sales tax savings too. The cost of the code is your only other consideration.


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## celtic pride

O.K i get it now thanks spherular! i have to wait and check with the wife ,IF its cool with her i'll be looking for the code on ebay. my contracts up with verizon and i coulldnt make up my min if i should go with directv or verizons new vms or tivo,but now i'm pretty sure i''ll stay with verizon if i can get them to give me a decent deal to renew ! And i think the vms is like at least $22.00 more a month to rent.


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## spherular

celtic pride said:


> O.K i get it now thanks spherular! i have to wait and check with the wife ,IF its cool with her i'll be looking for the code on ebay. my contracts up with verizon and i coulldnt make up my min if i should go with directv or verizons new vms or tivo,but now i'm pretty sure i''ll stay with verizon if i can get them to give me a decent deal to renew ! And i think the vms is like at least $22.00 more a month to rent.


I priced it up myself and they wanted $22/mo plus $8 per outlet whereas the cablecard is $4.99 - so its $25/mo saving by going the cablecard route for one box, then more if you want more than one tv hooked up.

Feel free to contact me directly if you have any other questions

spherular <at> gmail <dot> com


----------



## caddyroger

How does the code?


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## caddyroger

Talk about being fast less the 5 minutes after I paid I got the code.


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## caddyroger

Well I bit the bullet and bought a Roamio Pro and the code worked.


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## dhoward

Does this code have an expiration date? I do not have the free cash to buy a Roamio just yet but would consider buying a code if I knew how long it was good for.


----------



## seattlewendell

I don't mean to be an ungrateful schlub but...
Where do these codes come from? Is this legit? Is Tivo going to hose me down the road because I used some code that was for employees only or something?


----------



## tarheelblue32

seattlewendell said:


> I don't mean to be an ungrateful schlub but...
> Where do these codes come from? Is this legit? Is Tivo going to hose me down the road because I used some code that was for employees only or something?


These codes are legit. It has been discussed in detail many times before on this board (and I think in this very thread). TiVo gives these codes out to people who work for retailers that sell TiVos to try to encourage the salespeople to actually use the TiVos that they are trying to sell. Apparently TiVo hands out a ton of them and some retailer employees just turn around and sell surplus codes on ebay.

This is the TiVo website associated with this code program:

http://sellmoretivo.com/


----------



## DaJoos

Down to $324 - picked up an early Father's Day present!


----------



## linetest

spherular said:


> $899 for the Roamio Pro with Lifetime is an all in one price offered by tivo to existing customers. Their standard offer is $599.99 for the Pro Unit and $499.99 for lifetime, so you are getting a $200 saving versus a new customer or $100 as an existing customer (as you only pay $399.99 for lifetime on additional units).
> 
> The code allows you to get a Roamio Pro with lifetime for $699.99, so it's $200 cheaper than the price you have been offered. There may also be sales tax savings too. The cost of the code is your only other consideration.


Wow. Went this route with the code. A little less than $300 off what they have advertised with the MSD discount. Roamio Pro is now on the way.
Thanks spherular.


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## ohmark

Here are the terms and conditions of the Tivo coupon offer, which appears to be the coupon codes sold on E-Bay: http://sellmoretivo.com/register


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## lessd

ohmark said:


> Here are the terms and conditions of the Tivo coupon offer, which appears to be the coupon codes sold on E-Bay: http://sellmoretivo.com/register


TiVo wording is inconsistent with the purchase of Lifetime service, they (TiVo) don't even talk about Lifetime service in the T&C.


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## ohmark

lessd said:


> TiVo wording is inconsistent with the purchase of Lifetime service, they (TiVo) don't even talk about Lifetime service in the T&C.


T&C says "one-time service payment option," which, I assume, means lifetime.


----------



## lessd

ohmark said:


> T&C says "one-time service payment option," which, I assume, means lifetime.


Your correct *BUT* if you leave the employment you suppose to have a loss on the good monthly deal, TiVo does not say what happens to the Lifetime deals under this program, seems like TiVo should cover the Lifetime part if you no longer work for the Co. that gave you the purchase codes. I am also assuming that the *"one-time service payment option," *is another way to say Lifetime, for all the people using these codes and don't have the employment to get these codes, I hope, for their sake, that true.


----------



## slowbiscuit

It's lifetime according to my Roamio and Minis after I used a code. Don't overthink this.


----------



## gfinch

Anyone tried the "http://sellmoretivo.com/register" link to obtain the coupon code?


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## lessd

gfinch said:


> Anyone tried the "http://sellmoretivo.com/register" link to obtain the coupon code?


If you are not eligible what store number and employee number would you use??


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## dhoward

My question is still is there any expiration on these codes? If I purchase now, from EBay, and use it in a month is it still good? Or is there a time limit on when it can be used after purchase?


----------



## Diana Collins

It would appear, based on the TiVo fine print, that there is no hard expiration date, but the program "maybe cancelled at any time" so I wouldn't sit on the codes too long.


----------



## CoxInPHX

dhoward said:


> My question is still is there any expiration on these codes? If I purchase now, from EBay, and use it in a month is it still good? Or is there a time limit on when it can be used after purchase?


The code I received and used, was valid for 90 days, from the date it was generated. YMMV

You should always ask what the expiration date is.


----------



## dhoward

Thank you.


----------



## ohmark

Wonder why Tivo phone sales reps won't match Amazon prices? Interested in buying Roamio Plus and 3 Minis and preferred to get them direct from Tivo. Called Tivo and while they would offer the current Tivo offer ($50 off the Roamio Plus), they refused to match the current Amazon prices. Why is this in Tivo's interests? And why do Tivo's phone reps seem much less interested in making deals or matching prices (or having much less authority to do such) than they did a few years ago when I purchased a Premiere a few years ago? Does this depend on whom I talk to or maybe when I call?


----------



## lpwcomp

ohmark said:


> Wonder why Tivo phone sales reps won't match Amazon prices? Interested in buying Roamio Plus and 3 Minis and preferred to get them direct from Tivo. Called Tivo and while they would offer the current Tivo offer ($50 off the Roamio Plus), they refused to match the current Amazon prices. Why is this in Tivo's interests? And why do Tivo's phone reps seem much less interested in making deals or matching prices (or having much less authority to do such) than they did a few years ago when I purchased a Premiere a few years ago? Does this depend on whom I talk to or maybe when I call?


Exactly what is TiVo's incentive to price match 3rd party sellers?


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## ohmark

lpwcomp said:


> Exactly what is TiVo's incentive to price match 3rd party sellers?


More importantly to me, what incentive is there for me, a loyal Tivo customer for years, to purchase directly from Tivo when I can purchase from a reliable retailer like Amazon at 15-20% cheaper?

But, as to your question, Tivo is the manufacturer. The direct incentive is that the profit margin is higher on units they directly sell to consumers than they wholesale to retailers. And, if they are being consistently undersold by major retailers, they clearly will lose retail sales.

And second, the incentive is exactly the same as it is for the 90+% of mass retailers which do offer price matching. Third, it's one thing to refuse to price match some shady newly created site, or some tiny or specialized retailer. But Amazon, which doesn't even charge tax in many states?

Finally, I'm still curious, why the apparent change in the willingness or ability of Tivo telephone reps to offer incentives to close the deal? Have I just talked to the wrong reps or have the policies just changed?

Please understand, I'm not angry with Tivo over this, because they have the right to set whatever sales policies they want (even if they're, at least arguably, counterproductive) just as I can purchase the units wherever I choose.


----------



## CrispyCritter

ohmark said:


> Wonder why Tivo phone sales reps won't match Amazon prices? Interested in buying Roamio Plus and 3 Minis and preferred to get them direct from Tivo. Called Tivo and while they would offer the current Tivo offer ($50 off the Roamio Plus), they refused to match the current Amazon prices. Why is this in Tivo's interests? And why do Tivo's phone reps seem much less interested in making deals or matching prices (or having much less authority to do such) than they did a few years ago when I purchased a Premiere a few years ago? Does this depend on whom I talk to or maybe when I call?


I'd be shocked at any manufacturer like TiVo matching Amazon prices. It is very strongly in TiVos interest to not do it. No retailer would ever take delivery of TiVos to sell if they knew the manufacturer would undercut them. I'm sure Best Buy and others have contracts with TiVo that say TiVo will not undercut them.

All of TiVo's big deals in the past have been on either refurbished models, or a discount off of service (or are also available through retail channels, like most of the $50 off deals).

What manufacturers of items like TiVos have you ever seen compete on price with Amazon?


----------



## ohmark

CrispyCritter said:


> What manufacturers of items like TiVos have you ever seen compete on price with Amazon?


Sony.


----------



## ohmark

CrispyCritter said:


> I'd be shocked at any manufacturer like TiVo matching Amazon prices. It is very strongly in TiVos interest to not do it. No retailer would ever take delivery of TiVos to sell if they knew the manufacturer would undercut them. I'm sure Best Buy and others have contracts with TiVo that say TiVo will not undercut them.


That's why you match prices. The manufacturer doesn't offer or publish a lower price. But they sure can match a lower price offered by a retailer.


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## ohmark

Duplicate; sorry.


----------



## lessd

ohmark said:


> That's why you match prices. The manufacturer doesn't offer or publish a lower price. But they sure can match a lower price offered by a retailer.


And you think the retail people will not find out, TiVo too small to try to price match and take any chances with the retail part of its business, also the biggest margin is from TiVo selling the service that you can only get from TiVo itself, a few $ loss for the hardware sale is more than made up from the service revenue.


----------



## CrispyCritter

ohmark said:


> Sony.


Indeed you're right; I hadn't realized Sony was doing that. But the point remains that TiVo needs its retailers. TiVo doesn't want to be the ones selling merchandise; they do it as a service to their customers and not as a profit center. They aren't big enough to get economies of scale in selling and never will be (and don't want to be).


----------



## nooneuknow

I'm in agreement on that TiVo, like many who provide products, can't risk alienating their resellers by matching prices. Best they can do is the occasional "special promotional offer", which we can then try to get resellers to match.

When Best Buy was supposed to have the exclusive rights to be the first to sell Premieres (for like a week or two), TiVo didn't honor that deal (or failed to properly instruct other resellers to hold-off). Best Buy was livid, and didn't keep it to themselves. There was quite a schism for some time following that. AFAIK, BB still hasn't forgotten.

To make matters worse, when TiVo had a huge hardware price drop in-motion, at least one reseller didn't honor a "don't sell before" directive from TiVo, selling before TiVo had a chance to jack up the rates on service, and publish the new ToS/EULA.

TiVo could have enforced the new pricing, but made one of their best customer relation decisions by honoring the "old" service pricing on TSNs in the records as being low-price hardware, with higher service price, even on lifetime.

Not all product providers even sell directly. They choose to stay out of it, and leave all the logistics and headaches to the resellers. TiVo likely would prefer this model, but their product/service marriage makes that harder to do.


----------



## trip1eX

ohmark said:


> That's why you match prices. The manufacturer doesn't offer or publish a lower price. But they sure can match a lower price offered by a retailer.


They won't. They don't want to lose their retail partners.

And not sure Tivo even has lower costs when it comes to selling its own products than an Amazon or Walmart who have the benefits of economies of scale.


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## waynomo

I'm sure some prefer to buy from TiVo even at a higher price. You get your dvr already activated for service among other reasons.


----------



## aaronwt

ohmark said:


> More importantly to me, what incentive is there for me, a loyal Tivo customer for years, to purchase directly from Tivo when I can purchase from a reliable retailer like Amazon at 15-20% cheaper?
> 
> But, as to your question, Tivo is the manufacturer. The direct incentive is that the profit margin is higher on units they directly sell to consumers than they wholesale to retailers. And, if they are being consistently undersold by major retailers, they clearly will lose retail sales.
> 
> And second, the incentive is exactly the same as it is for the 90+% of mass retailers which do offer price matching. Third, it's one thing to refuse to price match some shady newly created site, or some tiny or specialized retailer. But Amazon, which doesn't even charge tax in many states?
> 
> Finally, I'm still curious, why the apparent change in the willingness or ability of Tivo telephone reps to offer incentives to close the deal? Have I just talked to the wrong reps or have the policies just changed?
> 
> Please understand, I'm not angry with Tivo over this, because they have the right to set whatever sales policies they want (even if they're, at least arguably, counterproductive) just as I can purchase the units wherever I choose.


It depends on what they offer you. I purchased my Roamio Basic through Tivo because that was the only way they said that they would transfer my $6.95 a month rate. This was back in November. So they sold me the Basic for $175, transferred the $6.95 rate from my Premiere. And then after it was transferred, gave me lifetime on the Premiere for $99. I was very pleased with that. Although I still need to sell my Lifetime Premiere sometime.


----------



## Bytez

ohmark said:


> Wonder why Tivo phone sales reps won't match Amazon prices? Interested in buying Roamio Plus and 3 Minis and preferred to get them direct from Tivo. Called Tivo and while they would offer the current Tivo offer ($50 off the Roamio Plus), they refused to match the current Amazon prices. Why is this in Tivo's interests? And why do Tivo's phone reps seem much less interested in making deals or matching prices (or having much less authority to do such) than they did a few years ago when I purchased a Premiere a few years ago? Does this depend on whom I talk to or maybe when I call?


Just buy the coupon code from ebay and use on tivo.com instead. That's the cheapest way to go.


----------



## ohmark

Bytez said:


> Just buy the coupon code from ebay and use on tivo.com instead. That's the cheapest way to go.


For reasons posted upthread (including the stated non-transferability of the offer on which the coupons are based), I'm reluctant to use the coupons for lifetime just in case Tivo at some point audits the lifetime subscriptions purchased via the coupons, and then revokes. The potential loss of lifetime, to me--at least for now--outweighs the savings. And some of that savings can be made up via Amazon in that Amazon is substantially cheaper than Tivo for the Roamio + and the Mini. Also, on at least one occasion (maybe more?) Tivo telephone support offered the Mini box for half off with purchase of lifetime. Maybe they will again?


----------



## tarheelblue32

ohmark said:


> For reasons posted upthread (including the stated non-transferability of the offer on which the coupons are based), I'm reluctant to use the coupons for lifetime just in case Tivo at some point audits the lifetime subscriptions purchased via the coupons, and then revokes. The potential loss of lifetime, to me--at least for now--outweighs the savings. And some of that savings can be made up via Amazon in that Amazon is substantially cheaper than Tivo for the Roamio + and the Mini. Also, on at least one occasion (maybe more?) Tivo telephone support offered the Mini box for half off with purchase of lifetime. Maybe they will again?


Even if TiVo did an audit and revoked the lifetime service as you suggest, they would have to refund you the money you paid for it.


----------



## sakaike

tarheelblue32 said:


> Even if TiVo did an audit and revoked the lifetime service as you suggest, they would have to refund you the money you paid for it.


I don't know that that is actually true, since I am not aware of a previous instance in which this type of situation has occurred, but even if true, the portion of the overall purchase price that is for the lifetime subscription is $300. That is only $99 less than the multi-service PLS price of $399.

I purchased and used a code happily, and if as a result, I'm only putting $99 at risk, I'm happy to have taken that gamble.

Having said that, I don't see it as a gamble at all. I fully expect this purchase to be 100% legit, with no problems or audits down the road...


----------



## lessd

sakaike said:


> I don't know that that is actually true, since I am not aware of a previous instance in which this type of situation has occurred, but even if true, the portion of the overall purchase price that is for the lifetime subscription is $300. That is only $99 less than the multi-service PLS price of $399.
> 
> I purchased and used a code happily, and if as a result, I'm only putting $99 at risk, I'm happy to have taken that gamble.
> 
> Having said that, I don't see it as a gamble at all. I fully expect this purchase to be 100% legit, with no problems or audits down the road...


Do you think that TiVo does not know about the E-Bay code sales??, they know, so I do not expect TiVo is just sitting back waiting for all the codes to be used than sucker punch all the people that were not authorized to use the codes. I think this is a sneaky way to get more sales without getting the retail stores panties in a twist. (Hay; it your employees that are selling their codes, go after them not us)


----------



## tarheelblue32

sakaike said:


> I don't know that that is actually true, since I am not aware of a previous instance in which this type of situation has occurred, but even if true, the portion of the overall purchase price that is for the lifetime subscription is $300. That is only $99 less than the multi-service PLS price of $399.


I'm saying that legally they cannot sell you a service and later decide to revoke the service you paid for without refunding you the money. If they did, you can sue them, or more likely there would be a class action lawsuit against them from everyone whose lifetime service they revoked.


----------



## slowbiscuit

ohmark said:


> For reasons posted upthread (including the stated non-transferability of the offer on which the coupons are based), I'm reluctant to use the coupons for lifetime just in case Tivo at some point audits the lifetime subscriptions purchased via the coupons, and then revokes.


OMG! Get the tin foil hat! 

Seriously, your loss.


----------



## sakaike

lessd said:


> Do you think that TiVo does not know about the E-Bay code sales??, they know, so I do not expect TiVo is just sitting back waiting for all the codes to be used than sucker punch all the people that were not authorized to use the codes. I think this is a sneaky way to get more sales without getting the retail stores panties in a twist. (Hay; it your employees that are selling their codes, go after them not us)


I'm with you that I am sure that TiVo is aware of the code sales. I'm a happy purchaser of one from Spherular and do not expect any consequences down the road. My only point was that even if I was wrong, which I'm pretty sure I'm not, that that's a gamble I was obviously happy to make.



tarheelblue32 said:


> I'm saying that legally they cannot sell you a service and later decide to revoke the service you paid for without refunding you the money. If they did, you can sue them, or more likely there would be a class action lawsuit against them from everyone whose lifetime service they revoked.


Agreed.


----------



## lessd

tarheelblue32 said:


> I'm saying that legally they cannot sell you a service and later decide to revoke the service you paid for without refunding you the money. If they did, you can sue them, or more likely there would be a class action lawsuit against them from everyone whose lifetime service they revoked.


If your purchase was under false pretense from any Co., TiVo included, the co. or the law could take action, in this case IMHO TiVo not going to take any action, but see this from the SC, has nothing to do with TiVo but is does about making false statements. 
http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-rules-straw-purchaser-law-140713053--finance.html


----------



## L David Matheny

tarheelblue32 said:


> I'm saying that legally they cannot sell you a service and later decide to revoke the service you paid for without refunding you the money. If they did, you can sue them, or more likely there would be a class action lawsuit against them from everyone whose lifetime service they revoked.


That makes sense, although laws don't always make sense. In any case, attempting to revoke any type of paid lifetime service would appear to be a desperate act by a company circling the toilet bowl for the last time before disappearing. I certainly hope TiVo never gets that desperate.


----------



## Diana Collins

lessd said:


> If your purchase was under false pretense from any Co., TiVo included, the co. or the law could take action, in this case IMHO TiVo not going to take any action, but see this from the SC, has nothing to do with TiVo but is does about making false statements.
> http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-rules-straw-purchaser-law-140713053--finance.html


Apples and oranges. What you say would hold water if, when you enter the code on the TiVo website, they then displayed a full list of the terms and conditions of the sale. But they do not - they simply adjust the price and mark it as "Product bundle" pricing. Terms of sale can only be set at the time of the sale and must be an explicit part of the sales contract. Distributing restrictive terms with codes, if they did, is meaningless other than as a point of edification. They are not binding unless expressed at the point of sale.

To say that terms not noted during the sale were effective would be like your bank saying "I know the mortgage SAYS it was for 30 years, but the flyer we have in the bank says that you only get 20 years and then have to refinance for the last 10." Do you think that would fly in court? Neither would TiVo revoking lifetime service because these codes weren't supposed to be resold (again, if they stipulated such at all).


----------



## edwinyuen

I will say that I used one of spherular's codes and with everything up and running, it was pretty easy (other than Mini setups but that's another part of the fourms) and it was worth it to me.


----------



## lessd

Diana Collins said:


> Apples and oranges. What you say would hold water if, when you enter the code on the TiVo website, they then displayed a full list of the terms and conditions of the sale. But they do not - they simply adjust the price and mark it as "Product bundle" pricing. Terms of sale can only be set at the time of the sale and must be an explicit part of the sales contract. Distributing restrictive terms with codes, if they did, is meaningless other than as a point of edification. They are not binding unless expressed at the point of sale.
> 
> To say that terms not noted during the sale were effective would be like your bank saying "I know the mortgage SAYS it was for 30 years, but the flyer we have in the bank says that you only get 20 years and then have to refinance for the last 10." Do you think that would fly in court? Neither would TiVo revoking lifetime service because these codes weren't supposed to be resold (again, if they stipulated such at all).


You are most likely correct but until any legal theory is tested in court one never knows with 100% accuracy, TiVo not going to go that far, IMHO.


----------



## JZC

For anyone not interested in using the eBay code, Best Buy and Amazon both have the Pro discounted $100 (sale price $499) and the Plus discounted $75 (sale price $325). In the last couple months, I saved up $300 in Best Buy gift cards so going with this deal was the best option for me.


----------



## tarheelblue32

lessd said:


> You are most likely correct but until any legal theory is tested in court one never knows with 100% accuracy, TiVo not going to go that far, IMHO.


These are not some novel legal theories that need to be tested. These are basic contract law principles that have existed for hundreds of years. One party to a contract cannot unilaterally revoke the contract unless the contract terms specifically say they can. Not only that, but contracts written by one party are strictly construed against the writer, meaning if TiVo's written contract terms are in any way vague or open to interpretation, the non-writing party wins. AND even if TiVo could revoke the contract under the written terms of the contract, they still wouldn't get to keep all of your money, as that would constitute unjust enrichment. They would have to refund at least part of your lifetime service fee.


----------



## lessd

tarheelblue32 said:


> These are not some novel legal theories that need to be tested. These are basic contract law principles that have existed for hundreds of years. One party to a contract cannot unilaterally revoke the contract unless the contract terms specifically say they can. Not only that, but contracts written by one party are strictly construed against the writer, meaning if TiVo's written contract terms are in any way vague or open to interpretation, the non-writing party wins. AND even if TiVo could revoke the contract under the written terms of the contract, they still wouldn't get to keep all of your money, as that would constitute unjust enrichment. They would have to refund at least part of your lifetime service fee.


You are correct in most cases but in the past some (very few) contracts have been voided because the court decided they were too unfair to one party. Badly written prenuptial contracts is one easy example to find.


----------



## waynomo

slowbiscuit said:


> OMG! Get the tin foil hat!
> 
> Seriously, your loss.


So basically this.

Don't be afraid of monsters under the bed.


----------



## pl1

Just a Me too, Thanks go to spherular2 for the great deal on ebay. (TiVo Promo Discount Sale Service). Hassle free savings, a way better deal than TiVo's own upgrade offer!


----------



## sundog

Also took the plunge with spherular (thanks!). 

The hardware arrives tomorrow, Tivo Tuesday! The family can't wait.


----------



## andyw715

I'm glad I checked here. I was about to pull the trigger on a sale priced Plus and 3TB drive to install.

Looks like I can get the ebay code and still save some bucks (and have a genuine Pro)


----------



## Diana Collins

lessd said:


> You are correct in most cases but in the past some (very few) contracts have been voided because the court decided they were too unfair to one party. Badly written prenuptial contracts is one easy example to find.


Which could not apply in this case. TiVo is setting the contract terms and so can not ask the court to void the contract because it is unfair to them.


----------



## lessd

Diana Collins said:


> Which could not apply in this case. TiVo is setting the contract terms and so can not ask the court to void the contract because it is unfair to them.


The fact that people that TiVo did not intend to use these codes did use these codes may be the part that is unfair to TiVo.


----------



## lpwcomp

lessd said:


> The fact that people that TiVo did not intend to use these codes did use these codes may be the part that is unfair to TiVo.


They should have explicitly made them non-transferable. OTOH, except for the logistics of the transfer, how is this any different from the original coupon recipient buying the TiVo and then selling it to someone else?


----------



## squint

From the sellmoretivo site:



> Only certain current employees identified by TiVo of the retailers for which this promotion was designated (the "Retailers") are eligible for this promotion. User must pass employment verification by TiVo, and must receive an award code from TiVo to be eligible. Furthermore, you must remain an eligible employee of Retailer to continue to receive Promotional Subscription pricing as part of this Offer. *This Offer is non-transferable.*


----------



## tarheelblue32

lessd said:


> The fact that people that TiVo did not intend to use these codes did use these codes may be the part that is unfair to TiVo.


That is TiVo's fault for not writing their contract terms better and for handing out these codes like candy. Courts don't save parties from their own poorly written contracts unless the result is so egregious as to be unconscionable. And even then, if a court allowed TiVo to legally void the contract, that same court would make TiVo refund your money. That's what voiding a contract means, both sides would have to give back what they got, so TiVo refunds you your money and you give them back their DVR. You think TiVo would want to void their contract and buy back their DVR from you? No way they would ever want that.


----------



## lpwcomp

squint said:


> From the sellmoretivo site:


Obviously TiVo isn't doing the "employment verification". And, as I said, exactly how does this differ from an actual physical transfer of the TiVo after purchase?


----------



## tarheelblue32

squint said:


> From the sellmoretivo site:
> 
> Only certain current employees identified by TiVo of the retailers for which this promotion was designated (the "Retailers") are eligible for this promotion. User must pass employment verification by TiVo, and must receive an award code from TiVo to be eligible. Furthermore, you must remain an eligible employee of Retailer to continue to receive Promotional Subscription pricing as part of this Offer. This Offer is non-transferable.


And it also says:

"In the event that you are no longer an eligible employee of Retailer, or TiVo otherwise discontinues this Offer and/or the Promotional Subscription pricing, your existing subscription to the TiVo service received as part of this offer shall revert to the then current one (1) year monthly TiVo subscription price."

So if you are not eligible for the promotion discount, and you selected monthly service, then they could revert you back to the normal monthly fee. But if you selected lifetime service, then they can't do anything. Another excellent reason to choose lifetime service over monthly service.


----------



## squint

lpwcomp said:


> Obviously TiVo isn't doing the "employment verification". And, as I said, exactly how does this differ from an actual physical transfer of the TiVo after purchase?





tarheelblue32 said:


> So if you are not eligible for the promotion discount, and you selected monthly service, then they could revert you back to the normal monthly fee. But if you selected lifetime service, then they can't do anything. Another excellent reason to choose lifetime service over monthly service.


In the past, there were employee-owned units that had lifetime but changed to closed account status when their employment ended.

I think buying lifetime units using these codes is pretty safe. I have a small stash of codes I haven't used yet.


----------



## tarheelblue32

squint said:


> In the past, there were employee-owned units that had lifetime but changed to closed account status when their employment ended.


On those units, did the employee actually have to pay for the lifetime service that was subsequently cancelled, or was the service just complementary from TiVo from the start?


----------



## Adam1115

Amazon $169 with prime shipping, not sure why TiVo.com is so much more.


----------



## squint

tarheelblue32 said:


> On those units, did the employee actually have to pay for the lifetime service that was subsequently cancelled, or was the service just complementary from TiVo from the start?


I'm not certain but I think it was complimentary for current employees. However, the people who bought them secondhand got a nasty surprise.


----------



## tarheelblue32

squint said:


> I'm not certain but I think it was complimentary for current employees. However, the people who bought them secondhand got a nasty surprise.


That makes sense. If the service was complementary, then there was no consideration paid for it, therefore it could be revoked at any time. But if you actually pay something directly to TiVo for the lifetime service, which you do when you use these ebay codes, then there is consideration and they can't simply take it away from you without compensating you (returning your money to you).


----------



## lessd

tarheelblue32 said:


> That is TiVo's fault for not writing their contract terms better and for handing out these codes like candy. Courts don't save parties from their own poorly written contracts unless the result is so egregious as to be unconscionable. And even then, if a court allowed TiVo to legally void the contract, that same court would make TiVo refund your money. That's what voiding a contract means, both sides would have to give back what they got, so TiVo refunds you your money and you give them back their DVR. You think TiVo would want to void their contract and buy back their DVR from you? No way they would ever want that.


As I stated before I think TiVo is doing this to get more sales without getting the retail stores mad, they, IMHO, will not go back on any Lifetime service purchased by non authorized people.


----------



## tarheelblue32

lessd said:


> As I stated before I think TiVo is doing this to get more sales without getting the retail stores mad, they, IMHO, will not go back on any Lifetime service purchased by non authorized people.


And my point is that they can't legally go back on it even if they wanted to.


----------



## HarperVision

lessd said:


> As I stated before I think TiVo is doing this to get more sales without getting the retail stores mad, they, IMHO, will not go back on any Lifetime service purchased by non authorized people.


Exactly, or they wouldn't be giving one salesperson 3 codes for completing the training.


----------



## Farplaner

Thanks very much. I took the second code  (The first one was already taken)


----------



## lessd

tarheelblue32 said:


> And my point is that they can't legally go back on it even if they wanted to.


When it comes to the law, never say never.


----------



## tarheelblue32

lessd said:


> When it comes to the law, never say never.


Speaking as a lawyer, the law in most legal areas isn't as fickle as many people commonly believe. This is because 99.999% of the time the legal result is exactly as expected and thus never gets reported. It is only the very rare, sensational legal outcome that get attention in the media.


----------



## lessd

tarheelblue32 said:


> Speaking as a lawyer, the law in most legal areas isn't as fickle as many people commonly believe. This is because 99.999% of the time the legal result is exactly as expected and thus never gets reported. It is only the very rare, sensational legal outcomes that get attention in the media.


I agree with you statement *law in most legal areas isn't so fickle *, the TiVo case is one that is somewhat undefined, but will never be tested in court as it too small amount of money.


----------



## tarheelblue32

lessd said:


> I agree with you statement *law in most legal areas isn't so fickle *, the TiVo case is one that is somewhat undefined, but will never be tested in court as it too small amount of money.


Contract law is well tested, and this all boils down to basic contract law.


----------



## flar

spherular said:


> So I've created the TiVo Community Forum Code that entitles anyone from this site to $10 off any price listed.
> 
> The code is COMMUNITY (it is case sensitive)
> 
> Thanks so much for your support in getting spherular.com off the ground. A few of the $20 off codes are still available so get them while you can! By the way, codes can not be combined, sorry.


No, thank *you* for getting these codes into the hands of the enthusiasts that will drive some sales and provide a larger base of feedback on these forums.

I snagged a code for a friend that I'm trying to convince to update her frankentivohome (Tivo HD, Tivo 2, Comcast DVR) to a Pro/Mini/Mini system. She may not want to move on this right away as she is currently doing reconstruction on her current A/V built-in-wall system for a new TV and may want to let the bills settle before she changes out her TiVos, but earlier you mentioned that there was no expiration date on the codes. Hopefully August/September or so...


----------



## Diana Collins

lessd said:


> The fact that people that TiVo did not intend to use these codes did use these codes may be the part that is unfair to TiVo.


Fair enough. I don't know about anyone else, but my billing history show my purchases as a "Friends and Family" discount, so I'm not concerned.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Diana Collins said:


> Fair enough. I don't know about anyone else, but my billing history show my purchases as a "Friends and Family" discount, so I'm not concerned.


Well then I think you are pretty safe. TiVo would never terminate service to their "friends and family".


----------



## lessd

Diana Collins said:


> Fair enough. I don't know about anyone else, but my billing history show my purchases as a "Friends and Family" discount, so I'm not concerned.


I just used the code for my order and my order history just has order placed, at what point does it show * "Friends and Family"
*


----------



## spherular

lessd said:


> I just used the code for my order and my order history just has order placed, at what point does it show * "Friends and Family"
> *


Friends and Family shows up on the monthly invoice for those not opting for "Lifetime".


----------



## Diana Collins

I opted for lifetime on all my units..."Friends and Family" shows up in the 'Billing History' for the box.


----------



## ThAbtO

Aren't we all just a big Tivo "Family?"


----------



## lessd

Diana Collins said:


> I opted for lifetime on all my units..."Friends and Family" shows up in the 'Billing History' for the box.


I just looked and I don't see any *."Friends and Family"* in the billing history

Current billing information .

Payment plan: TiVo Mini Bundle, Product Lifetime .

Account Status: Lifetime Service .

Payment plan start date: Jun 26, 2014 .

Credit card on file: .

Expiration date: Mar 2015 .

Card holder's name: xxxxxxx.

Current balance due: $0.00 .

Action

Date

Transaction information

Amount

Sales tax

Total

Billed Jun 26, 2014 TiVo Mini Bundle, Product Lifetime $124.01 $1.24 $125.25 
Billed Jun 26, 2014 HW Upgrade TiVo Mini $49.99 $3.17 $53.16 
Settled Jun 26, 2014 Charged to: xXXX XXXX XXXxxxx $174.00 $4.41 ($178.41)

Line items may not equal total amount because billing details prior to 2001 are not displayed.
Please allow up to two business days for new transactions to appear on this screen.


----------



## trickymost

Just a heads up to everyone, TiVo is cracking down on those who acquired sellmoretivo codes who are not entitled to them.

I found out when TiVo allowed me to place an order using a code purchased through eBay.

I purchased a Roamio Pro + lifetime, but received my Roamio unactivated. When TiVo CS looked into it, they said I needed to pick a valid service plan. I explained there must be a mistake, I purchased a plan when I purchased the TiVo, and further to my knowledge TiVo does not ship devices un-activated.

The CS people were nice but utterly useless. A 3 business day CS investigation later, TiVo informed me the code I used belonged to someone who works at Frys, and as such I had violated the terms of the program and they could not give me the discounted lifetime price.

They gave me 2 options:

1. Keep the hardware at the discounted price, but pay either $399 for lifetime or $14.99/month with 1 year commitment.
2. RMA for a refund.

I RMA'd it, but guess what? TiVo only refunded me for the hardware. I called CS and raised holy hell, and the short of it was they apologized, but said there are glitches in their billing and activation systems causing all sorts of havoc, and so they can't refund me the full $ I initially paid for lifetime, because there is no record on their end I paid for any service.

Thankfully I have an email invoice from TiVo showing the hardware + service plan purchased, and thankfully I used an AMEX, so I've filed a dispute and expect to have it resolved in my favor shortly.

If you purchased or plan on purchasing a code, buyer beware. Between TiVo's incompetence and the fact these codes are not intended for the public, you are definitely taking a risk buying a code.


----------



## aridon

I don't see friend and family anywhere on my account or in the billing history. I bought the code in early April though.

Given the number of feedfback on Ebay they might be starting to crack down. We won't really know until more people speak up if your experience was a fluke or even based on truth.

If they are cracking down then it should become obvious really quickly.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...d=-1&de=off&items=25&interval=0&mPg=17&page=6


----------



## spherular

I think it is all units being shipped not those bought with codes.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10164228


----------



## lessd

trickymost said:


> Just a heads up to everyone, TiVo is cracking down on those who acquired sellmoretivo codes who are not entitled to them.
> 
> I found out when TiVo allowed me to place an order using a code purchased through eBay.
> 
> I purchased a Roamio Pro + lifetime, but received my Roamio unactivated. When TiVo CS looked into it, they said I needed to pick a valid service plan. I explained there must be a mistake, I purchased a plan when I purchased the TiVo, and further to my knowledge TiVo does not ship devices un-activated.
> 
> The CS people were nice but utterly useless. A 3 business day CS investigation later, TiVo informed me the code I used belonged to someone who works at Frys, and as such I had violated the terms of the program and they could not give me the discounted lifetime price.
> 
> They gave me 2 options:
> 
> 1. Keep the hardware at the discounted price, but pay either $399 for lifetime or $14.99/month with 1 year commitment.
> 2. RMA for a refund.
> 
> I RMA'd it, but guess what? TiVo only refunded me for the hardware. I called CS and raised holy hell, and the short of it was they apologized, but said there are glitches in their billing and activation systems causing all sorts of havoc, and so they can't refund me the full $ I initially paid for lifetime, because there is no record on their end I paid for any service.
> 
> Thankfully I have an email invoice from TiVo showing the hardware + service plan purchased, and thankfully I used an AMEX, so I've filed a dispute and expect to have it resolved in my favor shortly.
> 
> If you purchased or plan on purchasing a code, buyer beware. Between TiVo's incompetence and the fact these codes are not intended for the public, you are definitely taking a risk buying a code.


The 64,000 question is will TiVo go back to check on the rest of the people that used the codes ?? or is it just a problem as stated above by * spherular *that all TiVo are going out un-activated, and when fixed all the TiVo will get the activation.


----------



## squint

If it was a problem with all Tivos then why was the use of a code even an issue when it came to trickymost's Roamio?


----------



## lessd

squint said:


> If it was a problem with all Tivos then why was the use of a code even an issue when it came to trickymost's Roamio?


And most of the codes sales people are now off E-Bay, *Huston I think we have a problem.

*


----------



## squint

I still see listings by spherular and kjv2794. It seems a 3rd seller showed up recently, tivomadness.

One of them did tell me a couple weeks ago that the promotion was winding down and they would soon be leaving the code 'business.'


----------



## Farplaner

BTW I got one of the $30 codes. Received the Roamio Plus last week and no problems so far (received it activated)


----------



## spherular

lessd said:


> And most of the codes sales people are now off E-Bay, *Huston I think we have a problem.
> 
> *


I don't think the code use was the issue here, it is more likely the CS agent tried to find a fault and that was the first issue that was thrown up.

If you are looking for a problem then you will find a problem.


----------



## Davisadm

*trickymost* specifically stated that the CSR said the code belongs to someone else, so I doubt the CSR was just trying find a fault. The CSR did not pull this out of the air. The "owner's" name for the code showed up and obviously did not match with the buyers name. If they are upgrading their system this is probably something that is being implemented.

The fact that some units were shipped out without activation probably is a coincidence.

It's about time TiVo started to crack down on illegal activity.



spherular said:


> I don't think the code use was the issue here, it is more likely the CS agent tried to find a fault and that was the first issue that was thrown up.
> 
> If you are looking for a problem then you will find a problem.





trickymost said:


> ...TiVo informed me the code I used belonged to someone who works at Frys, and as such I had violated the terms of the program and they could not give me the discounted lifetime price...


----------



## tarheelblue32

Davisadm said:


> It's about time TiVo started to crack down on illegal activity.


Just to clarify, there is nothing "illegal" about using these codes. No laws are being broken. At most, it is a simple breach of contract, which is in no way "illegal".


----------



## Davisadm

I should have said "It's about time TiVo started to crack down on *fraudulent* activity."



tarheelblue32 said:


> Just to clarify, there is nothing "illegal" about using these codes. No laws are being broken. At most, it is a simple breach of contract, which is in no way "illegal".





Davisadm said:


> ...It's about time TiVo started to crack down on illegal activity...


----------



## trickymost

Davisadm said:


> I should have said "It's about time TiVo started to crack down on *fraudulent* activity."


Yep. They clearly are intended for specific users - it's exactly like using a LDW for a corporation or entity for which you are not affiliated to rent a car.

Will you get away with a better rate and better insurance? Yeah, most of the time. But you never know when you're going to get banned for life from that rental company, or when you're going to bring your car in and be told you owe full retail on your car rental.

That's never happened to me, but clearly it's buyer beware with these codes, at a minimum you risk losing what you paid for the code, and at worst you can be denied the rate.


----------



## lessd

Davisadm said:


> *trickymost* specifically stated that the CSR said the code belongs to someone else, so I doubt the CSR was just trying find a fault. The CSR did not pull this out of the air. The "owner's" name for the code showed up and obviously did not match with the buyers name. If they are upgrading their system this is probably something that is being implemented.
> 
> The fact that some units were shipped out without activation probably is a coincidence.
> 
> It's about time TiVo started to crack down on illegal activity.


Cracking down on this code thing is one thing but with knowledge the order is for the wrong person and to ship out a half backed order and take his full payment is another story, that may be (and most likely is) an illegal activity. If TiVo does not want to honor the code for any reason than cancel the order and return the customers money, but TiVo can't charge the customer a *fine* (by sending out only part of the order and taking the full payment) for trying to make this purchase, only a court could do this.


----------



## HarperVision

What if the code owner/seller just purchased the TiVo package for the buyer, added in his markup (same as what he'd sell the code for alone) and had it shipped to the buyer already activated in the code owner's name? Wouldn't that be the same as me selling my used lifetime TiVo gear to someone and it being legit?


----------



## squint

I think that's what some of the code sellers tried to do initially.


----------



## lessd

HarperVision said:


> What if the code owner/seller just purchased the TiVo package for the buyer, added in his markup (same as what he'd sell the code for alone) and had it shipped to the buyer already activated in the code owner's name? Wouldn't that be the same as me selling my used lifetime TiVo gear to someone and it being legit?


This code thing is a TiVo problem and TiVos problem alone, TiVo must either honor the code or cancel any order that TiVo thinks is not correct. The problem is then between the original code owner and TiVo, and would have nothing to do with us. If you purchase a code and your order is canceled (and your money paid to TiVo is returned) than your only problem is between you and the seller of the code.
Than that would be the chance you are taking, the gipping could go both ways as now we have somebody that had an order refused by TiVo (we must all take his word for this as there is no proof one way or the other), you could purchase the code and TiVo does ship your discounted order, than go back to E_Bay or PayPal and say TiVo would not ship your discounted order, how can the code seller tell? you would get your code cost back and nobody could tell what happened.

PS: the code thing worked for me without problems about two weeks ago, and I am not looking for my money back from the code seller.


----------



## HarperVision

lessd said:


> ....... PS: the code thing worked for me without problems about two weeks ago, and I am not looking for my money back from the code seller.


Why would you want your money back if the code worked?


----------



## dave13077

I think Tivo "looked the other way" for a while. It started out that a few people had an extra code or 2 and were willing to let someone else take advantage because they didn't need them. It allowed Tivo to add some subs that they wouldn't have had otherwise. But now it has, in my opinion, gotten way out of hand. You started to see multiple people selling the codes on Ebay and in one case you have an individual that not only has been selling them on Ebay (appears to have over 300 sales) but set up a complete website with the sole purpose to sell these codes. At this point I think that Tivo has no choice but to step in and do something. My guess is that they will stop honoring the fraudulently acquired codes but let any previous codes that were used stand. 

Classic case of a few ruining it for many...........


----------



## lessd

HarperVision said:


> Why would you want your money back if the code worked?


Only if I was an immoral person and wanted to screw the code seller.


----------



## spherular

Looks like the newly shipped Roamios are now starting to be activated....

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10167100#post10167100


----------



## aridon

So basically no issues and people got worked up over one persons "story" for nothing?


----------



## nooneuknow

aridon said:


> So basically no issues and people got worked up over one persons "story" for nothing?


I had typed up (then nuked) a really long rant about how everybody was whipping up a fury over one person's allegation of being told by TiVo they had a discount code acquired in a manner which didn't entitle them to use it, combined with "the guy with the codes", who set up a freaking website, taking full advantage of said fury, by posting short comments in response to recent activation posts, getting more forum exposure for what he is selling. I did some digging, and this code seller seems to be only here to sell codes.

The guy with the codes is probably the guy who forced TiVo to do something, or if not, will be the the one driving the final nail in the discount code coffin...

How does a person who themselves is not an authorized TiVo reseller, setup a website selling a "TiVo Buying Service"?

Since when is one person's "story" taken as so credible?

The whole thing is based on one allegation that one person made, which could not be verified, and nobody else claims they were told that. Very fishy...


----------



## lessd

nooneuknow said:


> I had typed up (then nuked) a really long rant about how everybody was whipping up a fury over one person's allegation of being told by TiVo they had a discount code acquired in a manner which didn't entitle them to use it, combined with "the guy with the codes", who set up a freaking website, taking full advantage of said fury, by posting short comments in response to recent activation posts, getting more forum exposure for what he is selling. I did some digging, and this code seller seems to be only here to sell codes.
> 
> The guy with the codes is probably the guy who forced TiVo to do something, or if not, will be the the one driving the final nail in the discount code coffin...
> 
> How does a person who themselves is not an authorized TiVo reseller, setup a website selling a "TiVo Buying Service"?
> 
> Since when is one person's "story" taken as so credible?
> 
> The whole thing is based on one allegation that one person made, which could not be verified, and nobody else claims they were told that. Very fishy...


Well we were all waiting for the other shoe to fall as somebody has to be first, the other shoe did not fall (so far) so we are off the code races.
Anybody can set up a web sight and sell what they want if the product is legal, TiVo codes are legal to sell, however TiVo does not *have* to honor them. 
TiVo got themselves into the same type of mess they had in the old days with the refer gifts as people on E-Bay were paying you from $25 to $35 if you used their E-Mail when you activated your TiVo, the program got so out of hand TiVo had to cancel the gift program altogether.
If your going to design a marketing program you can make it much more secure so this code selling thing does not happen so easily in the first place (if you don't want it to happen, to me that still an open question).


----------



## Diana Collins

It would be interesting to know exactly what TiVo knows, when they knew it and whether or not they care. I would assume that if all 300+ feedback posters on eBay purchased something with the code that at least some of them would not have purchased without the discount. Others may have purchased now versus 6 months from now. In both cases this was a benefit to TiVo.

But more fundamentally, if TiVo is trying to exit the retail business (as some have suggested in other threads) this is a good way to run down inventory without eroding the margin that retailers can make. On the other hand, if that's true, then I wouldn't expect TiVo to "crack down" on the use of these codes.

Bottom line, for anyone who has already received their activated TiVos, it would be very difficult for TiVo to undo any of those purchases. No messages were displayed about terms of use for these codes. You just entered the code and the prices were adjusted like any discount code. Without disclosing any terms or conditions at the point of sale, TiVo would have no standing to invalidate the sales once consummated.


----------



## SatManager

Just to add my two cents to the noise, I purchased a TiVo Roamio Pro using a code from Spherular website on 3 July, it was shipped that evening by UPS and is now showing going through the activation process today on the TiVo website. So no problems with my purchase of my first TiVo. Next week to try to activate it with Cox cable!


----------



## nooneuknow

Diana Collins said:


> It would be interesting to know exactly what TiVo knows, when they knew it and whether or not they care. I would assume that if all 300+ feedback posters on eBay purchased something with the code that at least some of them would not have purchased without the discount. Others may have purchased now versus 6 months from now. In both cases this was a benefit to TiVo.
> 
> But more fundamentally, if TiVo is trying to exit the retail business (as some have suggested in other threads) this is a good way to run down inventory without eroding the margin that retailers can make. On the other hand, if that's true, then I wouldn't expect TiVo to "crack down" on the use of these codes.
> 
> Bottom line, for anyone who has already received their activated TiVos, it would be very difficult for TiVo to undo any of those purchases. No messages were displayed about terms of use for these codes. You just entered the code and the prices were adjusted like any discount code. Without disclosing any terms or conditions at the point of sale, TiVo would have no standing to invalidate the sales once consummated.


The threads that cover people getting $99 or $199 lifetime service on their old model TiVos are getting multiple reports of those who should be eligible being told "good bye", when selecting to cancel service, not getting the offer, not giving it if asked for, just reports of TiVo letting the subs go.

I could see that as either TiVo making up for the lower take due to these discount codes (whether or not they are being issued/sold/redeemed with TiVo's unspoken blessing), or it could be part of their retail exit strategy, and they want to clear Roamio inventory, and pick up the subs there, which will offset any losses by those calling to cancel after their commitments are up, or who have waited three years of paying monthly to get the offer no longer on the table...

I'm sure somebody will come along with logistics that say none of this makes sense. But, if TiVo's business strategy is shifting, the usual metrics and logistics may no longer apply.

Yes, I'm a "glass half-empty" person.


----------



## slay65

Just checked Tivo.com and they are having a "Flash" sale on Romio.

$599 for Plus $799 for Pro. Each with LIFETIME service included.

https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/summer-savings


----------



## trip1eX

slay65 said:


> Just checked Tivo.com and they are having a "Flash" sale on Romio.
> 
> $599 for Plus $799 for Pro. Each with LIFETIME service included.
> 
> https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/summer-savings


wow nice deal on the plus. as good as the codes.

Probably due to drop in price this year though right? It's been awhile since it came out.


----------



## Bierboy

trip1eX said:


> wow nice deal on the plus. as good as the codes.
> 
> Probably due to drop in price this year though right? It's been awhile since it came out.


Not quite a year...last fall is when they rolled 'em out. With nothing new on the horizon, it's nice to see this...


----------



## trip1eX

Well I bought a Roamio Plus. I'm a Tivo owner again.


----------



## Diana Collins

Amazon currently lists:

Roamio Pro: $499.98
Roamio Plus: $349.00
Roamio Basic: $169.99
Mini: $88.00
Stream: $129.00 (only $0.99 off)
Premiere 4: $149.99
Premiere XL4: $199.99


----------



## tarheelblue32

trip1eX said:


> wow nice deal on the plus. as good as the codes.
> 
> Probably due to drop in price this year though right? It's been awhile since it came out.


TiVo's second fiscal quarter ends July 31. They are probably trying to juice up their quarterly retail sales numbers.


----------



## trip1eX

tarheelblue32 said:


> TiVo's second fiscal quarter ends July 31. They are probably trying to juice up their quarterly retail sales numbers.


Good observation. The juicing is working or at least I bit.

I guess I will keep my WMC system up for awhile to "smooth the transition" and add Minis at a later date.


----------



## trip1eX

btw, it is kind of a hidden deal. I don't see it anywhere on the Tivo page. I can only locate (the summer promo) through the direct link.


----------



## squint

trip1eX said:


> wow nice deal on the plus. as good as the codes.


The price is the same for the Roamio Plus but the Roamio Pro is $700 with the code.


----------



## Bytez

Only 2,000 at that price? It's probably not true.


----------



## nooneuknow

Bytez said:


> Only 2,000 at that price? It's probably not true.


Either they haven't yet managed to sell a total of 2,000, or it's just a hook (untruthful marketing gimmick) they hope many will be happy to swallow...

Which do you think it is?


----------



## CoxInPHX

Promotional Gimmick....

Call within the next 20 minutes and receive free shipping and we'll send you 2 for the price of 1


----------



## nooneuknow

CoxInPHX said:


> Promotional Gimmick....
> 
> Call within the next 20 minutes and receive free shipping and we'll send you 2 for the price of 1


Those were my thoughts exactly. I just didn't want to be the first to say it.


----------



## trip1eX

The 2000 is just so they can stop the sale whenever they want to.


----------



## Phasers

slay65 said:


> Just checked Tivo.com and they are having a "Flash" sale on Romio.
> 
> $599 for Plus $799 for Pro. Each with LIFETIME service included.
> 
> https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/summer-savings


Code Tivo50 drops another $50 off the price.

I think $550 is a steal.


----------



## deepthinker

nooneuknow said:


> Either they haven't yet managed to sell a total of 2,000, or it's just a hook (untruthful marketing gimmick) they hope many will be happy to swallow...
> 
> Which do you think it is?


I had just purchased a Roamio Plus at the full $899.98 with Lifetime sub on June 28th. Obviously being within my 30 day return window I immediately jumped on the phone after seeing this and asked if any of the 2,000 units at the $599.98 price were still available and he said yes. That was all I needed to hear. I told him very nicely that they could either credit the difference or I'd be returning the unit and purchasing one at the lower price while we were on the phone. Of course, I made sure to further comment the obvious fact that doing this would only create more hassle for them and myself.

He put me on hold for just 10 minutes to speak with a supervisor, came back, and said it was a done deal. I was told credit for the difference would be applied to my CC on file the day after my 30 day return period on the unit expires and he gave me a reference number. I'm assuming they did this to make sure I didn't ask for the credit and then still decide to turn around and return the unit anyway before 30 days was up. Whatever, nice to have gotten the credit without any hassle from them.

So, if anyone else bought within the last couple of weeks at full price with Lifetime, then I'd highly suggest you get on the phone A.S.A.P. before they sell those 2,000 units and your leverage disappears.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Phasers said:


> Code Tivo50 drops another $50 off the price.
> 
> I think $550 is a steal.


Holy crap are you serious? That's insane.


----------



## Kracko

Phasers said:


> Code Tivo50 drops another $50 off the price.
> 
> I think $550 is a steal.


I don't see where to enter the code. Will try again later. Thanks for the tip.


----------



## jaj2276

Posted this in the other thread talking about this specific deal.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10176509#post10176509


----------



## FTD

Kracko said:


> I don't see where to enter the code. Will try again later. Thanks for the tip.


It will not work. The $50 off code will kick out the $599 promotion.


----------



## kdemas

Only one offer at a time. Multiple offers will not work in the system.


----------



## tarheelblue32

kdemas said:


> Only one offer at a time. Multiple offers will not work in the system.


Yeah that makes sense. If you are planning on buying a Roamio and a Mini, you should buy the Mini in a separate transaction to use the other discount code.


----------



## FTD

tarheelblue32 said:


> Yeah that makes sense. If you are planning on buying a Roamio and a Mini, you should buy the Mini in a separate transaction to use the other discount code.


Unfortunately Tivo50 will not work on Minis.


----------



## tarheelblue32

FTD said:


> Unfortunately Tivo50 will not work on Minis.


Bummer. Well just buy the Mini from Amazon and save $12 then.


----------



## The Merg

Well, I just placed my order using the code from spherular. It worked perfectly. I ordered a Roamio Pro with Lifetime, Mini with Lifetime, Slider Remote for Roamio, Slider Remote for Mini, and and the A/V Breakout Kit. Total with tax was $991. I had a savings (including tax savings) of $500. Delivery is scheduled for Thursday and hopefully the following Wed. I'll have FIOS installed.

- Merg


----------



## ThAbtO

The Merg said:


> Well, I just placed my order using the code from spherular. It worked perfectly. I ordered a Roamio Pro with Lifetime, Mini with Lifetime, Slider Remote for Roamio, Slider Remote for Mini, and and the A/V Breakout Kit. Total with tax was $991. I had a savings (including tax savings) of $500. Delivery is scheduled for Thursday and hopefully the following Wed. I'll have FIOS installed.
> 
> - Merg


Why would you want to use the breakout cable which is only composite. Unless its for something like a slingbox.


----------



## HarperVision

ThAbtO said:


> Why would you want to use the breakout cable which is only composite. Unless its for something like a slingbox.


The mini's breakout cable jacks are also for component SD/HD. You must be thinking of the Roamio basic model which only has analog SD composite video and stereo audio.


----------



## HarperVision

The Merg said:


> Well, I just placed my order using the code from spherular. It worked perfectly. I ordered a Roamio Pro with Lifetime, Mini with Lifetime, Slider Remote for Roamio, Slider Remote for Mini, and and the A/V Breakout Kit. Total with tax was $991. I had a savings (including tax savings) of $500. Delivery is scheduled for Thursday and hopefully the following Wed. I'll have FIOS installed. - Merg


Merg,

You're also a convert from DirecTV and the DBSForums, aren't you?


----------



## The Merg

ThAbtO said:


> Why would you want to use the breakout cable which is only composite. Unless its for something like a slingbox.





HarperVision said:


> The mini's breakout cable jacks are also for component SD/HD. You must be thinking of the Roamio basic model which only has analog SD composite video and stereo audio.


Yup. My one TV only has component, so I need the breakout kit for that connection until I upgrade.

- Merg


----------



## The Merg

HarperVision said:


> Merg,
> 
> You're also a convert from DirecTV and the DBSForums, aren't you?


Yup. Once Digital Voice was offered by FIOS, I couldn't pass up saving about $100/month compared to what I had with DirecTV. My DirecTV setup was awesome (IMHO), however, sometimes the $$$ speaks a little more...

And for the record, I was an original DirecTivo user...

- Merg


----------



## stick30

Is the PLSR $100 credit still valid for existing customers on MtM wanted to upgrade to lifetime?


----------



## chiguy50

kdemas said:


> Only one offer at a time. Multiple offers will not work in the system.


This is not universally true. I just got a $50 off code via e-mail for "leaving something in my basket" and was able to apply it on top of the summer savings promo, resulting in a Roamio Plus total price of $549.98 plus tax.


----------



## take5

FTD said:


> It will not work. The $50 off code will kick out the $599 promotion.


Right. And now I cannot get rid of the $50 promo code, so I can't buy a Tivo. I even switched browsers and I can't get it to go away.

Thanks for the advice on something you obviously didn't try yourself.


----------



## Diana Collins

The Merg said:


> Yup. Once Digital Voice was offered by FIOS, I couldn't pass up saving about $100/month compared to what I had with DirecTV. My DirecTV setup was awesome (IMHO), however, sometimes the $$$ speaks a little more...
> 
> And for the record, I was an original DirecTivo user...
> 
> - Merg


Welcome to the club!!


----------



## chiguy50

take5 said:


> Right. And now I cannot get rid of the $50 promo code, so I can't buy a Tivo. I even switched browsers and I can't get it to go away.
> 
> Thanks for the advice on something you obviously didn't try yourself.


I believe emptying your basket should delete the promo code. If you haven't done so already, try this and then click again on the link to the summer sale promotion.


----------



## jwbelcher

chiguy50 said:


> This is not universally true. I just got a $50 off code via e-mail for "leaving something in my basket" and was able to apply it on top of the summer savings promo, resulting in a Roamio Plus total price of $549.98 plus tax.


So what's the deal with this one? I got one of these too. The summer sale states "Offer not valid with other offers. Entering a promo code on the next page makes this offer void." however it is clearly not invalidating the summer sale price.

Are you seeing two charges like the folks that used Tivo50 in the other thread?


----------



## chiguy50

jwbelcher said:


> So what's the deal with this one? I got one of these too. The summer sale states "Offer not valid with other offers. Entering a promo code on the next page makes this offer void." however it is clearly not invalidating the summer sale price.
> 
> Are you seeing two charges like the folks that used Tivo50 in the other thread?


Well, I didn't go ahead with the order since I'm perfectly happy with my current set-up (Premiere & Premiere Elite). I was just curious to see what would happen given the brouhaha over use of the TiVo50 coupon in that other thread you mentioned.

The e-mail from TiVo specifically offers $50 off ("Finish your order and save $50") if I complete my check-out, so I don't see any ambiguity or room for equivocation there. And it's not "coupon stacking" per se if I'm only actually entering the one coupon code ($50 off) to arrive at the end price of $550 for the Roamio Plus.


----------



## Sixto

Diana Collins said:


> Welcome to the club!!


Yep, and growing!

Sitting on a plane right now using the App to catch up on a few shows.

Awesome. Just awesome setup.


----------



## lessd

chiguy50 said:


> Well, I didn't go ahead with the order since I'm perfectly happy with my current set-up (Premiere & Premiere Elite). I was just curious to see what would happen given the brouhaha over use of the TiVo50 coupon in that other thread you mentioned.
> 
> The e-mail from TiVo specifically offers $50 off ("Finish your order and save $50") if I complete my check-out, so I don't see any ambiguity or room for equivocation there. And it's not "coupon stacking" per se if I'm only actually entering the one coupon code ($50 off) to arrive at the end price of $550 for the Roamio Plus.


Read the other Thread, it most likely will not work. see: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=519229&page=4


----------



## The Merg

Sixto said:


> Yep, and growing!
> 
> Sitting on a plane right now using the App to catch up on a few shows.
> 
> Awesome. Just awesome setup.


Yup. Looking forward to playing...

- Merg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## chiguy50

lessd said:


> Read the other Thread, it most likely will not work. see: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=519229&page=4


You are confused. (1) Of course it works (I went through the check-out process but w/o purchasing), and (2) I already stated that I had read the other thread--which was the main reason I wanted to test out this particular offer. That issue involved entering a discount code (TiVo50) that apparently carries use restrictions.

Even if the post-process invoice should happen not to reflect the $50 off, there's no way TiVo could contest a complaint over failure to honor a discount they had offered in an unsolicited e-mail to a particular customer based on the contents of his cart as constituted. There's no reasonable wiggle room here.


----------



## Diana Collins

chiguy50 said:


> ...There's no reasonable wiggle room here.


Sure there is...they clearly state on the web page:

"Offer not valid with other offers. Entering a promo code on the next page makes this offer void."

It says "other offers" not just codes or coupons. That's all they need to invalidate any discount or order they choose.


----------



## tyd450

i'm hoping for a deal on the regular roamio soon so I can keep the OTA functionality even though I haven't cut the cord quite yet


----------



## spherular

tyd450 said:


> i'm hoping for a deal on the regular roamio soon so I can keep the OTA functionality even though I haven't cut the cord quite yet


$449 with lifetime for the 4-Tuner OTA Roamio is probably as good as it will get.


----------



## dcaudle68

spherular said:


> $449 with lifetime for the 4-Tuner OTA Roamio is probably as good as it will get.


Where is that deal at??


----------



## spherular

dcaudle68 said:


> Where is that deal at??


That's the price you get when you use a code


----------



## stick30

I am looking at purchasing a roamio and wanted to know if I signed up for the month to month if subscribers were still getting the upgrade to lifetime for $399?


----------



## spherular

stick30 said:


> I am looking at purchasing a roamio and wanted to know if I signed up for the month to month if subscribers were still getting the upgrade to lifetime for $399?


If you don't buy lifetime upfront then you will either pay $499.99 for lifetime or $399.99 if you are an existing TiVo subscriber. I don't know of any discounts available on the Roamio series for upgrades from month to month - this may change in 2-3 years as we have seen with the Premiere series where lifetime is sometimes offered for $99


----------



## HarperVision

spherular said:


> If you don't buy lifetime upfront then you will either pay $499.99 for lifetime or $399.99 if you are an existing TiVo subscriber. I don't know of any discounts available on the Roamio series for upgrades from month to month - this may change in 2-3 years as we have seen with the Premiere series where lifetime is sometimes offered for $99


There's the PLSR code for $100 off lifetime.

PS - If you don't buy your TiVo from TiVo and it's purchased from a retailer.


----------



## stick30

HarperVision said:


> There's the PLSR code for $100 off lifetime.
> 
> PS - If you don't buy your TiVo from TiVo and it's purchased from a retailer.


So PLSR for purchase from Best Buy or Amazon? Thanks.


----------



## spherular

stick30 said:


> So PLSR for purchase from Best Buy or Amazon? Thanks.


Only if done upfront when you activate it - you can't use the code after using month to month


----------



## stick30

spherular said:


> Only if done upfront when you activate it - you can't use the code after using month to month


Gotcha> Thanks!!


----------



## Old Hickory

I just got this email from Tivo:


While supplies last, buy a new Roamio Plus or Pro DVR at full price and get Product Lifetime service for just $199.99 (a savings of 60%)! Hurry, the 2,000 DVRs at this low price won't last long! 


It's $100 less than the best offer from "the code."

Right?


----------



## kingmob

Do the eBay codes allow you to take a MSD on lifetime?


----------



## lessd

kingmob said:


> Do the eBay codes allow you to take a MSD on lifetime?


No, but the only reason it use the E-Bay code now is to get Minis at $174 with Lifetime, you can get up to 4 Minis that way.


----------



## chiguy50

Diana Collins said:


> Sure there is...they clearly state on the web page:
> 
> "Offer not valid with other offers. Entering a promo code on the next page makes this offer void."
> 
> It says "other offers" not just codes or coupons. That's all they need to invalidate any discount or order they choose.


OK, Diana, I take your point.

However, the targeted e-mail specifically states "Finish your order and save $50." It's not $50 off if the in-cart price is raised by hundreds of dollars before the discount is applied!

I don't think there's any defensible argument here why the e-mail offer won't be honored based on the cart as constituted when the offer was generated.

But it would be interesting if someone wants to confirm it. Just click on the link for the summer savings offer, put a Roamio Plus or Pro in your cart and leave it there. But be sure to sign in to your TiVo account before leaving the page so that your cart's contents are saved. If/when you get the $50 off promo code, enter it and check out then sit back and see what happens. And report back to us, of course!

I was interested enough to consider pulling the trigger; but I just can't justify the move at this juncture. My Premieres still kick [email protected]@!


----------



## chiguy50

Old Hickory said:


> I just got this email from Tivo:
> 
> While supplies last, buy a new Roamio Plus or Pro DVR at full price and get Product Lifetime service for just $199.99 (a savings of 60%)! Hurry, the 2,000 DVRs at this low price won't last long!
> 
> It's $100 less than the best offer from "the code."
> 
> Right?


That offer is referencing the July "summer savings sale" currently under discussion here and elsewhere on the forum.


----------



## nooneuknow

Apparently you can buy 99 of each, if you wanted to (and the cart page still gives a spot to enter a promo code, which I have not tried).

Copy + Paste from TiVo's website, after using https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/summer-savings?SSAID=101512&SSAID=101512 once for each model, then adjusting quantity from cart:

Checkout

TiVo Roamio Plus
Product Lifetime service $199.99
EditLimited warranty Included

HDMI and Ethernet cables not included.
Remove
Qty 99 
$399.99

TiVo Roamio Pro
Product Lifetime service $199.99
EditLimited warranty Included

HDMI and Ethernet cables not included.
Remove
Qty 99
$599.99

*Enter promo code*

Subtotal (198 items):$138,596.04

Estimate tax & shipping

Shipping FREE
Standard Shipping

Tax(details):$8,019.00
TOTAL:$146,615.04

Checkout


----------



## spherular

lessd said:


> No, but the only reason it use the E-Bay code now is to get Minis at $174 with Lifetime, you can get up to 4 Minis that way.


Also you get a lower price on the 4-tuner OTA, Pro and Stream too


----------



## Diana Collins

spherular said:


> Also you get a lower price on the 4-tuner OTA, Pro and Stream too


Don't forget Slide Pro remotes for $34.95.


----------



## HarperVision

spherular said:


> Only if done upfront when you activate it - you can't use the code after using month to month


 I don't think that's true. I'm pretty sure I did. I think it was within the 30 day MBG though.


----------



## nooneuknow

HarperVision said:


> I don't think that's true. I'm pretty sure I did. I think it was within the 30 day MBG though.


TiVo tends to give you the widest range of possibilities (within reason) when you are in that 30-day window.

As far as codes go... I'm sick of reading about codes...

All I know is PLSR, as a code, knocks $100 off FULL-PRICE lifetime service, when ineligible for MSD, but then you remain ineligible (since that's not full-price anymore), and it only works on units NOT purchased from TiVo directly (unless you fulfill the commitment period of a monthly plan, later on). I'm not aware of any (other) restrictions or any time-constraints.


----------



## The Merg

Diana Collins said:


> Don't forget Slide Pro remotes for $34.95.


Yup. I got two of them in my order, including one with the dongle for a Mini. And the price of the Roamio Pro beats the summer offer by TiVo.

- Merg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## naich

I'm considering upgrading my premire XL and regular premire to a Romaio and 2 mini's when I move to a new house this august. The coupon from spherular is still the best option for me, correct?

I'm a long time lurker here. Thanks in advance.


----------



## squint

Yes, though I have to add that spherular isn't the only one who sells codes (I counted 5 sellers total on eBay over the last few months).


----------



## The Merg

The price is basically the same, but I think spherular is the only one with a perfect rating.

You'll save a good bit using the code with that setup.


- Merg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## naich

Thank you for your replies. I think I'll get a romaio pro, 2 mini's, and 2 slide remotes with a code.


----------



## naich

Order has been placed.... looks like it saved roughly $500. That's awesome.


----------



## The Merg

naich said:


> Order has been placed.... looks like it saved roughly $500. That's awesome.


It should've saved more than that. I saved about $500 and I had the same order except I only ordered 1 Mini.

Glad it worked out though.

- Merg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## naich

It might have been more than that.. it probably was lol.


----------



## naich

Total without tax would have been $1699.92 without the code. With the code it was $1119.97. So that is a savings of 579.95.


----------



## elborak

naich said:


> So that is a savings of 579.95.


Minus the cost of the code.


----------



## nooneuknow

All I own is Roamios. One has been down for two weeks while I thanklessly do some hard drive research. TiVo sends me the following in an email:

http://messaging.tivo.com/Portal/content/Tivo/Email/Retention/ProactiveRetentionE/2013RetentionNewProductLaunchENoPrice.aspx?uh=-6664570302549221435&siteNodeId=8239&b=264689

They take notice that one Roamio hasn't called-home in two weeks, and suggest I need to upgrade...to a Roamio...

Why can't they notice what's going on when they are calling home, and do something about things happening when able to call home?

Sheesh!


----------



## lessd

nooneuknow said:


> All I own is Roamios. One has been down for two weeks while I thanklessly do some hard drive research. TiVo sends me the following in an email:
> 
> http://messaging.tivo.com/Portal/content/Tivo/Email/Retention/ProactiveRetentionE/2013RetentionNewProductLaunchENoPrice.aspx?uh=-6664570302549221435&siteNodeId=8239&b=264689
> 
> They take notice that one Roamio hasn't called-home in two weeks, and suggest I need to upgrade...to a Roamio...
> 
> Why can't they notice what's going on when they are calling home, and do something about things happening when able to call home?
> 
> Sheesh!


*WOW* if TiVo starts doing that with all the TiVos that are now out of service we are all going to get a ton of E-Mails.


----------



## elborak

lessd said:


> if TiVo starts doing that with all the TiVos that are now out of service we are all going to get a ton of E-Mails.


Hopefully their script is a bit more intelligent than that. If it were me, I'd target owners of TiVos which hadn't connected in the past few weeks, but *had* connected sometime in the past 6 months or so (i.e. recently retired) to skip the ones long since landfilled.

But given that it isn't intelligent enough not to ask a Roamio owner if he wants to upgrade it to a Roamio, who knows?


----------



## lessd

elborak said:


> Hopefully their script is a bit more intelligent than that. If it were me, I'd target owners of TiVos which hadn't connected in the past few weeks, but *had* connected sometime in the past 6 months or so (i.e. recently retired) to skip the ones long since landfilled.
> 
> But given that it isn't intelligent enough not to ask a Roamio owner if he wants to upgrade it to a Roamio, who knows?


:up::up::up:


----------



## squint

Well, I got my Roamio order today. It consisted of a Roamio Plus, Roamio Pro, Mini, and Slide Remote. I ordered it right before the summer sale so I used one of my eBay codes, the first and most expensive one I purchased for $49 back in May.

I had the order shipped to a friend in OR, saving $128 in sales tax, but paying $10 to re-ship the stuff.

The 4 tb drive I ordered for the Roamio Plus was DOA. It was a Hitachi 7K4000 OEM drive, supposedly new but didn't look so new. I went ahead and setup the Roamio Plus despite its 1 tb drive. The TiVos were properly activated before arrival. Moving the CableCard from my Series 3 HD went without a hitch.


----------



## andyw715

squint said:


> Well, I got my Roamio order today. It consisted of a Roamio Plus, Roamio Pro, Mini, and Slide Remote. I ordered it right before the summer sale so I used one of my eBay codes, the first and most expensive one I purchased for $49 back in May.
> 
> I had the order shipped to a friend in OR, saving $128 in sales tax, but paying $10 to re-ship the stuff.
> 
> The 4 tb drive I ordered for the Roamio Plus was DOA. It was a Hitachi 7K4000 OEM drive, supposedly new but didn't look so new. I went ahead and setup the Roamio Plus despite its 1 tb drive. The TiVos were properly activated before arrival. Moving the CableCard from my Series 3 HD went without a hitch.


Just a curiosity... what is the reasoning for both the Pro and Plus....(obviously I don't know you or your setup).


----------



## squint

The codes limit you to one each of the 3 Roamio models, 4 Minis, and one slide remote (though that may have changed). The Roamio Pro is going to my sister (different household) since I'm more experienced at upgrading TiVo HDDs and we weren't interested in a Roamio Basic.

The Roamio Plus will be in my living room and the Mini will go in the workout room.


----------



## naich

My order arrived today as well. I bought it for when I move to a new house, but I'm very tempted to hook it up now. It will be hard to wait for 2 weeks to try this gear out!


----------



## jwbelcher

naich said:


> My order arrived today as well. I bought it for when I move to a new house, but I'm very tempted to hook it up now. It will be hard to wait for 2 weeks to try this gear out!


I'd open it up to check it out... waiting 2 weeks cuts in to the 30 day if there are any issues.


----------



## naich

jwbelcher said:


> I'd open it up to check it out... waiting 2 weeks cuts in to the 30 day if there are any issues.


Good point.


----------



## Bierboy

Wouldn't it be 30 days from activation?


----------



## lessd

Bierboy said:


> Wouldn't it be 30 days from activation?


Yes, I don't know how much you can check out before activation, at one time you got a week to try some things out on your new TiVo, I don't know if that is still true with the Roamio series 5.


----------



## lpwcomp

Bierboy said:


> Wouldn't it be 30 days from activation?





lessd said:


> Yes, I don't know how much you can check out before activation, at one time you got a week to try some things out on your new TiVo, I don't know if that is still true with the Roamio series 5.


Are products ordered directly from TiVo no longer activated when they ship?


----------



## jwbelcher

lpwcomp said:


> Are products ordered directly from TiVo no longer activated when they ship?


Yes, your 30 days starts shortly after it ships, normally that same day. So your 30 days starts ticking before you even receive it. I see this right now in my Active Device for the TiVo I purchased during the summer sale. Its listed as active, but arrives tomorrow via UPS.


----------



## naich

wow it doesn't seem fair to start the 30 day clock from when it ships. Either way, I can't speed up my FiOS order because I'm not in the new house yet. So I'll have to wait. If it breaks like 14 days after I plug it in the first time, I will be pretty upset if TiVO won't cover a replacement.


----------



## flar

How long does shipping usually take (San Francisco area)? In the middle of a complete overhaul of the A/V room and so don't want to order it if it will sit around for a few days. Or maybe I should order something now so it will be here in time for finishing all the wood work?


----------



## squint

Mine shipped out of Fort Worth, TX on Mon and arrived in Portland, OR on Fri. It might be one day less to get to you.


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## flar

squint said:


> Mine shipped out of Fort Worth, TX on Mon and arrived in Portland, OR on Fri. It might be one day less to get to you.


Thanks! How many days was that from order to receipt?


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## squint

I ordered early Mon morning so I made the cutoff for same-day shipping and delivery was Friday so that would be 4 business days.


----------



## ThAbtO

flar said:


> How long does shipping usually take (San Francisco area)? In the middle of a complete overhaul of the A/V room and so don't want to order it if it will sit around for a few days. Or maybe I should order something now so it will be here in time for finishing all the wood work?


4 days, from TX to CA. Most places ship out 1-3 days after orders were placed, some wait until the credit card clears. Next, after the shipping company (UPS, Fedex) picks it up, various scans/sortings, it waits until the next scheduled truck. If there is a transfer to local USPS, adds an extra day.


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## rcb3

squint said:


> I ordered early Mon morning so I made the cutoff for same-day shipping and delivery was Friday so that would be 4 business days.


squint encase you didn't get the pm it's 25


----------



## naich

flar said:


> How long does shipping usually take (San Francisco area)? In the middle of a complete overhaul of the A/V room and so don't want to order it if it will sit around for a few days. Or maybe I should order something now so it will be here in time for finishing all the wood work?


I ordered on a Wednesday and had the tivo's by Monday in NJ.


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## waterchange

I came across this "S2 Aggressive Update Offer" link which is good for a $599.99 Roamio Pro with $49.99 product lifetime. I clicked on the link and put it in my cart but didn't follow through to see if an order would actually go through as I don't need another Roamio. Apparently it's a targeted offer link that will only work for those accounts that received the offer. So likely useless but interesting ...

https://www.tivo.com/shop/agent/s2-aggressive-upgrade-cart?SSAID=101512


----------



## lessd

waterchange said:


> I came across this "S2 Aggressive Update Offer" link which is good for a $599.99 Roamio Pro with $49.99 product lifetime. I clicked on the link and put it in my cart but didn't follow through to see if an order would actually go through as I don't need another Roamio. Apparently it's a targeted offer link that will only work for those accounts that received the offer. So likely useless but interesting ...
> 
> https://www.tivo.com/shop/agent/s2-aggressive-upgrade-cart?SSAID=101512


I guess TiVo got rid of the extra Roamio Plus units and now want to rid themselves of some Roamio pro units, but the link does work up to place the order part, I don't need another Roamio so I did not* place the order.

*


----------



## ThAbtO

waterchange said:


> I came across this "S2 Aggressive Update Offer" link which is good for a $599.99 Roamio Pro with $49.99 product lifetime. I clicked on the link and put it in my cart but didn't follow through to see if an order would actually go through as I don't need another Roamio. Apparently it's a targeted offer link that will only work for those accounts that received the offer. So likely useless but interesting ...
> 
> https://www.tivo.com/shop/agent/s2-aggressive-upgrade-cart?SSAID=101512


PLS for $49.99? Gotta be a typo. Someone jump on it before they correct it.


----------



## trip1eX

waterchange said:


> I came across this "S2 Aggressive Update Offer" link which is good for a $599.99 Roamio Pro with $49.99 product lifetime. I clicked on the link and put it in my cart but didn't follow through to see if an order would actually go through as I don't need another Roamio. Apparently it's a targeted offer link that will only work for those accounts that received the offer. So likely useless but interesting ...
> 
> https://www.tivo.com/shop/agent/s2-aggressive-upgrade-cart?SSAID=101512


That's an old offer. From June. Expired. And was only targeted to users who still own/run series 2 Tivos with lifetime. Or so I read on a deals site.


----------



## lessd

ThAbtO said:


> PLS for $49.99? Gotta be a typo. Someone jump on it before they correct it.


It not a typo as you have to pay full list price for Roamio Pro, so current TiVo customers are saving $350 on a Lifetime Roamio Pro. I got all the way to* place your order *and it worked, so if you want/need a Roamio Pro it is a good deal.


----------



## TazExprez

lessd said:


> It not a typo as you have to pay full list price for Roamio Pro, so current TiVo customers are saving $350 on a Lifetime Roamio Pro. I got all the way to* place your order *and it worked, so if you want/need a Roamio Pro it is a good deal.


Could you use this if you are a new customer?


----------



## ThAbtO

lessd said:


> It not a typo as you have to pay full list price for Roamio Pro, so current TiVo customers are saving $350 on a Lifetime Roamio Pro. I got all the way to* place your order *and it worked, so if you want/need a Roamio Pro it is a good deal.


Well, I think its a typo because PLS is $499.99 and the offer is $49.99 which is 1 digit #9 left off. The deal will go through with the offer at $49.99, as normal, until its taken down.

Its similar to when they had the airline tickets posted for some insane price like $10 many moons ago, until it was caught and taken down, people jumped in on it and the airline had to accept the tickets.


----------



## TazExprez

I placed order but it just reloads. I guess it was just an error.


----------



## TazExprez

It definitely went through. I noticed because my credit card got charged 3 times. Now I have to call TiVo and cancel 2 of them. I reloaded the page and ordered 3.


----------



## Abbottj123

I posted it on slickdeals before i realised it doesnt work. I have 4 pending charges on my cc from tivo. I called tivo twice, hoping to get a rep that would honor the deal. They said they couldnt unless i had the promo code in a specific email. Oh well. The rep said another big sale is coming labor day if i want to wait.


----------



## TazExprez

Abbottj123 said:


> I posted it on slickdeals before i realised it doesnt work. I have 4 pending charges on my cc from tivo. I called tivo twice, hoping to get a rep that would honor the deal. They said they couldnt unless i had the promo code in a specific email. Oh well. The rep said another big sale is coming labor day if i want to wait.


Thanks a lot for letting me know. I guess I will call them to get the pending charges removed. I'll be buying during the Labor Day sales, then.

Do you know if they have ever discounted the TiVo Mini boxes? I also want to get 6 of those.


----------



## TigerTony

trip1eX said:


> That's an old offer. From June. Expired. And was only targeted to users who still own/run series 2 Tivos with lifetime. Or so I read on a deals site.


Link to first page of that promotion.

https://www.tivo.com/shop/agent/s2-aggressive-upgrade


----------



## trip1eX

spherular said:


> Also you get a lower price on the 4-tuner OTA, Pro and Stream too


Thanks bought a couple of minis today for $175 per with the code.


----------



## lessd

I just got a new Roamio deal from my E-Mail

*Special offer for veterans and active duty military personnel

We at TiVo appreciate those who have served our nation, past and present. To show our gratitude we're offering exclusive pricing on the all-powerful TiVo Roamio. Starting as low as $0 down and $19.99 a month, our military friends can experience the convenience and flexibility served up by our best DVR ever, TiVo Roamio*.

Go here to see the deal http://www.tivo.com/military?em_AugNews_2014

I not in the service but the deal for $99 + $19.99/month for a Roamio Plus may be a good deal if after some fixed amount of time you get Lifetime on the unit, if not after 2 years you have paid for Lifetime service like purchasing the Roamio Plus using the E-Bay codes. Maybe I not seeing something about this deal as to why it is so good for our service people.


----------



## lemieuxfan67

lessd said:


> I not in the service but the deal for $99 + $19.99/month for a Roamio Plus may be a good deal if after some fixed amount of time you get Lifetime on the unit, if not after 2 years you have paid for Lifetime service like purchasing the Roamio Plus using the E-Bay codes. Maybe I not seeing something about this deal as to why it is so good for our service people.


From the same page....

What happens when I complete my commitment?

After the end of your commitment, TiVo will continue to charge you on a monthly basis at the then-current monthly rate. See terms & conditions for TiVo payment plans for details. Keeping your account and credit card information current will help you avoid any interruptions in service


----------



## squint

Anybody going to enlist so they can take advantage of this deal?


----------



## mobouser

I got the military offer and code. Its a good deal but you cannot convert to lifetime until the end of the two year period I think. I was going to wait until around labor day to see if their are any deals on the basic unit (4 tuner for OTA) with MSD lifetime. However on the six tuner plus this is equal to 7.50 monthly discounted price. This really becomes a super deal if I could convert this to lifetime and not wait for the two year time period.


----------



## aaronwt

lemieuxfan67 said:


> From the same page....
> 
> What happens when I complete my commitment?
> 
> After the end of your commitment, TiVo will continue to charge you on a monthly basis at the then-current monthly rate. See terms & conditions for TiVo payment plans for details. Keeping your account and credit card information current will help you avoid any interruptions in service


That is normally the case. It is the reason I still have a $6.95 a month rate on one of my TiVos. When the initial three month commitment period expired, they contiued to charge me that rate every month. As long as I don't sign up for another commitment, I can keep that rate. Well at least that has been the case so far. I've had that $6.95 rate for seven years. First on a TiVo HD, then on a Premiere, and now on a Roamio Basic.


----------



## HarperVision

I'm thinking of taking them up on this offer. Anybody interested in my Lifetime TiVo Roamio basic?


----------



## husky55

Is DD214 proof enough for a veteran? What else is required for a vet?


----------



## lpwcomp

husky55 said:


> Is DD214 proof enough for a veteran?


I would think that it would be. I'd want to be sure that they use it only for verification and do not keep it on file.


----------



## HarperVision

They're using something called "SheerID" to verify you online and then you're given a code to input on a special page for this deal, which then places the items in your cart. 

I'm on the fence with this. It seems like a great deal but I'm not sure I want to be locked into a 2 year commitment for cable since I'll get the plus or pro.


----------



## lessd

HarperVision said:


> They're using something called "SheerID" to verify you online and then you're given a code to input on a special page for this deal, which then places the items in your cart.
> 
> I'm on the fence with this. It seems like a great deal but I'm not sure I want to be locked into a 2 year commitment for cable since I'll get the plus or pro.


I at a loss as to why this is a good deal, using the E-Bay code a Roamio Plus is $600 inc Lifetime, with this TiVo deal you put down $100 and pay $20/month for two years, at that time you have no equity in your TiVo and you saved about $40 over the purchase of a lifetime TiVo, one would be better off finding a low interest rate credit card and charge the $480 to that card, pay the card back $20/month (its $480 as you have to pay TiVo $100 for the Roamio Plus + the first month rent).
I must be missing something


----------



## lpwcomp

lessd said:


> I at a loss as to why this is a good deal, using the E-Bay code a Roamio Plus is $600 inc Lifetime, with this TiVo deal you put down $100 and pay $20/month for two years, at that time you have no equity in your TiVo and you saved about $40 over the purchase of a lifetime TiVo, one would be better off finding a low interest rate credit card and charge the $480 to that card, pay the card back $20/month (its $480 as you have to pay TiVo $100 for the Roamio Plus + the first month rent).
> I must be missing something


While I don't consider this to be a "good" deal, I can understand why it might be attractive to some people. I took advantage of a similar deal when I purchased my Premieres. I couldn't qualify for a credit card nor did I have the COH to pay full price + PLS but I did have have enough disposable income to make the monthly service payments.


----------



## HarperVision

lessd said:


> I at a loss as to why this is a good deal, using the E-Bay code a Roamio Plus is $600 inc Lifetime, with this TiVo deal you put down $100 and pay $20/month for two years, at that time you have no equity in your TiVo and you saved about $40 over the purchase of a lifetime TiVo, one would be better off finding a low interest rate credit card and charge the $480 to that card, pay the card back $20/month (its $480 as you have to pay TiVo $100 for the Roamio Plus + the first month rent). I must be missing something


 It basically comes down to the fact that I have 2 kids in private school, one about to be going to college, I live I Hawaii and I DO NOT want any more debt that can effect my credit scores etc so this is an easy option to pay $99 down and then only $20/month ($480 for the 2 year commitment) for a total of $579 after 2 years when the commitment is up. I figure after that I call up to cancel and I'm offered the $99 Lifetime deal for a total of $678 for a Lifetime TiVo Roamio Plus (technically a Pro as I'll be putting in my 3TB HD). Doesn't that sound like a reasonable plan that won't show on my credit reports as debt? (Edited bad math haha!)


----------



## Dan203

My thoughts from the coffehouse thread on the same subject...



Dan203 said:


> These are basically the same plans they tried to sell everyone a few years ago. I wonder why they are trying to pass them off as a military discount now?
> 
> The biggest problem with these deals back then was that after the contract period expired, and you owned the unit, they would continue to charge you $20/mo unless you called and asked to be lowered to the regular monthly rate. So it was basically a scam to get you locked into paying a higher rate for life unless you're paying attention.
> 
> Reducing the cost of the hardware, or giving it away for free, in favor of a higher monthly rate is something they've actually tried several times in the past. It's always failed. I don't get the logic of doing it again and trying to pass it off as some sort of special military "discount".
> 
> Do the math... You pay $5/mo extra for 2 years, that's $120. Which means in reality it's only about an $80 discount over the full MSRP and only about $25 compared to Amazon. And if you forget to call and ask for the normal price when the 2 year commitment is up you eat into your discount $5 at a time until you do.


----------



## Dan203

HarperVision said:


> It basically comes down to the fact that I have 2 kids in private school, one about to be going to college, I live I Hawaii and I DO NOT want any more debt that can effect my credit scores etc so this is an easy option to pay $99 down and then only $20/month ($480 for the 2 year commitment) for a total of $579 after 2 years when the commitment is up. I figure after that I call up to cancel and I'm offered the $99 Lifetime deal for a total of $678 for a Lifetime TiVo Roamio Plus (technically a Pro as I'll be putting in my 3TB HD). Doesn't that sound like a reasonable plan that won't show on my credit reports as debt? (Edited bad math haha!)


You're banking on them offering you the $99 lifetime deal after just two years? I wouldn't. People still have trouble getting that on a Premiere that's 3+ years old. Most are told the best they can do is $199. And some are told there is no deal.

The $99 deal is only guaranteed to be offered when canceling a S3 or older box. No way I would count on it being offered on a Roamio any time soon. So if I were you I'd look at the deal as if it's going to be monthly forever. Which means after 2 years it'll drop to $15/mo but it'll have little to no resale value. If you're OK with that then go for it.

In fact, given the uncertainty with the cable market and the various FCC rulings/waivers, all Roamios might be worthless in the next few years anyway. So for all we know this might turn out to be the better deal. Charter has a waiver that says if they come up with a downloadable security system that is open and supported by at least one retail device they can stop issuing new CableCARDs completely. If that happens then a used TiVo that takes a CableCARD will be useless to a Charter subscriber. And how long do you think it'll take for the others to follow suit? We could all be on borrowed time anyway.


----------



## nooneuknow

I agree with Dan203.

[EDIT] There was much more here. But, I guess I found a new way to offend people. I decided it's best to just excuse myself, rather than try to rewrite it.

I can't be an expert on everything, and foresee every possible "conflation" (which is a word I need to look up).


----------



## lpwcomp

nooneuknow,

Please do not conflate "veterans" and "active duty military".


----------



## Ikrion

Has anyone had success negotiating the monthly service fees? I'm wondering if over online chat, or calling, these can be brought down.

I understand there is some moderate success attempting to negotiate the lifetime cost after use of the box at the monthly rate. But what of the monthly rate? Anyone gotten that down?


----------



## rainwater

Ikrion said:


> Has anyone had success negotiating the monthly service fees? I'm wondering if over online chat, or calling, these can be brought down.
> 
> I understand there is some moderate success attempting to negotiate the lifetime cost after use of the box at the monthly rate. But what of the monthly rate? Anyone gotten that down?


I've never heard of that ever happening other than long time members being able to transfer their old cheaper monthly service to a new box. In general, they don't negotiate monthly prices.


----------



## Bierboy

rainwater said:


> I've never heard of that ever happening other than long time members being able to transfer their old cheaper monthly service to a new box. In general, they don't negotiate monthly prices.


I was able to do just that when I purchased my XL4 20 months ago. Was able to save a chunk of change when they allowed me to transfer my lower monthly rate from an S3. I've been a TiVo customer for 10 years now.


----------



## Ikrion

Bierboy said:


> I was able to do just that when I purchased my XL4 20 months ago. Was able to save a chunk of change when they allowed me to transfer my lower monthly rate from an S3. I've been a TiVo customer for 10 years now.


At least they are rewarding loyalty...


----------



## Ikrion

Just got back from Best Buy and they honored the $50 off promotion (KICKOFF) that TiVo is doing right now.

I did call ahead and confirm with a Manager, but they were happy to oblige. I showed that the MFG had it on sale and showed the price. They agreed.

Good way to get it local if you don't want to wait.


----------



## HarperVision

Ikrion said:


> Just got back from Best Buy and they honored the $50 off promotion (KICKOFF) that TiVo is doing right now. I did call ahead and confirm with a Manager, but they were happy to oblige. I showed that the MFG had it on sale and showed the price. They agreed. Good way to get it local if you don't want to wait.


......and also to be able to use the PLSR $100 off lifetime code!


----------



## Ikrion

HarperVision said:


> ......and also to be able to use the PLSR $100 off lifetime code!


Most definitely.

Very good of Best Buy in this case. I will likely try the price match more often.


----------



## mrsean

You're lucky. I tried to PM a Roamio Basic for a friend at BB on Sunday and the manager refused because the sale price required a promo code. My friend decided to just get the Roamio from TiVo.



Ikrion said:


> Just got back from Best Buy and they honored the $50 off promotion (KICKOFF) that TiVo is doing right now.
> 
> I did call ahead and confirm with a Manager, but they were happy to oblige. I showed that the MFG had it on sale and showed the price. They agreed.
> 
> Good way to get it local if you don't want to wait.


----------



## flashedbios

if u call in u can get them for freeand just pay your first month. i just did.


----------



## HarperVision

flashedbios said:


> if u call in u can get them for freeand just pay your first month. i just did.


Yes, but you're also paying a higher monthly fee of $19.99 and have a 2 year contract.


----------



## Ikrion

HarperVision said:


> Yes, but you're also paying a higher monthly fee of $19.99 and have a 2 year contract.


Yeah, I didn't want to get into that. I was sure if I called in and asked for the Military they would give it. It's the same Father's Day special they had like two years ago.

But $19.99 for two years, and _then _have to pay for lifetime or continue on? There is no initial cost, so, that's good, but you have to pay two years before you can pay for lifetime.

However, if you were just going to pay for monthly anyway, and not do lifetime, the free unit (at least the Roamio base) works out to $13.75/month instead of $14.99 (if you were going to buy the unit outright at the $150 sale price and then do monthly). So, technically you're ahead if you want to do month-to-month perpetually.


----------



## flashedbios

HarperVision said:


> Yes, but you're also paying a higher monthly fee of $19.99 and have a 2 year contract.


yeah but whats a few dollars a month? I can't afford $200 up front, can't get approved for any store based credit cards or financing, so this is the best option. A Tivo box is good for two years anyways.

PS. Anybody who is talking about paying for lifetime service can afford to get a tivo at the $200 price without discounts.


----------



## HarperVision

flashedbios said:


> yeah but whats a few dollars a month? I can't afford $200 up front, can't get approved for any store based credit cards or financing, so this is the best option. A Tivo box is good for two years anyways. PS. Anybody who is talking about paying for lifetime service can afford to get a tivo at the $200 price without discounts.


I didn't say I didn't agree that it's right for some people. I just wanted to clarify the details for others who may see your post and not realize that in order to take that offer, your monthly rates will be higher than the normal price.

Enjoy your new TiVo!


----------



## Ben_Jamin75

I purchased one of the discount codes on eBay, and successfully ordered a new Roaimo Pro with lifetime, and a new mini. Looking at my order (in process of being filled by tivo) I noticed that I was charged $174 (as stated on the eBay coupon page) instead of the $149.99 that they are being sold at without a coupon.

I can't cancel the order because I'd be out the money I spent on the coupon. I was thinking of calling tivo after I receive the order and ask for a price adjustment....

Has anyone else had a similar experience?


----------



## meoge

I PM'd spherular about his code and he recommended not buying any mini's using his code and instead just buying them separately. He thought the price with the code would be lowered at some point, but wasn't sure when that would happen.


----------



## Ben_Jamin75

Ok, thanks. I may return the $174 mini and buy a $149.99 mini if they won't give me an adjustment.

Does tivo pay for return shipping? If not, it may not be worth the hassle to try to get back $25.01


----------



## meoge

Just heard back from spherular that the mini price using the code is now $149.99. No discount, but at least it can all be purchased at once.


----------



## nhw3w

So I just got an email offer from TiVo for a unit with lifetime service:

Roamio 574.99

Plus 724.99

Pro 874.99

Can someone evaluate this deal in the context if other Roamio deals and relative to past TiVo upgrade offers.?


----------



## kokishin

nhw3w said:


> So I just got an email offer from TiVo for a unit with lifetime service:
> 
> Roamio 574.99
> 
> Plus 724.99
> 
> Pro 874.99
> 
> Can someone evaluate this deal in the context if other Roamio deals and relative to past TiVo upgrade offers.?


Contact tivocommunity.com member Spherular. I and other members have used him and can vouch for him. He can get you a Pro at a significantly lower price including lifetime service plus a very reasonable fee for his service.


----------



## CheriePie

I too just saw the offer nhw3w posted about. They posted it to my current TiVo HD and I saw it last night.

So I was thinking of taking advantage and finally updating my old series 3, but came here first looking for other more enticing offers. Looks like I may go with Spherular's code instead, though I'll probably call TiVo first and see if they're willing to better that offer since I've been a customer since 2006. (of course I wouldn't mention buying an eBay code, just tell them I'll have to discuss any offer they make to me with my hubby and get back to them.)

BTW, first post here, even though I've been reading posts in this forum for several years now for stuff related to pyTivo and the like. 


PS - and edited to add, whoops looks like this is actually my 2nd post after all. *blush*


----------



## texasjeepguy

Does anybody have a link to Spherular's ebay store?


----------



## takeagabu

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=ebay+spherular&l=1
or 
http://spherular.com/


----------



## WO312

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TiVo-Promo-...169?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33966cf541


----------



## spamjam

Today I bought a code from spherular on ebay, and successfully ordered a lifetimed Roamio Plus. Time elapsed for the entire process was a tad over 30 minutes. Highly recommended!


----------



## Steverd

Is TIVO giving any good discounts now to long time users?
I've had a TIVO since 2002 and about ready for my 3rd one.


----------



## fred2

Steverd said:


> Is TIVO giving any good discounts now to long time users?
> I've had a TIVO since 2002 and about ready for my 3rd one.


The two messages above yours refer to the site where I purchased a code. I saved more than $100 off the special pricing Tivo had just offered me.


----------



## sofakng

I also purchased a code from spherular and received it immediately after payment. (it must have been an automated process)

It saved me $400 (minus the $50 coupon price) on a lifetime Roamio Pro with lifetime. It's almost like free lifetime with the purchase of the Roamio


----------



## wazzupg

I called Tivo today to cancel service on my premiere box, because the hard drive died on it. They asked me if I was going to replace it. I told them i was going to buy a roamio in a couple of days from Amazon. They offered me a roamio for $175. I told them i could get one from amazon for $169. Then he come back and offered me a Roamio for $200 and $200 for lifetime service. :up: I thought about it for a second and said yes. So i was able to get a roamio base model with lifetime service for $400. I was very happy!


----------



## kokishin

You got a good deal. Spherular, who has good prices, has the Roamio Basic for $450 + promo code.


----------



## tarheelblue32

wazzupg said:


> I called Tivo today to cancel service on my premiere box, because the hard drive died on it. They asked me if I was going to replace it. I told them i was going to buy a roamio in a couple of days from Amazon. They offered me a roamio for $175. I told them i could get one from amazon for $169. Then he come back and offered me a Roamio for $200 and $200 for lifetime service. :up: I thought about it for a second and said yes. So i was able to get a roamio base model with lifetime service for $400. I was very happy!


Wow that's an awesome deal.


----------



## Kracko

wazzupg said:


> I called Tivo today to cancel service on my premiere box, because the hard drive died on it. They asked me if I was going to replace it. I told them i was going to buy a roamio in a couple of days from Amazon. They offered me a roamio for $175. I told them i could get one from amazon for $169. Then he come back and offered me a Roamio for $200 and $200 for lifetime service. :up: I thought about it for a second and said yes. So i was able to get a roamio base model with lifetime service for $400. I was very happy!


Wow. Great deal. I wonder what they would have done had you said 'no'.


----------



## Darkon

wazzupg said:


> I called Tivo today to cancel service on my premiere box, because the hard drive died on it. They asked me if I was going to replace it. I told them i was going to buy a roamio in a couple of days from Amazon. They offered me a roamio for $175. I told them i could get one from amazon for $169. Then he come back and offered me a Roamio for $200 and $200 for lifetime service. :up: I thought about it for a second and said yes. So i was able to get a roamio base model with lifetime service for $400. I was very happy!


Long story short, just today I got the same offer for the base Roamio w/lifetime service for $400 ($200 for the unit and $200 for the lifetime service)...but then asked about the Roamio Plus/Pro and the deals were even better (at least for me):
Plus - $400 for the unit and $100 for lifetime service
Pro - $600 for the unit and $100 for lifetime service

I ended up going for the Plus since that's $100 below spherular(?)s price for the Pro before the cost of the code and I can easily upgrade to a 3TB drive for about 1/2 the difference in price between Plus/Pro.

It sounded like this particular offer was fairly new and was only for this month, so the deal you are offered may vary depending on when you call, who you talk to and how long you've been a TiVo subscriber.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Darkon said:


> Long story short, just today I got the same offer for the base Roamio w/lifetime service for $400 ($200 for the unit and $200 for the lifetime service)...but then asked about the Roamio Plus/Pro and the deals were even better (at least for me):
> Plus - $400 for the unit and $100 for lifetime service
> Pro - $600 for the unit and $100 for lifetime service


That's pretty incredible that they are offering $100 lifetime service on a new Plus. It almost feels like it is either too good to be true (i.e. a mistake of some kind) or that it is desperation pricing to move excess supply. Either way, I highly doubt they will publicize this ultra aggressive pricing. You're going to have to call and ask for it to get it.


----------



## Diana Collins

That's basically the "eBay code" price for the Basic and Pro. Less for the Plus.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Diana Collins said:


> That's basically the "eBay code" price for the Basic and Pro. Less for the Plus.


I think the basic is $450 with the ebay code, so $50 dollars less for the basic.


----------



## Darkon

tarheelblue32 said:


> That's pretty incredible that they are offering $100 lifetime service on a new Plus. It almost feels like it is either too good to be true (i.e. a mistake of some kind) or that it is desperation pricing to move excess supply. Either way, I highly doubt they will publicize this ultra aggressive pricing. You're going to have to call and ask for it to get it.


Yes, I think it's definitely a YMMV situation. In my case, I had a couple of bad experiences with other reps before I go this offer, plus I've been a TiVo subscriber for more than 11 years, having purchased several units over that time (2 Series 2, 2 TiVo HD, 2 Premier 2-tuners, TiVo Stream) and was trying to get 2 new TiVo Minis working, so the person I talked to in the cancellation department made an effort to find the best deal she could for me.

Initially she only mentioned the deal on the basic model for $200 + $200 lifetime service because I made it clear that I was trying to keep my costs down, but before biting on that deal I asked about the Plus/Pro (which is what I really wanted) just to make sure I had as much information about my options as possible even if it ended up costing me more in the short term. Lesson learned is that it never hurts to ask.


----------



## Nochance

Darkon said:


> Long story short, just today I got the same offer for the base Roamio w/lifetime service for $400 ($200 for the unit and $200 for the lifetime service)...but then asked about the Roamio Plus/Pro and the deals were even better (at least for me):
> Plus - $400 for the unit and $100 for lifetime service
> Pro - $600 for the unit and $100 for lifetime service
> 
> I ended up going for the Plus since that's $100 below spherular(?)s price for the Pro before the cost of the code and I can easily upgrade to a 3TB drive for about 1/2 the difference in price between Plus/Pro.
> 
> It sounded like this particular offer was fairly new and was only for this month, so the deal you are offered may vary depending on when you call, who you talk to and how long you've been a TiVo subscriber.


Has anyone else had luck getting this offer? I've had a 2,3,Premiere, but all on lifetime's. Anyone else had luck getting this offer as a lifetime?


----------



## kokishin

Darkon said:


> Yes, I think it's definitely a YMMV situation. In my case, I had a couple of bad experiences with other reps before I go this offer, plus I've been a TiVo subscriber for more than 11 years, having purchased several units over that time (2 Series 2, 2 TiVo HD, 2 Premier 2-tuners, TiVo Stream) and was trying to get 2 new TiVo Minis working, so the person I talked to in the cancellation department made an effort to find the best deal she could for me.
> 
> Initially she only mentioned the deal on the basic model for $200 + $200 lifetime service because I made it clear that I was trying to keep my costs down, but before biting on that deal I asked about the Plus/Pro (which is what I really wanted) just to make sure I had as much information about my options as possible even if it ended up costing me more in the short term. *Lesson learned is that it never hurts to ask.*


No guts, no glory. No balls, no blue chips.


----------



## 2004raptor

I'm in the middle of my year contract for my Roamio basic. Do they ever make deals on Lifetime at the end of that? Or do you go month to month at the same ~$14?


----------



## monkeyhaver44

$50 off Roamio - code MMA


----------



## DaveMN

I have one of the eternally rebooting TiVo HD units, so I thought I'd take a chance and see what TiVo could do for me to get me into a Roamio Plus. I presently own 2 TiVos with lifetime, and have been a customer since 1999.

When I called, I got a stoic young lady, who graciously offered we the standard, publicly-available promo price. She couldn't get me off the line fast enough, and had no sympathy for my dying HD. Undaunted, I tried again a few minutes later. Got a much more receptive fellow who offered me a Roamio Plus with lifetime for $500. I jumped all over it. I think the number of years as a customer has quite a lot to do with these offers. At any rate, it's service like this that keeps me happy.


----------



## tarheelblue32

TiVo "Holiday Sale":

Roamio: $150
Roamio Plus: $325
Roamio Pro: $500

https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/holiday-sale

I also noticed they have an "annual service option" for $149.99 (12.50/month). I don't remember seeing this before. Is it new?


----------



## johnd01

Is there a better deal than:
Roamio Plus: $399
lift time service: $99


----------



## HeadsUp7Up

johnd01 said:


> Is there a better deal than:
> Roamio Plus: $399
> lift time service: $99


Where is that deal? I'd buy it right now and get rid of my Roamio Basic.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sehale

On November 6 I bought two base unit Roamios from Best Buy for $169 each. Thought that was a great deal until about two days later when I got an email from Tivo listing them at $149. I called Best Buy and later went to the store only to be told both times that BB doesn't price match Tivo. I said I would just return them and buy them again from Tivo but that didn't bother them. This morning I saw that Amazon listed the Roamio for $149 so I called BB and they did price match Amazon and credited my account $40 ($20 for unit).


----------



## Random User 7

HeadsUp7Up said:


> Where is that deal? I'd buy it right now and get rid of my Roamio Basic.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Buy a code from ebay and you can get it even cheaper. Just make them an offer.


----------



## lpwcomp

Random User 7 said:


> Buy a code from ebay and you can get it even cheaper. Just make them an offer.


Cheaper than $498 including PLS? No, you can't.


----------



## Random User 7

lpwcomp said:


> Cheaper than $498 including PLS? No, you can't.


Ahh you're right, missed the Plus part.


----------



## jth tv

It seems like 1 out of 20 purchasers on Amazon is giving the Roamio one star rating because they did Not see the monthly fee before they purchased it.

Isn't there some way to get Amazon to include "$15/mth subscription required" in the Roamio Header (listing headline), or Make the Fee Much More Obvious ?

Wouldn't Everyone be happier ?


----------



## Brdwygurl

I have two series 2's and have been looking to upgrade so I called to inquire about the $500 deal. The first associate I spoke with wasn't able to help me so I hung up and called back and spoke to someone else. She put me on hold and came back and was able to give me the Romeo plus and lifetime service for 500. She actually seemed kind of surprised herself and said it was because I have been with TiVo for 10 years.

Thanks for posting about this, you saved me a lot of money .


----------



## Darkon

Brdwygurl said:


> I have two series 2's and have been looking to upgrade so I called to inquire about the $500 deal. The first associate I spoke with wasn't able to help me so I hung up and called back and spoke to someone else. She put me on hold and came back and was able to give me the Romeo plus and lifetime service for 500. She actually seemed kind of surprised herself and said it was because I have been with TiVo for 10 years.
> 
> Thanks for posting about this, you saved me a lot of money .


Glad to hear someone else was able to get this deal. Sounds like being a 10 year subscriber might be the key to getting the deal.


----------



## archangelsfv

Darkon said:


> Glad to hear someone else was able to get this deal. Sounds like being a 10 year subscriber might be the key to getting the deal.


It is. I just called to activate service on a Roamio Plus box I got from Abt.com. The rep I spoke to would not _budge_ on anything other than MSD for PLS ($399). She did offer the $498 combo ($399 Roamio Plus + $99 PLS), but that was it. I even countered offered $299 for PLS and keep the box I have, but she said no.

So now I have to decide on paying return shipping for the box I bought and then called TiVo back for the $498 deal. That deal, as stated above, is for customers who have been so for 10+ years.


----------



## aaronwt

Wow! I wish they would have had that deal at launch. I paid $1K for my Roamio Pro with Lifetime.


----------



## joysbox

Just called - got the Roamio Plus deal ($500 total) with lifetime. called and just mentioned I got a email and the online price didn't add up. we talked for a bit about the Roamio basic then I asked about the Plus. She checked something and said it was available for me because we have been with Tivo for more than 10 years. I said cool and gave up the credit card info


----------



## tarheelblue32

joysbox said:


> Just called - got the Roamio Pro deal ($500 total) with lifetime.


Are you sure it was the Pro and not the Plus?


----------



## joysbox

Corrected my earlier post. I got the Plus.


----------



## HeatherA

I got an email offering me "up to $200" off on the Roamio and it quoted prices as $449 for a base + lifetime, $724 for a plus and $899 for a pro. Of course when I click through to order the prices are just the normal sale prices. I'm very tempted to to the base Roamio + lifetime for $400 to replace an older premiere with lifetime. I like the base models because of the OTA. I won't buy any non-OTA models any longer. I've been with TiVo since 1999 so I should qualify for the over the phone deal.


----------



## MauiSpud

Darkon said:


> Glad to hear someone else was able to get this deal. Sounds like being a 10 year subscriber might be the key to getting the deal.


That is what the sales rep told me - since I was a customer for more than 10 years, they offered the same deal for me - Roamio Plus ($399) and Lifetime Service ($99). Good thru the end of this month.


----------



## HazelW

Anyone know if having a TiVo with Directv counts for some of the 10 years.


----------



## justen_m

MauiSpud said:


> That is what the sales rep told me - since I was a customer for more than 10 years, they offered the same deal for me - Roamio Plus ($399) and Lifetime Service ($99). Good thru the end of this month.


Any deal for the base Roamio with Lifetime for us long time customers? I want OTA support. I suppose I could call and ask...


----------



## Diana Collins

HazelW said:


> Anyone know if having a TiVo with Directv counts for some of the 10 years.


Unlikely, since you didn't have a TiVo account with DirecTiVos.


----------



## nycityuser

justen_m said:


> Any deal for the base Roamio with Lifetime for us long time customers? I want OTA support. I suppose I could call and ask...


Let us know if you call what you find out. I'm thinking of replacing a Premiere on an annual plan with a base Roamio with discounted lifetime (for OTA use).


----------



## aaroncgi

HeatherA said:


> I got an email offering me "up to $200" off on the Roamio and it quoted prices as $449 for a base + lifetime, $724 for a plus and $899 for a pro. Of course when I click through to order the prices are just the normal sale prices. I'm very tempted to to the base Roamio + lifetime for $400 to replace an older premiere with lifetime. I like the base models because of the OTA. I won't buy any non-OTA models any longer. I've been with TiVo since 1999 so I should qualify for the over the phone deal.


I received this same offer last Thursday in my email and jumped on it. Unfortunately, it took over two hours on the phone, spread over three days and four phone calls, to make a simple purchase.

I'm still waiting for the mistaken order for FIVE Roamios with PLS to drop off my pending credit card transactions....

Had the offer not been so good, by FAR the easier option would have been to just drive down to my local Best Buy and purchase there, but would have spent another $167 or so to do that.


----------



## Darkon

justen_m said:


> Any deal for the base Roamio with Lifetime for us long time customers? I want OTA support. I suppose I could call and ask...





nycityuser said:


> Let us know if you call what you find out. I'm thinking of replacing a Premiere on an annual plan with a base Roamio with discounted lifetime (for OTA use).


I think I mentioned it in my earlier post, but the deals they offered were as follows:
Base Roamio = $199.99 + $199.99 for PLS (~$400)
Roamio Plus = $399.99 + $99.99 for PLS (~$500)
Roamio Pro = $599.99 + $99.99 for PLS (~$700)

So for only $100 more you get the Plus with more storage and Stream built-in. All you are missing is OTA, but for some that's a showstopper.

I'm still on the fence about what to do with my 2-tuner Premiers. I'd like the cash from selling both, but may keep one around so I can retain OTA functionality on a lifetime unit. And from what I understand, the 2-tuner Premier is the best model for OTA functionality because it supports OTA and cable at the same time, whereas the base Roamio is either/or, but not both at the same time.

BTW: I upgraded the Roamio Plus HD to 3TB and it was incredibly easy, so I see no reason to buy the Pro at the above prices unless you are concerned about warranty issues or are afraid of screwdrivers.


----------



## slowbiscuit

aaroncgi said:


> I received this same offer last Thursday in my email and jumped on it. Unfortunately, it took over two hours on the phone, spread over three days and four phone calls, to make a simple purchase.
> 
> I'm still waiting for the mistaken order for FIVE Roamios with PLS to drop off my pending credit card transactions....
> 
> Had the offer not been so good, by FAR the easier option would have been to just drive down to my local Best Buy and purchase there, but would have spent another $167 or so to do that.


Unbelievable. The offer is not good at all compared to what you can get with a simple read of this thread, but suckers are born every minute.


----------



## tarheelblue32

slowbiscuit said:


> Unbelievable. The offer is not good at all compared to what you can get with a simple read of this thread, but suckers are born every minute.


Actually, it's hard to beat $449 for a Roamio w/lifetime.


----------



## aaroncgi

slowbiscuit said:


> Unbelievable. The offer is not good at all compared to what you can get with a simple read of this thread, but suckers are born every minute.


I couldn't find a better price than $449 on a new Roamio with lifetime service, including the often mentioned Spherular. eBay had a few, but typically used boxes, and only barely less expensive than new. And with eBay you get no 30 day trial period or warranty, as you'd get from TiVo direct. Not worth taking the risk for a few bucks, IMHO. We are not 10 year+ customers, so we don't qualify for those deals. Our first TiVo was the Premiere, only 4.5 years ago.

Considering that our 2-Tuner Premiere was $698 with PLS (same price as a base Roamio with PLS for first time customers), $449 for two additional tuners and far better performance seems like a great deal. According to my order, TiVo still charged $399 for our PLS (same as the Premiere), so the Roamio itself was only $49. That's a 75% discount on the box, or 84% discount compared to what we paid for the Premiere.


----------



## nooneuknow

I just got a new email, with the base price changed from $449.99 to 549.00, while the "Save 150" part did not change, nor the other pricing.

Slightly different email title, only change is +$100 on the base price...

I guess this is as close to a "correction" as it gets, and the window of opportunity just slammed shut...

Knowing they did this makes me feel more relieved that I didn't buy a TiVo I don't really need, just because the price was calculated wrong. Must resist impulse buys all the way to "Black February"...


----------



## eyelovemychevy

I got a deal when I called in. I've been with TiVo for 10 years and I got a Roamio plus with lifetime for 500 + tax.


----------



## nooneuknow

eyelovemychevy said:


> I got a deal when I called in. I've been with TiVo for 10 years and I got a Roamio plus with lifetime for 500 + tax.


There's two promos.

There's the email I just spoke of, which TiVo wasn't honoring on the base model (for a variety of reported excuses), then later was honoring for those who had received the (apparently erroneous) email promo.

Then, there's the unpromoted deals 10yr+ customers are getting, when they call, sometimes with a little scripting provided here.

The complaint thread over the email promo is here: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=522865

TiVo sure is consistent about sending lots of sales that are really normal price, then sending out promos with errors (that they balk at honoring).

Im not in the 10yr+ club, yet. So, that "secret" promo isn't an option for me.


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## HarperVision

eyelovemychevy said:


> I got a deal when I called in. I've been with TiVo for 10 years and I got a Roamio plus with lifetime for 500 + tax.


I just took advantage of this too. I tried OTA with a basic Roamio, but here in HI my channels come from repeaters and translators so they look like crap, with even 2 nice 1080i networks (NBC, CBS) being jammed into one ATSC channel at about 8.9Mbps each at 720p! Needless to say there were MPEG artifacts, moire', combing and mosquito noise galore! 

So I gave up and am returning to cable full time and a bigger box with more tuners and a stream built in (and yes Bigg...MoCa, haha!)

I will be moving over my 3TB HD that's currently in my Basic, which is now for sale with lifetime service and extended warranty from Best Buy if anyone's interested?


----------



## shadowplay0918

eyelovemychevy said:


> I got a deal when I called in. I've been with TiVo for 10 years and I got a Roamio plus with lifetime for 500 + tax.


I ended up going with the pro for $700 plus tax. Will move 1 of my HD's to my bedroom and making the Roamio the main dvr.

Need to sell my old bedroom lifetime tivo hd with a hdmi port not working. Not lookinf forward to dealing with ebay/craigslist though...


----------



## PatrickNSF

eyelovemychevy said:


> I got a deal when I called in. I've been with TiVo for 10 years and I got a Roamio plus with lifetime for 500 + tax.


Thanks for posting this. I called in this morning and was able to get the Roamio Pro with lifetime for $699.98 plus tax. The CS rep described it as a promo for "loyal customers." They may be factoring in our DirecTV with Tivo service, because we moved to Tivo-only sometime in 2006.


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## BosTV

Over the phone with TiVo, I just ordered a Roamio Pro Plus with Lifetime for the $500 price for long time users. (Bought my first TiVo in 2001.) To get that deal required a TiVo Service Number (TSN) for a unit at least 10 years old that was associated with my account.


----------



## HarperVision

BosTV said:


> Over the phone with TiVo, I just ordered a Roamio Pro with Lifetime for the $500 price for long time users. (Bought my first TiVo in 2001.) To get that deal required a TiVo Service Number (TSN) for a unit at least 10 years old that was associated with my account.


Are you sure it was a Pro? The Plus is the one for $500 with lifetime. The Pro is $700 for the same deal.


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## BosTV

HarperVision said:


> Are you sure it was a Pro? The Plus is the one for $500 with lifetime. The Pro is $700 for the same deal.


You're right. It was a Plus. Sorry about that.


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## HerronScott

eyelovemychevy said:


> I got a deal when I called in. I've been with TiVo for 10 years and I got a Roamio plus with lifetime for 500 + tax.


Darn, we're happy with our 2 S3's but that is a really good price.

Scott


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## brentil

I have a S2 from 2001 on my account still, I'm totally calling them today!

I'm kind of sad though we did the Valentines Day upgrade promotion in 2001 which let you take your lifetime from a S1 and move it to a S2 so our S1 device from 1999 no longer shows on our account.


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## Jon545

I jumped on the $500 plus w/lifetime too. But, rep told me there was only 90 day warranty on the unit. Wonder if these are refurbs their using for this deal?


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## tatergator1

Jon545 said:


> I jumped on the $500 plus w/lifetime too. But, rep told me there was only 90 day warranty on the unit. Wonder if these are refurbs their using for this deal?


A 90-day parts and labor warranty is standard for all new Tivo's. The warranty that extends to 1-year after purchase is for parts only. You pay shipping and labor.


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## celtic pride

On my tivo premiere in the menu i had a message saying i could order the tivo roamio pro with service for $499.00 I dont know if they meant lifetime service or not,probably not. either way i didnt order it.


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## bradm23

I tried calling to get the loyalty deal. My original series 1 was activated in June 2002, over 14 years ago. I've been a customer ever since then, but have upgraded my units along to way from series 1 to series 2, then to series 3 and HD. 

Because I sold the oldest unit that was activated in 2002, I was told I'm not eligible for the promotion, even though I've been a customer without a gap in service for over 14 years. 

For the people who have successfully gotten this deal, do you still own your original Tivo? Has anyone been successful getting this deal who has sold their original Tivo?


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## HarperVision

bradm23 said:


> I tried calling to get the loyalty deal. My original series 1 was activated in June 2002, over 14 years ago. I've been a customer ever since then, but have upgraded my units along to way from series 1 to series 2, then to series 3 and HD. Because I sold the oldest unit that was activated in 2002, I was told I'm not eligible for the promotion, even though I've been a customer without a gap in service for over 14 years. For the people who have successfully gotten this deal, do you still own your original Tivo? Has anyone been successful getting this deal who has sold their original Tivo?


Yes I sold my S1 Philips original 14hr TiVo long ago and I was given the deal. I would say keep calling back and play CSR Roulette.


----------



## bradm23

Was that original TiVo still linked to your account? That had mine listed another someone else's name now, assuming it's the person I sold to on eBay years ago but obviously don't remember.


----------



## HeadsUp7Up

Has anyone heard any rumblings on potential Black Friday deals yet?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## HarperVision

bradm23 said:


> Was that original TiVo still linked to your account? That had mine listed another someone else's name now, assuming it's the person I sold to on eBay years ago but obviously don't remember.


No but mine was grandfathered and transferred to an S3 and that is still on my account.


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## tlc

I'm tempted to try for the 10 year deal, _just because it's a good deal_. But I can't think of a compelling reason to upgrade from my Premieres. Tivo's actually been pretty cool about upgrading the Premieres.

Roamios have a faster UI and more tuners. They have a Stream inside, but I already have a Stream. They have Amazon Prime now, but the Premieres will get it soon. Am I forgetting any Roamio only features?


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## 1283

Ordered the $500 Roamio Plus for a relative. CA tax is more than $52 (based on $600?)!

I was told that the loyalty offers expire this weekend (11/30). Don't know if that's true or just sales tactic.


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## 1283

The TSN for my Romio Plus purchased a year ago starts with 848-0001. The one I just ordered starts with 848-0301. What does the "3" mean?


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## nooneuknow

c3 said:


> The TSN for my Romio Plus purchased a year ago starts with 848-0001. The one I just ordered starts with 848-0301. What does the "3" mean?


Refurbished, as the refurb deal already implies, if that is the offer you have purchased from. Please confirm if you bought a refurb, as many have been wondering which digit TiVo would use to designate a refurb, when refurbs finally become part of an offer.

Traditionally, that digit placement has been used to denote a unit with an internal hardware revision, or change of internal hardware, in TiVo models of the past.


----------



## booboy97

Just picked up a standard Roamio for $109 on Amazon.


----------



## flashedbios

or, today you can get a roamio for zero down. Im a huge fan of the zero down deals because they get you the tivo now, you dont have to wait until tax time to get them. just pay your first month for how ever many tivos you want and bam, instant tivo, no employment or steady income required


----------



## 1283

nooneuknow said:


> Refurbished, as the refurb deal already implies, if that is the offer you have purchased from. Please confirm if you bought a refurb, as many have been wondering which digit TiVo would use to designate a refurb, when refurbs finally become part of an offer.
> 
> Traditionally, that digit placement has been used to denote a unit with an internal hardware revision, or change of internal hardware, in TiVo models of the past.


I bought one of the "loyalty packages": $400 Roamio Plus + $100 lifetime. I did not ask if it's refurbished because I assumed it would be new. SKU on the receipt is R84800.


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## nooneuknow

c3 said:


> I bought one of the "loyalty packages": $400 Roamio Plus + $100 lifetime. I did not ask if it's refurbished because I assumed it would be new. SKU on the receipt is R84800.


Then, it sounds like TiVo is still sticking to the same use of digits on the XXX-X*X*XX- digit place being zero for first run revision, and changing that digit when they make a level of hardware revision great enough to merit changing that digit and/or they manufactured it through a different facility than usual. I guess I should have asked "Which deal?" first, in my original reply.

I said "sounds like", as it could still mean something else. But, not refurbished, if they didn't state refurbished. Since some of the "loyalty deals" are by phone-in only, can you recall anything that cements this, or maybe give them a call back to ask about it?

Lots of people will have theories and/or really want to know. I'm just shy of the 10yr requirement, but doubt TiVo would reward loyalty with anything other than the best price, on new hardware.

It's likely it will take some time for 0301 units to find their way to some retail shelves and resellers with inventory. But, if I were buying one right now, I'd want the revised one (and would tear it down to find what has changed inside, if nobody beats me to it.

I may only be inclusion of "zigbee" support, like the "January Mini" thread is talking about. That's only a guess, just to be clear. The change means something...


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## eelton

I was able to get the 10-year subscriber deal for a Roamio Plus with lifetime for $500.

The first CSR said my account only went back to 2007 (my current series 3). She said I would need the TSN for the series 1 I bought in 2000, which I didn't have available.

I called back after finding the receipt from my purchase of a series 1 in June 2000, but not the TSN. I was prepared to plead my case, but the second CSR said she could see a TiVo from 2003 on the account, so it didn't matter. I'm not sure why she saw something the first CSR didn't, but I guess that's common.

Both of them knew about the promotion right away, so at least that's a plus.


----------



## Bars & Tone

I, too, just pulled the trigger on the Roamio Plus & Lifetime for $500.
The CSR knew all about the deal and didn't have to look it up or talk to a supervisor.

Someone upthread asked if the units are refurbs or new. I asked the CSR and was told that they are new units.


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## mar2k

I called in and got the deal. 

I dug my old Sony SVR3000 with lifetime out of the basement (activated 9/2004), dusted it off and connected it for the first time in probably 7 years. I was able to connect and update with no issues amazingly after updating the Wifi password. This brought my account current (was an issue a while back I believe when I called in at random about possible upgrade deals - showed as inactive). Called in, got transferred to Sales. Very friendly salesperson more than happy to give me the 10 year deal. 

I went for the base Roamio with lifetime for $398.98 plus tax, since I want the OTA support for the day I give Comcast the boot. Figured I'd buy a Stream down the road...


----------



## Hamstring

I got the loyalty deal today. They just saw the service was over 10 years (April 2004). He didn't ask for anything else. I had upgraded to a new Tivo HD 7 years ago and sold my Series 2.


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## sbresh

I also phoned in & got the Roamio plus w/ lifetime for $499. Also bought WD30EURS on amazon for $102. Good deal!


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## justen_m

I'm a lemming too. I just took the plunge and ordered the $499.98 Roamio Plus w/ Lifetime. The phone call took 11 minutes. The rep had to check with his supervisor, despite my account showing a 2012 start date.


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## archangelsfv

Despite being told by one rep that I would qualify for the 10 yr loyalty discount (nine years and nine months of service), I called today and was told that there was "no way" Tivo would offer it to me. 

Both agents refused to even entertain offering PLS at $299; so I guess my brand new Roamio will continue to sit in its box until something comes along.

Annoying.


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## WVZR1

Quite a pleasant conversation and purchase today for the PLUS, I've had issues in the past as I guess we all have and now I've just got I believe a HDD to buy and I have a "new in the box" MINI that I understand will become "lifetimed" so long as I do it before 1/06.

Is the wise buy for the HDD a 3TB at $118 from Amazon EURX or save $16 and buy the EURS that looks to ship from someone other than Amazon?

4:10 PM EST

I just now received an email acknowledgement on the order and the "PRODUCT CODE" for the equipment is R84800, I was told new. Why on earth would they use an R in the product code for new equipment? I would think anyone who purchased would be concerned. I had seen the product mentioned earlier but I hadn't seen a response that mention NEW and confirmed. I asked before placing and was told twice NEW. Anyone else?


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## nooneuknow

WVZR1 said:


> Quite a pleasant conversation and purchase today for the PLUS, I've had issues in the past as I guess we all have and now I've just got I believe a HDD to buy and I have a "new in the box" MINI that I understand will become "lifetimed" so long as I do it before 1/06.
> 
> Is the wise buy for the HDD a 3TB at $118 from Amazon EURX or save $16 and buy the EURS that looks to ship from someone other than Amazon?
> 
> 4:10 PM EST
> 
> I just now received an email acknowledgement on the order and the "PRODUCT CODE" for the equipment is R84800, I was told new. Why on earth would they use an R in the product code for new equipment? I would think anyone who purchased would be concerned. I had seen the product mentioned earlier but I hadn't seen a response that mention NEW and confirmed. I asked before placing and was told twice NEW. Anyone else?


Pretty much all asked and answered, many times, in this thread:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=507695

It's your job to verify the seller of any hard drive is an authorized reseller of that brand, in order to insure the integrity and length of the warranty. If the EURS seller is, save the $16, as the EURX won't perform any better, or have anything to offer the TiVo will make use of.

R in the product code is normal, for a TiVo product code, likely designates retail product.


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## WVZR1

nooneuknow said:


> Pretty much all asked and answered, many times, in this thread:
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=507695
> 
> It's your job to verify the seller of any hard drive is an authorized reseller of that brand, in order to insure the integrity and length of the warranty. If the EURS seller is, save the $16, as the EURX won't perform any better, or have anything to offer the TiVo will make use of.
> 
> R in the product code is normal, for a TiVo product code, likely designates retail product.


Thank you, R - RETAIL (yes) but when you're dealing with "special purchase programs" the R - refurb certainly comes to mind. The HDD information is what I expected to hear but if there was an advantage I thought I would at least ask. There's so many conversations where some of these are discussed, some very old and maybe later there has been a reason to do one or the other of any particular product, not just HDD.

Have you any thoughts regarding this "post" of mine:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=523308


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## nooneuknow

WVZR1 said:


> Have you any thoughts regarding this "post" of mine:
> 
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=523308


Sorry, outside my wheelhouse on that matter.


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## houndb

Does the lifetime still stay with the old tivos?


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## tarheelblue32

houndb said:


> Does the lifetime still stay with the old tivos?


Once you purchase lifetime service on a box, it stays with that box forever. The only exception is if TiVo allows you to transfer the lifetime service to another box, which very rarely happens anymore.


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## houndb

Just checking because I did the lifetime transfer for 100 or was it 200 from a series two to the series three. Wow I could then sell my tivo hd and series three. Will have to check on resale prices for them.


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## ThAbtO

houndb said:


> Just checking because I did the lifetime transfer for 100 or was it 200 from a series two to the series three. Wow I could then sell my tivo hd and series three. Will have to check on resale prices for them.


Tivo does not do lifetime transfers anymore. But, you can still get lifetime on older units for $99/$199 for those on monthly for years.


----------



## MapleLeaf

I jumped on the loyalty deal today as well. Before calling in, I went through my billing history on tivo.com and found that I first ordered lifetime service on Feb. 2, 2003, so even though I had long ago sold that particularly unit and transferred ownership of it to someone else, I figured that since it still showed up in my billing history, I was good to go. But when I did call in, the sales rep. I spoke with (who btw knew immediately about the 10-year loyalty promotion) had some difficulty finding that transaction in my account on his system. He was very nice about it and assured me that he believed me and that it was undoubtedly just an issue on his end, but I did have to wait on hold a few minutes while he researched my account further. Thankfully, he did eventually find the transaction using the TSN of the lifetime unit, and the purchase subsequently went smoothly from there. Also, he verified that the unit was new and not refurbished.

FYI, the order confirmation email showed the following (tax is for WA state):

Product Description Qty Item Price Tax* Total
S00031 TiVo Package, Product Lifetime 1 $ 99.99 $ 9.50 $ 109.49
R84800 TiVo Roamio Plus 1 $ 399.99 $ 38.00 $ 437.99

Also FYI, the rep. mentioned that I got my purchase in just under the wire, as the promotion is due to end tomorrow (Nov. 30), which is consistent with what others have already noted.

I also bought the $102 WD30EURS off Amazon that others have already mentioned. I plan to plunk it into the Plus before even powering it up.


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## kettledrum

I jumped in on the deal last night. My first TiVo was November of 2003. Very easy transaction! I guess that's the difference between talking to sales and talking to tech support.

I ended up ordering the 30EURX too. 

Thanks to all on here who made the rest of us aware of this deal.


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## nooneuknow

MapleLeaf said:


> I jumped on the loyalty deal today as well. Before calling in, I went through my billing history on tivo.com and found that I first ordered lifetime service on Feb. 2, 2003, so even though I had long ago sold that particularly unit and transferred ownership of it to someone else, I figured that since it still showed up in my billing history, I was good to go. But when I did call in, the sales rep. I spoke with (who btw knew immediately about the 10-year loyalty promotion) had some difficulty finding that transaction in my account on his system. He was very nice about it and assured me that he believed me and that it was undoubtedly just an issue on his end, but I did have to wait on hold a few minutes while he researched my account further. Thankfully, he did eventually find the transaction using the TSN of the lifetime unit, and the purchase subsequently went smoothly from there. Also, he verified that the unit was new and not refurbished.
> 
> FYI, the order confirmation email showed the following (tax is for WA state):
> 
> Product Description Qty Item Price Tax* Total
> S00031 TiVo Package, Product Lifetime 1 $ 99.99 $ 9.50 $ 109.49
> R84800 TiVo Roamio Plus 1 $ 399.99 $ 38.00 $ 437.99
> 
> Also FYI, the rep. mentioned that I got my purchase in just under the wire, as the promotion is due to end tomorrow (Nov. 30), which is consistent with what others have already noted.
> 
> I also bought the $102 WD30EURS off Amazon that others have already mentioned. I plan to plunk it into the Plus before even powering it up.


So, it looks like the letter in the first spot of the product code is a differentiator of:
R for Hardware, perhaps (R)etail hardware, as I suggested.
S for (S)ervice, which just makes sense.

The rest of the product code, on the hardware side, mostly is just an indicator of platform and model, but doesn't denote a TiVo with a 0*0*01 second group, from one with a 0*3*01, so not a "perfect" representation of the first-five of the TSN you may receive, but nothing to worry about on that front.

There may be some other letter designations, that make no sense, as TiVo may have already used them, like a sale of TiVo Desktop Software, would likely not also use (S), and instead use some random letter they picked long ago, instead.

The letter in front may also be used to denote what may be taxable, as some states tax hardware and software, but not service, and some tax the service lower than the hardware, while some states don't require TiVo to collect sales tax (technically/legally, the buyer is supposed to wind up paying it at state income tax time, usually deducted against any refund, if not cheating, by failing to declare out of state untaxed purchases).


----------



## delgadobb

You know the old axiom "You don't ask, you don't get?" Surprised even myself today. 

Background: just over a month ago, I activated lifetime on my Base Roamio (immediately installing a 3GB drive, original kept in safe place). One of my HD units gave the dreaded S03 error after the tuning adapter kept screwing up stuff & blocking GC; I mis-clicked & set it to re-run guided setup instead of clearing data. Now it's in a guided setup loop of death & I've lost a bunch of shows (tried to telnet into it to get it out of that mode, but no luck so far). Fast forward to Base Roamio just sitting & waiting to be activated; this seemed like a sign it was time, so I paid the $400 & put lifetime on it.

Upon learning of the 10-year promotion, I called in to Tivo today & got a very good CSR. Started in with stories of one buddy getting the Base Roamio for $200+$200, another getting the Plus for $400+$100, he acknowledged both were possible looking at my account. "You've bought a lot of stuff from us & been with us a long time." I asked if there was any way to do something factoring in the $400 I spent (lifetime on base Roamio) even though we're just past the 30-day window. Maybe allow me to get $200 lifetime on another Base Roamio I already have or give me a break on what I spent if I buy something else? 

He put me on hold for a while to talk to a manager; when he came back he mentioned he could do something if I bought something else (which was fine). After some back & forth, we came to crediting $200 of the $400 I recently spent if I bought a Roamio Plus for $500 (lifetime promo). Asked if I could think about it, knowing I was likely to do it - he said I could, but at the same time he'd been so helpful I wanted to make sure he got credit for the transaction. I asked if he could give me his info so I could reach him tomorrow after talking to a friend. To get it done today & make things easier all around, he managed to get a slide remote added into the deal. DONE! 

While I'm not certain the Roamio Plus is ideal for me (already have a Pro for streaming & like the OTA flexibility of the base), this was a no-brainer. After the credit from the base Roamio lifetime, my net cost on the Roamio Plus w/lifetime will be a little over $330 ($500 for Plus, $30 or so taxes, minus $200 credit). That INCLUDES a slide remote as well! Already have a 3 TB WD Green to drop in there (nooneuknow, drop me a DM if you feel strongly enough that I ought to switch to Red, got the Green for a great deal at Fry's Electronics).

Thanks to everyone for their info on the 10-year promo; I briefly heard about it elsewhere, but the info here has been the most valuable.


----------



## brentil

Just so everyone is clear today is the last day to get the deal. The way some people were wording it made me think yesterday was the last day. I just chatted with customer support as sales does not open for another 40 minutes so I can actually buy one.


----------



## delgadobb

Correct, today is the last day. Apologies if my wording above was confusing. I keep weird hours sometimes & posted about 5 AM, still thinking in terms of Saturday since I ordered my stuff several hours earlier. 

For those thinking of this offer, pick up the phone! Play CSR roulette if necessary ... I called about something different about a week ago & got just about the worst person I've ever gotten at TIVO. Yesterday I got a great CSR who was willing to go to his supervisor & try a creative solution with me (see my previous post - that's a deal just about anybody on here would jump on.)

Yaneverknow.


----------



## brentil

Just bought my Roamio Plus. I'll convert my 2 OG Premieres to be like Minis and just stream from the Roamio until the Premieres die then buy Minis down the road to replace them.

Of note if you used this deal to buy a basic Roamio the PLS for it is $199 and not $99 like the Plus/Pro.



Code:


Order Summary
-------------
Product              Description                                Qty   Item Price     Tax*      Total
S00031               TiVo Package, Product Lifetime             1     $ 99.99        $ 0.00    $ 99.99
R84800               TiVo Roamio Plus                           1     $ 399.99       $ 26.00   $ 425.99

                                                                           --------------------------------
                                                                             Order Sub Total:  $ 499.98
                                                                                    Shipping:  $ 0.00
                                                                                         Tax:  $ 26.00
                                                                                 Order Total:  $ 525.98


----------



## booboy97

Just picked up a Plus on the phone! The CSR was very knowledeable - brought up my account info and saw right away I was a 12 year user (of stand alone) and knew about the 10 year loyalty program. All in all it took 12 minutes.


----------



## biggerfish

It's amazing what you learn on these boards. I've been a lurker forever, but just had to chime in today to say thanks to those that brought this promo to light. I was able to snag a 500.00 plus and a 150.00 mini, both with lifetime service. 

The 150.00 mini is a public promo offer good until January.

Total with sales tax around 700


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## alyssa

oh why, oh why did I look at this thread?

running off to check ebay to see what i can get for my LT premiere xl with an external-----


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## cwteevee

Shot down by two different CSRs. My current HD has only been active 7 years but I had a Series 2 in 2004 which I transferred to someone else. Both CSRs told me that the deal requires at least 10 years of service on a box currently on my account. This seems to contradict others' experience. I don't know if it's luck of the CSR draw or if TiVo is tightening up the requirements.


----------



## eelton

Try calling back again. My second rep saw TiVo(s) from several years earlier that the first had missed. (She still couldn't see my real first TiVo from 2000, but it didn't matter.) Also, those are no longer on my account, but they did count toward the 10 years, so I think you got some bad info.



cwteevee said:


> Shot down by two different CSRs. My current HD has only been active 7 years but I had a Series 2 in 2004 which I transferred to someone else. Both CSRs told me that the deal requires at least 10 years of service on a box currently on my account. This seems to contradict others' experience. I don't know if it's luck of the CSR draw or if TiVo is tightening up the requirements.


----------



## biggerfish

cwteevee said:


> Shot down by two different CSRs. My current HD has only been active 7 years but I had a Series 2 in 2004 which I transferred to someone else...


I had a similar situation, but my history or whether I was qualified for the promotions never came up.

I've been with Tivo since at least 2003, that was a month to month box that died. I replaced it in 2008 with a Premier, then got a 2nd Premier and (a stream I think) in in 2010.

The 2nd premier just died, and I coincidentally cancelled that one's monthly fee last Friday afternoon. I was all set to get the TWC Whole House Thing this week, before I saw this thread today.


----------



## Mike Farrington

Ugh, I didn't know if I should jump on this, or wait for the new 4K-capable TiVos. But in the end, I took the plunge. They asked if I wanted a TiVo Mini for $150, and I said that I'd just buy that on Amazon since it was $130. They countered with an offer of a $55 slide remote for free if I bought the Mini from them, so I jumped on that.


----------



## HarperVision

Mike Farrington said:


> Ugh, I didn't know if I should jump on this, or wait for the new 4K-capable TiVos. But in the end, I took the plunge. They asked if I wanted a TiVo Mini for $150, and I said that I'd just buy that on Amazon since it was $130. They countered with an offer of a $55 slide remote for free if I bought the Mini from them, so I jumped on that.


Geez, I keep seeing these free offers for slide pro remotes, yet I was promised 3 of them free about a year ago to do some "work" for TiVo and have yet to receive them! :-/


----------



## nooneuknow

HarperVision said:


> Geez, I keep seeing these free offers for slide pro remotes, yet I was promised 3 of them free about a year ago to do some "work" for TiVo and have yet to receive them! :-/


<alarm> NDA VIOLATION </alarm>


----------



## tarheelblue32

nooneuknow said:


> <alarm> NDA VIOLATION </alarm>


TiVo violated the contractual agreement first by not paying up.


----------



## HarperVision

nooneuknow said:


> <alarm> NDA VIOLATION </alarm>


Hahahahahahaha...  .....are you serious??? I had no NDA when I was offered these. Get a life man!


----------



## nooneuknow

HarperVision said:


> Hahahahahahaha...  .....are you serious??? I had no NDA when I was offered these. Get a life man!


Just was checking to see how you would respond. Mission accomplished.


----------



## HarperVision

nooneuknow said:


> Just was checking to see how you would respond. Mission accomplished.


I'm sure you were.


----------



## philt56

brentil said:


> Just bought my Roamio Plus. I'll convert my 2 OG Premieres to be like Minis and just stream from the Roamio until the Premieres die then buy Minis down the road to replace them.
> 
> Of note if you used this deal to buy a basic Roamio the PLS for it is $199 and not $99 like the Plus/Pro.
> 
> 
> 
> Code:
> 
> 
> Order Summary
> -------------
> Product              Description                                Qty   Item Price     Tax*      Total
> S00031               TiVo Package, Product Lifetime             1     $ 99.99        $ 0.00    $ 99.99
> R84800               TiVo Roamio Plus                           1     $ 399.99       $ 26.00   $ 425.99
> 
> --------------------------------
> Order Sub Total:  $ 499.98
> Shipping:  $ 0.00
> Tax:  $ 26.00
> Order Total:  $ 525.98


What do you mean about converting premieres to act like minis? How do you do that? Is the cable card no longer needed? Any advantage for one vs the other?

So any original 2tuner premiere can do this.?

Thanks


----------



## HarperVision

philt56 said:


> What do you mean about converting premieres to act like minis? How do you do that? Is the cable card no longer needed? Any advantage for one vs the other? So any original 2tuner premiere can do this.? Thanks


Your premiere can work like a mini because it streams from other premieres and Roamios that you have on your network. If you want to watch live TV that is encrypted then you will still need a cable card but you can do pseudo-live TV if you record on your Roamio and then start the stream on your premiere, so you technically do not have to have a cable card for that premiere. Yes any premiere and above can do it.


----------



## brentil

I hardly ever watch live TV so all I need is a device on other TVs that can stream the content from the main TiVo that has all my recorded shows. Now I can get rid of the CC & SDV devices on those TiVos and since they have OTA tuners I could always hook them up for local free channels if I was really wanting it however I likely wont. 

Also once they get the update early 2015 they'll have the same app support as a Mini for watching internet streaming content. Also since they have storage on them I can locally download various VOD sources to them.

Once they bite the bullet though they'll get replaced with Minis. I'm in no rush to do that as there is already a new Mini coming for 2015 and who knows what other service/hardware/price changes.


----------



## MichaelCoffin

If (like me) you don't qualify for the specials Tivo is offering 10+ year customers but want to upgrade to Roamio, WeaKnees has some good Cyber Monday deals. I just bought two 4TB Roamio Plus units and 5 RF minis. 

http://www.weaknees.com/2014-cyber-monday.php

-MC


----------



## Fofer

Thanks for the great info, all. I took the plunge and am finally upgrading from my TiVo Premiere to a Roamio Plus. Got the loyalty discount on the lifetime service as well as a free Slide remote, for a total of $500. 

I was tempted by the Roamio Pro deal for $200 more but think I will buy a bare hard drive and do the upgrade on my own instead. I'll also (eventually) get a TiVo Mini, probably from Amazon, for $130.


----------



## fred2

Fofer said:


> Thanks for the great info, all. I took the plunge and am finally upgrading from my TiVo Premiere to a Roamio Plus. Got the loyalty discount on the lifetime service as well as a free Slide remote, for a total of $500.
> 
> I was tempted by the Roamio Pro deal for $200 more but think I will buy an upgrade kit from Weaknees instead. I'll also (eventually) get a TiVo Mini, probably from Amazon, for $130.


Did you do this AFTER Nov 30 or just before the suppose time limit for the deal?


----------



## Fofer

fred2 said:


> Did you do this AFTER Nov 30 or just before the suppose time limit for the deal?


I did it this morning, about 45 minutes ago, just before posting about it.


----------



## Legacy679

Just talked to a customer rep and they have extended the 10 year Loyalty program until December 6. So gives some people a few more days. Their system was down though so I couldn't place an order and will have to call back later.


----------



## eskay

How are you guys getting a free slide remote? Was it only used as extra incentive to close on a sale? I ordered a Plus under the Loyalty plan, but was never offered a slide remote nor is it listed on my order.

Side note: My S3 is listed as having an activation date in 2002. The S3 wasn't even out then, but I think I had a PLS transferred from my original Series S2 unit.


----------



## gary712

I ordered a romeo plus under the loyalty program saturday.I wanted 5 mini's also but they would'nt budge under $150. I asked what they could do and he offered me a slide remote no charge.I bought the romeo but not the mini's.


----------



## philt56

Verify but my firend said the rep told him the loyalty deal is now until Jan 6. I thought I heard this afternoon it was Dec 6.


----------



## avmike

Bought another Roamio Pro w/lifetime for $699 today as a gift for my mother with the customer loyalty deal. Same price as the codes on eBay, without having to buy a code. She also threw in a slide remote for free. Pretty good deal.



I was surprised that they charged sales tax, even though I live in Florida (doubt they have a presence here). Don't remember if they did that last time.. 



Sent from my Surface Pro 3 using Tapatalk


----------



## lisaadler

Thanks


----------



## astrohip

I thought I read above this program ended over the weekend, but I called today and it's still alive. Ordered a std Roamio w/lifetime for $400. I want the OTA capabilities. I can finally retire my old S3.

This now gives me 16 active tuners. I *really* gotta get a life.



philt56 said:


> Verify but my firend said the rep told him the loyalty deal is now until Jan 6. I thought I heard this afternoon it was Dec 6.


Whatever it is, it's still going...


----------



## lpwcomp

astrohip said:


> I thought I read above this program ended over the weekend, but I called today and it's still alive. Ordered a std Roamio w/lifetime for $400. I want the OTA capabilities. I can finally retire my old S3.
> 
> This now gives me 16 active tuners. I *really* gotta get a life.:rolleyes


I'm jealous. I only have 14 (plus a Series 2 connected to a cable box).

BTW, if you find a source for a life, let me know. I could probably use one also.


----------



## fred2

astrohip said:


> I thought I read above this program ended over the weekend, but I called today and it's still alive. Ordered a std Roamio w/lifetime for $400. I want the OTA capabilities. I can finally retire my old S3.
> 
> This now gives me 16 active tuners. I *really* gotta get a life.
> 
> Whatever it is, it's still going...


On the line with csr. I'm apparently short about a year but no one knows. My account dates are wrong. It shows I got the S3 a year before I got the S2. Not possible. I had it at least two years earlier and moved lifetime from the 2 to the 3.

He is checking with a supervisor. Otherwise he suggested I wait as there might be another offer like this in a few months.

Still on hold....

Alas, NOPE!


----------



## sushikitten

I'm debating selling an S3 lifetime and Premiere lifetime in order to grab this offer.

I chatted with a tivo rep last night and he said that the deal was good through the end of the year. So take December 6 with a grain of salt.


----------



## abeagler

Been with TiVo for over 12 years, but couldn't get the loyalty discount because I gave away our S2 when we upgraded to the HD, so my account only officially goes back to 2006. It's a perverse definition of loyalty on their part, but the CSR couldn't budge on it.


----------



## Bars & Tone

abeagler said:


> Been with TiVo for over 12 years, but couldn't get the loyalty discount because I gave away our S2 when we upgraded to the HD, so my account only officially goes back to 2006. It's a perverse definition of loyalty on their part, but the CSR couldn't budge on it.


Maybe you need to play some more CSR Roulette.

I qualified for the deal and while I was chatting with the CSR I specifically asked, "What if I had given away my original S2? Would that have disqualified me for the deal?" Her reply was a somewhat cryptic, "Not necessarily."
I probably should have asked what that meant, but I'm afraid that I didn't. Sorry.


----------



## Fofer

Yeah, definitely call again. My CSR wasn't strict at all. Very friendly, actually. Presented all the options and gave informed advice about which device/promo would be best for me.

I've been a TiVo customer since 2000 but have none of my old equipment still active. I bought lifetime for all of them. As far as replaced equipment went, I either sold it, gave it away or put it in the junk pile. I only have a few-years-old Premiere and Stream in service at this time. Looking at my "active devices" on tivo.com I see an older S3 that's no longer mine, but even counting that, the furthest date back it "proves" is 2007. 

But the "10 year requirement" we're assuming here never came up in the conversation. So either my consistent account history (original creation date) spoke for itself, or this CSR didn't really care and gave me the promo/deal. Or maybe his screen was showing more devices than tivo.com was showing me...

Either way, call in and get a new CSR. Be persistent. You'll get it! And it's a worth it, a good enough deal to fight a little bit for


----------



## MapleLeaf

abeagler said:


> Been with TiVo for over 12 years, but couldn't get the loyalty discount because I gave away our S2 when we upgraded to the HD, so my account only officially goes back to 2006. It's a perverse definition of loyalty on their part, but the CSR couldn't budge on it.


Did you try looking in the "Billing History" section of your account on tivo.com? You should see a drop-down there which should list all the Tivo units for which you've ever subscribed service, even ones that you've long since abandoned or have transferred ownership. I had an S2 from 2003 that the CSR was initially unable to find in my account on his end, likely because I had transferred its ownership to someone else many years ago. But I was able to locate it by going into my account's Billing History on tivo.com. I noted the TSN, passed it along to the CSR, and he was then able to look up the unit by TSN and confirm that I had indeed subscribed the unit for service in 2003 and was therefore eligible for the 10-year loyalty promotion.


----------



## sushikitten

You can't trust your billing history. I looked mine up and the earliest that was listed there was 2004 and I know we've had service earlier than that.


----------



## cwteevee

Two more CSRs, two more strikeoutsl

The first said that the loyalty promo expired. The second said I didn't have the 10 years since my old box wasn't showing on my account.

She asked me how my HD was doing and said if it failed (and confirmed by tech support) I could get a Premiere 500 with PLS for $350.


----------



## abeagler

MapleLeaf said:


> Did you try looking in the "Billing History" section of your account on tivo.com? You should see a drop-down there which should list all the Tivo units for which you've ever subscribed service, even ones that you've long since abandoned or have transferred ownership.


I did check there; unfortunately, my old S2 - which I have long since given away in a yard sale - is not there.

I may try calling again tomorrow.


----------



## astrohip

astrohip said:


> This now gives me 16 active tuners. I *really* gotta get a life.
> 
> 
> lpwcomp said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm jealous. I only have 14 (plus a Series 2 connected to a cable box).
Click to expand...

Well, in all fairness, when the new OTA Roamio arrives, I'm going to disconnect the S3, and that will drop me down to 14 again.

I'll find a way to live with that...


----------



## sushikitten

I tried to chat with CSR to see if they could confirm my status and they were useless. They just said "You have to call."


----------



## HerronScott

fred2 said:


> On the line with csr. I'm apparently short about a year but no one knows. My account dates are wrong. It shows I got the S3 a year before I got the S2. Not possible. I had it at least two years earlier and moved lifetime from the 2 to the 3.
> 
> He is checking with a supervisor. Otherwise he suggested I wait as there might be another offer like this in a few months.
> 
> Still on hold....
> 
> Alas, NOPE!


When TiVo had the lifetime transfer option for the S3's in late 2006/2007, they actually did a transfer on the backend so your S3 will show the activation date of the TiVo you transferred it from. My S3's now show activation dates in 2000 and 2002.  They gave the TiVo that you transferred from 1 year of free service so those show an activation date based on the transfer date.

I am surprised that they would have had the initial/transferred activation date on your S2 wrong.

Scott


----------



## fred2

HerronScott said:


> When TiVo had the lifetime transfer option for the S3's in late 2006/2007, they actually did a transfer on the backend so your S3 will show the activation date of the TiVo you transferred it from. My S3's now show activation dates in 2000 and 2002.  They gave the TiVo that you transferred from 1 year of free service so those show an activation date based on the transfer date.
> 
> I am surprised that they would have had the initial/transferred activation date on your S2 wrong.
> 
> Scott


He claimed he did some digging and I was still short of the 10 years necessary for this offer. I might do some digging myself and see if I can find any info in my dusty archives! Although turning up 10 year old receipts is unlikely.


----------



## kylem4711

ive only been with TiVo for four years, so I definitely do not qualify. I haven't read through all of the comments, so sorry, but has anyone successfully received the discount by purchasing an old tivo and saying that you took it off of the account? or buying and old tivo and then activating it so see what they say?

just trying to think of someway to be able to get the deal. Theres no way I am in the place to spend 800 for the plus with lifetime


----------



## mustang_52

I have an old Sony tivo that I had a lifetime on but haven't used it in years. I assume you have to have had it active for ten years correct?


----------



## Fofer

No, I certainly don't. I've had 5 or 6 TiVos over the years, each new one replacing the old, none continuously active all this time, and I was eligible...


----------



## alarson83

HerronScott said:


> When TiVo had the lifetime transfer option for the S3's in late 2006/2007, they actually did a transfer on the backend so your S3 will show the activation date of the TiVo you transferred it from. My S3's now show activation dates in 2000 and 2002.  They gave the TiVo that you transferred from 1 year of free service so those show an activation date based on the transfer date.
> 
> I am surprised that they would have had the initial/transferred activation date on your S2 wrong.
> 
> Scott


Thats similar to what my Roamio shows. I was able to transfer my service (at $6 a month, which is pretty damn nice) to my Roamio, so it now says that my roamio was activated in 2009.


----------



## HarperVision

kylem4711 said:


> ive only been with TiVo for four years, so I definitely do not qualify. I haven't read through all of the comments, so sorry, but has anyone successfully received the discount by purchasing an old tivo and saying that you took it off of the account? or buying and old tivo and then activating it so see what they say? just trying to think of someway to be able to get the deal. Theres no way I am in the place to spend 800 for the plus with lifetime


Find someone on here that qualifies but isn't going to use the deal and throw them a few bucks to be your middleman for the purchase, or buy a code from Spherular on eBay.


----------



## WVZR1

mustang_52 said:


> I have an old Sony tivo that I had a lifetime on but haven't used it in years. I assume you have to have had it active for ten years correct?


Does it still show in your account? If it shows in your account I'd think you're good to go. I have a Philips 20 HR that's not been connected for many years but is still displayed in my "active TiVo devices" with a 2001 activation date.

I believe if you purchased a "lifetime" machine from a "user" and if it were properly deactivated by the seller and then "activated" by the buyer the activation date would now be your "initial service" date.

I've considered selling my Philips 20HR for just that reason. The catch could be is that I believe it would need to be connected to TiVo at least once to be "seen" and it requires a telephony connection. I'd consider a sale inexpensively if someone were interested.


----------



## Fofer

I've had at least one TiVo in use since 2000. And yet none of those old TiVos show on my account, anywhere I'm able to see online at least. The oldest I see listed there is from 2007. And yet I was still eligible for this deal.


----------



## alarson83

kylem4711 said:


> ive only been with TiVo for four years, so I definitely do not qualify. I haven't read through all of the comments, so sorry, but has anyone successfully received the discount by purchasing an old tivo and saying that you took it off of the account? or buying and old tivo and then activating it so see what they say?
> 
> just trying to think of someway to be able to get the deal. Theres no way I am in the place to spend 800 for the plus with lifetime


Yeah, im in the same boat. Ive actually been a tivo user for 10 years as my roommate in college had the account, and not long after moving to my own place i decided i needed one of my own, ive just not had my own account for 10 years.


----------



## kettledrum

HarperVision said:


> Find someone on here that qualifies but isn't going to use the deal and throw them a few bucks to be your middleman for the purchase, or buy a code from Spherular on eBay.


Is each person only allowed to buy one with this offer? I bought one over the weekend, and have been thinking about a 2nd...


----------



## DrewTivo

Just placed an order for a Plus, getting the pricing noted above ($399 product, $99 lifetime, plus tax).

Asked about deadline for deal (for inlaws) and she said she believes January 6. She wasn't certain, but also didn't tell me only until December 6.


----------



## sushikitten

Well they just told me I don't qualify since I'm at 7 years. So obviously they didn't keep/don't have records beyond that. And obviously I don't still have the original Tivo... 

That said, I will be trying again. BUT, question. On my Account is a Tivo listed with an activation date of 2002. I think this is one that I bought from someone else, but would they know that? Shouldn't that count?


----------



## Ensign Eddie

I assume that old DirecTV Tivos don't count towards the years of service (since all that time we were paying DirecTV instead of Tivo). Is this correct?

Since I've only had an actual Tivo (TivoHD) since 2009, what is the best deal out there for those of us under the 10 year limit?


----------



## sushikitten

Well, the second rep I got didn't even hesitate and said it was no problem to sell me a Tivo. I didn't want to poke the bear and ask why the other agent said no...so now I have a Roamio Plus coming Monday. WOOT!


----------



## mustang_52

Mine account is showing under active a lifetime TiVo since 2000. When I chatted with a rep they denied me because I had to be active. Doesn't make sense but it hasn't been plugged in for many years yet it shows active.


----------



## sushikitten

And crap. I forgot to ask about the slide remote. Having to call back a second time threw me off.


----------



## tarheelblue32

mustang_52 said:


> Mine account is showing under active a lifetime TiVo since 2000. When I chatted with a rep they denied me because I had to be active. Doesn't make sense but it hasn't been plugged in for many years yet it shows active.


Call back and try again.


----------



## cwteevee

Woo hoo, the fifth time is the charm. Told the CSR I was interested in the loyalty promo. She confirmed the 10-year loyalty offer and said as a TiVo client of 7 years I qualified. I didn't even have to mention my transferred box nor did she have to ask a supervisor. Got my order in for the Plus coming Tuesday.


----------



## OC7

My ten year anniversary is six weeks from now (middle of January). Tried to get the 10 year loyalty deal and was told to call back in six weeks. The CSR said the offer is good until the end of January. Seems like the end date is a moving target.


----------



## Fofer

OC7 said:


> My ten year anniversary is six weeks from now (middle of January). Tried to get the 10 year loyalty deal and was told to call back in six weeks. The CSR said the offer is good until the end of January. Seems like the end date is a moving target.


Seems like eligibility is a moving target, too. Folks who _haven't_ been customers for 10 years are getting it. Folks who have been 10 year customers but have no way of proving it (having new/replaced equipment, etc.) are getting it too.

I'd call and get another CSR if I were you. Wait six weeks? That's just silly.


----------



## tivotvaddict

I'm going to try to grab this. Most seem to be getting the plus rather than the pro - is it just price or is the premiere not eligible?


----------



## lpwcomp

tivotvaddict said:


> I'm going to try to grab this. Most seem to be getting the plus rather than the pro - is it just price or is the premiere not eligible?


I would assume price. It's less expensive to buy a Plus and R&R the drive than buying a Pro.


----------



## Fofer

If someone doesn't want to do the upgrade themselves though, and wants to keep their TiVo box and warranty intact though, without any questions/concerns about it, then the Pro is still a good option. Yes, my CSR said that one was eligible too for this promo. The box was $200 more, but lifetime service would still be the discounted $99.

I went for the Plus and will upgrade the drive myself. I'll be spending about $150 for the drive but it'll be 4 TB (the Pro is "only" 3 TB.)


----------



## abeagler

Trying CSR roulette, on hold right now. Pointed out that the last note in my billing history from 2006 indicates that it was, at the time, a low-price hardware upgrade, so clearly I had a previous model from which I upgraded. But, they have no record of that model. She says she's going to dig around, so we'll see what she has to say...

...

Still on hold; nice that she's trying, but she cannot find anything in my account on the model from which I upgraded. Sigh. Not optimistic, but at least she's looking into it more than did yesterday's CSR

...

Oh wow, says she's tracked down the store where previous unit was bought, and thinks she has the evidence to get it approved, but needs to consult with a supervisor for approval. Amazing how hard they're policing this deal.

...

Rats, no go. Says she and her supervisor simply cannot get the system to recognize how long I've been with them in order to make the deal available. Sigh.


----------



## Fofer

This seems absurd to me. Try another CSR. Mine acknowledged there was nowhere he could verify my introduction/assertion that I've been a TiVo customer since 2000, but also spent no time "checking" at all.


----------



## abeagler

I'm really frustrated at this point. That call had over 40 minutes on hold, and despite having the CSR acknowledge that I should qualify for it, I end up shot down. I've been a big fan of TiVo for a long time, but it ticks me off to have to do this much work because their records are incomplete.


----------



## JacksonM404

Dang, I just bought my Roamio Pro end of October and activated on 1 Nov. I have an old Series 2 that I won back in 2002 with lifetime service that is still showing on my account. I disposed of it in 2010 though. Had I seen the loyalty deal, I might have been able to pay $700 vs the $500 and had lifetime service! Right now, I am opting to do the $14.99 a month but may switch to the yearly. It'd be nice if they gave the $99 lifetime loyalty regardless of where you bought it!


----------



## kylem4711

HarperVision said:


> Find someone on here that qualifies but isn't going to use the deal and throw them a few bucks to be your middleman for the purchase, or buy a code from Spherular on eBay.


I tried to message 2 people on here asking this very thing, but it probably just creeped them out because a random person asked them to be a middle man. cant say i blame them... haha

Would anyone that is not going to use their deal be willing to help me out? As harper said, i would be wiling to throw a few dollars your way.

:up:


----------



## mustang_52

I just called and got the deal. Yay


----------



## SteveD

Ensign Eddie said:


> I assume that old DirecTV Tivos don't count towards the years of service (since all that time we were paying DirecTV instead of Tivo). Is this correct?
> 
> Since I've only had an actual Tivo (TivoHD) since 2009, what is the best deal out there for those of us under the 10 year limit?


I bought my first Tivo (Premiere) in 2010, but had a DirecTivo (HDVR2) since 2002. They somehow were able to "see it" on my account and I was able to get the deal.

You may want to give it a try.


----------



## MarkNH

Does anyone know if I need to buy the Plus from Tivo to get the $99 lifetime veteran bonus?

I doubt it but wanted to clarify if someone had asked


----------



## wedenton

kettledrum said:


> Is each person only allowed to buy one with this offer? I bought one over the weekend, and have been thinking about a 2nd...


Just ordered yesterday and asked this question. Rep said he didn't see anything that would preclude another purchase later. He confirmed that deal ends Jan 6 2015.


----------



## ThAbtO

MarkNH said:


> Does anyone know if I need to buy the Plus from Tivo to get the $99 lifetime veteran bonus?
> 
> I doubt it but wanted to clarify if someone had asked


Yes, it seems you have to call and they can verify you are at least 10 yr Tivo subscriber to qualify, then you order from Tivo.


----------



## tivotvaddict

I went ahead and ordered, I am super excited! Can't wait for it to arrive! Was able to get the slide remote thrown in as well. Hope I like it. 

tta


----------



## Fofer

My package from TiVo was delivered, and the TiVo Roamio is here, but they didn't ship the Slide Remote the CSR said he'd include. It's not listed on the order confirmation, either. Sigh.

So now I need to call and see what's up with that...


----------



## ThAbtO

Fofer said:


> My package from TiVo was delivered, and the TiVo Roamio is here, but they didn't ship the Slide Remote the CSR said he'd include. It's not listed on the order confirmation, either. Sigh.
> 
> So now I need to call and see what's up with that...


Log into your Tivo.com account and check the Order History.


----------



## delgadobb

Fofer said:


> My package from TiVo was delivered, and the TiVo Roamio is here, but they didn't ship the Slide Remote the CSR said he'd include. It's not listed on the order confirmation, either. Sigh.
> 
> So now I need to call and see what's up with that...


Don't panic.

As ThAbtO mentioned, log in to your Tivo.com account. When I spoke to the CSR for my order, he mentioned they had to send the Slide Remote as a separate order. That's the way it shows up in my account. Being proactive, I asked for his name & a confirmation # in case there were any problems. Thankfully, I didn't need it, but wanted to be covered just in case. If for some reason your slide remote order doesn't show in your account, make a follow-up call with as much info as you have from the initial order.

My Slide Remote showed up in a padded mailer; the Roamio Plus on a different day in a large box. Both were shipped (in my case) from a fulfillment center in Fort Worth, TX.

Hope this helps & best of luck.


----------



## Fofer

ThAbtO said:


> Log into your Tivo.com account and check the Order History.


It's not listed there. :-/



delgadobb said:


> Don't panic.
> 
> As ThAbtO mentioned, log in to your Tivo.com account. When I spoke to the CSR for my order, he mentioned they had to send the Slide Remote as a separate order. That's the way it shows up in my account. Being proactive, I asked for his name & a confirmation # in case there were any problems. Thankfully, I didn't need it, but wanted to be covered just in case. If for some reason your slide remote order doesn't show in your account, make a follow-up call with as much info as you have from the initial order.
> 
> My Slide Remote showed up in a padded mailer; the Roamio Plus on a different day in a large box. Both were shipped (in my case) from a fulfillment center in Fort Worth, TX.
> 
> Hope this helps & best of luck.


Thanks for the advice and words of wisdom. I just got off with a TiVo CSR and he was able to confirm that the order should have included it, he (thankfully) saw the order on his system, but that for some reason, it didn't get included and didn't ship. The CSR I placed the order with initially must have forgotten or made some kind of mistake.

So the best he could do was place a new order for the Slide Remote, I had to give my credit card number to "purchase" it, but he said within 7-14 days that charge would be credited right back, to the Slide Remote would still end up being free. That's good enough for me.

Thanks again, all.


----------



## pfiagra

I called and had success on my first try. The weird thing was that the CSR stated that my history shows I have been a tivo owner for 12 years and 2 months so I qualified. However, I only activated my first tivo (series 2 dual tuner) in January 2007, which is why I was gearing up to play CSR roulette. I have purchased three other used lifetime tivos off of eBay that I've given to other family members. Two are still on my account, but they don't show any earlier original activation dates.

Also asked about getting a slide remote thrown in for free and there was no hesitation from the CSR in agreeing to this. (FYI - the CSR gave me a separate order number for the free remote, so make sure you get this to avoid Fofer's issue)


----------



## takeagabu

I have been a member for 9 years and 9 months. I have 2 questions:
1) Are they strict about the 10 years?
2) Is this promo going to go away anytime in the next 3 months?


----------



## Wil

takeagabu said:


> I have been a member for 9 years and 9 months.


You're likely to run into trouble, but CSR Roulette is the appropriate tactic. Try to POLITELY but quickly end a fruitless conversation, you don't want notes added to your account that may negatively affect your next try.

Sometimes strict timing, sometimes not. The deadline has been extended in the past but we don't know about the supposedly current deadline of 1/6/2015.


----------



## Marc

I called this afternoon. The guy with whom I spoke noted that I was close to ten years and was going to seek out approval from his supervisor, but then I pointed out that the earliest TiVo on my account is dated from 2000, so once he found that, he was able to process the order for two Roamio Plus units at the sale price.

It's great timing for us since one of our TiVo HDs just recently died. I thought it was the hard drive, so I replaced it, but it's still failing, so it's something else beyond my repair capabilities.


----------



## sushikitten

Has anyone called back after the fact of the initial order and ask for the slide remote?


----------



## archangelsfv

Wil said:


> takeagabu said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have been a member for 9 years and 9 months. I have 2 questions:
> 1) Are they strict about the 10 years?
> 2) Is this promo going to go away anytime in the next 3 months?
> 
> 
> 
> You're likely to run into trouble, but CSR Roulette is the appropriate tactic. Try to POLITELY but quickly end a fruitless conversation, you don't want notes added to your account that may negatively affect your next try.
> 
> Sometimes strict timing, sometimes not. The deadline has been extended in the past but we don't know about the supposedly current deadline of 1/6/2015.
Click to expand...

I'm also at 9 years, 9 months and was originally told I would qualify. When I called back later to accept, the [email protected]#$% CSR said I "absolutely was _not_" qualified for the promotion. She also claimed to have consulted her supervisor, though she never left the line with me, so it must have been through telepathy.

So, as others have said, YMMV.


----------



## eelton

Yes, and they sent it to me. I had ordered the Roamio 2 days earlier via the 10-year loyalty program.



sushikitten said:


> Has anyone called back after the fact of the initial order and ask for the slide remote?


----------



## sushikitten

eelton said:


> Yes, and they sent it to me. I had ordered the Roamio 2 days earlier via the 10-year loyalty program.


Awesome. Thanks! I'll try!


----------



## Fofer

eelton said:


> Yes, and they sent it to me. I had ordered the Roamio 2 days earlier via the 10-year loyalty program.


And there was no "charge followed by a refund" later? It was just... "free?"

I wonder why mine was handled so... differently. Sheesh. Oh well, so long as I do get the refund before the credit card bill is due, I won't really worry about it.

CSR Roulette is indeed alive and well at TiVo, Inc. :-/


----------



## rucheridee

HarperVision said:


> Your premiere can work like a mini because it streams from other premieres and Roamios that you have on your network. If you want to watch live TV that is encrypted then you will still need a cable card but you can do pseudo-live TV if you record on your Roamio and then start the stream on your premiere, so you technically do not have to have a cable card for that premiere. Yes any premiere and above can do it.


If I can get a new Roamio basic (cheaper or same price as the mini without any subs attached) and use it as you stated above, will I still need to activate the Roamio basic in order to use it? I really need a mini for one TV that I use in the morning to listen to the Today show as I get ready for work. My roamio plus already records it daily so if I need to rewind a segment I can. So I just need to tap into that recorded show on the plus. If I have to spend the same amount as a mini, at least I'll have extra features that I may want to use in the future or get lifetime on it years down the road on some promo. But now I just need pseudo-live TV!


----------



## ThAbtO

The Mini now comes with free lifetime.


----------



## rucheridee

ThAbtO said:


> The Mini now comes with free lifetime.


Yes I know but I use that tv for like 1 hour each morning. So if down the road I have a need to use OTA or another real DVR, I have it. It was less than a mini just a few days ago, but didn't know I could use it like a mini - which is what I'm still trying to find out. If I have to activate it, then it's out & back to looking for mini deals.


----------



## HarperVision

rucheridee said:


> If I can get a new Roamio basic (cheaper or same price as the mini without any subs attached) and use it as you stated above, will I still need to activate the Roamio basic in order to use it? I really need a mini for one TV that I use in the morning to listen to the Today show as I get ready for work. My roamio plus already records it daily so if I need to rewind a segment I can. So I just need to tap into that recorded show on the plus. If I have to spend the same amount as a mini, at least I'll have extra features that I may want to use in the future or get lifetime on it years down the road on some promo. But now I just need pseudo-live TV!


Yes your new Roamio (or premiere) would have to be activated in order for it to be seen by your plus. Getting a mini now while lifetime is included is your best bet.


----------



## hummingbird_206

Called today and ordered the Roamio Plus for $399 + $99 lifetime. I asked about the free slide remote and the CSR said no freebie for me. I'll try calling back later to see if I can get the free remote. I also asked how long the promo would last and was told 'early January'.


----------



## sushikitten

No luck with two reps about the free slide remote. The first told me it was only to be offered to try and make the sale once someone had said no to the purchase. The second rep said it had nothing to do with the loyalty program and was only a holiday offer for someone who had bought the tivo through Amazon. 

Two reps, two different stories, no remote. I'm debating trying again. I hate making calls like this.


----------



## hummingbird_206

sushikitten said:


> No luck with two reps about the free slide remote. The first told me it was only to be offered to try and make the sale once someone had said no to the purchase. The second rep said it had nothing to do with the loyalty program and was only a holiday offer for someone who had bought the tivo through Amazon.
> 
> Two reps, two different stories, no remote. I'm debating trying again. I hate making calls like this.


Thanks for posting the info. That's enough for me. I'm not going to call again for a $50 remote because I hate making calls like this, too.


----------



## OC7

takeagabu said:


> I have been a member for 9 years and 9 months. I have 2 questions:
> 1) Are they strict about the 10 years?
> 2) Is this promo going to go away anytime in the next 3 months?


1) I finally got the deal on the third attempt. I've been a member for 9 years and 10+ months. All 3 CSRs initially said that I didn't qualify. The second CSR said that there was no way they could do an override. The third CSR went and got supervisor approval after some minor nudging. In your case, its worth giving it a try.

2) Two CSRs told me the deal ends Jan 6 and another said end of January - other people were told Nov. 30, Dec. 6, and end of Dec., so its hard to say for sure. Maybe the loyalty deal ends with other Tivo holiday deals or maybe its more open-ended.


----------



## nooneuknow

Even if TiVo planned to terminate an offer in a few months (or didn't have an end in mind yet), by saying it ends something closer to "sooner", rather than "later" will drive more to make the purchase, hoping not to miss out.

How many people will take such an offer, then return and cancel service, just because TiVo kept offering it longer?

I could see a few moans, from those who were credit crunched, and would have fared better with a later purchase. But, that's all I see happening, based on my finger being on the pulse of what TiVo users are moaning about.


----------



## kylem4711

Still looking for someone to help me get the deal.  anyone?? haha


----------



## biggerfish

Just a heads up - I just installed a new Roamio and a Mini - however the Roamio is missing some channels, waiting for Time Warner Cable to roll out updated firmware for my Tuning Adapter. So now I don't get a lot of channels I pay for.

Love the Roamio & Mini, but hate the TA part of it.


----------



## tarheelblue32

biggerfish said:


> Just a heads up - I just installed a new Roamio and a Mini - however the Roamio is missing some channels, waiting for Time Warner Cable to roll out updated firmware for my Tuning Adapter. So now I don't get a lot of channels I pay for.
> 
> Love the Roamio & Mini, but hate the TA part of it.


If you call and bug TWC, they will probably give you a statement credit for the channels you are unable to receive until their TA firmware issues are resolved.


----------



## Fofer

I've luckily avoided needing the Tuning Adapter, pretty sure it's just for a handful of channels I don't watch anyway. I got one from TWC but I don't have it hooked up. I'm fearful for the day that changes, and I need it for a channel I actually watch...


----------



## bobdec01

After reading all the posts about the 10 yr loyalty $99 PLS deal, I'm making the assumption that the $50/$75/$100 off Roamio special offers do not apply with the $99 PLS.


----------



## confinoj

Is there any official documentation about the 10 year loyalty deal that spells out the details? I had a series 2 for many years I got in 2002. My in laws used it for a while when I switched to a cable DVR and now it's not in use. I have had a tivo HD (monthly plan) for 1.5 years and thinking about upgrading to Roamio basic plus Mini. Is it worth calling to ask about deal or don't bother?


----------



## tarheelblue32

confinoj said:


> Is there any official documentation about the 10 year loyalty deal that spells out the details? I had a series 2 for many years I got in 2002. My in laws used it for a while when I switched to a cable DVR and now it's not in use. I have had a tivo HD (monthly plan) for 1.5 years and thinking about upgrading to Roamio basic plus Mini. Is it worth calling to ask about deal or don't bother?


No official documentation. It's worth it to call and ask.


----------



## kylem4711

confinoj said:


> Is there any official documentation about the 10 year loyalty deal that spells out the details? I had a series 2 for many years I got in 2002. My in laws used it for a while when I switched to a cable DVR and now it's not in use. I have had a tivo HD (monthly plan) for 1.5 years and thinking about upgrading to Roamio basic plus Mini. Is it worth calling to ask about deal or don't bother?


for what its worth, when I called, the CSR said that this deal is for someone that has a box that was activated 10 years ago that is currently on their account. Since I have only been with TiVo for four years though, the CSR laughed at my attempts to get this deal....


----------



## confinoj

kylem4711 said:


> for what its worth, when I called, the CSR said that this deal is for someone that has a box that was activated 10 years ago that is currently on their account. Since I have only been with TiVo for four years though, the CSR laughed at my attempts to get this deal....


I wonder if it's worth re-activating my old series 2 before calling?


----------



## tarheelblue32

confinoj said:


> I wonder if it's worth re-activating my old series 2 before calling?


If you still have it, the CSR should be able to look it up by TSN and verify it was purchased over 10 years ago even if it is not currently active.


----------



## confinoj

tarheelblue32 said:


> If you still have it, the CSR should be able to look it up by TSN and verify it was purchased over 10 years ago even if it is not currently active.


I was just wondering if having it active on the account when I call would help get the deal. I know no one really knows though.


----------



## Marc

You can log into your account at tivo.com and verify the ages of the TiVos currently listed on your account. If you have one activated before December 2004, you should be fine.


----------



## confinoj

Marc said:


> You can log into your account at tivo.com and verify the ages of the TiVos currently listed on your account. If you have one activated before December 2004, you should be fine.


It's not listed on my account that's why I was wondering if I should re-activate before trying to get the deal.


----------



## tarheelblue32

confinoj said:


> It's not listed on my account that's why I was wondering if I should re-activate before trying to get the deal.


You're overthinking this. Just call and ask for it and you'll probably get it. If they don't see the unit on your account, give them the TSN and ask them to look it up that way. If they say no then you can always try reactivating the old unit and call again.


----------



## lpwcomp

confinoj said:


> It's not listed on my account that's why I was wondering if I should re-activate before trying to get the deal.


I doubt that will do any good. You won't get the original activation date back.


----------



## confinoj

tarheelblue32 said:


> You're overthinking this. Just call and ask for it and you'll probably get it. If they don't see the unit on your account, give them the TSN and ask them to look it up that way. If they say no then you can always try reactivating the old unit and call again.


Ok. Will try to find it. I think it's at my in laws. I'll report back when I call.


----------



## Fofer

bobdec01 said:


> After reading all the posts about the 10 yr loyalty $99 PLS deal, I'm making the assumption that the $50/$75/$100 off Roamio special offers do not apply with the $99 PLS.


That's correct. It's either/or. After discussing the $99 PLS deal with a TiVo CSR, he said there was a totally separate deal I might consider, and it was that one. We both agreed the $99 PLS deal, on top of a normally-priced Roamio, was the better one. So I went for that one.



kylem4711 said:


> for what its worth, when I called, the CSR said that this deal is for someone that has a box that was activated 10 years ago that is currently on their account. Since I have only been with TiVo for four years though, the CSR laughed at my attempts to get this deal....


For what it's worth I certainly do not have a box activated 10 years ago still set up, or even listed on my account. I sold them all years ago, and even went to great pains a few years back to get a Series 3 I'd sold on eBay *off* my account (since it would always show up when I logged in to schedule recordings. The new owner hadn't taken the time to register it on her own tivo.com account.) Perhaps the internal system at TiVo shows something different to satisfy the requirements, I'm not sure. But regardless, I'm only able to assert that I've been a customer for more than 10 years... and I've certainly not had any one box active all that time.

So all my account shows is the current TiVo devices I have, all less than 3-4 years old, and I did qualify for the PLS discount. Yes, I've been a customer of TiVo since 2000, but I have sold off every piece of equipment and removed them from my account, and only have the current gear.


----------



## tivotvaddict

Tivo Roamio Pro arrived today!! :up: No slide remote despite promise. :down:


----------



## lpwcomp

tivotvaddict said:


> No slide remote despite promise. :down:


Might it be shipped separately?


----------



## tivotvaddict

lpwcomp said:


> Might it be shipped separately?


I'm hoping so!


----------



## Fofer

You'll know for sure if you login at tivo.com and look at your "order history."


----------



## kokishin

tivotvaddict said:


> Tivo Roamio Pro arrived today!! :up: No slide remote despite promise. :down:


Slide Remote is shipped separately.


----------



## pfiagra

Does anyone know how long before a phone order shows up on the online account? I placed the order on Saturday, and was thinking it might show up on my tivo.com account today. I still haven't received a confirmation email either. I guess I'll call tivo tomorrow.


----------



## Fofer

kokishin said:


> Slide Remote is shipped separately.


That is, if your CSR didn't make a mistake and forget to add it to your order, like mine did.


----------



## Marc

pfiagra said:


> Does anyone know how long before a phone order shows up on the online account? I placed the order on Saturday, and was thinking it might show up on my tivo.com account today. I still haven't received a confirmation email either. I guess I'll call tivo tomorrow.


I received the confirmation email shortly after placing the order. It was listed in my Order History on the TiVo web site then, too.


----------



## zundian

So Spherular's codes... It's not just $49 for lifetime service, right? (I just woke up, forgive me)


----------



## Robin

Has anyone had luck calling back after ordering and getting the slide remote?

I told my dad about this deal (I already have a Roamio and have no use for a second) and he got it but I forgot to tell him to ask about the remote. Is it worth telling him to call back?


----------



## Fofer

zundian said:


> So Spherular's codes...


Huh?


----------



## shiffrin

Marc said:


> You can log into your account at tivo.com and verify the ages of the TiVos currently listed on your account. If you have one activated before December 2004, you should be fine.


Unfortunately a lot of the early history for Tivo customers is missing or incorrect. My online record is missing many of my earliest Tivo units and some of the activation dates made no sense. They were able to find something eventually that proved my 10+ year history and I got the deal.

If your online history proves 10 or more years you'll be fine. If not, try to get some additional info on older units and they might be able to find something.


----------



## Fofer

Robin said:


> Has anyone had luck calling back after ordering and getting the slide remote?


I did, but apparently that's because my original CSR made some note of it (even though he didn't follow through and _complete_ the order.)

I have no idea if my 2nd call would have been as successful if he'd left no note of it.

I'd say it's worth a shot to call and ask. Certainly couldn't hurt to try and would only take a few minutes. It's a ~$50 freebie, and is a very good remote.


----------



## Robin

I emailed to let him know. Don't know if he will or not. I hope he does and gives it to me.


----------



## confinoj

confinoj said:


> Ok. Will try to find it. I think it's at my in laws. I'll report back when I call.


So it turns out my series 2 account was still active just under my father in laws name (I had changed it in the past). Put it back in my name and I am eligible for the loyalty discount. They said however that for the basic roamio it's less of a discount, $200 for lifetime, so $400 for the roamio in addition to the mini. Still pricey for the limited upgrade for my use. I'll think about it and discuss with my wife (the ultimate deciding factor).


----------



## SeanC

Well this was just too good a deal to pass up, so I guess my Christmas present to myself is a new Romio Pro.


----------



## tarheelblue32

confinoj said:


> So it turns out my series 2 account was still active just under my father in laws name (I had changed it in the past). Put it back in my name and I am eligible for the loyalty discount. They said however that for the basic roamio it's less of a discount, $200 for lifetime, so $400 for the roamio in addition to the mini. Still pricey for the limited upgrade for my use. I'll think about it and discuss with my wife (the ultimate deciding factor).


$400 for a Roamio w/lifetime is still a very good deal considering that the standard price for lifetime service alone is $500. Just FYI, since all Minis can be activated with lifetime service for free, it is cheaper to buy the Minis from other retailers besides TiVo. Some people were getting them for around $100 from Radio Shack just a few days ago.


----------



## confinoj

tarheelblue32 said:


> $400 for a Roamio w/lifetime is still a very good deal considering that the standard price for lifetime service alone is $500. Just FYI, since all Minis can be activated with lifetime service for free, it is cheaper to buy the Minis from other retailers besides TiVo. Some people were getting them for around $100 from Radio Shack just a few days ago.


Ya. Still temping. Highly considering it. I'm assuming it will have good resale value with the lifetime activation if something changes and I move to a different setup. I wonder if it's worth waiting for January to add the Mini with all the rumors of a new one.


----------



## tarheelblue32

confinoj said:


> Ya. Still temping. Highly considering it. I'm assuming it will have good resale value with the lifetime activation if something changes and I move to a different setup. I wonder if it's worth waiting for January to add the Mini with all the rumors of a new one.


Yes, the resale value on used TiVos w/lifetime service is good. If you took the deal and later decided you didn't want it, you would probably be able to resell it on ebay for as much (or more) than you paid for it.

As far as the Minis, it's hard to say for sure. But the most likely change will just be that they will come with the Roamio's RF remote rather than the Premiere's IR remote. The price will probably also be higher, at least initially. Right now it seems like TiVo is trying to clear out the old stock of Minis with the cheap prices/free lifetime service.


----------



## Fofer

tarheelblue32 said:


> Some people were getting them for around $100 from Radio Shack just a few days ago.


There was very limited stock and that's now dried up. Seems like the lowest price around now is $130 or so. Still a very good deal.



tarheelblue32 said:


> Just FYI, since all Minis can be activated with lifetime service for free, it is cheaper to buy the Minis from other retailers besides TiVo.


While this is true, I've recently been reminded that this is labelled as a promotion, and that free lifetime is only being offered for TiVo Mini's through 1/6/15, so be sure to activate yours before then. I just bought one, and may get another.


----------



## Fofer

confinoj said:


> I wonder if it's worth waiting for January to add the Mini with all the rumors of a new one.












https://www.tivo.com/shop/mini


----------



## DrewTivo

Fofer said:


> There was very limited stock and that's now dried up. Seems like the lowest price around now is $130 or so. Still a very good deal.
> 
> While this is true, I've recently been reminded that this is labelled as a promotion, and that free lifetime is only being offered for TiVo Mini's through 1/6/15, so be sure to activate yours before then. I just bought one, and may get another.


Can't you buy on 1/4 and then return on 1/7 if there's a better deal?


----------



## tarheelblue32

DrewTivo said:


> Can't you buy on 1/4 and then return on 1/7 if there's a better deal?


For Minis purchased directly from TiVo (that come pre-activated), that depends on TiVo's return policy. For Minis you buy at retail, when you buy is not really the issue. You have to activate (free) service on the Mini before 1/6. I suppose you could call TiVo and deactivate service within the initial 30-day window and then return the Mini to the store.


----------



## Fofer

DrewTivo said:


> Can't you buy on 1/4 and then return on 1/7 if there's a better deal?


Sure, I suppose. But the point is you have to ACTIVATE the unit for use, by 1/6/15. Activations after that date may very well cost $150 instead of $0.


----------



## confinoj

tarheelblue32 said:


> Yes, the resale value on used TiVos w/lifetime service is good. If you took the deal and later decided you didn't want it, you would probably be able to resell it on ebay for as much (or more) than you paid for it.
> 
> As far as the Minis, it's hard to say for sure. But the most likely change will just be that they will come with the Roamio's RF remote rather than the Premiere's IR remote. The price will probably also be higher, at least initially. Right now it seems like TiVo is trying to clear out the old stock of Minis with the cheap prices/free lifetime service.


Went ahead and purchased Roamio basic with lifetime for $400 per the loyalty deal and the Mini with lifetime for $150. I was initially given a hard time as my Tivo service was not actually contiguous for 10 years. (Series 2 from 2003-2008, HD from 2013 to now). This was different than what I was told by a CSR earlier today. I asked to speak to a supervisor and the CSR apparently conferred with her supervisor and put the loyalty deal through. Thanks for all the input here.


----------



## Fofer

Fofer said:


> It's not listed there. :-/
> 
> Thanks for the advice and words of wisdom. I just got off with a TiVo CSR and he was able to confirm that the order should have included it, he (thankfully) saw the order on his system, but that for some reason, it didn't get included and didn't ship. The CSR I placed the order with initially must have forgotten or made some kind of mistake.
> 
> So the best he could do was place a new order for the Slide Remote, I had to give my credit card number to "purchase" it, but he said within 7-14 days that charge would be credited right back, to the Slide Remote would still end up being free. That's good enough for me.
> 
> Thanks again, all.


Followup: Got the TiVo Slide Pro Remote as a separate order a few days ago. Was charged $63.45 for it. And just now checked my credit card, and see I was soon thereafter credited for the $63.45. All's well that ends well.

Even though I can (ironically enough) finally now stream from my 2-Tuner Premiere (by way of sideloading the TiVo app onto the FireTV stick or the new TiVo plugin for Plex) I am still very happy to have gotten in on this Roamio + PLS + Remote deal. It's inspired me to update my A/V setup and clean up a bunch of wires. The project continues and this Roamio Pluse (soon-to-ne-upgraded with a 4TB drive) will be at the center of it.

Thanks for sharing such great info, all!


----------



## hummingbird_206

Roamio Plus arrived today. I ordered it on Sunday. Easy to set up. Took a cable card out of an S3 and put in the Roamio and everything seems to be working fine. Didn't have to call Comcast to pair it even, yippee! Used the Season Pass Manager on TiVo.com to transfer over season passes, so that was pretty darned easy, too.

Many thanks to all who contributed to this thread! And Merry Christmas to me!!


----------



## lpwcomp

hummingbird_206 said:


> Roamio Plus arrived today. I ordered it on Sunday. Easy to set up. Took a cable card out of an S3 and put in the Roamio and everything seems to be working fine. Didn't have to call Comcast to pair it even, yippee! Used the Season Pass Manager on TiVo.com to transfer over season passes, so that was pretty darned easy, too.
> 
> Many thanks to all who contributed to this thread! And Merry Christmas to me!!


Did you verify that you still have access to On Demand and any premium channels that you should have?


----------



## hummingbird_206

lpwcomp said:


> Did you verify that you still have access to On Demand and any premium channels that you should have?


Yep!


----------



## nessie

I only got my first Tivo 2 years ago, but it was a used one, and I got the ownership transferred to my name. When I login to my account online it says the original activation date of the Tivo was April 10, 2004, so does this mean I qualify?


----------



## tarheelblue32

nessie said:


> I only got my first Tivo 2 years ago, but it was a used one, and I got the ownership transferred to my name. When I login to my account online it says the original activation date of the Tivo was April 10, 2004, so does this mean I qualify?


The only way to know for sure is to call up TiVo and ask for it. If you do try for the deal, I wouldn't volunteer the fact that it was a used unit that was transferred to you. I would just ask the CSR about the 10-year loyalty pricing and see what they say. And even if they say you don't qualify, you can always call back and try again. Different CSRs often give different answers.


----------



## sharp1

How were you guys able to get the free slide remote? I qualify for the 10 year deal but the CSR didn't offer the slide remote.


----------



## spicybrown

Fofer said:


> There was very limited stock and that's now dried up. Seems like the lowest price around now is $130 or so. Still a very good deal.
> 
> While this is true, I've recently been reminded that this is labelled as a promotion, and that free lifetime is only being offered for TiVo Mini's through 1/6/15, so be sure to activate yours before then. I just bought one, and may get another.


Never mind - Sam's no longer shows the Tivo Mini price on their website.

You can have best buy match SAMs clubs online price for $114+tax.


----------



## SeanC

sharp1 said:


> How were you guys able to get the free slide remote? I qualify for the 10 year deal but the CSR didn't offer the slide remote.


Same happened to me, I let it go, I use a harmony anyway.


----------



## SlammedNiss

What's the best deal on a base Roamio + lifetime? I've only been a subscriber for 2 years with my Premiere w/ lifetime. I'm curious about the sellers on eBay who, for $50, will get you a discounted price. How/where are they able to get these deals and how can I cut out the middle man?


----------



## lpwcomp

SlammedNiss said:


> What's the best deal on a base Roamio + lifetime? I've only been a subscriber for 2 years with my Premiere w/ lifetime. I'm curious about the sellers on eBay who, for $50, will get you a discounted price. How/where are they able to get these deals and how can I cut out the middle man?


Reportedly, they were provided to sales personnel as an incentive. No, there is no way to cut out the middleman.


----------



## SlammedNiss

lpwcomp said:


> Reportedly, they were provided to sales personnel as an incentive. No, there is no way to cut out the middleman.


So $500 for a base Roamio w/ lifetime is about as good as it gets then?


----------



## lpwcomp

SlammedNiss said:


> So $500 for a base Roamio w/ lifetime is about as good as it gets then?


Looks like, yes. Not much of a savings.

There's also sales tax.


----------



## SlammedNiss

lpwcomp said:


> Looks like, yes. Not much of a savings.
> 
> There's also sales tax.


Found out that Tivo sent out a promotional email in early Nov. that showed a price of $450 w/ PLS. Went back thru my emails and sure enough, received one on Thurs. Nov. 13th. States promotional prices don't expire until 1/6/2015. Of course, it also states that pricing can be terminated at any time.

Gonna give them a call this afternoon.


----------



## tamdave4

I was 3 months short of 10 yrs of service, called and asked for the $99 lifetime and free slide remote, was put on hold for a few minutes and walla

no problems at all, for $500 plus tax got:
-Roamio plus with lifetime service
-free slide remote


Earlier in the day I picked up 3 minis from Radio Shack online for $112 each. Had to place 3 separate order but well worth it to save $25 on each mini.

Happy with all the money saved.


----------



## skaggs

This afternoon, I called TiVo Sales and received a Roamio+ for $399, PLS for $99, and a free Slide Remote. The CSR did verify I have been a TiVo customer for at least 10 years.

Also bought two Minis on Amazon for $129.95 each with no tax and free 2-day shipping.


----------



## hummingbird_206

hummingbird_206 said:


> Called today and ordered the Roamio Plus for $399 + $99 lifetime. I asked about the free slide remote and the CSR said no freebie for me. I'll try calling back later to see if I can get the free remote. I also asked how long the promo would last and was told 'early January'.





sushikitten said:


> No luck with two reps about the free slide remote. The first told me it was only to be offered to try and make the sale once someone had said no to the purchase. The second rep said it had nothing to do with the loyalty program and was only a holiday offer for someone who had bought the tivo through Amazon.
> 
> Two reps, two different stories, no remote. I'm debating trying again. I hate making calls like this.





hummingbird_206 said:


> Thanks for posting the info. That's enough for me. I'm not going to call again for a $50 remote because I hate making calls like this, too.





Robin said:


> Has anyone had luck calling back after ordering and getting the slide remote?
> 
> I told my dad about this deal (I already have a Roamio and have no use for a second) and he got it but I forgot to tell him to ask about the remote. Is it worth telling him to call back?


After seeing recent posts of people getting the slide remote free, I finally bit the bullet and called back. The CSR put me on hold and when he came back I was once again told no free slide remote for me. He said it's not part of the loyalty deal and he doesn't know how other people are getting it.


----------



## skaggs

I ordered a 3TB WD30EURX hard drive for $116. In my order log from the same company, I saw that I had ordered a 500GB hard drive for $169 in October 2007 that was to upgrade a previous TiVo...lol.


----------



## skaggs

hummingbird_206 said:


> After seeing recent posts of people getting the slide remote free, I finally bit the bullet and called back. The CSR put me on hold and when he came back I was once again told no free slide remote for me. He said it's not part of the loyalty deal and he doesn't know how other people are getting it.


Sorry, Hummingbird. I got lucky and hit the jackpot in CSR roulette the 1st time.


----------



## hummingbird_206

skaggs said:


> Sorry, Hummingbird. I got lucky and hit the jackpot in CSR roulette the 1st time.


I'm happy for the people who did get the deal, it's just frustrating that it does seem to be CSR roulette. I mostly use a Harmony remote any way, but would be nice to have the slide for setting up Wishlists, etc that use the alpha keyboard.

Did anyone try purchasing more than 1 Roamio under the loyalty pricing? I was told the limit was 1. I was trying to help someone else get a box for the special price.


----------



## hummingbird_206

And I just got a survey from TiVo about my call to CS. Usually I just give ratings and leave it at that. But today I'm annoyed so I decided to give an explanation (I gave lowest scores to all questions except for the CSR, he was nice even if he didn't give me a remote.)



Spoiler



The CSR was very nice. But I'm extremely confused and frustrated by the 10+ year customer loyalty program. I heard about the program online at tivocommunity.com. Several people there posted that they also received a free slide remote when they ordered a Roamio. When I ordered the Roamio Plus under the program I was told that there was no free slide remote.

Still some people were posting that they received a free slide remote as recently as today. So I called back again and asked about a free slide remote. Once again I was told no free slide remote. I don't know if it really is 'CSR Roulette' or what the reason is that some of the customers are getting the free slide remote and some of us aren't. Whatever the reason it certainly doesn't make me happy. I've purchased several TiVos over the years. If that wasn't enough to qualify me for the free slide remote, then I'd appreciate being told exactly why not. Being told that there is no free slide remote when I know that there is 'for some customers' but not for 'me' is very frustrating.


----------



## Yosemite Sam

I tried 2 weeks ago to get the "loyalty deal" even though I'm only at ~6 years. My CSR acknowledged was definitely willing to stretch and get it, but couldn't give it at 6 years. He did offer some other deals, and even when I didn't take any, he cut my monthly rate to $6.95 with no strings attached on my end. So I appreciated that, as I got "something for nothing." He also said it's transferrable to any new TiVo (including the Roamio lineup).

However, that's now moot- I bought a Roamio Pro (with lifetime service) using one of Spherular's codes (used his website, rather than eBay, so that I could use the TiVo community discount of $10). Received the Roamio box, got a discounted slide remote, lifetime service is activated and working. Everything just as it should be- no funny stuff or shady circumstances. 

So I guess I'm just sharing my experience since it seems to have turned out positively for me.


----------



## shiffrin

hummingbird_206 said:


> I'm happy for the people who did get the deal, it's just frustrating that it does seem to be CSR roulette. I mostly use a Harmony remote any way, but would be nice to have the slide for setting up Wishlists, etc that use the alpha keyboard.


If you have a smartphone, you can use the Tivo app to have a keyboard for the times when you need it.


----------



## Robin

Except it doesn't work with a mini in android.


----------



## SeanC

Got my Roamio last night, got it hooked up, got Comcast to activate the CC in the new Roamio, been playing with it since last night.

And I gotta say, as a guy coming from an S3 with a Slingbox, this is just SO superior.

The whole slingbox thing was really just passable, in a pinch, I could watch stuff remotely, but really it was a disappointing experience, with all the pixelation and the slow response time.

I set the S3 up as a dumb station last night, so it only had power and a network connection. Started transferring shows from the S3 to the Roamio, and then copying shows from the Roamio to my iPad. Man transferred shows look just fantastic, and the streaming is just amazing.


----------



## confinoj

confinoj said:


> Went ahead and purchased Roamio basic with lifetime for $400 per the loyalty deal and the Mini with lifetime for $150. I was initially given a hard time as my Tivo service was not actually contiguous for 10 years. (Series 2 from 2003-2008, HD from 2013 to now). This was different than what I was told by a CSR earlier today. I asked to speak to a supervisor and the CSR apparently conferred with her supervisor and put the loyalty deal through. Thanks for all the input here.


Got it all set up last night. Everything is terrific. Glad I upgraded and got the loyalty deal. I had recently set up a moca network primarily since wifi coverage in my old house with impenetrable walls sucks. Worked out great for the Mini in the bedroom - it really is just like another Tivo box like everyone says. I am using a Harmony remote for the Roamio and got an USB RF dongle to use the RF Roamio remote with Mini - works perfectly. Since I lost my component connections on the Roamio I hooked up my Slingbox 350 to the mini with breakout cables. It's actually a better setup since it doesn't now tie up the main living room TV. Only thing missing is a stream but the Slingbox works well other than not having the convenience of the tivo interface and has the advantage of using it on a pc/mac or even airplaying to an ATV. I'm just about 40 but still love getting new toys.


----------



## Fofer

Robin said:


> shiffrin said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you have a smartphone, you can use the Tivo app to have a keyboard for the times when you need it.
> 
> 
> 
> Except it doesn't work with a mini in android.
Click to expand...

What doesn't work? The keyboard in the app? Or the entire app itself? I read some posts from 2013 that said this support would be added shortly. Did that never happen? Yeesh.


----------



## Fofer

confinoj said:


> Since I lost my component connections on the Roamio I hooked up my Slingbox 350 to the mini with breakout cables. It's actually a better setup since it doesn't now tie up the main living room TV.


That's a good idea. I was a little surprised that the Mini didn't come with those breakout cables though.

One of the reasons I got the Roamio Plus was for the built-in component connections. I'll either use that (along with HDMI) to send simultaneous output to the TVs in the bedroom and living room (as I do now with my 2-tuner Premiere and TiVo Slide Remote, which works through the walls) or I'll use it for a Slingbox.



confinoj said:


> Only thing missing is a stream but the Slingbox works well other than not having the convenience of the tivo interface and has the advantage of using it on a pc/mac or even airplaying to an ATV.


The Slingbox also doesn't contend with CCI-byte (copy once) restrictions, which for me, renders the Stream fairly useless. On Time Warner it means the only content I can copy/move in the home (and stream outside of home) is local-only content. It's a bummer. I'm happy SlingPlayer exists as a reasonable alternative, even if it's not as elegant. But the ability to use it for full control on my laptop remotely, is very cool indeed.



confinoj said:


> I am using a Harmony remote for the Roamio and got an USB RF dongle to use the RF Roamio remote with Mini - works perfectly.


Thanks for the heads up on this - I didn't realize the Slide Pro Remote they sent me is also for RF/Roamio only and that in order to use it with a Premiere or Mini, I'd need that dongle too. Which one did you get? Will any one work? I'm curious.


----------



## Fofer

aaronwt said:


> That article also says that there is a Slingplayer app along with the HBO Go app. I hope that also comes to the FireTV stick next year.
> 
> I'll need to remember to load both apps on my FireTV tonight.





DUDE_NJX said:


> I installed the Slingplayer app yesterday and it works fine on the stick.


Yeah, the SlingPlayer app is out for both FireTV units, no sideloading needed, just install via the standard Amazon App Store. And uniquely for this company's apps, it is also free. They charge $15 for other devices...


----------



## Fofer

Fofer said:


> Thanks for the heads up on this - I didn't realize the Slide Pro Remote they sent me is also for RF/Roamio only and that in order to use it with a Premiere or Mini, I'd need that dongle too. Which one did you get? Will any one work? I'm curious.


I called TiVo just now, and they're sending me one free.

Apparently the "Slide Pro Remote" (for Roamio) and the "Slide Pro Remote w/Dongle" (for Premiere, Mini, but will also work with the Roamio without the dongle) are the same price.

It's odd that they don't simply send out the combo by default for all new purchases, to cover all bases.


----------



## Robin

Fofer said:


> What doesn't work? The keyboard in the app? Or the entire app itself? I read some posts from 2013 that said this support would be added shortly. Did that never happen? Yeesh.


The app doesn't work for the mini at all. When I choose the mini I get "Unsupported DVR This app currently requires a TiVo Ramio, TiVo Premiere, or TiVo HD/Series3 DVR"


----------



## Fofer

That sucks


----------



## lpwcomp

Robin said:


> The app doesn't work for the mini at all. When I choose the mini I get "Unsupported DVR This app currently requires a TiVo Ramio, TiVo Premiere, or TiVo HD/Series3 DVR"


My assumption would be that the Mini has no support for a network remote.


----------



## confinoj

lpwcomp said:


> My assumption would be that the Mini has no support for a network remote.


The ios app works fine for the mini, including the keyboard. Just used it last night to help login to netflix, amazon.


----------



## Fofer

So I guess that just like it took a long time for the Android client to finally support streaming like the iOS client did, so will it take a long time for it to support the Mini.


----------



## lpwcomp

confinoj said:


> The ios app works fine for the mini, including the keyboard. Just used it last night to help login to netflix, amazon.


Huh. I stand corrected. I have no way of checking a Mini since I don't have one but I did get the same message when I tried to access my Series 2.

The question now is which will come first - Android app access to a Mini or iOS app ability to stream over cellular?


----------



## tatergator1

I'm all iOS, so I cant' speak from experience and it's been awhile since the latest Android app was released. However, I'm pretty sure the network remote functionality of the app on a Mini came up in the early discussions after release and I seem to remember that users indicated you used to be able to control a Mini, but that functionality was broken with the Streaming update.


----------



## confinoj

lpwcomp said:


> Huh. I stand corrected. I have no way of checking a Mini since I don't have one but I did get the same message when I tried to access my Series 2.
> 
> The question now is which will come first - Android app access to a Mini or iOS app ability to stream over cellular?


One thing to note. You do have to enable network remote access on the mini settings. I also then had to reset the ios app and login again for the mini to show up.


----------



## lpwcomp

confinoj said:


> One thing to note. You do have to enable network remote access on the mini settings. I also then had to reset the ios app and login again for the mini to show up.


Yes, I would expect that.


----------



## Robin

No change.

I didn't expect it considering the message about requiring a Roamio/Premier/etc. but it was worth a try, thanks.

(And my network remote was turned off.)


----------



## dmartin5454

I just ordered my "loyalty deal". I was actually short a few days of 10 years -- I activated my Tivo 2 on Jan. 3, 2005. The CSR didn't blink an eye about it though, and I got the Tivo Slide Pro Remote for free as well. I ordered the Roamio Plus, and separately ordered the Mini and the AV-GP WD40EURX 4 TB drive both from Amazon. Everything is supposed to arrive on Friday. Roamio, Product Lifetime: $499.98 + tax. Remote: Free, and all free shipping. From Amazon, since I have an Amazon Prime account I get free 2 day shipping, and no tax, so the Tivo Mini was $131.75, and the drive was $179.31. I'm a happy camper!


----------



## Fofer

I got all the same exact stuff! I'll be upgrading the drive and installing it all tomorrow.


----------



## skaggs

dmartin5454 said:


> I ordered the Roamio Plus, and separately ordered the Mini and the AV-GP WD40EURX 4 TB drive both from Amazon. Everything is supposed to arrive on Friday. Roamio, Product Lifetime: $499.98 + tax. Remote: Free, and all free shipping. From Amazon, since I have an Amazon Prime account I get free 2 day shipping, and no tax, so the Tivo Mini was $131.75, and the drive was $179.31. I'm a happy camper!


Same for me, except I got the WD30EURX because I thought it was the largest drive I could drop into the Roamio+ without having to do some kind of configuration of the drive. True?


----------



## tatergator1

skaggs said:


> Same for me, except I got the WD30EURX because I thought it was the largest drive I could drop into the Roamio+ without having to do some kind of configuration of the drive. True?


Yes, 3TB is the max for auto-formatting. 4TB can be done with some drive formatting prior to installing in the Tivo.


----------



## biggerfish

For those of you getting the Mini from Amazon, take note: after you activate it on your Tivo account, do a forced connection on the Roamio - the Roamio has to know about the Mini to see it.

When the Mini comes directly from Tivo, it's pre-activated, and your roamio will connect before the Mini goes on your network.

I spent a few hours last night trying to troubleshoot my network, only to find a post solving this issue. Would have been nice to know going in.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10260623#post10260623


----------



## SlammedNiss

Finally got the chance to call Tivo today regarding upgrading to a Roamio from a Premiere. I quoted their promotional email I had received in Nov. with a price of $449.98 for a base model Roamio w/ PLS. Was afraid they would turn me down, but she put me on hold for a couple minutes and when she came back said no problem. Already got shipping confirmation too. 

I do, however, have a question that's been bugging me. How does Tivo figure taxes on the sale? Taxes were only $4.20, which is less than 1% sales tax. I would have paid more in taxes had I bought just the box locally from BestBuy w/out PLS.


----------



## tarheelblue32

SlammedNiss said:


> I do, however, have a question that's been bugging me. How does Tivo figure taxes on the sale? Taxes were only $4.20, which is less than 1% sales tax. I would have paid more in taxes had I bought just the box locally from BestBuy w/out PLS.


In many states, they only have to charge sales tax on the hardware, not the lifetime service. It sounds like they may have charged you $400 for the lifetime service and only $49 for the actual hardware.


----------



## SlammedNiss

tarheelblue32 said:


> In many states, they only have to charge sales tax on the hardware, not the lifetime service. It sounds like they may have charged you $400 for the lifetime service and only $49 for the actual hardware.


Yup, looking back at the emailed receipt, that's exactly what they did. Charged me tax on just the hardware. Fine by me!


----------



## Fofer

Speaking of tax... I'm not sure what to make of mine:



> Code:
> 
> 
> Product Description      Qty   Item Price        Tax*      Total
> S00031 TiVo Package, PLS    1     $ 99.99     $ 54.00   $ 153.99
> R84800 TiVo Roamio Plus     1     $ 399.99    $ 0.00     $ 399.99
> 
> --------------------------------
> Order Sub Total:  $ 499.98
> Shipping:  $ 0.00
> Tax:  $ 54.00
> Order Total:  $ 553.98


----------



## Robin

What is the MSRP of the TiVo you got? It looks like they charged tax based on that, not on the discounted price.

You'd think with maneuvers like that California wouldn't be broke.


----------



## Fofer

Yep, I do see this at the bottom of the order confirmation:


> *Sales and use tax will be charged on your order based upon the jurisdiction to which you have requested the product be
> shipped. In some states, the tax will be based on the no-commitment MSRP for the product (and not the discounted price
> that you have paid for the product).


And the MSRP of the no-commitment price for the Roamio Plus is $599.99.

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/573

I still don't understand the math on this one though...


----------



## Hokie99

So has anyone purchased a plus from weaknees and then got the 99 lifetime?

TiVo Roamio Plus - 4TB Drive for up to 630 HD hours - $499

is far better price than getting the Roamio Plus from Tivo @ $399 and then purchasing a new drive. No hassle either.


----------



## Fofer

I think the PLS discount requires purchase of a Roamio direct from TiVo.com.

I don't think the upgrade is that much of a hassle, and keep in mind, then you have the original drive as a backup. You wouldn't get that with the weaknees option. Nor would you get that sweet sense of DIY satisfaction.


----------



## nycityuser

Fofer said:


> Nor would you get that sweet sense of DIY satisfaction.


Yes, but for folks like me there is also the possibility of a "I just bricked this brand new TiVo" sense of doom.


----------



## lpwcomp

Hokie99 said:


> So has anyone purchased a plus from weaknees and then got the 99 lifetime?
> 
> TiVo Roamio Plus - 4TB Drive for up to 630 HD hours - $499
> 
> is far better price than getting the Roamio Plus from Tivo @ $399 and then purchasing a new drive. No hassle either.


Where are you seeing that price? What I see is $644.49 for a plus w/4TB drive.

One of the things I don't understand about weaKnees pricing is that they are charging more for the pro even if they are installing the same size drive. Is it a tax on the stupid?



Fofer said:


> I think the PLS discount requires purchase of a Roamio direct from TiVo.com.
> 
> I don't think the upgrade is that much of a hassle, and keep in mind, then you have the original drive as a backup. You wouldn't get that with the weaknees option. Nor would you get that sweet sense of DIY satisfaction.


Especially since in some cases what TiVo discounts is the h/w price.


----------



## trip1eX

lpwcomp said:


> One of the things I don't understand about weaKnees pricing is that they are charging more for the pro even if they are installing the same size drive. Is it a tax on the stupid?


The Pro is a higher cost to them I would assume.


----------



## lpwcomp

trip1eX said:


> The Pro is a higher cost to them I would assume.


The question is - why would anyone who's _*not*_ stupid buy a Pro from them?


----------



## Hokie99

lpwcomp said:


> Where are you seeing that price? What I see is $644.49 for a plus w/4TB drive.
> 
> One of the things I don't understand about weaKnees pricing is that they are charging more for the pro even if they are installing the same size drive. Is it a tax on the stupid?
> 
> Especially since in some cases what TiVo discounts is the h/w price.


hmm... yeah..somehow I was on the Cyber Monday prices. Not sure how I got there. You are correct.. $644, so doesn't make a whole lot of sense.


----------



## SlammedNiss

Fofer said:


> I still don't understand the math on this one though...


Yea, it's weird. They charged you tax (according to your post above) on the PLS but not the hardware. Mine, they charged the opposite. They don't seem to be consistent with their pricing strategy.


----------



## Fofer

What percentage tax on PLS? And would that be based on the full MSRP of PLS and not the discounted $99 price? Even still, that's higher than any tax rate I've ever seen.


----------



## lpwcomp

Fofer said:


> Yep, I do see this at the bottom of the order confirmation:
> 
> And the MSRP of the no-commitment price for the Roamio Plus is $599.99.
> 
> http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/573
> 
> I still don't understand the math on this one though...





SlammedNiss said:


> Yea, it's weird. They charged you tax (according to your post above) on the PLS but not the hardware. Mine, they charged the opposite. They don't seem to be consistent with their pricing strategy.


I think the error was in the receipt since the text indicates the tax is on the h/w. Is the actual MSRP maybe $600? That would make the rate 9%.


----------



## skaggs

SlammedNiss said:


> Yea, it's weird. They charged you tax (according to your post above) on the PLS but not the hardware. Mine, they charged the opposite. They don't seem to be consistent with their pricing strategy.


TiVo charged me 8% tax on both the PLS and Roamio+.


----------



## trip1eX

lpwcomp said:


> The question is - why would anyone who's _*not*_ stupid buy a Pro from them?


They like bringing up the "Pro" moniker in cocktail conversations.


----------



## JPA2825

For those purchasing Roamio Plus and a hard drive (3TB or 4 TB) rather than the Pro, is it just for the $ savings (drive price v. $200 premium) and comfort of having a backup HD?

For me, if the savings isn't >$50, I am not sure it is worth the hassle (minor though it apparently is) to crack it open and make the switch. Just making sure I am not missing something.


----------



## Fofer

The Roamio Pro has a 3TB drive -- and the Roamio Plus I am upgrading myself and spending less overall for, will have a 4TB drive. I'll also have the original HDD to use for something else, or as a backup on the shelf.


----------



## zundian

Am I incorrect in my belief that the only difference between the Plus & the Pro is HDD size? Why waste your money on the Pro?


----------



## Diana Collins

zundian said:


> Am I incorrect in my belief that the only difference between the Plus & the Pro is HDD size? Why waste your money on the Pro?


Because the price difference between a Plus and a Pro is only $200 and a 3TB drive costs around $125. Opening your TiVo and replacing the drive will void your warranty, plus takes time and effort (not to mention that it comes with at least a small risk). So, many feel it is worth $75.

If you buy a 4TB drive, all the negatives get balanced by having an extra terabyte of storage, so the equation is a bit more complicated.


----------



## JPA2825

Diana Collins said:


> If you buy a 4TB drive, all the negatives get balanced by having an extra terabyte of storage, so the equation is a bit more complicated.


Also, the drive is a bit more expensive and, as I understand it, there is a wee bit of formatting so it is not simply "plug & play" like the 3 TB, right?


----------



## tatergator1

JPA2825 said:


> Also, the drive is a bit more expensive and, as I understand it, there is a wee bit of formatting so it is not simply "plug & play" like the 3 TB, right?


Correct. There are added steps to get a 4TB drive ready for a Roamio.


----------



## Fofer

That is correct. You can drop in a 3TB drive and the TiVo Roamio will auto-format it and make it ready for use. A 4TB drive, however, requires some extra steps, but it's all pretty easy, thanks to tools and tips provided by TCF'er telemark, in this thread: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=517860

I'll be doing that 4 TB upgrade today.


----------



## BosTV

Diana Collins said:


> Because the price difference between a Plus and a Pro is only $200 and a 3TB drive costs around $125. Opening your TiVo and replacing the drive will void your warranty, plus takes time and effort (not to mention that it comes with at least a small risk). So, many feel it is worth $75.


I paid $95 for a WD Red a couple of weeks ago. It took all of about 10 minutes to install it in my Plus. And in the unlikely event I have a warranty issue, I would just put the original drive back in before submitting a claim. (There isn't a seal or any other evidence to indicate the case has been opened.) So for me, it was over $100 savings with no downside risk.


----------



## HerronScott

BosTV said:


> And in the unlikely event I have a warranty issue, I would just put the original drive back in before submitting a claim. (There isn't a seal or any other evidence to indicate the case has been opened.) So for me, it was over $100 savings with no downside risk.


Note that TiVo does know that you've changed the drive as it reports the size back to TiVo when it connects.

Scott


----------



## Diana Collins

BosTV said:


> I paid $95 for a WD Red a couple of weeks ago. It took all of about 10 minutes to install it in my Plus. And in the unlikely event I have a warranty issue, I would just put the original drive back in before submitting a claim. (There isn't a seal or any other evidence to indicate the case has been opened.) So for me, it was over $100 savings with no downside risk.


As noted, they don't need a seal since the software tracks drive changes. Even at $90, I personally would rather pay the extra $110 to have a stock drive that Tivo installed in the factory. We upgraded every one of our series 2 DirectTivos ( and hacked the software to add LAN support, MRV, TivoWeb, etc.) so I am not opposed to drive upgrades. If the price difference were more like $500 I would be more inclined to do an upgrade. And unless you do the upgrade on a new, fresh out of the box Tivo, it takes more than 10 minutes to disconnect, pull out of the entertainment center, hook up to a TV, open up, swap the drive, boot it up, check that it worked, power down and disconnect, and then reinstall in the entertainment center. I'll pay the extra $200, thanks.

To each, their own...go ahead and buy a plus and upgrade it yourself if that makes sense to you. Some go that route, others don't. It s just a matter of preference.


----------



## atmuscarella

Diana Collins said:


> To each, their own...go ahead and buy a plus and upgrade it yourself if that makes sense to you. Some go that route, others don't. It s just a matter of preference.


I came to about the same conclusion with my Roamio basic. I am OTA only and have 3 computers in my home running TiVo Desktop so I decide not to upgrade the Roamio's 500GB hard drive and have a number of shows auto downloaded to one of my computers, I have plenty of drives laying around so no issues with space and the transfers both ways are fast (92Mbps).

Seems funny the Roamio is the easiest TiVo to upgrade the hard drive and the first one I have owned that I didn't bother doing an upgrade.


----------



## DrewTivo

trip1eX said:


> The Pro is a higher cost to them I would assume.


Offset by removing a hard drive that is worth more . . .


----------



## trip1eX

DrewTivo said:


> Offset by removing a hard drive that is worth more . . .


good point. The difference in cost between Pro and Plus would be partially offset by the greater value of the 3tb hard drive pulled from the Pro compared to the value of the 1 TB hard drive pulled from the Plus.

btw, Weaknees is actually charging the same amount (within $5) for the 4tb Plus and Pro models right now.


----------



## Fofer

I did the DIY upgrade myself yesterday, thanks to telemark and his great tool: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=517860

The original drive is on a shelf. I'm not sure I'd feel great repurposing it right away, at least while the TiVo is still under warranty. Then again, technically speaking, now that I think it through, TiVo obviously knows I've upgraded (it phones home) and my warranty may be void anyway. So maybe I will use it for something else after all. Hmm...


----------



## lpwcomp

Fofer said:


> I did the DIY upgrade myself yesterday, thanks to telemark and his great tool: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=517860
> 
> The original drive is on a shelf. I'm not sure I'd feel great repurposing it right away, at least while the TiVo is still under warranty. Then again, technically speaking, now that I think it through, TiVo obviously knows I've upgraded (it phones home) and my warranty may be void anyway. So maybe I will use it for something else after all. Hmm...


While TiVo does "know" that you have replaced the original drive, usually they either don't bother to check their logs or they ignore it. It would be a bit more difficult for them to ignore if you shipped it back to them without restoring the original drive.


----------



## leswar

Maybe it's a NY thing that requires a sales tax on a service. 
In the past Connecticut did not.
Here in Florida there wasn't any sales tax on PLS


----------



## lessd

leswar said:


> Maybe it's a NY thing that requires a sales tax on a service.
> In the past Connecticut did not.
> Here in Florida there wasn't any sales tax on PLS


For some strange reason CT sales tax on the service of TiVo (monthly or Lifetime) is 1%, on hardware it now 6.35%, don't ask me why.


----------



## DawnW

Oh my goodness. I am just finding this thread.

I am looking at replacing my S3s with a Roamio and mini. Our first S3 was activated in 2004, so we are beyond the 10 years at this point.

If I can get $99 lifetime on a new Roamio, that is a no brainer for me.

Are they still offering the free slide remote?


----------



## SeanC

Just as an FYI some of us, myself included were unable to get a free slide remote.


----------



## NYHeel

Diana Collins said:


> As noted, they don't need a seal since the software tracks drive changes. Even at $90, I personally would rather pay the extra $110 to have a stock drive that Tivo installed in the factory. We upgraded every one of our series 2 DirectTivos ( and hacked the software to add LAN support, MRV, TivoWeb, etc.) so I am not opposed to drive upgrades. If the price difference were more like $500 I would be more inclined to do an upgrade. And unless you do the upgrade on a new, fresh out of the box Tivo, it takes more than 10 minutes to disconnect, pull out of the entertainment center, hook up to a TV, open up, swap the drive, boot it up, check that it worked, power down and disconnect, and then reinstall in the entertainment center. I'll pay the extra $200, thanks.
> 
> To each, their own...go ahead and buy a plus and upgrade it yourself if that makes sense to you. Some go that route, others don't. It s just a matter of preference.


Wow, you really value your time. What you describe takes about an hour at most. I did the upgrade and I only saved about $75-$100 and I feel it was well worth the time spent. IT only took me about 20 minutes cause it was new in box but I would have gladly spent an hour to save $100. Also, I don't understand the hook up to a TV step as well as the check that it worked, power down and disconnect steps. What's to test, if it doesn't work you'll know when you put it back into your entertainment center. And there was 100% success reported here.

For the record, $100 an hour comes to an annual salary of $208,000. So I think most generally take $100 for an hour of their time.


----------



## JPA2825

DawnW said:


> Oh my goodness. I am just finding this thread.
> 
> I am looking at replacing my S3s with a Roamio and mini. Our first S3 was activated in 2004, so we are beyond the 10 years at this point.
> 
> If I can get $99 lifetime on a new Roamio, that is a no brainer for me.
> 
> Are they still offering the free slide remote?


As recently as 12.22.14 they were. You have to ask for it and it is a bit of CSR roulette. Mine said "So you basically want me to give you free stuff?" And I said, "I saw the discussion on TiVo Community Forums and that is really the only reason I called." He said "Oh, I am going to give it to you, just need to do some tinkering to revive this Black Friday offer" or something similar.

Does show up as a separate transaction and it ended up confusing my order history and causing some angst, but it all worked out for me.

WD 3TB hard drive for $90 from Amazon Prime should arrive today and I will do the exchange. Having trouble getting 1st Mini to recognize it is on the same network as the Roamio, but will work that out with customer support when they open at 1000 ET.


----------



## DawnW

Thanks. That certainly isn't a deal breaker for me, it would just be nice to get.



SeanC said:


> Just as an FYI some of us, myself included were unable to get a free slide remote.


----------



## David Platt

NYHeel said:


> Wow, you really value your time. What you describe takes about an hour at most. I did the upgrade and I only saved about $75-$100 and I feel it was well worth the time spent. IT only took me about 20 minutes cause it was new in box but I would have gladly spent an hour to save $100. Also, I don't understand the hook up to a TV step as well as the check that it worked, power down and disconnect steps. What's to test, if it doesn't work you'll know when you put it back into your entertainment center. And there was 100% success reported here.
> 
> For the record, $100 an hour comes to an annual salary of $208,000. So I think most generally take $100 for an hour of their time.


Don't forget the hidden cost of voiding the warranty. That has to be factored in as well.


----------



## DawnW

Ok, I just got off the phone with Tivo.

They said I AM eligible for the loyalty plan BUT since I want the basic Tivo with the ability to use OTA, the loyalty is not $99 but $199.

So it would be $199 for the box and $199 for the loyalty plan.

Is this the best scenario I am looking at?

She said I have to order from them (phone deal only and not an online order deal) and I cannot get the $149 Tivo as that would be stacking deals and they don't allow that.

I didn't pull the trigger yet as I wanted to come here and make sure this is the best I can do.

Thanks!,

Dawn


----------



## tarheelblue32

DawnW said:


> Ok, I just got off the phone with Tivo.
> 
> They said I AM eligible for the loyalty plan BUT since I want the basic Tivo with the ability to use OTA, the loyalty is not $99 but $199.
> 
> So it would be $199 for the box and $199 for the loyalty plan.
> 
> Is this the best scenario I am looking at?


$400 for a basic Roamio with lifetime is as good as it gets. Take that deal.



DawnW said:


> I cannot get the $149 Tivo as that would be stacking deals and they don't allow that.


You mean the Mini? Just buy that from somewhere else. Lifetime service can be activated on any Mini for free, no matter where you buy it from or how much you paid for it. Amazon is selling them for $131 right now.


----------



## DawnW

thank you, I just wanted to be sure!

No, I mean the $149 advertised deal on the Roamio basic on the website right now.

I do plan to get my mini elsewhere, BUT, have another question on that.

Do I need to get it and activate it by Jan 6 to get free lifetime or is that sticking around?

Dawn



tarheelblue32 said:


> $400 for a basic Roamio with lifetime is as good as it gets. Take that deal.
> 
> You mean the Mini? Just buy that from somewhere else. Lifetime service can be activated on any Mini for free, no matter where you buy it from or how much you paid for it. Amazon is selling them for $131 right now.


----------



## tarheelblue32

DawnW said:


> I do plan to get my mini elsewhere, BUT, have another question on that.
> 
> Do I need to get it and activate it by Jan 6 to get free lifetime or is that sticking around?
> 
> Dawn


Now that's a good question. Other people on the forums have reported that TiVo has extended it to sometime in May, but TiVo's website still says January 6. I think it is very likely that the free lifetime on the Minis will stick around, but there is always the possibility it might not.


----------



## DawnW

Got it. Thanks.



tarheelblue32 said:


> Now that's a good question. Other people on the forums have reported that TiVo has extended it to sometime in May, but TiVo's website still says January 6. I think it is very likely that the free lifetime on the Minis will stick around, but there is always the possibility it might not.


----------



## DawnW

Order placed!

I called and got the basic Roamio for $400 including lifetime. I also asked if I could get a free slide remote and was told, "Sure, with your loyalty to Tivo we can go ahead and throw that in there!"

YEAH! Now to order a mini from Amazon and I will be all set for a while.


----------



## tivotvaddict

DawnW said:


> Order placed!
> 
> I called and got the basic Roamio for $400 including lifetime. I also asked if I could get a free slide remote and was told, "Sure, with your loyalty to Tivo we can go ahead and throw that in there!"
> 
> YEAH! Now to order a mini from Amazon and I will be all set for a while.


Congrats! I really love the the Roamio *and* the Slide Remote. My favorite things so far on the Roamio are the separation of TV shows and Movies into two different folders if desired and the Guide showing Seaon # Episode #. Now I don't have to check Wikipedia to make sure I'm watching shows in the right order! The Slide remote is pretty genius having the keyboared really not affect the remote part at all. The slide out mechanism is smooth and soooooooo much easier than painfully navigating on-screen letter charts.

Thank you to everyone for this thread! I would not have ordered it without the knowledge and help given here.
tta


----------



## BosTV

David Platt said:


> Don't forget the hidden cost of voiding the warranty. That has to be factored in as well.


Don't forget the hidden value of retaining an extra 1TB disk drive. Besides, there's no evidence that TiVo has ever denied warranty service for a unit that has had an upgraded hard drive (and lots of people have been upgrading Roamio hard drives).


----------



## DawnW

Yes, definitely! Thank you.



tivotvaddict said:


> Congrats! I really love the the Roamio *and* the Slide Remote. My favorite things so far on the Roamio are the separation of TV shows and Movies into two different folders if desired and the Guide showing Seaon # Episode #. Now I don't have to check Wikipedia to make sure I'm watching shows in the right order! The Slide remote is pretty genius having the keyboared really not affect the remote part at all. The slide out mechanism is smooth and soooooooo much easier than painfully navigating on-screen letter charts.
> 
> *Thank you to everyone for this thread! I would not have ordered it without the knowledge and help given here.*
> tta


----------



## David Platt

BosTV said:


> Don't forget the hidden value of retaining an extra 1TB disk drive. Besides, there's no evidence that TiVo has ever denied warranty service for a unit that has had an upgraded hard drive (and lots of people have been upgrading Roamio hard drives).


That doesn't change the fact that the warranty is technically voided. Having a valid warranty is worth something to some people.


----------



## lessd

David Platt said:


> That doesn't change the fact that the warranty is technically voided. Having a valid warranty is worth something to some people.


If you keep the original hard drive we have no examples of people not getting warranty repair, when you call TiVo for warranty repair have the original disk in the unit, and try to make a call home if you can.


----------



## atmuscarella

David Platt said:


> That doesn't change the fact that the warranty is technically voided. Having a valid warranty is worth something to some people.


There is risk in everything. Part of the key to life is accessing which risks are real enough to alter one's actions to try and avoid them. In this case I agree with lessd until we have someone verify they did not get warranty service I would just keep the original drive and not worry about it, as the risk appears close to zero.


----------



## lpwcomp

Each person must decide on his/her own what level of risk is acceptable.

Also, with the Roamios in particular, we have people immediately replacing the HD then re-purposing or even selling the original disk which, IMHO, is just plain silly.


----------



## lessd

atmuscarella said:


> There is risk in everything. Part of the key to life is accessing which risks are real enough to alter one's actions to try and avoid them. In this case I agree with lessd until we have someone verify they did not get warranty service I would just keep the original drive and not worry about it, as the risk appears close to zero.


Good point as I may think twice about flying in the Asia area new having three down planes in 6 months*!!*


----------



## lessd

atmuscarella said:


> There is risk in everything. Part of the key to life is accessing which risks are real enough to alter one's actions to try and avoid them. In this case I agree with lessd until we have someone verify they did not get warranty service I would just keep the original drive and not worry about it, as the risk appears close to zero.


Good point as I may think twice about flying in the Asia area now having three down planes in 6 months*!!*


----------



## lpwcomp

lessd said:


> Good point as I may think twice about flying in the Asia area now having three down planes in 6 months*!!*


The area isn't the problem, it's the carriers. Especially considering that one of the Air Malaysia flights was shot down over Ukraine which, last time I looked at a map, is in Europe. Additionally, the AirAsia flight was on an Airbus. So just stick to U.S. carriers flying Boeing aircraft.


----------



## DawnW

Although even at that, you will have to limit your travel to only those areas where a US based plane will travel.

I have flown some pretty scary prop planes in Asia (well, ridden in them, I am not a pilot) in areas where that was pretty much all that was available in the area.

But we can rest safely knowing that even if our warranty is voided with Tivo, it won't be the cause of our ultimate demise.

Dawn



lpwcomp said:


> The area isn't the problem, it's the carriers. Especially considering that one of the Air Malaysia flights was shot down over Ukraine which, last time I looked at a map, is in Europe. Additionally, the AirAsia flight was on an Airbus. So just stick to U.S. carriers flying Boeing aircraft.


----------



## HarperVision

DawnW said:


> ........But we can rest safely knowing that even if our warranty is voided with Tivo, it won't be the cause of our ultimate demise. Dawn


Unless of course you upgraded your drive and used a power supply that's 12V and more than 3 amps which draws more current through your TiVo and overloads it's circuits, causing it to fry, light on fire and burn down your house while you're sleeping, thus killing you and all in the home, according to nooneuknow.


----------



## zundian

If TiVo didn't want us to upgrade our Roamio hard drives, they wouldn't make it super simple by auto-formatting new drives put in them.


----------



## Robin

I think it's clear that TiVo takes a "wink nudge" approach to upgrading.

But that doesn't change the fact that they COULD deny a warranty claim if they so chose.


----------



## DawnW

Oh great, now I can't even sleep well.



HarperVision said:


> Unless of course you upgraded your drive and used a power supply that's 12V and more than 3 amps which draws more current through your TiVo and overloads it's circuits, causing it to fry, light on fire and burn down your house while you're sleeping, thus killing you and all in the home, according to nooneuknow.


----------



## Grey Griffin

This forum is awesome. I've been wanting to get the Roamio since it came out but couldn't really justify the cost. We already have two Premiere XL4s and a Series 3 that's still chugging away. I read through this thread yesterday and told my wife we might be able to save $300 on the cost. We decided to go ahead and pull the trigger. I called today and had no issues. The CSR saw right away that I'd been with Tivo since 2003 and processed the whole thing in about 5 minutes. We're moving to a new place next month, so I'll probably wait until the move is finished, then drop a 6TB drive from weaknees in the Roamio and retire at least 2 of our other boxes.

Thanks for the great info. I don't post here often but I always know I can rely on what I read.


----------



## lpwcomp

HarperVision said:


> Unless of course you upgraded your drive and used a power supply that's 12V and more than 3 amps which draws more current through your TiVo and overloads it's circuits, causing it to fry, light on fire and burn down your house while you're sleeping, thus killing you and all in the home, according to nooneuknow.


Then you heirs will sue because there's no warning label on the TiVo telling you not to do that.


----------



## Diana Collins

NYHeel said:


> Wow, you really value your time. What you describe takes about an hour at most. I did the upgrade and I only saved about $75-$100 and I feel it was well worth the time spent. IT only took me about 20 minutes cause it was new in box but I would have gladly spent an hour to save $100. Also, I don't understand the hook up to a TV step as well as the check that it worked, power down and disconnect steps. What's to test, if it doesn't work you'll know when you put it back into your entertainment center. And there was 100% success reported here.
> 
> For the record, $100 an hour comes to an annual salary of $208,000. So I think most generally take $100 for an hour of their time.


When I bill customers for my time I get $225 to $275 per hour. In looking at the price difference between a Plus and a Pro ($200), less the cost of purchasing a 3TB drive ($125 for a DVR rated drive), the total "savings" of $75 isn't worth the hassle and potential voiding of the warranty on a box with PLS. The "left over" 1TB drive isn't a plus if you decide to keep it to put back in should you ever attempt to get warranty service.

So, all things considered, we bought 2 Pros. YMMV.


----------



## Fofer

I bill more than that, and I did the DIY upgrade (to 4TB) myself, to upgrade my new Roamio Plus. 

It wasn't about the money. I did it because it was interesting, fun, and felt rewarding. And I feel a sweet sense of satisfaction every time I see the free space indicator of my new, supersized DVR.

I suspect I would even have paid more than I did for the upgrade. How I feel about the project is more important to me that what functionality it realistically provided.


----------



## Diana Collins

Fofer said:


> I bill more than that, and I did the DIY upgrade (to 4TB) myself, to upgrade my new Roamio Plus.
> 
> It wasn't about the money. I did it because it was interesting, fun, and felt rewarding. And I feel a sweet sense of satisfaction every time I see the free space indicator of my new, supersized DVR.
> 
> I suspect I would even have paid more than I did for the upgrade. How I feel about the project is more important to me that what functionality it realistically provided.


A good reason to do it yourself. I did drive upgrades back in the Series 2 DirecTiVo days (plus hacked the software to enable MRV and 90 minute buffers, added TiVoWeb+, FTP and Telnet access, etc.). If opening up the box gave me those sorts of advantages then I'd be first in line to open up my TiVos. But for some additional disk space? Not worth the trouble for me, but to each their own.


----------



## eaadams

I just pulled the trigger on a Plus w/ $99 lifetime service. A sweet deal. They say the slide out remote deal is no longer available with the plus lifetime deal.

FYI my TIVO history still has my old (in a landfill) Series 1 on the account with lifetime service. activated 03/25/2001. 

Sidenote: the $50 sales tax for the service is total BS. I do sales tax for a living. There is NO WAY sales tax on TIVO service is a legitimate charge. However, since it is lifetime tied to a box, it might be considered something adding value to the item/hardware. But I think it is a stretch.


----------



## DawnW

What $50 sales tax?

My order didn't even have any tax on it at all.



eaadams said:


> I just pulled the trigger on a Plus w/ $99 lifetime service. A sweet deal. They say the slide out remote deal is no longer available with the plus lifetime deal.
> 
> FYI my TIVO history still has my old (in a landfill) Series 1 on the account with lifetime service. activated 03/25/2001.
> 
> Sidenote: the $50 sales tax for the service is total BS. I do sales tax for a living. There is NO WAY sales tax on TIVO service is a legitimate charge. However, since it is lifetime tied to a box, it might be considered something adding value to the item/hardware. But I think it is a stretch.


----------



## tarheelblue32

DawnW said:


> What $50 sales tax?
> 
> My order didn't even have any tax on it at all.


It depends on the state you live in as to whether TiVo charges sales tax or not.


----------



## archangelsfv

eaadams said:


> I just pulled the trigger on a Plus w/ $99 lifetime service. A sweet deal. They say the slide out remote deal is no longer available with the plus lifetime deal.
> 
> FYI my TIVO history still has my old (in a landfill) Series 1 on the account with lifetime service. activated 03/25/2001.
> 
> Sidenote: the $50 sales tax for the service is total BS. I do sales tax for a living. There is NO WAY sales tax on TIVO service is a legitimate charge. However, since it is lifetime tied to a box, it might be considered something adding value to the item/hardware. But I think it is a stretch.


omg... I think I hate Tivo CSRs even more after today. I called to try to get the 10 year deal today, since I am now at 9 years and 11 months, and was told I didn't qualify because my S3 has only been active since 2009.

I pointed out that I had an S2 in February 2005 was asked if I still had it. After confirming I did, I was told that I should reactivate that box, _with a required one year agreement_, and call back and they might make an exception to qualify me for the 10 year deal. _Might?_ Are you [email protected]#$%'ing serious?

So if I were to pull my S2 out of storage, reactivate at $9.00ish a month on a one year agreement, you _might_ qualify me for a discount that seems to be given to so many others much more freely?

Eff *you* Tivo CSRs Carissa, Laine, and Ben. A month ago I qualified for it (Carissa), but when I called back to claim it (Laine), I "absolutely was *not*" qualified for it. And now, within a month of officially qualifying, I call back and am told to reactive a box from five years ago on the _chance_ the powers-that-be at Tivo will allow me a discount? And if they don't honor the discount, I guess I just get to be stuck with an S2 in service for a year that I don't even need.

Again, eff YOU Tivo.


----------



## tarheelblue32

archangelsfv said:


> And if they don't honor the discount, I guess I just get to be stuck with an S2 in service for a year that I don't even need.
> 
> Again, eff YOU Tivo.


You can activate it and then cancel service within the first 30 days without penalty. You probably don't even really need to activate it though. You can just call back and try another CSR, and eventually you will probably find a CSR that will give it to you since you are close.

I understand it is frustrating, but you technically don't yet qualify for the 10-year deal, so if they do wind up giving it to you before you hit the 10-year mark, they are doing you a solid.


----------



## lessd

zundian said:


> If TiVo didn't want us to upgrade our Roamio hard drives, they wouldn't make it super simple by auto-formatting new drives put in them.


I would guess TiVo did that for their own benefit, not our upgrade ease.


----------



## DawnW

Ah, I see.



tarheelblue32 said:


> It depends on the state you live in as to whether TiVo charges sales tax or not.


----------



## archangelsfv

tarheelblue32 said:


> You can activate it and then cancel service within the first 30 days without penalty. You probably don't even really need to activate it though. You can just call back and try another CSR, and eventually you will probably find a CSR that will give it to you since you are close.
> 
> I understand it is frustrating, but you technically don't yet qualify for the 10-year deal, so if they do wind up giving it to you before you hit the 10-year mark, they are doing you a solid.


I agree 100% tarheel. I felt the need to rant after following this thread since late October and learning of people getting the deal for any variety of reasons (long-since out of service boxes, capitalizing on boxes put in service by others that the posters bought used, etc.)

What frustrates me is first being told I was qualified and then not, and then being told 'yes, but jump through these silly hoops.' You are absolutely correct Tivo CS would be doing me a solid if they granted me the discounted rate.

The irony in all of this is that I actually have a NIB, unopened Plus that I was hoping to get PLS for $299 when the 10 year deal popped up. And although I am not qualified for the 10 year discount, requesting an accommodation of $299 is a non-starter altogether for Tivo. Which, incidentally, I would've been just has happy to take, but none of the CSRs would budge.

So, yes, I will probably get back on the phone tomorrow and try again before the deal expires on Tuesday, unless they push the date out again (fingers crossed.)


----------



## tarheelblue32

archangelsfv said:


> So, yes, I will probably get back on the phone tomorrow and try again before the deal expires on Tuesday, unless they push the date out again (fingers crossed.)


I wish you luck in getting the deal. Hang in there and don't give up.


----------



## SeanC

archangelsfv said:


> omg... I think I hate Tivo CSRs even more after today. I called to try to get the 10 year deal today, since I am now at 9 years and 11 months, and was told I didn't qualify because my S3 has only been active since 2009.


Yeah hang in there. Just as an FYI I had a S1 lifetimed in 2003, transferred the lifetime to a S3 as soon as they were available, so not sure what year that was. My CSR read back to me the dates and times of that though and had no problem giving me the 10 year deal.


----------



## BosTV

Diana Collins said:


> When I bill customers for my time I get $225 to $275 per hour.


Unless you actually turn down a potential customer to spend the time upgrading a TiVo, your hourly billing rate isn't relevant to how you use your personal time.


----------



## DawnW

This.

My husband bills far more than that as well, but he likes to tinker with things and do things himself.

However, he doesn't look at his off-time as being worth X amount of dollars per hour....it is personal time and personal money.

BTW: I bill clients $0 for my time because I get paid by the state, but that is a different matter altogether!

Dawn



Fofer said:


> I bill more than that, and I did the DIY upgrade (to 4TB) myself, to upgrade my new Roamio Plus.
> 
> It wasn't about the money. I did it because it was interesting, fun, and felt rewarding. And I feel a sweet sense of satisfaction every time I see the free space indicator of my new, supersized DVR.
> 
> I suspect I would even have paid more than I did for the upgrade. How I feel about the project is more important to me that what functionality it realistically provided.


----------



## lessd

BosTV said:


> Unless you actually turn down a potential customer to spend the time upgrading a TiVo, your hourly billing rate isn't relevant to how you use your personal time.


And if you work for a fixed salary it can be converted into a hourly rate, but as stated above your personal time has whatever value you want to put on it, you can just order a new TiVo from their sight, save a hour to read a book or something and spend $300 more for the TiVo, if I were Bill Gates that is what I would do.


----------



## DrewTivo

David Platt said:


> That doesn't change the fact that the warranty is technically voided. Having a valid warranty is worth something to some people.


This is almost like Schrodinger's cat - the warranty isn't really void until Tivo tells you it's void and denies coverage for a warranty claim it would otherwise honor. That could also occur based on many of the other warranty exclusions - any warranty is only as good as the company's willingness to honor it, and how strictly they interpret the terms. What we've seen from TiVo is that they aren't particularly "tight" about their warranties.


----------



## nycityuser

eaadams said:


> Sidenote: the $50 sales tax for the service is total BS. I do sales tax for a living. There is NO WAY sales tax on TIVO service is a legitimate charge. However, since it is lifetime tied to a box, it might be considered something adding value to the item/hardware. But I think it is a stretch.


Are you sure the sales tax charged to you was for the service? I have monthly TiVo service billed to a California address and there is no sales tax on that. Also, $50 sounds like too much to be sales tax just on PLS. That would be 10% of $500 and I don't think Sacramento's tax rate is that high.


----------



## tarheelblue32

nycityuser said:


> Are you sure the sales tax charged to you was for the service? I have monthly TiVo service billed to a California address and there is no sales tax on that. Also, $50 sounds like too much to be sales tax just on PLS. That would be 10% of $500 and I don't think Sacramento's tax rate is that high.


It varies by state as to whether you have to pay sales tax on the service fee.


----------



## nycityuser

tarheelblue32 said:


> It varies by state as to whether you have to pay sales tax on the service fee.


Yes, I know. That's why I was specifically writing about California. I was responding to a comment of somebody from California and that's the state for my TiVo billing as well.


----------



## tarheelblue32

nycityuser said:


> Yes, I know. That's why I was specifically writing about California. I was responding to a comment of somebody from California and that's the state for my TiVo billing as well.


Then local sales tax maybe?


----------



## MikeekiM

Apologies in advance, as I have not done my homework and read through this thread much... I just see a few things that are peaking my curiosity, and giving me some panic attacks...

After having been away from TiVo for a while, I am thinking about coming back to TiVo via the Roamio route... Scanning just a few recent pages of this thread, I am reading a couple of things:

- Lifetime deals for loyalty customers
- Lifetime on TiVo mini going away on January 6th
- Free slider remote (I don't even know what this is!)

I don't want to be stuck in a situation where I wish I pulled the trigger early to take advantage of special deals (or to get grandfathered into lifetime on TiVo mini)...

What sort of advice would you give me on a Roamio purchase?

I am a long time DirecTV customer and had a TiVo attached to the account for many years. When DirecTV ended their relationship with TiVo, I was forced to go to the DirecTV DVRs. My contract is up in May (but I am willing to pre-purchase Roamio equipment ahead of that date if it makes sense).

My plan is to move to Comcast with a Roamio Pro and one TiVo mini...

Please advise... I am very grateful for any guidance you can provide me...

What is the best route for me to take here... 

Am I considered a loyalty customer with my history with DirecTV? My guess is probably not, since their records won't show me as a TiVo customer... Sigh...

Thanks everyone!!!


----------



## Fofer

There's no way for any of us to answer that for you. Folks who think they should've been eligible have been denied, and folks who shouldn't have been eligible have been offered the deal. Your best bet is to just call a TiVo CSR and ask.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Agree with the above comment. The only way to know is to call up and ask if you qualify for the 10-year loyalty deal. If they can find you in their records, maybe they will offer you the lifetime deal on a Roamio. If they do offer it to you, you should definitely take it. Even if you wind up not switching to Comcast, you can just sell the Roamio on ebay and probably make a little money on the deal. 

The free Slide Pro Remote has also been offered to some people who buy a Roamio with the loyalty deal. Again, it doesn't hurt to ask for this if you qualify for the 10-year loyalty deal.

As far as the Mini lifetime, I highly doubt it will actually go away on January 6, but there is always that chance.


----------



## chiguy50

MikeekiM said:


> Apologies in advance, as I have not done my homework and read through this thread much... I just see a few things that are peaking my curiosity, and giving me some panic attacks...
> 
> After having been away from TiVo for a while, I am thinking about coming back to TiVo via the Roamio route... Scanning just a few recent pages of this thread, I am reading a couple of things:
> 
> - Lifetime deals for loyalty customers
> - Lifetime on TiVo mini going away on January 6th
> - Free slider remote (I don't even know what this is!)
> 
> I don't want to be stuck in a situation where I wish I pulled the trigger early to take advantage of special deals (or to get grandfathered into lifetime on TiVo mini)...
> 
> What sort of advice would you give me on a Roamio purchase?
> 
> I am a long time DirecTV customer and had a TiVo attached to the account for many years. When DirecTV ended their relationship with TiVo, I was forced to go to the DirecTV DVRs. My contract is up in May (but I am willing to pre-purchase Roamio equipment ahead of that date if it makes sense).
> 
> My plan is to move to Comcast with a Roamio Pro and one TiVo mini...
> 
> Please advise... I am very grateful for any guidance you can provide me...
> 
> What is the best route for me to take here...
> 
> Am I considered a loyalty customer with my history with DirecTV? My guess is probably not, since their records won't show me as a TiVo customer... Sigh...
> 
> Thanks everyone!!!


If you are not able to get a good deal by negotiating with TiVo directly, you can always purchase a discount code from trusted eBay seller Spherular (he's active on this forum) for about $30 (make him an offer) that will entitle you to purchase a Roamio Pro for $700 (plus tax). Then you can shop around for the best current deal on a Mini (you shouldn't have to pay more than around $130). That would put you all in for around $900. If TiVo can't offer you anything on that order, then you know you have other options.


----------



## DawnW

I am not sure Tivo would even have your info if you purchased the previous Tivo from Directv and they installed it.

I had several old Tivos with DTV over the 10 year period we had DTV. 

The Tivo company has no record of these.


----------



## DallasGooner

MikeekiM said:


> <snip>
> 
> Am I considered a loyalty customer with my history with DirecTV? My guess is probably not, since their records won't show me as a TiVo customer... Sigh...
> 
> Thanks everyone!!!


Nope. I called and asked. Seems for the first few weeks of the promo they did allow it but they where told do not allow it any more. They would not budge for me on counting my years of TiVo with DirecTV towards the 10 year deal.


----------



## cwteevee

DallasGooner said:


> Nope. I called and asked. Seems for the first few weeks of the promo they did allow it but they where told do not allow it any more. They would not budge for me on counting my years of TiVo with DirecTV towards the 10 year deal.


I would play CSR roulette and try again. You might get a CSR or supervisor who will allow it.


----------



## dssxxxx

Called CS and am eligible for 10 year loyalty. Told it ended on Monday. 

Said DTV was pushing me to subscribe and was then offered discount on Pro and LT. Asked if slide remote was included and told they would include. 

Guy (Rick) was extremely friendly and helpful. Took all of about 5 minutes.


----------



## bill875

dssxxxx said:


> Called CS and am eligible for 10 year loyalty. Told it ended on Monday.
> 
> Said DTV was pushing me to subscribe and was then offered discount on Pro and LT. Asked if slide remote was included and told they would include.
> 
> Guy (Rick) was extremely friendly and helpful. Took all of about 5 minutes.


What was your total price for the Pro and LT?


----------



## Tico

Just ordered mine today.

Have been with Tivo for 11yrs abd 8 months...

Order Summary
-------------
Product Description Qty Item Price Tax* Total
S00031 TiVo Package, Product Lifetime 1 $ 99.99 $ 0.00 $ 99.99
R84800 TiVo Roamio Plus 1 $ 399.99 $ 22.40 $ 422.39

--------------------------------
Order Sub Total: $ 499.98
Shipping: $ 0.00
Tax: $ 22.40
Order Total: $ 522.38


----------



## murraymh

Just ordered the Roamio Plus lifetime deal today. Was told by CSR that they are extending the cutoff date till 3/15 I believe...in any case it was March.

Alas, could not get the free remote - damn it. Total for everything was 547.98 shipped to Cal.

Murray


----------



## bailor

Ordered a Tivo Plus with the lifetime loyalty deal the other day. Delivery took 3 days. My 10 years just hit in December and the CSR was more than happy to give me the deal. I of course then asked for the slide remote, and she said she wasn't sure if she could but would "ask her supervisor". After a minute or two she came back and I questioned her about her supervisor's answer. She told me that her supervisor told her that it is UP TO THE CSR whether they give it to the customer or not. She was a good one, and said that she thought I deserved it. So, sweet talk your CSR!

Also, on the sales tax debate--this was posted at the bottom of my e-receipt:

*Sales and use tax will be charged on your order based upon the jurisdiction to which you have requested the product be shipped. In some states, the tax will be based on the no-commitment MSRP for the product (and not the discounted price that you have paid for the product).


----------



## tjtv

I've only been a Tivo customer for about 5 years. Is there any chance that they will let me in on the loyalty discount? I suppose I could always just call and give it a try, but I'm interested to know what strategy/if any other folks in my scenario used to be able to get the loyalty deal.


----------



## pfiagra

tjtv said:


> I've only been a Tivo customer for about 5 years. Is there any chance that they will let me in on the loyalty discount? I suppose I could always just call and give it a try, but I'm interested to know what strategy/if any other folks in my scenario used to be able to get the loyalty deal.


I was only an 8 year customer, but was given the deal. However, this was only because I discovered (after not receiving a confirmation email on my order) that I somehow had two accounts in my name with TiVo, one of which was under an email I had never heard of. After getting these two accounts merged, it showed a TiVo from 2002, which was apparently why I was given the deal with no questions asked.

I have no idea how this mix-up occurred, but I am grateful to have had it happen. I suspect it may have been an account from someone I had purchased a used TiVo from on eBay, and the rep who processed the lifetime transfer on that TiVo somehow put that person's whole account in my name.

Basically, what I am trying to say is, you should just call customer service and see what they say.


----------



## willink

Just called and ordered a Roamio Pro with Lifetime. Got the loyalty discount and free slide remote. Been a TiVo customer for 12 years. I referenced this forum. The CSR was incredibly nice. Good luck!

Roamio Pro -- $599.99
Lifetime -- $99.99
Slide Pro Remote -- $0.00
Shipping -- $0.00
Tax -- $37.50
Total -- $737.48


----------



## nycityuser

As a 10 year customer I just ordered a Roamio Basic (for OTA use) with $199 lifetime service. I asked about the Slide Remote and after consulting with a supervisor the representative agreed to provide it. I also purchased the $29.99 two year warranty (I know, probably not necessary).

Sales tax on the $430 bundle was $31.50 shipped to Los Angeles. The sales tax rate here is 9% so the tax was on a $350 base. I don't know how they calculate that but it is what it is.


----------



## CCourtney

pfiagra said:


> I was only an 8 year customer, but was given the deal. However, this was only because I discovered (after not receiving a confirmation email on my order) that I somehow had two accounts in my name with TiVo, one of which was under an email I had never heard of. After getting these two accounts merged, it showed a TiVo from 2002, which was apparently why I was given the deal with no questions asked.
> 
> I have no idea how this mix-up occurred, but I am grateful to have had it happen. I suspect it may have been an account from someone I had purchased a used TiVo from on eBay, and the rep who processed the lifetime transfer on that TiVo somehow put that person's whole account in my name.
> 
> Basically, what I am trying to say is, you should just call customer service and see what they say.


I'm guessing it was that tie in from the 2002 account. I've been with TIVO for eight years now and tried to get the deal. The best the would do was $150 on the Roamio Basic and $399 on the Lifetime Subscription (typical $100 off.) After they gave me that offer, I mentioned the offers that others had seen w/o stating the details, and they mentioned that the offer is only for people who have been subscribed for 10yrs+ and they wouldn't budge at that point.

Maybe in a couple of more years. For now I'm just sticking with my 2 TiVo HD setup in the Home Theater room. I wanted to move one into the living room (replaced a 36" CRT that finally died after 20yrs w/ a new LED TV) and one into the Master Bedroom.


----------



## RickStrobel

For the 10 year loyalty deal do you have to buy the TiVo from TiVo? Or could I get my TiVo from Amazon then call and activate Lifetime Service for $99 or $199 (if I got a Plus / Pro or regular Roamio)?


----------



## HarperVision

RickStrobel said:


> For the 10 year loyalty deal do you have to buy the TiVo from TiVo? Or could I get my TiVo from Amazon then call and activate Lifetime Service for $99 or $199 (if I got a Plus / Pro or regular Roamio)?


Have to buy through TiVo.


----------



## dcline414

Frys has the base Roamio for $130, in-store only after promo code good through Thursday 1/15:


----------



## RickStrobel

chiguy50 said:


> If you are not able to get a good deal by negotiating with TiVo directly, you can always purchase a discount code from trusted eBay seller Spherular (he's active on this forum) for about $30 (make him an offer) that will entitle you to purchase a Roamio Pro for $700 (plus tax).


So is that the best way for someone who's brand new to TiVo to get in? Also, what special powers does this guy have to be able to offer these codes?


----------



## tatergator1

RickStrobel said:


> So is that the best way for someone who's brand new to TiVo to get in? Also, what special powers does this guy have to be able to offer these codes?


He has some connection to electronics retail and is acquiring codes as part of a Tivo program that offers training to retail employees about the benefits of Tivo, etc. In return, the retail employee is offered a discount code to buy steeply discounted Tivo products. The website is http://sellmoretivo.com/, which is shown as down for maintenance currently.


----------



## Diana Collins

Here is the link to Spherular's eBay listing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/TiVo-Promo-...169?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33966cf541


----------



## Hokie-Dave

RickStrobel said:


> So is that the best way for someone who's brand new to TiVo to get in? Also, what special powers does this guy have to be able to offer these codes?


I believe it is. The price you can get is the same as what the people getting the 10 year loyalty deal are getting, except you need to add on his fee.


----------



## RickStrobel

Is there a limit on how many Lifetime subscriptions one can get under the 10 year loyalty promotion?


----------



## Fofer

There have been so many outliers and exceptions, I'd bet that answer depends on which CSR you happen to get.


----------



## HarperVision

RickStrobel said:


> Is there a limit on how many Lifetime subscriptions one can get under the 10 year loyalty promotion?


I've asked on 2 or 3 different occasions and each time have been told only once, but with TiVo ya never know based on which CSR you happen to be talking to.


----------



## peitsche

So, the crazy thing (IMO) is that the Roamio Plus with a 3TB drive is cheaper at Weakness ($469) than replacing the hard drive yourself. 

But of course if you want to take advantage of the TiVo loyalty deal, you need to purchase the TiVo from TiVo. 

What's the recommended 3TB drive to get for the Roamio? The WD Green?


----------



## Fofer

HarperVision said:


> I've asked on 2 or 3 different occasions and each time have been told only once, but with TiVo ya never know based on which CSR you happen to be talking to.


If I wanted a 2nd, I wouldn't ask "how many am I allowed?" Because that would give them a chance to think about it and refuse you.

I would just call again and try to order the 2nd one, without raising any red flags for them to consider. My hunch is that you'd have better results that way.


----------



## Fofer

peitsche said:


> So, the crazy thing (IMO) is that the Roamio Plus with a 3TB drive is cheaper at Weakness ($469) than replacing the hard drive yourself. But of course if you want to take advantage of the TiVo loyalty deal, you need to purchase the TiVo from TiVo. What's the recommended 3TB drive to get for the Roamio? The WD Green?


Doing it yourself though, means you still have the original drive. I upgraded mine to 4TB instead anyway, which helped with the price comparison.

And yes, the big deal here is the savings on the Lifetime service, that's what drove me to pull the trigger.


----------



## peitsche

Fofer said:


> Doing it yourself though, means you still have the original drive.


True, good point.



Fofer said:


> I upgraded mine to 4TB instead anyway, which helped with the price comparison.


How tedious and/or time-consuming is this? Would I need to install the hard drive into a desktop and "do some magic" before installing it in the TiVo? Sorry, I am sure there's a thread or link for that here somewhere; I just haven't looked closely yet.



Fofer said:


> And yes, the big deal here is the savings on the Lifetime service, that's what drove me to pull the trigger.


I agree, isn't the regular lifetime service $399 with multiple TiVos?

Also, is the WD Green (whether 3 or 4 TB) the recommended drive for the Roamio?


----------



## rainwater

peitsche said:


> How tedious and/or time-consuming is this? Would I need to install the hard drive into a desktop and "do some magic" before installing it in the TiVo? Sorry, I am sure there's a thread or link for that here somewhere; I just haven't looked closely yet.


With the Roamio, hard drives are formatted automatically so nothing needs to be done. It is just a matter of how comfortable you are replacing the internal drive. There is also a warranty concern. TiVo seems to be a bit stricter about providing warranty support for TiVos with updated drives than they did in the past.


----------



## lpwcomp

peitsche said:


> How tedious and/or time-consuming is this? Would I need to install the hard drive into a desktop and "do some magic" before installing it in the TiVo? Sorry, I am sure there's a thread or link for that here somewhere; I just haven't looked closely yet.





rainwater said:


> With the Roamio, hard drives are formatted automatically so nothing needs to be done. It is just a matter of how comfortable you are replacing the internal drive. There is also a warranty concern. TiVo seems to be a bit stricter about providing warranty support for TiVos with updated drives than they did in the past.


It doesn't work like that with a 4TB drive, so the answer is yes, you do have to "do some magic". See this thread. You'll have to judge for yourself whether or not it is too tedious.


----------



## HarperVision

Fofer said:


> If I wanted a 2nd, I wouldn't ask "how many am I allowed?" Because that would give them a chance to think about it and refuse you. I would just call again and try to order the 2nd one, without raising any red flags for them to consider. My hunch is that you'd have better results that way.


Who ever said I volunteered that info?


----------



## Fofer

HarperVision said:


> Who ever said I volunteered that info?


Whoever suggested you did? I have no idea how your call went. I was merely offering a suggestion to others who may call in the future.

And I said nothing about "volunteering info," so much as I suggested how to approach the placement of a second order.

If that's what you tried, and were denied, that's useful information to share. However, if there is one thing I have learned about TiVo, it's that CSR Roulette is alive and well, and another call to a different CSR might very well go differently.


----------



## HarperVision

Fofer said:


> Whoever suggested you did? I have no idea how your call went. I was merely offering a suggestion to others who may call in the future. And I said nothing about "volunteering info," so much as I suggested how to approach the placement of a second order. If that's what you tried, and were denied, that's useful information to share. However, if there is one thing I have learned about TiVo, it's that CSR Roulette is alive and well, and another call to a different CSR might very well go differently.


Well, I certainly thought when you quoted me and said:



Fofer said:


> ........My hunch is that *you'd* have better results that way.


That *you'd* be talking about me. Sorry if I mistook *your* intent. 

I agree with the TiVo CSR roulette of course. TiVo CS is like Forrest Gump's analogy of the box of chocolates....."ya never know what you're going to get!"


----------



## Fofer

The comment of yours I'd quoted was merely meant as a jumping off point for the thought I added.

The "you" in that context was meant to translate as "any one of you" (meaning, anyone else reading here.) Sorry I didn't phrase my comment better.


----------



## Old Hickory

HarperVision said:


> Have to buy through TiVo.


I'm lazy. Can you provide a link for information on this deal?

Okay, I'm not that lazy. I went back several pages and found that it was a non-advertised deal that required me to make a call into Tivo.


----------



## jwbelcher

Fofer said:


> The comment of yours I'd quoted was merely meant as a jumping off point for the thought I added.
> 
> The "you" in that context was meant to translate as "any one of you" (meaning, anyone else reading here.) Sorry I didn't phrase my comment better.


FWIW - I took it as the generic you as well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_you


----------



## RickStrobel

Regarding CSR Roulette: how many CSRs does TiVo have? Anyone have any idea? Seems that if you play the game too hard they might get to know you. Plus, aren't many of the calls logged or noted? 

I'm not saying that CSR Roulette is not a great strategy. Just wondering what the limits are...


----------



## HarperVision

jwbelcher said:


> FWIW - I took it as the generic you as well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_you


Fair enough, but if he hadn't quoted me personally then I would've most likely thought the same thing. S'all good!


----------



## Fofer

FWIW, I get into the habit of quoting the thought that inspired my response, simply because at the fast pace this forum often moves, if I don't do so, other posts appear in between, and then my post may come off as a non sequitur. I quote so I can use it as a reference point, and I am not necessarily replying directly to the poster, so much as I'm offering up thoughts to the group as a whole. After all, this is a public forum with many participants. Many people talking to many people, in a crowded virtual space.

Anyway. Glad we got that sorted. S'all good, indeed.


----------



## nycityuser

As I wrote above, I ordered a Roamio Basic plus lifetime from TiVo with the 10 year loyalty deal. Lifetime was $199.

I ordered on Monday by phone and the CSR asked if free shipping for a Friday arrival was acceptable. I suggested that would mean no later than Monday or Tuesday of next week. He said it would be Friday at the latest. I was happy with that and accepted the timetable.

Fast forward 3 days to today (Thursday) and the order still shows as processing on their website. As I only live here part-time, if the order arrives after next Tuesday then nobody will be around to receive it for awhile. So I called in to TiVo to inquire about the status.

The guy kept putting me on hold and giving me the runaround that all was OK. I forced the issue and he found that the order was still processing and would not be shipped for several more days.

We agreed to cancel the order with the plan that I could call back in a month and re-order at the same pricing. He gave me a reference number for the call. Ten minutes later he phoned me back to say that they actually could not guarantee the loyalty pricing in a month. He asked if I wanted to ship to another address to receive it. I said no since I could not try it out within the 30-day money-back guarantee period.

Meantime, they did ship the free slider remote a couple of days ago and it will arrive tomorrow. It was shipped as a separate order with zero cost. I wonder what happens with that now?

I have to say I am disappointed with the disorganization of TiVo sales and shipping. I've always had much better luck in the past and I've ordered lots of TiVo units from them over the last 11 years.


----------



## trip1eX

nycityuser said:


> As I wrote above, I ordered a Roamio Basic plus lifetime from TiVo with the 10 year loyalty deal. Lifetime was $199.
> 
> I ordered on Monday by phone and the CSR asked if free shipping for a Friday arrival was acceptable. I suggested that would mean no later than Monday or Tuesday of next week. He said it would be Friday at the latest. I was happy with that and accepted the timetable.
> 
> Fast forward 3 days to today (Thursday) and the order still shows as processing on their website. As I only live here part-time, if the order arrives after next Tuesday then nobody will be around to receive it for awhile. So I called in to TiVo to inquire about the status.
> 
> The guy kept putting me on hold and giving me the runaround that all was OK. I forced the issue and he found that the order was still processing and would not be shipped for several more days.
> 
> We agreed to cancel the order with the plan that I could call back in a month and re-order at the same pricing. He gave me a reference number for the call. Ten minutes later he phoned me back to say that they actually could not guarantee the loyalty pricing in a month. He asked if I wanted to ship to another address to receive it. I said no since I could not try it out within the 30-day money-back guarantee period.
> 
> Meantime, they did ship the free slider remote a couple of days ago and it will arrive tomorrow. It was shipped as a separate order with zero cost. I wonder what happens with that now?
> 
> I have to say I am disappointed with the disorganization of TiVo sales and shipping. I've always had much better luck in the past and I've ordered lots of TiVo units from them over the last 11 years.


Sounds like Tivo to me. Their back office systems are cups and a string. They use stone tablets to take orders. And hamster wheels are their sole power source.


----------



## series5orpremier

At least this time they called you back to try re-negotiating the terms. My expectation would have been they'd ship your equipment in 30 days without you calling to order, only they'd charge you full price without notifying you and hit up your credit card without your consent.


----------



## Dabreeze

Thank you to all who have posted about the lifetime loyalty deal for the Roamio. Today, I got the Roamio Plus and lifetime for $523.00 delivered. Two phone calls, 2 CSR reps. The 2nd rep was extremely helpful. He pulled up a old Tivo series 2 boxed with DirectTv from 2001 to 2009 and added that time to my current 6 years with a Tivo HD. It took a couple of supervisors to get it done but now I'm a happy camper. So, be patient and persevere. It's well worth the time and effort. No more monthly payments ! Hooray.


----------



## rscar627

Thanx for all the info guys. Just ordered a Roamio Plus with lifetime for $523.98. Unfortunately, I was unable to get the slide remote but no biggie. I'm happy, I saved $300. :up:


----------



## blueshoo

+1 thanks. Have been out of the Tivo world from several years, but took this opportunity to jump back in.


----------



## RacShade

Longtime listener, first-time caller.

Thanks to this thread, I just called in and got the Pro* and Slide Remote for $699.98 + $72.00 Los Angeles sales tax for a total of $771.98.

*(Had fun upgrading my Series2 with two bigger drives thanks to this forum back in '03, but just wanted to get something off the shelf and go about my day.)


----------



## Bierboy

RacShade said:


> Longtime listener, first-time caller.
> 
> Thanks to this thread, I just called in and got the Pro* and Slide Remote for $699.98 + $72.00 Los Angeles sales tax for a total of $771.98.
> 
> *(Had fun upgrading my Series2 with two bigger drives thanks to this forum back in '03, but just wanted to get something off the shelf and go about my day.)


I hope you got lifetime with that....


----------



## RacShade

Bierboy said:


> I hope you got lifetime with that....


Yes. Should have mentioned that. :up:


----------



## Bierboy

RacShade said:


> Yes. Should have mentioned that. :up:


----------



## Lyons00

Hi,
I'm thinking about getting the Roamio Pro with one mini and lifetime services, total would be about 1243 plus tax.. I've called twice and neither CSR, wouldn't discount anything at all. Is this normal with Tivo, any help would be appreciated? 

Thanks, Jerry


----------



## HarperVision

Lyons00 said:


> Hi, I'm thinking about getting the Roamio Pro with one mini and lifetime services, total would be about 1243 plus tax.. I've called twice and neither CSR, wouldn't discount anything at all. Is this normal with Tivo, any help would be appreciated? Thanks, Jerry


Buy a code off of eBay from spherular (member here). Very good and very legit, make him an offer.


----------



## Lyons00

HarperVision said:


> Buy a code off of eBay from spherular (member here). Very good and very legit, make him an offer.


Thank you, I'll look into this!!


----------



## HarperVision

Lyons00 said:


> Thank you, I'll look into this!!


Send him a PM here if you can.


----------



## tarheelblue32

HarperVision said:


> Send him a PM here if you can.


He can't. Not enough posts yet.


----------



## Lyons00

tarheelblue32 said:


> He can't. Not enough posts yet.


I sent him a email on eBay! Hope he gets back to me, just making sure of the price.
Thanks


----------



## HarperVision

Lyons00 said:


> I sent him a email on eBay! Hope he gets back to me, just making sure of the price. Thanks


Go to sellmoretivo.com and it'll show prices you get with his coupon code. He usually accepts a cheaper offer for the codes.


----------



## tarheelblue32

HarperVision said:


> Go to sellmoretivo.com and it'll show prices you get with his coupon code. He usually accepts a cheaper offer for the codes.


The site has been down for a couple months, but the codes still work. The current prices are $450 for a Roamio, $600 for a Plus, and $700 for a Pro.


----------



## LoadStar

I know the 10+ year "loyalty" deals were supposed to have long expired; have they?


----------



## hummingbird_206

LoadStar said:


> I know the 10+ year "loyalty" deals were supposed to have long expired; have they?


The end date seemed to be constantly on the move. If you're interested your best bet is to call and ask. It was a really good deal, so well worth the call.


----------



## HarperVision

tarheelblue32 said:


> The site has been down for a couple months, but the codes still work. The current prices are $450 for a Roamio, $600 for a Plus, and $700 for a Pro.


Oh wow, I didn't know that!



LoadStar said:


> I know the 10+ year "loyalty" deals were supposed to have long expired; have they?


 They told me Friday they were still valid.

On another note that some people may think is a good deal, I ended up getting the $99 and $19.99/mth for 2 yrs Roamio Plus Military deal for my parents (dad is a coast guard vet) because they just wouldn't budge on lifetime and wouldn't cough up full price on one since they had to get some minis too. Well after it was all hooked up and going, I was curious if by chance maybe you could change to lifetime online while within the 30 day money back guarantee period. Well that almost worked and I got excited when it brought up the page and it even included my MSD, but it also increased the equipment cost back to full price, so it didn't really work of course, but I also saw options for $12.99/mth and $129.99/year annual subscription. The $12.99 one didn't work because it also jacked the equipment price back up to full cost, but lo and behold when I selected the annual plan it kept the $99 Roamio Plus equipment cost and allowed it to change the plan and charge $129.99 for a year of service, which also reduced the commitment to only one year!

That's only $99 for the plus and $130 for a year of service ($10.83/mth instead of $19.99, so $229 for a Roamio plus with 1 year of service!) and 1 yr commitment. Pretty decent in my book, for someone that doesn't qualify for the loyalty deal or doesn't want to throw down a chunk of change right away!

I'm not sure, but this may also be able to be done if someone takes advantage of the current zero down, $19.99/month deals they have for refurbs if you're not military. (roamio $0, Plus $99, Pro $199)


----------



## heifer624

Thanks Dave, I was also in the thirty day window and had paid $99 for the plus and just also changed mine from monthly to $130 for a year of service.


----------



## HarperVision

heifer624 said:


> Thanks Dave, I was also in the thirty day window and had paid $99 for the plus and just also changed mine from monthly to $130 for a year of service.


No problem. Were you on the military or the zero down refurb deal?


----------



## heifer624

Roamio Plus refurb @ $99.99

Here's the confirmation email I got...

Dear TiVo Customer,

This email is to confirm the changes you made online to your TiVo account on "Manage My Account".

Your service agreement changes have been made.

Selected Plan
TiVo Service Plan - $129.99 - TiVo Package, Annual

Transaction Details
Item Price Tax
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Refund for original service payment $-19.99 $0.00
Refund for original hardware price $-99.99 $-6.50
TiVo Service Plan - $129.99 - TiVo Package, Annual $149.99 $0.00
Hardware price for new selected plan $99.99 $6.50
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total: $130.00

Payment information

Name on Credit Card Used: 
Credit card ending 
Expiration Date : 
Billing Address

Your use of TiVo devices and service are subject to the terms and conditions of the TiVo User Agreement and Privacy Policy,
available at www.tivo.com/legal.

Your annual service plan renews annually at $129 per year (reduced to $99 if eligible for our multi-service discount) per year
until you cancel by calling TiVo. Cancellation does not entitle you to a refund of any pre-paid service fees.

To view details of this transaction or to make any further changes to your account, please visit: www.tivo.com/manage

Sincerely,

The TiVo Team


----------



## HarperVision

heifer624 said:


> Roamio Plus refurb @ $99.99 Here's the confirmation email I got... Dear TiVo Customer, This email is to confirm the changes you made online to your TiVo account on "Manage My Account". Your service agreement changes have been made. Selected Plan TiVo Service Plan - $129.99 - TiVo Package, Annual Transaction Details Item Price Tax ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Refund for original service payment $-19.99 $0.00 Refund for original hardware price $-99.99 $-6.50 TiVo Service Plan - $129.99 - TiVo Package, Annual $149.99 $0.00 Hardware price for new selected plan $99.99 $6.50 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total: $130.00 Payment information Name on Credit Card Used: Credit card ending Expiration Date : Billing Address Your use of TiVo devices and service are subject to the terms and conditions of the TiVo User Agreement and Privacy Policy, available at www.tivo.com/legal. Your annual service plan renews annually at $129 per year (reduced to $99 if eligible for our multi-service discount) per year until you cancel by calling TiVo. Cancellation does not entitle you to a refund of any pre-paid service fees. To view details of this transaction or to make any further changes to your account, please visit: www.tivo.com/manage Sincerely, The TiVo Team


Cool. Pretty much same as mine except military, not refurb.


----------



## ksj

$499 pro on amazon all day long


----------



## lucylocket

I just received an email offer today for a basic Roamio for $149 with transfer of Lifetime Service for $99 available to those with 10 consecutive years on the same single tuner, standard def Tivo. 

I doubt that a better deal than this would ever come along, but I'm wondering if there are any pitfalls to making the change. Is the Roamio proving to be as easy to figure out and reliable as my Series 2 has been and can it be upgraded with a larger capacity hard drive down the road? I've only had to replace the power supply, fan or the hard drive a time or two. I was able to add an additional drive for more hrs, power supply and fans myself. Can that type of maintenance be done as easily by a non-techy like me on Roamio? 

I'm a little worried about giving up old reliable, but knowing that it works with an HD antenna is a big selling point since I may just give up cable altogether one of these days since the bulk of my favorite cable shows have either been or are being cancelled soon. Any input will be appreciated.


----------



## tarheelblue32

lucylocket said:


> I just received an email offer today for a basic Roamio for $149 with transfer of Lifetime Service for $99 available to those with 10 consecutive years on the same single tuner, standard def Tivo.
> 
> I doubt that a better deal than this would ever come along, but I'm wondering if there are any pitfalls to making the change. Is the Roamio proving to be as easy to figure out and reliable as my Series 2 has been and can it be upgraded with a larger capacity hard drive down the road? I've only had to replace the power supply, fan or the hard drive a time or two. I was able to add an additional drive for more hrs, power supply and fans myself. Can that type of maintenance be done as easily by a non-techy like me on Roamio?
> 
> I'm a little worried about giving up old reliable, but knowing that it works with an HD antenna is a big selling point since I may just give up cable altogether one of these days since the bulk of my favorite cable shows have either been or are being cancelled soon. Any input will be appreciated.


Take that deal. Going from a Series 2 to a Roamio is a very nice upgrade and well worth it.

Upgrading the hard drive on the Roamios is ridiculously easy. You just plop in the new drive and the Roamio automatically formats the new drive for you.


----------



## jrtroo

The roamio is even easier to work on. I would jump on that in a second. You'll need a cablecard, which is generally easy to deal with, but you may read horror stories from time to time. Who is your provider?


----------



## Aaron Oppliger

That is an amazing deal on the Roamio Basic! I also have a series 2 that's been in use for over 10 years, but haven't received that email. Did it include a promo code, or do you think it might be possible to just call in and request that offer? They should be able to see that the S2 has been on our account and active since 2003. 

I suppose I'll try calling to see if I can get that promotion. I've been wanting a Romaio, and that is an absolutely crazy price.


----------



## HarperVision

lucylocket said:


> I just received an email offer today for a basic Roamio for $149 with transfer of Lifetime Service for $99 available to those with 10 consecutive years on the same single tuner, standard def Tivo. I doubt that a better deal than this would ever come along, but I'm wondering if there are any pitfalls to making the change. Is the Roamio proving to be as easy to figure out and reliable as my Series 2 has been and can it be upgraded with a larger capacity hard drive down the road? I've only had to replace the power supply, fan or the hard drive a time or two. I was able to add an additional drive for more hrs, power supply and fans myself. Can that type of maintenance be done as easily by a non-techy like me on Roamio? I'm a little worried about giving up old reliable, but knowing that it works with an HD antenna is a big selling point since I may just give up cable altogether one of these days since the bulk of my favorite cable shows have either been or are being cancelled soon. Any input will be appreciated.


The only thing you may need to worry about is the Roamio features HDMI and analog composite video only for AV outputs, so if you want to watch HD then you have to have a display with at least one HDMI input.


----------



## Aaron Oppliger

Just gave tivo customer support a call and they hadn't heard a thing about the $99 service transfer offer. They did give me the $199 Romaio basic + $199 lifetime service offer, which is still nothing to sneeze at, but I'm going to wait a few days to see if any more comes out about the lifetime service transfer for Series 2 owners. 

If anyone receives that email, send me a private message. If you could forward me the email to confirm the offer, the customer service rep said that I could fax it in and potentially get the deal. They just need to confirm that it's a real offer from TiVo.


----------



## lucylocket

Comcast. I'm sure we all have horror stories with them. I think the first cablecard may be free. Can a cablecard be used on each tuner?


----------



## lucylocket

Aaron Oppliger said:


> That is an amazing deal on the Roamio Basic! I also have a series 2 that's been in use for over 10 years, but haven't received that email. Did it include a promo code, or do you think it might be possible to just call in and request that offer? They should be able to see that the S2 has been on our account and active since 2003.
> 
> I suppose I'll try calling to see if I can get that promotion. I've been wanting a Romaio, and that is an absolutely crazy price.


The phone number is 877-289-8486. Your Tivo ID number (which they specifically identify in the email so it must be legit) is the code and it says non-transferable, single use valid through January 28. Other requirements are 10 consecutive years of same single tuner, standard def Tivo, and the only Tivo on your account. It doesn't say it has to be a series 2.


----------



## lucylocket

Aaron Oppliger said:


> Just gave tivo customer support a call and they hadn't heard a thing about the $99 service transfer offer. They did give me the $199 Romaio basic + $199 lifetime service offer, which is still nothing to sneeze at, but I'm going to wait a few days to see if any more comes out about the lifetime service transfer for Series 2 owners.
> 
> If anyone receives that email, send me a private message. If you could forward me the email to confirm the offer, the customer service rep said that I could fax it in and potentially get the deal. They just need to confirm that it's a real offer from TiVo.


I called them to get details and what they gave you IS the offer. The $99 service transfer fee was for the two upper level Roamios, and the $149 was for something called a Mini Roamio. Sorry to get your hopes up for nothing.


----------



## Fofer

There's no such thing as a "Mini Roamio."

Sounds like what you're referencing is the standard "TiVo Mini."


----------



## pfiagra

HarperVision said:


> The only thing you may need to worry about is the Roamio features HDMI and analog composite video only for AV outputs, so if you want to watch HD then you have to have a display with at least one HDMI input.


I would also add (from what I know) that the Roamio will regularly be accessing the internet for content as you navigate (e.g., pictures, etc.) even if streaming services are not used. This was an issue with the tivo I got my parents because they have a limit on their monthly internet service. However, since theirs is a Premiere, I simply switched them to the SD menu.


----------



## slowbiscuit

lucylocket said:


> Comcast. I'm sure we all have horror stories with them. I think the first cablecard may be free. Can a cablecard be used on each tuner?


You only need one Cablecard and they should give you the phone number to call to activate it when they give you the card. First card is free, assuming you have no other boxes on the account.


----------



## amandagal

I just got the 10 year subscriber deal, so it must still be active. I didn't even have to ask for it. My Tivo had an ad yesterday about upgrade deals, but I didn't click on it (I looked here instead. I'm sure it was the current deal they just sent me an email about that was about $700 for the roamio plus and lifetime service). But, I told the rep that I had seen an ad about a deal and she gave me the Roamio Plus + lifetime for $499.98. I've been a customer since December of 2004.


----------



## jrtroo

woah. You won the lottery with both offers you received.


----------



## kingmob

Just used the 10-year loyalty deal on a Plus + Lifetime. I hadn't checked the forum for a while and just decided to see what the latest deal is. Lucky me! The CSR said that they couldn't offer the slide remote anymore, but no biggie.


----------



## shaggy314

I got the same 10 year customer deal completely by accident. I was calling in to register my new tivo and see if there was a dela on lifetime service. They told me about the $399 R+ and lifetime for $99. I returned the R+ I was going to register and got the direct deal on the spot (this was mid December) about a week before my still running (3rd HDD though) Series 2.

Now the Time Warner has gone all digital the series 2 will be retired as it's too much hassle to bother with the mini tuner for it. I might see if it's worth anything on ebay.


----------



## Finalrinse

Just ordered a Roamio Basic with Lifetime for 399.98. Of coarse with 10-year loyalty program.


----------



## CoryW

shaggy314 said:


> I got the same 10 year customer deal completely by accident. I was calling in to register my new tivo and see if there was a dela on lifetime service. They told me about the $399 R+ and lifetime for $99. I returned the R+ I was going to register and got the direct deal on the spot (this was mid December) about a week before my still running (3rd HDD though) Series 2.
> 
> Now the Time Warner has gone all digital the series 2 will be retired as it's too much hassle to bother with the mini tuner for it. I might see if it's worth anything on ebay.


Did the $399 R+ and lifetime for $99 deal expire yesterday? This is perfect for my mother-in-law. I appreciate any other tips you can provide.

I was contemplating this which would have been $599 + $50 eBay purchase for the same thing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TiVo-Promo-...io-Pro-Plus-DVR-Mini-w-Lifetime-/221567055169


----------



## CoryW

Here's another thread where they said the promo ended yesterday. Well crap.
http://slickdeals.net/f/7371222-tiv...me-500-for-customers-of-10-years-ymmv?page=23


----------



## tarheelblue32

CoryW said:


> Here's another thread where they said the promo ended yesterday. Well crap.
> http://slickdeals.net/f/7371222-tiv...me-500-for-customers-of-10-years-ymmv?page=23


Call TiVo and ask for the deal. You might still get it.


----------



## Finalrinse

tarheelblue32 said:


> Call TiVo and ask for the deal. You might still get it.


Yes, I did today with no problem + slide remote and dongle!


----------



## lessd

tarheelblue32 said:


> Call TiVo and ask for the deal. You might still get it.


I just got the deal today with a free slide remote, great CSR at TiVo. $499.98 for the Roamio Plus with lifetime + some sales tax.
Ask for *Sandy*


----------



## Fofer

lessd said:


> I just got the deal today with a free slide remote, great CSR at TiVo. $499.98 for the Roamio Plus with lifetime + some sales tax. Ask for Sandy


Ask for the Bluetooth dongle for the free slide remote too, so it'll work on other devices, like the Premiere and Mini


----------



## lessd

Fofer said:


> Ask for the Bluetooth dongle for the free slide remote too, so it'll work on other devices, like the Premiere and Mini


S**t too late now.


----------



## skimerlin

Just another data point.

I called today and got Romio Plus and took advantage of the $99 product lifetime transfer.

CSR didn't even hesitate about the offer.


----------



## lessd

skimerlin said:


> Just another data point.
> 
> I called today and got Romio Plus and took advantage of the $99 product lifetime transfer.
> 
> CSR didn't even hesitate about the offer.


Did you get the free slide Remote ??


----------



## skimerlin

lessd said:


> Did you get the free slide Remote ??


I acted foolishly and called before I came here to read the threads. As a result, I didn't know to ask for it.


----------



## kcongdon

skimerlin said:


> I acted foolishly and called before I came here to read the threads. As a result, I didn't know to ask for it.


I too was able to get the discounted pricing as of this morning. Ordered a Romio Plus & Mini for the discounted price. I called back to ask about getting the slide remote added to the order, and was told that free slide remote promotion had expired. Should I call back and keep asking?


----------



## Fofer

Depends on how badly you want it, I suppose.


----------



## Masterchin

Plus free remote
Order Summary
-------------
Product Description Qty Item Price Tax* Total
C00260 TiVo Slide Pro Remote 1 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00

--------------------------------
 Order Sub Total: $ 0.00
Shipping: $ 0.00
Tax: $ 0.00
Order Total: $ 0.00


Order Summary
-------------
Product Description Qty Item Price Tax* Total
S00031 TiVo Package, Product Lifetime 1 $ 99.99 $ 32.40 $ 132.39
R84800 TiVo Roamio Plus 1 $ 399.99 $ 0.00 $ 399.99
RA9200 TiVo Mini (RA9200) 1 $ 149.99 $ 0.00 $ 149.99
RA9200 TiVo Mini (RA9200) 1 $ 149.99 $ 0.00 $ 149.99
RA9200 TiVo Mini (RA9200) 1 $ 149.99 $ 0.00 $ 149.99

--------------------------------
Order Sub Total: $ 949.95
Shipping: $ 0.00
Tax: $ 68.85
Order Total: $ 1,018.80


----------



## kingmob

Just called back and was able to get them to send me a free slide remote!


----------



## lessd

kingmob said:


> Just called back and was able to get them to send me a free slide remote!


Good all CSR roulette in play, good for you.


----------



## leo38cheng

hi all - noob here and would like some help.

I brought *2* used TiVo Premiere Series 4 DVR (TCD746500) with lifetime subscription off ebay 2 years ago, and I plan on upgrading to the Roamio Plus but have a few questions:

1. Would I be eligible for this deal? 
2. I have verizon fios and plan to link up 1 Roamio Plus with 4 Minis (is this a good combination or should I get 2 Roamio Plus and 3 Minis instead)
3. Can I transfer my lifetime subscription on the old tivo to the new Roamio Plus?

Any other advice will also be appreciated.

THANKS!


----------



## Tico

leo38cheng said:


> hi all - noob here and would like some help.
> 
> I brought *2* used TiVo Premiere Series 4 DVR (TCD746500) with lifetime subscription off ebay 2 years ago, and I plan on upgrading to the Roamio Plus but have a few questions:
> 
> 1. Would I be eligible for this deal?
> 2. I have verizon fios and plan to link up 1 Roamio Plus with 4 Minis (is this a good combination or should I get 2 Roamio Plus and 3 Minis instead)
> 3. Can I transfer my lifetime subscription on the old tivo to the new Roamio Plus?
> 
> Any other advice will also be appreciated.
> 
> THANKS!


1. The 10 year Sub deal... Nope

2. Really depends on how the Minis will be used. If a lot of Live TV I would get 2 Roamios as losing 4 tuners to the minis could cause problems.

3. No you can't transfer.

Luckily you could likely sell those premiers for $500 to $600 for the pair to recoup some of the cost.

Also def Buy Roamio Pluses and upgrade the Hard Drives to 3 or 4TB yourself.


----------



## Waterguy1

The 10-yr subscriber deal still works as of today. Just ordered a Roamio Pro and a Mini for $850 + tax and free shipping.


----------



## Fofer

I have a feeling this "10 year subscriber deal" will go on forever and the mythology about its terms and history will continue to grow more and more complex with each passing week.


----------



## ertyu

Is anyone aware of deals for adding Lifetime Service to existing Roamio hardware?


----------



## lessd

ertyu said:


> Is anyone aware of deals for adding Lifetime Service to existing Roamio hardware?


Use the code PLSR and get* $100 *off from the list price of $499.


----------



## ertyu

lessd said:


> Use the code PLSR and get* $100 *off from the list price of $499.


Thanks, but that would get me to the same place as the multi-service discount, unless it's additive?


----------



## lessd

ertyu said:


> Thanks, but that would get me to the same place as the multi-service discount, unless it's additive?


It is not additive, sorry


----------



## tarheelblue32

ertyu said:


> Thanks, but that would get me to the same place as the multi-service discount, unless it's additive?


True, but it's better to use the code than the multi-service discount. If you use the "PLSR" code to activate lifetime on a box, then that box could be used as the anchor in the future for another multi-service discounted box (for if they ever discontinue the PLSR code).


----------



## ertyu

tarheelblue32 said:


> True, but it's better to use the code than the multi-service discount. If you use the "PLSR" code to activate lifetime on a box, then that box could be used as the anchor in the future for another multi-service discounted box (for if they ever discontinue the PLSR code).


So that seems a little confusing to me. You're saying that if I apply the lifetime service to the Roamio using the MSD because I already have another box on my account, that in future if I remove the old box from my account, leaving only the Roamio with lifetime on my account, it would leave my account ineligible for future MSD?

Or is this more for an ownership transfer case?


----------



## gespears

I didn't read all the pages of this thread so I'm assuming this has been covered but I bought one of the discount coupons off eBay. He wanted 50 bucks for it and I offered 25 and he accepted. I guess I should have offered less. Anyway, it worked perfectly. I was going to get a plus and put a 3 TB hard drive in it but it was only 100 dollars more for the pro with the coupon. The hard drive I was looking at was 114 from Newegg so I just went with the pro. It was 699 for the pro, and I went ahead and paid the 39.99 for the 3 year warranty. I know it's a waste but worth it to me for the peace of mind. So with tax and warranty it was ~ 770 out the door. It was a much better deal than I could find on eBay or could get from a CSR at TiVo even though I've been a good customer for more than 7 years. I don't know how he gets those codes but it worked.


----------



## lpwcomp

tarheelblue32 said:


> True, but it's better to use the code than the multi-service discount. If you use the "PLSR" code to activate lifetime on a box, then that box could be used as the anchor in the future for another multi-service discounted box (for if they ever discontinue the PLSR code).


Are you certain that a TiVo whose lifetime service was purchased with MSD cannot serve as an "anchor baby"?


----------



## tarheelblue32

ertyu said:


> So that seems a little confusing to me. You're saying that if I apply the lifetime service to the Roamio using the MSD because I already have another box on my account, that in future if I remove the old box from my account, leaving only the Roamio with lifetime on my account, it would leave my account ineligible for future MSD?


Correct.



lpwcomp said:


> Are you certain that a TiVo whose lifetime service was purchased with MSD cannot serve as an "anchor baby"?


Pretty sure.


----------



## ertyu

tarheelblue32 said:


> Correct.
> Pretty sure.


There is mention of full price service in the MSD terms and conditions, but nothing that explicitly covers this. It is strange that a discount code would count as full price service, but a previous MSD would not.


----------



## larrs

Just got the $99 deal. The CSR seemed surprised it was still available. He indicated they have been told it is going away. His theory is that it will go away after xx number of sales.


----------



## larrs

tarheelblue32 said:


> Correct.
> 
> Pretty sure.


Up to them to enforce and my experience is it is not. My thought is that if you do it with a recent purchase, you might get hit with something. For example, you get a Premiere4 off of Ebay, add lifetime for $99 then sell all of your other Tivos you might get hit. If you keep all of the other Tivos for a year or two I doubt you would if you sold the others off then.

Bottom line is they have the right.


----------



## leo38cheng

larrs said:


> Just got the $99 deal. The CSR seemed surprised it was still available. He indicated they have been told it is going away. His theory is that it will go away after xx number of sales.


what deal is this? 10 year customer loyalty?


----------



## lessd

leo38cheng said:


> what deal is this? 10 year customer loyalty?


If you have been a TiVo customer for 10+ years TiVo will sell you a new Roamio Plus for the list price of $399 and only charge you $99 for Lifetime on that box. It must be purchased directly from TiVo, and ask for the free Slide Remote.

PS if the deal is still on, was a few days ago.


----------



## leo38cheng

Ive only been with Tivo for 3 years, does anyone have one of this discount for sale? With tax its a pretty good deal, at 550.


----------



## HarperVision

leo38cheng said:


> Ive only been with Tivo for 3 years, does anyone have one of this discount for sale? With tax its a pretty good deal, at 550.


Your best bet would be to go to eBay and purchase a discount code from Spherular. Make him a lower offer and he usually accepts it. Then use the code he provides to purchase your TiVos direct from them. I believe it'll be about $600 for a Roamio Plus w/ Lifetime using his code.

You can also try buying into the Refurb deal ($0/99/199 down for a Roamio Base/Plus/Pro and each $19.99/month service, 2yr commit), but then within the first 30 days you can change to an annual service plan for $149 (or $129 MSD) which comes out to about half the monthly cost and reduces the commitment to only one year. I actually went in again and saw that I could buy Lifetime now once the annual plan was active, at $399 MSD. You can also do this with the military deal if you're active or a vet.


----------



## kcongdon

kingmob said:


> Just called back and was able to get them to send me a free slide remote!


Sounds like I need to try calling again. I called back about an hour after I placed my order and was told the free slide remote promotion had expired.


----------



## leo38cheng

HarperVision said:


> Your best bet would be to go to eBay and purchase a discount code from Spherular. Make him a lower offer and he usually accepts it. Then use the code he provides to purchase your TiVos direct from them. I believe it'll be about $600 for a Roamio Plus w/ Lifetime using his code.
> 
> You can also try buying into the Refurb deal ($0/99/199 down for a Roamio Base/Plus/Pro and each $19.99/month service, 2yr commit), but then within the first 30 days you can change to an annual service plan for $149 (or $129 MSD) which comes out to about half the monthly cost and reduces the commitment to only one year. I actually went in again and saw that I could buy Lifetime now once the annual plan was active, at $399 MSD. You can also do this with the military deal if you're active or a vet.


*Thanks for the advice -- can we buy extended warranty on the refurb roamio? I'm planning to get the $99 Roamio Plus Refurb, add the extended warranty, and have it active on my current tivo account.

Do I have to call to change it to an annual plan? If I change to an annual plan, and plan to buy the lifetime for 399, will Tivo refund me the annual plan cost?

Do I have to stay on the annual plan for a certain time before getting the lifetime subscription?

So isn't a refurb deal, at ~499 better deal for the roamio plus with lifetime if I can get the warranty on it as well?

Thanks!


----------



## HarperVision

leo38cheng said:


> *Thanks for the advice -- can we buy extended warranty on the refurb roamio? I'm planning to get the $99 Roamio Plus Refurb, add the extended warranty, and have it active on my current tivo account. Do I have to call to change it to an annual plan? If I change to an annual plan, and plan to buy the lifetime for 399, will Tivo refund me the annual plan cost? Do I have to stay on the annual plan for a certain time before getting the lifetime subscription? So isn't a refurb deal, at ~499 better deal for the roamio plus with lifetime if I can get the warranty on it as well? Thanks!


I think you can buy warranty for refurbs, not sure. See what it says when you purchase online.

I wouldn't call in to change it to an annual plan because it may just be a glitch in their online system and the CSRs may not do it for you. Just go online within the first 30 days and select the blue box on the right of your active tivos list that says "Change this Current Plan" or something like that. This will bring up a page with options for other plans like monthly, annual and lifetime. The only one that actually works is the annual plan. The others, when selected, will negate the $99 equipment price and revert it back to list price and then add the amount of the new plan you selected. Annual is the only one that doesn't do this.

You have to wait for this new annual plan to take effect, then go back online a couple days later and do the same thing, but this time selecting lifetime should be an option without it changing the equipment price back up to list.

Your current plan "should be" credited back on the same transaction as your new one, be it monthly to annual, annual to lifetime, etc. I don't know for 100% certain because I didn't actually do it. I cancelled the transaction once I saw what it'll offer. (mom still didn't want to shell out that much cash!)


----------



## foghorn2

Frys has the 4 tuner Roamio for 127.00 after email promo code till 2/7.


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## tluxon

I've had 2 lifetime TiVoHDs since Jan 2008 and a monthly Premiere since Jan 2013. They all have CableCARDs and I'd like to reduce the number of CCs I'm paying about $12 each for every month.

I'm about to cancel the monthly on the Premiere and replace it with a Roamio. Any chance of getting a deal on a Roamio Plus/Pro from a TiVo CSR? Or is my best course to buy a code from Spherular on eBay?


----------



## tarheelblue32

tluxon said:


> I've had 2 lifetime TiVoHDs since Jan 2008 and a monthly Premiere since Jan 2013. They all have CableCARDs and I'd like to reduce the number of CCs I'm paying about $12 each for every month.
> 
> I'm about to cancel the monthly on the Premiere and replace it with a Roamio. Any chance of getting a deal on a Roamio Plus/Pro from a TiVo CSR? Or is my best course to buy a code from Spherular on eBay?


If you think you may qualify, you should definitely ask if they will give you the 10-year loyalty deal. If not, then go for the ebay code. When you call to cancel the Premiere, see if they will give you the $99 lifetime deal on it. You can sell it on ebay for a nice chunk of cash if it has lifetime on it.


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## larrs

kcongdon said:


> Sounds like I need to try calling again. I called back about an hour after I placed my order and was told the free slide remote promotion had expired.


Sorry to hear that but I got the remote with mine (ordered Tuesday), but it was not after the fact.


----------



## tluxon

tarheelblue32 said:


> If you think you may qualify, you should definitely ask if they will give you the 10-year loyalty deal. If not, then go for the ebay code. When you call to cancel the Premiere, see if they will give you the $99 lifetime deal on it. You can sell it on ebay for a nice chunk of cash if it has lifetime on it.


I KNOW I don't qualify technically. I was just wondering if anyone had success talking the right CSR into giving them the same deal for being a loyal customer for fewer than 10 years.

If I was running TiVo - which clearly I'm not - "loyalty deals" would be for the primary purpose of motivating people on legacy equipment to upgrade to a more updated platform that would be simpler and more cost-effective for me to support and would give the customer a better user experience - which they could then pass on to their friends. A secondary purpose might be to generate a short term boost in cash flow or reduction of excess inventory, but in that case I'm not going to be nearly as concerned about how long a customer has been affiliated with the company.

I know there are other possible explanations for the "deals", but those are the ones that stand out to me and since the cutoff date seems to be "until determined", that would seem to point to this being more of a cash flow issue than a legacy equipment one. If that's the underlying reason, perhaps the CSR's have a bit of leeway to work with when securing new customer contracts.

That's why I wondered if anyone had experienced getting a similar deal even if they didn't meet the 10-year criteria or have a purchased code.


----------



## dropd

larrs said:


> Sorry to hear that but I got the remote with mine (ordered Tuesday), but it was not after the fact.


Hmm, I ordered mine Monday and was firmly told they were not offering that promotion any more. Annoying.


----------



## tootal2

amazon has TiVo roamio basic for 144.99

http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...EEOSZK0/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t/179-3215780-4024213


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## foghorn2

tootal2 said:


> amazon has TiVo roamio basic for 144.99
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...EEOSZK0/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t/179-3215780-4024213


Price Type	Lowest Highest Current	
Amazon	$109 (Nov 27, 2014)	$199.99 (Sep 19, 2013)	$144.99

Still not as good deal as Frys &127.00.
$109 would be better.


----------



## tarheelblue32

foghorn2 said:


> Price Type	Lowest Highest Current
> Amazon	$109 (Nov 27, 2014)	$199.99 (Sep 19, 2013)	$144.99
> 
> Still not as good deal as Frys &127.00.
> $109 would be better.


I think that $109 was a special Black Friday deal on Amazon. You won't likely see that price again for a long time.


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## gespears

I couldn't talk the rep into the deal even though I have 8 years of service. So I just used the eBay certificate (25 bucks) on the pro since it's only 100 bucks more and a 3 TB HD was 114. In all honesty though, the rep I dealt with was a real horses behind.


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## foghorn2

Well I'm officially back with Tivo, was a prev DTivo user that went to Cable, Prism, then Dish Hopper. I'm using the basic Roamio so I can go back and forth OTA/Cable depending what cable will offer. Dish's OTA guide is all screwed up and they seem not to care. I'm still subscribing with the Welcome Pack with a VIP211 with EHD till the contract runs out. Just a few more months to go.

The Fry's deal for 127 was too good to pass. I would have went with the other Roamios, but no OTA. I'll just throw a 2 or 3 TB in it after I try it out.


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## CoxInPHX

FWIW: Report today that TiVo did not honor and process a code purchased from spherular

Source: http://www.avsforum.com/forum/42-hd...warner-cable-approved-dvr-s.html#post31543065


> Also, just so others know, I purchased a TiVo promo code from the Spherular site ($39.00USD). When I entered code into field the prices updated to show discounts on all items, however once I finalized transaction the updated discounts were removed. I was charged full retail on all items.
> 
> I contacted TiVo sales, they explained that any non-TiVo sponsored Promo (codes) are NOT legit, that they are re-used customer promo codes. She explained further, their systems developers are implementing tracers into the purchase transaction application to "catch" any fraudulent codes.


----------



## gespears

CoxInPHX said:


> FWIW: Report today that TiVo did not honor and process a code purchased from spherular


Not good! The code worked well for me. It's interesting though, I did receive an Email from Spherular offering more codes and other discounts. Maybe that spurred TiVo into action?

Just a guess.


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## brutustv

I just called and got deal 399+99 lifetime, I was 9 years 10 months into my last one they were able to give it to me. By the way the free slider remote not there, but try asking for the moca adapter and was able to get that thrown in, so you never know unless you ask. Actually works out for me better as I needed the Moca, and not really the slider.

Good luck, great deal.


----------



## tluxon

CoxInPHX said:


> FWIW: Report today that TiVo did not honor and process a code purchased from spherular
> 
> Source: http://www.avsforum.com/forum/42-hd...warner-cable-approved-dvr-s.html#post31543065


That's very interesting, especially in light of the disclaimer spherular posts on his eBay listing:


> DISCLAIMER
> 
> Selling fraudulently acquired codes is dangerous as the owner of the unit and the owner of code owner should always reconcile. If they don't there is a risk that any discounted lifetime service can be revoked.
> TiVo as a public company have a fiducial responsibility to ensure that their acquisition processes do not leak revenue. Should an internal audit identify your TiVo as being acquired through an inappropriately acquired code you may experience loss of any lifetime service acquired.
> 
> As an established provider, the service I offer does not have the same inherent risk. You will see copycat listings, be sure you understand the risks of using a seller with no track record. Always do your homework,


Perhaps it was a code from a copycat listing that didn't work?


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## spherular

I've never had any complaints on this issue and trying to find the original buyer as they have not got in touch. This is one incident so as yet I'm not convinced.


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## spherular

Other buyers have had success...

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=516044

Still looking to resolve this issue with the one buyer who previously mentioned a problem


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## Jed1

This can not be a good sign.

SellMoreTiVo
Sales Accommodation Program



> We are currently down for scheduled site maintenance.
> Please check back shortly!


http://sellmoretivo.com/


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## HarperVision

Jed1 said:


> This can not be a good sign. SellMoreTiVo Sales Accommodation Program http://sellmoretivo.com/


I think someone told me a few weeks back that it's been down for awhile.


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## Jed1

HarperVision said:


> I think someone told me a few weeks back that it's been down for awhile.


That is a lot of maintenance. I wanted to read to legal portion of this program as I suspect what was being done here was not legal. It was a loop hole in their system.
According to what was reported they are putting in tracers to their program to catch these codes. They also can trace all the hardware that was purchased this way.
This is just worst case scenario, TiVo can shut off service to all the devices purchased with these codes and make the owners pay additional money to settle the accounts. Again this is worst case scenario.


----------



## spherular

Worry not. The code purchased was misapplied in the checkout screen and is still valid. I'm still waiting for the purchaser to come back to me so i can guide him through it.

Unfortunately the sales guys work off commission and occasionally embellish to get the deal.

I understand that people will always be sceptical, but thought I'd clear up the results of the investigation.

Thanks for all the great feedback, I'll be the first to let you know if the codes I provide stop working.


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## heifer624

The old phrase of "the jig is up" comes to mind for those profiting by selling codes "You've been discovered."


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## tarheelblue32

HarperVision said:


> I think someone told me a few weeks back that it's been down for awhile.


Yeah it's been down for a couple months, but the codes have still been working. I assumed that one reason they took the site down was that they reduced the lifetime price on the base Roamio from $499 to $449, and the old website still said $499.



Jed1 said:


> That is a lot of maintenance. I wanted to read to legal portion of this program as I suspect what was being done here was not legal. It was a loop hole in their system.
> According to what was reported they are putting in tracers to their program to catch these codes. They also can trace all the hardware that was purchased this way.
> This is just worst case scenario, TiVo can shut off service to all the devices purchased with these codes and make the owners pay additional money to settle the accounts. Again this is worst case scenario.


Here is an archived version of the terms and conditions from the website:

https://web.archive.org/web/20131126194131/http://sellmoretivo.com/index.php/termsAndConditions

The terms do contemplate people not being eligible for the monthly discounts, but note it does not say your service will be shut off, it just says they will revert you back to the standard monthly payment rate. For this reason, I wouldn't use one of these codes to buy one with the monthly service plan option, but I would be comfortable buying one with a code with the lifetime plan. Nowhere do the terms say they can take lifetime away, and lifetime service has always been transferrable on TiVos.


----------



## Fofer

tarheelblue32 said:


> Yeah it's been down for a couple months, but the codes have still been working. I assumed that one reason they took the site down was that they reduced the lifetime price on the base Roamio from $499 to $449, and the old website still said $499.


It should take a minute, maybe two, to change the 9 to a 4. Not a "couple months."

Just sayin'.


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## HarperVision

Fofer said:


> It should take a minute, maybe two, to change the 9 to a 4. Not a "couple months." Just sayin'.


With over 72,000 posts you think you'd know TiVo better than that now!


----------



## Jed1

tarheelblue32 said:


> Yeah it's been down for a couple months, but the codes have still been working. I assumed that one reason they took the site down was that they reduced the lifetime price on the base Roamio from $499 to $449, and the old website still said $499.
> 
> Here is an archived version of the terms and conditions from the website:
> 
> https://web.archive.org/web/20131126194131/http://sellmoretivo.com/index.php/termsAndConditions
> 
> The terms do contemplate people not being eligible for the monthly discounts, but note it does not say your service will be shut off, it just says they will revert you back to the standard monthly payment rate. For this reason, I wouldn't use one of these codes to buy one with the monthly service plan option, but I would be comfortable buying one with a code with the lifetime plan. Nowhere do the terms say they can take lifetime away, and lifetime service has always been transferrable on TiVos.


Hold on! This looks like an employee discount program. These codes are not for use by anybody who is not a employee of a TiVo approved retailer. The tiny sentence at the end of the 2nd section says it all. *



This Offer is non-transferable.

Click to expand...

*The "employee" has no right to sell these codes as that will be considered theft. Anybody who bought these codes will be guilty of theft of services. So TiVo can suspend the accounts of customers who were not supposed to receive these codes.

If I am right there can be quite a number of people on this forum that are going to be really disappointed.



> Terms and conditions for the SellMoreTiVo Boxes Offer (the "Offer"):
> 
> 1. Only available for a limited time, while supplies last to retail employees who have completed a TiVo® eLearning module. TiVo® reserves the right to terminate this promotion at any time, for any reason, including the Promotional Subscription pricing any time in the future.
> 2. Only certain current employees identified by TiVo of the retailers for which this promotion was designated (the "Retailers") are eligible for this promotion. User must pass employment verification by TiVo, and must receive an award code from TiVo to be eligible. Furthermore, you must remain an eligible employee of Retailer to continue to receive Promotional Subscription pricing as part of this Offer. *This Offer is non-transferable.*
> 3. Offer is for: One (1) TiVo Roamio DVR for $149.99 + $9.99 monthly service or $499.99 (includes one-time service payment option), (1) TiVo Roamio Plus DVR for $299.99 + $9.99 monthly service or $599.99 (includes one-time service payment option), (1) TiVo Roamio Pro DVR for $399.99 + $9.99 monthly service or $699.99 (includes one-time service payment option), (1) TiVo Mini for $49.99 + $5.99 monthly service or $174.00 (includes one-time service payment option), (1) TiVo Stream for $97.50, subject to the terms of this offer and any taxes, if applicable.
> 4. In the event that you are no longer an eligible employee of Retailer, or TiVo otherwise discontinues this Offer and/or the Promotional Subscription pricing, your existing subscription to the TiVo service received as part of this offer shall revert to the then current one (1) year monthly TiVo subscription price.
> 5. Connection to TiVo service required via a broadband internet connection and wired or wireless home network (Ethernet cable or compatible wireless network adapter required, sold separately).
> 6. Not eligible for Multi-Service Discount. Cannot be combined with any other offer, including TiVo rebates.
> 7. TiVo DVRs come pre-activated and your subscription begins immediately.
> 8. Money Back Guarantee applies only to initial activation if canceled within 30 days and DVR is returned for a full refund.
> 9. No early termination fee applies to subscriptions received as part of this Offer.
> 10. Terms and conditions of the TiVo Service Agreement, available at www.tivo.com/policies.
> 
> Promotional offer is for One (1) TiVo Roamio DVR, (1) TiVo Roamio Plus DVR, (1) TiVo Roamio Pro DVR, (1) TiVo Mini (available with purchase of a TiVo Roamio DVR), (1) TiVo Stream per eligible user.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Jed1 said:


> Hold on! This looks like an employee discount program. These codes are not for use by anybody who is not a employee of a TiVo approved retailer. The tiny sentence at the end of the 2nd section says it all.
> 
> The "employee" has no right to sell these codes as that will be considered theft. Anybody who bought these codes will be guilty of theft of services. So TiVo can suspend the accounts of customers who were not supposed to receive these codes.
> 
> If I am right there can be quite a number of people on this forum that are going to be really disappointed.


This issue has already been thoroughly discussed in this thread and in others:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=520530


----------



## Jed1

tarheelblue32 said:


> This issue has already been thoroughly discussed in this thread and in others:
> 
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=520530


It is of no relevance that this was debated on this forum as it would not make it legal to sell the codes.
It clearly states that the promo codes are to be used by the employee to purchase TiVo equipment. If they lose their job from the TiVo reseller then the promotional deal ends and the service for that employee reverts to a monthly subscription.
No were does it state he can sell these promo codes. It actually states the promotion is non transferable.

Since this was specifically set up as a employee promotional program then anybody that purchased one of the codes on ebay can lose their service as that is counted as theft.

Here is the ultimate question, Has anybody called TiVo to verify that these codes are legal before they used it? 
If the answer is no then I would not assume that this practice is legal. If this practice is illegal then those that used these codes can be considered stealing services from TiVo.

Caveat Emptor.....Buyer Beware.

Ignorance is no excuse for the law.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Jed1 said:


> It is of no relevance that this was debated on this forum as it would not make it legal to sell the codes.
> It clearly states that the promo codes are to be used by the employee to purchase TiVo equipment. If they lose their job from the TiVo reseller then the promotional deal ends and the service for that employee reverts to a monthly subscription.
> No were does it state he can sell these promo codes. It actually states the promotion is non transferable.
> 
> Since this was specifically set up as a employee promotional program then anybody that purchased one of the codes on ebay can lose their service as that is counted as theft.
> 
> Here is the ultimate question, Has anybody called TiVo to verify that these codes are legal before they used it?
> If the answer is no then I would not assume that this practice is legal. If this practice is illegal then those that used these codes can be considered stealing services from TiVo.
> 
> Caveat Emptor.....Buyer Beware.
> 
> Ignorance is no excuse for the law.


Based on your legal analysis, I'm guessing you're not a lawyer.


----------



## hummingbird_206

Jed1 said:


> It is of no relevance that this was debated on this forum as it would not make it legal to sell the codes.
> It clearly states that the promo codes are to be used by the employee to purchase TiVo equipment. If they lose their job from the TiVo reseller then the promotional deal ends and the service for that employee reverts to a monthly subscription.
> No were does it state he can sell these promo codes. It actually states the promotion is non transferable.
> 
> Since this was specifically set up as a employee promotional program then anybody that purchased one of the codes on ebay can lose their service as that is counted as theft.
> 
> Here is the ultimate question, Has anybody called TiVo to verify that these codes are legal before they used it?
> If the answer is no then I would not assume that this practice is legal. If this practice is illegal then those that used these codes can be considered stealing services from TiVo.
> 
> Caveat Emptor.....Buyer Beware.
> 
> Ignorance is no excuse for the law.


I think the point is, if you want to continue this debate, then take it to that thread.


----------



## Jed1

tarheelblue32 said:


> Based on your legal analysis, I'm guessing you're not a lawyer.


No I am not. But if you really want to know if this is legal why don't you or some one else call and ask TiVo?
If they say no then you should brace yourself for what maybe coming if you used one of the codes to purchase you units.

I have no skin in this game as I did not trust this anyway. I am just bringing up the idea that this may not be legal and those who did go this route should find out what the ramifications are as maybe you can avoid any legal entanglements that may occur.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Jed1 said:


> No I am not. But if you really want to know if this is legal why don't you or some one else call and ask TiVo?


Because TiVo is not the arbiter of what is and is not legal, and their terms and conditions do not override consumer protection laws that protect good-faith purchasers.


----------



## Jed1

tarheelblue32 said:


> Because TiVo is not the arbiter of what is and is not legal, and their terms and conditions do not override consumer protection laws that protect good-faith purchasers.


Really! It is their product and services that are being exploited with out their knowledge.
I do not know of any consumer protection laws that allow for theft of services.

Again if you used any of these codes, I would check with TiVo to find out if they are legal. It is not my butt that maybe in a sling if this is not legal.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Jed1 said:


> Really! It is their product and services that are being exploited with out their knowledge.
> I do not know of any consumer protection laws that allow for theft of services.


It's not theft of service. A person who uses one of these codes offered money to TiVo in exchange for a product with service and TiVo accepted. The person who sells these codes is the one violating TiVo's terms. The buyer of the code is a good-faith purchaser of the codes (and therefore of the subsequent product/service) because they never agreed to the original code terms and therefore they are not bound by terms of use of the codes that they never agreed to. Thus, the U.C.C., among other consumer protection laws, would protect the purchaser.

Furthermore, TiVo has to know by now that these codes are being used by people other than the person who originally received them, so by not trying to put a stop to it TiVo is being complicit in the violation of their own terms. Additionally, if TiVo were to try to revoke the lifetime service purchased with these codes, they would have to refund the money that was paid for that lifetime service. Otherwise, TiVo would be the "thief" and subject to civil liability.


----------



## lessd

Jed1 said:


> No I am not. But if you really want to know if this is legal why don't you or some one else call and ask TiVo?
> If they say no then you should brace yourself for what maybe coming if you used one of the codes to purchase you units.
> 
> I have no skin in this game as I did not trust this anyway. I am just bringing up the idea that this may not be legal and those who did go this route should find out what the ramifications are as maybe you can avoid any legal entanglements that may occur.


This type of stuff happened before say when TiVo changed the price on the Mini Lifetime to $0 before many retailers had a chance to change their price, I pick up a few Minis for myself and others at $82, you think TiVo going to come back to those people, the same thing happened when TiVo changed the price of Lifetime some years ago before the price of the TiVos could be changed, people purchased TiVo at the old low price than called TiVo and told TiVo they had gotten the TiVo at the old higher price and they were given the old lower Lifetime price. At the time some people that could not get the deal called TiVo to complain and TiVo told them they would reverse anybody that did this sneaky thing, TiVo never did. TiVo not going to go after people with Lifetime Service, *as it would easy for TiVo to shut this code thing down *by requiring your employee number or something like that, we all think TiVo wants to sell these units, as they are getting money for them.
You don't have to use the codes but don't get mad at people that do!! using legal mumbo jumbo.


----------



## Jed1

tarheelblue32 said:


> It's not theft of service. A person who uses one of these codes offered money to TiVo in exchange for a product with service and TiVo accepted. The person who sells these codes is the one violating TiVo's terms. The buyer of the code is a good-faith purchaser of the codes (and therefore of the subsequent product/service) because they never agreed to the original code terms and therefore they are not bound by terms of use of the codes that they never agreed to.
> 
> Furthermore, TiVo has to know that these codes are being used by people other than the person who originally received them, so TiVo is being complicit in the violation of their own terms. Additionally, if TiVo were try to revoke the lifetime service purchased with these codes, they would have to refund the money that was paid for that lifetime service. Otherwise, TiVo would be the "thief".


No. If he is an employee of Best Buy and he took this test he gets a promotional discount code to purchase some hardware for himself only. He does not have the right to take codes, that actually belong to Best Buy, and then sell them on Ebay for any profit. This can be considered theft.
The person who buys these codes are now in possession of stolen property and are now an accessory to the crime.

I suspect TiVo caught this last quarter and let him continue this to build a case against him. They are now implementing software in their system to track these codes and also trace back to the people who used these codes to purchase their units. If you are not a employee of the business that these codes belong to then you will be considered in possession of stolen property.
Remember that these are employee discount codes and are not to be used by anybody but employees of that business.

Again call TiVo and find out.


----------



## lessd

Jed1 said:


> No. If he is an employee of Best Buy and he took this test he gets a promotional discount code to purchase some hardware for himself only. He does not have the right to take codes, that actually belong to Best Buy, and then sell them on Ebay for any profit. This can be considered theft.
> The person who buys these codes are now in possession of stolen property and are now an accessory to the crime.
> 
> I suspect TiVo caught this last quarter and let him continue this to build a case against him. They are now implementing software in their system to track these codes and also trace back to the people who used these codes to purchase their units. If you are not a employee of the business that these codes belong to then you will be considered in possession of stolen property.
> Remember that these are employee discount codes and are not to be used by anybody but employees of that business.
> 
> Again call TiVo and find out.


Say this all you want, it not going to happen, as this has been going on for some time now, you think TiVo does not know what going on with the codes?, you think TiVo could not shut this code thing down if they wanted ? they monitors this Forum, TiVo is not dumb, nothing going to happen to people that already used these codes, TiVo may shut down any use of new codes, that the most that will be done.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Jed1 said:


> No. If he is an employee of Best Buy and he took this test he gets a promotional discount code to purchase some hardware for himself only. He does not have the right to take codes, that actually belong to Best Buy, and then sell them on Ebay for any profit. This can be considered theft.
> The person who buys these codes are now in possession of stolen property and are now an accessory to the crime.


First off, to be an accessory after the fact to a crime you have to have actual knowledge that a crime has taken place.

Secondly, these codes aren't necessarily stolen. I really have no idea exactly how the people who sell these codes are getting them. If TiVo gives them to Best Buy and then Best Buy turns around and gives them out to their employees, then they certainly aren't stolen. If TiVo and Best Buy want to hand them out like candy, that's their business. Now if someone did something like hacking into Best Buy's computer system to get these codes, then they would be stolen. But neither I nor people who purchase these codes have any way of knowing that.

Lastly, even assuming these codes are technically stolen and someone buys one and uses it without actual knowledge they were stolen, and then later TiVo wants to revoke the lifetime service purchased with the code, TiVo would still have to refund the money paid to them for the lifetime service. One party does not get to void a contract and keep the money paid to it by another party. That would constitute unjust enrichment.


----------



## Jed1

lessd said:


> Say this all you want, it not going to happen, as this has been going on for some time now, you think TiVo does not know what going on with the codes?, you think TiVo could not shut this code thing down if they wanted ? they monitors this Forum, TiVo is not dumb, nothing going to happen to people that already used these codes, TiVo may shut down any use of new codes, that the most that will be done.


Really! Corporate TiVo monitors this forum. This is what it says at the bottom of the main page:



> (C) 2015 DBNet - All Rights Reserved. No information may be posted elsewhere without written permission.
> TiVo® is a registered trademark of TiVo Inc. *This site is not owned or operated by TiVo Inc.*


And Margret only monitors threads related to bug issues so she doesn't know about this.

The time since SellmoreTiVo page has been taken down, is about when corporate TiVo figured out there was a problem. They are now going to have to go back and look at all the units that were purchased with these codes to determine if those units actually belong to employees of the business that the codes were issued to.
If there was a $200 discount and about 500 codes sold that will be $100,000 loss to TiVo. That is not something they are going to leave go. This is just counting the one guy that was doing this. It looks like there was another one doing it also. That amount of money makes this a felony crime.


----------



## Fofer

Jed1 said:


> If there was a $200 discount and about 500 codes sold that will be $100,000 loss to TiVo. That is not something they are going to leave go.


Wanna bet?


----------



## Jed1

tarheelblue32 said:


> First off, to be an accessory after the fact to a crime you have to have actual knowledge that a crime has taken place.
> 
> Secondly, these codes aren't necessarily stolen. I really have no idea exactly how the people who sell these codes are getting them. If TiVo gives them to Best Buy and then Best Buy turns around and gives them out to their employees, then they certainly aren't stolen. If TiVo and Best Buy want to hand them out like candy, that's their business. Now if someone did something like hacking into Best Buy's computer system to get these codes, then they would be stolen. But neither I nor people who purchase these codes have any way of knowing that.
> 
> Lastly, even assuming these codes are technically stolen and someone buys one and uses it without actual knowledge they were stolen, and then later TiVo wants to revoke the lifetime service purchased with the code, TiVo would still have to refund the money paid to them for the lifetime service. One party does not get to void a contract and keep the money paid to it by another party. That would constitute unjust enrichment.


If you are caught to be in possession of stolen property and you tell the judge you did not know it was stolen his exact words will be, "Ignorance is no excuse for the law". It is up to you to check and see if these codes are legal or not.
Secondly if you enter into a contract that TiVo later discovers that you fraudulently made, then TiVo does not have to honor the contract as it will be null and void. If you want your money back then you will have to sue the person who committed the fraud, which will be the person who illegally sold you the code.
This is assuming TiVo doesn't levy charges against you.

As I stated in another post if each code cost TiVo $200 and 500 codes were sold, TiVo will be out $100,000. That is a felony crime.


----------



## lessd

Jed1 said:


> Really! Corporate TiVo monitors this forum. This is what it says at the bottom of the main page:
> 
> And Margret only monitors threads related to bug issues so she doesn't know about this.
> 
> The time since SellmoreTiVo page has been taken down, is about when corporate TiVo figured out there was a problem. They are now going to have to go back and look at all the units that were purchased with these codes to determine if those units actually belong to employees of the business that the codes were issued to.
> If there was a $200 discount and about 500 codes sold that will be $100,000 loss to TiVo. That is not something they are going to leave go. This is just counting the one guy that was doing this. It looks like there was another one doing it also. That amount of money makes this a felony crime.


If you don't think TiVo does not know about this I have a bridge I want to sell you. Any felony that may or may not be committed was not committed by anyone using one or two codes, when using these codes you did not have to agree that you were an employee of anybody, all you agreed to is pay what TiVo inc. wanted for the TiVo. You are way off base here.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Jed1 said:


> If you are caught to be in possession of stolen property and you tell the judge you did not know it was stolen his exact words will be, "Ignorance is no excuse for the law". It is up to you to check and see if these codes are legal or not.
> Secondly if you enter into a contract that TiVo later discovers that you fraudulently made, then TiVo does not have to honor the contract as it will be null and void. If you want your money back then you will have to sue the person who committed the fraud, which will be the person who illegally sold you the code.
> This is assuming TiVo doesn't levy charges against you.
> 
> As I stated in another post if each code cost TiVo $200 and 500 codes were sold, TiVo will be out $100,000. That is a felony crime.


I already know you are not a lawyer, but just FYI, I am. And my professional legal opinion is that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.


----------



## lessd

tarheelblue32 said:


> I already know you are not a lawyer, but just FYI, I am. And my professional legal opinion is that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.


+1


----------



## Jed1

tarheelblue32 said:


> I already know you are not a lawyer, but just FYI, I am. And my professional legal opinion is that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.


That is no relevance to me. I have a few family members that seem to always find themselves in some sort of legal entanglement. And one of the common ones is being in possession of stolen property. The first thing they always claim they did not know it was stolen. They never get off with a slap on the wrist and they also have to rat out who they bought the stuff from.

Last summer an idiot down the street from me was hooking up people who had their cable shutoff. Unfortunately one of the cable company employees seen him doing this. The next morning the cable company and the police were down the block and they were going to all the houses that were illegally hooked up. The people who had illegal hook ups were arrested and charged with theft of services, The idiot that was doing this was on parole so he ended back in state prison to finish out his original sentence and had additional time added on for the cable theft.
Every body was punished to the full extent of the law. The point is the people did not climb up the ladder to hook up their service but they were charged with theft of services. Most claimed they did not know it was illegal.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Jed1 said:


> That is no relevance to me. I have a few family members that seem to always find themselves in some sort of legal entanglement. And one of the common ones is being in possession of stolen property. The first thing they always claim they did not know it was stolen. They never get off with a slap on the wrist and they also have to rat out who they bought the stuff from.
> 
> Last summer an idiot down the street from me was hooking up people who had their cable shutoff. Unfortunately one of the cable company employees seen him doing this. The next morning the cable company and the police were down the block and they were going to all the houses that were illegally hooked up. The people who had illegal hook ups were arrested and charged with theft of services, The idiot that was doing this was on parole so he ended back in state prison to finish out his original sentence and had additional time added on for the cable theft.
> Every body was punished to the full extent of the law. The point is the people did not climb up the ladder to hook up their service but they were charged with theft of services. Most claimed they did not know it was illegal.


You're comparing apples to oranges. Under your legal analysis, ebay would also be criminally liable as an accessory for every potentially stolen item ever sold on its site, even when ebay has absolutely no way of knowing items sold on their site were stolen. If you were correct, this would make ebay one of the largest illegal criminal enterprises in the world.


----------



## lessd

Jed1 said:


> That is no relevance to me. I have a few family members that seem to always find themselves in some sort of legal entanglement. And one of the common ones is being in possession of stolen property. The first thing they always claim they did not know it was stolen. They never get off with a slap on the wrist and they also have to rat out who they bought the stuff from.
> 
> Last summer an idiot down the street from me was hooking up people who had their cable shutoff. Unfortunately one of the cable company employees seen him doing this. The next morning the cable company and the police were down the block and they were going to all the houses that were illegally hooked up. The people who had illegal hook ups were arrested and charged with theft of services, The idiot that was doing this was on parole so he ended back in state prison to finish out his original sentence and had additional time added on for the cable theft.
> Every body was punished to the full extent of the law. The point is the people did not climb up the ladder to hook up their service but they were charged with theft of services. Most claimed they did not know it was illegal.


Someone give you something you did not pay for is one thing, but saying a discount by using a code the co. accepts is not the same as finding the cable that was cut off for non payment or cancellation is now working. When you pay for something from E-Bay using PayPal you are safe from any law breaking as both are big corp. E-Bay and or PayPal may have a problem, but not the customer. If you were in Best Buy and the manager of that Best Buy has stolen a truck full of TiVos to increase the store profit and you purchased one, and paid a low price at the Best Buy register, you have no legal problem even though your TiVo was stolen. 
Given that you don't have to use the codes, who are you trying to convince, and why.


----------



## tluxon

I don't know if they are, but I have no doubt TiVo is able to track every serial number that's getting guide data from them by gateway and internal IP address and gather what's being recorded on each box and when. I would expect that if they really wished to track such data, they could have a database that links every one of these discount codes to a box and knows what IP addresses that box has ever been hooked up to.

I believe the bottom line is that it's far less costly for TiVo to prevent the misuse of codes at the point of sale than to litigate after the fact. I'll just about guarantee that if someone called them and asked if they could use a code purchased off of eBay, they'd say "no". On the other hand, if you make the purchase with a code without them yet being aware that it was not acquired in a proper manner, I imagine they're going to let the contract stand.


----------



## CinciDVR

Jed1 said:


> The first thing they always claim they did not know it was stolen. They never get off with a slap on the wrist and they also have to rat out who they bought the stuff from.


Your example is nothing like what is going on here. People are buying from Tivo using a code that Tivo accepts. According to your example, Tivo is who they would have to rat out. And then Tivo would be arrested for selling the "stolen" equipment.

If Tivo does not ask people to confirm during the transaction that they meet the requirements for using the discount code, then there is no theft going on. Tivo has to demonstrate that they made a reasonable effort to determine whether someone was qualified to use a discount code before they could win in court, whether a criminal or a civil court.


----------



## foghorn2

Back on topic: Fry's has the Mini for $124.99 this week.


----------



## lessd

CinciDVR said:


> If Tivo does not ask people to confirm during the transaction that they meet the requirements for using the discount code, then there is no theft going on. Tivo has to demonstrate that they made a reasonable effort to determine whether someone was qualified to use a discount code before they could win in court, whether a criminal or a civil court.


*My point!!! *+1


----------



## Davisadm

SellMoreTiVo was taken down because of the abuse by spherular and others by getting the codes and selling them for profit.  These codes are meant for TiVo resellers only, and not for profit.


Jed1 said:


> This can not be a good sign.
> 
> SellMoreTiVo
> Sales Accommodation Program
> 
> We are currently down for scheduled site maintenance.
> Please check back shortly!
> 
> http://sellmoretivo.com/


----------



## Fofer

While I agree that those who used the codes in the past won't be getting into any trouble, not will their lifetime service be cancelled, and TiVo will just try to better detect them and prevent them from being used by unauthorized customers in the future, I also do have to say that the following is false:



lessd said:


> When you pay for something from E-Bay using PayPal you are safe from any law breaking as both are big corp.


Just because these entities are "big corporations" that doesn't necessarily mean that anyone who uses them for an illegal transaction is "safe from any law breaking." That's just silly.

I just don't think TiVo's going to push this "issue."


----------



## chiguy50

Jed1 said:


> If you are caught to be in possession of stolen property and you tell the judge you did not know it was stolen* his exact words will be, "Ignorance is no excuse for the law"*.


No, that is entirely incorrect. His exact words might be "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." But what you wrote (and keep writing) is nonsensical, as is the rest of your argument. You clearly are talking through your hat.


----------



## tarheelblue32

chiguy50 said:


> No, that is entirely incorrect. His exact words might be "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." But what you wrote (and keep writing) is nonsensical, as is the rest of your argument. You clearly are talking through your hat.


In the criminal law context, most crimes require you to "knowingly" or "intentionally" break the law, so in those cases ignorance may be a valid legal defense. As my criminal law professor used to say, "If ignorance of the law is the only defense you have, then you use it."


----------



## chiguy50

tarheelblue32 said:


> In the criminal law context, most crimes require you to "knowingly" or "intentionally" break the law, so in those cases ignorance may be a valid legal defense. As my criminal law professor used to say, "If ignorance of the law is the only defense you have, then you use it."


. . . Whereas


Jed1 said:


> "Ignorance is no excuse for the law".


 might perhaps be germane when commenting on most of the bills proposed by the boobs we currently vote into Congress.


----------



## foghorn2

Back on topic again!
You guys are as bad as SatGuys.

Amazon just matched Frys price for the mini, $124.99


----------



## lessd

Fofer said:


> Just because these entities are "big corporations" that doesn't necessarily mean that anyone who uses them for an illegal transaction is "safe from any law breaking." That's just silly.
> "


Your correct:
If* I* use E-Bay or PayPal for any illegal activates* I* may have a problem, not my customers. Say I sell stolen stuff, and someone finds out they go after me not the people I sold to on E-Bay.
I can't into any legal trouble from just making just purchase using E-Bay/PayPal, and paying for it without using a stolen Credit Card.


----------



## Fofer

Sure, but that distinction has nothing to do with the entities involved being "big corporations" or not.


----------



## lessd

Fofer said:


> Sure, but that distinction has nothing to do with the entities involved being "big corporations" or not.


True, but if I purchased a stolen item from the truck of a car at the corner from people I did not know, I sure could have a problem.


----------



## Fofer

lessd said:


> True, but if I purchased a stolen item from the truck of a car at the corner from people I did not know, I sure could have a problem.


You "sure could" have a problem regardless. I'm simply calling out your statement that "_you are safe from any law breaking as both are big corp._"

That obfuscates the issue and simply isn't true. It may be LESS LIKELY that you'll get in trouble, on an individual level. But you're not in any way "safe from any law breaking."

That just... makes no sense.


----------



## lessd

Fofer said:


> You "sure could" have a problem regardless. I'm simply calling out your statement that "_you are safe from any law breaking as both are big corp._"
> 
> That obfuscates the issue and simply isn't true. It may be LESS LIKELY that you'll get in trouble, on an individual level. But you're not in any way "safe from any law breaking."
> 
> That just... makes no sense.


If you make a purchase from say Best Buy at their store, and later the item was found out to be stolen I as the customer could not get into any legal trouble, I maintain the same for a purchase from E-Bay/PayPal and down. When you go down far enough to say purchasing something from the truck of a strangers car on the corner, you can get into legal trouble.


----------



## Fofer

You _could_. You probably wouldn't, but you could. The size of the company you're buying stolen goods from doesn't make your crime any more or less legal.


----------



## nycityuser

In summary (hopefully): Use the discount codes at your own risk. So far so good for most who has used them to date.


----------



## series5orpremier

I laughed at the starred advertisement at the bottom of my TiVo Central page today that says "In legal trouble?", as if TiVo is sending out a veiled threat in response to this thread. Upon further inspection it's an ad for tonight's premier of Better Call Saul.


----------



## lessd

Fofer said:


> You _could_. You probably wouldn't, but you could. The size of the company you're buying stolen goods from doesn't make your crime any more or less legal.


*It does*, to be charged your purchase has to be in a way that most people would know there may be a problem, like from the trunk of a car, or a person on the street you don't know. E-Bay sellers have sold a lot of stolen stuff and never has any customer been charged with the purchase of stolen stuff, unless the customer was working with the seller to give the seller a good feedback rating.


----------



## Fofer

lessd said:


> to be charged


That's not what you initially said.


----------



## jschuman01

HarperVision said:


> I think you can buy warranty for refurbs, not sure. See what it says when you purchase online.
> 
> I wouldn't call in to change it to an annual plan because it may just be a glitch in their online system and the CSRs may not do it for you. Just go online within the first 30 days and select the blue box on the right of your active tivos list that says "Change this Current Plan" or something like that. This will bring up a page with options for other plans like monthly, annual and lifetime. The only one that actually works is the annual plan. The others, when selected, will negate the $99 equipment price and revert it back to list price and then add the amount of the new plan you selected. Annual is the only one that doesn't do this.
> 
> You have to wait for this new annual plan to take effect, then go back online a couple days later and do the same thing, but this time selecting lifetime should be an option without it changing the equipment price back up to list.
> 
> Your current plan "should be" credited back on the same transaction as your new one, be it monthly to annual, annual to lifetime, etc. I don't know for 100% certain because I didn't actually do it. I cancelled the transaction once I saw what it'll offer. (mom still didn't want to shell out that much cash!)


Have others gone completely through this process? Buy refurbished unit with $19.99 for 2 years commitment, change to $150 annual, change to $399 lifetime (assuming code works). Done, refurbished unit with lifetime costing $399 + some change.


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## sheshechic

When you try to change the commitment/subscription deal originally purchased with refurbished deals offered, there is a disclaimer that says changing from monthly (original deal) could result in additional charges. I purchased during Christmas and called to find out what the additional charge might be, since no indication was there at checkout, and they stated that I would be charged the balance of the cost for a new tivo (mine was pro). Has anyone successfully changed this subscription commitment without incurring additional costs beyond the new subscription fee?


----------



## sheshechic

lessd said:


> *It does*, to be charged your purchase has to be in a way that most people would know there may be a problem, like from the trunk of a car, or a person on the street you don't know. E-Bay sellers have sold a lot of stolen stuff and never has any customer been charged with the purchase of stolen stuff, unless the customer was working with the seller to give the seller a good feedback rating.


What Fofer said is exactly right- according to law. The fact that your neighbor (ebay buyer) is not charged for doing something equally illegal, does provide you for protection from prosecution or even from TIVO's stated consequences. It is totally up to the one who nabbed you for possessing and illegal device- prosecutor, or service provider.

Ignorance is hardly ever an excuse that will protect you from prosecution.


----------



## tarheelblue32

sheshechic said:


> What Fofer said is exactly right- according to law. The fact that your neighbor (ebay buyer) is not charged for doing something equally illegal, does provide you for protection from prosecution or even from TIVO's stated consequences. It is totally up to the one who nabbed you for possessing and illegal device- prosecutor, or service provider.


People really need to stop talking about the law when they don't know what they are talking about.

"No Knowledge, Probably No Crime

State laws differ on the crime of buying, selling, and/or receiving stolen property, but a common thread persists: The receiver of the stolen property must know that it is stolen.

California, for example, levies a misdemeanor penalty against those who buy or receive stolen property, but only "knowing the property to be so stolen." In New York as well, criminal prohibitions against possessing stolen property typically apply to those who "knowingly" possess it, not those who unwittingly buy stolen goods.

The law typically gives a break to those who unknowingly buy goods which are the fruits of theft, but there is a line."

http://blogs.findlaw.com/blotter/2014/08/can-you-get-arrested-for-buying-stolen-goods.html



sheshechic said:


> Ignorance is hardly ever an excuse that will protect you from prosecution.


Ignorance of *the law* is hardly ever a valid legal excuse, but we are talking about ignorance of *the facts*, which often is a valid legal excuse. Many people don't understand the difference, and even I was vague about the distinction in one of my posts further up this thread.

Ignorance of the law: "I didn't know it was illegal to buy stolen goods."
Ignorance of the facts: "I didn't know the goods I bought were stolen."


----------



## lpwcomp

I'm no lawyer and never even considered staying in a Holiday Inn Express, but I don't believe there is any question of *criminal* penalties. At most,TiVo could force you to pay the full price but I doubt they'll do even that. They could also pursue civil action against the seller, also doubtful.


----------



## HarperVision

sheshechic said:


> When you try to change the commitment/subscription deal originally purchased with refurbished deals offered, there is a disclaimer that says changing from monthly (original deal) could result in additional charges. I purchased during Christmas and called to find out what the additional charge might be, since no indication was there at checkout, and they stated that I would be charged the balance of the cost for a new tivo (mine was pro). Has anyone successfully changed this subscription commitment without incurring additional costs beyond the new subscription fee?


Yes, I went from $19.99 monthly to $149 annually. No additional equipment costs.


----------



## lessd

lpwcomp said:


> I'm no lawyer and never even considered staying in a Holiday Inn Express, but I don't believe there is any question of *criminal* penalties. At most, TiVo could force you to pay the full price but I doubt they'll do even that. They could also pursue civil action against the seller, also doubtful.


*At most, TiVo could force you to pay the full price* Show me one case from any co. in any state going after any customer that purchased a legal product using a discount code that was not intended for that customer to use.
We all know the seller is the one who *could* have a legal problem as the seller did know the facts.

*OH!* what does a Holiday Inn Express have to do with the price of eggs ??


----------



## lpwcomp

lessd said:


> *OH! what does a Holiday Inn Express have to do with the price of eggs ??*


*I forgot that most TiVo users don't actually see commercials.*


----------



## nooneuknow

lpwcomp said:


> I forgot that most TiVo users don't actually see commercials.


There can be downsides to being one of those who puts in every effort to not see a single commercial, ever. I've seen real proof of this, right in front of me.

I have often found it beneficial, to watch one full commercial break, per TV network, every so often, or I miss something that leads to me missing out on something.


----------



## gespears

Hey guys we love you and all that, but can you please take the legal stuff to a different thread? I'm subscribed to this thread and keep getting notifications of new posts so I get all excited and pull the thread up hoping for a new deal and just get more legal crap... I mean more intelligent legal opinions. 

Please, deals only.


----------



## heifer624

B & H Tivo Mini in cart price $ 124.99 with free expedited shipping:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/944383-REG/tivo_tcda92000_tivo_mini.html


----------



## kazak99

heifer624 said:


> B & H Tivo Mini in cart price $ 124.99 with free expedited shipping:
> 
> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/944383-REG/tivo_tcda92000_tivo_mini.html


Do you know if that includes Product Lifetime service?


----------



## Arcady

kazak99 said:


> Do you know if that includes Product Lifetime service?


Every Mini at retail includes free lifetime.


----------



## kazak99

Arcady said:


> Every Mini at retail includes free lifetime.


Thanks! :up:


----------



## HarperVision

Arcady said:


> Every Mini at retail includes free lifetime.


But does that _legally_ include lifetime service since TiVo CSRs have said that it's for Minis bought ONLY direct from them?


----------



## kazak99

HarperVision said:


> But does that _legally_ include lifetime service since TiVo CSRs have said that it's for Minis bought ONLY direct from them?


Anyone know for sure?

I noticed that Amazon has the same deal for $124.99:
http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCDA9200...UTF8&qid=1423542969&sr=8-1&keywords=tivo+mini


----------



## Arcady

kazak99 said:


> Anyone know for sure?
> 
> I noticed that Amazon has the same deal for $124.99:
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCDA9200...UTF8&qid=1423542969&sr=8-1&keywords=tivo+mini


HarperVision was trying to make a joke.

Any TiVo Mini that you buy from any retailer includes free lifetime, at least until May 4, 2015. The only Mini you'll find that doesn't would be a used unit that was activated with monthly service, and the contract hasn't run out yet.

I bought one Mini from TiVo directly, one from Amazon, and one from Best Buy. All of them activated with lifetime without issue. The one from Best Buy was actually bought last year when they were $99 and I didn't activate until this year, and I still got the free lifetime.


----------



## kazak99

Thanks again, Arcady!


----------



## tatergator1

FYI, Roamio Pro is down to $449.99 at Amazon right now.


----------



## tarheelblue32

tatergator1 said:


> FYI, Roamio Pro is down to $449.99 at Amazon right now.


And the Plus is $299.99. These are the lowest prices for the Plus and Pro that Amazon has ever had.


----------



## tluxon

tarheelblue32 said:


> And the Plus is $299.99. These are the lowest prices for the Plus and Pro that Amazon has ever had.


I wonder why so low - could they be having a hard time moving them?

BTW, I believe I saw Sam's Club listing the Mini for $115. Of course, that's if you're a member, which I'm not.


----------



## tarheelblue32

tluxon said:


> I wonder why so low - could they be having a hard time moving them?
> 
> BTW, I believe I saw Sam's Club listing the Mini for $115. Of course, that's if you're a member, which I'm not.


Seems like natural price reduction to me. Technology gets cheaper over time.


----------



## Fofer

I've Sam's Club's price for a TiVo Mini at $115 for at least 3-4 months now. It's 10% more for non-members, so it's not really all that much cheaper than elsewhere, all things considered.


----------



## HarperVision

I see Best Buy is also offering a slightly discounted package deal for the Roamio Basic and Mini:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/tivo-ro...?id=pcmprd241200050006&skuId=9999242600050006


----------



## tarheelblue32

HarperVision said:


> I see Best Buy is also offering a slightly discounted package deal for the Roamio Basic and Mini:
> 
> http://www.bestbuy.com/site/tivo-ro...?id=pcmprd241200050006&skuId=9999242600050006


Which is $30 more expensive than buying the 2 separately on Amazon. You'd be better off getting Best Buy to price match Amazon's prices on the Roamio and the Mini.


----------



## foghorn2

I got the Basic Romeo for 127 @ Frys and the Mini from Amazon for 124.99, way cheaper than Best Butts price.


----------



## HarperVision

tarheelblue32 said:


> Which is $30 more expensive than buying the 2 separately on Amazon. You'd be better off getting Best Buy to price match Amazon's prices on the Roamio and the Mini.


Hey, don't shoot the messenger. Just passing on what I saw for the community brah. I agree on the price match, but I don't have any Best Buys here on this island. You'd be surprised how much you miss being able to browse some things live in person before you buy them via price match or back online. I miss it, even Best "Butt".


----------



## lumpy1977

tarheelblue32 said:


> And the Plus is $299.99. These are the lowest prices for the Plus and Pro that Amazon has ever had.


Thanks for posting this. Bought mine at $320 last Friday and just got Amazon to credit my acct $20


----------



## srauly

Has anyone still having success getting the long-time customer TiVo Roamio + Lifetime deal? I just called and was told by the rep I spoke to that it wasn't showing up as being an available promo. I'm thinking about picking up a Roamio Plus for $300 via Amazon (or Best Buy price match), but before I do that I want to make sure there isn't some way to still get the better deal. Seems like different reps give different stories sometimes, so maybe I'll try calling again tomorrow.


----------



## HarperVision

srauly said:


> Has anyone still having success getting the long-time customer TiVo Roamio + Lifetime deal? I just called and was told by the rep I spoke to that it wasn't showing up as being an available promo. I'm thinking about picking up a Roamio Plus for $300 via Amazon (or Best Buy price match), but before I do that I want to make sure there isn't some way to still get the better deal. Seems like different reps give different stories sometimes, so maybe I'll try calling again tomorrow.


Yes, keep calling. Others have reported being told the same thing while many others were still getting the deal. How long have you been a customer?


----------



## srauly

HarperVision said:


> Yes, keep calling. Others have reported being told the same thing while many others were still getting the deal. How long have you been a customer?


Well, it depends on how you/they count the years.

- My oldest TiVo was activated in August, 2000 and was deactivated in November, 2009 (I might still have it in storage).
- I had a 2nd TiVo (also deactivated) that was activated later and deactivated before the 1st one (I might still have that one, too).
- My 3rd & 4th TiVo's (HD) were activated in November, 2008. One of them got fried due to an electrical issue, and I guess I officially deactivated it in October, 2011. The other one I stopped using around that time (and I switched to using Windows Media Center w/HDHomeRun PRIME cablecard tuners), but I later got an email offer for cheap lifetime service and reactivated it. So my account page shows it as being active November, 2008 and still active. But I never really made use of it even after getting the lifetime service (I had figured at the time that I could probably pay for the cheap lifetime service and resell it for a profit, but I've just kept it lying around). The rep I spoke to on the phone told me that it hadn't dialed in for about 2 years.

So how do you interpret the above? If you just look at the active lifetime TiVo, my account has been active since November, 2008. So about 6+ years. But my oldest deactivated TiVo and currently active TiVo overlapped in time, so do I get credit for the oldest activation date of August, 2000? If so, I've had an account for 14+ years. What's odd, is that the rep I spoke with claimed that my account was just a couple of months shy of 10 years. Not sure how they came up with that number. He claimed that he could probably still get me the 10-year deal if it was still being offered, but later said that promo wasn't showing up as available to him.


----------



## srauly

To be honest, the lifetime plan was never an obvious winner for me in the past (I was always thinking that technology would advance and something better/cheaper would come out the next year, so I always pushed off any inkling I had to get it). And here we are today, and I still find myself feeling that way. But if the price was right, I could justify going for it. But...

I just noticed that the TiVo website indicates that if you go with one of their monthly or annual plans, you also get a pseudo-extended warranty such that if your TiVo breaks, you can replace it (with a refurb unit) for $49. But if you have lifetime, you're on your own.

Now, I've had some really, really old TiVo's and they seem rock solid (the one device that broke was due to an electrical issue and me not having it plugged into a surge protector). So I wouldn't normally want to spend extra money on an extended warranty on a TiVo, but this seems like a decent deal, and has me second-guessing things. I may just go ahead and go with the Amazon (or Best Buy price-matched) $300 Roamio Plus and go with an annual plan.


----------



## tivowiz

For what its worth...
I called today, asked about getting the 10 year $99 lifetime deal on a new TIvo Romio, the initial CSR indicated that according to my account I was NOT eligible, but, asked if I'd like to be passed to a sales rep since there were all kinds of deals that she wasn't aware of. I said, sure... I asked the sales rep of any deals available, and was told I was eligible for the 10 year/$99 lifetime deal on a new Romio, so I jumped on it. It's always worth asking further....


----------



## srauly

Thanks for the suggestion. Just to clarify...the $99 lifetime promo on a Roamio requires that I buy the Roamio directly from TiVo, right? I wouldn't be able to buy a $300 Roamio Plus from Amazon and still possibly get the $99 lifetime promo, right?


----------



## HarperVision

srauly said:


> Thanks for the suggestion. Just to clarify...the $99 lifetime promo on a Roamio requires that I buy the Roamio directly from TiVo, right? I wouldn't be able to buy a $300 Roamio Plus from Amazon and still possibly get the $99 lifetime promo, right?


Yes, only direct from TiVo. I posted this a few pages back, which may be another option for you:



HarperVision said:


> Your best bet would be to go to eBay and purchase a discount code from Spherular. Make him a lower offer and he usually accepts it. Then use the code he provides to purchase your TiVos direct from them. I believe it'll be about $600 for a Roamio Plus w/ Lifetime using his code.
> 
> You can also try buying into the Refurb deal ($0/99/199 down for a Roamio Base/Plus/Pro and each $19.99/month service, 2yr commit), but then within the first 30 days you can change to an annual service plan for $149 (or $129 MSD) which comes out to about half the monthly cost and reduces the commitment to only one year. I actually went in again and saw that I could buy Lifetime now once the annual plan was active, at $399 MSD. You can also do this with the military deal if you're active or a vet.


----------



## srauly

That refurb deal actually sounds appealing to me. Do you know if a refurb on a monthly or annual plan still gets their "Continual Care warranty"?

Also, I don't see any refurb Roamios (or any refurb TiVos at all, for that matter) on the Outlet page of TiVo's website. Does that mean that they don't have any right now, or do I need to call in for that deal?


----------



## srauly

OK, I think I found the refurb deal here:
https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/zero-down-factory-renewed-roamio

And I see that it mentions that they come with the Continual Care warranty, which sounds good.

So my only concern would be whether I really could switch from their overpriced monthly plan price of $20/month (with 2-year commitment) to a 1-year MSD $129/year price. Other than your post, I'm having difficulty finding any posts from anyone who have confirmed being able to do this, and if your experience was due to a bug in their system, I worry that I'd miss out.

Can you point me to some other posts where others have confirmed that they've been able to do this?


----------



## HarperVision

srauly said:


> OK, I think I found the refurb deal here: https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/zero-down-factory-renewed-roamio And I see that it mentions that they come with the Continual Care warranty, which sounds good. So my only concern would be whether I really could switch from their overpriced monthly plan price of $20/month (with 2-year commitment) to a 1-year MSD $129/year price. Other than your post, I'm having difficulty finding any posts from anyone who have confirmed being able to do this, and if your experience was due to a bug in their system, I worry that I'd miss out. Can you point me to some other posts where others have confirmed getting this deal?


I recall at least two others saying that they did it. Not sure I'll have time to research today, pretty busy. You have a 30 day Money Back Guarantee so even if it doesn't work you can just send it back for a refund.


----------



## tivowiz

srauly said:


> Has anyone still having success getting the long-time customer TiVo Roamio + Lifetime deal? I just called and was told by the rep I spoke to that it wasn't showing up as being an available promo. I'm thinking about picking up a Roamio Plus for $300 via Amazon (or Best Buy price match), but before I do that I want to make sure there isn't some way to still get the better deal. Seems like different reps give different stories sometimes, so maybe I'll try calling again tomorrow.


I called yesterday and was able to get the deal. The first person I talked to (not a sales rep) told me that I wasn't eligible, but, she transferred me to sales since "they always have some sort of promo going on". The salesperson told me I was eligible and I ordered a Romio with lifetime for "retail" + $99 lifetime (and a Mini as well).


----------



## ecoblue

I've been a TiVo customer since 2001 and currently have two Premieres (Model TCD746320) with Lifetime. 

Thanks to this thread, and a quick call to TiVo yesterday, I have a Roamio Plus and TiVo Mini 2 with Lifetime on their way (ETA Friday). I paid $399 for the Roamio Plus, $99 for the Lifetime service, and $149 for the Mini 2. The CS rep was very friendly and made sure that I qualified for the 10 year loyalty deal before taking my order. 

The CS rep said it didn't matter that I no longer had an active service plan on the oldest TiVo--it was more important that I had at least 10 years of gap free TiVo service (YMMV).


----------



## srauly

Thanks again for the follow-up replies to my questions/concerns. After my last (unsuccessful) call, I decided to hook up my TiVo HD to ethernet and have it "dial in" to update the data, etc. The guy I spoke to last had suggested that I might need to do so to qualify for MRD pricing, etc. So I figured maybe that might have an effect on me getting this long-time customer promo as well.

I'm not sure if that mattered or not, but I just got off the phone with them and had no trouble getting the $399 + $99 lifetime deal on the Roamio Plus. I also added a Mini 2 to the package @ $149.

Part of me still wonders if the refurb Roamio Plus @ $99 (assuming I could easily switch it to an annual plan) might have been the more appealing deal to me. I know that having the lifetime subscription on it gives it real value as a resellable unit, but I've never been very good about reselling things (I have tons of old gadgets in my basement that would have been worth something on eBay at one point in time, but are now so old that only an odd collector would care about them).

So, I think it came to around $685 or so after taxes for the two boxes. Ugh. And this is to replace my Windows Media Center setup which has two HDHomeRun PRIME tuner boxes (3 tuners each) and XBox 360 in the other room serving as a streamer. So, IOW, some WMC fans might argue that I'm crazy to spend nearly $700 to get basically the same functionality I already have.

I guess I am a little bit crazy, and perhaps some of this is just about wanting a change of pace. But there are some usability and reliability issues that I periodically experience with the WMC setup, and they have a knack for popping up when I'm out of town. Trying to troubleshoot that sort of thing over the phone with my wife is no fun. With the TiVo, I expect to be able to tell her to just unplug the TiVo, wait a minute, and plug it back in. At least, that's how easy it was years ago when we were actively using my older TiVos.

There may be some nostalgia here as well, with the old TiVo remote that I loved, and the UI. Hopefully we'll find the latest gen of TiVo devices to be an improvement over our WMC experience which, to be honest, has been pretty good overall (I suspect that I could clean up some of the reliability issues we've experienced over the last year by reinstalling Windows or something, but that's not much fun).

I am a little worried about the remote control situation, though. On the one hand, I really loved the TiVo remote and would love to use it again, but we also have an Apple TV that we use somewhat, which means that we either need to use two remotes, or we'll have to continue using my Harmony remote.


----------



## tarheelblue32

srauly said:


> I am a little worried about the remote control situation, though. On the one hand, I really loved the TiVo remote and would love to use it again, but we also have an Apple TV that we use somewhat, which means that we either need to use two remotes, or we'll have to continue using my Harmony remote.


Depending on what you use the Apple TV for, you may find that it doesn't get as much use as it used to after you switch to the TiVo. Since the Roamio and Mini have built in Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Amazon Prime apps, I find that I very rarely use my Roku anymore. I think I've only used it once in the last couple of months. With such seldom use, using 2 remotes isn't that big of a deal.


----------



## srauly

tarheelblue32 said:


> Depending on what you use the Apple TV for, you may find that it doesn't get as much use as it used to after you switch to the TiVo. Since the Roamio and Mini have built in Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Amazon Prime apps, I find that I very rarely use my Roku anymore. I think I've only used it once in the last couple of months. With such seldom use, using 2 remotes isn't that big of a deal.


Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, too. The one thing I do like being able to do is Airplay music from my iPhone to the ATV in my living room while we're eating dinner. But I suppose I could live with using the Pandora UI on the TiVo.


----------



## Arcady

srauly said:


> Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, too. The one thing I do like being able to do is Airplay music from my iPhone to the ATV in my living room while we're eating dinner. But I suppose I could live with using the Pandora UI on the TiVo.


If you have TiVo Desktop on your computer, you can play your iTunes library on the TiVo just as easily.


----------



## HarperVision

Arcady said:


> If you have TiVo Desktop on your computer, you can play your iTunes library on the TiVo just as easily.


When I tried pointing it to my iTunes library it said there were no playable files in there. What am I doing wrong? I just assumed it wouldn't allow that type of file.


----------



## Arcady

HarperVision said:


> When I tried pointing it to my iTunes library it said there were no playable files in there. What am I doing wrong? I just assumed it wouldn't allow that type of file.


My library is pretty much all mp3 files. I run TiVo Desktop from a Mac. I assumed it would work the same on PC. Maybe you have AAC files?


----------



## HarperVision

Arcady said:


> My library is pretty much all mp3 files. I run TiVo Desktop from a Mac. I assumed it would work the same on PC. Maybe you have AAC files?


idk, I'll check.


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## Fofer

Arcady said:


> My library is pretty much all mp3 files. I run TiVo Desktop from a Mac. I assumed it would work the same on PC. Maybe you have AAC files?





HarperVision said:


> idk, I'll check.


It's been a long while since I've used this, but there are several ways to make AAC files also work with TiVo Desktop:

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20050217074716445
https://gigaom.com/2007/06/05/itunes-plus-files-unplayable-by-tivo/
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=289569


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## HarperVision

Fofer said:


> It's been a long while since I've used this, but there are several ways to make AAC files also work with TiVo Desktop: http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20050217074716445 https://gigaom.com/2007/06/05/itunes-plus-files-unplayable-by-tivo/ http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=289569


Thanks Fofer. I don't really care about that functionality as I don't listen to music through my TiVo. I just recall when I setup TD and it's asks to link your music, I pointed it to my iTunes folder and it said no playable music, so I bagged it.

Maybe I'll try it again.


----------



## bkoester

heifer624 said:


> Roamio Plus refurb @ $99.99
> 
> Here's the confirmation email I got...
> 
> Dear TiVo Customer,
> 
> This email is to confirm the changes you made online to your TiVo account on "Manage My Account".
> 
> Your service agreement changes have been made.
> 
> Selected Plan
> TiVo Service Plan - $129.99 - TiVo Package, Annual
> 
> Transaction Details
> Item Price Tax
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Refund for original service payment $-19.99 $0.00
> Refund for original hardware price  $-99.99 $-6.50
> TiVo Service Plan - $129.99 - TiVo Package, Annual $149.99 $0.00
> Hardware price for new selected plan $99.99 $6.50
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Total: $130.00
> 
> Payment information
> 
> Name on Credit Card Used:
> Credit card ending
> Expiration Date :
> Billing Address
> 
> Your use of TiVo devices and service are subject to the terms and conditions of the TiVo User Agreement and Privacy Policy,
> available at www.tivo.com/legal.
> 
> Your annual service plan renews annually at $129 per year (reduced to $99 if eligible for our multi-service discount) per year
> until you cancel by calling TiVo. Cancellation does not entitle you to a refund of any pre-paid service fees.
> 
> To view details of this transaction or to make any further changes to your account, please visit: www.tivo.com/manage
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> The TiVo Team


Just did this myself. I got the exact same confirmation and was charged an additional *$130.* However, if you notice although it lists the MSD price of $129.99, they charge the full $149.99 for the annual plan. This is what they said I would be charged online:

Your payment plan changes have been made.
Your new TiVo service plan:
$129.99 Annual plan
The selected plan will begin on 2/25/15 .
Includes Multi-service discount pricing.
TiVo Device	TiVo service	Tax	Subtotal
Current price	$99.99	$19.99	$6.25	$126.23
New price	$99.99	$149.99 $129.99	$6.25	$236.23
$0.00	$*110.00	*$0.00	Total

Don't think I'll risk calling about the $20 overcharge.


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## matt586

Hello All,
Does anybody know if you pickup the refurb for ($0/$99/$199) pricing and then change the service out for lifetime w/3 year warranty? I was considering trying to get the Tivo Plus Refurb for $99, then converting to lifetime with a 3 year warranty. If it works, I think the whole rig would be around $640.

Thanks


----------



## gespears

It's only 7 bills plus tax for a Pro if you use the eBay coupon. That's a new one and then it's 39 for 3 year warranty. So ~770 out the door.


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## HarperVision

matt586 said:


> Hello All, Does anybody know if you pickup the refurb for ($0/$99/$199) pricing and then change the service out for lifetime w/3 year warranty? I was considering trying to get the Tivo Plus Refurb for $99, then converting to lifetime with a 3 year warranty. If it works, I think the whole rig would be around $640. Thanks


Initially lifetime won't work when you try to change the plan online, only Annual service will. I think you "may" be able to go back in again, after the annual takes effect, and try to switch that then to lifetime. Not 100% sure though.


----------



## matt586

Thanks for the quick replies. I was a little hesitant to use the ebay codes, but it sounds like both options would work. I would prefer to have a new unit, I am just concerned about long-term issues.


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## heifer624

HarperVision said:


> Initially lifetime won't work when you try to change the plan online, only Annual service will. I think you "may" be able to go back in again, after the annual takes effect, and try to switch that then to lifetime. Not 100% sure though.


Dave, I went back in online to upgrade mine to Lifetime and it was telling me that lifetime would start after my one year service plan ends. Maybe an actual call to a TIVO agent could get them to consider a partial refund on my current annual to apply to the lifetime.

I didn't actually make any changes at this point because I don't plan to fork over any more dough.


----------



## lparsons21

Possibly new user to TIVO. Does this deal work for someone that has never had TIVO??

I'm thinking of switching to my local cable service and providing my own TIVO since they've hamstrung theirs.


----------



## HarperVision

heifer624 said:


> Dave, I went back in online to upgrade mine to Lifetime and it was telling me that lifetime would start after my one year service plan ends. Maybe an actual call to a TIVO agent could get them to consider a partial refund on my current annual to apply to the lifetime. I didn't actually make any changes at this point because I don't plan to fork over any more dough.


Thanks, good to know.



lparsons21 said:


> Possibly new user to TIVO. Does this deal work for someone that has never had TIVO?? I'm thinking of switching to my local cable service and providing my own TIVO since they've hamstrung theirs.


The only deals I know of that don't work for everyone are the 10 year loyalty deal and of course multi-service discounts (MSD). Any other deal you should be good to go. What specific deal are you referring to?


----------



## lparsons21

HarperVision said:


> The only deals I know of that don't work for everyone are the 10 year loyalty deal and of course multi-service discounts (MSD). Any other deal you should be good to go. What specific deal are you referring to?


The $99+19/month Tivo Roamio Plus deal. And after reading here, converting that 19/month to an annual. Seems to be a very good deal to me.


----------



## HarperVision

lparsons21 said:


> The $99+19/month Tivo Roamio Plus deal. And after reading here, converting that 19/month to an annual. Seems to be a very good deal to me.


That deal is good for anyone, but it's for a refurb Roamio, just so you know. There's also the same deal for military and veterans, but there's some confusion as to whether those are refurbs or not. When I did that deal the CSR said they were refurbs too, but I told her nowhere on the site or in the terms for it did it mention refurb, like the regular refurb deal given to just anyone and if that was the case that's a pretty shady and crappy thing to do to our men and women who've sacrificed and served our country so honorably! (To pass off refurbs as new units as a "special deal" *ONLY* for military members, without specifically stating anywhere that they are in fact refurbished!)


----------



## mahermusic

foghorn2 said:


> Old mini down to 114.88 today
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCDA92000-Mini-Old-Version/dp/B00BUCLVZU/
> 
> The new mini was referred as the "black" version before, but now its referred as the "current version". Even electronics distant themselves from Obamah
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCDA93000-Mini-Current-Version/dp/B00TIBFEIA/


...don't forget FAUX "news", too!


----------



## GregComeLately

Do I understand correctly, purchasing Spherular's coupon code will result in a discount strictly for the combination of Roamio + lifetime service? It cannot be used on a Roamio that you've already purchased and now want to obtain a better discount on the lifetime service?


----------



## h2oskierc

GregComeLately said:


> Do I understand correctly, purchasing Spherular's coupon code will result in a discount strictly for the combination of Roamio + lifetime service? It cannot be used on a Roamio that you've already purchased and now want to obtain a better discount on the lifetime service?


Correct. I actually sent him/her a question to ask this a couple days ago. I was bummed.


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## lparsons21

Ordered the Roamio Plus refurb and it should be here next week. Then I'll try to change to annual instead of monthly. Being a new customer I assume it will be $149/year vice the $129/year I'm seeing in this thread??


----------



## MLev1

I just called today. My S3 HD died finally. I was asking another question and ended up speaking to a sales rep. Bottom line I just got the Roamio Plus $399 lifetime $99.


----------



## HarperVision

MLev1 said:


> I just called today. My S3 HD died finally. I was asking another question and ended up speaking to a sales rep. Bottom line I just got the Roamio Plus $399 lifetime $99.


Sounds like you just got the 10 year loyalty deal. How long have you been with TiVo?


----------



## HarperVision

lparsons21 said:


> Ordered the Roamio Plus refurb and it should be here next week. Then I'll try to change to annual instead of monthly. Being a new customer I assume it will be $149/year vice the $129/year I'm seeing in this thread??


You're correct.


----------



## lparsons21

HarperVision said:


> You're correct.


Beats $240 a year though!!


----------



## HarperVision

lparsons21 said:


> Beats $240 a year though!!


Damn straight!


----------



## kmackenz

Owne for a long time.... So, called when my Premiere died. Plus with lifetime for 500. Not bad. Plus have the Premiere that needs a hard drive with a lifetime to sell!


----------



## munchcolo

I just ordered a Roamio from Walmart, and I'm a first time Tivo customer. It should be here Friday, and TWC is coming Sunday to hook up with cablecard. I'm pretty sure I want to go lifetime, and I want to use the PLSR code.

When I activate, should I first go $14.99 per month, and then switch to lifetime using PLSR, or just begin with lifetime using PLSR?


----------



## HarperVision

munchcolo said:


> I just ordered a Roamio from Walmart, and I'm a first time Tivo customer. It should be here Friday, and TWC is coming Sunday to hook up with cablecard. I'm pretty sure I want to go lifetime, and I want to use the PLSR code. When I activate, should I first go $14.99 per month, and then switch to lifetime using PLSR, or just begin with lifetime using PLSR?


If you know that's what you want to do, just go with lifetime right off the bat. It has the same 30 day money back guarantee in case TiVo doesn't work out for you.


----------



## munchcolo

HarperVision said:


> If you know that's what you want to do, just go with lifetime right off the bat. It has the same 30 day money back guarantee in case TiVo doesn't work out for you.


Thanks, I'll go lifetime from the get-go.


----------



## HarperVision

munchcolo said:


> Thanks, I'll go lifetime from the get-go.


How much did you pay and what model? You may have been able to get a MUCH better deal if you bought one of Spherular's codes from eBay and used that directly with TiVo, which comes with lifetime already.


----------



## munchcolo

HarperVision said:


> How much did you pay and what model? You may have been able to get a MUCH better deal if you bought one of Spherular's codes from eBay and used that directly with TiVo, which comes with lifetime already.


I'm getting the regular Roamio.

$156 including tax and shipping. That would make my total $556 (156 + 500 - 100). If I bought a spherular code, the total would be $499 (450 + 49), so a savings of $57 by buying the code.

Here's my question, is buying and using the code all above board? I don't want any problems or issues, either now or later on. Also, if I buy the code, do I just order through tivo.com? If I do that, then do I still get the 30 day money back guarantee? Thanks.


----------



## HarperVision

munchcolo said:


> I'm getting the regular Roamio. $156 including tax and shipping. That would make my total $556 (156 + 500 - 100). If I bought a spherular code, the total would be $499 (450 + 49), so a savings of $57 by buying the code. Here's my question, is buying and using the code all above board? I don't want any problems or issues, either now or later on. Also, if I buy the code, do I just order through tivo.com? If I do that, then do I still get the 30 day money back guarantee? Thanks.


Actually if you're a member here then he offers discounts on the code, and also if you PM him here he will do it cheaper than $49.

Yes it's all above board and yes you buy direct from TiVo using the discount code on their store site. It includes any warranty and money back guarantee as if you didn't use any code.


----------



## tluxon

I just got off the phone with Tivo (First tech support, who soon passed me on to sales), and they said my TiVo Premiere was "too new" to get the $99 lifetime. This is after having it on monthly for over two years.

I also asked if having two TivoHDs for almost 8 years and a third (Premiere) for more than two years would qualify me for one of those 10-year loyalty discounts, and he said "no, it has to be at least one unit for not a day less than 10 years". I hemmed and hawwed about leaning toward the Xfinity solution and thanked him for his time, and he still didn't have anything better to offer me than upgrading the Premiere to lifetime for $199 and selling me a Roamio (Standard for $174 and Plus for $199 plus $12.99 a month or $399 lifetime).

Sure hope I get somebody different on my next try...


----------



## Mikeguy

Nah, it's not "not a day less than 10 years": I was sent the 10-year appreciation email about 2-1/2 months or so before my 10-year anniversary; interestingly, when I then followed up and called TiVo, the rep. told me that I didn't yet qualify for the offer as it was not yet 10 years, but when I mentioned that I had received the email with the offer, he told me that the reps. had some flexibility and that I could have the offer. But this was a difference of only a few months, not years.


----------



## munchcolo

HarperVision said:


> Actually if you're a member here then he offers discounts on the code, and also if you PM him here he will do it cheaper than $49.
> 
> Yes it's all above board and yes you buy direct from TiVo using the discount code on their store site. It includes any warranty and money back guarantee as if you didn't use any code.


I tried to pm spherular, but the site requires 10 posts to pm, and this is only my fourth post. If spherular reads this, please pm me with price for code.


----------



## HarperVision

munchcolo said:


> I tried to pm spherular, but the site requires 10 posts to pm, and this is only my fourth post. If spherular reads this, please pm me with price for code.


Just reply to one of his ebay ads with a price offer of about $30 and he should accept, especially if you mention you're a member of TCF and maybe point to this thread.


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## Mikeguy

munchcolo said:


> I tried to pm spherular, but the site requires 10 posts to pm, and this is only my fourth post. If spherular reads this, please pm me with price for code.


And feel free to place 6 more posts!


----------



## raqball

munchcolo said:


> I tried to pm spherular, but the site requires 10 posts to pm, and this is only my fourth post. If spherular reads this, please pm me with price for code.





HarperVision said:


> Just reply to one of his ebay ads with a price offer of about $30 and he should accept, especially if you mention you're a member of TCF and maybe point to this thread.


I got a code from him for $39.. Great service and lightning fast responses to my emails!

20 thumbs up!


----------



## myklbear

I am not sure it is worth dinking about $5 or $10 to save $hundreds. Do not make what you can stretch Spherular down to for a few bucks. But, decided what you really want to own for the 'special' pricing 'coupon' he has the ability to offer and if it meets your needs - then go for it and stop looking for the last dollar. Spherular not only provides a 'coupon' service that works, but provides quick responses to any and all your sensible questions and as had been noted positively by hundreds of customers all over, there is no problem with the codes he provides [whether done on internet or via sales rep. they work].
Note that I am a customer and have no affiliation with Spherular but feel I should state his support and legitimacy.
.
Again, the decision is not a few bucks, just the pleasure I have had as a new Tivo Roamio+ incl. lifetime subscriber with a Spherular
and knowing that I will no longer be spending $20 a month for CATV box/DVR/remote [OOL] and if the past maintains, will break even at resale value in <18 months and without, in about 30 and still have value that seems to be proven.
So look at the big picture. Not small. And enjoy the functionality, diversity and ultimate savings that I have. 
I am new to TIVO but thoroughly endorse its concept and Spherular as your way to attain your selection of a new TIVO as an outsider as I was and am a very happy CATV subscriber -despite loss of special bi-directional channels [i never watched] - along with the constant upgrades to selection and connection that TIVO offers. 
Note also that I am only a new customer who is quite happy and have no affiliation with TIVO in any way.


----------



## tluxon

tluxon said:


> I just got off the phone with Tivo (First tech support, who soon passed me on to sales), and they said my TiVo Premiere was "too new" to get the $99 lifetime. This is after having it on monthly for over two years.
> 
> I also asked if having two TivoHDs for almost 8 years and a third (Premiere) for more than two years would qualify me for one of those 10-year loyalty discounts, and he said "no, it has to be at least one unit for not a day less than 10 years". I hemmed and hawwed about leaning toward the Xfinity solution and thanked him for his time, and he still didn't have anything better to offer me than upgrading the Premiere to lifetime for $199 and selling me a Roamio (Standard for $174 and Plus for $199 plus $12.99 a month or $399 lifetime).
> 
> Sure hope I get somebody different on my next try...


I neglected to mention perhaps the most significant part of my convo with TiVo. When I described my desire to reduce the number of CC's I was paying for and perhaps considering an Xfinity solution, the guy I spoke with said, first of all they don't want to lose me as a customer to be ripped off by the X1 solution. Upon learning I had 3 TVs with a TiVo at each one, he initially suggested a remedy I wasn't prepared for, and thus didn't fully process it until perhaps 30 mins after the call. His initial offer was to sell me a Roamio Plus for $199 and 2 Minis for $150 each for a total of about $500. The Roamio would assume the service contract of our monthly Premiere. I asked what would be done about the Premiere, and he responded, "That would be removed from your account".

Now, I gotta admit I had entered the call so committed to keeping the Premiere with it being converted to lifetime before adding a Roamio, that I brushed off this offer much too quickly. Having thought about it since, that offer is just about up to the standard of the 10-year loyalty offers I'm NOT eligible for (without getting a code from our pal Spherular).


----------



## raqball

myklbear said:


> I am not sure it is worth dinking about $5 or $10 to save $hundreds. Do not make what you can stretch Spherular down to for a few bucks. But, decided what you really want to own for the 'special' pricing 'coupon' he has the ability to offer and if it meets your needs - then go for it and stop looking for the last dollar. Spherular not only provides a 'coupon' service that works, but provides quick responses to any and all your sensible questions and as had been noted positively by hundreds of customers all over, there is no problem with the codes he provides [whether done on internet or via sales rep. they work].
> Note that I am a customer and have no affiliation with Spherular but feel I should state his support and legitimacy.
> .
> Again, the decision is not a few bucks, just the pleasure I have had as a new Tivo Roamio+ incl. lifetime subscriber with a Spherical
> and knowing that I will no longer be spending $20 a month for CATV box/DVR/remote [OOL] and if the past maintains, will break even at resale value in <18 months and without, in about 30 and still have value that seems to be proven.
> So look at the big picture. Not small. And enjoy the functionality, diversity and ultimate savings that I have.
> I am new to TIVO but thoroughly endorse its concept and Spherular as your way to attain your selection of a new TIVO as an outsider as I was and am a very happy CATV subscriber -despite loss of special bi-directional channels [i never watched] - along with the constant upgrades to selection and connection that TIVO offers.
> Note also that I am only a new customer who is quite happy and have no affiliation with TIVO in any way.


I agree.. I got my code from his website using his discount code for the forums. He responded to all my emails within minutes! I'm impressed!

After I purchased the code, it arrived within minutes and it worked like a charm!

I saved $220 for pretty much doing nothing. My total would have been like $735 after tax but was only $475 after tax with the code. Add in the $40 I paid for the code and my grand total comes to $515. I saved, saved, and saved some more.

Spherular is awesome and gets my vote for awesoness of the year!


----------



## Wundej

tluxon said:


> I just got off the phone with Tivo (First tech support, who soon passed me on to sales), and they said my TiVo Premiere was "too new" to get the $99 lifetime. This is after having it on monthly for over two years.
> 
> I also asked if having two TivoHDs for almost 8 years and a third (Premiere) for more than two years would qualify me for one of those 10-year loyalty discounts, and he said "no, it has to be at least one unit for not a day less than 10 years". I hemmed and hawwed about leaning toward the Xfinity solution and thanked him for his time, and he still didn't have anything better to offer me than upgrading the Premiere to lifetime for $199 and selling me a Roamio (Standard for $174 and Plus for $199 plus $12.99 a month or $399 lifetime).
> 
> Sure hope I get somebody different on my next try...


I think a lot of it depends on what you have in addition to the premiere. I called to enquire about lifetime on my 2yr old premiere and they said $300. I asked about the $99 since I had been a customer for over 5 yrs and they said nope.

I picked up a roamio and figured I'd just sell the premiere and stream. I just activated a lifetime roamio plus and called to cancel my premiere. They promptly offered to give premiere lifetime for $99. Wanted to kick them, because I just bought a roamio plus with lifetime for my parents at the same time that I bought my roamio. Parents would have been fine with the premiere.

So I have an old HD with an upgraded hd with lifetime and a 4tuner premiere+stream with lifetime to sell.

In the end, at least the parents have new hardware but I wish is could have saved a few hundred bucks and didn't have to deal with selling my other units now.


----------



## Mikeguy

Wundej said:


> I think a lot of it depends on what you have in addition to the premiere. I called to enquire about lifetime on my 2yr old premiere and they said $300. I asked about the $99 since I had been a customer for over 5 yrs and they said nope.
> 
> I picked up a roamio and figured I'd just sell the premiere and stream. I just activated a lifetime roamio plus and called to cancel my premiere. They promptly offered to give premiere lifetime for $99. Wanted to kick them, because I just bought a roamio plus with lifetime for my parents at the same time that I bought my roamio. Parents would have been fine with the premiere.
> 
> So I have an old HD with an upgraded hd with lifetime and a 4tuner premiere+stream with lifetime to sell.
> 
> In the end, at least the parents have new hardware but I wish is could have saved a few hundred bucks and didn't have to deal with selling my other units now.


And so I guess the trick is, call in and "ask" about cancelling, and see how TiVo responds--just like with cellphone carriers . . . .


----------



## tjtv

I logged into my tivo.com account today and saw that there was an item in the cart. It was a roamio plus for $399.99 AND lifetime service for $199.99. No idea why this price is being offered to me. I was thinking of buying a code from spherular, but now I don't have to.

Has anyone else seen this? Or know why this price is being offered. I've only been a customer for 4+ years, so I don't think it's related to the 10 year loyalty discount.


----------



## abeagler

I too logged in yesterday and saw that same deal being offered. Too bad I'm not really in a position to take them up on it right now, but yes, it was there in my cart.


----------



## gespears

tjtv said:


> I logged into my tivo.com account today and saw that there was an item in the cart. It was a roamio plus for $399.99 AND lifetime service for $199.99.


Wow, that is spherular's price. I'd advise checking to see if the Pro is just 100 more like in Spherular's pricing, because if so that's cheaper than going out and buying a 3tb to have installed and you don't have to switch it out if you have to send it back in for service.

And BTW for all who were still wondering if Spherular's codes still work after somebody said they did not, I got another code for my father from Spherular yesterday and it worked fine. No issues.


----------



## tluxon

tjtv said:


> I logged into my tivo.com account today and saw that there was an item in the cart. It was a roamio plus for $399.99 AND lifetime service for $199.99. No idea why this price is being offered to me. I was thinking of buying a code from spherular, but now I don't have to.
> 
> Has anyone else seen this? Or know why this price is being offered. I've only been a customer for 4+ years, so I don't think it's related to the 10 year loyalty discount.





abeagler said:


> I too logged in yesterday and saw that same deal being offered. Too bad I'm not really in a position to take them up on it right now, but yes, it was there in my cart.


I logged in last night just to make sure I didn't have something in my cart, and I was confronted with "Nice Try" - well, sort of - as my cart was empty.


----------



## Kash76

Back after nine years!! I just used the Friends and Family deal (https://www.tivo.com/promo/friendsandfamily) to purchase a Roamio Basic w/lifetime and a Mini for $621 shipped. I am going to order a second Mini from Amazon w/some cashback 

Is the F&F the same as the code that the guy is selling on eBay? If so, I was able to get a code from a nice person on Reddit for free


----------



## buddhawood

I was able to use my price protection from the Discover card I used to purchase the Roamio Plus on the 10yr loyalty deal.
Amazon had the Roamio Plus for $299 last week. I filled out the form and just got the notice my claim was approved and Discover is crediting me the $100.00 difference.
I now have a Lifetime Roamio plus w/ lifetime and a Slide remote for $424.00 including tax and shipping!
Check the credit card you used for the purchase and you may have the same luck!


----------



## HarperVision

buddhawood said:


> I was able to use my price protection from the Discover card I used to purchase the Roamio Plus on the 10yr loyalty deal. Amazon had the Roamio Plus for $299 last week. I filled out the form and just got the notice my claim was approved and Discover is crediting me the $100.00 difference. I now have a Lifetime Roamio plus w/ lifetime and a Slide remote for $424.00 including tax and shipping! Check the credit card you used for the purchase and you may have the same luck!


Dude that's sweet! I'll have to check mine. I wonder how long you have to file a claim?


----------



## Mikeguy

Depends on the card and program--with Chase Freedom VISA it's for ads within 90 days of the original purchase date (pretty generous, if you ask me). Am looking into this as well.


----------



## tivoboy

abeagler said:


> I too logged in yesterday and saw that same deal being offered. Too bad I'm not really in a position to take them up on it right now, but yes, it was there in my cart.


I logged in and there was a roamio PRO for 599$ and lifetime for 199$, but when I changed it to a Plus it went to 399$ and 399$...bummers


----------



## Kash76

Are they dumping inventory?


----------



## tjtv

If you get the Roamio Plus for $399/lifetime $199 in your cart on tivo.com, my advice would be to jump on it immediately. I was the first to report it a few days ago, I dilly dallied around and tried to add the pro model to the cart and the $199 lifetime went away. I was never able to successfully get it back into the cart


----------



## HarperVision

tivoboy said:


> I logged in and there was a roamio PRO for 599$ and lifetime for 199$, but when I changed it to a Plus it went to 399$ and 399$...bummers





tjtv said:


> If you get the Roamio Plus for $399/lifetime $199 in your cart on tivo.com, my advice would be to jump on it immediately. I was the first to report it a few days ago, I dilly dallied around and tried to add the pro model to the cart and the $199 lifetime went away. I was never able to successfully get it back into the cart


Yeah, you could always get the Plus deal and then just upgrade the hard drive to 3TB yourself. Super easy plug and play!


----------



## lparsons21

My Roamio Plus with the Military deal just showed up a little while ago. Running through the setup process as I type. Cable connection isn't due till next week but I'm going to call to see if they can move it up. They set the time/date that I requested because the weather is hinky and I wasn't sure when the Roamio would show up.



I'll give it a bit before calling though to make sure everything is working fine except the cable tv service.



Then to change to an annual payment plan I just go to the TiVo.com site and 'manage' the subscription???


----------



## Old Hickory

I just got the 10-year loyalty offer for a new Roamio Pro+Lifetime at $500+tax so it's still out there. 

The sales agent was really helpful. Yea Tivo! Yea me!


----------



## tarheelblue32

Old Hickory said:


> I just got the 10-year loyalty offer for a new Roamio Pro+Lifetime at $500+tax so it's still out there.


I think you mean the Roamio *Plus*.


----------



## gespears

I need a couple of the Mini's so I hope they go on sale again for 99. If they do go on sale again for 99 and they are the old version, do you think it's worth the extra 50 bucks for the second version?


----------



## lessd

gespears said:


> I need a couple of the Mini's so I hope they go on sale again for 99. If they do go on sale again for 99 and they are the old version, do you think it's worth the extra 50 bucks for the second version?


In most cases no, but if you want the Mini behind something such that the IR remote will not work all the time, then yes, the new RF Mini would be the correct choice, it also a little faster for some things you do.


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## gespears

lessd said:


> In most cases no, but if you want the Mini behind something such that the IR remote will not work all the time, then yes, the new RF Mini would be the correct choice, it also a little faster for some things you do.


Thanks for the info Les!


----------



## Old Hickory

tarheelblue32 said:


> I think you mean the Roamio *Plus*.


That's the one.


----------



## Kracko

Old Hickory said:


> I just got the 10-year loyalty offer for a new Roamio Pro+Lifetime at $500+tax so it's still out there.
> 
> The sales agent was really helpful. Yea Tivo! Yea me!


I was offered this on Saturday as well.


----------



## lpwcomp

Woot has Roamio refurbs on sale.


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## tluxon

I couldn't get a deal on a Roamio that is economically feasible for us, so I took the intermediate step of upgrading the Premiere to a 2TB drive and will plan to convert it to lifetime for $199 since TiVo's going to make me wait 11 months to get it for $99. So it looks like I'll be stuck with the TiVoHDs for a bit longer.


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## TheBar1

Today I called TiVo Sales and tried to qualify for the 10-year loyalty deal on a Roamio Plus w/ Lifetime. I've been with TiVo since 2001, but originally as a DirecTV user. At some point after 2001, my TiVo account was moved out of TiVo and under DirecTV. I switched to FiOS and a new TiVo HD after moving in 2008. Unfortunately, there was some question about TiVo being able to tell if I had been a continuous customer long enough to qualify for this promo (which they confirmed was still active). No luck with the Sales Rep I spoke with, as they can't see account history related to DirecTV users. As if I ever asked my account holder to be switched :-(

My 2008 TiVo HD started an endless Powering Up reboot cycle yesterday, so I took that as a sign from a higher power that it was time to get a Roamio. I went ahead and contacted spherular on his Ebay auction page and just purchased one of his discount codes. My order is placed now with TiVo and I am expecting delivery of my new Roamio Plus w/ Lifetime this Thursday. Thank you Spherular!


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## gespears

TheBar1 said:


> My order is placed now with TiVo and I am expecting delivery of my new Roamio Plus w/ Lifetime this Thursday. Thank you Spherular!


You'll really enjoy the Roamio Justin. I came from two premiers to a Roamio Pro and really love it.

Just out of curiosity, any reason you didn't go ahead with the Pro for 100 bucks more? I went that route because I was planning on getting a 3TB drive anyway and the 100 dollars to move up to the pro was cheaper than buying a 3TB drive.

Enjoy your Roamio!


----------



## Arcady

The tivo.com page has their March madness game up. You can get up to $100 off with a coupon code that you "win" on the game.

I got a code that is good for $50 off a Roamio DVR or $100 off a Roamio Plus or Pro. (It tried it against a Roamio OTA and it says the code is not valid for that model. It also doesn't work on refurbs.)


----------



## gespears

Arcady said:


> I got a code that is good for $50 off a Roamio DVR or $100 off a Roamio Plus or Pro. (It tried it against a Roamio OTA and it says the code is not valid for that model. It also doesn't work on refurbs.)


I wonder if it would work with Spherular's coupon? That would be a good deal.


----------



## HarperVision

gespears said:


> I wonder if it would work with Spherular's coupon? That would be a good deal.


I don't think it does. I'm pretty sure people tried it last year with the same promotion if I'm not mistaken.:down:


----------



## TheBar1

gespears said:


> Just out of curiosity, any reason you didn't go ahead with the Pro for 100 bucks more? I went that route because I was planning on getting a 3TB drive anyway and the 100 dollars to move up to the pro was cheaper than buying a 3TB drive.


It was tempting, but not in the budget. It was hard enough to convince my wife that a brand new TiVo was our only option for replacement!  Our Amazon FireTV stick is keeping us entertained in the meantime, but I'm under orders from my college basketball fanatic wife to have everything up and running ASAP! LOL

I already have a WD DVR Expander that was connected to the TiVo HD. I'm going to try and connect that to the Roamio. If it works, I know I'll lose my previous recordings, but that will double the onboard storage.


----------



## gespears

TheBar1 said:


> I already have a WD DVR Expander that was connected to the TiVo HD. I'm going to try and connect that to the Roamio. If it works, I know I'll lose my previous recordings, but that will double the onboard storage.


Hey that's totally understandable. Your wife will like the Roamio if she's used to the HD. I'd be careful with that Expander. If it goes bad you lose all your recordings and if it's been around a while it could be having issues.

Anyway, enjoy the Roamio and the basketball.


----------



## HarperVision

gespears said:


> Hey that's totally understandable. Your wife will like the Roamio if she's used to the HD. I'd be careful with that Expander. If it goes bad you lose all your recordings and if it's been around a while it could be having issues. Anyway, enjoy the Roamio and the basketball.


Yeah, I would use the internal hard drive only until it's almost all the way full (90-95%?), and then if you don't want to delete anything on it, connect the external HD at that time and then it will stripe with the remaining internal HD and the external. This way if the external goes bad, you only lose whatever recordings were made after it was initially connected.

At least that's how I understand it. I've never used an external so experts feel free to correct any misinformation.


----------



## gespears

HarperVision said:


> This way if the external goes bad, you only lose whatever recordings were made after it was initially connected.


I am not an expert but I thought that if you unplugged the expander told the system it was not going to be used again that you lost everything. But I could be totally wrong. We need telemark to straighten us out.


----------



## Arcady

When you remove an external drive, you lose anything recorded after the drives were married. It doesn't matter which drive the shows physically recorded on.


----------



## HarperVision

Arcady said:


> When you remove an external drive, you lose anything recorded after the drives were married. It doesn't matter which drive the shows physically recorded on.


True, but doesn't it stripe the info across both drives?


----------



## Arcady

HarperVision said:


> True, but doesn't it stripe the info across both drives?


I'm not sure anyone knows for sure. There is no RAID controller in the TiVo, so I find this doubtful, but anything is possible. From what I understand, any recordings made after the drive is added are flagged. When the drive is removed, all flagged recordings are deleted. I don't see why the system would treat the extra space as anything more than an extra partition.


----------



## HarperVision

Arcady said:


> I'm not sure anyone knows for sure. There is no RAID controller in the TiVo, so I find this doubtful, but anything is possible. From what I understand, any recordings made after the drive is added are flagged. When the drive is removed, all flagged recordings are deleted. I don't see why the system would treat the extra space as anything more than an extra partition.


I'm pretty sure I read here somewhere that the recordings are split between the two drives after an external is attached? Not 100% sure though, so I agree we should wait to hear from telemark or nooneuknow.


----------



## nooneuknow

HarperVision said:


> I'm pretty sure I read here somewhere that the recordings are split between the two drives after an external is attached? Not 100% sure though, so I agree we should wait to hear from telemark or nooneuknow.


It's not RAID. It is a proprietary system, where every so many seconds, the TiVo changes the drive it is writing to. There is no striping, mirroring, or other RAID-like way in how it works. The distributed writes and reads is a form of striping, just not done for the same reason, and not adding any data protection.

If you run your internal drive to 100% full, there's a bit of "reserve" left to still allow use of an expander. In order to not lose all the reserve, the TiVo just reduces how much data it writes to the internal drive (changes the from the normal 50/50 ratio). It becomes just enough to make it so that the recordings on the expander will never be able to be extracted via any hack or mod anybody comes up with.

I don't have the time anymore to indulge arguments about the TCF gospel of how expanders add points of failure, and should be avoided at all costs. I used to agree with this. Now, I don't completely agree, as there is one newly-realized major benefit to using them, besides not having to open the TiVo, and worrying about loss of support, or worrying TiVo will deny warranty, should the day come TiVo starts enforcing their TOS/policies/warranty T&C.

One thing I do know, which is a positive effect, is by doing it this way, especially if using a 50/50 ratio, using an expander lowers the duty-cycle, or workload, of the internal drive. Drive makers are realizing the old model of reliability and failure rate estimations don't fit modern, high platter density, drives, thus "rating" some newer ones in TB/yr workload capacity. This is a bad sign for 4 and 6 tuner DVRs, when it comes to how long a drive, in a single drive system, should be expected to last.

Using an expander can cut the workload/duty-cycle by as much as by half, theoretically resulting in at least the internal drive lasting longer, since it would no longer be exceeding the 60TB/yr rating of most modern consumer drives (or not exceeding it by as much).

I suspect the reason 20.4.6 added power savings modes, and tweaked standby mode, to allow the drive to spin down, rather than buffer 24/7, is a move to reduce failures due to TB/yr workloads becoming quite extreme.

The fact that the TiVo Mega uses RAID, but only supports 6 tuners, seems a bit more telling, IMO. Even RAID drives are meant to have periods where they are at minimum, idling, rather than continuously being written to (or even continuously read).

A single drive TiVo with 4 or 6 tuners works the drive harder (in TB/yr) than some enterprise-class drives are rated for.

The downside, that should the expander drive fail, or be declared no longer in use, will result in loss of all recordings since the first one made after connecting the expander, is still the absolute truth.


----------



## HazelW

I had two HDs, both with expandrs. They both wend bad, taking the HD drives with them.


----------



## nooneuknow

HazelW said:


> I had two HDs, both with expandrs. They both wend bad, taking the HD drives with them.


It never ceases to amaze me how almost everybody who has something bad to say about expander drives, talks of Series 3 and TiVo HD series TiVos, while it's fairly hard to find such comments from those using them on Roamios. It's been a mixed-bag with Premieres, and what people report, but nowhere near the "gospel" level, over a product that has had revisions made to every aspect of it, except the purpose of it, since way back in the days of TiVos that could brick themselves without needing assistance. I won't even ask how you know the cause, and sequence of failures. I find most just blame the expander, no matter what, especially if any issues with the internal drive were the result of not properly troubleshooting, and/or not taking proper cautionary measures...

I should have included a pre-warning about this in my post. But, if the expander drive haters want to bad-mouth a product they quit giving a chance to redeem itself, because 5+ years ago (or used on some 5+ year old product) it failed them, I can't stop that. I can't stop the preachers of the "gospel" of how expanders are satan's work, and everybody must avoid being led into temptation to use one, even if the speakers of the "gospel" have never even used one, themselves (this happens far too often, IMO).

I know far too many people who had a bad experience with some brand or product, over a decade ago, and still refuse to buy that brand or product, today, and always tell their tales, any time a conversation gives them an opportunity to say something.

This is a Roamio thread, and the context here is expander drive use with Roamios, using the expander drives that are on shelves now.

*ETA:* I did participate in something that gave me inside access to information on issues specific to the S3/HD TiVos, and use of expander drives (and there were measures taken to address them). Those specific problems were no longer present in the Premiere, lowering the chances of a bad experience. I can't speak as to if the Premiere had any other issues, which were carried to, or fixed on, the Roamio line.

This is the last post I will contribute to this thread, on this matter. It's just not worth it, to try to bring balance and fairness to discussion regarding expander drives. I have to make the most of the time I spend here, and not squander it on subjects that some will argue over to the death.


----------



## jilter

Using a Series 3 that needs 2 Cable cards.

I would like to upgrade but have some novice type questions:
1) If I get a Romio Plus or Pro, is ONE cable card sufficient for multi tuning?

2) i have been a constant LIFETIME user of Tivo since 2000... am I eligible for any deals in Lifetime? (From a seller other than Tivo)
Thanks.


----------



## Fofer

jilter said:


> 1) If I get a Romio Plus or Pro, is ONE cable card sufficient for multi tuning?


Yes.



jilter said:


> 2) i have been a constant LIFETIME user of Tivo since 2000... am I eligible for any deals in Lifetime? (From a seller other than Tivo)


Why from a seller other than TiVo?

You would probably be eligible for the 10-year loyalty deal via TiVo. Call and ask. If not, look into Spherular's coupon.


----------



## TheBar1

HazelW said:


> I had two HDs, both with expandrs. They both wend bad, taking the HD drives with them.


It turns out that my TiVo HD was able to boot up successfully after I disconnected the DVR Expander drive, so that must have been the culprit for my "Powering Up" problem. Nevertheless, my new Roamio Plus arrives tomorrow and I will likely take the HD w/ Lifetime and its wifi adapter and see what I can get for them in an eBay auction. It's not worth it to me to rent another cablecard from Verizon to keep the TiVo HD in service in a different room in my house. We only have one TV connected to FiOS anyway.

FWIW, my DVR Expander (turns out it was the 500 GB model) performed solidly for almost 7 years. I would certainly consider getting a 1TB Expander to go with my Roamio if I get tight on space again. Fortunately with all of the built-in streaming VOD capabilities that the Roamio offers, I don't think drivespace is going to be a concern any time soon.


----------



## hooper

Just got an email from amazon with a $100 promo code for any roamio purchase for the inconvenience of losing instant video on my older series 3 device. Need to find a good use for it as I already have a Roamio.


----------



## Fofer

hooper said:


> for the inconvenience of losing instant video on my older series 3 device..


Wow, just read about that here: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=51


----------



## HarperVision

nooneuknow said:


> It never ceases to amaze me how almost everybody who has something bad to say about expander drives, talks of Series 3 and TiVo HD series TiVos, while it's fairly hard to find such comments from those using them on Roamios. It's been a mixed-bag with Premieres, and what people report, but nowhere near the "gospel" level, over a product that has had revisions made to every aspect of it, except the purpose of it, since way back in the days of TiVos that could brick themselves without needing assistance. I won't even ask how you know the cause, and sequence of failures. I find most just blame the expander, no matter what, especially if any issues with the internal drive were the result of not properly troubleshooting, and/or not taking proper cautionary measures... I should have included a pre-warning about this in my post. But, if the expander drive haters want to bad-mouth a product they quit giving a chance to redeem itself, because 5+ years ago (or used on some 5+ year old product) it failed them, I can't stop that. I can't stop the preachers of the "gospel" of how expanders are satan's work, and everybody must avoid being led into temptation to use one, even if the speakers of the "gospel" have never even used one, themselves (this happens far too often, IMO). I know far too many people who had a bad experience with some brand or product, over a decade ago, and still refuse to buy that brand or product, today, and always tell their tales, any time a conversation gives them an opportunity to say something. This is a Roamio thread, and the context here is expander drive use with Roamios, using the expander drives that are on shelves now. ETA: I did participate in something that gave me inside access to information on issues specific to the S3/HD TiVos, and use of expander drives (and there were measures taken to address them). Those specific problems were no longer present in the Premiere, lowering the chances of a bad experience. I can't speak as to if the Premiere had any other issues, which were carried to, or fixed on, the Roamio line. This is the last post I will contribute to this thread, on this matter. It's just not worth it, *to try to bring balance *and fairness to discussion regarding expander drives. I have to make the most of the time I spend here, and not squander it on subjects that some will argue over to the death.


Wow, so you're like, the _Luke Skywalker_ of Hard Drives then.......cool!


----------



## TheBar1

hooper said:


> Just got an email from amazon with a $100 promo code for any roamio purchase for the inconvenience of losing instant video on my older series 3 device.


As luck would have it, I just got a similar email from Amazon:



> From:"Amazon.com Customer Service" <[email protected]>
> Date:Wed, Mar 18, 2015 at 12:06 PM
> Subject:Important Information About Amazon Instant Video on Your TiVo Device
> 
> Hello,
> 
> As someone who has used the Amazon application on your TiVo Series 3, we want to let you know the application will no longer be available on your TiVo after April 15, 2015. This means you wont be able to download videos to your TiVo after this date. You can however continue to watch the movies and TV episodes you purchased and downloaded on your TiVo prior to this date by following the instructions below.
> 
> **Important - To keep your downloaded videos:
> 
> 1. Download all purchased videos you want to save to your TiVo by April 15, 2015. After this date, you won't be able to download videos from Amazon on your device.
> 
> 2. To make sure your downloaded videos remain saved to your device, check the "Keep Until" settings for each one. Use your remote to open TiVo Central, then go to your "Now Playing" list. Select a video, open the "Keep Until" option, and choose "Keep Until I Delete" or specify a date.
> 
> If you dont download your purchased videos onto your TiVo Series 3 and check the "Keep Until" date for each, you wont be able to watch them on your device after April 15, 2015.
> 
> You can also stream your purchased movies and TV episodes on hundreds of compatible devices including TiVo Roamio, Smart TVs, game consoles, iOS, Android, and Fire devices. For more information about ways to watch, go to: https://www.amazon.com/watchnow
> 
> As a TiVo Series 3 customer, you're eligible for $100 off a TiVo Roamio sold by Amazon.com so you can stream Amazon Instant Video.
> 
> You can redeem this offer on the Amazon website:
> 1. Go to: https://www.amazon.com/TiVo5
> 2. Add a qualifying TiVo Roamio device to your Cart and proceed to checkout.
> 3. On the "Select a Payment Method" page, enter xxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx under "Gift Cards & Promotional Codes."
> 4. Place your order.
> 
> You'll see the promotional credit reflected in your order details. This offer is available until April 30, 2015. See the following link for the full terms and conditions:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/TiVo5OfferTerms
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Customer Service


All in all, this offer would have saved me about $18 versus the deal I got for my new Roamio Plus with my spherular code. That stings a little, but that's the way bargain hunting goes sometimes. It would seem the retail value of my TiVo HD could dip a bit in light of this news, so I better get it into an eBay auction this weekend!


----------



## hooper

It would be great if we could use this code to buy a mini too.


----------



## jilter

Fofer said:


> Yes.
> 
> Why from a seller other than TiVo?
> 
> You would probably be eligible for the 10-year loyalty deal via TiVo. Call and ask. If not, look into Spherular's coupon.


I nay be wrong, but I think I can get a better price than from Tivo direct or with the promo code being offered on eBay.

3) Will my Series 3 still work as a networked Tivo without cable cards installed?


----------



## gespears

If somebody has a code they aren't going to use can you please PM me? I need another TiVo for my wife's exercise room but really can't afford one.

Thanks,

Gary.

I posted this in the Amazon thread also. Sorry for the double post but I thought it might get more attention here.


----------



## osu1991

Got 2 Roamio Basic's from the Woot deal. Very impressed with them


----------



## HarperVision

gespears said:


> If somebody has a code they aren't going to use can you please PM me? I need another TiVo for my wife's exercise room but really can't afford one. Thanks, Gary. I posted this in the Amazon thread also. Sorry for the double post but I thought it might get more attention here.


I can try to get one from the March Madness promo when I have a chance. I'll let you know.

Have you tried that?


----------



## HarperVision

I won the $50 off Roamio and $100 off Roamio Plus/Pro coupon code if you're interested gespears?


----------



## gespears

HarperVision said:


> I can try to get one from the March Madness promo when I have a chance. I'll let you know.
> 
> Have you tried that?


Thank you very much but I was hoping for the Amazon coupon because it makes a standard Roamio very cheap and I can't afford another lifetime service yet.

But Thanks for trying and for all your help in these forums and the TiVo community.


----------



## HarperVision

gespears said:


> Thank you very much but I was hoping for the Amazon coupon because it makes a standard Roamio very cheap and I can't afford another lifetime service yet. But Thanks for trying and for all your help in these forums and the TiVo community.


No worries!

If anyone else wants it let me know. First come first served.


----------



## cherry ghost

10 year loyalty deal is still cheaper than $100 off at Amazon, correct?


----------



## davezatz

cherry ghost said:


> 10 year loyalty deal is still cheaper than $100 off at Amazon, correct?


Yes


----------



## Arcady

I got one of the "sorry we broke your Series 3" emails, so I couldn't resist a basic Roamio for $45, especially since I got a $50 Amazon gift card for my birthday.

Now to decide if I actually need it...


----------



## Kash76

Arcady said:


> I got one of the "sorry we broke your Series 3" emails, so I couldn't resist a basic Roamio for $45, especially since I got a $50 Amazon gift card for my birthday.
> 
> Now to decide if I actually need it...


Can you say problem? ;-)


----------



## jilter

I just realized I am missing something. If I buy the Roamio Pro from Amazon at 475.00- is there some service charge that goes with that from Tivo to activate service?


----------



## Fofer

Yeah you still need to pay monthly or lifetime. That's why calling TiVo to get in on the 10-year loyalty deal is cheaper.


----------



## Mikeguy

One thing to keep in mind when speaking with TiVo directly about offers: it appears that the TiVo sales reps. have a certain amount of discretion in what they may offer. When I received a TiVo loyalty offer email earlier, I called TiVo and spoke with a sales rep. about the offer, the cost, etc. A little after that call, I had an additional question and so called TiVo back, and reached a different sales rep. That sales rep. answered my question and then asked if I wanted to do the deal, and now said that the rep. also would throw in a Pro glow remote for free (the rep. also knew that I had called earlier and with whom I had spoken, based on the info. in TiVo's computer database).

Simply for your information--it can't hurt to ask, nicely, if there is anything that the sales rep. can do to sweeten the pot.  And it does generate a fair amount of goodwill and increases TiVo loyalty.


----------



## jilter

So the most (or least depending on how you look at it)) could hope for is 199.99 for Lifetime?

So...with Amazon I would be lookng at 475.00 plus 200.00 (potentially)...I do not see how going with the eBay deal for 69.00 is better....


----------



## Mikeguy

Not quite. Buying the box at Amazon, you separately would be buying the lifetime subscription from TiVo and that would be $400 (with a code) or $500. 

The eBay spherular deal gets you lower than that, for the box plus subscription.

The lowest-priced deal is the TiVo loyalty package deal, for long-time TiVo customers.


----------



## Vadi

nooneuknow said:


> Using an expander can cut the workload/duty-cycle by as much as by half, theoretically resulting in at least the internal drive lasting longer, since it would no longer be exceeding the 60TB/yr rating of most modern consumer drives (or not exceeding it by as much).


I was thinking that when reading the other thread. One of the reasons I think I'll go the expander route when I upgrade.



nooneuknow said:


> The downside, that should the expander drive fail, or be declared no longer in use, will result in loss of all recordings since the first one made after connecting the expander, is still the absolute truth.


Absolutely true if an internal drive fails too? (Glad you're back to posting at the moment.)

Has anyone opened up an expander recently to see what's inside? Also, does anyone know why the WD 2TB expander isn't supported for Tivo?


----------



## tarheelblue32

jilter said:


> I just realized I am missing something. If I buy the Roamio Pro from Amazon at 475.00- is there some service charge that goes with that from Tivo to activate service?





jilter said:


> So the most (or least depending on how you look at it)) could hope for is 199.99 for Lifetime?
> 
> So...with Amazon I would be lookng at 475.00 plus 200.00 (potentially)...I do not see how going with the eBay deal for 69.00 is better....


How do you have over 7,000 posts?

If you buy the Pro from Amazon for $475, you still have to pay TiVo $400 for lifetime service. Total=$875.

If you can get the 10-year loyalty deal from TiVo, then you can get a Pro with lifetime service directly from TiVo for $700.

If you buy an ebay code, then you can get a Pro with lifetime service for $700 plus whatever you pay for the code.


----------



## Arcady

Vadi said:


> Has anyone opened up an expander recently to see what's inside? Also, does anyone know why the WD 2TB expander isn't supported for Tivo?


Inside the expander is a hard drive.

The reason that the 1TB is the only one that works is that TiVo programmed their box to allow only certain hard drives to work as an expander. If the board on the hard drive doesn't match the approved list in the TiVo, it won't work. That's why you can't replace the drive inside an expander with another drive and expect it to work; the expander is nothing more than a case. The only way to buy a drive with that specific signature is to buy the expander.

TiVo could add more approved drives, but they haven't.


----------



## Vadi

Arcady said:


> Inside the expander is a hard drive.
> 
> The reason that the 1TB is the only one that works is that TiVo programmed their box to allow only certain hard drives to work as an expander. If the board on the hard drive doesn't match the approved list in the TiVo, it won't work. That's why you can't replace the drive inside an expander with another drive and expect it to work; the expander is nothing more than a case. The only way to buy a drive with that specific signature is to buy the expander.
> 
> TiVo could add more approved drives, but they haven't.


So it's just a software compatibility thing then? Makes sense.

To be more specific about what is inside the expander, the better question would be what drive is physically in an expander.

Is it the WD10EURX inside of the expander? Is the drive in the 1TB expander the same as the drive in the 1TB Roamio Plus?


----------



## nooneuknow

Expander drives use an internal drive with a specially identifiable firmware, uniquely assigned to DVR expander drives, and nothing else.

The drive in an expander case can be placed inside a different case (even with a different SATA to eSATA bridge chip), and still be accepted by the TiVo, but not the other way around.

This is all off-topic, and I'm partly to blame for the topic drift. I'm excusing myself from any further participation, and hope the thread finds it's way back on topic.


----------



## jilter

tarheelblue32 said:


> How do you have over 7,000 posts?


Thank you.
I guess it was not clear to me the only way Tivo will give one a break on Lifetime is if they buy direct from Tivo. I did try to ask that question directly but failed.


----------



## lessd

tarheelblue32 said:


> How do you have over 7,000 posts?
> 
> If you buy the Pro from Amazon for $475, you still have to pay TiVo $400 for lifetime service. Total=$875.
> 
> If you can get the 10-year loyalty deal from TiVo, then you can get a Pro with lifetime service directly from TiVo for $700.
> 
> If you buy an ebay code, then you can get a Pro with lifetime service for $700 plus whatever you pay for the code.


You can get the Roamio Plus with lifetime for $500 under the 10 year deal, and put in a 3 Tb drive for about $100, and still have the 1Tb drive left over.


----------



## jilter

Beautiful suggestion. Never upgraded a Tivo myself. Not confident in my ability to do so.


----------



## Kash76

I did it last night. It literally took 10 minutes. Eight screws and disconnecting the old drive and reconnecting the new drive.


----------



## tarheelblue32

jilter said:


> Beautiful suggestion. Never upgraded a Tivo myself. Not confident in my ability to do so.


I hear it's pretty simple. There are probably how-to youtube videos about it.


----------



## Mikeguy

Looked at 2 great YouTube vid's on the process--good. Especially the one where the modder put one of the hard drive rails on upside down--good to learn from it!


----------



## gespears

I'm still looking for the amazon 100 bucks off code if anybody has one they are not going to use. If so, please PM me.

Thanks


----------



## jilter

tarheelblue32 said:


> I hear it's pretty simple. There are probably how-to youtube videos about it.


Dumb question, I know:
How does the software get on the new drive?


----------



## Kash76

It automatically loads when the TiVo detects the new drive. They've really made it easy for us


----------



## JoeKustra

Vadi said:


> Is it the WD10EURX inside of the expander?


I opened mine and it is the WD10EURX.


----------



## tarheelblue32

jilter said:


> Dumb question, I know:
> How does the software get on the new drive?


On the Roamios, the TiVo software is saved on the flash memory. As an above post says, after you install the new hard drive and start up the Roamio, it automatically detects that there is a new drive, formats it, and loads the TiVo software onto it for you. Installing a new drive is essentially plug and play for the Roamios.


----------



## jilter

Appreciate the guidance very much. I think I will buy the Plus, Suffer with the 1TB and ride out the warranty coverage. Once I have no coverage, I will upgrade. That way either I will appreciate that much more, the extra space an upgrade will bring me, or realize it is not necessary. Much appreciation to all who responded.


----------



## Fofer

Just be aware, you'll lose all of your recordings if/when you do the HDD upgrade. That's why I do the HDD upgrade first. It's so easy. There aren't even stickers on the back of the case that would indicate you opened it up. 

And if the upgrade doesn't work you can always just pop the original drive back in.


----------



## Mikeguy

Just one word as to delaying an upgrade: you'll lose the shows on the old hard drive when you upgrade, and so if you want to save them, you'll need to transfer them to another TiVo or your PC before upgrading (and then back to the TiVo and its new drive, if you want them there). Just something to keep in mind, in case any of the content is important to you.


----------



## TheBar1

gespears said:


> If somebody has a code they aren't going to use can you please PM me? I need another TiVo for my wife's exercise room but really can't afford one.


PM sent. Happy shopping!


----------



## TheBar1

Darn. Looks like these codes are Amazon User specific and cannot be transferred. Sorry gespears.

https://www.amazon.com/TiVo5OfferTerms


----------



## HarperVision

TheBar1 said:


> Darn. Looks like these codes are Amazon User specific and cannot be transferred. Sorry gespears. https://www.amazon.com/TiVo5OfferTerms


Why don't you buy it for him and immediately sell it to him via paypal or other means?


----------



## gespears

TheBar1 said:


> Darn. Looks like these codes are Amazon User specific and cannot be transferred. Sorry gespears.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/TiVo5OfferTerms


Thanks for trying Justin. I appreciate it!


----------



## buddhawood

If someone wants to try I have a code that I will not be using.
Please post if you do use it.

As a TiVo Series 3 customer, you're
eligible for $100 off a TiVo Roamio sold by Amazon.com so you can stream Amazon
Instant Video.

You can redeem this offer on the Amazon website: 
1. Go to:
https://www.amazon.com/TiVo5 
2. Add a qualifying TiVo Roamio device to your
Cart and proceed to checkout.
3. On the "Select a Payment Method" page, enter
B6NW-HPV24H-LZ4CCB under "Gift Cards & Promotional Codes." 
4. Place your
order.

You'll see the promotional credit reflected in your order details.
This offer is available until April 30, 2015. See the following link for the
full terms and conditions:

https://www.amazon.com/TiVo5OfferTerms


----------



## psywzrd

buddhawood said:


> If someone wants to try I have a code that I will not be using.
> Please post if you do use it.
> 
> As a TiVo Series 3 customer, you're
> eligible for $100 off a TiVo Roamio sold by Amazon.com so you can stream Amazon
> Instant Video.
> 
> You can redeem this offer on the Amazon website:
> 1. Go to:
> https://www.amazon.com/TiVo5
> 2. Add a qualifying TiVo Roamio device to your
> Cart and proceed to checkout.
> 3. On the "Select a Payment Method" page, enter
> B6NW-HPV24H-LZ4CCB under "Gift Cards & Promotional Codes."
> 4. Place your
> order.
> 
> You'll see the promotional credit reflected in your order details.
> This offer is available until April 30, 2015. See the following link for the
> full terms and conditions:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/TiVo5OfferTerms


Thx for posting. Looks like someone used it already.

Btw, how did you get the code? I have two S3 Tivos and I'm a Prime member so I would think I should be eligible to get at least one code (if not two).


----------



## gespears

psywzrd said:


> Thx for posting. Looks like someone used it already.
> 
> Btw, how did you get the code? I have two S3 Tivos and I'm a Prime member so I would think I should be eligible to get at least one code (if not two).


The codes are tied to the user's Amazon account so nobody can use it but the one who receives the code.

I have a HD as well and I never got a code. I called Amazon and they said it was TiVo that was dictating who gets the codes and they couldn't send me one. They said TiVo would have to set it up.

It was a very frustrating call. I'm not sure what the criteria is for who gets one and who doesn't. They did say they are sending them out in batches. So maybe there is still hope.


----------



## buddhawood

I got a code for my S3 and another for my S2. I can only guess that since I have actually used the Amazon feature on both that they sent me the codes.


----------



## nycityuser

buddhawood said:


> I got a code for my S3 and another for my S2. I can only guess that since I have actually used the Amazon feature on both that they sent me the codes.


I have an S2 on lifetime and an HD on monthly ($6.95/month) and have not received the code. I've used Amazon VOD on any TiVo that allowed it. But I also have a couple of Roamios already so perhaps I won't get the code?


----------



## gespears

nycityuser said:


> I have an S2 on lifetime and an HD on monthly ($6.95/month) and have not received the code. I've used Amazon VOD on any TiVo that allowed it. But I also have a couple of Roamios already so perhaps I won't get the code?


I was wondering about that. Has anybody who has a Roamio on the same account as their S3 received a code?

That could be the determining factor.


----------



## psywzrd

gespears said:


> The codes are tied to the user's Amazon account so nobody can use it but the one who receives the code.
> 
> I have a HD as well and I never got a code. I called Amazon and they said it was TiVo that was dictating who gets the codes and they couldn't send me one. They said TiVo would have to set it up.
> 
> It was a very frustrating call. I'm not sure what the criteria is for who gets one and who doesn't. They did say they are sending them out in batches. So maybe there is still hope.


I contacted Amazon via the chat function and it was a waste of time for me as well. They transferred me three different times and they seemed to have no clue about the promotion. Doesn't really matter to me anyway because it looks like my best deal is through the Tivo loyalty offer anyway.

Not sure if I'm going to take the plunge though. I'm a little worried about having only one point of failure. If the hdd in the Roamio craps out, I lose everything.

At least with my two S3s recording the same shows, I essentially have a backup in case one of the units fails.


----------



## Aero 1

gespears said:


> The codes are tied to the user's Amazon account so nobody can use it but the one who receives the code.
> 
> I have a HD as well and I never got a code. I called Amazon and they said it was TiVo that was dictating who gets the codes and they couldn't send me one. They said TiVo would have to set it up.
> 
> It was a very frustrating call. I'm not sure what the criteria is for who gets one and who doesn't. They did say they are sending them out in batches. So maybe there is still hope.


i emailed about not getting the code, i got a response back that it was only sent to a few customers and that they apologize for the inconvenience because the value all customers highly. i wasnt feeling highly valued, so on the No button in the email where it asks if it solved my problem and had them call me back.

lady called me back, apologized and transfered me to the Amazon instant department. There the lady put me on hold and apologized and said the same thing but offered me an account credit of $25, i am still not satisfied but thanks for the generous offer and ill take it. She told me to wait and she will transfer me to her supervisior. The sup explained that it was a limited amount of people who used the service a lot. She looked at my Amazon account and saw that ive spent thousands upon thousands since 2002 and gave me a $50 account credit instead.

So with the $50 bucks, i bout a Tivo Roamio for $90 since it was $140 yesterday ($145 today). not bad at all.


----------



## tallestguy

davezatz said:


> Yes


The guy at TIVO said that the loyalty program is only available for those who have been a customer directly with them for 10 years. My first TIVOs were DirectTV Sony boxes (SAT-T60) with PLS purchased in 2001 -- the guy at TIVO said that since I wasn't getting support from them for these boxes, I don't qualify. I've had my two series 3 boxes since 2008. Any suggestions on how I take advantage of the loyalty program would be appreciated.


----------



## Fofer

Call back and get another CSR. Many have gotten the loyalty deal, with younger account histories than yours.

CSR Roulette is alive and well at TiVo, Inc.


----------



## Mikeguy

I received the loyalty offer email around 3 months before my 10-year anniversary. When I called TiVo (as the email said to do) and asked about the offer, the rep. told me that I did not qualify, as it was not a full 10 years yet; when I told him that I had received the email and was calling in response to that, he said that he had some (small) leeway and could give me the deal (I found this lack of consistency odd).

One thing I noticed when I called back about the offer later that day: the new rep. had a record of the call I had with the first rep. and even referred to it. And then she sweetened the deal by also offering me a free glow remote.

For what it's worth, I recall seeing a post here saying that the TiVo customer/poster got the deal at around 7 years.


----------



## buddhawood

gespears said:


> I was wondering about that. Has anybody who has a Roamio on the same account as their S3 received a code?
> 
> That could be the determining factor.


I have a Roamio on my account and I got a code for both my S2 and S3.


----------



## seattlewendell

gespears said:


> The codes are tied to the user's Amazon account so nobody can use it but the one who receives the code.
> 
> I have a HD as well and I never got a code. I called Amazon and they said it was TiVo that was dictating who gets the codes and they couldn't send me one. They said TiVo would have to set it up.
> 
> It was a very frustrating call. I'm not sure what the criteria is for who gets one and who doesn't. They did say they are sending them out in batches. So maybe there is still hope.


Yeah I just went look in my account to see how many Tivo's I have purchased over the years directly from Amazon. The number is 4. I purchased by S3 and Premiere from them. Very frustrating indeed.


----------



## acadiel

seattlewendell said:


> Yeah I just went look in my account to see how many Tivo's I have purchased over the years directly from Amazon. The number is 4. I purchased by S3 and Premiere from them. Very frustrating indeed.


I escalated with Amazon customer service (or asked for the ticket to get escalated), and provided them my S3 order number from 2007.

After a few days, I finally got the email with the $100 discount code.

So, be persistent. Have your Amazon order numbers ready. I linked to an article about how their streaming service is being cut off on April 13th for S3 models, asked why I didn't get a $100 discount code, etc. They came back with a canned answer, and then I went further into detail and asked for escalation. I think that's the key.

On a side note, has anyone either gotten TiVo to price match the basic Roamio model with Amazon ($145) and tell them you have a coupon code for $100 off from Amazon, making it $45? I also got the $200 lifetime offer for being with them over 10 years with active units, so that would be sweet if I could get away with around $250 for everything.


----------



## psywzrd

acadiel said:


> On a side note, has anyone either gotten TiVo to price match the basic Roamio model with Amazon ($145) and tell them you have a coupon code for $100 off from Amazon, making it $45? I also got the $200 lifetime offer for being with them over 10 years with active units, so that would be sweet if I could get away with around $250 for everything.


I tried to get Tivo to price match for a Pro and they refused (they said they don't price match with anyone except themselves?).


----------



## mae

I just ordered a Roamio Plus with the $99 lifetime (have an active account going back to my Sony S1 in 2000).

CSR would not take my March Madness code for $100 additional off (PM me if you want it) or throw in a slide remote. Said they weren't allowed to anymore, but offered a TiVo plush doll, which I took.

Will be selling my base model, with lifetime and 4 year BB warranty (3 years left) once I get it set up.


----------



## Mikeguy

mae said:


> CSR would not take my March Madness code for $100 additional off (PM me if you want it) or throw in a slide remote. Said they weren't allowed to anymore, but offered a TiVo plush doll, which I took.


Ooooh, a TiVo plush doll. Ooooh, ahhhhhh. 

P.S. Thanks for my TiVo chuckle for the day.


----------



## rsnaider

Ordered a plus on Saturday with the $99 Lifetime (user since 2002) and was able to get the free remote as well.

CSR have the option to give the remote but not all will.

I have 2 boxes set to arrive on Thursday


----------



## Mikeguy

I wonder if throwing in a remote depends on if you've already walked away from a TiVo deal. I wasn't offered a remote in my first call to TiVo about a possible purchase, during which I told the rep. that I wasn't yet ready to order and had to think about things; it was only during my second call in that the offer was sweetened. Almost feels like a new car negotiation.

To TiVo's credit, it did serve to clinch the deal at that point.


----------



## rsnaider

I had the same experience, I called initially on Friday to get the pricing and see if I qualify, but did not place the order until Saturday. 

On Friday I was told they were no longer offering the remotes, but on Saturday I was told every CSR has the option to sweeten the deal.

I guess for all that are told no, wait a day and call back.


----------



## MrSinatra

hi all,

I am hoping some experts here will tell me what to do / whats the best deal I can expect?

I currently have a Premiere XL (2 tuner) and a series 2. they both have lifetime subs. the series 2 is in a different location; it dates back to Feb 2006, and so I call that 10 years.

I live in NYC and want to eliminate TWC equipment.

my apt has coax in each area already. I own my cable modem and router.

my plan, (and its open to suggestions), is to buy a roamio pro, put it in the living room, and move the XL from there into my bedroom. I will also buy a mini for a roommate. 

the living room TiVo will have a wired Ethernet connection to the router (as well as a cable card and TWC tuning adapter w/usb). the bedroom equipment will not. from what I understand, I will need one moca adapter for the XL in my bedroom, and no wireless adapters are required anywhere, so I should only need the coax cable connection for the mini (no moca adapter).

so...

I priced the pro and mini out, and got $1,149:

600 roamio
400 lifetime
149 mini

and I think that is CRAZY. surely there must be a way to get that under $1k? but how do I do so? how do I leverage the 10 years?

(I am aware I could just get the plus and do external storage, but I want to avoid that if possible)

additionally, I have 2 old series 2 boxes I want them to activate lifetime gratis, for buying the above. I have heard they will do this without too much hassle, b/c its no skin off their nose to do so, (as long as you're buying other big stuff). the other location where my existing lifetime series 2 is, gets analog cable service believe it or not.

so any help or light anyone can shed would be awesome!  thx!!!


----------



## Mikeguy

The loyalty deal is for 10 years (and 10 years is that, not 9). But a few people have posted getting it at less, one at 7 years--and others have posted that they were told no by TiVo, that it is a strict 10 years. I received a TiVo loyalty offer email at 2 or 3 months before 10 years; when I called TiVo about it, I was told I didn't yet qualify, but when I mentioned having received the email, I was told I could get it and that the rep. had a little flexibility.

Otherwise, the infamous spherular deal through eBay, for lifetimed Roamios (standard, Pro and Plus): http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=516044. And if you email him about the deal and offer a fair amount, he sometimes is reported to have come down a bit in the eBay auction amount for his services (not the TiVo pricing).

I've not heard of TiVo giving away lifetime for free, for S2 sets. But maybe you have a secret sauce.  Seems to me that TiVo would be losing a sale with that, which it doesn't seem to do lightly.


----------



## innocentfreak

Isn't the 10 year deal cheaper than the ebay code?


----------



## HarperVision

innocentfreak said:


> Isn't the 10 year deal cheaper than the ebay code?


Yes


----------



## b-ball-fanatic

MrSinatra said:


> ......it dates back to Feb 2006, and so I call that 10 years.


Maybe _you _do, but TiVo probably uses regular math and calls that nine.

I think those ebay deals could get you in under a thousand....


----------



## HarperVision

Or you can do the refurb or Military/Veteran $0/99/199 down deal for a Roamio/Plus/Pro which initially is $19.95/month with a 2 yr contract. Then once it's setup on your account, go back into your online account in the first 30 days and switch it over to an annual plan for $149 ($129 for MSD). Unfortunately the Lifetime and cheaper monthly rates aren't selectable, but the annual rate is and it's still a great deal. Basically ~$250 for a Roamio Plus with now only a one year commitment/contract and a year of service paid for.


----------



## raqball

I don't see the Military deal as being that great.

Roamio base for free then $20 a month for 24 months = $480 then you still have to pay for year 3, 4, 5 ect.

The eBay code deal is $450 + the cost of the code = about $490 but you have lifetime service..


----------



## altern8545

MrSinatra said:


> hi all,
> 
> I am hoping some experts here will tell me what to do / whats the best deal I can expect?
> 
> I currently have a Premiere XL (2 tuner) and a series 2. they both have lifetime subs. the series 2 is in a different location; it dates back to Feb 2006, and so I call that 10 years.
> 
> I live in NYC and want to eliminate TWC equipment.
> 
> my apt has coax in each area already. I own my cable modem and router.
> 
> my plan, (and its open to suggestions), is to buy a roamio pro, put it in the living room, and move the XL from there into my bedroom. I will also buy a mini for a roommate.
> 
> the living room TiVo will have a wired Ethernet connection to the router (as well as a cable card and TWC tuning adapter w/usb). the bedroom equipment will not. from what I understand, I will need one moca adapter for the XL in my bedroom, and no wireless adapters are required anywhere, so I should only need the coax cable connection for the mini (no moca adapter).
> 
> so...
> 
> I priced the pro and mini out, and got $1,149:
> 
> 600 roamio
> 400 lifetime
> 149 mini
> 
> and I think that is CRAZY. surely there must be a way to get that under $1k? but how do I do so? how do I leverage the 10 years?
> 
> (I am aware I could just get the plus and do external storage, but I want to avoid that if possible)
> 
> additionally, I have 2 old series 2 boxes I want them to activate lifetime gratis, for buying the above. I have heard they will do this without too much hassle, b/c its no skin off their nose to do so, (as long as you're buying other big stuff). the other location where my existing lifetime series 2 is, gets analog cable service believe it or not.
> 
> so any help or light anyone can shed would be awesome!  thx!!!


i went to ebay and purchased a tivo promo discount (was asking $50 but he/she accepted my offer of $25) and picked up a roamio plus for $599 with lifetime. the tivo mini v1 can be had for a little over $115-120 with lifetime and you can sell your older tivo and replace them with the mini's.

i went the extra mile and picked up a WD RED 3TB for $100 and replaced the stock drive as well.


----------



## HarperVision

raqball said:


> I don't see the Military deal as being that great. Roamio base for free then $20 a month for 24 months = $480 then you still have to pay for year 3, 4, 5 ect. The eBay code deal is $450 + the cost of the code = about $490 but you have lifetime service..


I guess you didn't actually read my post?



HarperVision said:


> Or you can do the refurb or Military/Veteran $0/99/199 down deal for a Roamio/Plus/Pro which initially is $19.95/month with a 2 yr contract. *Then once it's setup on your account, go back into your online account in the first 30 days and switch it over to an annual plan for $149 ($129 for MSD). *Unfortunately the Lifetime and cheaper monthly rates aren't selectable, but the annual rate is and it's still a great deal. Basically ~$250 for a Roamio Plus with now only a one year commitment/contract and a year of service paid for.


----------



## SteveD

altern8545 said:


> i went to ebay and purchased a tivo promo discount (was asking $50 but he/she accepted my offer of $25) and picked up a roamio plus for $599 with lifetime. the tivo mini v1 can be had for a little over $115-120 with lifetime and you can sell your older tivo and replace them with the mini's.
> 
> i went the extra mile and picked up a WD RED 3TB for $100 and replaced the stock drive as well.


You might as well get the Pro for $699 as it already comes with the 3TB drive installed.


----------



## altern8545

**** Red said:


> You might as well get the Pro for $699 as it already comes with the 3TB drive installed.


yup, in hindsight, that would have been easier hahah


----------



## raqball

HarperVision said:


> I guess you didn't actually read my post?


I read the post but was surprised that Tivo would let you do that with a promo. Are you not locked into the 2-year deal as it's stated?


----------



## HarperVision

raqball said:


> I read the post but was surprised that Tivo would let you do that with a promo. Are you not locked into the 2-year deal as it's stated?


Apparently not because I and many others have done it since I posted the workaround a few months ago.


----------



## raqball

HarperVision said:


> Apparently not because I and many others have done it since I posted the workaround a few months ago.


Sweet! :up: :up:


----------



## MrSinatra

thanks everyone for your replies.

it sounds like the ebay deal would get me what I want at $848 [699 r.pro + 149 mini] (& not including the ebay price of ~$50-$70) which is a total I could live with I guess. (oddly, no ebay savings on the mini over the TiVo site price)

however, someone said the 10 year deal is cheaper. lets put aside if I qualify or not, and just assume I do, what are the specifics of the 10 year deal? how does it work? what would the prices be under it? how do I ask for it?

thanks!


----------



## Mikeguy

You would call TiVo sales/support and ask for the loyalty deal (you probably would want to refrain from calling it the *10-year* loyalty deal). And the pricing then works out to: buy a Roamio standard/Plus/Pro from TiVo at its full retail price, and then get a lifetime subscription for the set for $99 on the Plus/Pro, $199 on the Roamio standard.

No special pricing on the Mini (as the Mini already comes with lifetime)--it's on the main units.

The biggest sweet spot here seems to be with the Roamio standard and for the Roamio Plus (and then for the Plus, you can add in yourself a 3TB drive for less than the price difference between the Plus and Pro, and then you have a Pro).


----------



## MrSinatra

ok, so that would work out to the same amount then; its only cheaper by virtue of the fact I wouldn't have to pay someone on ebay for a code, right?

so the trick will be getting Tivo to agree I am worthy of the 10 year deal, (if they in fact, challenge me on it when I ask for the loyalty deal).

06, 07, 08, 09, 10, *** 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

that's why I said earlier I was a 10 year guy, but of course it depends on how one wants to count it, meaning, 'in' the tenth year vs the 'end' of the tenth year. also to be considered is: subscription time prior to my feb 06 lifetime, DirecTV, etc... in other words, turn on the charm and state a reasonable case for leniency.

we shall see. i'll just keep calling back til I get a kind soul.

btw, when I order the mini, are they all now the TCDA93000 models or do they still sell TCDA92000s? any point in specifically asking for a 93000?

and say I get the deal, can I get any other freebies out of them? like a remote or wireless adapter? I don't have any secret sauce, but over the years I have read here or there that sometimes a bigger order can get some old series 2 boxes activated with lifetime for free. I guess I could try for that too.


----------



## Mikeguy

Well, it can't hurt to ask (if done nicely). I doubt another subscription--that's a many hundred dollars. But some people have reported bartering for a glow/slide remote or a TiVo plush toy (yeah, I know, just want you want, lol).


----------



## debtoine

I don't really want to go back through 44 pages of this thread, so I hope people don't mind me asking this question after the (current) last post.

Yesterday, we were offered $500, including a Lifetime sub, for a Roamio Plus under the loyalty deal. 

I mentioned that Amazon has the Plus for less than Tivo sells it, but the CSR told me that we wouldn't be able to get the $99 Lifetime sub on any TSN sold via Amazon.

Is the $500 the best case for us or is there something else out there to make the deal sweeter?

Thanks,

deb


----------



## Mikeguy

debtoine said:


> I don't really want to go back through 44 pages of this thread, so I hope people don't mind me asking this question after the (current) last post.
> 
> Yesterday, we were offered $500, including a Lifetime sub, for a Roamio Plus under the loyalty deal.
> 
> I mentioned that Amazon has the Plus for less than Tivo sells it, but the CSR told me that we wouldn't be able to get the $99 Lifetime sub on any TSN sold via Amazon.
> 
> Is the $500 the best case for us or is there something else out there to make the deal sweeter?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> deb


Actually, you wouldn't have to go through the entire thread, just read from the most recent posts back a few pages, to get the latest info.

Yes, the loyalty deal is the best available, for the reason the TiVo rep. told you.

Some have managed to get TiVo to sweeten the pot slightly, as mentioned in the posts a few above.


----------



## Mikeguy

You also might be able to get a price match rebate, after the fact, from your credit card company, where the company has a benefit which matches lower prices seen within a certain amount of time after a purchase is made using the credit card.


----------



## MrSinatra

MrSinatra said:


> ok, so that would work out to the same amount then; its only cheaper by virtue of the fact I wouldn't have to pay someone on ebay for a code, right?


Mikeguy et al, does that sound correct?

thx again for your helpful replies.



debtoine said:


> Yesterday, we were offered $500, including a Lifetime sub, for a Roamio Plus under the loyalty deal.
> 
> I mentioned that Amazon has the Plus for less than Tivo sells it, but the CSR told me that we wouldn't be able to get the $99 Lifetime sub on any TSN sold via Amazon.
> 
> Is the $500 the best case for us or is there something else out there to make the deal sweeter?


seems to me that is the best deal. as said, sometimes u can get them to throw in something extra, like a remote or wireless adapter.


----------



## Fofer

MrSinatra said:


> sometimes u can get them to throw in something extra, like a remote or wireless adapter.


...and sometimes you ca get them to include BOTH


----------



## raqball

10-year deal: $500 for a Plus with lifetime then $150 for the Mini = $650

Code deal: $600 for a Plus with lifetime then $150 for the Mini and about $40 for the code = $790


----------



## spamjam

I got the loyalty deal yesterday. 13-year customer. Roamio basic lifetime, $199+$199+tax. Slide pro remote as well after I asked.


----------



## MrSinatra

raqball said:


> 10-year deal: $500 for a Plus with lifetime then $150 for the Mini = $650
> 
> Code deal: $600 for a Plus with lifetime then $150 for the Mini and about $40 for the code = $790


ok, but if its a pro the only difference is the ebay code money, right?


----------



## raqball

MrSinatra said:


> ok, but if its a pro the only difference is the ebay code money, right?


10-year loyalty deal for the Pro from Tivo is $700 I think then another $150 for the Mini so $850

Code deal would be the exact same $700 then $150 for the Mini plus the cost of the code.

So yes the only difference for the Pro with lifetime between the 2 options is the cost of the code.

http://spherular.com/epages/b6dc61b...dc61b3-9e6b-415b-9ff2-0acefd0ea774/Products/2


----------



## philhu

Ask about the undocumented 'day one' - 17 yr loyalty deal 

If you have been with TIVO since day one! I was, as my first Tivo was the Phillips 12 hour HDR-112

Replaced a TivoHD with Roamio Plus + Lifetime as a VERY good deal. And gave the TivoHD, still with lifetime, to my daughter


----------



## HarperVision

philhu said:


> Ask about the undocumented 'day one' - 17 yr loyalty deal  If you have been with TIVO since day one! I was, as my first Tivo was the Phillips 12 hour HDR-112 Replaced a TivoHD with Roamio Plus + Lifetime as a VERY good deal. And gave the TivoHD, still with lifetime, to my daughter


How were you able to prove that to them? I'm also a first gen Phillips TiVo client but they always say that they can't see anything in their system before 2003 (IIRC) due to when they switched their servers over and did the whole "grandfathering" in of service and all. I remember transferring my gen 1 unit's lifetime over to a TiVo HD, but it still didn't flag me as a customer from the beginning in their new system for some reason.


----------



## Mikeguy

MrSinatra said:


> Mikeguy et al, does that sound correct?


Yep, the savings are less between the loyalty deal and the eBay deal, with the Roamio Pro. But you still are saving the cost of the eBay purchase price by going the loyalty deal route, if it's available to you, and that's nothing to sneeze at. Also, as noted above, with the loyalty deal, you may get TiVo to throw something else into the mix as well.

As I mentioned above, a way to save even more on the Roamio Pro is to do the loyalty deal on the Roamio Plus, saving $200 over the eBay deal for the Roamio Pro, and then swap in a 3TB hard drive (easy to do, at the level of a number of screws and then plugging and playing; around $115 at Amazon.com). In the end, then, you end up with a Roamio Pro equivalent, an extra 1TB hard drive, and savings of the eBay transaction cost plus ($200 - the 3TB hard drive cost), plus whatever else (if anything) TiVo might throw into the deal.


----------



## MrSinatra

thx for the confirmation.



Mikeguy said:


> As I mentioned above, a way to save even more on the Roamio Pro is to do the loyalty deal on the Roamio Plus, saving $200 over the eBay deal for the Roamio Pro, and then swap in a 3TB hard drive (easy to do, at the level of a number of screws and then plugging and playing; around $115 at Amazon.com). In the end, then, you end up with a Roamio Pro equivalent, an extra 1TB hard drive, and savings of the eBay transaction cost plus ($200 - the 3TB hard drive cost), plus whatever else (if anything) TiVo might throw into the deal.


interesting idea, some questions:

can the TiVo use any sata drive?
what happens when u swap in the new drive? 
how hard is it to physically get the drive in and out of the TiVo? 
does it void the warranty? 
can the drive be bigger than 3TB? whats the top limit? 
what specs does the stock TiVo drive have? (like, rpm, sata speed, etc)

thanks for your time and info, this sounds like something I maybe can do!


----------



## raqball

MrSinatra said:


> thx for the confirmation.
> 
> interesting idea, some questions:
> 
> can the TiVo use any sata drive?
> what happens when u swap in the new drive?
> how hard is it to physically get the drive in and out of the TiVo?
> does it void the warranty?
> can the drive be bigger than 3TB? whats the top limit?
> what specs does the stock TiVo drive have? (like, rpm, sata speed, etc)
> 
> thanks for your time and info, this sounds like something I maybe can do!


If you want a 3TB drive then many use a Western Digital WD30EURX. I have the same drive in mine but it's the 2TB version and is WD20EURX.

Tivo will format and set the new drive up. You don't need to do anything.

It's easy as heck to change the HD in a Tivo. Here is a video you can watch:





Warranty is void


----------



## Mikeguy

Additionally:

-- A well-regarded replacement drive often referenced and used: http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digit...=UTF8&qid=1428803013&sr=8-1&keywords=WD30EURX

-- For a 3TB and below drive, the Roamio will do all the work, once you plug the drive in--you don't need to prep. the drive whatsoever, it's very much plug-and-play (apart from unscrewing the Roamio case and unscrewing the drive from the box). Over 3TB, you would need to prep. the drive through a PC.

-- A replacement drive literally voids the warranty. But seemingly, TiVo more typically has turned its face the other way on this and not caused an issue, where the replacement drive issue has not been shoved in its face/emphasized. Some posters have suggested holding on to the original drive, in case warranty service needs to be sought (the original drive can be put back in--but note that TiVo operations records likely will indicate the original replacement, if TiVo wants to look the info. up (which it seemingly is not doing)). But certainly, something to consider.

-- There is a separate _very_ long thread here on hard drive upgrades: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=507695


----------



## b-ball-fanatic

Mikeguy said:


> -- A replacement drive literally voids the warranty. But seemingly, TiVo more typically has turned its face the other way on this and not caused an issue, where the replacement drive issue has not been shoved in its face/emphasized. Some posters have suggested holding on to the original drive, in case warranty service needs to be sought (the original drive can be put back in--but note that TiVo operations records likely will indicate the original replacement, if TiVo wants to look the info. us (which it seemingly is not doing)). * But certainly, something to consider.*


_Definitely _something to consider. TiVo doesn't necessarily turn a blind eye. If you open the case for any reason, whether you replace the hard drive or not, you have voided the warranty. Should TiVo choose to enforce their policy, which they can & do sometimes, you're seriously S.O.L. if your Roamio develops any serious problems.

Now, I _do _think the odds are pretty good that it won't matter...that the Roamio, like most consumer electronics these days, will outlast its warranty anyway. But we're not talking about a cheap little music player here. To be fully aware of the small but real risk, I think it's reasonable to think of that $100 (or so) price difference as the cost of secure warranty coverage.


----------



## Mikeguy

I might agree with you more strongly, except that the reports I've read of TiVo denying warranty coverage in this area seem to be when the customer has raised the hard drive replacement--otherwise, it appears that TiVo tends not to go there. Which seems to make sense as, from what I've read, TiVo simply replaces boxes sent to it under warranty and doesn't pop the lid open to attempt a repair. But absolutely right, no guarantees here, and different people have different tolerance levels.

This is one reason why some purchasers wait to do a hard drive replacement until after expiration of the 90-day parts and labor warranty period (but still doing it within the 1-year parts warranty period--I guess there is less a concern of a TiVo objection during that further 3/4 year?).


----------



## Fofer

Mikeguy said:


> This is one reason why some purchasers wait to do a hard drive replacement until after expiration of the 90-day parts and labor warranty period


But then what happens to any/all recordings on the original drive?

I'd rather just start off with the upgraded drive and not have to face the specter of losing 2+ months of unwatched recordings.


----------



## Selmabody

Also looking for promo deal that is valid for April 2015


----------



## Mikeguy

Fofer said:


> But then what happens to any/all recordings on the original drive?
> 
> I'd rather just start off with the upgraded drive and not have to face the specter of losing 2+ months of unwatched recordings.


That's the choice--the recordings on the original drive are lost (unless transferred off, such as to your PC or to another TiVo set before removal, or the drive is put back in). A reason why some people will replace the drive immediately.


----------



## HazelW

You also lost the cable card pairing if you do that before replacing.


----------



## rainwater

HazelW said:


> You also lost the cable card pairing if you do that before replacing.


CableCard pairing is not stored on the hard drive on Roamios.


----------



## b-ball-fanatic

rainwater said:


> CableCard pairing is not stored on the hard drive on Roamios.


You lose it nonetheless.


----------



## altern8545

how would tivo know a replacement HD was used? cant you simply put the original HD back in during support calls or warranty repair? i dont see any tamper stickers or screw like those found in xbox's. 

i suppose the tivo unit could record and send the HD serial # back to tivo but judging by how easy Tivo has made it to replace HD's (putting the firmware on ROM vs. disk), i think the risk of losing your warranty over a drive replacement is very low.

i do realize this is a very expensive equipment and everyone wants to take all precautions but i for one went from unboxing the unit to replacing the HD without ever booting up the original drive.


----------



## Mikeguy

It's been reported here that TiVo's electronic records for the operation of your set will indicate if the hard drive has been replaced.


----------



## Fofer

Has there ever been a single reported case, anywhere, of someone being denied warranty coverage solely because they upgraded their internal drive?

And if so, why does TiVo make it so easy to upgrade the internal drive, with the auto-install software that runs off the bare metal hardware?


----------



## Mikeguy

In answer to your first question, yes, per a few posts in the hard drive upgrade thread. But it seemed to me that this occurred, typically, where the hard drive upgrade issue had been raised or an issue pressed by the consumer.

In answer to your second question, for its own benefit as well, in addition to being a (secret) selling point?


----------



## b-ball-fanatic

Fofer said:


> And if so, why does TiVo make it so easy to upgrade the internal drive, with the auto-install software that runs off the bare metal hardware?


Keep their "service model" in mind.....remember, they don't repair anything. For issues that cannot be resolved over the phone, they simply replace the whole thing with a refurbished unit. Not hard to imagine where they get all those refurbished units.  Here's how I suspect it works: Whoever they subcontract this work to gets the troubled Roamio, pops in a new HDD, boots it up. If it seems to work, it gets repackaged with a new TSN and gets shipped out to replace somebody else's troubled Roamio.

I don't think TiVo was making it easy for _us_....I think they wanted to make it easier for _them_. Faster churn minimizes costs.


----------



## innocentfreak

Fofer said:


> Has there ever been a single reported case, anywhere, of someone being denied warranty coverage solely because they upgraded their internal drive?
> 
> And if so, why does TiVo make it so easy to upgrade the internal drive, with the auto-install software that runs off the bare metal hardware?


I believe aaronwt had issues early on and they knew he replaced the drive. This was pre-Roamio.

I assume it is so MSOs can more easily refurbish their own hardware. Also it allows MSOs over time the ability to increase storage space to their customers without requiring all new hardware.

It is also probably easier from a manufacturer point also since now they only need to load the OS on the chip rather than preload the drives before installation.


----------



## MrSinatra

Mikeguy said:


> Additionally:
> 
> -- A well-regarded replacement drive often referenced and used: http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digit...=UTF8&qid=1428803013&sr=8-1&keywords=WD30EURX


thx again for your informed responses.

here is the drive I was considering:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149569



Mikeguy said:


> -- For a 3TB and below drive, the Roamio will do all the work, once you plug the drive in--you don't need to prep. the drive whatsoever, it's very much plug-and-play (apart from unscrewing the Roamio case and unscrewing the drive from the box). Over 3TB, you would need to prep. the drive through a PC.


gtk. can u please explain the steps to prep the 4TB drive? I do have experience in formatting hard drives. is it an exotic prep? whats required? what do they need?


----------



## Fofer

MrSinatra said:


> gtk. can u please explain the steps to prep the drive? I do have experience in formatting hard drives. is it an exotic prep? whats required? what do they need?


4TB Roamio Image community edition


----------



## HerronScott

HarperVision said:


> How were you able to prove that to them? I'm also a first gen Phillips TiVo client but they always say that they can't see anything in their system before 2003 (IIRC) due to when they switched their servers over and did the whole "grandfathering" in of service and all. I remember transferring my gen 1 unit's lifetime over to a TiVo HD, but it still didn't flag me as a customer from the beginning in their new system for some reason.


We did the lifetime transfer from our 2 S1's to the original S3 OLED's in December 2006/January 2007 and the S3's inherited the activation dates of the S1's (6/18/2000 and 5/8/2002). The S1's got brand new activation dates since they got a year of free service as part of the deal.

Your HD doesn't show the original activation date of the S1?

Scott


----------



## nooneuknow

MrSinatra said:


> here is the drive I was considering:
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149569


Apparently nobody else has clicked on this link, or there would be alarms blaring, and flashing red lights, from all informed members involved here.

Here's the tried, tested, and most recommended hard drive product line you could buy (and the drive TiVo uses most, the WD AV Green EURX):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236602

Ignore the Newegg clickbait link, claiming there is a "newer version" available. It's NOT true. If you don't want to take my word for it, ask WD directly, and also ask if WD Purple PURX use in a TiVo is supported, so you can hear it from WD, that it is not (even though they "work").

TiVo sometimes uses a Seagate line of "green" (low power requirement) 5900RPM AV drives, with similar characteristics. But, they are almost never on sale, and tend to cost a lot more than WD drives (and use more power, which is not in unlimited supply in a TiVo).

This will be the only post I make, and will not reply to further questions, as this thread is meant for discussing deals on Roamios, not hard drive questions, support, or other drive discussion (beyond the scope of the end costs, if you buy a Roamio, then upgrade the drive capacity).


----------



## master_yoda13

HarperVision said:


> I guess you didn't actually read my post?


Hi all, newby here. Thinking of getting a Tivo and interested in the $0 refurbished deal. I'm very much interested in the annual subscription service package, so can somebody confirm again I can still switch to that with the refurbished deal?


----------



## foghorn2

master_yoda13 said:


> Hi all, newby here. Thinking of getting a Tivo and interested in the $0 refurbished deal. I'm very much interested in the annual subscription service package, so can somebody confirm again I can still switch to that with the refurbished deal?


Worked for me last month. Great deal! And the refurb works as good as the one I got from frys. Like New!

Ended up with one new, one refurb, 2 original mini's and 1 V2 mini all perfect. No flaws whatsoever with Cox cable cards and tuning adapters.

Works better than my prev Hopper/Joey system.


----------



## master_yoda13

foghorn2 said:


> Worked for me last month. Great deal! And the refurb works as good as the one I got from frys. Like New!
> 
> Ended up with one new, one refurb, 2 original mini's and 1 V2 mini all perfect. No flaws whatsoever with Cox cable cards and tuning adapters.
> 
> Works better than my prev Hopper/Joey system.


Cool, thank you! I'm a current dish customer, so I'm very familiar with Hopper/Joey system, glad to hear that Tivo is better. What kind of MOCA adapter did you end up getting or did you get Tivo Plus/Pro?


----------



## foghorn2

master_yoda13 said:


> Cool, thank you! I'm a current dish customer, so I'm very familiar with Hopper/Joey system, glad to hear that Tivo is better. What kind of MOCA adapter did you end up getting or did you get Tivo Plus/Pro?


I got one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CZ6WC3A/

My two ethernet Basic Roamios go to this in the garage (which has one ethernet port internet enabled), a coax from this device goes to a three way splitter to 3 Tivo Minis. Perfect replacements to the crippled OTA guide Hopper/Joey system.


----------



## Mikeguy

foghorn2 said:


> I got one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CZ6WC3A/


Any particular reason to go that route rather than for the MoCA adapters that TiVo itself sells (at a seemingly good price)?


----------



## foghorn2

Mikeguy said:


> Any particular reason to go that route rather than for the MoCA adapters that TiVo itself sells (at a seemingly good price)?


Yes-

It stands upright (perfect in my leviton wiring panel in garage)
Has 4 Giga Ethernet ports, the regular adapters have 1 10/100 port only
(future proof)

The cheaper one is just fine, but this one is better fitted for my setup.


----------



## Mikeguy

Thanks--I thought that the 4 ports was a nice addition.


----------



## foghorn2

Mikeguy said:


> Thanks--I thought that the 4 ports was a nice addition.


Exactly, In my case my Roamios are connected to this via ethernet in the garage, thats 2 ports, one port goes to another switch in the garage feeding it internet/lan, and the coax to a 3 way splitter to 3 mini's. I have one giga port open for another device if needed. The Roamios really do not need a gigabit connection, but it does not hurt either.

The coax connections to the Roamios are exclusively OTA or Cable.

I directed Tivo video traffic way from the main switch and allowed me to use moca for the 3 Minis. Perfect!

One could also use this to allow a Roamio to use moca and at the same time feed internet/lan to 3 other devices in the vicinity, max rate 270Mbps vs 100Mbps (Gigabit between devices connected to its built in switch) with this device vs. the cheaper one.


----------



## desertdwelleraz

Yesterday I called Tivo Sales to get the loyalty deal. I have been with Tivo since 2006 sometime, so just shy of 10 years, and my first box was the DT Series 2. I asked for the "loyalty deal" versus asking for the "10 year deal" since I wouldn't quite qualify for it. CSR looked at my account and saw the Series 2 and told me that since I had a Series 2 in the past I qualified for the $99 lifetime on a new Roamio at full price. I went with the Pro for $599, lifetime for $99. I tried asking for the Slide Pro remote as well, and he did not want to budge. I told him I would buy the 3 year warranty ($39.99) if he would throw in the Slide Pro remote ($49.99) for free, and he went for it. So I guess that was a decent deal. Totalled out to about $770 for Roamio Pro with Lifetime, 3 yr warranty and Slide Pro with tax and shipping. I will take it! I have been wanting to upgrade to the Roamio for a while and finally got wife approval, :up:. I asked the CSR about the difference in speed between the Premiere XL4 and the Roamio, and he said it's like Dodge Dart vs Bentley. Hope he is right, but that seems like an exaggeration.


----------



## Mikeguy

Clever negotiation, to tie the remote to the warranty purchase (and to avoid reference to the "10-year" deal)--good for you!


----------



## desertdwelleraz

Mikeguy said:


> Clever negotiation, to tie the remote to the warranty purchase (and to avoid reference to the "10-year" deal)--good for you!


Interestingly enough, he did say "We used to call this the 10 year deal, but we have changed our marketing for it recently". So maybe the 10 years isn't the qualifier anymore, but something similar instead. In any case, I am just glad that I had it offered, and on the first try.


----------



## Mikeguy

Thanks for posting that the 10-year loyalty deal may no longer be just 10 years! Good for people to know (and try).


----------



## davezatz

Roamio OTA & TiVo Stream, with no upfront hardware fees, for $20/mo and two year commitment:

https://www.tivo.com/aereo_ota_offer
Code: ZG0600BHQX

Not sure if that is a one time use code, or infinite.


----------



## NTIV10

For what it's worth, today I called and asked if I was eligible for a loyalty discount. I got a "renewed" Roamio Plus with product lifetime for $425, bought the 3 year extended warranty for $40, and got a slide remote thrown in free. My CSR was super friendly and very helpful.

Also I am not at 10 years yet. Nine and change.


----------



## Mikeguy

Great deal, there--congratulations!


----------



## tjtv

NTIV10 said:


> For what it's worth, today I called and asked if I was eligible for a loyalty discount. I got a "renewed" Roamio Plus with product lifetime for $425, bought the 3 year extended warranty for $40, and got a slide remote thrown in free. My CSR was super friendly and very helpful.
> 
> Also I am not at 10 years yet. Nine and change.


I'm a 6 year customer and called in today to ask for the "loyalty promo". Best she could offer was a renwed plus for $325 + $200 lifetime. So definitely not as good as your offer, and also not even as good as the normal "loyalty" promo.

$425 for a renewed plus with lifetime included sounds like an awesome deal.


----------



## aaronwt

Fofer said:


> Has there ever been a single reported case, anywhere, of someone being denied warranty coverage solely because they upgraded their internal drive?
> 
> And if so, why does TiVo make it so easy to upgrade the internal drive, with the auto-install software that runs off the bare metal hardware?


Yes. I was denied back in 2007 with a launch TiVoHD. I ended up putting the original drive back in and exchanging it at Circuit City.


----------



## Fofer

And how many hundreds (if not thousands) of folks haven't had issues with warranty coverage after upgrading their internal drive (assuming they hold on to the original)... in the same 8 year span?


----------



## Kipp Jones

Picked up 2 refurb Roamio Plus units for $199 each, they threw in 2 keyboard remotes.


----------



## 84lion

tjtv said:


> I'm a 6 year customer and called in today to ask for the "loyalty promo". Best she could offer was a renwed plus for $325 + $200 lifetime. So definitely not as good as your offer, and also not even as good as the normal "loyalty" promo.
> 
> $425 for a renewed plus with lifetime included sounds like an awesome deal.


It does indeed. Tivo sent me a "loyal customer offer" for a renewed Tivo Roamio Plus with "service" (I assume lifetime service) for a $524 one time payment. The same deal for the Roamio Pro is $699, renewed with lifetime service.


----------



## aaronwt

Fofer said:


> And how many hundreds (if not thousands) of folks haven't had issues with warranty coverage after upgrading their internal drive (assuming they hold on to the original)... in the same 8 year span?


That's the only time I've ever had an issue. And it wasn't a hardware problem, it was a software problem that occurred with analog channels. They wouldn't troubshoot it since they saw that I had replaced the hard drive. In the end I switched to FIOS which was all digital. Which solved the problem for me. Since the TiVo techs had no clue and couldn't understand the difference between a stereo signal and a mono signal with the analog channels.


----------



## crazyriki

I called in a month ago asking about the 10 year deal and was told my date for them was 2/11/2006 so I wasn't at 10 years yet.

After reading this thread I tried again and was told today AGAIN that I'm not at 10 years so I can't get the deal. I wonder why some are getting in at 9 years + and others are told no each time. Sigh.

I have a series 2 lifetime that connects but can't do anything upstairs. We have antenna only and it's analog so it's just there to keep my possible 10 year thing going. I bought a S3 on ebay a few months back with lifetime and I'm liking it but really wanted the latest and greatest.

I got offer of Roamio new with lifetime for $550. I can get it online for that price, I was hoping more for the 10 year deal. I'm going to try calling back a few times.


----------



## lessd

nooneuknow said:


> It would also seem the PLSR code, for $100 off lifetime service, has also been deactivated, based on reports I've seen of people trying to use it for store bought units, like it always used to work with. Anybody able to use it recently?


Just tried the code and it did take $100 off, so it does work but you have to click on the link *do you have a code*.


----------



## Kingpcgeek

It looks like I am going to have to replace my lifetimed Elite that is 3 months out of extended warranty. My suspicion is that Cox techs fried the tuners when installing a new amplifier. Needless to say I am gun shy of buying another lifetime, so I think I am going to go monthly since the monthly now covers the warranty. I was looking at the Spherular eBay deal for $9.99 a month instead of the $12.95 I would normally pay. Does anyone know if that $9.99 deal includes the warranty?


----------



## lessd

Kingpcgeek said:


> It looks like I am going to have to replace my lifetimed Elite that is 3 months out of extended warranty. My suspicion is that Cox techs fried the tuners when installing a new amplifier. Needless to say I am gun shy of buying another lifetime, so I think I am going to go monthly since the monthly now covers the warranty. I was looking at the Spherular eBay deal for $9.99 a month instead of the $12.95 I would normally pay. Does anyone know if that $9.99 deal includes the warranty?


I don't know about the warranty (I would assume yes) but if TiVo ever finds out about that deal they could raise your monthly payments, they can't do much about Lifetime.


----------



## Mikeguy

Roamios on an annual or monthly subscription come with TiVo's Continual Care warranty.

http://tivoproduction.force.com/Sup...RL=/Support/articles/FAQ/Limited-Warranty-FAQ


----------



## Connor

Kingpcgeek said:


> It looks like I am going to have to replace my lifetimed Elite that is 3 months out of extended warranty. My suspicion is that Cox techs fried the tuners when installing a new amplifier. Needless to say I am gun shy of buying another lifetime, so I think I am going to go monthly since the monthly now covers the warranty. I was looking at the Spherular eBay deal for $9.99 a month instead of the $12.95 I would normally pay. Does anyone know if that $9.99 deal includes the warranty?


Can you not transfer the lifetime to the new unit?


----------



## b-ball-fanatic

Connor said:


> Can you not transfer the lifetime to the new unit?


Lifetime is not transferable.


----------



## Kracko

b-ball-fanatic said:


> Lifetime is not transferable.


It was at one point. Is it no longer?


----------



## L David Matheny

b-ball-fanatic said:


> Lifetime is not transferable.





Kracko said:


> It was at one point. Is it no longer?


The rule has always been that TiVo will never transfer product lifetime service to a _newer model_ unit. But if TiVo still has any Series 4 units for sale, the OP might be able to replace his Elite with another (probably refurbished) Series 4 unit, with payment of a transfer fee which would depend on how long he's had it. At least they _should_ still allow that when a unit fails.


----------



## nycityuser

Mikeguy said:


> Roamios on an annual or monthly subscription come with TiVo's Continual Care warranty.
> 
> http://tivoproduction.force.com/Sup...RL=/Support/articles/FAQ/Limited-Warranty-FAQ


Wow, thanks for the info as I was completely unaware. How long has this been the case?

I seem to have purchased the extended warranty unnecessarily. I acquired my Roamio Pro in January 2014 with a promo that allowed me to transfer the $6.95/month cost from an older TiVo to it and pay only $399 for the unit. I bought the 3 year warranty at the time but obviously can get a broken unit replaced for $49 without the warranty.


----------



## Kingpcgeek

Mikeguy said:


> Roamios on an annual or monthly subscription come with TiVo's Continual Care warranty.
> 
> http://tivoproduction.force.com/Sup...RL=/Support/articles/FAQ/Limited-Warranty-FAQ


I realize that, that was the reason for my original question. I was wondering if the discounted $9.95 rate would still qualify.



nycityuser said:


> Wow, thanks for the info as I was completely unaware. How long has this been the case?
> 
> I seem to have purchased the extended warranty unnecessarily. I acquired my Roamio Pro in January 2014 with a promo that allowed me to transfer the $6.95/month cost from an older TiVo to it and pay only $399 for the unit. I bought the 3 year warranty at the time but obviously can get a broken unit replaced for $49 without the warranty.


Don't feel bad, they did not offer it when you signed up. Its a relatively new benefit.


----------



## b-ball-fanatic

Is it just me, or does it seem like TiVo, with some of their warranty policies, is trying to steer people away from Lifetime Service?


----------



## andyw715

b-ball-fanatic said:


> Is it just me, or does it seem like TiVo, with some of their warranty policies, is trying to steer people away from Lifetime Service?


Makes sense, sell the razor for cheap and require monthly blades subscription.


----------



## shurikt

Romio Pro, lifetime service + 3 year warranty: $680.47 including tax. Been a 10+ year customer...


----------



## HerronScott

b-ball-fanatic said:


> Lifetime is not transferable.





Kracko said:


> It was at one point. Is it no longer?


As David indicated, lifetime is tied to the hardware and is not transferable and has always been this way. Their wording in the original terms was vague so they allow a grandfather transfer for Series 1 units activated prior to January 21 2000. They also offered a special lifetime transfer promotion for $199 when the original S3 OLED was released in 2006 (and into early 2007) but this was during the period when they were no longer offering the lifetime service option for new purchases.

Scott


----------



## Kracko

HerronScott said:


> As David indicated, lifetime is tied to the hardware and is not transferable and has always been this way. Their wording in the original terms was vague so they allow a grandfather transfer for Series 1 units activated prior to January 21 2000. They also offered a special lifetime transfer promotion for $199 when the original S3 OLED was released in 2006 (and into early 2007) but this was during the period when they were no longer offering the lifetime service option for new purchases.
> 
> Scott


Well they did, once, allow me to move my lifetime subscription to another unit. I don't recall when that was exactly but it was sometime in the 2005-2006 time frame.


----------



## Mikeguy

Kingpcgeek said:


> I realize that, that was the reason for my original question. I was wondering if the discounted $9.95 rate would still qualify.


I don't see why not--I didn't see any restriction as to particular monthly/annual subscription pricings:



> Continual Care Warranty
> 
> Roamio Series DVRs that have an active monthly or annual service plan are covered by the Continual Care Warranty, in addition to the 90-day limited warranty. Under the Continual Care plan, an eligible Roamio DVR can be exchanged for a reduced fee of $49 (plus applicable taxes and shipping costs).
> 
> IMPORTANT: Only Roamio Series DVRs with a monthly or annual service plan are eligible for the Continual Care Warranty.


----------



## krkaufman

andyw715 said:


> Makes sense, sell the razor for cheap and require monthly blades subscription.


see also: printer/ink


----------



## midas

Kracko said:


> Well they did, once, allow me to move my lifetime subscription to another unit. I don't recall when that was exactly but it was sometime in the 2005-2006 time frame.


When the Series 1 first came out the language in the lifetime agreement wasn't really clear regarding what lifetime really meant. So some people that bought the early models were allowed a transfer.


----------



## HerronScott

Kracko said:


> Well they did, once, allow me to move my lifetime subscription to another unit. I don't recall when that was exactly but it was sometime in the 2005-2006 time frame.





midas said:


> When the Series 1 first came out the language in the lifetime agreement wasn't really clear regarding what lifetime really meant. So some people that bought the early models were allowed a transfer.


Either you took advantage of the S3 lifetime upgrade offer in 2006 (for $199) or what midas said.

Scott


----------



## badhat

I received an upgrade offer email from Tivo last week, where a Roamio Plus with lifetime service would cost $699.98. 
I gave it some thought ( I currently have 2 Premieres, and one HD), and decided that I could really use the 6 tuner and streaming options.
I also decided that I should search this forum for better deals, and came across this thread. 
I've been a Tivo customer since 2006, so I wouldn't qualify for the 10 year deal -- but I decided to roll the CSR dice and call about it.
It turns out that my online account shows an activation date of 2004 (for the Premiere that I'd purchased used), so with some friendly discussion I was finally offered a new Roamio Plus for $399.99 and the lifetime service for $99.99, totalling $499.98. 
I'm totally stoked with this deal; the new Roamio should be here in a week. Woohoo!


----------



## freeze12

Just got an offer today in my email: any romeo and my existing service plan for a price. I took my existing plan at $6.95 a month and a tivo romeo 4 chan for $99.00 because i got rid of cable. Thought it was a decent deal as I am using a premier plus now.


----------



## Anotherpyr

Did the recent promotion on roamios for loyal users change? The first email I received stated it was good through June 30th. Now the offer claims it end May 8th. What gives.


----------



## GregComeLately

*Strictly from a deal value perspective*, putting aside for the moment whether or not cable service is being used, which do you all think is better:

A) Roamio OTA + lifetime for $300 ($50 box + $250 lifetime)
B) Roamio (standard) + lifetime for $350 ($150 box + $199 lifetime)

You may include factors such as resale value into your determination as well.

I'll explain why I am asking after I get some responses (assuming for the moment that I'll actually get some responses  ).


----------



## delgadobb

I'd easily pay the extra $50 for the base Roamio to have the option to use it with a cable card, even if it means feeding some monopolistic regime. The problem with your scenario is it's not an A vs B option for most of us. Those of us (like myself) that were fortunate enough to order an OTA Roamio for $300 didn't have option B. Even if I'm generous & give myself credit for double-dipping at Best Buy (price match to Amazon & discount) to acquire my base Roamio for $100, lifetime was still $400 (below the standard $500). That's $500 total versus the $300 for the OTA Roamio. For most people it will be $150 + $400 lifetime = $550 total. VASTLY different. 

So, what's the catch? You must have an opportunity to acquire a base Roamio with lifetime for $350. Enlighten those of us who must live vicariously through you. I say more power to you and 'go for it' if you have a chance to get the $350 deal.


----------



## Aero 1

GregComeLately said:


> *Strictly from a deal value perspective*, putting aside for the moment whether or not cable service is being used, which do you all think is better:
> 
> A) Roamio OTA + lifetime for $300 ($50 box + $250 lifetime)
> B) Roamio (standard) + lifetime for $350 ($150 box + $199 lifetime)
> 
> You may include factors such as resale value into your determination as well.
> 
> I'll explain why I am asking after I get some responses (assuming for the moment that I'll actually get some responses  ).


Go with B. Reason being is that ive seen a few people on the AVS forum with transcripts from tivo web support stating that the Roamio OTA has a 3 Tivo Mini limit where as the base Roamio doesnt. Ive been trying to find evidence on Tivo.com because i am lazy to call and find out since i have a base Roamio used for OTA.


----------



## HarperVision

GregComeLately said:


> Strictly from a deal value perspective, putting aside for the moment whether or not cable service is being used, which do you all think is better: A) Roamio OTA + lifetime for $300 ($50 box + $250 lifetime) B) Roamio (standard) + lifetime for $350 ($150 box + $199 lifetime) You may include factors such as resale value into your determination as well. I'll explain why I am asking after I get some responses (assuming for the moment that I'll actually get some responses  ).


Definitely option "B"!


----------



## GregComeLately

Thanks for the feedback, all. 

A little "miscommunication" from the Tivo CS rep yesterday. I was quoted for what I thought was a new Roamio box, plus the "loyalty deal" of $199 on lifetime service (I have a little over 9 years in). That was the "option B" $149 + $199 = $350 I stated above (actually, $359.35 delivered).

I called in again tonight, thinking I would go for it. Cited the deal Ref# provided to me yesterday, but it turns out the deal was for a "renewed" Roamio w/ lifetime, which was never mentioned. Still pretty darn decent but enough to give me pause & reconsider. 

As far as OTA vs. Roamio w/cablecard potential; I haven't had cable in like forever. I would consider it again for perhaps a year or two new sign-up type incentive deal and then happily go back to OTA status again at the end of the contract. So from that perspective, there might still be *some* value in going that route. 

Also, if it would enhance the resale value down the line by going with the standard vs OTA Roamio, with lifetime attached in either case, I could justify the initial cost difference from that perspective as well. Not saying I will be looking to sell, but you never know.

Still a slam dunk for deal "B" vs "A"? or too close to call now?


----------



## GregComeLately

I might also mention that I have a lifetime service S3 (on the fritz for the last few months, collecting dust). I'm also one who received the $100 off from Amazon offer for the Roamio, which I went ahead and purchased right before the deadline. Still sitting in the sealed box. 

I was hoping to parlay that into a combined loyalty deal, even though I hadn't purchased the box from Tivo. 

Dream scenario would have been the discounted $45 Roamio from Amazon + $199 lifetime from Tivo.  But a long shot for sure. 

I did float to both CS reps that I would be willing to pay $250 or even $300 on lifetime if it allowed me to attach it to the just purchased Amazon Roamio. But they don't seem to have that sort of flexibility.


----------



## krkaufman

GregComeLately said:


> I was quoted for what I thought was a new Roamio box, plus the "loyalty deal" of $199 on lifetime service (I have a little over 9 years in). *That was the "option A" $149 + $199 = $350 I stated above* (actually, $359.35 delivered).


Just to be clear, the Lifetime Roamio Basic for $350+ was actually your *OPTION B in the original post*, and was the unanimous recommendation from those responding.



GregComeLately said:


> A) Roamio OTA + lifetime for $300 ($50 box + $250 lifetime)
> *B) Roamio (standard) + lifetime for $350 ($150 box + $199 lifetime)*


I expect the recommendations would stick for a renewed/refurb unit at the $50 price diff b/w a Basic and OTA model -- though you should exhaust your options on seeking the discounted lifetime on that Amazon purchase.


----------



## Diana Collins

Aero 1 said:


> Go with B. Reason being is that ive seen a few people on the AVS forum with transcripts from tivo web support stating that the Roamio OTA has a 3 Tivo Mini limit where as the base Roamio doesnt. Ive been trying to find evidence on Tivo.com because i am lazy to call and find out since i have a base Roamio used for OTA.


Since both the Roamio OTA and the base Roamio only have 4 tuners, they both can only support 3 Minis *watching live TV*. All the Roamios run the same software, and so far as anyone has been able to determine, the OTA is just a Base without the cablecard bracket. It is pretty unlikely that the two units would behave any differently in regard to Mini support.


----------



## Aero 1

Diana Collins said:


> Since both the Roamio OTA and the base Roamio only have 4 tuners, they both can only support 3 Minis *watching live TV*. All the Roamios run the same software, and so far as anyone has been able to determine, the OTA is just a Base without the cablecard bracket. It is pretty unlikely that the two units would behave any differently in regard to Mini support.


i wasnt talking about live tv. i keep hearing a hard limit of 3 mini's in total for the ota and no such limit for the base.

if i have 5 minis on the base it it obvious that i cant watch 5 live streams on a 4 tuner DVR. but i can watch recorded content on 2 of them while live tv on the other 3. thats what i want confirmation on.


----------



## GregComeLately

krkaufman said:


> Just to be clear, the Lifetime Roamio Basic for $350+ was actually your *OPTION B in the original post*, and was the unanimous recommendation from those responding.


Sorry, yes, I mixed up my "B" option with my "A" option in my #2241 previous post. I've gone ahead and corrected that accordingly. 



krkaufman said:


> Just to be clear, the Lifetime Roamio Basic for $350+ was actually your *OPTION B in the original post*, and was the unanimous recommendation from those responding.
> 
> I expect the recommendations would stick for a renewed/refurb unit at the $50 price diff b/w a Basic and OTA model -- though you should exhaust your options on seeking the discounted lifetime on that Amazon purchase.


Perhaps I will give it one more shot, seeking to escalate the request to a supervisor.


----------



## buddhawood

Offer still valid as of 5-20-15
Must call (877) 367-8486 for offer.
Remember to ask for free Tivo slide remote. I was first refused, but I reminded them of how long ('99) and how many units I have had and 1 minute later was approved for the free slide.
Also check if your credit card has price protection, you may be able to get money back by price matching Amazon or other retailer.


----------



## tjedmonds

I just got the 10 year deal. TiVo Roamio Plus with lifetime for $499. Box arrives today!


----------



## Graymalkin

I just heard about this -- at 7 p.m. Pacific time. I'll have to call tomorrow.


----------



## chrishicks

A quick question. Is it OK to buy a renewed box? I won't be getting something that looks like it barely survived a war correct? I called to see what kind of deal I could get and was offered renewed boxes(Plus with life for 525.00/Pro with life for 700.00) because if I bought new I was told I would have to pay full price for lifetime with something like a 25.00 discount on a new box(375.00 Plus with 399.00 life) which isn't really a deal.

And for point of reference I have Tivos on my account that date back to 2003. I also have 8 boxes total on it which was even brought up as an "oh my!! you must really like Tivo with that many" comment.


----------



## hummingbird_206

My first S3 was a refurb from TiVo and it looked brand new.


----------



## javabird

hummingbird_206 said:


> My first S3 was a refurb from TiVo and it looked brand new.


I bought a refurb from Tivo and it was just like new also.


----------



## pfiagra

chrishicks said:


> A quick question. Is it OK to buy a renewed box? I won't be getting something that looks like it barely survived a war correct? I called to see what kind of deal I could get and was offered renewed boxes(Plus with life for 525.00/Pro with life for 700.00) because if I bought new I was told I would have to pay full price for lifetime with something like a 25.00 discount on a new box(375.00 Plus with 399.00 life) which isn't really a deal.
> 
> And for point of reference I have Tivos on my account that date back to 2003. I also have 8 boxes total on it which was even brought up as an "oh my!! you must really like Tivo with that many" comment.


Did you specifically ask for the 10-year loyalty deal when you called?


----------



## chrishicks

pfiagra said:


> Did you specifically ask for the 10-year loyalty deal when you called?


I didn't specifically say "10 year" I just mentioned a loyalty deal. The woman I spoke with did say I have been with them for quite a long time when she pulled up my account and then started telling me about the renewed boxes. When I asked about new that's when she pretty much said there's no deals available for me for new other than 25.00 off Plus/50.00 off Pro and that a new box required me to pay full price for lifetime. Should I try back and outright mention the 10 year thing?

Now while I would prefer new I don't mind buying something refurbed as long as it doesn't look like it was picked from the trash. I've purchased 2 refurbed S3's that looked brand new but that was almost 10 years ago so I wasn't sure if that kind of quality still stood to this day for Tivo. I once bought a refurbed blu-ray player that had a cracked faceplate, a disc drawer that wouldn't close all the way and also came with a remote that wasn't even for the player I bought which is why I figured I'd better ask. I'm about 50/50 for refurbs.


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## pfiagra

It sounds like they may have changed the loyalty deal to use only refurbs. I can see crappy refurbs coming from a third party, but I wouldn't think that TiVo themselves would do this. I also don't recall seeing cosmetic complaints about refurbished units here on this messageboard.

If you do call back, you may get another rep who will be able to do more for you. At least see if they will throw in a free slide pro remote (though some have posted on this messageboard that reps have said this is no longer possible for them to do). Another thought, if you play up your hesitation with buying a refurbed unit, maybe you can ask for and get a free three-year warranty (though some on this messageboard don't think too highly of paying for it, but if it is free...).

Good luck!


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## krkaufman

chrishicks said:


> full price for lifetime with something like a 25.00 discount on a new box(375.00 Plus with 399.00 life)


Full/retail price on Lifetime service is $500.


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## gwn21

I did the Loyalty Deal a few weeks ago. Picked up a "renewed" Roamio Pro and (2) Minis. The Roamio Pro that I received looked brand new still wrapped in protective plastic. And still had the front cover "plastic peel" on the front of the Roamio. 

I've been very pleased with it as a "renew" unit. I didn't see anything on the box that said it was a "refurbished" unit. That's my experience.


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## solarium_rider

I called Friday Evening, May 22nd and spoke to a very nice CSR and was able to get the Roamio Plus with Lifetime for $500. I believe I just told her I was interested in a new Tivo and wanted to inquire about any loyalty offers. She asked what I was interested in, and I said a Roamio Plus, then she mentioned the offer. The earliest Tivo listed on my account is from 2001.


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## Nolansdad

I just got a Renewed Loyalty Roamio from TiVo and its working great so far. Mine also arrived in great cosmetic condition as well.

I also got a Slide Remote that was VERY worth it for creating all the inital season passes.


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## Wil

I gave it a pretty solid go today with two different reps, and the free remote add-on to the Loyalty Offer seems totally dead. Customer since mid-1999, lots of units. $424.98 for the refurb. w/lifetime still alive, no problem.

The second Rep made a BIG point of mentioning that this call had a case# (IOW "Don't call back trying this slide remote #### again").

Have absolutely no use at all for the Roamio, very happy with multiple S3's, but I figured I'd play with it for awhile and then give it to a friend/family member. Just as happy they wouldn't make the deal!

EDITED TO ADD: Well I got one of these damned things, that I've been resisting buying for months. Just called Tivo back, third time, to get some additional info, and suddenly with no prompting I get the free slide remote deal. I thought I knew how to read people and the other two reps seemed absolutely sincere (one after a long hold to try to do it for me) that the slide remote was simply not available.

So I was wrong, the slide deal is alive and well.


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## boyet_m

played the loyalty card tonight and got the $99 lifetime deal for my roamio.


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## delgadobb

boyet_m said:


> played the loyalty card tonight and got the $99 lifetime deal for my roamio.


Which Roamio? An existing model you already had or one you purchased from Tivo as a bundle including $99 lifetime?

I have a base Roamio sitting new in box (unactivated) & I'd happily pay $99 lifetime to add another box, even if I (for now) only use it as a Mini on steroids. My guess is - barring some freakish loophole - this ain't happening.

My understanding is all the loyalty deals are tied to buying a box directly from Tivo & bundling the lifetime with it at time of purchase. Correct me if I'm wrong.


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## chrishicks

I just bit on the Pro after losing my second S3 within 2 days of my first. When I called today there was no mention of renewed so I have no idea what I'll be getting. I don't really care now that I've read your responses stating that the renewed were just fine. However today my pricing was different(same total just divided up different). This time my pricing was $399.00 for the Plus and $599.00 for the Pro with Lifetime for $99.00. I'm guessing new boxes?

By the way, thank you all for easing my mind on the whole "renewed" thing. I appreciate the feedback.


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## chrishicks

I just bit on the Pro after losing my second S3 within 2 days of my first. When I called today there was no mention of renewed so I have no idea what I'll be getting. I don't really care now that I've read your responses stating that the renewed were just fine. However today my pricing was different(same total just divided up different). This time my pricing was $399.00 for the Plus and $599.00 for the Pro with Lifetime for $99.00. I'm guessing new boxes?

By the way, thank you all for easing my mind on the whole "renewed" thing. I appreciate the feedback.


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## slowbiscuit

gwn21 said:


> I did the Loyalty Deal a few weeks ago. Picked up a "renewed" Roamio Pro and (2) Minis. The Roamio Pro that I received looked brand new still wrapped in protective plastic. And still had the front cover "plastic peel" on the front of the Roamio.
> 
> I've been very pleased with it as a "renew" unit. I didn't see anything on the box that said it was a "refurbished" unit. That's my experience.


Refurbs are a crapshoot from Tivo - you had a chance of getting a bad unit that they just reboxed without testing it because that's how they roll.


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## Nolansdad

Maybe I have just been lucky, but I have gotten 3 or 4 Refurb Tivos and had very good luck with all of them. Only issue I ever had was hard drive dying and I upgraded those so can't really blame Tivo.


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## LBCABob

My Basic Roamio is up for subscription renewal next month. Since have a HD w/Lifetime on my account, website gives choices of $13/month for 1 year, $130/yr single payment and $399/lifetime.

Have read elsewhere that if you buy a new unit (with Lifetime?) AND you have an existing unit, they offer you $99 Lifetime on *existing* unit. If true, would be a great way to get $99 Lifetime on my Basic and get a Pro w/Lifetime for $499 for a friend who wants a Roamio (has HD units w/Lifetime now - does not like monthly payments).

Friend, however, wants the _Pro put on his account_, not mine, to ensure no problems with moving shows between his units, using iPad, etc. Can easily see the TiVo CSR balking at doing this (i.e. $99 old unit deal is to encourage keeping it active). Or, just say nothing and then call back in 2 weeks and have it moved from my to his account for whatever reason (they do that, right?).

A workable plan or asking for trouble?


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## chrishicks

LBCABob said:


> get a Pro w/Lifetime for $499 for a friend


I've seen this mentioned a few times and would love to know how this is being accomplished. If I could get this pricing I'd buy a second Pro(mine was $770.00 with warranty) in a heartbeat even though having 12 tuners of recording capabilities is beyond what I'd ever need.


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## Valdier

So, I just called and the Customer Rep was pretty great about being upfront on everything.

Refurbs are $75 less than new units. The slide remote is not an automatic option, but is based on account history, problems, and agent discretion. In addition, the slide option requires the approval of a supervisor to even be able to offer.

I just got a new Roamio Plus+ lifetime for the $499 with my 15 years as an owner.

(Edited to correct the name)


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## buddhawood

Valdier said:


> So, I just called and the Customer Rep was pretty great about being upfront on everything.
> 
> Refurbs are $75 less than new units. The slide remote is not an automatic option, but is based on account history, problems, and agent discretion. In addition, the slide option requires the approval of a supervisor to even be able to offer.
> 
> I just got a new Premium + lifetime for the $499 with my 15 years as an owner.


Did you get the Slide Remote included?


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## HarperVision

Valdier said:


> So, I just called and the Customer Rep was pretty great about being upfront on everything. Refurbs are $75 less than new units. The slide remote is not an automatic option, but is based on account history, problems, and agent discretion. In addition, the slide option requires the approval of a supervisor to even be able to offer. I just got a new Premium + lifetime for the $499 with my 15 years as an owner.


Are you sure it was a "Premium" (I assume you mean "Premiere"?). The loyalty deal you're describing is usually for a Roamio Plus, not a Premiere.


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## Valdier

buddhawood said:


> Did you get the Slide Remote included?


I did, after explaining I had already paid for lifetime service twice now, and had two partially functional peanut remotes that I have to switch between. He did have to get approval from a supervisor though. (And there was the qualification question of "Are you getting a refurb or a new one"? before he asked)



HarperVision said:


> Are you sure it was a "Premium" (I assume you mean "Premiere"?). The loyalty deal you're describing is usually for a Roamio Plus, not a Premiere.


You are correct it was for a Plus sorry about that. (will edit the above post to remove confusion). Later I will probably get a mini or two for other rooms.


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## bholzm1

Just called and mentioned the 10-year loyalty deal, and was offered $99 lifetime. I mentioned the free slide remote to the CSR. The CSR first said he wasn't aware of anything, but then said he had to check what deals were available, and then threw it in.


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## mae

Woot Sellout has the refurb base Roamio for $79.99, http://sellout.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-hd-digital-media-player-10?ref=cnt_wp_0_9


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## bfwk122

bholzm1 said:


> Just called and mentioned the 10-year loyalty deal, and was offered $99 lifetime. I mentioned the free slide remote to the CSR. The CSR first said he wasn't aware of anything, but then said he had to check what deals were available, and then threw it in.


I also called today and received the lifetime offer for 99.99 plus tax and they also shipped out a slide remote free of charge to me also.. What a great sales rep. Her name was Angela and she was fantastic...


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## jim2011

For you guys calling in getting lifetime for $99, think if I buy the 79.99 model from Woot, they'll offer the lifetime that cheap for a 10+ year customer? Currently have premiere with lifetime.

Thanks!


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## wkearney99

Just got my last HD deactivated, played the loyalty card and picked up a refurbed Roamio Pro with Lifetime ($599), a mini ($149) and two slide remotes (for free). Rep was great about it, didn't have to do anything other than ask for better deals.

Upside here is I'll be rid of the aging interface on the last HD, swap a Roamio basic for the Pro (and get a component output) and use one of the tuners on the Pro for the new Mini. Wins all around. Heck, I can probably even decommission a Stream that's hanging off a Premiere.

Hmm, might have to call back and add the component cabling kit... don't know if a Pro includes them or not... Nevermind, the Pro has RCA jacks on the back for component (whereas the Roamio basic does not). It's only the mini that supports component but requires using a special 3.5mm to component RGB cable.


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## bfwk122

wkearney99 said:


> Just got my last HD deactivated, played the loyalty card and picked up a refurbed Roamio Pro with Lifetime ($599), a mini ($149) and two slide remotes (for free). Rep was great about it, didn't have to do anything other than ask for better deals.
> 
> Upside here is I'll be rid of the aging interface on the last HD, swap a Roamio basic for the Pro (and get a component output) and use one of the tuners on the Pro for the new Mini. Wins all around. Heck, I can probably even decommission a Stream that's hanging off a Premiere.
> 
> Hmm, might have to call back and add the component cabling kit... don't know if a Pro includes them or not... Nevermind, the Pro has RCA jacks on the back for component (whereas the Roamio basic does not). It's only the mini that supports component but requires using a special 3.5mm to component RGB cable.


Great deal.. They have been very nice to all customers of 10+. I can't believe I been with Tivo for 16 years...Bob...


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## MikeekiM

What is the criteria for getting the loyalty deal (I understand that my mileage my vary based on the agent and their mood)...

Is it being a registered customer for 10+ years, regardless of whether or not you were a lifetime or a monthly subscriber?

Is it being a TiVo user for 10+ years, even if all of those years was under the DirecTV subscription?

I was a month-to-month DirecTV TiVo user from 2001 through 2011+... Does that do anything for me at all?


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## MikeekiM

What is the criteria for getting the loyalty deal (I understand that my mileage my vary based on the agent and their mood)...

Is it being a registered customer for 10+ years, regardless of whether or not you were a lifetime or a monthly subscriber?

Is it being a TiVo user for 10+ years, even if all of those years was under the DirecTV subscription?

I was a month-to-month DirecTV TiVo user from 2001 through 2011+... Does that do anything for me at all?

My guess is no... but I had to ask!


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## CIP54

Just called Tivo, asking about loyalty lifetime. I just purchsed a Roamio Plus through their upgrade promotion.

Best they could do was $400 lifetime. Disappointing.

They only have me as a Tivo subscriber for 9 years because my 5 years with DirectTivo don't count. Felt a bit cheated.

If I want to I can return my new one and then buy a refurbished unit for 325 plus 200 lifetime. Go figure.


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## HarperVision

I would've not taken them up on that deal and hung up and then kept calling back until you got a sympathetic CSR who would give you the Loyalty Deal.


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## DKSF

So, I just called and ordered a new Roamio Plus and got the $99 loyalty lifetime service, 2 minis and 2 slide remotes for free. I guess this is the best deal going now from Tivo.

Best Buy has the Roamio Plus on sale right now for $320, if I buy the hardware from Best Buy, can I still transfer the lifetime service for $99? This would be $80 cheaper.

Thoughts?


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## HarperVision

DKSF said:


> So, I just called and ordered a new Roamio Plus and got the $99 loyalty lifetime service, 2 minis and 2 slide remotes for free. I guess this is the best deal going now from Tivo. Best Buy has the Roamio Plus on sale right now for $320, if I buy the hardware from Best Buy, can I still transfer the lifetime service for $99? This would be $80 cheaper. Thoughts?


No, you have to buy direct from TiVo to get the loyalty deal, unless they've changed very recently.

Are you saying you got the minis for free too, or just the remotes? If so, that's a smokin' deal and I'd jump on that like a hungry lion pouncing a baby antelope!!!


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## DKSF

HarperVision said:


> Are you saying you got the minis for free too, or just the remotes? If so, that's a smokin' deal and I'd jump on that like a hungry lion pouncing a baby antelope!!!


Sorry, should have been more clear, only the remotes were free.

The original rep, wouldn't give me the remotes even though I asked several times. I only called back to see if they would match Best Buy's price on the mini's, they said no, so I said I wanted to cancel my order since they wouldn't match the price, unless they gave me some remotes. The second rep said no problem, and even said that she would have offered them to me as part of the original order.

I just assumed that I had to get the Roamio from Tivo to get the $99 lifetime service, but got to thinking afterward and I wondered if they would let me transfer my service even if I bought all of the hardware from Best Buy, I could save even more money.

I guess I'll call back and find out for sure. Strangely, the remotes are on a separate order, so I guess at the end of the day I could keep the free remotes and cancel my order for the rest of the stuff.


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## jlin

After being turned down for the free slide remote for the last couple days.. I finally got a rep who easily gave it to me after I complained about the $57 tax being added to the order of Roamio Plus. She just said "I can do that!"

She didn't even have to check with the supervisor (where as the previous reps got denied when checking with supervisors).

Frankly I have too many Tivo's in the house but this deal is simply too good!


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## SteveD

DKSF said:


> I just assumed that I had to get the Roamio from Tivo to get the $99 lifetime service, but got to thinking afterward and I wondered if they would let me transfer my service even if I bought all of the hardware from Best Buy, I could save even more money.


If you used a credit card with some kind of price assurance, you could get the difference back from your credit card company.


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## krkaufman

MikeekiM said:


> What is the criteria for getting the loyalty deal (I understand that my mileage my vary based on the agent and their mood)...
> 
> ... Is it being a TiVo user for 10+ years, even if all of those years was under the DirecTV subscription?
> 
> I was a month-to-month DirecTV TiVo user from 2001 through 2011+... Does that do anything for me at all?


YMMV, but we were DirecTiVo customers (3+ HDVR2 units) for 10+ years and were told that the loyalty deal didn't apply to us.


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## HarperVision

krkaufman said:


> YMMV, but we were DirecTiVo customers (3+ HDVR2 units) for 10+ years and were told that the loyalty deal didn't apply to us.


Then I would call them back and tell them that "being a TiVo customer doesn't apply to you!" and then promptly hang up!


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## DKSF

HarperVision said:


> No, you have to buy direct from TiVo to get the loyalty deal, unless they've changed very recently.


Just called Tivo, and they said that you have to buy the hardware from them in order to get the loyalty transfer of your lifetime service.


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## krkaufman

HarperVision said:


> Then I would call them back and tell them that "being a TiVo customer doesn't apply to you!" and then promptly hang up!


As George would say, I suspect I lacked hand having already purchased a Roamio Pro and 4+ Minis.


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## nycityuser

Are we able to get the 10 year loyalty deal twice?

I acquired a Roamio Basic with $199 lifetime earlier this year with the loyalty deal (and with a slide remote). I have several other units in two residences: Premiere on lifetime, Series 2 on lifetime, TiVo HD at $6.95/month, Roamio Pro at $6.95/month and a Mini on lifetime.

It's overkill, I know. Anyway, I've been a customer since 2004 and wondered whether they might give me another loyalty deal. It would be a gift for someone else.


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## 2004raptor

My parents are considering a roamio (probably the basic) and at least one mini. What's the best deal around for a new customer? 

I assume buying anything a tieing it into my account would be "stealing"???


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## igirl

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread - 

I just got off the phone with them and got a Roamio Plus with Lifetime for $425!

I started by asking for deals/options for buying a Roamio Plus, then mentioned I got the email for refurbished @ $525 (had to quote the Model+price to him) - He said there was availability.

THEN also mentioned I heard about getting Lifetime for $99. The options then became - $425 (refurb) or $475 (new). I asked if the refurb is fully covered by the ($40 extra) extended 3 year warranty coverage - YES - so I just added that - versus paying $75 more for new - which I would STILL buy the extended warrant for anyway).

$490 total, Roamio Plus (refurb), Lifetime Service Plan, plus 3 year extended warranty, tax and free shipping. (Warranty is extended one additional year by Amex)

This was too good of a deal, I didn't dare ask for a slide remote too.


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## igirl

DKSF said:


> Just called Tivo, and they said that you have to buy the hardware from them in order to get the loyalty transfer of your lifetime service.


I don't think they "transfer" your lifetime service. The old Tivo's lifetime keeps working, and you get lifetime on the new one as well.


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## TrackZ

I called about the deal. Have a roamio pro now and been longtime customer. I want to drop back to the base model for OTA/cable flexibility. The offer was refurb for $150, $199 lifetime service, and a slide remote thrown in. The $99 lifetime is plus and pro models only. No extra deal on the OTA model. Had tax but free shipping. 

Think I will be doing this. Cutting my cable to internet only and sell off my pro with lifetime.


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## sjpage

igirl said:


> I just wanted to say thanks for this thread -
> 
> I just got off the phone with them and got a Roamio Plus with Lifetime for $425!
> 
> I started by asking for deals/options for buying a Roamio Plus, then mentioned I got the email for refurbished @ $525 (had to quote the Model+price to him) - He said there was availability.
> 
> THEN also mentioned I heard about getting Lifetime for $99. The options then became - $425 (refurb) or $475 (new). I asked if the refurb is fully covered by the ($40 extra) extended 3 year warranty coverage - YES - so I just added that - versus paying $75 more for new - which I would STILL buy the extended warrant for anyway).
> 
> $490 total, Roamio Plus (refurb), Lifetime Service Plan, plus 3 year extended warranty, tax and free shipping. (Warranty is extended one additional year by Amex)
> 
> This was too good of a deal, I didn't dare ask for a slide remote too.


Thanks for sharing.
Got the same deal today WITH the slide remote!


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## humbb

igirl said:


> $490 total, Roamio Plus (refurb), Lifetime Service Plan, plus 3 year extended warranty, tax and free shipping. (Warranty is extended one additional year by Amex)


Great deal! But if I recall correctly, Amex only extends a purchased service contract by the original manufacturer's (in this case 90-day) warranty.


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## PAL-Ron

I called over the weekend as a follow up to a call placed a month earlier for an initial inquiry. Got the new Romio Plus $399, lifetime $99 and slide remote + Poe filter for free with just minor prodding. Started to get a mini but backed off when it became clear there was no deal. Gotta say it is a great deal and after 9+ years with an older version I am impressed with the Romio.

Of note, if you place an order do not get off the phone without a confirmation # as they were having some "tech issues" I posted elsewhere on. My sales rep started to give it to me but then said he'd just email it. When it never came I called and found out (2 days ) later he hadn't given it to me as the system lost it as soon as he processed the order. It took a very looong call and a few levels of escalation to get it straightened out.


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## igirl

sjpage said:


> Thanks for sharing.
> Got the same deal today WITH the slide remote!


Darn, wish I had at least tried. :-/ Oh well, we have iPads anyway for typing in stuff on the Tivo App if needed, so don't really need the slide remote so much.


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## tome_9499

I just had a virtual chat with Tivo about the loyalty discount. I spoke with a rep named Zachary. The transcript is below:



> *Zachary:* Welcome to TiVo Sales Chat! How can I assist you today?
> *You:* Hello. How are you? I'm looking to upgrade one of me units to a roamio.
> *You:* Is there a difference between the plus and the pro other than the HDD size?
> *Zachary: *That is the only difference.
> *You: *Does the roamio support external storage like the Premiere
> *Zachary: *Yes.
> *You:* Was just waiting on phone hold for a while. couldn't get anyone to pick up. Busy, I guess. I've heard that you have a loyalty discount for customers who have been with you for 10 years or more. Can you tell me what that deal entails?
> *Zachary: *Yes one moment.
> *You:* thanks!
> *Zachary:* If you were to buy the Roamio it would be 199.99 for Product lifetime service. The Roamio pro or plus would be 99.99 for Product lifetime service.
> *You: *So the unit is full price, and the lifetime is discounted down to $99?
> *Zachary:* For the Roamio pro and plus its 99 dollars.
> *You: *That's what I meant to type
> *You: *Can the deal be extended to refurbished units? I've had good luck with refurbished in the past.
> *Zachary: *No not this deal.
> *You:* Is there a link I can follow to get the deal, or a special code I use when checking out online?
> *You: *or do I have to call in?
> *Zachary:* No, this is a phone only deal you must call in.
> *You: *Can you please give me the number?
> *Zachary: *Please call 1-877-367-8486.
> *You: *Cool, thank you.


I've not yet called the number, and am curious to see if I can get a better offer calling in at a different time.


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## tome_9499

<Double Post Snipped>


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## hummingbird_206

igirl said:


> Darn, wish I had at least tried. :-/ Oh well, we have iPads anyway for typing in stuff on the Tivo App if needed, so don't really need the slide remote so much.


Some people have had good luck calling back and asking for the slide remote. Didn't work for me, but did work for others. If you really want one, give it a shot. Worst that happens is they say no.


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## foghorn2

Fry's has the Basic Roamio brand new $109.99 today only with promo code.
Lowest price yet!


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## tomhayes

I recently sold my lifetime Premiere XL and replaced it with a Roamio (basic) bought from Craigslist for $80 with a $10 a month plan. (It had 20 months of continuous service when I bought it.)

I called Tivo today to see if I could get a new (or refurbished) the Roamio + 99 lifetime (and I'd sell this one.) The best they could do was a refurbished Tivo + Lifetime for $449.

I thought that was a little more than I wanted to spend today.

Then she asked "Are you thinking about cancelling service on the Tivo you currently have?" and I said "Uh, maybe??"

Well, she went to talk to her supervisor and came back with a *$199 Lifetime* for the box based on my 5 years of being a customer and the box's payment history.

So I'm very happy. The funds from selling my old box paid for this new one plus lifetime - almost exactly so.


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## igirl

humbb said:


> Great deal! But if I recall correctly, Amex only extends a purchased service contract by the original manufacturer's (in this case 90-day) warranty.


Hopefully we won't need to test if they extend the manufacturer's longer factory warranty option - but the base warranty is 1 full year on parts and 90 days labor. So 2 years/180 day worst case scenario.


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## MikeekiM

Speaking of manufacturer's warranty, I want to test my understanding of how the TiVo warranty works...

With lifetime, it comes with a one year warranty, but you can purchase (for a pretty low price) an extended warranty for up to 3 years total. After that, you are on your own...

With month-to-month or annual pricing, hardware warranty is included as long as you are an active subscriber. As far as I know, there is no time limit.

Do I have it right?


----------



## MikeekiM

Speaking of manufacturer's warranty, I want to test my understanding of how the TiVo warranty works...

With lifetime, it comes with a one year warranty, but you can purchase (for a pretty low price) an extended warranty for up to 3 years total. After that, you are on your own...

With month-to-month or annual pricing, hardware warranty is included as long as you are an active subscriber. As far as I know, there is no time limit.

Do I have it right?


----------



## SmartiePants

With thanks to everyone here, I called up Tivo, and ordered a Roamio Plus with $99 lifetime service. Here are the offers that I got:

*new Plus $399.99 + $99.99 lifetime + $49.50 tax = $553.98 (the numbers don't add up)

*refurb Plus - $324.99 +$99.99 lifetime + $49.50 tax = $474.48

*3-year extended warranty = $39.99

*The slide remote is no longer offered, since that promotion ended

I bought the refurb one, with the warranty - $514.47 out the door


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## SmartiePants

MikeekiM said:


> Speaking of manufacturer's warranty, I want to test my understanding of how the TiVo warranty works...
> 
> With lifetime, it comes with a one year warranty, but you can purchase (for a pretty low price) an extended warranty for up to 3 years total. After that, you are on your own...
> 
> With month-to-month or annual pricing, hardware warranty is included as long as you are an active subscriber. As far as I know, there is no time limit.
> 
> Do I have it right?


TiVo Continual Care warranty
TiVos Continual Care warranty covers your TiVo Roamio for the uninterrupted duration of your monthly or annual TiVo service subscription. With Continual Care protection, well send you a replacement at no charge if your TiVo Roamio box needs repair within the first 90 days from your date of purchase.* After 90 days, youll receive a replacement DVR for just $49.00.** No one else in the industry offers protection like this.

* Exchange exclusions and restrictions apply. Replacement DVR may be a repaired, renewed or comparable product, at TiVos discretion. Customer responsible for payment of shipping costs. See Limited Warranty Info for details. 
** Exchange exclusions and restrictions apply. Replacement DVR may be a repaired, renewed or comparable product, at TiVos discretion. Customer responsible for payment of shipping costs and any applicable taxes. See Limited Warranty Info for details.


----------



## MikeekiM

What's the consensus here?

Lifetime, or monthly with never ending hardware protection? Both seem attractive...


----------



## CoxInPHX

Lifetime would be the consensus here, I bet.

3 years @ 150/yr = $450 + $49 (replacement, if needed) = $499
3 years @ 14.99/mo = $539.64 + $49 (replacement, if needed) = $588.64

Better to pay $400 w/ PLSR + $40 (3yr Extended Warranty) = $440


----------



## Kracko

coxinphx said:


> lifetime would be the consensus here, i bet.
> 
> 3 years @ 150/yr = $450 + $49 (replacement, if needed) = $499
> 3 years @ 14.99/mo = $539.64 + $49 (replacement, if needed) = $588.64
> 
> better to pay $400 w/ plsr + $40 (3yr extended warranty) = $440


plsr?


----------



## HarperVision

Kracko said:


> plsr?


Product Lifetime Service Rebate

It's a code you can add and it will take $100 off of lifetime service fess.


----------



## MikeekiM

Hmmm... I have a friend that works at TiVo who gave me a Friends and Family code...

I wonder what sort of discount I could expect (he didn't tell me), and whether there is any way for me to combine with the PLSR code...


----------



## HarperVision

MikeekiM said:


> Hmmm... I have a friend that works at TiVo who gave me a Friends and Family code... I wonder what sort of discount I could expect (he didn't tell me), and whether there is any way for me to combine with the PLSR code...


I think you can only use one code at a time on the website. You "may" be able to use the F&F code when you first purchase it and select month to month or annual service pricing, then go back in within the first 30 days and change your plan to lifetime using the PLSR code to save $100? Don't know for sure this'll work though.


----------



## Kracko

HarperVision said:


> Product Lifetime Service Rebate
> 
> It's a code you can add and it will take $100 off of lifetime service fess.


Thanks for the explanation.


----------



## CoxInPHX

MikeekiM said:


> Hmmm... I have a friend that works at TiVo who gave me a Friends and Family code...
> 
> I wonder what sort of discount I could expect (he didn't tell me), and whether there is any way for me to combine with the PLSR code...


You cannot combine promo codes,

Friends and Family discount prices are the same as using the ebay discount code.

Base Roamio DVR 
$449.99 (includes one-time service payment)

Roamio Plus DVR 
$599.99 (includes one-time service payment)

Roamio Pro DVR 
$699.99 (includes one-time service payment)


----------



## MikeekiM

CoxInPHX said:


> You cannot combine promo codes,
> 
> Friends and Family discount prices are the same as using the ebay discount code.
> 
> Base Roamio DVR
> $449.99 (includes one-time service payment)
> 
> Roamio Plus DVR
> $599.99 (includes one-time service payment)
> 
> Roamio Pro DVR
> $699.99 (includes one-time service payment)


Oh, so all of the friends and family deals are lifetime offers?

Hmmm...with just a $100 differential between the Plus and the Pro, I might avoid the DIY upgrade process and just get the Pro... Though a 6GB upgrade would be quite attractive... 

No F&F discount on the TiVo Mini?


----------



## krkaufman

MikeekiM said:


> Hmmm...with just a $100 differential between the Plus and the Pro, I might avoid the DIY upgrade process and just get the Pro... Though a 6TB upgrade would be quite attractive...


That's my thinking. With just a $100 price difference, the Pro is the no-brainer if you're looking for 3TB; but that $100 becomes useful when you start wanting to go beyond the stock 3TB.


----------



## MikeekiM

krkaufman said:


> That's my thinking. With just a $100 price difference, the Pro is the no-brainer if you're looking for 3TB; but that $100 becomes useful when you start wanting to go beyond the stock 3TB.


That's my dilemma. Do I spend $100 for 2 more TBs (minus the minor upgrade hassle factor)? Or do I use the $100 towards a 6TB drive?


----------



## krkaufman

MikeekiM said:


> That's my dilemma. Do I spend $100 for 2 more TBs (minus the minor upgrade hassle factor)? Or do I use the $100 towards a 6TB drive?


I'd lean toward the 6TB upgrade, now that it's doable. (It is, right?) I'd likely have gone that way had the DIY 6TB upgrade been available when we jumped-in. Now, I'm faced with having to either migrate my recorded content, etc, from a 3TB drive to a 6TB, or accept a system reset back to square one. My "users" wouldn't love a reset.

p.s. Who knows, by the time you pull the trigger on a TiVo solution, that $100 might cover a bigger chunk of the 6TB drive's cost.


----------



## CoxInPHX

MikeekiM said:


> Oh, so all of the friends and family deals are lifetime offers?
> 
> Hmmm...with just a $100 differential between the Plus and the Pro, I might avoid the DIY upgrade process and just get the Pro... Though a 6GB upgrade would be quite attractive...
> 
> No F&F discount on the TiVo Mini?


I can't remember I believe there was an option for monthly on the F&F it may have been $9.99/mo, I don't recall what the TiVo cost though.

A Roamio Pro with 3TB is more space than one could conceivably watch, 6TB upgrade and you are just temping fate that the HDD dies and you loose everything. Just use pyTiVo or Streambaby.

I got the Roamio Pro w/ the 3yr extended warranty. Leave it stock so there is no question if it needs replaced for any reason.

There used to be a small discount on the Mini, but at $150, I doubt there still is.


----------



## krkaufman

CoxInPHX said:


> There used to be a small discount on the Mini, but at $150, I doubt there still is.


Current TiVo Mini (v2) can be had via Amazon (or price-matched at Best Buy) for $132.


----------



## krkaufman

CoxInPHX said:


> A Roamio Pro with 3TB is more space than _one_ could conceivably watch,


"One," perhaps; but when you have 5+ people in the house with a LOT of different interests and viewing frequency, and are compelled to record more than you'd like, owing to a deficient VOD application, 3TBs can get chewed-up pretty quickly. Heck, we filled-up nearly half of our 3TB drive just capturing all the "How It's Made" episodes from the Science Channel, in HD.



CoxInPHX said:


> 6TB upgrade and you are just temping fate that the HDD dies and you loose everything.


Absent any stats on failure rates for the drives in question, Fate would like her name withdrawn from the discussion.

And if a 3TB drive dies, you lose everything, as well; the doom scenario above presumes a user losing a 6TB drive would feel more pain than one losing a 3TB drive, which concedes the point that the 6TB user will have accumulated more content than they could have were they limited to a 3TB drive. Whether they ever watch the content is moot; the 6TB drive allows them to accumulate the content should they ever *want* to watch it, when they have the time or interest.


----------



## krkaufman

CoxInPHX said:


> Just use pyTiVo or Streambaby.


This solution likely risks a greater failure rate than either a single 3TB or 6TB drive, since pyTiVo and Streambaby are getting their content from another hard drive, so this scenario is risky for the same reason using an external hard drive attached to a TiVo is considered risky -- (edit) with the caveat that you lose ALL recorded content when an external drive dies, versus just the content on the 2nd drive.


----------



## CoxInPHX

krkaufman said:


> "One," perhaps; but when you have 5+ people in the house with a LOT of different interests and viewing frequency, and are compelled to record more than you'd like,


In this case I would probably have 1 Base Roamio upgraded to 3TB and 1 Roamio Pro.



krkaufman said:


> Absent any stats on failure rates for the drives in question, Fate would like her name withdrawn from the discussion.


I have had a 2TB Upgraded Premiere HDD go bad after just 2 years, it's just a flip of the dice.


----------



## krkaufman

CoxInPHX said:


> I have had a 2TB Upgraded Premiere HDD go bad after just 2 years, it's just a flip of the dice.


Right, so a 6TB drive is no more risky than a 3TB drive, absent any specific historical failure data for the specific drive models.


----------



## gespears

Just an FYI: WD 6 TB Red drives are $250 at Newegg.


----------



## krkaufman

h/t JmzL: *"FYI - Tivo is having a summer sale"*

---
The sale seems focused on their "renewed"/refurbished inventory, with seemingly deep discounts on ALL their "renewed" models -- as well as Lifetime Service.
*TiVo Hot Summer Sale*
Save BIG on TiVo Roamio series DVRs _while supplies last!_

New Roamio OTA ($50)
New Roamio Basic ($150)
Renewed Roamio Basic ($50)
Renewed Roamio Plus ($200)
Renewed Roamio Pro ($300)

Product Lifetime service *$349.99* reg. $499.99​
Kinda tough to go with a new OTA when a "renewed" Basic can be had for $50.

Also, I don't expect that the $350 Lifetime service deal can be had outside the above sale, that is, for existing devices, as this seems to be an incentive targeted at reducing their inventories. Wouldn't hurt for someone to try, though.

edit: p.s. Does anyone know if a "Friends & Family" code, or a code from spherular, could be combined with the above to increase the discount?


----------



## MikeekiM

OK... Two questions:

1) How good are TiVo's "renewed" products? Any one get a TiVo Renewed Roamio? Do they truly refurb them "like-new", or are these potential scratch and dent units that were previously owned and returned?

2) Does the warranty differ? Many times new stock comes with a 1 year warranty, while renewed stock comes with only a 90 day warranty.


----------



## spherular

krkaufman said:


> h/t JmzL: *"FYI - Tivo is having a summer sale"*
> 
> ---
> The sale seems focused on their "renewed"/refurbished inventory, with seemingly deep discounts on ALL their "renewed" models -- as well as Lifetime Service.
> *TiVo Hot Summer Sale*
> Save BIG on TiVo Roamio series DVRs _while supplies last!_
> 
> New Roamio OTA ($50)
> New Roamio Basic ($150)
> Renewed Roamio Basic ($50)
> Renewed Roamio Plus ($200)
> Renewed Roamio Pro ($300)
> 
> Product Lifetime service *$349.99* reg. $499.99​
> Kinda tough to go with a new OTA when a "renewed" Basic can be had for $50.
> 
> Also, I don't expect that the $350 Lifetime service deal can be had outside the above sale, that is, for existing devices, as this seems to be an incentive targeted at reducing their inventories. Wouldn't hurt for someone to try, though.
> 
> edit: p.s. Does anyone know if a "Friends & Family" code, or a code from spherular, could be combined with the above to increase the discount?


The code will discount lifetime to $300 on all the models so there is an additional $50 saving there. There is no change to the unit costs though.


----------



## UCLABB

krkaufman said:


> h/t JmzL: *"FYI - Tivo is having a summer sale"*
> 
> ---
> The sale seems focused on their "renewed"/refurbished inventory, with seemingly deep discounts on ALL their "renewed" models -- as well as Lifetime Service.
> *TiVo Hot Summer Sale*
> Save BIG on TiVo Roamio series DVRs _while supplies last!_
> 
> New Roamio OTA ($50)
> New Roamio Basic ($150)
> Renewed Roamio Basic ($50)
> Renewed Roamio Plus ($200)
> Renewed Roamio Pro ($300)
> 
> Product Lifetime service *$349.99* reg. $499.99​
> Kinda tough to go with a new OTA when a "renewed" Basic can be had for $50.
> 
> Also, I don't expect that the $350 Lifetime service deal can be had outside the above sale, that is, for existing devices, as this seems to be an incentive targeted at reducing their inventories. Wouldn't hurt for someone to try, though.
> 
> edit: p.s. Does anyone know if a "Friends & Family" code, or a code from spherular, could be combined with the above to increase the discount?


Damn, I bought a used Plus a month ago. I coulda saved about $100 with this deal. $50 on the unit, $50 on lifetime. Oh well. 😥


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## CoxInPHX

MikeekiM said:


> OK... Two questions:
> 
> 1) How good are TiVo's "renewed" products? Any one get a TiVo Renewed Roamio? Do they truly refurb them "like-new", or are these potential scratch and dent units that were previously owned and returned?


Just as good if not better, fully tested. Not scratch and dents or open box items.



MikeekiM said:


> 2) Does the warranty differ? Many times new stock comes with a 1 year warranty, while renewed stock comes with only a 90 day warranty.


Same exact Warranty and options for an Extended Warranty.


----------



## gaulding

I'm a little confused. If Spherular's code cost $49 and takes $50 of the lifetime price, there doesn't seem to be any savings? Am I missing something?


----------



## krkaufman

gaulding said:


> I'm a little confused. If Spherular's code cost $49 and takes $50 of the lifetime price, there doesn't seem to be any savings? Am I missing something?


You're not missing much. Spherular's codes aren't really a benefit _for this particular sale_, owing to the acquisition fee -- even if you leverage the 'COMMUNITY' benefit. It would seem wasteful to consume one of those codes for a mere $10 benefit.


----------



## spherular

krkaufman said:


> You're not missing much. Spherular's codes aren't really a benefit _for this particular sale_, owing to the acquisition fee -- even if you leverage the 'COMMUNITY' benefit. It would seem wasteful to consume one of those codes for a mere $10 benefit.


You are correct that simply looking at one unit it makes no sense. If you are looking at a set-up that includes multiple units, remotes and/or a stream then the discount can add up. Remember that 4-tuner models do not include a stream so there is additional hardware required.


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## jim2011

As a 10+ year subscriber, I called up and was able to get a refurb Roamio with lifetime for 349.99. I could have gotten a non-refurb for 399.99


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## MikeekiM

jim2011 said:


> As a 10+ year subscriber, I called up and was able to get a refurb Roamio with lifetime for 349.99. I could have gotten a non-refurb for 399.99


Which Roamio model did you get for 349.99 (with lifetime)?


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## jim2011

MikeekiM said:


> Which Roamio model did you get for 349.99 (with lifetime)?


Just the basic Roamio. I have 0 interest in a higher end roamio that cannot do OTA. Even though I have cable now, I might not in the next year.


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## krkaufman

MikeekiM said:


> Which Roamio model did you get for 349.99 (with lifetime)?


Note that he got that deal under the "*10+ Year Loyalty Program*," so you didn't miss-out on anything, as a new customer.

It's spelled-out better in this FatWallet post. (which, ironically, refers back to this site, most likely, but without any specific credit)


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## MikeekiM

krkaufman said:


> Note that he got that deal under the "*10+ Year Loyalty Program*," so you didn't miss-out on anything, as a new customer.
> 
> It's spelled-out better in this FatWallet post. (which, ironically, refers back to this site, most likely, but without any specific credit)


Yes...no worries... I actually feel pretty good about the deal I got, given the fact that I am a new customer (as a side note, I don't feel like a new customer since I have been a TiVo user for well over a decade, but through my DirecTV relationship)...

My deal was a Tivo Roamio Pro (Recertified) with lifetime for $599.99 and a free TiVo Slider Pro remote...


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## mlcarson

This is really temping if true. My first Tivo Series 2 was purchased on 4/3/2005 and is still on my account since it was a lifetime service plan. 

$500 for a Tivo Roamio Plus with Lifetime would be a good deal.


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## Tico

mlcarson said:


> This is really temping if true. My first Tivo Series 2 was purchased on 4/3/2005 and is still on my account since it was a lifetime service plan.
> 
> $500 for a Tivo Roamio Plus with Lifetime would be a good deal.


It's Legit:

Here is my order:



Tico said:


> Just ordered mine today.
> 
> Have been with Tivo for 11yrs abd 8 months...
> 
> Order Summary
> -------------
> Product Description Qty Item Price Tax* Total
> S00031 TiVo Package, Product Lifetime 1 $ 99.99 $ 0.00 $ 99.99
> R84800 TiVo Roamio Plus 1 $ 399.99 $ 22.40 $ 422.39
> 
> --------------------------------
> Order Sub Total: $ 499.98
> Shipping: $ 0.00
> Tax: $ 22.40
> Order Total: $ 522.38


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## tome_9499

My 10 Year Loyalty Deal: 

Roamio Basic (Refurb) + Lifetime = $350

I already own a Tivo Stream, so I'll keep on using that. No need to pay an extra $75 for functionality that I have. The HDD size is of no importance since I'll be dropping in a 3 TB drive ASAP.


----------



## tome_9499

<Duplicate . . . Snip>


----------



## slowbiscuit

MikeekiM said:


> OK... Two questions:
> 
> 1) How good are TiVo's "renewed" products? Any one get a TiVo Renewed Roamio? Do they truly refurb them "like-new", or are these potential scratch and dent units that were previously owned and returned?


Tivo refurbs are seemingly taken out of one box and put into another (with a new remote), there's little to no checking going on. You have a chance of getting a crap box as well as one that works, in other words, based on many member reports here. But no worries, they'll ship another one if you get a bad one.


----------



## Kracko

I have a Series three and Premier at two different TV's. I'm looking at getting a Roamio as as replacement to the Series 3. However, based on what I'm reading I can replace both units with this one box and a Mini as long as I get the Plus or better Roamio. Is that correct?


----------



## JoeKustra

Kracko said:


> I have a Series three and Premier at two different TV's. I'm looking at getting a Roamio as as replacement to the Series 3. However, based on what I'm reading I can replace both units with this one box and a Mini as long as I get the Plus or better Roamio. Is that correct?


The Mini works with any Roamio. The Premiere works with the Roamio also.


----------



## krkaufman

Kracko said:


> I have a Series three and Premier at two different TV's. I'm looking at getting a Roamio as as replacement to the Series 3. However, based on what I'm reading I can replace both units with this one box and a Mini as long as I get the Plus or better Roamio. Is that correct?


I would think any of the Roamio models, paired with a Mini, would work to replace your existing units; however, you'd need to provide more information to know which Roamio would be the best fit.


What is your TV signal source, antenna or cable TV?
How many tuners do you want?
How much HDD storage are you looking for?
Do you want to be able to stream content to mobile devices or computers?

----
edit: p.s. If you're a cable TV subscriber, yes, a Plus or Pro combined w/ a Mini would MORE than replace your existing setup, since you'd be adding 2 additonal tuners, aside from other benefits.


----------



## Kracko

krkaufman said:


> What is your TV signal source, antenna or cable TV? - *Cable*
> How many tuners do you want? - *4*
> How much HDD storage are you looking for? - *Not relevant as I have an external drive currently connected to my 3.*
> Do you want to be able to stream content to mobile devices or computers? - *Yes*
> 
> ----
> edit: p.s. If you're a cable TV subscriber, yes, a Plus or Pro combined w/ a Mini would MORE than replace your existing setup, since you'd be adding 2 additonal tuners, aside from other benefits.


Thanks. I have a total of four tuners now but sometimes I have to double up recordings since many shows won't transfer and I'm not sure where we'll be watching them.


----------



## krkaufman

Kracko said:


> Thanks. I have a total of four tuners now but sometimes I have to double up recordings since many shows won't transfer and I'm not sure where we'll be watching them.


A Roamio Basic would get you 4 CableCARD tuners, but you might as well bump-up to the Plus/Pro, since you're looking for mobile streaming and a Stream would bump the Basic's total cost up near the Plus; plus, you'll get more stock storage, Gigabit Ethernet, MoCA bridging capability, and 2 more tuners.


----------



## Kracko

I just called in and was told that the 99.99 10 year loyalty discount is only on the Plus and Pro. For the base Roamio (not OTA), the loyalty discount is 199.99.

Is this correct?


----------



## MikeekiM

Kracko said:


> I just called in and was told that the 99.99 10 year loyalty discount is only on the Plus and Pro. For the base Roamio (not OTA), the loyalty discount is 199.99.
> 
> Is this correct?


My understanding is that it is only for new devices, correct? Do re-certified Roamio units qualify?


----------



## Kracko

MikeekiM said:


> My understanding is that it is only for new devices, correct? Do re-certified Roamio units qualify?


I was told it does not apply to re-certified.


----------



## cherry ghost

Kracko said:


> I just called in and was told that the 99.99 10 year loyalty discount is only on the Plus and Pro. For the base Roamio (not OTA), the loyalty discount is 199.99.
> 
> Is this correct?


Yes


----------



## andyw715

Kracko said:


> How much HDD storage are you looking for? - Not relevant as I have an external drive currently connected to my 3.


I would seriously consider getting a Roamio with a larger HD (plus/pro, or plus with 3TB drive) and ditch the external.

Sooner or later that external will fail* and when the recordings are striped over the larger OEM drive, your recordings are gone.

(*Of course if its newer then it might be ok) Just something to think about.


----------



## TivoRocks193

I called Tivo about the 10 year loyalty deal (new Roamio Pro for $600, lifetime for $100). My first call had no success as the representative said it had expired. Even asked to speak to a supervisor and they said "the computer wouldn't let them do it" and I was s*** out of luck.

Called 5 mins later, spoke to a different representative, got the deal instantly. No issues at all on the second call, no mentioning of it expiring.

Moral of the story: Reps constantly lies when they say "the computer wouldn't let them do it".


----------



## alarson83

Be nice if their 'summer sale' included any of the plus\pro not refurbished. Kind of a joke when thats not included and the plus\pro refurbs are sold out anyways


----------



## MikeekiM

alarson83 said:


> Be nice if their 'summer sale' included any of the plus\pro not refurbished. Kind of a joke when thats not included and the plus\pro refurbs are sold out anyways


FYI, the summer sale did include the recertified plus and pro models... The sale was "while supplies last", and the plus/pro model inventory lasted two weeks...

The regular Roamio is still a screaming deal...pair it with a hard drive upgrade and it's a very attractive option... The only significant downside is that it has 2 less tuners (but as an added bonus, has an OTA option in case you ever decide to cut the cord).


----------



## TivoRocks193

MikeekiM said:


> The regular Roamio is still a screaming deal


The regular Roamio doesn't have Stream built-in. Having grown to love the TiVo Stream, I'd only recommend Roamio Plus or Pro! My wife loves watching her shows on her iPad from any room in the house or even out of the house.


----------



## series5orpremier

TivoRocks193 said:


> The regular Roamio doesn't have Stream built-in. Having grown to love the TiVo Stream, I'd only recommend Roamio Plus or Pro! My wife loves watching her shows on her iPad from any room in the house or even out of the house.


So what? That functionality isn't exclusive to the Plus/Pro. It can be added to a regular Roamio, as well as a giant hard drive, but you can't add OTA to a Plus/Pro.


----------



## HarperVision

Woot refurb Roamio $79:

http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-hd-digital-media-player-15?ref=ref=cnt_wp_0_23


----------



## MikeekiM

HarperVision said:


> Woot refurb Roamio $79:
> 
> http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-hd-digital-media-player-15?ref=ref=cnt_wp_0_23


Would normally be a good deal if the TiVo Summer sale wasn't still still active with the same Roamio refurb in stock for $49.99...


----------



## krkaufman

MikeekiM said:


> Would normally be a good deal if the TiVo Summer sale wasn't still still active with the same Roamio refurb in stock for $49.99...


Also... Lifetime service for the "Hot Summer" Roamios is available at $350; so, you're looking at $400 versus either $480 or $580 for the w00t Roamio, depending on your Lifetime service purchase.

edit: p.s. Good to have the info, though, in case the "Hot Summer" Roamio Base inventory sells-out.


----------



## MikeekiM

It's funny... I was thinking that the base would sell out first because of the extremely affordable price, and the gaining momentum of cord-cutting...

I guess there are still a lot of people that have confidence that they will be keeping their cable TV for the long haul (or at least a few years to justify the cost of the Plus/Pro and lifetime)...


----------



## krkaufman

MikeekiM said:


> It's funny... I was thinking that the base would sell out first because of the extremely affordable price, and the gaining momentum of cord-cutting...
> 
> I guess there are still a lot of people that have confidence that they will be keeping their cable TV for the long haul (or at least a few years to justify the cost of the Plus/Pro and lifetime)...


It's also possible that there's just a deeper inventory of the base Roamio *because* of its lower price, with more new base units being sold and subsequently returned. Also, the renewed base Roamio would be competing for cord-cutter dollars with the brand-spanking new OTA inventory, both priced at $50.


----------



## HarperVision

MikeekiM said:


> Would normally be a good deal if the TiVo Summer sale wasn't still still active with the same Roamio refurb in stock for $49.99...


Just postin' 'em as I see 'em, sir!


----------



## MikeekiM

HarperVision said:


> Just postin' 'em as I see 'em, sir!


Yes...I definitely as not trying to criticize the relevancy of your post...it was a good post... And on topic according to the thread title! 

I just wanted to make sure that anyone running towards that deal knows that there may be a better deal out there (at least until they run out of inventory)...


----------



## Zaphod

Called earlier tonight and got the Plus w/ lifetime for $499. I've been a Tivo user since 2003.

I thought I read earlier in this thread that the Pro was only $100 more (or $599), but the lady said it was $699. For $100 difference I was going to get the Pro, but for $200 difference, I'd rather put that toward a hard drive. And I'll just wait until I fill up the Roamio before I actually bother upgrading the drive. If the Plus already has 150 hours of HD recording capacity, I doubt I'll ever need to upgrade it anyway. I have a self-upgraded drive in my Tivo HD which gives me 144 hours of HD capacity and I've never come close to filling it up.

I also managed to get the slide remote. After further thought, I'm not sure I'll really ever use the slide remote. I have a Phillips Pronto universal remote I use, and I know the slide remote is RF which I can't program into the Pronto anyway. But I'll see if I mind having 2 remotes on the table. But anyway, after the fact, I thought, after I talked them into the slide remote I should have followed up and asked if instead of the remote, maybe they'd give me $50 off a Mini.

Oh well. If I end up not using the slide remote, it was free, I can always sell it on ebay.


----------



## TivoRocks193

I don't bother with Plus anymore. For $200 Pro, you get the larger HD, whereas upgrading yourself costs $100 for the drive itself. So, while you might save $100 bucks, considering the work involved coupled with the fact that your are voiding the warranty on a $1,000 piece of equipment (with lifetime)... just not worth the hassle. I'd rather get the Pro and not risk losing warranty if the unit fails.


----------



## Zaphod

TivoRocks193 said:


> I don't bother with Plus anymore. For $200 Pro, you get the larger HD, whereas upgrading yourself costs $100 for the drive itself. So, while you might save $100 bucks, considering the work involved coupled with the fact that your are voiding the warranty on a $1,000 piece of equipment (with lifetime)... just not worth the hassle. I'd rather get the Pro and not risk losing warranty if the unit fails.


I'm a computer person anyway so the physical task of upgrading the HD is nothing for me. Already did it on my current two TiVo HD units years ago, and from what I read, it's even easier on the Roamio.

BUT, as I said in my previous message, I doubt I'm ever going to need to upgrade it anyway since the Plus already has slightly more storage than my upgraded HD and I've never even come close to filling that up. Or at least, hopefully I can wait until the 1 year warranty is up anyway before I'd upgrade it so the warranty isn't a factor. (Although I am thinking about adding the 3 year warranty for $40.)

Also, in the past the general feeling was, if you upgrade the hard drive and have issues within the warranty, just stick the original drive back in and they won't know, or at the very least TiVo would still honor the warranty (assuming you still have the issue with the original drive back in the unit). I guess I don't know if that's still the case or not.


----------



## davezatz

TivoRocks193 said:


> I don't bother with Plus anymore. For $200 Pro, you get the larger HD, whereas upgrading yourself costs $100 for the drive itself. So, while you might save $100 bucks, considering the work involved coupled with the fact that your are voiding the warranty on a $1,000 piece of equipment (with lifetime)... just not worth the hassle. I'd rather get the Pro and not risk losing warranty if the unit fails.


I can't say for certain, but I imagine TiVo would honor the warranty. Not that it's much of a warranty at 90 days (if you go Lifetime) anyway and the most common point of failure is the hard drive. As far as work, with Roamio unlike prior generations, it's a simple matter of dropping the drive in - no disk prep or anything. So maybe ten minutes to take it apart and put it back together. I obviously chose to save the $90+ dollars, went down that path, and it's been smooth sailing.


----------



## krkaufman

davezatz said:


> As far as work, with Roamio unlike prior generations, it's a *simple matter of dropping the drive in - no disk prep or anything.* So maybe ten minutes to take it apart and put it back together.


* For drives up to 3TB; drives over 3TB *do* require "prep work."


----------



## TivoRocks193

davezatz said:


> I can't say for certain, but I imagine TiVo would honor the warranty. Not that it's much of a warranty at 90 days (if you go Lifetime) anyway and the most common point of failure is the hard drive. As far as work, with Roamio unlike prior generations, it's a simple matter of dropping the drive in - no disk prep or anything. So maybe ten minutes to take it apart and put it back together. I obviously chose to save the $90+ dollars, went down that path, and it's been smooth sailing.


That's a joke right? If you pop open the box and the TiVo dies within the first week, you're screwed.


----------



## TivoRocks193

Zaphod said:


> I'm a computer person anyway so the physical task of upgrading the HD is nothing for me. Already did it on my current two TiVo HD units years ago, and from what I read, it's even easier on the Roamio.


I'm a computer genius too, still not worth the $100 to void a warranty and waste the time installing the drive. I've become risk adverse in my old age.


----------



## davezatz

TivoRocks193 said:


> That's a joke right? If you pop open the box and the TiVo dies within the first week, you're screwed.


I know of at least two cases where that didn't happen. A buddy picked up a refurb TiVo on Woot a month or two ago, upgraded the drive, was stuck in a continual reboot cycle after with either drive. One hundred years ago, I tried upgrading a TiVo Series 2 and fried the system. TiVo arranged a swap in both cases and in both cases we conveyed to the agent exactly what had happend.

Of course, there's no guarantee that would be their response 100% of the time and *folks should go down the path they're most comfortable with*. If the possibility of voiding the warranty is a concern, you should skip the larger drive or pay TiVo the $200. But I will add that Weaknees is an authorized TiVo reseller... that sells replacement drives, a practice presumably blessed by TiVo. Also presumably blessed as they not only allow us retail customers to do it, they facilitate it by requiring no prep (on drives 3tb or smaller). Also if you buy from Best Buy or Amazon, you can just return it.


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## Series3Sub

Yeah, each person makes their own decision. For some people the $100 is just not a problem and they can spend their time doing something else. I can also tell you of instances of poeple who know how to change HDD's in older TiVo's, but who sometimes just sent it out to Weaknees because they could not make the time to do the work and the family was getting PO'd withouth their functioning TiVo. How many male hobbiests have had their wives and kids say, "is it fixed yet?" or "you said you were going to build me that table weeks ago. Get it done now or I'm a buying a table!" .


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## davezatz

Series3Sub said:


> Yeah, each person makes their own decision. For some people the $100 is just not a problem and they can spend their time doing something else. I can also tell you of instances of poeple who know how to change HDD's in older TiVo's, but who sometimes just sent it out to Weaknees because they could not make the time to do the work and the family was getting PO'd withouth their functioning TiVo. How many male hobbiests have had their wives and kids say, "is it fixed yet?" or "you said you were going to build me that table weeks ago. Get it done now or I'm a buying a table!" .


Yeah... time/energy has a cost. I got at least one upgrade drive from Weaknees or DVRUpgrade back in the day because I didn't want to mess with it again. The current situation is very nice (up to 3tb) for those comfortable opening the box and not overly concerned with the warranty.


----------



## HarperVision

TivoRocks193 said:


> That's a joke right? If you pop open the box and the TiVo dies within the first week, you're screwed.


No you're not. Just put the original drive back in and send it in to TiVo under warranty. S'all good!


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## davezatz

HarperVision said:


> No you're not. Just put the original drive back in and send it in to TiVo under warranty. S'all good!


I'm sure TiVo could determine if we've replaced the drive anytime they wanted... if they wanted. Like why would my 1TB unit have a 3TB drive? THey probably even know SN ranges of their drives. But I don't think they care too much. And I thank them for allowing upgrades like these. Best Buy and Amazon, on the other hand, definitely wouldn't know.


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## HarperVision

davezatz said:


> I'm sure TiVo could determine if we've replaced the drive anytime they wanted... if they wanted. Like why would my 1TB unit have a 3TB drive? THey probably even know SN ranges of their drives. But I don't think they care too much. And I thank them for allowing upgrades like these. Best Buy and Amazon, on the other hand, definitely wouldn't know.


Exactly!


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## krkaufman

Series3Sub said:


> How many male hobbiests have had their wives and kids say, "is it fixed yet?" or *"you said you were going to build me that table weeks ago. Get it done now or I'm a buying a table!" *.


This seems less historical.


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## lpwcomp

davezatz said:


> Yeah... time/energy has a cost. I got at least one upgrade drive from Weaknees or DVRUpgrade back in the day because I didn't want to mess with it again.


Beats buying a whole new TiVo, which my SO did when the drive died in "her" TiVo and I was out of town on a contract job.


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## Zaphod

davezatz said:


> Not that it's much of a warranty at 90 days (if you go Lifetime)


Can somebody clarify this? The TiVo web site says the warranty is
"90 days free labor / One year parts exchange"

What exactly does this mean? It's not like "free labor" means someone is going to come to my house and fix it on site. So what happens if it dies after the 90 days, but before the 1 year?


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## davezatz

Zaphod said:


> Can somebody clarify this? The TiVo web site says the warranty is
> "90 days free labor / One year parts exchange"
> 
> What exactly does this mean? It's not like "free labor" means someone is going to come to my house and fix it on site. So what happens if it dies after the 90 days, but before the 1 year?


Maybe it's changed, I don't know. But I seem to recall beyond 90 days you only get a refurb and they may charge shipping in one or both directions. But again, maybe the current situation is more generous than what I recollect...


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## MikeekiM

Zaphod said:


> I also managed to get the slide remote. After further thought, I'm not sure I'll really ever use the slide remote.
> 
> <snip>
> 
> But anyway, after the fact, I thought, after I talked them into the slide remote I should have followed up and asked if instead of the remote, maybe they'd give me $50 off a Mini.
> 
> Oh well. If I end up not using the slide remote, it was free, I can always sell it on ebay.


Yes, I also got the slide remote pro for free...but after using my TiVo Roamio Pro for a while, I realize that most of the time, you only need to hunt and peck 3 or 4 characters before the program you are looking for is on the search results screen... I don't need a QWERTY keyboard for most searches... Plus, I ended up using my Harmony 890 universal remote anyway...

I doubt they would have offered you $50 instead of the slider remote... For TiVo, $50 translates to $50 on their bottom line. Giving you a $50 remote is not a $50 cost to them, plus they have the benefit of moving some of this stuff off their books/inventory... I am not sure these things are moving very well, or they wouldn't be giving them away so easily...

Your best course of action is to monetize your TiVo slider remote on eBay, which you already mentioned...


----------



## series5orpremier

TivoRocks193 said:


> I've become risk adverse in my old age.


I've been risk averse my entire life. Yes, I don't want to mess with it if it takes any more disk prep work than wiping a drive. But with Roamios it's just a matter of dropping in a clean drive. I've done it three times now without any problems, including with the same drive twice. The first time to feel better about it I used the stock drive for over the first two months knowing I'd only be time-shifting during that period. Between the warranty being so short to begin with and the lack of evidence that TiVo has systematically denied warranty claims over this I feel any additional risk from dropping in a clean drive is minimal at most.


----------



## SVTarHeel

MikeekiM said:


> *"Woot refurb Roamio $79"*... Would normally be a good deal if the TiVo Summer sale wasn't still still active with the same Roamio refurb in stock for $49.99...


In view of the 'deals' in the topic of this thread, I'm toying around with the idea of moving from my Premiere(s) to the base Roamio (to keep OTA access). All of my Premieres were purchased second-hand, so I'm not scared of pre-owned equipment. I've also seen posts here which mention the crapshoot of getting a good box via TiVo's refurb 'process.'

My question... have the base Roamio's been out long enough to get a sense of the most likely cause of failure? I've followed the wall wart upgrade recommendations from the HD upgrade thread, but was wondering if anything else besides the HD (like the capacitor plague of a few years ago) was a common point of failure that could come into play when purchasing a refurb unit?

Thanks for any advice.


----------



## Dan203

The base Roamio uses a wall wart as it's primary power supply, so if the power supply fails you can replace it for $6. The other most common cause of problems is the hard drive, which on the entire Roamio line can be fixed/upgraded simply by dropping in a blank drive. (the TiVo formats and installs the software automatically) 

The only other sorta common problem I've seen is with the HDMI port. Apparently it's kind of sensitive to stress and the internal solder points can break if you if you put too much pressure on the HDMI cable. But I've only seen a handful of complaints about this so it doesn't seem to be that common.


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## aaronwt

TivoRocks193 said:


> I'm a computer genius too, still not worth the $100 to void a warranty and waste the time installing the drive. I've become risk adverse in my old age.


It takes literally a few minutes to remove the cover, install the drive, and replace the cover. But I didn't upgrade my pro until a Windows option was available. Then I replaced the 3TB drive with a 5TB drive. Although now I wish I had used a 6TB drive


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## aaronwt

Dan203 said:


> The base Roamio uses a wall wart as it's primary power supply, so if the power supply fails you can replace it for $6. The other most common cause of problems is the hard drive, which on the entire Roamio line can be fixed/upgraded simply by dropping in a blank drive. (the TiVo formats and installs the software automatically)
> 
> The only other sorta common problem I've seen is with the HDMI port. Apparently it's kind of sensitive to stress and the internal solder points can break if you if you put too much pressure on the HDMI cable. But I've only seen a handful of complaints about this so it doesn't seem to be that common.


I haven't had any issues yet with my 2013 Roamio Basic. I take it with me to my GFs house so I am regularly connecting and disconnecting an HDMi cable to/from it.


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## keenanSR

The use of an Ultra-thin cable  is not a bad idea either, I use several of them and they work perfectly with basically zero stress on the port.


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## MikeekiM

keenanSR said:


> The use of an Ultra-thin cable  is not a bad idea either, I use several of them and they work perfectly with basically zero stress on the port.


It's amazing...just a few years ago, HDMI cables seemed so expensive... As a result, I only bought what I needed...

Now, they seem to have multiplied like baby rabbits... I have a number of spares in my junk cable drawer... That reminds me, I still need to get rid of a bunch of audio and video RCA cables from that same drawer!!!


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## convergent

MikeekiM said:


> It's amazing...just a few years ago, HDMI cables seemed so expensive... As a result, I only bought what I needed...
> 
> Now, they seem to have multiplied like baby rabbits... I have a number of spares in my junk cable drawer... That reminds me, I still need to get rid of a bunch of audio and video RCA cables from that same drawer!!!


I know the feeling... we moved last year and I threw away a huge pile of USB, power, RCA, etc. cables because I had about 20 of each in my spares box. Its been less than a year and I'm now back to needing to thin out. Yet there I stood in line yesterday at TWC getting a TA and Cable Card, and waited for her to go get me a USB cable, 3 Coax cables, and a splitter... full well knowing that I probably had spares at home. I just can't turn down free stuff!


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## MikeekiM

convergent said:


> I know the feeling... we moved last year and I threw away a huge pile of USB, power, RCA, etc. cables because I had about 20 of each in my spares box. Its been less than a year and I'm now back to needing to thin out. Yet there I stood in line yesterday at TWC getting a TA and Cable Card, and waited for her to go get me a USB cable, 3 Coax cables, and a splitter... full well knowing that I probably had spares at home. I just can't turn down free stuff!


Yea...free stuff clouds my judgement...

The fear of needing something later also clouds my judgement, which explains why I still have RS232 and parallel printer cables sitting in my junk drawers!!!


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## convergent

MikeekiM said:


> Yea...free stuff clouds my judgement...
> 
> The fear of needing something later also clouds my judgement, which explains why I still have RS232 and parallel printer cables sitting in my junk drawers!!!


ROFL... I have both of those in my cable stash too. One day far in the future when an EMP knocks out all the modern electronics, we'll be there with those RS232 and parallel printer cables to cobble together something to save the universe!


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## Wil

convergent said:


> we'll be there with those RS232 and parallel printer cables to cobble together something to save the universe!


Comic book plot from the 1950s:

Humans destroy all wood on earth, down to the very last toothpick, because it's found to be emitting a harmful gas. This is in the near future and there's not all that much wood left anyway. Death penalty for owning or harboring any trees or wood products or anything made of wood. Turns out it's a hoax by aliens wanting to invade and conquer earth, with wood being the only effective shield against their weapons.

Luckily a curator of an air museum somewhere has risked the death penalty and secretly stashed away a bunch of WWI wooden fighter planes. He comes forward, the planes are fitted with modern engines and armament, and the world is indeed saved! A pardon, obviously, for the hero!

So hold onto that old stuff; you never know.


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## MikeekiM

convergent said:


> ROFL... I have both of those in my cable stash too. One day far in the future when an EMP knocks out all the modern electronics, we'll be there with those RS232 and parallel printer cables to cobble together something to save the universe!


Ha! I guess I am not the only here that needs to seek out therapy!

The sad part is that one day I will need an RS232 cable and I'll go and seek it out on eBay and overpay for it because it will be considered "rare", only to find out that I had one in my junk drawer three months later!

That's how it works with me...


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## Jay2tak

I have two "junk drawers" & a junk box!!


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## chiguy50

Jay2tak said:


> I have two "junk drawers" & a junk box!!


I have two "junk" ex-wives that I've recycled. But I'm certain that I won't be needing them again as my current model is SOTA.


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## ThreeSoFar'sBro

I threw out a bunch of cables, pc parts, old laptops last summer after "the flood" put two feet of water in my basement. Ugh. . .


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## thefisch

Are FF codes temporarily unavailable?

http://spherular.com/DiscountCode
http://sellmoretivo.com/

Is this because the summer promotion is still going on? Looks like the roamio basic refurb is $50 cheaper under the sale than with the FF code.


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## GCS2000

I got a code a week ago from spherular to order a Pro and remote. Worked fine then.


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## tarheelblue32

thefisch said:


> Are FF codes temporarily unavailable?
> 
> http://spherular.com/DiscountCode
> http://sellmoretivo.com/
> 
> Is this because the summer promotion is still going on? Looks like the roamio basic refurb is $50 cheaper under the sale than with the FF code.


The sellmoretivo.com website has been down for months. Don't know why Spherular is out of codes. Maybe TiVo has stopped handing out as many as they used to.


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## krkaufman

tarheelblue32 said:


> The sellmoretivo.com website has been down for months. Don't know why Spherular is out of codes. Maybe TiVo has stopped handing out as many as they used to.


Given he hasn't responded to several comments re: availability, he may just be on vacation.


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## Jay2tak

http://spherular.com/DiscountCode I just tried it & website is now working. However it does say "Currently unavailable"


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## convergent

thefisch said:


> Are FF codes temporarily unavailable?
> 
> http://spherular.com/DiscountCode
> http://sellmoretivo.com/
> 
> Is this because the summer promotion is still going on? Looks like the roamio basic refurb is $50 cheaper under the sale than with the FF code.





GCS2000 said:


> I got a code a week ago from spherular to order a Pro and remote. Worked fine then.





krkaufman said:


> Given he hasn't responded to several comments re: availability, he may just be on vacation.





Jay2tak said:


> http://spherular.com/DiscountCode I just tried it & website is now working. However it does say "Currently unavailable"


I sent him a message about the codes last week and he told that Tivo abruptly ended the FF program and he did not know if/when it would be available again. I decided to go ahead with other options because I didn't want to wait for something that may never happen. I ended up getting a pretty good deal by ordering from Amazon (and getting two credit cards for a total of $110 in immediate credits), and using the multiple device discount on lifetime subscription. I also ordered the Plus instead of Pro and swapped in a new drive before starting it up for the first time. I realize I could have done that with spherular too, but it was part of my getting the price to where I wanted it.


----------



## tjtv

This really pisses me off. I had a FF code(not obtained from Spherular), and now tivo.com won't accept it, saying it is invalid.


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## RayChuang88

I just got a notice from Comcast/Xfinity that they are switching the HD channel compression from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 as of September 8, 2014. Unfortunately, that means my TiVo HDXL DVR has been rendered obsolete. 

Since I need to get a new Roamio, which model should I get:

TiVo Roamio Pro (3 TB) for US$599
TiVo Roamio Plus (modified by weaKnees with 3 TB hard drive) for US$470

I believe that weaKnees offers a 180-day warranty on the DVR, as opposed to the 90-day warranty for the Roamio Pro.


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## tarheelblue32

RayChuang88 said:


> I just got a notice from Comcast/Xfinity that they are switching the HD channel compression from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 as of September 8, 2014. Unfortunately, that means my TiVo HDXL DVR has been rendered obsolete.
> 
> Since I need to get a new Roamio, which model should I get:
> 
> TiVo Roamio Pro (3 TB) for US$599
> TiVo Roamio Plus (modified by weaKnees with 3 TB hard drive) for US$470
> 
> I believe that weaKnees offers a 180-day warranty on the DVR, as opposed to the 90-day warranty for the Roamio Pro.


Why pay $130 more for the exact same thing? Go with whatever the cheapest option is. Amazon is selling the Pro for $455:

http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...TF8&qid=1438044267&sr=8-1&keywords=roamio+pro


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## TazExprez

tjtv said:


> This really pisses me off. I had a FF code(not obtained from Spherular), and now tivo.com won't accept it, saying it is invalid.


I had 2 that I purchased from Spherular that are now invalid. I am waiting for the late July announcement that is probably not going to come at this point. Oh well, I might still order 2 or 3 TiVo Basic boxes with PLS with the summer sale going on now.


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## thefisch

TazExprez said:


> I had 2 that I purchased from Spherular that are now invalid. *I am waiting for the late July announcement that is probably not going to come at this point.* Oh well, I might still order 2 or 3 TiVo Basic boxes with PLS with the summer sale going on now.


Can you elaborate on the late July announcement?


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## RayChuang88

tarheelblue32 said:


> Why pay $130 more for the exact same thing? Go with whatever the cheapest option is. Amazon is selling the Pro for $455:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Digital-...TF8&qid=1438044267&sr=8-1&keywords=roamio+pro


Thanks. I will place my order with Amazon for a Roamio Pro right after I get my next paycheck at the end of the month.


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## davezatz

thefisch said:


> Can you elaborate on the late July announcement?


TiVo said there would be a "late July" announcement of some sort and this month we've seen a trademark filing for TiVo Bolt and CableLabs outted two new TiVo models.

I'd probably hold off a few weeks on any purchases to see what, if anything, pans out.


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## RayChuang88

I'm not sure what TiVo will announce very soon, but I can safely say it will *NOT* be a box to receive and record Ultra HD broadcasts based on the upcoming ATSC 3.0 standard. And with two good reasons:

1. The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has yet to finalize the ATSC 3.0 standard for Ultra HD broadcasts, though it may do so probably early in 2016.

3. Because ATSC 3.0 will likely use HEVC (H.265) video compression, it will require a major leap up in the quality of computing hardware on set top boxes and DVR's to decode the compressed signal (HEVC has pretty stringent hardware requirements). As such, TiVo may not have access to such computing hardware until probably the middle of 2016.


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## Jay2tak

The "Summer sale" sale is over.


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## MikeekiM

Jay2tak said:


> The "Summer sale" sale is over.


It was a great sale, and I am glad my need to buy was so well timed with the sale... I made out like a bandit...

Recertified TiVos are still available at special pricing...just not as attractive as the summer sale: https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/zero-down-factory-renewed-roamio


----------



## hathorlive

Hello. I'm new to Tivo and just missed the summer deal. My room mate and I just got caught up in Xfinity hell. We have two DVRs that don't quite share duplicate recordings (hers and mine) but it won't operated independently. So we never know who has a show that we are both trying to record. It's weird in that it won't fully share but it shares enough to know we both want to record the same show and then only puts it on one dvr that the other person can't access. If we buy a tivo and keep one xfinity dvr, can we separate our content? Also, how hard is it to upgrade the roamio basic model? Do we have to buy a lifetime service plan when we buy our roamio? Or can we buy that later? Thanks...I like the list of possible deals that you post.


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## krkaufman

hathorlive said:


> I'm new to Tivo and just missed the summer deal.


Bummer. Also a bummer that the Friends & Family program was recently shutdown. Your cheapest purchase options will likely be Amazon or Best Buy (via price-match against Amazon).



> If we buy a tivo and keep one xfinity dvr, can we separate our content?


Well, the TiVo and X1 content will DEFINITELY be separate. Unfortunately, TiVo annoyingly still doesn't offer user profiles for their system, so you can't separate or filter content on a per-viewer basis. (Please let TiVo know you need this feature.)



> Also, how hard is it to upgrade the roamio basic model?


I don't have first-hand experience, but upgrading *up to* a 3TB hard drive sounds to be quite simplistic.



> Do we have to buy a lifetime service plan when we buy our roamio? Or can we buy that later?


No, you can buy the Product Lifetime Service (PLS) later. But you also have a 30-day money back window, even on the PLS. That said, you may want to make sure you don't sign-up for a "minimum term" subscription plan, as that may complicate switching over to PLS.


----------



## thefisch

Glad I placed an order for the roamio plus over this past weekend before the sale ended. Looks like I made it by a few days. Now that it's over - I guess I need to put off my plans for a second unit.

From scanning the thread, it appears they had a summer sale last year also. But it wasn't clear if there was a similar type of sale another time of the year. Does that mean summer is the best time for a new user to buy a tivo (assuming you can wait)?


----------



## fpirelli

MikeekiM said:


> It was a great sale, and I am glad my need to buy was so well timed with the sale... I made out like a bandit...
> 
> Recertified TiVos are still available at special pricing...just not as attractive as the summer sale: https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/zero-down-factory-renewed-roamio


I used that site in an attempt to buy a Romeo Plus refurbished. What a mistake that was. The site took my order and my money and the order stayed in limbo. It wasn't until I called TiVo when I found out it was out of stock due to the sale. They had no idea how the Oder was accepted. So buyer beware!


----------



## MikeekiM

fpirelli said:


> I used that site in an attempt to buy a Romeo Plus refurbished. What a mistake that was. The site took my order and my money and the order stayed in limbo. It wasn't until I called TiVo when I found out it was out of stock due to the sale. They had no idea how the Oder was accepted. So buyer beware!


Yikes! That sucks... They need to manage their ecommerce site better, that's for sure...


----------



## javabird

MikeekiM said:


> Yikes! That sucks... They need to manage their ecommerce site better, that's for sure...


The web page also is giving a certificate error.


----------



## fpirelli

MikeekiM said:


> It was a great sale, and I am glad my need to buy was so well timed with the sale... I made out like a bandit...
> 
> Recertified TiVos are still available at special pricing...just not as attractive as the summer sale: https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/zero-down-factory-renewed-roamio


I used that site in an attempt to buy a Romeo Plus refurbished. What a mistake that was. The site took my order and my money and the order stayed in limbo. It wasn't until I called TiVo when I found out it was out of stock due to the sale. They had no idea how the Oder was accepted. So buyer beware!


----------



## spherular

krkaufman said:


> Given he hasn't responded to several comments re: availability, he may just be on vacation.


Sorry for the lack of response here on the forum...been away as was correctly deduced.

TiVo ended the current promotion and as such no more codes are currently available - hence the reason for the spherular website being down. Once I know more I'll contact those that have expressed an interest, but "advertizing" is against the forums rules so I'll let others pass on any news here.


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## MikeekiM

The summer sale banner is pointing at the recertified sales page again...

Not sure if this is a glitch, or if they got stock and reactivated the sale...

Only OTA and basic Roamios (the plus and pros show out of stock)...

www.tivo.com (or direct at https://www.tivo.com/roamiopma15)


----------



## MikeekiM

The summer sale banner is pointing at the recertified sales page again...

Not sure if this is a glitch, or if they got stock and reactivated the sale...

Only OTA and basic Roamios (the plus and pros show out of stock)...

www.tivo.com (or direct at https://www.tivo.com/roamiopma15)


----------



## hathorlive

MikeekiM said:


> The summer sale banner is pointing at the recertified sales page again...
> 
> Not sure if this is a glitch, or if they got stock and reactivated the sale...
> 
> Only OTA and basic Roamios (the plus and pros show out of stock)...
> 
> www.tivo.com (or direct at https://www.tivo.com/roamiopma15)


Thanks for the heads up. I just ordered one and the lifetime service!!!
I was about to think I would have to wait for next summer.


----------



## Imageek2

MikeekiM said:


> The summer sale banner is pointing at the recertified sales page again...
> 
> Not sure if this is a glitch, or if they got stock and reactivated the sale...
> 
> Only OTA and basic Roamios (the plus and pros show out of stock)...
> 
> www.tivo.com (or direct at https://www.tivo.com/roamiopma15)


On this deal would you guys recommend getting a new OTA or a refurb Basic for the same price? I am only interested in OTA and have read that the refurbs are a roll of the dice. Thanks.

Tom


----------



## krkaufman

Imageek2 said:


> On this deal would you guys recommend getting a new OTA or a refurb Basic for the same price? I am only interested in OTA and have read that the refurbs are a roll of the dice. Thanks.


I'd lean towards the refurb Basic, for resale value.


----------



## tarheelblue32

krkaufman said:


> I'd lean towards the refurb Basic, for resale value.


+1

A refurb base Roamio is the way to go. More flexibility and higher resale value with the CableCard slot.


----------



## wkearney99

tarheelblue32 said:


> +1. A refurb base Roamio is the way to go. More flexibility and higher resale value with the CableCard slot.


I've upgraded most of ours with refurbs. Even a Pro could be had at a decent bargain, and played the loyalty card to get Lifetime for it. Even nabbed Lifetime for my old TivoHD's, if just to make them decent gifts for friends. We have way too many tuners free now! 2 Pro, 1 Roamio, 1 Premiere (with a Stream) and two Minis. AND NO MORE MONTHLY separate bills for each of them (man, that was annoying!)


----------



## Imageek2

Thanks guys, ordered a refurnished basic with lifetime. Returning to the TiVo fold! 

Tom


----------



## MikeBear

Imageek2 said:


> On this deal would you guys recommend getting a new OTA or a refurb Basic for the same price? I am only interested in OTA and have read that the refurbs are a roll of the dice. Thanks.
> 
> Tom


I bought the refurb Basic $49.95, and as far as I can tell, it's absolutely brand new, works perfect, and I've had no issues with it over the last month.


----------



## nycityuser

wkearney99 said:


> I've upgraded most of ours with refurbs. Even a Pro could be had at a decent bargain, and played the loyalty card to get Lifetime for it. Even nabbed Lifetime for my old TivoHD's, if just to make them decent gifts for friends.


What do you mean "Even nabbed Lifetime for my old TivoHD's?" How much did you pay? I have an old HD for which I pay $6.95/month and wonder what it would cost to switch to lifetime.

I had kept 2 HD units on $6.95 plans for their flexibility. One of the TiVo HDs I was allowed to swap to a Roamio Pro (allowing me to pay $6.95/month) and TiVo gave me $200 off the Pro (this was about 20 months ago).


----------



## HarperVision

Imageek2 said:


> Thanks guys, ordered a *refurnished *basic with lifetime. Returning to the TiVo fold!  Tom


That's cool, so your basic has a new couch and love seat? Did they do the mattresses too? What about the dining room set?


----------



## Imageek2

HarperVision said:


> That's cool, so your basic has a new couch and love seat? Did they do the mattresses too? What about the dining room set?


Yes, it's a small space but it's cozy! 

Tom


----------



## rainwater

nycityuser said:


> What do you mean "Even nabbed Lifetime for my old TivoHD's?" How much did you pay? I have an old HD for which I pay $6.95/month and wonder what it would cost to switch to lifetime.


In the past they would let you upgrade to lifetime for $99 on really old TiVos. I'm not sure what they are doing currently.


----------



## Nora

I just got an email "from" my Tivo. Says we need to talk, that it's too old for me. Anyway,


> - Save $300 on Roamio w/service for a $399.98 one-time payment
> - Save $400 on Roamio Plus w/service for a $499.98 one-time payment
> - Save $400 on Roamio Pro w/service for a $699.98 one-time payment


Looks like the loyalty deal. I've had a Tivo for 9 years, coming up on 10, I think. Maybe coming up on 11. I might just pull the plug and get the base unit. I'd like the option for OTA if I decide to stop paying Comcast so dang much.


----------



## thefisch

$100 difference makes the plus a steal over the base, unless you don't need the extra storage, stream, built-in moca, etc. Of course, you don't get OTA then.

I would be so tempted at those prices to pick up another plus over getting a mini for the extra room. Good thing for my wallet I don't qualify for the loyalty deals.


----------



## MikeekiM

Nora said:


> I just got an email "from" my Tivo. Says we need to talk, that it's too old for me. Anyway,
> Looks like the loyalty deal. I've had a Tivo for 9 years, coming up on 10, I think. Maybe coming up on 11. I might just pull the plug and get the base unit. I'd like the option for OTA if I decide to stop paying Comcast so dang much.





thefisch said:


> $100 difference makes the plus a steal over the base, unless you don't need the extra storage, stream, built-in moca, etc. Of course, you don't get OTA then.
> 
> I would be so tempted at those prices to pick up another plus over getting a mini for the extra room. Good thing for my wallet I don't qualify for the loyalty deals.


Yeah... Unless you have a need for OTA, I think that Plus deal looks pretty darn good... The Pro isn't a bad deal if you want the larger space without the hassle of doing it yourself (and voiding your warranty)...but the sweet spot deal-wise is the Plus...


----------



## tarheelblue32

MikeekiM said:


> The Pro isn't a bad deal if you want the larger space without the hassle of doing it yourself (and voiding your warranty)


I know of no case where TiVo has refused a warranty claim over a user-upgraded hard drive.


----------



## MikeekiM

tarheelblue32 said:


> I know of no case where TiVo has refused a warranty claim over a user-upgraded hard drive.


Nice to know... I have a 3TB Pro that I'd love to upgrade at some point...


----------



## Nora

I agree that the Pro seems like an especially sweet deal. And since I've only been thinking (not doing anything) about the antenna for the last 5 years or so, I might go for the Pro. But I wonder why Tivo decided not to put the OTA option in the higher end units? I realize parts cost money, but why box OTA people into your base unit? Seems like a strange business decision.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Nora said:


> I agree that the Pro seems like an especially sweet deal. And since I've only been thinking (not doing anything) about the antenna for the last 5 years or so, I might go for the Pro. But I wonder why Tivo decided not to put the OTA option in the higher end units? I realize parts cost money, but why box OTA people into your base unit? Seems like a strange business decision.


TiVo didn't just develop the Plus/Pro to sell at retail. It is virtually identical to the version TiVo sells to smaller cable companies to use with their subscribers. I actually think we're lucky that there is a Roamio version that will do digital cable or antenna. I expect in the future TiVo will have cable-only models and antenna-only models, with no models that can do both.


----------



## convergent

Nora said:


> I agree that the Pro seems like an especially sweet deal. And since I've only been thinking (not doing anything) about the antenna for the last 5 years or so, I might go for the Pro. But I wonder why Tivo decided not to put the OTA option in the higher end units? I realize parts cost money, but why box OTA people into your base unit? Seems like a strange business decision.


The 3TB drive is about $118 to upgrade the Plus to the same drive that comes in the Pro. It takes 5 minutes and is completely reversible if you ever needed to send it in for service. To me, the Plus is the best bargain in that list of options.


----------



## tarheelblue32

convergent said:


> The 3TB drive is about $118 to upgrade the Plus to the same drive that comes in the Pro. It takes 5 minutes and is completely reversible if you ever needed to send it in for service. To me, the Plus is the best bargain in that list of options.


+1

The Plus is $200 less than the Pro, and the only difference is the hard drive size. So for only $118 you can effectively turn the Plus into the Pro, and have a spare backup drive too.


----------



## Nora

convergent said:


> To me, the Plus is the best bargain in that list of options.


That's what I meant.


----------



## krkaufman

Nora said:


> But I wonder why Tivo decided not to put the OTA option in the higher end units? I realize parts cost money, but why box OTA people into your base unit? Seems like a strange business decision.


Agreed. I've thought it would have made more sense for the "Pro" model to have allowed concurrent CableCARD/OTA recording, setting it apart from the Plus in more ways than just drive capacity. (Or maybe allow the Pro a special ability to work with networked OTA tuners.)

As for the base unit, I think someone here suggested it was related to available off-the-shelf chipsets for OTA tuners. And TiVo probably figured 4 tuners would suffice for a vast majority of the potential OTA recording market.


----------



## Jay2tak

Nora said:


> I just got an email "from" my Tivo. Says we need to talk, that it's too old for me. Anyway,
> 
> - Save $300 on Roamio w/service for a $399.98 one-time payment
> - Save $400 on Roamio Plus w/service for a $499.98 one-time payment
> - Save $400 on Roamio Pro w/service for a $699.98 one-time payment
> 
> Looks like the loyalty deal. I've had a Tivo for 9 years, coming up on 10, I think. Maybe coming up on 11. I might just pull the plug and get the base unit. I'd like the option for OTA if I decide to stop paying Comcast so dang much.


I just got my email


> - Save $200 on Roamio Plus w/service for a $699.98 one-time payment
> - Save $225 on Roamio Pro w/service for a $874.98 one-time payment


I'll wait for a better deal.


----------



## MikeekiM

Wow... TiVo changed the sale from a Summer Sale to a Super Savings Sale and dropped the price of lifetime by $100...

Now you can get a recertified TiVo Roamio for $49.99 + $249.99 for lifetime!

Quite the deal!


----------



## HarperVision

MikeekiM said:


> Wow... TiVo changed the sale from a Summer Sale to a Super Savings Sale and dropped the price of lifetime by $100... Now you can get a recertified TiVo Roamio for $49.99 + $249.99 for lifetime! Quite the deal!


I guess they really want to get rid of them to release the new Bolt.


----------



## bluedevil

Hi all -- I've been lurking for a while, waiting for an interesting deal. I understand that we're still in speculation-land with respect to the Bolt, but do you think this is a good opportunity to jump on?


----------



## slowbiscuit

tarheelblue32 said:


> I know of no case where TiVo has refused a warranty claim over a user-upgraded hard drive.


aaronwt would beg to differ with you on that.


----------



## MikeekiM

bluedevil said:


> Hi all -- I've been lurking for a while, waiting for an interesting deal. I understand that we're still in speculation-land with respect to the Bolt, but do you think this is a good opportunity to jump on?


I would say yes...

A TiVo is a TiVo (for the most part)...and you'll always end up with an older TiVo at some point... Time has a way of making everything a generation behind at some point... I had my first TiVo back in 2002, and the UI hasn't changed a great deal...(it has improved, don't get me wrong...but I could still use my 2002 TiVo today if it wasn't tied to DirecTV and only supported SD programming)...

I just picked up my Roamio Pro for $299.99 + 300.00 lifetime... The same solution a year ago would have costed me $599.99 + $499.99 lifetime.

I am quite happy with my Roamio at a total price of 599.99 with no monthly recurring costs...

To each his own though... Some people wait when they smell something new is on the horizon... And for some things, I do the same... But it will take a long time for the Bolt to start having clearance pricing...so if you want the newest technology at fire-sale prices, be prepared to really wait it out...

Unless these prices are really market driven price reductions (and not just pricing to clear out the current inventory), and the overall cost of DVRs are coming down in general...(which I don't think is the case). But if it is the case, then the new Bolt may be introduced at lower costs... Who knows?

I vote that this is a good time to get into a lifetime TiVo... :up::up::up:


----------



## krkaufman

HarperVision said:


> I guess they really want to get rid of them to release the new Bolt.


I was thinking the same thing, but then wouldn't this latest sale then undercut the potential initial sales of any Bolt-branded products?


----------



## MikeekiM

I think they might be in a hard spot... Maybe the market is telling TiVo that their prices need to be lower in general... And if they come out with the Bolt at lower prices, then trying to get rid of old stock at even lower prices might be difficult...

I agree that the initial sales of the Bolt will be important...but if they feel that cost recovery on their current inventory is important, now is the time to do it...

Who knows...maybe the new features are so compelling that we will all buy Roamios, and then dump them immediately to upgrade to the Bolt!


----------



## krkaufman

bluedevil said:


> Hi all -- I've been lurking for a while, waiting for an interesting deal. I understand that we're still in speculation-land with respect to the Bolt, but do you think this is a good opportunity to jump on?


This is based on speculation, but unless you really want the TiVo Stream functionality built-in to your TiVo DVR, yes, this is probably as good a deal as you're going to see for a 4-tuner Roamio, whether OTA or basic model.

(I'm speculating that the Bolt devices will likely be these same models with Stream functionality built-in, and that any software-based Bolt enhancements will also be available to existing Roamio devices. To be clear, this is baseless speculation.)


----------



## krkaufman

MikeekiM said:


> Wow... TiVo changed the sale from a Summer Sale to a Super Savings Sale and dropped the price of lifetime by $100...
> 
> Now you can get a recertified TiVo Roamio for $49.99 + $249.99 for lifetime!


Direct link to the sale: https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/supersavings


----------



## tarheelblue32

krkaufman said:


> Direct link to the sale: https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/supersavings


Wow, TiVo is having a fire sale. I don't even need one and I'm tempted to buy.


----------



## aaronwt

krkaufman said:


> Direct link to the sale: https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/supersavings


  

WOW! $300 for a refurb Roamio with Lifetime service. I am very tempted to get one. I would definitely get the new $50 Roamio OTA for $300 with lifetime if I could convince my GF to dump her S3 boxes.


----------



## krkaufman

Hmmm... as an odd bonus, it seems the tax on my just-ordered refurb Roamio basic is a bit over $15 less than what I had to pay for the $300 OTA ordered back in May. (same TiVo account, same shipping address)

August 11, 2015
TiVo Package, Product Lifetime TiVo Series 5 (Tarvos) refurb w/ access
Item: $299.98
Shipping total: $0.00
*Tax: $3.12*
Order total: $303.10​
May 4, 2015
TiVo Package, Product Lifetime Roamio OTA TiVo Series 5 (Tarvos OTA)
Item: $299.99
Shipping total: $0.00
*Tax: $18.75*
Order total: $318.74​


----------



## thefisch

aaronwt said:


> WOW! $300 for a refurb Roamio with Lifetime service. I am very tempted to get one. I would definitely get the new $50 Roamio OTA for $300 with lifetime if I could convince my GF to dump her S3 boxes.


Yeah, that is a great price. Less than 2 year breakeven on lifetime versus monthly is a no brainer considering there will be some resale even if this gets replaced by something better.

EDIT: Meant to ask is there a reason why you'd get the OTA and not the basic in this situation for the same price. It would seem the basic can do the same things and has more resale value. Of course it is a refurb so that may be it.


----------



## thefisch

krkaufman said:


> Hmmm... as an odd bonus, it seems the tax on my just-ordered refurb Roamio basic is a bit over $15 less than what I had to pay for the $300 OTA ordered back in May. (same TiVo account, same shipping address)
> 
> August 11, 2015
> TiVo Package, Product Lifetime TiVo Series 5 (Tarvos) refurb w/ access
> Item: $299.98
> Shipping total: $0.00
> *Tax: $3.12*
> Order total: $303.10​
> May 4, 2015
> TiVo Package, Product Lifetime Roamio OTA TiVo Series 5 (Tarvos OTA)
> Item: $299.99
> Shipping total: $0.00
> *Tax: $18.75*
> Order total: $318.74​


I assume your tax rate is about 6%. I think it matters if lifetime service is not taxable in your state. On the May order was it a one price for the unit with lifetime? If so, then you were taxed on the whole as a product without breaking out the service portion. With this sale, you are paying $50 for the product and maybe getting the service tax free since it is itemized separately. Just a guess. Either way, you saved some dough.


----------



## MikeekiM

krkaufman said:


> Hmmm... as an odd bonus, it seems the tax on my just-ordered refurb Roamio basic is a bit over $15 less than what I had to pay for the $300 OTA ordered back in May. (same TiVo account, same shipping address)
> 
> August 11, 2015
> TiVo Package, Product Lifetime TiVo Series 5 (Tarvos) refurb w/ access
> Item: $299.98
> Shipping total: $0.00
> *Tax: $3.12*
> Order total: $303.10​
> May 4, 2015
> TiVo Package, Product Lifetime Roamio OTA TiVo Series 5 (Tarvos OTA)
> Item: $299.99
> Shipping total: $0.00
> *Tax: $18.75*
> Order total: $318.74​


Wow...how many TiVo boxes do you need krkaufman? You must have quite an impressive TiVo multimedia component rack!


----------



## thefisch

So does this mean the soon to come replacement product (Bolt?) will replace the OTA and base roamio, not the plus and the pro?


----------



## MikeekiM

thefisch said:


> So does this mean the soon to come replacement product (Bolt?) will replace the OTA and base roamio, not the plus and the pro?


At this point, I think anything said (or typed) here is going to be pure speculation...

I have a hard time believing that TiVo would keep two brand names in their product line simultaneously... But who knows? I guess that's possible... It certainly would make our Roamio Plus and Pro units retain resale value, since they would still be considered current models...


----------



## bluedevil

Thanks, everyone. Just got the Roamio base with lifetime. Now to find a good deal on a few minis.


----------



## MikeekiM

bluedevil said:


> Thanks, everyone. Just got the Roamio base with lifetime. Now to find a good deal on a few minis.


Amazon has it for $122 right now...

According to camelcamelcamel, this is the lowest price that it has been historically:

http://camelcamelcamel.com/TiVo-TCDA93000-Mini-Current-Version/product/B00TIBFEIA


----------



## skypros

This is a Steal of a deal

Roamio Basic with Lifetime for $300

This isn't going to last long!!


----------



## 2004raptor

Anyone know if there's a deal to be had for current month to month plans? Maybe some way to convert to lifetime??


----------



## MikeekiM

skypros said:


> This is a Steal of a deal
> 
> Roamio Basic with Lifetime for $300
> 
> This isn't going to last long!!


It's like getting lifetime at a discount AND getting the hardware for free...



I feel like getting it just because it's a good deal... Plus, I don't have an OTA DVR solution when I decide to cut the cord...


----------



## tjtv

I jumped in on the $300 refurb base roamio deal. I really wanted the 6 tuner with integrated stream, but the $300 price was just too good to pass up.


----------



## cherry ghost

I wonder if one of these on lifetime will be a qualifier for MSD? Probably not since it's not full price.


----------



## krkaufman

thefisch said:


> I assume your tax rate is about 6%. I think it matters if lifetime service is not taxable in your state. On the May order was it a one price for the unit with lifetime? If so, then you were taxed on the whole as a product without breaking out the service portion. With this sale, you are paying $50 for the product and maybe getting the service tax free since it is itemized separately. Just a guess. Either way, you saved some dough.


*Well done.* I'd say that's exactly the case, as the 6.25% tax rate on the current $50 refurb Roamio produces the $3.12 result.


----------



## OrangeTurtle

So, if I bought a refurb roamio 5 weeks ago, does that mean I lost out on $100 savings? TiVo won't do a price adjustment, will they?


----------



## tarheelblue32

OrangeTurtle said:


> So, if I bought a refurb roamio 5 weeks ago, does that mean I lost out on $100 savings? TiVo won't do a price adjustment, will they?


It never hurts to call in and ask, but I'm guessing the answer will be "no". However, you could probably get them to send you a free Slide Pro remote. That seems to be TiVo's standard consolation prize.


----------



## thefisch

I have been enjoying the roamio plus and mini I got. MOCA has been great - makes using the mini seamless. Three weeks in, we have been using about 28-33% of plus 1T capacity and the most recordings at the same time has been 3 shows (thankfully kids watch only 1-2 channels). So it looks like 6 tuners will _just _be enough to support that and three live streams. We've have just over 30 one passes - perhaps that will grow. Thanks to everyone for their advice on what to buy.

Been planning to get another mini for my bedroom to complete the setup in a week or two. However, this sale on the basic for $300 is so tempting to jump on instead. I could stick the basic in the kids room and take their mini for my bedroom. Here are my pros and cons of getting a basic over a mini for the kids to use. Feel free to comment.

Pros:
4 more tuners (may be overkill)
75 HD hours capacity added
separate recording list for the kids (no commingling of shows but that hasn't been annoying so far).
No single point of failure (if one tivo dies we can use the second one for whole house until other fixed)
higher resale value (even though basic could be replaced by new product, it would still have lifetime and be much more valuable for resale than a mini).
OTA capability (although I don't see my wife and kids giving up cable networks anytime soon).

Cons:
basic costs $175 more than mini
paying for another cable card (only way with cable to watch live or record on basic) - $3 month ~ $100 over 3 years
extra cost of moca adapter as no ethernet in kids room. - $50 (optional to stream between tivos or use stream built into plus)

Guess I need to decide if that is all worth $275-$325 more over 3 years.


----------



## krkaufman

MikeekiM said:


> Wow...how many TiVo boxes do you need krkaufman? You must have quite an impressive TiVo multimedia component rack!


Nah, nothing remarkable; and certainly not relative to some of the configs I've seen mentioned here, in threads and sigs.

FWIW, I'm "managing" TiVos for 3 households...
Mom's: Roamio basic for OTA, plus 1 Mini
Mine: Roamio OTA (no Minis yet)
Sister's: Roamio Pro (Comcast), plus 8 Minis

* No PLEX, pyTiVo, streambaby, etc., yet; though I am using KMTTG and VRD TVSuite for archiving content.​
Not sure what I'll do w/ this new Roamio basic, yet, but I was thinking I could use it to test hard drive migration (I want to upgrade the 3TB Pro to 6TB, ideally maintaining or recovering setup & recordings); I could use it at my sister's to grab a few OTA channels missing from the Comcast lineup; or let a friend use it, to test the ability to get a Roamio working in a home with only mobile phone access to the Internet.


----------



## thefisch

krkaufman said:


> *Well done.* I'd say that's exactly the case, as the 6.25% tax rate on the current $50 refurb Roamio produces the $3.12 result.


Hah. When my calculator said your rate was 6.24% I thought I must have miskeyed something so I rounded down. Should have thought more of the .25%.

When I added lifetime to my order for a roamio plus, the rep explained that there would be no tax on the $350 lifetime based on where I live like I was lucky or something. So I guess their system knows which states collect tax on services like lifetime. Also, I recalled that May deal for the OTA was just one price, not $x for equipment and $x for service.


----------



## krkaufman

thefisch said:


> *Pros:* higher resale value (even though basic could be replaced by new product, it would still have lifetime and be much more valuable for resale than a mini).


Well, that higher resale value would, of course, need to be factored against the higher purchase price, to determine which one would have cost more post-resale. If TiVo doesn't upgrade the Mini's beyond the v2 for the next couple of years, you may be able to get back a much greater percentage of the Mini purchase price than you will a Roamio basic -- especially if TiVo brings new DVRs to the table, effectively demoting the Roamio basic while maintaining the value of the Mini.



thefisch said:


> *Cons:* extra cost of moca adapter as no ethernet in kids room. - $50 (*optional *to stream between tivos or use stream built into plus)


Lacking Ethernet that MoCA adapter won't be optional, as the Roamio basic will still need access to the Internet for its guide data, and everything else provided by the TiVo mothership.


----------



## thefisch

krkaufman said:


> Well, that higher resale value would, of course, need to be factored against the higher purchase price, to determine which one would have cost more post-resale. If TiVo doesn't upgrade the Mini's beyond the v2 for the next couple of years, you may be able to get back a much greater percentage of the Mini purchase price than you will a Roamio basic -- especially if TiVo brings new DVRs to the table, effectively demoting the Roamio basic while maintaining the value of the Mini.


Good point on netting the higher resale with the cost.

Not sure how model changes effects older model resale (i.e. worth only 50% instead of 75%). I thought that folks shopping used (not refurb) on ebay in general looking for a lower price point than the current model. Like buying last years model for half the cost rather than drop $$$ for the latest product. Then again, when I was thinking of resale before I posted my pros/cons, I quickly searched sold listings on ebay and saw that someone just paid $400 for a used basic with lifetime today. Ouch.



krkaufman said:


> Lacking Ethernet that MoCA adapter won't be optional, as the Roamio basic will still need access to the Internet for its guide data, and everything else provided by the TiVo mothership.


I thought the roamio basic would be able to get that over wifi (sorry didn't mention I had wifi). If not, then it is not a wait and see.


----------



## JoeKustra

thefisch said:


> I have been enjoying the roamio plus and mini I got. MOCA has been great - makes using the mini seamless. Three weeks in, we have been using about 28-33% of plus 1T capacity and the most recordings at the same time has been 3 shows (thankfully kids watch only 1-2 channels). So it looks like 6 tuners will _just _be enough to support that and three live streams. We've have just over 30 one passes - perhaps that will grow. Thanks to everyone for their advice on what to buy.
> 
> Guess I need to decide if that is all worth $275-$325 more over 3 years.


This is summer drought. Will you still have the capacity when the fall network shows kick in? Think ahead. I fall into the two units camp. I used to have a spare car too.


----------



## naranja

I just ordered the Roamio refurb with lifetime. It will be replacing a Series 3 HD on Verizon Fios. Nearly all the recordings on my old tivo are not copy protected so I am using Tivo Desktop to transfer them to my computer. I see that I can transfer my season passes to the new box online using "Season Pass Manager". I'll be selling or gifting the old Tivo and wondering if I'll be able to use it's cable card in my new Tivo (and what the process would be). Thanks for any advice on how to make the migration easy.


----------



## krkaufman

thefisch said:


> *I thought the roamio basic would be able to get that over wifi *(sorry didn't mention I had wifi). If not, then it is not a wait and see.


Touché. I've been so focused on in-home streaming that I've never even contemplated using Wi-Fi on the TiVos.


----------



## tarheelblue32

naranja said:


> I just ordered the Roamio refurb with lifetime. It will be replacing a Series 3 HD on Verizon Fios. Nearly all the recordings on my old tivo are not copy protected so I am using Tivo Desktop to transfer them to my computer. I see that I can transfer my season passes to the new box online using "Season Pass Manager". I'll be selling or gifting the old Tivo and wondering if I'll be able to use it's cable card in my new Tivo (and what the process would be). Thanks for any advice on how to make the migration easy.


Assuming it is an M-card, you can just move it from the HD to the Roamio. If you need to pair it to the Roamio, I think FiOS uses an automated system for CableCard pairing.


----------



## mlcarson

I ordered the Basic Roamio refurbished on Sunday with lifetime for $400. I called Tivo though and they say they'll refund $100 since I haven't even received the unit yet. That was good of them assuming it happens. $300 + tax is a great deal for the base Roamio.


----------



## dmk1974

Yesterday, I called TiVo customer service and since I've been with them for 14 years, they offered me a new Roamio Plus with PLS for $500. I accepted and ordered a 3TB hard drive from Amazon to drop in once I get it.

Now though, with these "fire sales", am I going to regret this great deal on the Roamio Plus when they announce the Bolt?


----------



## thefisch

JoeKustra said:


> This is summer drought. Will you still have the capacity when the fall network shows kick in? Think ahead. I fall into the two units camp. I used to have a spare car too.


Unfortunately my crystal ball (aka to do list) only goes out two weeks. I do know that when football season starts will be probably watching live TV on all 3 TV's. But not while the prime time shows are on except maybe Thursday Night Football. I think 6 tuners is the minimum I feel safe with. I wouldn't worry with 8 tuners. 10 tuners just seems so extravagant that I feel guilty thinking about it.

If you meant recording capacity, I can always drop a 3TB in the roamio plus and triple it up for ~$125. Not worried about that.


----------



## thefisch

mlcarson said:


> I ordered the Basic Roamio refurbished on Sunday with lifetime for $400. I called Tivo though and they say they'll refund $100 since I haven't even received the unit yet. That was good of them assuming it happens. $300 + tax is a great deal for the base Roamio.


That's great news. What would happen if you had already received the unit?


----------



## jlin

thefisch said:


> That's great news. What would happen if you had already received the unit?


You'd still have 30 days to return the product to get full refund.

I just ordered my 3rd Roamio. Hopefully the Bolt announcement will happen before my 30 days is up.


----------



## OrangeTurtle

I guess I could have just called them instead of asking you all- so I did...

It seems I was 38 days out from when the Tivo arrived and today. So yeah, I was outside the 30 days. As you predicted, they offered up the slide remote- which they didn't have to do- so that's not the end of the world.

Still got a really good price at $400 when I bought it- the $300 price is unbelievable (they have to be coming out with a new device)!

The CSR told me there's is nothing official to announce with TIVO right now- but was aware of the rumors swirling around....


----------



## dishrich

Quick question - does the OTA-only Roamio have both *component* & composite video outputs on it? In what I could find on Tivo's website, it appears that it has the same, single combined A/V output jack like the cable/OTA Roamio does, but ONLY does composite output.


----------



## thefisch

For those with experience on past product launches, is there a particular month or event where TIVO annouces new hardware? Kind of like Apple does. From what I could tell from scanning their press releases, they announced:

roamio on 8/20/13
mini on 3/11/13
premiere 4 tuner on 8/16/12
premiere on 3/3/10
hd xl on 9/4/08
hd on 9/12/06

So it would seem 3.5 years in between new platforms (hd, premiere, roamio)with 2-2.5 years intervals on enhancements to hardware (hd xl, premiere 4 tuner).

Since we are at the 2 year point for the roamio, then we are looking at an 'enhancement' in the next 6 months, but not likely within the next 30 days?


----------



## tarheelblue32

dishrich said:


> Quick question - does the OTA-only Roamio have both *component* & composite video outputs on it? In what I could find on Tivo's website, it appears that it has the same, single combined A/V output jack like the cable/OTA Roamio does, but ONLY does composite output.


The Roamio OTA, just like the base Roamio, is either HDMI or composite output, there is no component output. The only ways to get component video out of it is if you have a Mini linked to it or if you have some kind of HDMI to component converter.


----------



## Imageek2

mlcarson said:


> I ordered the Basic Roamio refurbished on Sunday with lifetime for $400. I called Tivo though and they say they'll refund $100 since I haven't even received the unit yet. That was good of them assuming it happens. $300 + tax is a great deal for the base Roamio.


I better call them tomorrow, I ordered my refurbished on Thursday and it is supposed to be here tomorrow! I am going to be really bummed to have to pay an extra $100 because I didn't wait a couple of days.


----------



## dishrich

tarheelblue32 said:


> The Roamio OTA, just like the base Roamio, is either HDMI or composite output, there is no component output. The only ways to get component video out of it is if you have a Mini linked to it or if you have some kind of HDMI to component converter.


Thx much for the clarification :up:


----------



## b-ball-fanatic

tarheelblue32 said:


> I know of no case where TiVo has refused a warranty claim over a user-upgraded hard drive.


​


slowbiscuit said:


> aaronwt would beg to differ with you on that.


As would I.....


----------



## GregComeLately

Kracko said:


> ... For the base Roamio (not OTA), the loyalty discount is 199.99.





MikeekiM said:


> My understanding is that it is only for new devices, correct? Do re-certified Roamio units qualify?





Kracko said:


> I was told it does not apply to re-certified.


Can I get some additional confirming feedback for this string of posts? Specifically to the point about how the $199 loyalty discount for lifetime service *ONLY EVER* applies to a new Roamio? So there's never a $199 loyalty discount for lifetime for a refurb version of that particular Roamio model?


----------



## TiVoEvan74

Love to read and research product buys, and love deals, so the Tivo Summer sale was ideal to suck me in researching. Discovered the options; the new developments in Tivo over the last couple of years, and the upcoming Bolt. Had fun considering, weighing options, etc. (Sound familiar?! ). However, yesterday, when I finally decided to buy a Roamio, the sale had ended! Bummer!

Rummaged around the Tivo website for other deals, but found nothing. Kept getting the message "Sorry the sale is over". Figured it was the usual... too much time thinking over options leads to loss of the best options! "A day late and a dollar short!" Kicked myself for waiting that extra day.

Then, stumbled upon the ZatzNotFunny column about the NEW End of Summer sale. Wow! $100 savings over the already great deal I had planned on going for. 

$300 for a Roamio, with lifetime! Fantastic! As someone who spent $600+ in the past for a Tivo with lifetime, I'm thrilled!

"Paralysis by analysis" finally pays off!


----------



## Chuck_IV

So, on the lifetime sub, does that include any type of extra warranty, beyond the 90 days? I see that if you pay monthly, is also includes "Continual Care".

Also, how good/bad shape are these "tivo renewed" boxes in?


----------



## fcfc2

Chuck_IV said:


> So, on the lifetime sub, does that include any type of extra warranty, beyond the 90 days? I see that if you pay monthly, is also includes "Continual Care".
> 
> Also, how good/bad shape are these "tivo renewed" boxes in?


Hi,
No it does not, but you can purchase the 3 yr. extended warrantee for $40. You have up to 30 days from order date to make up your mind. On refurb units, you might want to consider it.


----------



## MikeekiM

GregComeLately said:


> Can I get some additional confirming feedback for this string of posts? Specifically to the point about how the $199 loyalty discount for lifetime service *ONLY EVER* applies to a new Roamio? So there's never a $199 loyalty discount for lifetime for a refurb version of that particular Roamio model?


Since it is my understanding that the loyalty program isn't even an official and published program, I think the terms and conditions are likely subject to change...

That said, I have heard pretty consistently that the loyalty discount was only applicable when purchased in conjunction with a new receiver, and not with a recertified receiver.

The other thing that I am not so clear about is whether there is any loyalty deal on the lifetime subscription on an existing receiver. As an example, I have a friend of mine who has been a customer of TiVo since the 90's. He has a Roamio that he bought over a year ago and has been on the monthly plan... As a customer well over 10 years, can he switch his currently Roamio over to lifetime at a discounted loyalty price. I assume it would be more than if he bought a new unit with the lifetime, but is there a loyalty pricing for the lifetime service alone?

Again, I know that all of this is under the YMMV model... I am just asking about people's experiences with the loyalty program...


----------



## 6speedlt1

fcfc2 said:


> Hi,
> On refurb units, you might want to consider it.


Here are the details of the extended warranty: http://www.tivo.com/legal/extended-warranty-service-agreement

The warranty will cover one replacement. After that the warranty is gone.


----------



## thefisch

MikeekiM said:


> Since it is my understanding that the loyalty program isn't even an official and published program, I think the terms and conditions are likely subject to change...
> 
> That said, I have heard pretty consistently that the loyalty discount was only applicable when purchased in conjunction with a new receiver, and not with a recertified receiver.
> 
> The other thing that I am not so clear about is whether there is any loyalty deal on the lifetime subscription on an existing receiver. As an example, I have a friend of mine who has been a customer of TiVo since the 90's. He has a Roamio that he bought over a year ago and has been on the monthly plan... As a customer well over 10 years, can he switch his currently Roamio over to lifetime at a discounted loyalty price. I assume it would be more than if he bought a new unit with the lifetime, but is there a loyalty pricing for the lifetime service alone?
> 
> Again, I know that all of this is under the YMMV model... I am just asking about people's experiences with the loyalty program...


I am a new customer so I don't know firsthand. But a few weeks ago I read all 80+ pages of this thread. I recall a post or two about loyalty deals where someone called and was offered a refurb with lifetime at a lower price. There were many posts about getting free slide remotes for taking the loyalty offer. But I think the offers from Tivo were for new. So your best bet is to call for the best deal.

There were also posts where folks called to cancel monthly and were offered $99 lifetime. This 'loyalty' discount seemed to be more related to the fact that they were paying monthly on that box for some time (longer than a 2 year commitment), rather than being a customer of TiVo for ~10 years.


----------



## thefisch

6speedlt1 said:


> Here are the details of the extended warranty: http://www.tivo.com/legal/extended-warranty-service-agreement
> 
> The warranty will cover one replacement. After that the warranty is gone.


Typical for extended warranties that they are no longer obligated when the warranty is used for replacement of the product. IIRC I saw on here where folks were able to buy another extended warranty on the replacement product. Not sure though.


----------



## chiguy50

fcfc2 said:


> Hi,
> No it does not, but you can purchase the 3 yr. extended warrantee for $40. You have up to 30 days from order date to make up your mind. On refurb units, you might want to consider it.


I couldn't pass up this fire sale even though I don't need any new equipment for myself. Yesterday morning I bought the Roamio refurb w/PLS for $300, which I will probably give to my step-daughter who just moved into a new house where she has the Comcast POS DVR, for which she pays about $20 p.m.

I opted for the 3-yr warranty just for the peace of mind and because the total price, including warranty and taxes, was still under $350. If I were keeping the unit for myself I'm not sure that I would have sprung for the extended warranty, but at these bargain prices for the total package it's easy enough to swallow the extra $40.



6speedlt1 said:


> Here are the details of the extended warranty: http://www.tivo.com/legal/extended-warranty-service-agreement
> 
> The warranty will cover one replacement. After that the warranty is gone.





thefisch said:


> Typical for extended warranties that they are no longer obligated when the warranty is used for replacement of the product. IIRC I saw on here where folks were able to buy another extended warranty on the replacement product. Not sure though.


Yes, one and done is typical for most replacement warranties of any kind, whether original or extended variety. And, yes, you can add an extended warranty to the TiVo-furnished replacement.


----------



## jimbop99

I've been eyeing up the Roamio for the last few months. My Directv contract expires in Nov. and was going to "cut the cord" then. Thanks to the fire sale, I ordered a refurb Roamio with lifetime service and first years cost will comparable to buying a new unit and having to pay the monthly guide fee.


----------



## dmk1974

Is the basic cable TV Roamio refurb ($300 version with the PLS included) any better than a Premiere 4?


----------



## lpwcomp

dmk1974 said:


> Is the basic cable TV Roamio refurb ($300 version with the PLS included) any better than a Premiere 4?


Yes. For one thing, you have the option to use it for OTA.


----------



## Dan203

dmk1974 said:


> Is the basic cable TV Roamio refurb ($300 version with the PLS included) any better than a Premiere 4?


It's also a lot faster when running the apps.

But it does not have built in MoCa, so if you're using that on the Premiere you'll need a separate adapter for the Roamio Basic to use it.


----------



## dmk1974

lpwcomp said:


> Yes. For one thing, you have the option to use it for OTA.


Thanks. That is a nice option, though I have no antenna. Looks like the Premiere 4 has Moca built in but the Roamio does not.


----------



## lpwcomp

dmk1974 said:


> Thanks. That is a nice option, though I have no antenna. Looks like the Premiere 4 has Moca built in but the Roamio does not.


Do you have (a) Mini(s) for which you need the MoCA?


----------



## MikeBear

OrangeTurtle said:


> I guess I could have just called them instead of asking you all- so I did...
> 
> It seems I was 38 days out from when the Tivo arrived and today. So yeah, I was outside the 30 days. As you predicted, they offered up the slide remote- which they didn't have to do- so that's not the end of the world.
> 
> Still got a really good price at $400 when I bought it- the $300 price is unbelievable (they have to be coming out with a new device)!
> 
> The CSR told me there's is nothing official to announce with TIVO right now- but was aware of the rumors swirling around....


I'm about exactly the same time period where you ordered yours. I just tried doing a Chat with the Tivo CSR, and she wouldn't budge on any price match. She said that was a different sale, and this is now a new one. She also didn't offer a slide remote, and hinting around got me nowhere...

Maybe I'll try calling on the phone a bit later, as I have to go to work.


----------



## aaronwt

6speedlt1 said:


> Here are the details of the extended warranty: http://www.tivo.com/legal/extended-warranty-service-agreement
> 
> The warranty will cover one replacement. After that the warranty is gone.


Just like BestBuy if they replace a device.


----------



## billbillw

After ~18 months of being Tivo-less (I've been on extended experiment with multiple HTPCs), I have decided to come back to Tivo. Took advantage of the current $300 refurb Roamio/lifetime sub deal. Picked up a couple $99 Tivo Minis from Amazon. Looking forward to less headaches.


----------



## gigaguy

If you have patience and/or time nothing beats Craigslist for Tivos.
Saw a lifetimed Roamio PRO listed for $400, but at meetup, he asked for $360 since he had no manual or box.

I got a never-opened lifetimed Premiere XL4 w/ext. warr for $225 2 years ago and a 2tuner Premiere w/slide for like $70, 2.5 years ago that Tivo lifetimed for $99 last year.

CL can be crappy, but not always..


----------



## dmk1974

lpwcomp said:


> Do you have (a) Mini(s) for which you need the MoCA?


Yes, I currently have 4 Minis in the house all on the coax/MoCA connection.


----------



## Dan203

dmk1974 said:


> Yes, I currently have 4 Minis in the house all on the coax/MoCA connection.


You can get a MoCa adapter with the deal for $60


----------



## dmk1974

Dan203 said:


> You can get a MoCa adapter with the deal for $60


I've seen these on Amazon. They look the same as the ones from the TiVo site:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008C1JC4O/ref=twister_B008ODMSO6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

If I didn't want to connect a TiVo but rather a computer with one as well, can that be done? If so, is it better than 802.11ac WiFi?


----------



## MikeekiM

My assumption is that a MoCA adapter is a MoCA adapter... There should be no difference between a TiVo branded MoCA adapter and any other brand...

Am I wrong?


----------



## LoveGardenia

Both are the same brand just cheaper on TiVo website. you should check out this:http://www.mocalliance.org/.


----------



## wkearney99

MikeBear said:


> I'm about exactly the same time period where you ordered yours. I just tried doing a Chat with the Tivo CSR, and she wouldn't budge on any price match. She said that was a different sale, and this is now a new one. She also didn't offer a slide remote, and hinting around got me nowhere...
> 
> Maybe I'll try calling on the phone a bit later, as I have to go to work.


Definitely call on the phone and speak to a person. When you're fishing for a deal it's much more effective to sweet talk a CSR over the phone instead of just text chat.


----------



## DEC2955

> Originally Posted by Nora View Post
> I just got an email "from" my Tivo. Says we need to talk, that it's too old for me. Anyway,
> 
> - Save $400 on Roamio Plus w/service for a $499.98 one-time payment
Click to expand...

Does anybody know if they still have any of the "Plus" units?

Side note: I feel that they should sell the "lifetime" service to current subscribers for the sales price of $249 I don't need another DVR.. but it just may be worth the purchase if the price holds till Friday and sell my two none "lifetime" devices on eBay to somebody that does not know better.

avid


----------



## thefisch

with 30 day free returns, I wouldn't wait if you're thinking about the basic.

When I called last month they said it was over for the plus and pro, not coming back under the sale as it was a limited quantity. Since those options are not ever listed as sold out in the super sale I would say they are totally excluded from it.


----------



## gespears

4tb Red Drives at Newegg for 145


----------



## Northerner26

hey everyone, i need your help please!
im trying to figure out what is the best deal for me?

i have two old tivo's with PLS that i can no longer use so i ended up getting a premier box from my cable company a few years ago and the monthly payments are adding up big time so im wondering about this Roamio refurb special i heard they have going on and is it cheaper to get one of those or is another way better since i have PLS accounts in the past as i remember sometimes they have deals for PLS account holders?

thanks for any help!
KG


----------



## gespears

LoveGardenia said:


> Both are the same brand just cheaper on TiVo website.


On the TiVo site they are 50 bucks, but charge 9.40 for shipping and then add tax. Amazon has them for about 59 bucks plus tax with no shipping so they are about the same price. I bought one through the "Amazon Marketplace," one of the "New" units for 50 bucks with free shipping and no tax.

TiVo's would be a good deal if they didn't charge so much for shipping.

Mine definitely was NOT new even though it said it was. But I did connect it and it's working flawlessly. Hopefully that will continue.

They have one on there right now for 39 bucks with 5 bucks shipping. Supposedly new but "out of box" whatever that means.


----------



## thefisch

That $9 shipping is steep. I added one moca adapter to my order for the basic to avoid that free.


----------



## krkaufman

Northerner26 said:


> ... i ended up getting a premier box from my cable company a few years ago and the monthly payments are adding up big time so im wondering about this Roamio refurb special i heard they have going on and is it cheaper to get one of those or is another way better since i have PLS accounts in the past as i remember sometimes they have deals for PLS account holders?


Unknowns...

*Loyalty?:* How long have you been a PLS owner? If close to or more than 10 years, you might be able to get a deal from TiVo. Ask around or search the 'Roamio Deals?' thread (this one!) for "loyalty" posts.

*On Demand?: *Does your provider-supplied Premiere unit give you access to the provider's On Demand library? If so, you could possibly lose that capability if you were to shift to a retail TiVo. This isn't a cost issue, so much as a value concern.

*Relative Muscle?:* What model Premiere do you have, 2-tuner or 4, and how much hard drive capacity does your Premiere have? The relative gains/losses in tuners and storage may be a value consideration.

*Mini compatibility?:* Is your provider-supplied Premiere compatible with the TiVo Mini?

*Other restrictions?:* Does your provider-supplied Premiere have any restrictions that limit its usefulness, relative to a retail base Roamio? (e.g. mobile streaming, Netflix and other streaming app access, ...)


----------



## jonw747

With everything in flux, give 'em a call, tell them your situation and see if they can give you a great deal to upgrade.


----------



## beachhead

So, 29 days ago, I took advantage of what seemed like a pretty good price on a refurb roamio basic. And then today read this thread, seeing they had lowered the price another hundred bucks. So, I called customer service and said that I either wanted a price match, or I wanted to return the unit, so I could take advantage of the better price.

I was told they made an annotation on my account, but they wouldn't give me the price match until day 31, so I have to call back. They said that was their policy, since if they gave me a refund of the $100, I could then turn around and send it back in, and get the full price refund? Seems pretty stupid to me, but he said not to worry, as they have awesome service. 

Should I be worried?


----------



## HarperVision

beachhead said:


> So, 29 days ago, I took advantage of what seemed like a pretty good price on a refurb roamio basic. And then today read this thread, seeing they had lowered the price another hundred bucks. So, I called customer service and said that I either wanted a price match, or I wanted to return the unit, so I could take advantage of the better price. I was told they made an annotation on my account, but they wouldn't give me the price match until day 31, so I have to call back. They said that was their policy, since if they gave me a refund of the $100, I could then turn around and send it back in, and get the full price refund? Seems pretty stupid to me, but he said not to worry, as they have awesome service. Should I be worried?


Yes


----------



## thefisch

beachhead said:


> So, 29 days ago, I took advantage of what seemed like a pretty good price on a refurb roamio basic. And then today read this thread, seeing they had lowered the price another hundred bucks. So, I called customer service and said that I either wanted a price match, or I wanted to return the unit, so I could take advantage of the better price.
> 
> I was told they made an annotation on my account, but they wouldn't give me the price match until day 31, so I have to call back. They said that was their policy, since if they gave me a refund of the $100, I could then turn around and send it back in, and get the full price refund? Seems pretty stupid to me, but he said not to worry, as they have awesome service.
> 
> Should I be worried?


Do you have a case number?

I have a similar situation where I ordered my plus with the annual commitment and then changed it to PLS while it was in route. But by then there were no more refurb plus in stock so they couldn't select the $350 summer sale PLS for me. So they charged me $350 to upgrade from $150 annual to retail $500 PLS and notated my account with instructions to credit me $150 on day 31. Thing is I have to call back then to get it. Since refurb pluses were OOS I was SOL. I have called twice since then with case number and reps have confirmed the notes in the system both times.

Let us know what you decide and, if so you decide to wait, what happens in two days. It may also take some time for the credit to post from what others have said.


----------



## Imageek2

beachhead said:


> So, 29 days ago, I took advantage of what seemed like a pretty good price on a refurb roamio basic. And then today read this thread, seeing they had lowered the price another hundred bucks. So, I called customer service and said that I either wanted a price match, or I wanted to return the unit, so I could take advantage of the better price.
> 
> I was told they made an annotation on my account, but they wouldn't give me the price match until day 31, so I have to call back. They said that was their policy, since if they gave me a refund of the $100, I could then turn around and send it back in, and get the full price refund? Seems pretty stupid to me, but he said not to worry, as they have awesome service.
> 
> Should I be worried?


I ordered my refurbed Roamio Basic about 4 days before the sale. I called and they told me the same thing, I had to wait till the 30 day return period was up. I did get a case # and had the CSR send me a confirmation email. I guess I'll see what happens!


----------



## MikeekiM

beachhead said:


> So, 29 days ago, I took advantage of what seemed like a pretty good price on a refurb roamio basic. And then today read this thread, seeing they had lowered the price another hundred bucks. So, I called customer service and said that I either wanted a price match, or I wanted to return the unit, so I could take advantage of the better price.
> 
> I was told they made an annotation on my account, but they wouldn't give me the price match until day 31, so I have to call back. They said that was their policy, since if they gave me a refund of the $100, I could then turn around and send it back in, and get the full price refund? Seems pretty stupid to me, but he said not to worry, as they have awesome service.
> 
> Should I be worried?


No...you shouldn't feel worried... Be sure you get a name and have them document in the case notes... I had a similar issue...

I was overcharged for my lifetime because I should have gotten an additional $50 off with my friends and family code...

They recognized it, but told me that they would not be able to credit me until my 30-day moneyback guarantee was over... Otherwise, I could ask for the credit from my original invoice and be ahead by $50. So they basically told me to call back 31+ days after my purchase date.

I told them that I didn't want to retell this whole situation, and she told me that she fully documented in my account notes... Sure enough, on day 31 when I called, she looked at the notes and said that she would apply the credit immediately...

It seems to be standard practice for them to wait until day 31+ to issue any price adjustments...


----------



## beachhead

Yes, I did get a case number (didn't think about a confirmation email..next time!), as well as the CS reps name/employee id numer, and the approving supervisors name, for future reference. 

Others in the same boat definitely make me feel better! I'll give it a shot, as worst case I still got a good deal at the time! Seems like a cheap way to find out what this company is really like, since I'm coming from a 15 year old "ultimate tv" box on directv. (cant use the tivo until I move in a couple months)

And I almost forgot...thanks to those who post the deals here in this thread...saving money is a wonderful thing!


----------



## MikeekiM

beachhead said:


> Yes, I did get a case number (didn't think about a confirmation email..next time!), as well as the CS reps name/employee id numer, and the approving supervisors name, for future reference.
> 
> Others in the same boat definitely make me feel better! I'll give it a shot, as worst case I still got a good deal at the time! Seems like a cheap way to find out what this company is really like, since I'm coming from a 15 year old "ultimate tv" box on directv. (cant use the tivo until I move in a couple months)
> 
> And I almost forgot...thanks to those who post the deals here in this thread...*saving money is a wonderful thing!*


Yes...but the downside is saving money, usually requires *spending* money!


----------



## beachhead

beachhead said:


> So, 29 days ago, I took advantage of what seemed like a pretty good price on a refurb roamio basic. And then today read this thread, seeing they had lowered the price another hundred bucks. So, I called customer service and said that I either wanted a price match, or I wanted to return the unit, so I could take advantage of the better price.
> 
> I was told they made an annotation on my account, but they wouldn't give me the price match until day 31, so I have to call back. They said that was their policy, since if they gave me a refund of the $100, I could then turn around and send it back in, and get the full price refund? Seems pretty stupid to me, but he said not to worry, as they have awesome service.
> 
> Should I be worried?


Just a follow up....called in a few minutes ago, and they credited me the $100 difference. If you bought during the original sale, I'd give them a call and ask for a price match, and not worry if you're outside of the 30 days period. Since they make you wait until after it's over anyway, seems like it's worth a shot to save $100.


----------



## thefisch

beachhead said:


> Just a follow up....called in a few minutes ago, and they credited me the $100 difference. If you bought during the original sale, I'd give them a call and ask for a price match, and not worry if you're outside of the 30 days period. Since they make you wait until after it's over anyway, seems like it's worth a shot to save $100.


Glad to hear there was no issue on them following through on day 31. I've got my calendar marked!


----------



## tarheelblue32

beachhead said:


> Just a follow up....called in a few minutes ago, and they credited me the $100 difference. If you bought during the original sale, I'd give them a call and ask for a price match, and not worry if you're outside of the 30 days period. Since they make you wait until after it's over anyway, seems like it's worth a shot to save $100.


Glad you got the money back. But if you don't call before the 30-day return window, I doubt they would refund the money after the return window is closed.


----------



## delgadobb

Since I may go OTA & cut the cord in the not-too-distant future, I called & ordered one of the renewed Roamio Base models with lifetime. Given my history with Tivo, I asked for a SlidePro remote "if I ordered today". (At that point, I was sounding ambivalent.) Thankfully, I got a rep who wanted the sale & he said if I ordered immediately he'd throw in a SlidePro remote. Done deal. 

The upside of this is that I now have two (2) new-in-box Roamios with lifetime that I'm likely to make available. DM me if interested. One is a Roamio Plus & the other is a Roamio Pro. They'll be about what they would've cost with spherular code & the actual unit, so for those who missed the oppportunity, here's your chance. Preference would be local or someone who can meet in person (I'm in Las Vegas & go to SLC/Utah regularly), but I'll do my best to make whatever work.


----------



## TazExprez

delgadobb said:


> Since I may go OTA & cut the cord in the not-too-distant future, I called & ordered one of the renewed Roamio Base models with lifetime. Given my history with Tivo, I asked for a SlidePro remote "if I ordered today". (At that point, I was sounding ambivalent.) Thankfully, I got a rep who wanted the sale & he said if I ordered immediately he'd throw in a SlidePro remote. Done deal.
> 
> The upside of this is that I now have two (2) new-in-box Roamios with lifetime that I'm likely to make available. DM me if interested. One is a Roamio Plus & the other is a Roamio Pro. They'll be about what they would've cost with spherular code & the actual unit, so for those who missed the oppportunity, here's your chance. Preference would be local or someone who can meet in person (I'm in Las Vegas & go to SLC/Utah regularly), but I'll do my best to make whatever work.


I called today and asked about the Slide Pro remote. I did not order anything, but I asked if it was available to new customers who never purchased a TiVo before and I was told I could get one "if I ordered today." I talked about ordering 2 refurbished Roamio Basic boxes and I asked if I could get 2 Slide Pro remotes, but the CSR told me that they could only give out 1 Slide Pro remote.


----------



## delgadobb

TazExprez said:


> I called today and asked about the Slide Pro remote. I did not order anything, but I asked if it was available to new customers who never purchased a TiVo before and I was told I could get one "if I ordered today." I talked about ordering 2 refurbished Roamio Basic boxes and I asked if I could get 2 Slide Pro remotes, but the CSR told me that they could only give out 1 Slide Pro remote.


I think that's as good a deal as you're going to get. I was surprised I got one, given the box AND lifetime were less than lifetime alone normally costs, even for repeat customers. Maybe my history with Tivo was a factor, I dunno - I just knew to take the deal while I could get it. It was the "you don't ask, you don't get" philosophy & it worked - wanted to post it here in case it helped others & it sounds like they offered you that.

Why not order *ONE* Roamio Basic box & get a free Slide Pro remote? Keep in mind there's no guarantee the next rep will offer you the same thing. Make hay while the sun is shining/A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush/etc. Take it while you can get it. You can always call back later & see if you can do the same thing again with another refurb Roamio box ... just keep your expectations reasonable.


----------



## TazExprez

delgadobb said:


> I think that's as good a deal as you're going to get. I was surprised I got one, given the box AND lifetime were less than lifetime alone normally costs, even for repeat customers. Maybe my history with Tivo was a factor, I dunno - I just knew to take the deal while I could get it. It was the "you don't ask, you don't get" philosophy & it worked - wanted to post it here in case it helped others & it sounds like they offered you that.
> 
> Why not order *ONE* Roamio Basic box & get a free Slide Pro remote? Keep in mind there's no guarantee the next rep will offer you the same thing. Make hay while the sun is shining/A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush/etc. Take it while you can get it. You can always call back later & see if you can do the same thing again with another refurb Roamio box ... just keep your expectations reasonable.


I might try this since it would effectively lower the price to $250.00 for each one. If I would have taken the CSR's offer, each Roamio would have been $275.00, which is a phenomenal offer. I didn't take the offer because I really want to see what the Bolt is going to be like. I might wait a little longer to make sure I am within the 30 day return period in case the Bolt comes out by late September and it's considerably improved over the Roamio Basic. I would only consider the Bolt series if there is a model that gives you the option to use OTA or cable, just like the Roamio Basic currently does.


----------



## aaronwt

delgadobb said:


> Since I may go OTA & cut the cord in the not-too-distant future, I called & ordered one of the renewed Roamio Base models with lifetime. Given my history with Tivo, I asked for a SlidePro remote "if I ordered today". (At that point, I was sounding ambivalent.) Thankfully, I got a rep who wanted the sale & he said if I ordered immediately he'd throw in a SlidePro remote. Done deal. ..............


 I wish I would have done that when I ordered my refurb this weekend. I could have used a fifth Slide Pro remote.

EDIT:  of course now I realize your post was made before I even placed my order. I completely missed it.


----------



## TazExprez

I ordered 2 refurbished Roamio Basic boxes today. I only got 1 Slide Pro remote because I couldn't get one with the first CSR I called, so I had to call again. When I called again, I was almost shot down a second time, but I told the person I would order 2 boxes and he "worked his magic" (his words, not mine) and got me a free Slide Pro remote. I didn't want to end up making too many calls and having to create multiple accounts and possibly use different addresses and phone numbers. I could have done it, since I have all of those, but it would have been a hassle. I think I got a good deal since I effectively paid $275.00 for each box.


----------



## Pnyklr

Tried 3 different CSRs on a new order of a Roamio and none of them would budge on a free slide. 

Perhaps they have caught on.


----------



## Pnyklr

Tried 3 different CSRs on a new order of a Roamio and none of them would budge on a free slide. 

Perhaps they have caught on.


----------



## Nora

Pnyklr said:


> Tried 3 different CSRs on a new order of a Roamio and none of them would budge on a free slide.
> 
> Perhaps they have caught on.


Because none of them would be on the Internet, now would they?


----------



## 2004raptor

My parents are interested in becoming Tivo users. SO, the refurb roamio basic seems like a good deal with lifetime. Since they have 2 other tv's they'll need, where is the best place to get minis? Doesn't matter if they are v1 or v2. I don't know all the differences but my v1 seems fine.

And, not that this is a big deal but is there any kind of referral for me?


----------



## krkaufman

2004raptor said:


> ... the refurb roamio basic seems like a good deal with lifetime.


Yup.



2004raptor said:


> Since they have 2 other tv's they'll need, where is the best place to get minis?


Amazon or BestBuy* for either version.

Amazon: v1, v2
BestBuy: v1, v2

* using Best Buy Price-match Policy to get Amazon pricing.​


2004raptor said:


> Doesn't matter if they are v1 or v2. I don't know all the differences but my v1 seems fine.


See this, this and this.


----------



## tgrad

DEC2955 said:


> Does anybody know if they still have any of the "Plus" units?
> 
> Side note: I feel that they should sell the "lifetime" service to current subscribers for the sales price of $249 I don't need another DVR.. but it just may be worth the purchase if the price holds till Friday and sell my two none "lifetime" devices on eBay to somebody that does not know better.
> 
> avid


I just ordered a Plus yesterday on this deal. Assuming they still have them.:up:


----------



## bobat

Pnyklr said:


> Tried 3 different CSRs on a new order of a Roamio and none of them would budge on a free slide.
> 
> Perhaps they have caught on.


Ordered a Plus yesterday and politely inquired about a free Slide Pro remote. She simply said, "Sure!" and added it to the order. Probably since I've been a customer since 2001?

Just got shipping confirmation for both.


----------



## dmk1974

bobat said:


> Ordered a Plus yesterday and politely inquired about a free Slide Pro remote. She simply said, "Sure!" and added it to the order. Probably since I've been a customer since 2001?
> 
> Just got shipping confirmation for both.


I ordered my Plus from them a week ago as well. Any chance if I call and inquire that they might send me a RF slide remote as well? Or only really work when ordering?

I did get the $500 Plus with PLS deal from them, so they probably don't think they need to sweeten the deal for me any more of course.


----------



## tarheelblue32

dmk1974 said:


> I ordered my Plus from them a week ago as well. Any chance if I call and inquire that they might send me a RF slide remote as well? Or only really work when ordering?
> 
> I did get the $500 Plus with PLS deal from them, so they probably don't think they need to sweeten the deal for me any more of course.


It seems like all the TiVo CSRs seem to have the ability to give out a free Slide Pro remote at their discretion, but they probably have some sort of quota limit to prevent them from handing them out to every person that calls in. If you call and are really nice you might get lucky. If you get shot down you can just keep calling back until you find a CSR that will give you one.


----------



## bobat

dmk1974 said:


> I ordered my Plus from them a week ago as well. Any chance if I call and inquire that they might send me a RF slide remote as well? Or only really work when ordering?
> 
> I did get the $500 Plus with PLS deal from them, so they probably don't think they need to sweeten the deal for me any more of course.


It wouldn't hurt to ask. But I'm guessing they have no real incentive to send you a freebie since they've already got your money. 

I got the Plus with PLS for $499.


----------



## HarperVision

Another Woot refurb special on TiVo OTA ($34.99) and Mini V1's ($69.99):

http://sellout.woot.com/plus/tivo-systems-for-your-viewing-pleasure-4

They're really aggressive lately with sales. Must be getting close to Bolt time!


----------



## Thunderclap

Dammit! And I just bought the Mini 2 for $150 when I got the Roamio. It's probably not worth the hassle of returning it (and paying shipping) to get this.


----------



## faulkton

New Tivo customer here. I ordered a refurb online a while ago before i read this thread and found out i should have asked for a slider. Well today i was getting ready to order a mini and a couple sliders on amazon and figured maybe if i ordered the mini from Tivo they'd throw in at least one slide.

Rep was awesome and tossed in both slide remotes free. Ended up getting a mini and 2 slide remotes with overnight shipping for $180.


----------



## thefisch

faulkton said:


> New Tivo customer here. I ordered a refurb online a while ago before i read this thread and found out i should have asked for a slider. Well today i was getting ready to order a mini and a couple sliders on amazon and figured maybe if i ordered the mini from Tivo they'd throw in at least one slide.
> 
> Rep was awesome and tossed in both slide remotes free. Ended up getting a mini and 2 slide remotes with overnight shipping for $180.


Wow. Makes me think I should call abut the basic I ordered a week ago. Did you ask for two - one for the previous purchase and one for the mini you were ordering? Maybe their limit is one per product, not just one per sale or customer.


----------



## tjtv

HarperVision said:


> Another Woot refurb special on TiVo OTA ($34.99) and Mini V1's ($69.99):
> 
> http://sellout.woot.com/plus/tivo-systems-for-your-viewing-pleasure-4
> 
> They're really aggressive lately with sales. Must be getting close to Bolt time!


Minis are already sold out. Very disappointing.


----------



## faulkton

thefisch said:


> Wow. Makes me think I should call abut the basic I ordered a week ago. Did you ask for two - one for the previous purchase and one for the mini you were ordering? Maybe their limit is one per product, not just one per sale or customer.


I was calling because somehow when I ordered th refurb I inadvertently selected monthly instead of lifetime. I called in a few days ago and asked if I should just refuse delivery or could they change it. They told me they could change it and not to refuse delivery, but so far it's still in the Tivo system as monthly. So I called to check on that.

I mentioned to the rep my friend who told me about the summer sale said he got a free slide remote and I was thinking I'd order mine and a mini on Amazon because the are a little cheaper. I asked him if I ordered the mini and 1 slider from tivo directly if he'd throw in a second and he offered both slides free if I ordered the mini right then.


----------



## thefisch

faulkton said:


> I was calling because somehow when I ordered th refurb I inadvertently selected monthly instead of lifetime. I called in a few days ago and asked if I should just refuse delivery or could they change it. They told me they could change it and not to refuse delivery, but so far it's still in the Tivo system as monthly. So I called to check on that.
> 
> I mentioned to the rep my friend who told me about the summer sale said he got a free slide remote and I was thinking I'd order mine and a mini on Amazon because the are a little cheaper. I asked him if I ordered the mini and 1 slider from tivo directly if he'd throw in a second and he offered both slides free if I ordered the mini right then.


Well I just tried calling and was told the reps have discretion to offer the remote depending on the situation when the order was placed. They said I could not get it after the fact as they cannot just ship out a free remote not associated with a purchase.


----------



## MikeekiM

That's funny... (not "ha, ha" funny, but "strange" funny)...

I had my slider remote shipped to me after the fact... Gave me a separate order number and everything...


----------



## thefisch

MikeekiM said:


> That's funny... (not "ha, ha" funny, but "strange" funny)...
> 
> I had my slider remote shipped to me after the fact... Gave me a separate order number and everything...


Maybe I should call again. How did you go about asking for it if you don't mind sharing?


----------



## MikeekiM

thefisch said:


> Maybe I should call again. How did you go about asking for it if you don't mind sharing?


Not sure you can use my reasoning... I told them that my friends and family discount was not yielding me much of a discount with the Summer Sale offers, and that I was wondering if they could offer me any good faith to make my friends and family discount more attractive...

The CSR told me that the only good faith "tool" they had was the ability to give me a Slide Pro remote... I acted dis-interested, but told her that it was at least something, and that I would be grateful if she were willing to send me one...

She did...

That's my story...


----------



## faulkton

Got my mini and two free slide pro's. I paid $30 for overnight shipping on the mini and figured they'd throw the free remotes in the same box, but they came in their own package which was overnighted free of charge. Nice touch. 

I'm new to Tivo but am impressed. Total cost $760 for a lifetime Roamio w/ 3year warranty, a mini, 2 slide pro's and a 6TB WD red... $35 of which was overnight shipping.


----------



## thefisch

MikeekiM said:


> Not sure you can use my reasoning... I told them that my friends and family discount was not yielding me much of a discount with the Summer Sale offers, and that I was wondering if they could offer me any good faith to make my friends and family discount more attractive...
> 
> The CSR told me that the only good faith "tool" they had was the ability to give me a Slide Pro remote... I acted dis-interested, but told her that it was at least something, and that I would be grateful if she were willing to send me one...
> 
> She did...
> 
> That's my story...


Not sure I could use that as I don't have a FF code. I didn't even think you could still get one - spherular and sellmoretivo sites are down. Did you have a code from before or do you have some kind of FF status with TiVo? For everyone else, I think the only way is to ask when you order.

I am tempted to return my roamio plus to get credit for $550 and order a replacement roamio for $300. Saving $250 is worth considering, but not sure when you consider the differences in tuners (2 more), storage (75 more HD hours), and stream (even if I don't use it much it's there). Plus I would have to buy another moca adapter for $50 to create my moca network which means I only pocket $200. Over time, I expect I will just forget about the money I could have saved.


----------



## MikeekiM

thefisch said:


> Not sure I could use that as I don't have a FF code. I didn't even think you could still get one - spherular and sellmoretivo sites are down. Did you have a code from before or do you have some kind of FF status with TiVo? For everyone else, I think the only way is to ask when you order.
> 
> I am tempted to return my roamio plus to get credit for $550 and order a replacement roamio for $300. Saving $250 is worth considering, but not sure when you consider the differences in tuners (2 more), storage (75 more HD hours), and stream (even if I don't use it much it's there). Plus I would have to buy another moca adapter for $50 to create my moca network which means I only pocket $200. Over time, I expect I will just forget about the money I could have saved.


I bought my TiVo right before they stopped issuing F&F codes... And I didn't buy them from a vendor...I actually got one as an F&F of a TiVo employee, so I didn't have to part with any $$$ for the code (whew!).

Honestly, I think you should just keep the receiver you have... As you said, the two extra tuners, the extra hard drive capacity, the built-in MoCA, the built in stream... There's a lot of extra features and benefits you have in your current receiver...

The only reason I would consider getting the basic Roamio is if you think you are OTA-bound at some time in the future... I certainly think that I may cut the cord sometime in the future which is having me consider getting an extra basic receiver... Hard to beat at $300.00 as the all-in price!


----------



## thefisch

MikeekiM said:


> I bought my TiVo right before they stopped issuing F&F codes... And I didn't buy them from a vendor...I actually got one as an F&F of a TiVo employee, so I didn't have to part with any $$$ for the code (whew!).
> 
> Honestly, I think you should just keep the receiver you have... As you said, the two extra tuners, the extra hard drive capacity, the built-in MoCA, the built in stream... There's a lot of extra features and benefits you have in your current receiver...
> 
> The only reason I would consider getting the basic Roamio is if you think you are OTA-bound at some time in the future... I certainly think that I may cut the cord sometime in the future which is having me consider getting an extra basic receiver... Hard to beat at $300.00 as the all-in price!


Yeah you can't beat $300 for that deal. I picked one up too instead of a mini for the kids - nice so far to have the recordings separated. Whew is right - good thing you didn't pay for that code. Perhaps that program will come back when they release the Bolt so the code may come in handy eventually.

Update to my situation. I called customer support again to share my remorse over the $200+ difference between my plus and the fire sale roamio. All I asked if they could make my deal better. This time the rep was sympathetic and offered to send out *two *slide remotes (one for each roamio I bought) to help with the price difference rather than deal with the return/rebuy hassle. So, as others have mentioned, it all depends on the rep you get. While I don't need two more (I am not trusting the kids with one of these), I will at least have some backup remotes - 6 remotes (3 slides and 3 regulars) for 3 devices. I mostly like the slide remote (I already got one when I asked for a pricematch on a mini to amazon) for the glow feature more than the keyboard.


----------



## abeagler

Are the F&F codes that were issued before still valid? I bought one months ago from Spherular and then hit some unexpected expenses that prevented me from actually using it. Hoping I can still use it.


----------



## elborak

abeagler said:


> Are the F&F codes that were issued before still valid? I bought one months ago from Spherular and then hit some unexpected expenses that prevented me from actually using it. Hoping I can still use it.


I don't believe so, but you can easily test it yourself by adding something to the cart on tivo.com and seeing if it accepts your code. No need to actually complete the order just to check the code.


----------



## andyw715

abeagler said:


> Are the F&F codes that were issued before still valid? I bought one months ago from Spherular and then hit some unexpected expenses that prevented me from actually using it. Hoping I can still use it.


Nope. I just tried with one I bought last summer. No go.


----------



## filovirus

When is the refurb roamio for $300 ending? At this point, won't they likely release the Bolt within the 30 day return window giving me the option to change based on features?


----------



## 241705

filovirus said:


> When is the refurb roamio for $300 ending? At this point, won't they likely release the Bolt within the 30 day return window giving me the option to change based on features?


I don't know the answers to your questions, but I do know that TiVo hooked me with this deal. My new Roamio arrives tomorrow (3TB HD ready to install ). Time to retire the TiVoHD that has served me well for many years.


----------



## Kracko

blackngold75 said:


> I don't know the answers to your questions, but I do know that TiVo hooked me with this deal. My new Roamio arrives tomorrow (3TB HD ready to install ). Time to retire the TiVoHD that has served me well for many years.


Mine arrived yesterday along with my woot provided Mini. Got the lifetime. I'm replacing 2 Tivos with this and hope to earn back my spend in a little less than 2 years. These have lasted me 4 & 8 so in the long run, I win.


----------



## HarperVision

filovirus said:


> When is the refurb roamio for $300 ending? At this point, won't they likely release the Bolt within the 30 day return window giving me the option to change based on features?


Many people have been told, including myself, that this deal ends on 9/21/2015.


----------



## thefisch

filovirus said:


> When is the refurb roamio for $300 ending? At this point, won't they likely release the Bolt within the 30 day return window giving me the option to change based on features?


Check out this thread here: http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10605546

Some have been told the super sale will end 9/21, but that doesn't necessarily correlate to when the Bolt may be released.


----------



## NickTheGreat

Hello Friends. Bit of a lurker, until today.

I was jazzed up to order my basic Roamio this morning, and become part of this great community. But my Super Savings link won't work for me. So it appears I missed the boat on these sales.

I was especially jazzed to save on the lifetime subscription. Did I truly miss the boat on this?


----------



## meoge

The link works for me. I still see the basic refurb for $49.99 and lifetime for $149.99


----------



## NickTheGreat

meoge said:


> The link works for me. I still see the basic refurb for $49.99 and lifetime for $149.99


Yeah the link shows up, but I cannot click thru on anything.

Using Chrome . . .and even IE  :down:


----------



## Torino

I am seeing lifetime for 249.99 not 149.99.


----------



## cartmanea

Page functions don't work for me either, but wasn't Lifetime $249 the whole time?


----------



## TazExprez

The page functions are not working for me either, but this occurred to me several weeks ago and the problem was fixed later in the day. Try again later, or call in to order. If you call in, you might be able to get them to give you a Slide Pro remote for free. I ordered two refurbished Roamio Basic boxes and asked for a free Slide Pro remote and got one. Some agents give it to you and some don't, so you might have to call several times.


----------



## cartmanea

Just called and placed the order by phone. Short wait time right now. Friendly sales rep, answered my questions well, and tossed in a Slide Pro remote when I asked for it!  I went with the Refurb Roamio, and am looking forward to upgrading from my older HD.


----------



## krkaufman

NickTheGreat said:


> Yeah the link shows up, but I cannot click thru on anything.
> 
> Using Chrome . . .and even IE


Same here. But the TiVo survey pop-up seems especially aggressive; I wonder if that's related.


----------



## NickTheGreat

OK. I'll wait and maybe call . . . if I have to


----------



## meoge

Torino said:


> I am seeing lifetime for 249.99 not 149.99.


Yea, I meant 249.99


----------



## TazExprez

NickTheGreat said:


> OK. I'll wait and maybe call . . . if I have to


Call and get a free Slide Pro remote for your trouble.


----------



## NickTheGreat

Well the online deal worked for me this morning. Ended up getting a refurb, so I saved more money yet!

Excited to put this thing through its paces.

Off to look into buying Mini's and maybe a Stream.


----------



## Kracko

blackngold75 said:


> I don't know the answers to your questions, but I do know that TiVo hooked me with this deal. My new Roamio arrives tomorrow (3TB HD ready to install ). Time to retire the TiVoHD that has served me well for many years.





NickTheGreat said:


> Well the online deal worked for me this morning. Ended up getting a refurb, so I saved more money yet!
> 
> Excited to put this thing through its paces.
> 
> Off to look into buying Mini's and maybe a Stream.


Isn't the Stream built in?


----------



## krkaufman

Kracko said:


> Isn't the Stream built in?


Not in the refurb *base* Roamio that he just purchased. (Nor the Roamio OTA.)


----------



## NickTheGreat

krkaufman said:


> Not in the refurb *base* Roamio that he just purchased. (Nor the Roamio OTA.)


This. I didn't need 6 tuners and a refurb base Roamio plus Stream is still cheaper. And the half price lifetime subscription wasn't available on the Plus or Pro.


----------



## dtremit

So for a 10+ year customer, the best deal on a Plus with lifetime is still the $399+$99 loyalty offer, right? 

Has anyone successfully gotten the free remote with that, or is it just for the summer sale offer?


----------



## nycityuser

Has anyone tried or received the 10 year loyalty deal twice?


----------



## HarperVision

nycityuser said:


> Has anyone tried or received the 10 year loyalty deal twice?


I asked for it on another call, a month or so after getting one and the CSR told me you only get one per customer.


----------



## jonw747

HarperVision said:


> I asked for it on another call, a month or so after getting one and the CSR told me you only get one per customer.


I tried to ask for it on the $50 OTA, but the customer service rep said that unit was already so steeply discounted. I haven't tried with the Roamio refurb, but my thinking has been along the lines that a $150 Roamio with lifetime might be more useful than a $120 Mini.

I haven't completely convinced myself of this, but it got a little more enticing when I found out I could add a used cablecard to a standard Roamio and record non-protected channels.

I'm a bit torn between the convenience of having all my recordings in one place on my Plus .vs. having the option to add some extra redundancy/capacity. If my Plus started to get cranky, I could start copying shows over to the Roamio and temporarily move season passes over until the Plus gets replaced.

People don't typically think a whole lot about what they can do when the unit fails or starts to fail. With other products, there's often little choice but to live with a flaky unit, try to fix it yourself, or give up all your shows; but at least with the TiVo we have some options.


----------



## abeagler

Finally bit the bullet on the refurb with lifetime. Would have preferred a Plus, but not at the price premium I'd have to pay for it with lifetime (been shot down for the loyalty deals). This will tide me over as long as I can get a Mini working with it over ethernet.


----------



## viperdiablo

So has any current TiVo roamio basic customers been able to get a lifetime service agreement for $250? I have had my basic for a few months and iam on month to month service. Was thinking to jump on the current promo. I don't need another roamio basic so was hoping to just get the lifetime added to mine and maybe save the 49$ refurb price.


----------



## fcfc2

viperdiablo said:


> So has any current TiVo roamio basic customers been able to get a lifetime service agreement for $250? I have had my basic for a few months and iam on month to month service. Was thinking to jump on the current promo. I don't need another roamio basic so was hoping to just get the lifetime added to mine and maybe save the 49$ refurb price.


Hi,
Assuming you can terminate the month to month, why not just grab the $299 Base Roamio and sell your old one....bet you will come pretty close to the price for the lifetime service, maybe even a bit more.


----------



## gespears

*Today only!!!* Newegg has the WD Red 6 TB for 239.99 using Promo Code: ESCAXAN23


----------



## HarperVision

fcfc2 said:


> Hi, Assuming you can terminate the month to month, why not just grab the $299 Base Roamio and sell your old one....bet you will come pretty close to the price for the lifetime service, maybe even a bit more.


He won't get $249 for a used base Roamio without lifetime when you can buy a new one for like $150-175!


----------



## Dan203

HarperVision said:


> He won't get $249 for a used base Roamio without lifetime when you can buy a new one for like $150-175!


Or a refrub, with warranty, for $50.

I think you'd be lucky to get anything for a used Roamio Basic since it wouldn't qualify for the $250 lifetime. Even a free Roamio Basic would be more expensive once you added service then it would be through this deal.


----------



## thefisch

viperdiablo said:


> So has any current TiVo roamio basic customers been able to get a lifetime service agreement for $250? I have had my basic for a few months and iam on month to month service. Was thinking to jump on the current promo. I don't need another roamio basic so was hoping to just get the lifetime added to mine and maybe save the 49$ refurb price.


Here is a used basic that sold for $70 today on ebay. So you can recover the cost. Buy another for $300 and keep both until you transfer over your shows, 1P, etc.

Even if you don't sell it, lifetime for $300 essentially just adds just over 3 months to your breakeven compared to $250.


----------



## viperdiablo

Thanks for info guys. Probably just buy a refurb and lifetime then. I thought maybe someone here called into tivo and may have been able to add lifetime for 250$


----------



## tarheelblue32

viperdiablo said:


> Thanks for info guys. Probably just buy a refurb and lifetime then. I thought maybe someone here called into tivo and may have been able to add lifetime for 250$


I highly doubt that would be an option. The $250 lifetime is a special price to try to clear out all the old stock of Roamios before the Bolt launches. Giving a $250 lifetime for existing boxes already sold won't help them clear out current inventory.


----------



## HarperVision

tarheelblue32 said:


> I highly doubt that would be an option. The $250 lifetime is a special price to try to clear out all the old stock of Roamios before the Bolt launches. Giving a $250 lifetime for existing boxes already sold won't help them clear out current inventory.


But could give them some immediate cash flow to help the release.


----------



## Dan203

Would be nice if they permanently lowered lifetime to $250 for all boxes.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Dan203 said:


> Would be nice if they permanently lowered lifetime to $250 for all boxes.


It would be nice if they permanently lowered lifetime to $0 for all boxes, but I don't think that will be happening either.


----------



## DocNo

tarheelblue32 said:


> The $250 lifetime is a special price to try to clear out all the old stock of Roamios before the Bolt launches.


Cool - my Roamio just died - I was hoping new hardware would be coming out soon. Now I know what to search the forums for - thanks!

EDIT: Well that was enlightening. I see a refurb Roamio in my future!


----------



## lessd

tarheelblue32 said:


> It would be nice if they permanently lowered lifetime to $0 for all boxes, but I don't think that will be happening either.


They did for the Mini!!


----------



## tarheelblue32

lessd said:


> They did for the Mini!!


Touché.


----------



## krkaufman

fcfc2 said:


> Assuming you can terminate the month to month, why not just grab the $299 Base Roamio and sell your old one....bet you will come pretty close to the price for the lifetime service, maybe even a bit more.





HarperVision said:


> He won't get $249 for a used base Roamio without lifetime when you can buy a new one for like $150-175!


I'm interpreting fc's post as:

Spend $300 for refurb Lifetime Roamio
Receive $50 for current used Roamio via eBay*
Sums to the $250 current Lifetime service sale price that the poster was seeking to purchase
* Assumes ~$60 winning bid, buyer paying shipping, based on 15% eBay/Paypal overhead


----------



## HarperVision

krkaufman said:


> I'm interpreting fc's post as: [*]Spend $300 for refurb Lifetime Roamio [*]Receive $50 for current used Roamio via eBay* [*]Sums to the $250 current Lifetime service sale price that the poster was seeking to purchase * Assumes ~$60 winning bid, buyer paying shipping, based on 15% eBay/Paypal overhead


Maybe, but he could've worded it better with maybe saying "....Lifetime alone". Maybe he will pop in and clear it up?


----------



## keenanSR

Woot currently has the Basic for $69.99 and $34.99(refurbished).

http://www.woot.com/plus/tivo-syste...il&utm_term=0_c5ca76da11-870f426a19-283085586


----------



## HarperVision

keenanSR said:


> Woot currently has the Basic for $69.99 and $34.99(refurbished). http://www.woot.com/plus/tivo-systems-master-your-time?utm_source=Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=870f426a19-Daily+Digest+-+20150903+-+Woot&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c5ca76da11-870f426a19-283085586


Here comes the Bolt!


----------



## markmarz

DocNo said:


> .. my Roamio just died ..


Don't want to derail thread, but I just bought my first Roamio (basic, refurbished) and don't like hearing one died. They haven't been on the market all that long, right? I mean I've had TiVos for > 10 years and none of them has ever died, except one due to lightning.

Any idea what exactly died?


----------



## wkearney99

markmarz said:


> Don't want to derail thread, but I just bought my first Roamio (basic, refurbished) and don't like hearing one died.


There's not much in them to die. There's always the chance of a bad unit, but most will last quite a while if you don't put them where they'll overheat or have their drives get bumped around. As in, not stuffed inside a closed cabinet or in a stack with a game console where kids are constantly banging stuff around (like using stuff like Skylanders or Disney Infinity character hubs).


----------



## telemark

keenanSR said:


> Woot currently has the Basic for $69.99 and $34.99(refurbished).


Does anyone find it curious, that it's mainly the Basic/OTA on sale? 
Where's the Pro/Plus?


----------



## cherry ghost

telemark said:


> Does anyone find it curious, that it's mainly the Basic/OTA on sale?
> Where's the Pro/Plus?


That's what I'd like to know. I'm waiting for a deal on a refurb Plus.


----------



## jonw747

wkearney99 said:


> There's not much in them to die. There's always the chance of a bad unit, but most will last quite a while if you don't put them where they'll overheat or have their drives get bumped around. As in, not stuffed inside a closed cabinet or in a stack with a game console where kids are constantly banging stuff around (like using stuff like Skylanders or Disney Infinity character hubs).


Wall-warts (and any cheaply/poorly made power supplies) have a fairly high failure rate, so do cheap fans. Jumping around to the lowest cost PCB manufacturer or assembly house can result in failures. Skimping on testing and burn-in can too. Skimping on electrical isolation and protection circuits can contribute to an early demise.

The base Roamio and OTA were designed to cut cost in the Plus/Pro, and that can potentially come in to play depending what was compromised in the process.

And finally when we buy a refurb model, we're taking a risk that the product was returned with a problem that was never identified or fixed.

But unless TiVo wants to share some information, we can only understand the reliability of these products anecdotally.

That being said, it looks like all the TiVo products are 4.5 stars on Amazon, which is a sign there is not a significant quality issue with the retail models. That's actually an amazingly high score for a non-trivial product.


----------



## wkearney99

Just got a refurbed lifetime roamio (not the plus) for my mother-in-law (12 years as a Tivo customer). $320 total. Which is good because we renew her sub each year (around xmas) for $129. Two years of subscriptions for a new box.

I should add, the phone rep was great. Took about 20 minutes, but most of that was waiting on hold.


----------



## tarheelblue32

telemark said:


> Does anyone find it curious, that it's mainly the Basic/OTA on sale?
> Where's the Pro/Plus?


This is purely speculation, but the basic/OTA Roamios are probably being cleared out to make room for the upcoming Bolt line. Either TiVo doesn't have a huge excess supply of the Plus/Pro in stock, or they are just planning on repurposing any unsold Plus/Pro for use by their cable partners rather than throwing a fire sale on them.


----------



## KillerBeagle

I need another RF remote for my Roamio OTA (assuming it can handle more than one at a time; I broadcast the composite output to several rooms with an RF modulator, so it would be nice to have extra remotes). Would it make sense to buy a refurb OTA from the woot deal, thereby getting another remote, a spare hard drive, spare wall wart, etc?

The fine print says something about a one year agreement; are you really required to subscribe for a year if you buy one from a third party?


----------



## HarperVision

KillerBeagle said:


> I need another RF remote for my Roamio OTA (assuming it can handle more than one at a time; I broadcast the composite output to several rooms with an RF modulator, so it would be nice to have extra remotes). Would it make sense to buy a refurb OTA from the woot deal, thereby getting another remote, a spare hard drive, spare wall wart, etc? The fine print says something about a one year agreement; are you really required to subscribe for a year if you buy one from a third party?


I bought mine for $10 at Best Buy (with some reward points), solely for the extra remote and other parts. I didn't have to subscribe and will probably cancel within my 30 day money back window.


----------



## HarperVision

keenanSR said:


> Woot currently has the Basic for $69.99 and $34.99(refurbished). http://www.woot.com/plus/tivo-systems-master-your-time?utm_source=Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=870f426a19-Daily+Digest+-+20150903+-+Woot&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c5ca76da11-870f426a19-283085586


Now that I think about it, this isn't such a hot deal at all. You can get the refurb Roamio base model direct from TiVo on the super sale for $49 and can select any service plan you want. You don't have to do the $249 lifetime, so this deal at Woot is $20 more for no added benefit!


----------



## tarheelblue32

KillerBeagle said:


> The fine print says something about a one year agreement; are you really required to subscribe for a year if you buy one from a third party?


If you are buying it from a 3rd party retailer, you can just choose to never activate service on it.


----------



## thefisch

KillerBeagle said:


> The fine print says something about a one year agreement; are you really required to subscribe for a year if you buy one from a third party?


Only if you are going to put it in service. If you're buying for parts and don't hook it up, you should be fine.



keenanSR said:


> Woot currently has the Basic for $69.99 and $34.99(refurbished).
> 
> http://www.woot.com/plus/tivo-syste...il&utm_term=0_c5ca76da11-870f426a19-283085586


New basic for $70 is already sold out.


----------



## HarperVision

HarperVision said:


> Now that I think about it, this isn't such a hot deal at all. You can get the refurb Roamio base model direct from TiVo on the super sale for $49 and can select any service plan you want. You don't have to do the $249 lifetime, so this deal at Woot is $20 more for no added benefit!





thefisch said:


> ........ New basic for $70 is already sold out.


PT Barnum would be proud........SUCKAAAAAHHHHHSSSS!!!!


----------



## HarperVision

Here's a question I just thought of. If I buy the $49 refurb Roamio from TiVo and select the monthly plan at checkout, can I change it to the $249 lifetime plan during the 30 day money back trial period?


----------



## snerd

HarperVision said:


> Here's a question I just thought of. If I buy the $49 refurb Roamio from TiVo and select the monthly plan at checkout, can I change it to the $249 lifetime plan during the 30 day money back trial period?


Maybe. It might depend on the mood of the CSR you talk to when you call back to make the change.

Why risk it? Do you see a potential benefit to signing up for monthly service?


----------



## HarperVision

snerd said:


> Maybe. It might depend on the mood of the CSR you talk to when you call back to make the change. Why risk it? Do you see a potential benefit to signing up for monthly service?


I don't think I'm planning on getting one. It's just a question I thought of when I made the post above that questioning the woot deal. I figured I would ask in case someone else comes on here looking for deals, so they don't also get taken by that so called Woot "deal".


----------



## aaronwt

HarperVision said:


> I don't think I'm planning on getting one. It's just a question I thought of when I made the post above that questioning the woot deal. I figured I would ask in case someone else comes on here looking for deals, so they don't also get taken by that so called Woot "deal".


The Woot price is a good deal on the hardware isn't it? It just doesn't give you any deal on the service.

Edit: I guess not. I thought the spot deal had a refurb basic for $35. But I see it was for $70.

I see eBay still had roamio basic with lifetime auctions go for $350 and higher.


----------



## thefisch

HarperVision said:


> Here's a question I just thought of. If I buy the $49 refurb Roamio from TiVo and select the monthly plan at checkout, can I change it to the $249 lifetime plan during the 30 day money back trial period?


Short version: Yes, if the super sale is still going on when you call and the refurb roamio is still in stock. If refurb roamio is OOS for super sale when you call, then the answer is maybe with some work. If super sale is completely over, it may still be possible.

Long version: I bought a refurb plus during the summer sale and selected the annual plan for $150. I called within the first week to upgrade to lifetime for $350. At first I was told no I couldn't since the plus refurb plus was OOS at that point for the summer sale. The rep explained they could not sell me PLS at that price since they could not select it in the sales system with the product I purchased. After I protested, rep spoke to a supervisor who came up with this proposal: I buy PLS for the current price of $500 (pay $350 in addition to the $150 I already paid for annual service) and then after the trial period they credit me $150. I went along with it and called twice before the 30 days was up to verify that I would get the credit. On the 31st day I called and got the $150 refund on my card within a week of that call.

Bottom line is you have no risk. If they won't do it for you, then just return it. They will likely work with you to avoid the return.


----------



## DocNo

markmarz said:


> Any idea what exactly died?


Motherboard after the power cord popped out. They wanted $150 to replace it.

I didn't have lifetime on it so called in to take advantage of the refurb+lifetime deal and found a much better deal instead  

And I'll be stealing a strain relief cord securer thingy off another piece of gear and putting it on the back side of my new Tivo to keep the damn power cord attached this time! I may still try the bake the motherboard trick the Xbox red ring of death owners pioneered - can't loose anything on the dead box anyway.

EDIT: The strain relief thingy I was referring to are called cable clamps. Not sure why Tivo doesn't include one to keep the cords from popping out like mine did


----------



## DocNo

cherry ghost said:


> That's what I'd like to know. I'm waiting for a deal on a refurb Plus.


If you've been with Tivo for a long time (10 years seemed to be the magic number - I'm almost at 15  ) then you can get a new Plus and Lifetime for $500.

Just did it - it arrives Thursday


----------



## humbb

DocNo said:


> They wanted $150 to replace it.
> 
> I didn't have lifetime on it ...


If you didn't have lifetime and were paying monthly/annually for service, wouldn't it be covered under the "Continual Care warranty" plan? Or was the $150 the deductible/payment under that plan?


----------



## DocNo

humbb said:


> If you didn't have lifetime and were paying monthly/annually for service, wouldn't it be covered under the "Continual Care warranty" plan? Or was the $150 the deductible/payment under that plan?


Apparently when I bought the annual plan they didn't offer that. Still better off getting back into Lifetime. The two times I haven't started off with Lifetime I ended up paying more in the long run so you would think I would learn


----------



## alyssa

Nothing to see here,


----------



## humbb

DocNo said:


> Apparently when I bought the annual plan they didn't offer that. Still better off getting back into Lifetime.


Oh yeah, I'm a big fan of Lifetime!
I would still call them and ask if your Basic is covered under Continual Care under the assumption that all existing non-lifetime service was converted to Continual Care when that program was introduced. Couldn't hurt, and you may wind up with a "new refurbished" Basic.


----------



## skypros

I had a very similar experience as thefisch
In June I became a customer with a Roamio Basic purchased from Amazon and activated with annual service. Almost immediately the hard drive was 75% full.... I knew I was gonna need a bigger hard drive.
Just by chance Tivo had their hot summer sale that had a Roamio Plus for $200. So I called in and ordered one and kept my annual service.... When my Plus arrived.... I thought at $350 for Product Lifetime Service (PLS), this is a better deal.... So I called in to change my service, It was a cluster of a mess. I was on the phone for well over an hour trying to get PLS @ $350. The problem was the Plus and Pro sold out almost immediately and the "$350 PLS" was no longer in the system... So they Put me on PLS for $400 and said they would refund me $50 in 30 days when my "return period" was over. They actually fixed it the next day somehow and charged me $350 for PLS instead of the $400
Was that Confusing  It was for me too  



thefisch said:


> version: I bought a refurb plus during the summer sale and selected the annual plan for $150. I called within the first week to upgrade to lifetime for $350. At first I was told no I couldn't since the plus refurb plus was OOS at that point for the summer sale. The rep explained they could not sell me PLS at that price since they could not select it in the sales system with the product I purchased. After I protested, rep spoke to a supervisor who came up with this proposal: I buy PLS for the current price of $500 (pay $350 in addition to the $150 I already paid for annual service) and then after the trial period they credit me $150. I went along with it and called twice before the 30 days was up to verify that I would get the credit. On the 31st day I called and got the $150 refund on my card within a week of that call.
> 
> Bottom line is you have no risk. If they won't do it for you, then just return it. They will likely work with you to avoid the return.


----------



## thefisch

skypros said:


> So they Put me on PLS for $400 and said they would refund me $50 in 30 days when my "return period" was over. They actually fixed it the next day somehow and charged me $350 for PLS instead of the $400


Did you get any credit for the annual service of $150 you had already paid for? I couldn't tell from what you wrote. They credited me the $150 annual service too so I only paid $350 for service when all is said and done.


----------



## xberk

I'm thinking of ordering a Roamio basic. Can I switch my existing 2tb hard drive from a Premiere into the Roamio?


----------



## tarheelblue32

xberk said:


> I'm thinking of ordering a Roamio basic. Can I switch my existing 2tb hard drive from a Premiere into the Roamio?


Yes, but you'll lose any recordings that you currently have on it.


----------



## skypros

Yes, they gave me the $150 back :up:



thefisch said:


> Did you get any credit for the annual service of $150 you had already paid for? I couldn't tell from what you wrote. They credited me the $150 annual service too so I only paid $350 for service when all is said and done.


----------



## thefisch

That's good. Reading your post again reminded me how quickly the plus and pro refurbs sold out during the summer sale. Not sure exactly when they went OOS though. Funny thing was I ordered mine in late July. They had a package deal under the mult-room solution tab (same look as the tab under the super sale) that was a roamio plus refurb, annual service and a mini. I thought maybe they had restocked the refurb plus but didn't check the main sales tab. The 'add to cart' button worked but I could not edit the cart to change the annual service IIRC which seemed odd. That was fine as I hadn't done my research yet on PLS to be sure. At any rate, the order was placed and shipped and I had to haggle on the phone to get PLS. Strange that they were OOS on refurb plus much earlier but still selling it as a package deal on another tab.


----------



## xberk

tarheelblue32 said:


> Yes, but you'll lose any recordings that you currently have on it.


If I keep my old Premiere in tack, can I use it as playback only without a cable card by placing it on the network and accessing it from the new Roamio?


----------



## HarperVision

xberk said:


> If I keep my old Premiere in tack, can I use it as playback only without a cable card by placing it on the network and accessing it from the new Roamio?


Yes, as long as the TiVo service is still active.


----------



## xberk

HarperVision said:


> Yes, as long as the TiVo service is still active.


Thanks Dave. Seems like the best solution for saving my old movies etc. I suppose I can gradually transfer them to the new Roamio.


----------



## Kracko

DocNo said:


> If you've been with Tivo for a long time (10 years seemed to be the magic number - I'm almost at 15  ) then you can get a new Plus and Lifetime for $500.
> 
> Just did it - it arrives Thursday


Got mine last weekend and loving it.


----------



## aaronwt

DocNo said:


> Motherboard after the power cord popped out. They wanted $150 to replace it.
> 
> I didn't have lifetime on it so called in to take advantage of the refurb+lifetime deal and found a much better deal instead
> 
> And I'll be stealing a strain relief cord securer thingy off another piece of gear and putting it on the back side of my new Tivo to keep the damn power cord attached this time! I may still try the bake the motherboard trick the Xbox red ring of death owners pioneered - can't loose anything on the dead box anyway.
> 
> EDIT: The strain relief thingy I was referring to are called cable clamps. Not sure why Tivo doesn't include one to keep the cords from popping out like mine did


I don't see how it popped out. I've had Minis for over 2.5 years and a Roamio BAsic for almost two years. I take the Basic back and forth to my GFs house. I have never had any of the power cables come out by accident. I have to give a firm pull to even remove the power cables.

And my refurb Basic I got form the recent sale has a snug power cable like my other TiVos. There is no way they can come out without a firm pull on the end of the cable.


----------



## HarperVision

Anyone else notice this Roamio OTA deal on Amazon? http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCD84651...26974&sr=8-3&keywords=TiVo+OTA#productDetails

$299 for the OTA and it includes lifetime service. I know it's the same as the deal on TiVo's site, but I've never seen it on Amazon. It shows a date initially offered as 8/30/2015.

What's good about this being sold here, at least for those of us in HI and probably AK, is that now we don't have to pay the ripoff shipping prices that TiVo charges to ship here. They make you select 2-day when in fact you can actually ship via ground. I do it all the time from here and to here from tons of companies. TiVo even up charges from what I know it actually costs so they use it as an additional revenue stream. We can get our free prime shipping instead! 

I also noticed the Mini V1 ($130) is being sold for more than the V2 ( $128 ), which I find strange.


----------



## wkearney99

HarperVision said:


> ...for those of us in HI and probably AK, is that now we don't have to pay the ripoff shipping prices...


It's over 2000 miles of air travel, and there's nowhere near the volume shipped to other continental/domestic locations. No surprise it's more.


----------



## dlfl

HarperVision said:


> .........
> I also noticed the Mini V1 ($130) is being sold for more than the V2 ( $128 ), which I find strange.


Keeping an eye on the V2 at Amazon. Just now (10:30am ET) it is down to $127.06 while just a day or two ago it was $130. If only woot! would offer that deal on V1 again! (I missed it)


----------



## Nelson2009

HarperVision said:


> Anyone else notice this Roamio OTA deal on Amazon? http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCD84651...26974&sr=8-3&keywords=TiVo+OTA#productDetails
> 
> I also noticed the Mini V1 ($130) is being sold for more than the V2 ( $128 ), which I find strange.


Yes I saw that about Tivo mini price. I was asking myself why ? 
I went ahead get V2 for good deal.


----------



## HarperVision

wkearney99 said:


> It's over 2000 miles of air travel, and there's nowhere near the volume shipped to other continental/domestic locations. No surprise it's more.


 Then you have no clue how shipping works. As I said, I can ship from and to this island all day long using fedex and ups GROUND shipping that THEY offer willingly. There is NO REASON WHATSOEVER that TiVo can't do the same, other than a money grab.........or incompetence.

The weird thing is, when they offered me something free (2 slide pro remotes) and the shipped them free also.....using UPS Ground. I asked the last time I talked to them on the phone why they were able to ship ground that time and the rep said "Yeah, we can only do that when we give something away for free".........Huh?!?!?!


----------



## 1985BearsFan

cartmanea said:


> Just called and placed the order by phone. Short wait time right now. Friendly sales rep, answered my questions well, and tossed in a Slide Pro remote when I asked for it!  I went with the Refurb Roamio, and am looking forward to upgrading from my older HD.





TazExprez said:


> The page functions are not working for me either, but this occurred to me several weeks ago and the problem was fixed later in the day. Try again later, or call in to order. If you call in, you might be able to get them to give you a Slide Pro remote for free. I ordered two refurbished Roamio Basic boxes and asked for a free Slide Pro remote and got one. Some agents give it to you and some don't, so you might have to call several times.


For anyone who has been successful in getting a free Slide Pro remote with your order, when you received the confirmation e-mail for the order, did it list the Slide as part of the order? I'm curious because today I received the e-mail confirming the order I placed yesterday for the renewed Base Roamio with lifetime service and it did not say anything about a Slide remote even though the sales rep told me she would include one with the order at no charge.


----------



## Mikeguy

Received my email confirmation on the "complimentary" glow slider as a separate email and separate shipment. If there is any issue, TiVo very likely will have it all documented under your account.


----------



## 1985BearsFan

Mikeguy said:


> Received my email confirmation on the "complimentary" glow slider as a separate email and separate shipment. If there is any issue, TiVo very likely will have it all documented under your account.


That makes me feel a bit better. I'll wait a day or two to see if I receive an e-mail specifically about the Slide. If I haven't received anything by tomorrow, I'll give them a call on Thursday.


----------



## spaldingclan

Do we know how long the refurb sale is going for?


----------



## krkaufman

spaldingclan said:


> Do we know how long the refurb sale is going for?


Many have said they've heard September 21st, but I wouldn't wait.


----------



## Dan203

Yeah they could just run out and stop the sale without notice.


----------



## ChrisFix

Well, after a 6 year hiatus from TiVo (TiVo HD), the Roamio basic refurb + lifetime for $300 reeled me in!!
I called in to order because I wanted to try and get a free slide remote - agent said he didn't think that applied to this promotion - but would ask - and got back with me in a couple of minutes with approval for the free remote (I did ask very nicely and wasn't pushy at all). I think being a returning customer helped as well. So, all in all, I'm feeling really good about the value of this deal.

Edit: And I just received my two order confirmation emails - one for the Roamio and Lifetime, and one for the free slide pro remote. I'm psyched!!


----------



## ChrisFix

1985BearsFan said:


> That makes me feel a bit better. I'll wait a day or two to see if I receive an e-mail specifically about the Slide. If I haven't received anything by tomorrow, I'll give them a call on Thursday.


I just ordered a refurb base Roamio with Lifetime and got a free slide remote - and I received email confirmation just minutes after making the order. One confirmation for the roamio and lifetime and a second with the free remote.

If you don't get a confirmation, it would probably be worth the effort to give them a follow-up call.


----------



## 1985BearsFan

spaldingclan said:


> Do we know how long the refurb sale is going for?


I was told that it was "while supplies last."


----------



## TazExprez

1985BearsFan said:


> For anyone who has been successful in getting a free Slide Pro remote with your order, when you received the confirmation e-mail for the order, did it list the Slide as part of the order? I'm curious because today I received the e-mail confirming the order I placed yesterday for the renewed Base Roamio with lifetime service and it did not say anything about a Slide remote even though the sales rep told me she would include one with the order at no charge.


I received two separate confirmation emails. One for the refurbished TiVo Roamio boxes and one for the Slide Pro remote. Since I placed my order early in the day, my order shipped the same day and the confirmation emails were also sent quickly, like right after placing the order. The Slide Pro remote was shipped separately.


----------



## 1985BearsFan

Mikeguy said:


> Received my email confirmation on the "complimentary" glow slider as a separate email and separate shipment. If there is any issue, TiVo very likely will have it all documented under your account.


I actually ended up calling TiVo on 9/8/15. Sure enough, the free Slide had not been processed properly. The rep I spoke with was very nice. She noticed that I was supposed to have been sent a complimentary Slide and had one shipped to me that same day (9/8/15). I should be receiving it next Monday.


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## spaldingclan

I just ordered the refurb special...so the consensus is we ARE getting a free slide remote?


----------



## krkaufman

spaldingclan said:


> I just ordered the refurb special...so the consensus is we ARE getting a free slide remote?


Not unless you ordered over the phone, and the salesperson told you that you were getting one gratis. There's no law that says they'll give you one, but some people have had good luck requesting one when they place a larger order.


----------



## leiff

I got one free slide when I ordered a mini. Then a week later I ordered two slides for the price of one when i asked if they could do 2 for one price. Came to $64 for the first one for Ca tax and shipping. It may have helped me gett 2 free slides because i ordered the $300 refurb deal just rhe week before


----------



## Mikeguy

1985BearsFan said:


> I actually ended up calling TiVo on 9/8/15. Sure enough, the free Slide had not been processed properly. The rep I spoke with was very nice. She noticed that I was supposed to have been sent a complimentary Slide and had one shipped to me that same day (9/8/15). I should be receiving it next Monday.


Am glad you followed up--good job!


----------



## 1985BearsFan

Mikeguy said:


> Am glad you followed up--good job!


The story gets even better: When I placed the order on Sunday for the base Roamio and free Slide, I specifically asked that they be shipped to my work address instead of my home address. I was assured that my request would be honored. Yesterday morning, I received a notification from UPS that my package from TiVo (the Roamio) would be delivered today (Friday) between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. I immediately knew I had a problem because UPS sends me those notifications only for packages that are scheduled to be delivered to my home (I never receive the notification for packages sent to my work). This caused me to look closely at the shipping confirmation TiVo sent me earlier in the week. Sure enough, TiVo had the Roamio (and, later, the Slide) shipped to my home. Last night, I called to complain about the two errors with my order. Ultimately, the supervisor agreed to send me a second free Slide remote for my troubles.


----------



## spaldingclan

also, do they send a tracking number?


----------



## 1985BearsFan

spaldingclan said:


> also, do they send a tracking number?


Yup.


----------



## Mikeguy

1985BearsFan said:


> The story gets even better: When I placed the order on Sunday for the base Roamio and free Slide, I specifically asked that they be shipped to my work address instead of my home address. I was assured that my request would be honored. Yesterday morning, I received a notification from UPS that my package from TiVo (the Roamio) would be delivered today (Friday) between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. I immediately knew I had a problem because UPS sends me those notifications only for packages that are scheduled to be delivered to my home (I never receive the notification for packages sent to my work). This caused me to look closely at the shipping confirmation TiVo sent me earlier in the week. Sure enough, TiVo had the Roamio (and, later, the Slide) shipped to my home. Last night, I called to complain about the two errors with my order. Ultimately, the supervisor agreed to send me a second free Slide remote for my troubles.


Wow--great for you! But also, one can't help but wonder, what's up with TiVo and this pattern of "generosity"?


----------



## jonw747

Mikeguy said:


> Wow--great for you! But also, one can't help but wonder, what's up with TiVo and this pattern of "generosity"?


It's possible they have an upgrade on the way, but seems like a nice perk to be able to throw around. People seem pretty excited to get one. heh


----------



## bluedevil

Honest question: given that one can purchase the Mini from Amazon for $127, isn't it better to think of the Slide as "discounted" vs "free?"


----------



## tjtv

Yes, if you're buying a mini and getting a free slide remote then it's best to think of it as "discounted", compared to what you could have paid for it at amazon. But if you're buying a roamio refurb with lifetime for $300 and getting the slide remote thrown in, then it's definitely a freebie.


----------



## bluedevil

tjtv said:


> Yes, if you're buying a mini and getting a free slide remote then it's best to think of it as "discounted", compared to what you could have paid for it at amazon. But if you're buying a roamio refurb with lifetime for $300 and getting the slide remote thrown in, then it's definitely a freebie.


Absolutely. Should've clarified that.


----------



## 1985BearsFan

Mikeguy said:


> Wow--great for you! But also, one can't help but wonder, what's up with TiVo and this pattern of "generosity"?


I was thinking that myself. My guess is that the mark-up on the Slide is huge. The thing retains for $50 versus a regular remote retailing for only $30. Even when R&D is considered, I'd be surprised if the Slide really costs more than $5 or so more than a regular remote to manufacture.

Given both the Amazon Fire and latest AppleTV have voice-activated remotes, I wouldn't be surprised if TiVo soon releases one. All I know is that I've been wanting to get one Slide remote for my master bedroom so my wife and I don't have to share a remote. Now, I'm going to have two Slides plus the stock remote that comes with the Roamio. (I realize that only one Slide can be connected to a Roamio at a time so I'll use one for the Roamio Pro in our family room and one for the new base Roamio, which will replace the Premiere in our bedroom.) In hindsight, I'm wondering whether I should have asked for the 3-year extended warranty instead.....


----------



## TazExprez

1985BearsFan said:


> I was thinking that myself. My guess is that the mark-up on the Slide is huge. The thing retains for $50 versus a regular remote retailing for only $30. Even when R&D is considered, I'd be surprised if the Slide really costs more than $5 or so more than a regular remote to manufacture.
> 
> Given both the Amazon Fire and latest AppleTV have voice-activated remotes, I wouldn't be surprised if TiVo soon releases one. All I know is that I've been wanting to get one Slide remote for my master bedroom so my wife and I don't have to share a remote. Now, I'm going to have two Slides plus the stock remote that comes with the Roamio. (I realize that only one Slide can be connected to a Roamio at a time so I'll use one for the Roamio Pro in our family room and one for the new base Roamio, which will replace the Premiere in our bedroom.) In hindsight, I'm wondering whether I should have asked for the 3-year extended warranty instead.....


Great idea to ask for a 3-year warranty! They should be even more generous with that one. The deck is stacked against the customer and it will probably never cost them anything to provide it to you.


----------



## rnaude241

New Tivo member here.... Had to jump all over the $300 deal and get rid of my Quantum Fios boxes. Just got off the phone and got the free slide remote thrown in.

Can't wait to set up the unit with a 3TB HD.


----------



## homsupbro

I too was able to get the slide remote with the $300 deal. I was also able to score the MOCA two pack and the filter with the slide remote. :up: The first Roamio was a dud and cost me three extra trips to Comcast for different cable cards and many calls to Comcast and Tivo to get this thing working.:down: Fortunately, I decided not to install a larger hard drive first. 

The Tivo return was a big hassle. If I didn't want to wait for them to receive my unit before they send my replacement it would require a $200 deposit. I said "wtf" to the Tivo support dude, why do you want $200 from me when the refurb Roamio cost me $50? It was a question he couldn't answer. In the end they shipped the replacement without a deposit from me or having me send back the unit first.


----------



## MarcusInMD

I tried to get a free slide remote when I ordered the Roamio base refurb but didn't have any success.


----------



## Nelson2009

MarcusInMD said:


> I tried to get a free slide remote when I ordered the Roamio base refurb but didn't have any success.


try call back again different customer service. 
I ordered mine online for Tivo summer deal. When I read Tivocommunity and realize people were able to get free Slide pro remote. I called next day told them i ordered online. I would like to get free slide pro remote and my friend had been getting them. CS said sorry can't give me free remote that need order with roamio. I said so if i would like to get it I could cancel my current Roamio ordered and re-order it with slide remote ? She put me on hold and talk with supervisor. She decided to send me free remote.


----------



## Mikeguy

All very funny!


----------



## leiff

Any good prices on 2 or 3 TB drive for my basic roamio?


----------



## gespears

leiff said:


> Any good prices on 2 or 3 TB drive for my basic roamio?


Look at the last few posts of the "Hard Drive Upgrade Info" thread.


----------



## 1985BearsFan

leiff said:


> Any good prices on 2 or 3 TB drive for my basic roamio?


Last week, I paid $111.99 for a 3TB Western Digital drive at NewEgg.


----------



## ChrisFix

The Western Digital Elements 5TB external drive for $129.99 at B&H (free shipping, no tax) that I received has a WD50EZRX, that could easily be used in a Roamio...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...wlg0050hbk_nesn_5tb_elements_external_hd.html


----------



## keenanSR

ChrisFix said:


> The Western Digital Elements 5TB external drive for $129.99 at B&H (free shipping, no tax) that I received has a WD50EZRX, that could easily be used in a Roamio...
> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...wlg0050hbk_nesn_5tb_elements_external_hd.html


Closed for religious holidays, no purchases available.


----------



## ChrisFix

keenanSR said:


> Closed for religious holidays, no purchases available.


Yes, they observe the Jewish holiday's, but you can order it when they re-open and they will deliver it quickly. I've had nothing but good service from B&H and it's a great price for a WD Green 5TB drive.


----------



## aaronwt

leiff said:


> I got one free slide when I ordered a mini. Then a week later I ordered two slides for the price of one when i asked if they could do 2 for one price. Came to $64 for the first one for Ca tax and shipping. It may have helped me gett 2 free slides because i ordered the $300 refurb deal just rhe week before


This weekend I got my three year extended warranty for $40 for the refurb BAsic. So then I asked about being able to buy one slide Pro for $50 and get another one free. And then they really pissed me off. No we can't do that..the supervisor said no etc... SO then I mentioned about all the TiVos I've purchased etc. but they wouldn't budge.

So then I had to threaten about returning my $300 Refurb Roamio BAsic. So the rep comes back and says sahe would need to contact another department and it would take close to 45 minutes and that I would need to wait the entire time. So I said OK since I was doing other stuff and just had it on speakerphone. But within a minute she was back and said they would do it.

I shouldn't need to jump through hoops like that. And what I offered was very fair. I didn't ask for one free for my ROamio BAsic purchase and extended warranty. But I was going to pay full price for a Slide Pro on top of everything else to get the additional one.

It really pissed me off that they gave me the runaround about it. The deal did go through though. At least I have an online receipt. One Slide Pro with a Dongle and one without. SO that will give me seven Slide Pro Remotes, which will cover all my Roamios and Minis.

Now if I could just get my GF to dump her S3 boxes so I can give her some more of my TiVos.


----------



## keenanSR

ChrisFix said:


> Yes, they observe the Jewish holiday's, but you can order it when they re-open and they will deliver it quickly. I've had nothing but good service from B&H and it's a great price for a WD Green 5TB drive.


I put it in the cart and requested the email when purchase is available. That price is less than the raw drive, it's a pretty good deal, thanks.


----------



## skypros

I think this "free slide pro remote" is getting out of hand.

That being said, I would sure ask for one to if I ordered a Roamio.


----------



## convergent

skypros said:


> I think this "free slide pro remote" is getting out of hand.
> 
> That being said, I would sure ask for one to if I ordered a Roamio.


I agree with you. I think that our society has gotten to the point that if we are inconvenienced for any reason we think we should be compensated for it. People used to be a bit more "go with the flow". I have had plenty of things that didn't arrive exactly when they were supposed to or that maybe didn't work exactly the way they were supposed to first try... and though I'm disappointed I don't automatically expect to be paid for it. Just like any business, those costs add up and will ultimately be reflected in pricing or the company will go out of business.


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## rnaude241

All in all it doesn't hurt to ask, if you don't get it move on. It's not the end of the world.


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## elborak

Regarding the slide pro remote, I sent this deal to my daughter and suggested that she


> mention to the sales rep that you'd heard that some folks were getting the slide pro remotes and were wondering if that offer was available. It's not 100% guaranteed (it's at the discretion of the sales rep), but it seems to work most of the time.


She reported


> I did ask about the Slide Pro remote, and the guy thought it was very funny since he was apparently just going to offer it to me anyway, since he likes to give those to customers who aren't super mean on the phone.


Yikes! Must be a lot of hostile people calling.


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## vasilemj

Given my longstanding relationship with TiVo and the number of units that I own, I just tried to call in and take advantage of their Super Savings Sale. Was hoping to snag an OTA with Lifetime but I asked them to take an additional $100 off the lifetime to bring it down to $149.99. Would've made the whole deal $200 out the door. Unfortunately they wouldn't deal so I'll continue to use my TiVoHD. Bummer.


----------



## Kracko

elborak said:


> Regarding the slide pro remote, I sent this deal to my daughter and suggested that she
> 
> She reported
> 
> Yikes! Must be a lot of hostile people calling.


Wow. I must have been mean. I was never made this offer.


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## cherry ghost

I need to replace my HD box since Comcast is transitioning to mpeg-4 here in about a month. 

It's my only non-Lifetime box, but it's only $6.95/month. 

Just called and asked if I can buy a refurb Roamio for $49.99 and transfer the $6.95 to it. They offered to transfer it but I would have to pay $99 for the box.


----------



## elborak

Kracko said:


> Wow. I must have been mean. I was never made this offer.


Did you ask for it? I placed an order recently and the gentleman I spoke with did not offer it unasked, but immediately said "You've been very pleasant; I'd be happy to do that" when I mentioned that I'd heard some folks were getting this.


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## Torino

I just talk with a very nice lady named Sandy from Tivo and asked if she could through in the Slide and she said she would love to.


----------



## jilter

homsupbro said:


> I too was able to get the slide remote with the $300 deal. I was also able to score the MOCA two pack and the filter with the slide remote. :up: The first Roamio was a dud and cost me three extra trips to Comcast for different cable cards and many calls to Comcast and Tivo to get this thing working.:down: Fortunately, I decided not to install a larger hard drive first.
> 
> The Tivo return was a big hassle. If I didn't want to wait for them to receive my unit before they send my replacement it would require a $200 deposit. I said "wtf" to the Tivo support dude, why do you want $200 from me when the refurb Roamio cost me $50? It was a question he couldn't answer. In the end they shipped the replacement without a deposit from me or having me send back the unit first.


Were you able to score the MOCA two pack and the filter with the slide remote before or after your problems with the refurb?


----------



## scamp

So i called today as I have a roamio under 1 year of service. We weren't completely sold on comcast coming from a direct tv tivo so didn't buy lifetime immediately. Saw that a refurb unit was 50 bucks and offers lifetime for 250 so doing the math it is cheaper for me to pay out the 3 remaining months of the year contract and throw the existing tivo in the garbage and switch to the refurb unit than to buy lifetime service. A reasonable company should recognize that the math works out that it is more cost effective to do so and offer some sort of discount to the lifetime service for existing customers. Not tivo, They would prefer me to buy another box and throw the existing one in the garbage to get lifetime service. He said they wouldn't even let me buy lifetime at full price until the first year of the contract is up. I love the device but that is horrible customer service. Even if they wanted to charge me for the refurb unit, 250 for lifetime service and 45 bucks for the 3 remaining months and just not ship me a unit I'd probably have said OK, but to tell me the only option is to buy a unit i don't need and toss my other unit is a bit infuriating.


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## krkaufman

scamp said:


> He said they wouldn't even let me buy lifetime at full price until the first year of the contract is up.


I expect if you request escalation that you would find someone willing to sell you Lifetime for your existing Roamio at the retail rate.

You will, of course, have the option to sell your existing unit on eBay, to defray the costs of your remaining contract costs.


----------



## VicVinegar

Just bought my first one. Rep said they were out of slide remotes when I asked to get one thrown in. Maybe they are out of stock for first time customers. 

Either way, looking forward to have something to use OTA if I cut the cord, and if not, something better than the ancient DVR Verizon provides me.

Now I need to figure out if I can just take the Cable Card out of the HD HomeRun Prime I have and plug it into the Tivo.


----------



## 241705

I never considered asking for a slide remote - it would be nice to have. Although I recently realized that I can use the TiVo app on my phone for the keyboard to quickly search. 

I do have to say the refurb Roamio has been excellent so far and I am more than happy that I jumped on this deal. I put in a 3TB hard drive so there is tons of space. I like being able to stream content (big bonus for copy-protected content) between my Roamio and Premiere. So, I know it took me a while to retire my TiVoHD, but thanks for the Roamio, TiVo! It's all the TiVo I need (well, at least until the next generation comes out. Plus, if I ever get a third TV I'll probably want a mini for that, and so on and so on... ).


----------



## chicagobrownblue

scamp said:


> the only option is to buy a unit i don't need and toss my other unit is a bit infuriating.


Toss the old unit my way and I'll gladly pay for shipping. I'll use it as a backup TiVo. Or, possibly you buy the deal you like, call to cancel the old unit, they offer you $99 Lifetime on the old unit, you take it and sell it on eBay. TiVo obviously wants to move all the old Roamios out of inventory. There may be an accounting issue involved or, that is what top management wants. Pretty much pointing to new hardware on the way, the Bolt.


----------



## HarperVision

chicagobrownblue said:


> Toss the old unit my way and I'll gladly pay for shipping. I'll use it as a backup TiVo. Or, possibly you buy the deal you like, call to cancel the old unit, they offer you $99 Lifetime on the old unit, you take it and sell it on eBay. TiVo obviously wants to move all the old Roamios out of inventory. There may be an accounting issue involved or, that is what top management wants. Pretty much pointing to new hardware on the way, the Bolt.


They won't offer the $99 lifetime on that Roamio. It's usually only offered on older S3 and Premiere units that've been activated for a couple years, not a new Roamio that's within the 30 day money back period or soon after.

I would say the best he could do would be sell the refurb for the original $49 which might be enticing to people like you who may just want it for parts or something since when bought from TiVo it already would come with service and a one year commitment if on monthly or annual plan. This way the potential buyer would get the unit for the same low cost but without the commitment.


----------



## homsupbro

jilter said:


> Were you able to score the MOCA two pack and the filter with the slide remote before or after your problems with the refurb?


I got the MOCA two pack, filter and the remote with the initial purchase.


----------



## thefisch

So is today the rumored last day of the super sale? Or has anyone heard date other than 9/21 recently?


----------



## cherry ghost

thefisch said:


> So is today the rumored last day of the super sale? Or has anyone heard date other than 9/21 recently?


I was told last week that I had until Oct 31st to take adavantage of either the super sale(basic Roamio) or valued customer deal(plus & pro).


----------



## vasilemj

Today is the last day of the Super Sale. Was told that by a supervisor on Friday and the sales rep I spoke with today. The "customer loyalty" sale or whatever they call it will be going on for awhile but they don't seem to be publicizing it. If you want to snag a deal for lifetime service now is the time to call before it's over. Think their phone lines close at 7pm PT. 

They did throw in a slide remote for me but I had to ask for it. They certainly weren't going to offer it to me.


----------



## vasilemj

Today is the last day of the Super Sale. Was told that by a supervisor on Friday and the sales rep I spoke with today. The "customer loyalty" sale or whatever they call it will be going on for awhile but they don't seem to be publicizing it. If you want to snag a deal for lifetime service now is the time to call before it's over. Think their phone lines close at 7pm PT. 

They did throw in a slide remote for me but I had to ask for it. They certainly weren't going to offer it to me.


----------



## krkaufman

cherry ghost said:


> I was told last week that I had until Oct 31st to take adavantage of either the super sale(basic Roamio) or valued customer deal(plus & pro).


I was told just a few minutes ago that the "supersavings" ends today at 8pm Mountain time, if you were looking to place an order; the CSR wasn't clear on when exactly the sale would be pulled online.

As for the 10-year loyalty promotion, I was also told, just now, that it is slated to end on Oct. 31st.


----------



## Paulcarr87

I called Tivo last week looking to take advantage of the Long Time Customer deal, but the rep i got didn't seem to know anything about it. I've been a tivo Customer since 2008 so I fall a little short on the 10 years. However, I have purchased 4 tivos in that time so I'm hoping that would help my case. 

Is there any "strategy" needed to get this deal? Like perhaps calling at a certain time of day? Looking for the refurb Roamio Plus for $399 total (or is it $425?). 

Please respond if you are able to clarify.

Thanks,
Paul


----------



## jrtroo

You are 30% short. I have not seen them push these limits.


----------



## Saturn_V

I'm exactly one year short. (9/2/2006) I see the Super Savings Sale, but what is the Long Time Customer deal anyways?


----------



## krkaufman

Saturn_V said:


> I'm exactly one year short. (9/2/2006) I see the Super Savings Sale, but what is the Long Time Customer deal anyways?


The 10-year loyalty deal, IIRC, basically offers a Roamio device at retail cost paired with a deeply discounted Lifetime service cost of $100 for the Plus/Pro models or $200 for the base model.

base Roamio w/ Lifetime: $400
Plus w/ Lifetime: $500
Pro w/ Lifetime: $700​


----------



## krkaufman

Paulcarr87 said:


> I've been a tivo Customer since 2008 so I fall a little short on the 10 years. However, I have purchased 4 tivos in that time so I'm hoping that would help my case.


Yes, you'd think the depth of one's loyalty would have some merit, rather than just the duration.


----------



## jonw747

krkaufman said:


> Yes, you'd think the depth of one's loyalty would have some merit, rather than just the duration.


It sounds like the loyalty deal may be ending in another month. Maybe that means lifetime is going away, or it's coming down in price, or TiVo just doesn't feel the need to give up any profits on Bolt sales at this point.


----------



## nycityuser

krkaufman said:


> Yes, you'd think the depth of one's loyalty would have some merit, rather than just the duration.


Well, duration often implies depth. As an 11 year customer I've purchased around 10 units over the years - single tuner, dual tuner, HD, Premiere, Mini and Roamio . Perhaps I should get free lifetime on my next purchase?


----------



## krkaufman

jonw747 said:


> It sounds like the loyalty deal may be ending in another month. *Maybe that means lifetime is going away*, or it's coming down in price, or TiVo just doesn't feel the need to give up any profits on Bolt sales at this point.


I expect it may go away for a year or so, until they're looking to boost Bolt sales.


----------



## tivoroamio

Roamio OTA with lifetime for $249.99:
https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/supersavings

Probably trying to get rid of supply for closeout.


----------



## thefisch

cherry ghost said:


> I was told last week that I had until Oct 31st to take adavantage of either the super sale(basic Roamio) or valued customer deal(plus & pro).





vasilemj said:


> Today is the last day of the Super Sale. Was told that by a supervisor on Friday and the sales rep I spoke with today. The "customer loyalty" sale or whatever they call it will be going on for awhile but they don't seem to be publicizing it. If you want to snag a deal for lifetime service now is the time to call before it's over. Think their phone lines close at 7pm PT.





krkaufman said:


> I was told just a few minutes ago that the "supersavings" ends today at 8pm Mountain time, if you were looking to place an order; the CSR wasn't clear on when exactly the sale would be pulled online.


Sale still shows up online. Did anyone call today? Wonder if they are saying October 31 now.


----------



## Dan203

nycityuser said:


> Well, duration often implies depth. As an 11 year customer I've purchased around 10 units over the years - single tuner, dual tuner, HD, Premiere, Mini and Roamio . Perhaps I should get free lifetime on my next purchase?


They need a punch card. Buy 10 TiVos and get the 11th free.


----------



## HarperVision

Dan203 said:


> They need a punch card. Buy 10 TiVos and get the 11th free.


That would be cool. I'd have about 2-3 free tivos by now! :up:


----------



## janepaul

I called this afternoon and was told that the promotion ended yesterday, but he said he would try it after I told him it was still working online. I asked about the free slider promotion (very nicely - ha) and after a brief hold while he talked to a supervisor, he agreed to throw that in as well. No clue when this deal really ends, but if you want it, I'd jump sooner rather than later! 

So excited to go back to Tivo after a few years of dealing with the horrid Time Warner Cable DVR interface!


----------



## phox_mulder

tivoroamio said:


> Roamio OTA with lifetime for $249.99:
> https://www.tivo.com/shop/promo/supersavings
> 
> Probably trying to get rid of supply for closeout.


Roamio OTA for $49.99 plus lifetime for $249.99.

Got that deal last week.
Replacing the TiVoHD currently being used by my daughter, and is on an $99 annual plan that ends in February.
She'll have 2 extra tuners till she figures out what of the new season she doesn't want to watch, and have at least quadruple the recording capacity than she is used to.

phox


----------



## lpwcomp

phox_mulder said:


> Roamio OTA for $49.99 plus lifetime for $249.99.
> 
> Got that deal last week.
> Replacing the TiVoHD currently being used by my daughter, and is on an $99 annual plan that ends in February.
> She'll have 2 extra tuners till she figures out what of the new season she doesn't want to watch, and have at least quadruple the recording capacity than she is used to.
> 
> phox


Only 3X the recording capacity. 500GB in the Roamio vs. 160Gb in the THD.


----------



## phox_mulder

lpwcomp said:


> Only 3X the recording capacity. 500GB in the Roamio vs. 160Gb in the THD.


She's been lucky to get 20 hours on the HD, OTA claims 75 HD hours, so rounding up to quadruple 

phox


----------



## steneni

Ordered my Tivo summer savings deal yesterday. Renewed Roamio @ $49 plus $249 lifetime. Awesome deal and the Tivo sales rep was awesome to work with. Managed to get the slider remote included at no cost after the rep checked (on hold for 5 minutes). Easy and sweet experience. Thanks Tivo. Adding this to my Premier and Premier XL4 boxes.


----------



## thefisch

refurb roamio basic showing OOS now for super sale. New basic and OTA still up for sale.


----------



## HarperVision

thefisch said:


> refurb roamio basic showing OOS now for super sale. New basic and OTA still up for sale.


Time to release the Bolt!!!


----------



## TazExprez

HarperVision said:


> Time to release the Bolt!!!


I hope so! Finally!


----------



## psywzrd

So I just called Tivo to see what kind of deal I could get on the Roamio as a 10+year customer (was thinking about ditching my two S3 units, especially since one is in need of a new power supply). They offered me the Plus for $399.99 plus $100 for lifetime service and the Pro at $599.99 plus $100 for lifetime service. I told him that I'll probably just replace the power supply in my one S3 since that will be much cheaper than upgrading to Roamios at this point.

I expected him to try to talk me out of it, but he actually did the exact opposite. He told me that if I could replace the power supply and wait it out a bit, I would be very happy with the new deals that come out for Christmas. I don't know if he was referring to new deals on the Roamios or deals on the Bolt but he basically talked me out of upgrading at this point.

Take that for what it's worth, but I just wanted to share my experience with everyone here.


----------



## gary325

Called and got the Roamio Renewed with the slider: $300 plus New York State tax of 8%
Even though it was not on the web page, it was still offered to me.


----------



## thefisch

Sounds like supplies are dwindling for the refurbs since they went offline. Good thing the sale is still going for those who haven't gotten in yet. Since tivo has stated that they will announce a new product (Bolt?) in the third quarter which for them ends 10/31, you should be within the 30 day return window if you have any remorse.


----------



## thefisch

psywzrd said:


> He told me that if I could replace the power supply and wait it out a bit, I would be very happy with the new deals that come out for Christmas.


I hope he is right for your sake. The $500 plus is a great deal and there is no guarantee the loyalty offer will be around later. Someone said they were told that loyalty offer was only good for another month or so. But if you are fine with you S3 once it's fixed then no worries.


----------



## sheshechic

When does tivo usually start offering holiday pricing?


----------



## spaldingclan

I emailed support asking for a slider too...never was offered one when I ordered...worth a shot. I bought 2 refurbs


----------



## psywzrd

thefisch said:


> I hope he is right for your sake. The $500 plus is a great deal and there is no guarantee the loyalty offer will be around later. Someone said they were told that loyalty offer was only good for another month or so. But if you are fine with you S3 once it's fixed then no worries.


I'm ok with my S3's for now. The Plus is a great deal but it's $500 for that, another $150 for a mini, and I would need extra hardware to make the Roamio work with my AV receiver. I'd probably be looking at close to $800 just for that AND I would want at least a 3TB drive in the Plus so that would add more cost as well. Too expensive for me right now.


----------



## Dan203

psywzrd said:


> and I would need extra hardware to make the Roamio work with my AV receiver.


Why? The Roamio Plus has all the same ports as a S3 so it should be a drop in replacement.


----------



## psywzrd

Dan203 said:


> Why? The Roamio Plus has all the same ports as a S3 so it should be a drop in replacement.


Yes, you are correct. I must have been thinking about something else, although for the life of me I can't figure out what it could be. It may have been back when I was looking into the DirecTV genie, but that ended up working out for me anyway.

Regardless, I think I'm going to wait it out a bit and see if the Bolt comes out and what types of new deals Tivo comes up with. Although the upfront costs would be high, I would definitely save money over the long haul because I would go from 4 cable cards down to one (those are costing me $2 each/month) and I wouldn't have to pay the monthly fees I am paying to Tivo for each of my two S3s ($6.95 each/month plus tax).

I would also be able to freeze my DirecTV sub after football season since the Roamio/Bolt would have plenty of tuners for me - that would save me $90-$100/month as well.


----------



## jonw747

The Plus for $500 is a pretty sweet deal (that's what I got), but we just don't know which way things will go after the Bolt is released.

The leaked picture of the Bolt actually turned me off from the idea of waiting for it.


----------



## psywzrd

jonw747 said:


> The Plus for $500 is a pretty sweet deal (that's what I got), but we just don't know which way things will go after the Bolt is released.
> 
> The leaked picture of the Bolt actually turned me off from the idea of waiting for it.


Got a link to that picture?


----------



## aaronwt

psywzrd said:


> Got a link to that picture?


http://zatznotfunny.com/2015-09/tivo-bolt-4k/#comments


----------



## Dan203

I'm still not convinced that's an actual picture of it, or even an accurate representation of what it will look like. And even if it is it's hard to tell from that angle and shading whether it's curved up or curved back.


----------



## Nelson2009

psywzrd said:


> I'm ok with my S3's for now. The Plus is a great deal but it's $500 for that, another $150 for a mini, and I would need extra hardware to make the Roamio work with my AV receiver. I'd probably be looking at close to $800 just for that AND I would want at least a 3TB drive in the Plus so that would add more cost as well. Too expensive for me right now.


Have you thought about take summer deal $300 for Renew Roamio Basic ? give you option OTA and Cable. you can add Tivo mini and can add bigger storage drive anytime u ready ?


----------



## psywzrd

Nelson2009 said:


> Have you thought about take summer deal $300 for Renew Roamio Basic ? give you option OTA and Cable. you can add Tivo mini and can add bigger storage drive anytime u ready ?


Not really because I need more than 4 tuners. The Plus could work and then I'd throw a bigger HD in it.


----------



## lpwcomp

psywzrd said:


> Not really because I need more than 4 tuners. The Plus could work and then I'd throw a bigger HD in it.


You need more than 4 tuners to replace the 4 tuners you currently have?


----------



## psywzrd

lpwcomp said:


> You need more than 4 tuners to replace the 4 tuners you currently have?


No, I have 4 TiVo tuners. I also have 5 DirecTV tuners so nine in total. I don't need 9 but I need more than 4.


----------



## lpwcomp

psywzrd said:


> No, I have 4 TiVo tuners. I also have 5 DirecTV tuners so nine in total. I don't need 9 but I need more than 4.


So you have cable *and* DTV? And you're going to just cable?


----------



## psywzrd

lpwcomp said:


> So you have cable *and* DTV? And you're going to just cable?


Yes, I have both but don't really need DirecTV once football season is over. I can suspend my service for 6 months and just have cable during those months.


----------



## lpwcomp

psywzrd said:


> Yes, I have both but don't really need DirecTV once football season is over. I can suspend my service for 6 months and just have cable during those months.


OK. So you have DTV for NFL Sunday ticket, which you don't need once the playoffs start.

I take it you have 2 TVs. Do you have cable and Ethernet access at both locations? How are the TiVos and DTV tuners connected to the TV and A/V receiver?

What cable company? Any chance they will be converting to mpeg4 any time soon?


----------



## jonw747

Dan203 said:


> I'm still not convinced that's an actual picture of it, or even an accurate representation of what it will look like. And even if it is it's hard to tell from that angle and shading whether it's curved up or curved back.


You may be right, but I was concerned they were going to take a different path to appeal to the Aereo market that might not necessarily be a better path for Roamio customers.

I bought before the Summer sale came back and it became more obvious they were closing out the Roamio for a replacement, but is it a coincidence that the Plus & Pro were not included in the sale? What if they're not even being replaced? Or if they are, that the initial price skyrockets back up? Or that they hit the streets with a lot of bugs?

We'll just have to see.


----------



## HerronScott

Dan203 said:


> I'm still not convinced that's an actual picture of it, or even an accurate representation of what it will look like. And even if it is it's hard to tell from that angle and shading whether it's curved up or curved back.


Dave indicates he's seen the box now.



davezatz said:


> I've seen the box and can confirm the design. It's an asymmetric hump, positioned like 1/3rd of the way in on the left. It looks better than I expected, but still unusual and obviously not stackable. Still not certain what the physical dimensions of the storage are or if its user replaceable. Also, the Cablelabs filing sent us sideways. It's not one OTA and two cable-_only_.


Scott


----------



## Raoul99

I have a Romeo OTA that I purchased several months ago, but never activated. I started to go through the activation process online today but was not given the option for the $249 lifetime, only for the $14.99/month plan.

Has anyone been successful getting the $249 lifetime option put on a previously purchased OTA? Will they do that over-the-phone?

Rick


----------



## psywzrd

lpwcomp said:


> OK. So you have DTV for NFL Sunday ticket, which you don't need once the playoffs start.
> 
> I take it you have 2 TVs. Do you have cable and Ethernet access at both locations? How are the TiVos and DTV tuners connected to the TV and A/V receiver?
> 
> What cable company? Any chance they will be converting to mpeg4 any time soon?


I have cable at both locations and I use powerline adapters at both locations. Tivos and DTV box are both connected to my A/V receiver via component video and then component out from receiver to TV.

Cable company is Optimum.


----------



## lpwcomp

psywzrd said:


> I have cable at both locations and I use powerline adapters at both locations. Tivos and DTV box are both connected to my A/V receiver via component video and then component out from receiver to TV.
> 
> Cable company is Optimum.


Very unusual receiver with multiple component inputs and no HDMI.

You could keep the working S3 and get a base Roamio. An HDMI to component converter is < $10.


----------



## MikeBear

Raoul99 said:


> I have a Romeo OTA that I purchased several months ago, but never activated. I started to go through the activation process online today but was not given the option for the $249 lifetime, only for the $14.99/month plan.
> 
> Has anyone been successful getting the $249 lifetime option put on a previously purchased OTA? Will they do that over-the-phone?
> 
> Rick


I have NEVER heard that anybody was successful in getting Tivo to activate Lifetime service on the older monthly subscription TIVO OTA model.

People were told (by Tivo CSR's) to sell it, and buy one of the ones that now comes with Lifetime service. There has been no give on this at all.


----------



## Raoul99

MikeBear said:


> I have NEVER heard that anybody was successful in getting Tivo to activate Lifetime service on the older monthly subscription TIVO OTA model.
> 
> People were told (by Tivo CSR's) to sell it, and buy one of the ones that now comes with Lifetime service. There has been no give on this at all.


 Thanks for the response. Yeah, I was afraid that they would pull something like that, although I'd think that they would rather have this box registered and in use, than have me (or someone else) using it as a doorstop and never registering it.

I may call them and see what happens anyway...if they turn me down, I MAY end up getting another and using this one for parts. I mainly want this for backing up recordings anyway...

Rick


----------



## HerronScott

lpwcomp said:


> Very unusual receiver with multiple component inputs and no HDMI.


Probably the same as mine which is not unusual but just an older model receiver released before HDMI became the standard. We have an older Onkyo that's component only which was a Christmas present from my wife in 2005. I hate to replace it since it's still working great. 

Scott


----------



## lpwcomp

HerronScott said:


> Probably the same as mine which is not unusual but just an older model receiver released before HDMI became the standard. We have an older Onkyo that's component only which was a Christmas present from my wife in 2005. I hate to replace it since it's still working great.
> 
> Scott


Mines even older. Composite/S-video only. I feed the HDMI to my TV then the audio from TV to the receiver.


----------



## CoxInPHX

I am really kicking myself now, for not getting the Refurbished Roamio w/ Lifetime for $300, even though I do not need it right now.

The Bolt announcement and new pricing is ridiculous.


----------



## TazExprez

CoxInPHX said:


> I am really kicking myself now, for not getting the Refurbished Roamio w/ Lifetime for $300, even though I do not need it right now.
> 
> The Bolt announcement and new pricing is ridiculous.


It truly is very high. You could have gotten 3 of those boxes for the price of 1 500GB Bolt.

I only bought 2 refurbished Roamio boxes with PLs and should have probably gotten 3.


----------



## LoadStar

I got one, and should have gotten a second. The new "all-in" (lifetime) pricing is insane.


----------



## mickinct

LoadStar said:


> I got one, and should have gotten a second. The new "all-in" (lifetime) pricing is insane.


I got one a month ago and ordered one last week w/cable and got a slider remote N/C.


----------



## jonw747

If the Roamio Plus/Pro go on closeout sale with PLS included at some point, that'll help make up for it.

Of course for all the customers who jumped on the Summer Sale, I bet they're not feeling much "buyer's remorse" this morning - and that may very well have been part of the plan.


----------



## HarperVision

jonw747 said:


> If the Roamio Plus/Pro go on closeout sale with PLS included at some point, that'll help make up for it. Of course for all the customers who jumped on the Summer Sale, I bet they're not feeling much "buyer's remorse" this morning - and that may very well have been part of the plan.


Yeah, like giving a death row convict one last amazing meal before you fry them!


----------



## krkaufman

Hmmm... So you can buy the Roamio Pro w/ a 1-year service subscription included for $600, via the TiVo online store -- OR you can pay $500 if you agree to a 1-year commitment for the $15/month subscription plan.

But where does that put shoppers who buy a Roamio Pro from Amazon at $448, supposedly discounted from the $600 rate?


----------



## dmurphy

jonw747 said:


> If the Roamio Plus/Pro go on closeout sale with PLS included at some point, that'll help make up for it.
> 
> Of course for all the customers who jumped on the Summer Sale, I bet they're not feeling much "buyer's remorse" this morning - and that may very well have been part of the plan.


Hee hee - feeling great about my decision to come home to TiVo (from FiOS Quantum), that's for sure!

The Roamio Refurb w/ lifetime may have been the TiVo deal of the decade ...


----------



## jonw747

dmurphy said:


> Hee hee - feeling great about my decision to come home to TiVo (from FiOS Quantum), that's for sure!
> 
> The Roamio Refurb w/ lifetime may have been the TiVo deal of the decade ...


Yeah, I never made it to Quantum. I had been renting a pair of 7232 DVR's and whole home distribution and it was funny explaining to the FIOS salesman that no ... their Quantum deal would actually cost me more money per month because I'd have to rent all the satellite boxes.

The Mini is a much nicer solution, and while I couldn't transfer my shows to the Roamio Plus, the One Pass has helped a lot finding the shows we haven't watched.

A 4 tuner system doesn't make much sense to me as a multi-room hub, though.


----------



## beachhead

I'm one of those who is glad they got in, but dang..wish I'da got a second unit. Oh well, we'll just make due with what we have until the next sale. 

The new pricing structure is way too rich for my blood. I sure wish tivo well, but it seems like they want to put themselves out of business.


----------



## dmurphy

jonw747 said:


> Yeah, I never made it to Quantum. I had been renting a pair of 7232 DVR's and whole home distribution and it was funny explaining to the FIOS salesman that no ... their Quantum deal would actually cost me more money per month because I'd have to rent all the satellite boxes.
> 
> The Mini is a much nicer solution, and while I couldn't transfer my shows to the Roamio Plus, the One Pass has helped a lot finding the shows we haven't watched.
> 
> A 4 tuner system doesn't make much sense to me as a multi-room hub, though.


When I picked up the cable cards, the store rep said he figured TiVo must be doing OK, as he's giving out about 15 cable cards for every 1 that gets returned. That's positive news!

The Roamio isn't the 'hub' of my network; I bought two roamio's and one Roamio plus. The plus is the hub - and provides the stream to boot.

I made sure to activate the two Roamios first so I could then get the multi discount on the Plus. Cool. 

The other big positive is that once I finish draining the Quantum DVRs and return them, I can replace the FiOS gateway with a pfSense router. Yay. The Roamio Plus will act as a MoCA bridge so my TiVo Plus units won't need Ethernet.

Good, solid upgrade all around. Especially after I put 4TB drives in all 3 TiVos! (Had some extras from when I upgraded my NAS to 6TB spindles.)

Even though Roamios are now last-gen technology, I still think I'm set for a long while. Curious how long that'll be, but even the all-in pricing for the TiVo has about a year and a half payback vs. FiOS quantum, never mind how much BETTER TiVo is.


----------



## tarheelblue32

beachhead said:


> I'm one of those who is glad they got in, but dang..wish I'da got a second unit. Oh well, we'll just make due with what we have until the next sale.
> 
> The new pricing structure is way too rich for my blood. I sure wish tivo well, but it seems like they want to put themselves out of business.


When new products are launched they are usually priced at a premium. It gives TiVo room to do discounts and sales in the future after the early adopters have paid to have the newest hardware first.


----------



## Nelson2009

can anyone confirm this ?? This was confusing I remember reading about promo for 10 year loyal Tivo customer

This user posted said 5 years "$99 Lifetime on All Roamio through 10/31 (not 10 yr loyalty promo!)"

http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532395


----------



## krkaufman

Nelson2009 said:


> can anyone confirm this ?? This was confusing I remember reading about promo for 10 year loyal Tivo customer
> 
> This user posted said 5 years "$99 Lifetime on All Roamio through 10/31 (not 10 yr loyalty promo!)"
> 
> http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532395


I can't "confirm" confirm it, since I'm not a 5-year customer and so can't point to an order placed, but I can confirm that I was told that I could apply the $99 Lifetime deal to as many Roamio Plus/Pros as I had DVRs w/ 5+ years active history on my account.


----------



## HarperVision

FYI, the Roamio Military Deal is still on for all those active duty and retired folks apparently, in spite of the Bolt release with new pricing.

Roamio -S: $0 down, $19.99/month
Roamio Plus: $99 down, $19.99/month
Roamio Pro: $199 down, $19.99/month


----------



## LightningBOLT

Nelson2009 said:


> can anyone confirm this ?? This was confusing I remember reading about promo for 10 year loyal Tivo customer
> 
> This user posted said 5 years "$99 Lifetime on All Roamio through 10/31 (not 10 yr loyalty promo!)"
> 
> http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532395


It's a new program to clear Roamio inventory and keep loyal fans from causing a big stink with Tivo's new direction.


----------



## jonw747

dmurphy said:


> The other big positive is that once I finish draining the Quantum DVRs and return them, I can replace the FiOS gateway with a pfSense router. Yay. The Roamio Plus will act as a MoCA bridge so my TiVo Plus units won't need Ethernet.


Yes, it is nice to not be tied to their router, but I've never used FIOS's router as my primary. It's always been configured as a secondary router on my Network just for the DVRs, and still is.

After I return my last 7232 it can keep providing MOCA.


----------



## dmurphy

jonw747 said:


> Yes, it is nice to not be tied to their router, but I've never used FIOS's router as my primary. It's always been configured as a secondary router on my Network just for the DVRs, and still is.
> 
> After I return my last 7232 it can keep providing MOCA.


I have, because I wanted the remote DVR functionality. DNS and DHCP functions are offloaded to an OpenBSD Atom-based server currently, which I'm going to repurpose as a pfSense gateway.

Then I'll let the Roamio Plus be the MoCA bridge, and we're done. Good night Quantum.


----------



## jonw747

dmurphy said:


> I have, because I wanted the remote DVR functionality. DNS and DHCP functions are offloaded to an OpenBSD Atom-based server currently, which I'm going to repurpose as a pfSense gateway.
> 
> Then I'll let the Roamio Plus be the MoCA bridge, and we're done. Good night Quantum.


I think I got most of the remote features working, but it did take some mucking around to clone the port forwarding settings from the Actiontec to my main router. As it turned out, I didn't really use it much.

I'll miss On Demand a little bit. It useful at times, but not too big of a deal and pretty slow and clunky. It was kind of cool when you would switch to a movie in the middle, it would ask if you wanted to start from the beginning from On Demand.


----------



## HerronScott

Arggh... with the new increase in lifetime/all-in price, I may have to move ahead the taking advantage of the 10 year loyalty deal for a Roamio assuming it's still active.

I was really hoping to continue to get more life out of our S3 OLED's until Comcast switched to MPEG4 in our area (which I don't expect to happen soon based on past infrastructure upgrades).

Scott


----------



## HerronScott

Arggh... with the new increase in lifetime/all-in price, I may have to move ahead and take advantage of the 10 year loyalty deal for a Roamio assuming it's still active.

I was really hoping to continue to get more life out of our S3 OLED's until Comcast switched to MPEG4 in our area (which I don't expect to happen soon based on past infrastructure upgrades).

Scott


----------



## lessd

HerronScott said:


> Arggh... with the new increase in lifetime/all-in price, I may have to move ahead and take advantage of the 10 year loyalty deal for a Roamio assuming it's still active.
> 
> I was really hoping to continue to get more life out of our S3 OLED's until Comcast switched to MPEG4 in our area (which I don't expect to happen soon based on past infrastructure upgrades).
> 
> Scott


The 10 year loyalty deal for a Roamio Plus is still active as of a few minutes ago, and the price has been lowered to $450 + tax.


----------



## mulscully

lessd said:


> The 10 year loyalty deal for a Roamio Plus is still active as of a few minutes ago, and the price has been lowered to $450 + tax.


I can confirm.. Just picked one up.. Except I believe it's been lowered to 5 year loyality


----------



## sheshechic

I have a little over 3 years and got the Romio Plus w/All-In for $450 plus free remote.


----------



## HerronScott

sheshechic said:


> I have a little over 3 years and got the Romio Plus w/All-In for $450 plus free remote.


Just curious, what was your first TiVo and did you buy it new or used?

Scott


----------



## sheshechic

HerronScott said:


> Just curious, what was your first TiVo and did you buy it new or used?
> 
> Scott


New Premiere 2 tuner. I've bought and sold a lot of tivos during those three years.

BTW, they wouldn't give me the deal yesterday, $700 was the best they could do, but he did suggest that I call back today. Also the first agent I got today was probably just out of training, she was incapable of doing anything. I got off the phone with her fast.


----------



## foghorn2

Tivo just shipped my 299 all in refurb I ordered today.

It was still in my cart from weeks ago.


----------



## krkaufman

foghorn2 said:


> Tivo just shipped my 299 all in refurb I ordered today.
> 
> It was still in my cart from weeks ago.


Should've tried upping the quantity.


----------



## foghorn2

krkaufman said:


> Should've tried upping the quantity.


Right, I actually did and it worked, but my financial manger would have hit me with her rolling pin if I had done so.


----------



## tarheelblue32

foghorn2 said:


> Tivo just shipped my 299 all in refurb I ordered today.
> 
> It was still in my cart from weeks ago.


You and me both. Mine is scheduled to be delivered next Wednesday. I don't really need it, so I think I'm going to give it to my girlfriend as an extended loan. But if she ever breaks up with me, I'm taking it back.


----------



## Bytez

Is it the Roamio OTA for $299?


----------



## tarheelblue32

Bytez said:


> Is it the Roamio OTA for $299?


No, a refurb base Roamio w/lifetime that TiVo was selling on their site a few days ago. But Amazon is actually now selling the Roamio OTA with lifetime for $299.


----------



## sheshechic

tarheelblue32 said:


> You and me both. Mine is scheduled to be delivered next Wednesday. I don't really need it, so I think I'm going to give it to my girlfriend as an extended loan. But if she ever breaks up with me, I'm taking it back.



Ha!


----------



## krkaufman

sheshechic said:


> Ha!


Yeah, the words "cold, dead hands" crossed my mind when I read that. Along w/ how use of the phrase "extended loan" might expedite the foreseen circumstance.


----------



## krkaufman

tarheelblue32 said:


> ... But Amazon is actually now selling the Roamio OTA with lifetime for $299.


Indeed they are: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0148ZRFVO/

I believe that's the lowest price going, at present, post Super Savings sale at TiVo.


----------



## foghorn2

Might get one of that too, take the cable card brackets from and existing one that will be unsubscribed and you may have another basic with lifetime for 299!! I have a lot of credits and rewards at Amazon and probably wont get hit with a rolling pin.

With the Bolt debacle, this would be the best route to go "all out" from paying Tivo anymore money.


----------



## thefisch

AFAIK only TIVO was selling the OTA with lifetime for $300 prior to this listing on Amazon. However, this Amazon listing shows an available date as of August 30, 2015. I guess TIVO was using Amazon to help with the super sale.


----------



## HerronScott

sheshechic said:


> New Premiere 2 tuner. I've bought and sold a lot of tivos during those three years.
> 
> .


I don't suppose any of those other TiVo's were used and had an older original activation date?

Scott


----------



## HarperVision

thefisch said:


> AFAIK only TIVO was selling the OTA with lifetime for $300 prior to this listing on Amazon. However, this Amazon listing shows an available date as of August 30, 2015. I guess TIVO was using Amazon to help with the super sale.


They were. I reported it back on Sep 7 in this thread:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10621552



HarperVision said:


> Anyone else notice this Roamio OTA deal on Amazon? http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-TCD84651...26974&sr=8-3&keywords=TiVo+OTA#productDetails
> 
> $299 for the OTA and it includes lifetime service. I know it's the same as the deal on TiVo's site, but I've never seen it on Amazon. It shows a date initially offered as 8/30/2015.
> 
> What's good about this being sold here, at least for those of us in HI and probably AK, is that now we don't have to pay the ripoff shipping prices that TiVo charges to ship here. They make you select 2-day when in fact you can actually ship via ground. I do it all the time from here and to here from tons of companies. TiVo even up charges from what I know it actually costs so they use it as an additional revenue stream. We can get our free prime shipping instead!
> 
> I also noticed the Mini V1 ($130) is being sold for more than the V2 ( $128 ), which I find strange.


----------



## morbidz

I picked up Roamio with lifetime during summer sale and now have Plus coming in the mail as well. 

Anyone wants to take roamio off my hands? Otherwise I'll just return it via their 30 day money back guarantee.


----------



## krkaufman

HerronScott said:


> I don't suppose any of those other TiVo's were used and had an older original activation date?


He asks, knowingly.... nudge, nudge, sa'no more...


----------



## thefisch

HerronScott said:


> I don't suppose any of those other TiVo's were used and had an older original activation date?
> 
> Scott


So it's possible to buy an older used unit with lifetime and essentially appear to have been a long time customer to qualify for loyalty deals?


----------



## TazExprez

foghorn2 said:


> Tivo just shipped my 299 all in refurb I ordered today.
> 
> It was still in my cart from weeks ago.


Thanks a lot for letting us know about this. I currently have two refurbished Roamio boxes in my cart from August. I called to place the order, so they were never removed. I could increase the quantity if I want to. I may order an extra box because the eight tuners I currently have feel a bit limited.


----------



## gespears

TazExprez said:


> Thanks a lot for letting us know about this. I currently have two refurbished Roamio boxes in my cart from August. I called to place the order, so they were never removed. I could increase the quantity if I want to. I may order an extra box because the eight tuners I currently have feel a bit limited.


At that price, you'll probably be able to get your money back. There might even be more people who'd pay a bit for you to pick them up one as well. There seemed to be a lot of heartburn when the sale went away.


----------



## sheshechic

HerronScott said:


> I don't suppose any of those other TiVo's were used and had an older original activation date?
> 
> Scott


Nope.

Their system shows the same thing my online account info does and that puts me at just over 3 years.


----------



## HerronScott

thefisch said:


> So it's possible to buy an older used unit with lifetime and essentially appear to have been a long time customer to qualify for loyalty deals?


I don't know for sure but the used TiVo's that I've bought with lifetime and transferred to my account show the original activation date.

Scott


----------



## sheshechic

It looks like Amazon has sold out of the Basic now. They do still have the OTA with and without Lifetime. IMO, good news for those who need to sell a basic.


----------



## dlgamble

sheshechic said:


> I have a little over 3 years and got the Romio Plus w/All-In for $450 plus free remote.


Same here. (except I forgot to ask about the remote). I have had a cable company owned Premier, a premier 4 that I own. About 3 months ago, I got a mini to replace the cable company owned unit. My earliest activation date is 8/29/2012. ( as of my order date, that's 3 years, 1 month, and a 4 days.) They must be offering the loyalty discount to any established customer.


----------



## TazExprez

dlgamble said:


> Same here. (except I forgot to ask about the remote). I have had a cable company owned Premier, a premier 4 that I own. About 3 months ago, I got a mini to replace the cable company owned unit. My earliest activation date is 8/29/2012. ( as of my order date, that's 3 years, 1 month, and a 4 days.) They must be offering the loyalty discount to any established customer.


I have only been with TiVo since August and currently have two refurbished Roamio Basic boxes and six Mini boxes. Do you think I should try?


----------



## dlgamble

TazExprez said:


> I have only been with TiVo since August and currently have two refurbished Roamio Basic boxes and six Mini boxes. Do you think I should try?


All they can say is "No." I would try. When I called, I didn't think I would qualify.


----------



## JBinSD

I failed to click the "purchase" button on my Roamio basic (cable) with lifetime, and I called, they gave me no pity, if anyone has a cable Roamio with lifetime, I'd love to take it off their hands. . .


----------



## spaldingclan

I pulled the trigger on the OTA model


----------



## JBinSD

Morbidz or anyone:
I would definitely be interested in buying someone's "spare" Roamio with lifetime. I don't have the post count to pm yet. . .


----------



## HarperVision

JBinSD said:


> I failed to click the "purchase" button on my Roamio basic (cable) with lifetime, and I called, they gave me no pity, if anyone has a cable Roamio with lifetime, I'd love to take it off their hands. . .





JBinSD said:


> Morbidz or anyone:
> I would definitely be interested in buying someone's "spare" Roamio with lifetime. I don't have the post count to pm yet. . .


I may have one available. I'll let you know in the next couple days after my Bolt arrives and is all setup and good to go.


----------



## JBinSD

Thanks Harper, I came to the dance a little late, but the main attraction to me would be the lifetime subscription, I was kinda stupid not to pull the trigger last week, but I had never used Tivo before (still haven't), but my HTPC is becoming too high-maintenance, and I've heard good things about Tivo, so I'd like to jump into the game. I also think I may be able to pm now, since I have 10 posts.

Still interested in a cablecard lifetime sub box,


----------



## HarperVision

JBinSD said:


> Thanks Harper, I came to the dance a little late, but the main attraction to me would be the lifetime subscription, I was kinda stupid not to pull the trigger last week, but I had never used Tivo before (still haven't), but my HTPC is becoming too high-maintenance, and I've heard good things about Tivo, so I'd like to jump into the game. I also think I may be able to pm now, since I have 10 posts. Still interested in a cablecard lifetime sub box,


OK I'll let you know if it becomes available.


----------



## TazExprez

I ordered the $300.00 refurbished Roamio that had been in my cart since August today. I hope that they actually ship it.


----------



## TazExprez

They shipped my order!


----------



## JBinSD

Nice Taz, this tells me they still have some on hand, and just don't want to let one go to a newbie like me (insert eyeroll).


----------



## tarheelblue32

JBinSD said:


> Nice Taz, this tells me they still have some on hand, and just don't want to let one go to a newbie like me (insert eyeroll).


Not necessarily. I assume if they run out of refurbs after you have already ordered one, they would just ship you a new one instead. My "refurb" that I ordered after the sale was over will be here tomorrow. Anybody know if there is actually a way for me to tell if it is truly a refurb or if it is a new unit?


----------



## MikeBear

tarheelblue32 said:


> Not necessarily. I assume if they run out of refurbs after you have already ordered one, they would just ship you a new one instead. My "refurb" that I ordered after the sale was over will be here tomorrow. *Anybody know if there is actually a way for me to tell if it is truly a refurb or if it is a new unit?*


NOPE, unless it comes to you looking beat up! I ordered the refurb, and it looks absolutely brand-spanking NEW. It even still has the peel-off plastic protective layer stuff on it, to keep from getting scratches.


----------



## cjgadd3

tarheelblue32 said:


> Not necessarily. I assume if they run out of refurbs after you have already ordered one, they would just ship you a new one instead. My "refurb" that I ordered after the sale was over will be here tomorrow. Anybody know if there is actually a way for me to tell if it is truly a refurb or if it is a new unit?


Back when they were selling refurbed HDs, the second set of numbers in the TSN were different for new and refurbed.


----------



## HarperVision

tarheelblue32 said:


> Not necessarily. I assume if they run out of refurbs after you have already ordered one, they would just ship you a new one instead. My "refurb" that I ordered after the sale was over will be here tomorrow. Anybody know if there is actually a way for me to tell if it is truly a refurb or if it is a new unit?





MikeBear said:


> NOPE, unless it comes to you looking beat up! I ordered the refurb, and it looks absolutely brand-spanking NEW. It even still has the peel-off plastic protective layer stuff on it, to keep from getting scratches.


Well, if it comes in the retail Roamio box that's all colorful, it's new. My refurb came in a plain brown box. It did look new though, so maybe they will put a new one in the refurb box, if sold as such?


----------



## lpwcomp

Why does everyone expect a refurb to look as if it has been in a war zone?


----------



## dmurphy

lpwcomp said:


> Why does everyone expect a refurb to look as if it has been in a war zone?


No idea. I have two of the Roamio S refurbs, and best as I can tell, it was a brand new enclosure. Only part that looked like it may have been recycled was the HDD, as mine had a 2012 manufacture date. Didn't make a hill of beans of difference to me, as the first thing I did was drop a 4TB HDD in them.


----------



## jwbelcher

lpwcomp said:


> Why does everyone expect a refurb to look as if it has been in a war zone?


Partly due to seeing what the STBs look like that my local cable co recycles after coming out of peoples homes. Sounds like TiVo does a solid job refurbing though.


----------



## sheshechic

It's entirely possible that some of the refurbs were returned.


----------



## NickTheGreat

My refurb was in the factory box and with the protective plastic too.

I like refurb stuff . . . it means somebody else had the problem and it got *fixed*.


----------



## javabird

NickTheGreat said:


> My refurb was in the factory box and with the protective plastic too.
> 
> I like refurb stuff . . . it means somebody else had the problem and it got *fixed*.


I agree. I've had 2 refurbs and they have all looked and performed like brand new.


----------



## MikeekiM

My Roamio Pro refurb didn't look like it came out of a war zone...but it also wasn't perfect either... Mine came with a minor surface scratch on the face of the receiver... You can see it under close inspection, but I don't even notice it when I glance (or even stare) at my AV rack...


----------



## gigaguy

Refurbs can mean many things. Many think it's only repaired units, but it can also be a damaged retail box, a demonstrator, trade show or promo models, used or unused returns, an overstock, a discontinued item etc. 
With Apple you can often get an upgraded item as a refurb as many of the refurb Macs used to have upgraded RAM or HDD; also Apple says refurbs can be better since they are checked out more thoroughly. Many refurbs are repackaged without the retail box for a variety of reasons.
The Sony Outlet near me used to see lots of 'refurbs' that fit all these scenarios.


----------



## MikeBear

lpwcomp said:


> Why does everyone expect a refurb to look as if it has been in a war zone?


Look at the comments on Amazon for the Roku 3 refurb. From the comments, many look like they were rolled across a floor.

So, it really depends on the company that is selling them. Personally, I've always had good luck with refurbs.


----------



## HarperVision

MikeBear said:


> Look at the comments on Amazon for the Roku 3 refurb. From the comments, many look like they were rolled across a floor.
> 
> So, it really depends on the company that is selling them. Personally, I've always had good luck with refurbs.


I bought 3 of those from Woot a little more than a year ago for $6X each and they were all in like new, great shape, FWIW.


----------



## tgenius

What is the likelyhood that Roamio Basic units with Lifetime will be going up for sale again? I'm tempted to get one if I can get it relatively cheap (300-400ish) and keep it until I decide if I want to switch from DirecTV.


----------



## tarheelblue32

tgenius said:


> What is the likelyhood that Roamio Basic units with Lifetime will be going up for sale again? I'm tempted to get one if I can get it relatively cheap (300-400ish) and keep it until I decide if I want to switch from DirecTV.


They are already on sale if you have been a TiVo customer more than 3-5 years. You can get a basic Roamio for $400 or a Roamio Plus for $450 right now if you call up TiVo and ask for it.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532395


----------



## tgenius

tarheelblue32 said:


> They are already on sale if you have been a TiVo customer more than 3-5 years. You can get a basic Roamio for $400 or a Roamio Plus for $450 right now if you call up TiVo and ask for it.
> 
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532395


My problem is I unfortunately have never been a tivo customer (but was one for many years under directv) I'd love to get one but of course if the deal is right!


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## HarperVision

If you've been a DirecTiVo customer, it wouldn't hurt to call and ask for a deal. They seem to be changing things a lot lately with the Bolt's release.


----------



## tarheelblue32

HarperVision said:


> Well, if it comes in the retail Roamio box that's all colorful, it's new. My refurb came in a plain brown box. It did look new though, so maybe they will put a new one in the refurb box, if sold as such?


Yeah my refurb just got here and it's definitely a refurb. It was in a plain brown box rather than the colorful retail box. As long as it works that's what matters.


----------



## GIXX1300

tarheelblue32 said:


> They are already on sale if you have been a TiVo customer more than 3-5 years. You can get a basic Roamio for $400 or a Roamio Plus for $450 right now if you call up TiVo and ask for it.
> 
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532395


Yup, mine is being delivered today. They even threw in the Tivo Slide remote for free. Upgrading from a two tuner Premiere that I lifetimed a couple years back for $99. Started getting cramped once the Wife got the hang of it. Figured this would get me through until the Bolt matures and has a better deal.


----------



## bengalfreak

My refurb had scratches on the case. But, so far it works like new.


----------



## JBinSD

Just to confirm, buying a Roamio from a third party means you can't thereafter get lifetime subscriptions, right? But the LT sub, if already purchased, does go with the machine? I'm still looking for a deal similar to the Roamio refurb LT for $300, but nothing's really out there. . .


----------



## sheshechic

JBinSD said:


> Just to confirm, buying a Roamio from a third party means you can't thereafter get lifetime subscriptions, right? But the LT sub, if already purchased, does go with the machine? I'm still looking for a deal similar to the Roamio refurb LT for $300, but nothing's really out there. . .


Yeah, you're probably not going to find that deal anywhere for a while. Your best bet is most likely Ebay (LT stays with the box), but it looks like those prices have risen. Most people are going to ask more than $300 since they either paid more than that for it and/or because they're now hard to find (w/LT).

Since Bolt replaces Roamio Basic and OTA once inventory is gone, it's gone and I believe they're gone from Tivo's inventory. Oh, they might be keeping some, including returns, but they'll most likely hold onto them as replacements for those that are still under warranty.

Maybe it's time to consider a Bolt? It's quite possible that LT for it a year from now might be much less.

BTW, if you don't need the OTA feature, then consider the Premiere XL4 with lifetime. You'll probably be able to find one in your price range.


----------



## aaronwt

JBinSD said:


> Just to confirm, buying a Roamio from a third party means you can't thereafter get lifetime subscriptions, right? But the LT sub, if already purchased, does go with the machine? I'm still looking for a deal similar to the Roamio refurb LT for $300, but nothing's really out there. . .


You can still get Lifetime ON Roamios from a third party. But it is called All In now.


----------



## tgenius

aaronwt said:


> You can still get Lifetime ON Roamios from a third party. But it is called All In now.


Can you explain this a bit please?


----------



## tarheelblue32

tgenius said:


> Can you explain this a bit please?


Lifetime service is now called "all in" service. It's essentially the same thing, just a different name and a higher price. It now costs $600 instead of $500 like it used to. TiVo no longer promotes lifetime or "all in" service on their website, but if you call in and ask for it they will still sell it to you on the newer hardware (Premieres, Roamios, and Bolts), but not on the older hardware (Series 1, 2, and 3).


----------



## HarperVision

aaronwt said:


> You can still get Lifetime ON Roamios from a third party. But it is called All In now.





tgenius said:


> Can you explain this a bit please?


I think you're misreading it tgenius, and that's why you're confused.

I believe you're reading it as you can still buy "*Lifetime from third parties*" on a Roamio. What aaronwt is saying is that you can still get lifetime service if you *bought the Roamio* "from a third party".

That's kind of how I first read it too.


----------



## tgenius

HarperVision said:


> I think you're misreading it tgenius, and that's why you're confused.
> 
> I believe you're reading it as you can still buy "*Lifetime from third parties*" on a Roamio. What aaronwt is saying is that you can still get lifetime service if you *bought the Roamio* "from a third party".
> 
> That's kind of how I first read it too.


Yep, thats exactly how I read it too! I'm seriously debating picking one up on Ebay with Lifetime for the Roamio Basic. I think it would fit my needs perfectly. I just want a lifetime unit, refuse to pay $15 a month for it (not saying it isn't worth it, just saying that for me to make the leap from DirecTV it would have to be a slam dunk across the board as the DirecTV DVR is actually pretty decent.


----------



## mickinct

tgenius said:


> Yep, thats exactly how I read it too! I'm seriously debating picking one up on Ebay with Lifetime for the Roamio Basic. I think it would fit my needs perfectly. I just want a lifetime unit, refuse to pay $15 a month for it (not saying it isn't worth it, just saying that for me to make the leap from DirecTV it would have to be a slam dunk across the board as the DirecTV DVR is actually pretty decent.


Amazon still has them.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JD7M42BKS1J8J3J14VP


----------



## tgenius

mickinct said:


> Amazon still has them.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JD7M42BKS1J8J3J14VP


That is the OTA, I want the Basic so I can choose between OTA and Cablecard. :/


----------



## HarperVision

tgenius said:


> That is the OTA, I want the Basic so I can choose between OTA and Cablecard. :/


I may have one available soon, depending on how my Bolt experience goes.


----------



## tgenius

In your (all of you! ) experience, does Tivo typically run the lifetime special deals a couple of times a year? Like is it something we can expect around Black Friday perhaps based on previous years?


----------



## davezatz

tgenius said:


> In your (all of you! ) experience, does Tivo typically run the lifetime special deals a couple of times a year? Like is it something we can expect around Black Friday perhaps based on previous years?


No and no. This is unusual. Think they're trying to clear inventory given Bolt and get more 'activations' on the book. Having said that, the ten year promo has been running since last November... so, while unusual, it's been a long stretch.


----------



## foghorn2

tarheelblue32 said:


> Yeah my refurb just got here and it's definitely a refurb. It was in a plain brown box rather than the colorful retail box. As long as it works that's what matters.


Got my refurb today , looks new, untouched, virgin, pure and it's "all in"


----------



## HarperVision

foghorn2 said:


> Got my refurb today , looks new, untouched, virgin, pure and it's "all in"


Well if it's "all in", I'm not sure how that would classify it as a "virgin" then?


----------



## foghorn2

HarperVision said:


> Well if it's "all in", I'm not sure how that would classify it as a "virgin" then?


Dunno, but out comes Jesus! 

What a setup!


----------



## ncbill

IIRC, it's the same software.

I wonder if anyone is offering an upgrade service where they'll solder a CableCard holder onto your lifetime Roamio OTA's board?



tgenius said:


> That is the OTA, I want the Basic so I can choose between OTA and Cablecard. :/


----------



## krkaufman

ncbill said:


> IIRC, it's the same software.
> 
> I wonder if anyone is offering an upgrade service where they'll solder a CableCard holder onto your lifetime Roamio OTA's board?


No soldering necessary. (Though no guarantees the capability wouldn't be disabled via some future software update.)


----------



## HarperVision

ncbill said:


> IIRC, it's the same software. I wonder if anyone is offering an upgrade service where they'll solder a CableCard holder onto your lifetime Roamio OTA's board?





krkaufman said:


> No soldering necessary. (Though no guarantees the capability wouldn't be disabled via some future software update.)





jonw747 said:


> Well, for those who are sure they won't need Cable, the Roamio OTA with Lifetime is still being offered on Amazon for $300.  Alas, it does lack stream support just like the base Roamio.


I posted this in another thread and thought it would be relevant here as well:

_Here's an easy solution. Find a used Roamio basic on ebay, etc for cheap. Buy the Amazon Roamio OTA with Lifetime for $300. Take the Cablecard bracket out of the Roamio basic and put it in the ota and voila, a cable/ota lifetime Roamio for about $350, plus you have a backup Roamio basic to use for parts!_


----------



## krkaufman

HarperVision said:


> I posted this in another thread and thought it would be relevant here as well:
> 
> _Here's an easy solution. Find a used Roamio basic on ebay, etc for cheap. Buy the Amazon Roamio OTA with Lifetime for $300. Take the Cablecard bracket out of the Roamio basic and put it in the ota and voila, a cable/ota lifetime Roamio for about $350, plus you have a backup Roamio basic to use for parts!_


RIght. And it's not theoretical, either, as the post on the other end of the "no soldering necessary" link reports. Gotta say, pretty commendable as a first and only post.


----------



## krkaufman

Somebody might be able to pickup a Lifetime'd Roamio OTA for $50 from Amazon if they're especially good at negotiations/arguing, or know some legal loopholes they can leverage...

See: http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10664650#post10664650


----------



## foghorn2

krkaufman said:


> Somebody might be able to pickup a Lifetime'd Roamio OTA for $50 from Amazon if they're especially good at negotiations/arguing, or know some legal loopholes they can leverage...
> 
> See: http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10664650#post10664650


I already did 

Not being hit with a rolling pin on this one


----------



## foghorn2

No longer available from Amazon, they better fix that because the vendors still selling it will have to honor the Lifetime Service.


----------



## tarheelblue32

foghorn2 said:


> No longer available from Amazon, they better fix that because the vendors still selling it will have to honor the Lifetime Service.


The Amazon ones will probably come with lifetime, but the 3rd-party ones just won't and they won't have to honor it if it was a mistake, which this clearly is. You could probably return it to them because of the mistake, but you won't get lifetime for free on them.


----------



## tarheelblue32

As pointed out in another thread, the $300 lifetime Roamio OTA from Amazon appears to be back for orders, though it says shipping will take 2-5 weeks:



redmed said:


> Just found it on Amazon
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148ZRFVO?pldnSite=1


----------



## Sasparilla

Just picked up a Roamio Plus $349 + Lifetime $99 yesterday (10-13-2015), called, verified I've been with them for more than 5 years...etc.. 

Wanted to get the basic bluray rip playing ability of the Bolt but couldn't handle the much more expensive Lifetime cost and frankly didn't like/want the 2.5 inch laptop drives for something we'll be wanting to eventually put 4k video on (think 1080p bluray media eats up space just wait). Will wait for the higher end version(s) of the Bolt to come out next year then possibly make a switch.

This is an update from a Tivo HD so it should be very satisfying. The HD is dying (not hard drive related), probably capacitor / power supply related...I was shocked to see that the HD's working well with Lifetime on eBay are only going for ~$200 (selling at about 1 a day) making it not worth it to get a new power supply, install it and sell my unit from a time / money perspective. 

Last time I was selling (when I got my HD) Lifetime was still worth $500 on a well used Series 2 eBay...no more (don't know if that is because TiVo diluted the value or the market is shrinking and people are just dropping their TiVo's slowly....feels like the latter looking at eBay).


----------



## JBinSD

Sasparilla said:


> Just picked up a Roamio Plus $349 + Lifetime $99 yesterday (10-13-2015), called, verified I've been with them for more than 5 years...etc..
> 
> Wanted to get the basic bluray rip playing ability of the Bolt but couldn't handle the much more expensive Lifetime cost and frankly didn't like/want the 2.5 inch laptop drives for something we'll be wanting to eventually put 4k video on (think 1080p bluray media eats up space just wait). Will wait for the higher end version(s) of the Bolt to come out next year then possibly make a switch.
> 
> This is an update from a Tivo HD so it should be very satisfying. The HD is dying (not hard drive related), probably capacitor / power supply related...I was shocked to see that the HD's working well with Lifetime on eBay are only going for ~$200 (selling at about 1 a day) making it not worth it to get a new power supply, install it and sell my unit from a time / money perspective.
> 
> Last time I was selling (when I got my HD) Lifetime was still worth $500 on a well used Series 2 eBay...no more (don't know if that is because TiVo diluted the value or the market is shrinking and people are just dropping their TiVo's slowly....feels like the latter looking at eBay).


So for someone outside of the loyalty party, could we "hire" someone with loyalty to buy an "all in unit", and still reap the rewards, without fear of fraud or criminalization? I'm still kicking myself for not jumping on the Refurb LT'd for $300 . . .


----------



## dbtom

foghorn2 said:


> I already did
> 
> Not being hit with a rolling pin on this one


Did you get the Roamio OTA yet? I was shocked that it actually shipped to me for $50. Says very clearly the "style" is lifetime service. Seller is Amazon. It's supposed to arrive Tuesday. It's a crazy deal if it works.


----------



## foghorn2

Yes, got it and verified it has lifetime on it. Screwed in the cable card bracket extracted from the Basic and now its a lifetime basic.


----------



## tgenius

foghorn2 said:


> Yes, got it and verified it has lifetime on it. Screwed in the cable card bracket extracted from the Basic and now its a lifetime basic.


When you add the bracket does the menu change to reflect it as a different product?


----------



## HarperVision

foghorn2 said:


> Yes, got it and verified it has lifetime on it. Screwed in the cable card bracket extracted from the Basic and now its a lifetime basic.


That's awesome, so glad to have another confirmation that this works!



tgenius said:


> When you add the bracket does the menu change to reflect it as a different product?


You won't see anything different in the regular menus until you plug in either a cablecard and/or Tuning Adapter (if needed). It will say that it detects the new hardware and asks if you want to also rerun guided setup to add cable service.


----------



## dbtom

Wow. That's awesome. Just found your earlier thread about adding a cablecard slot. I really wanted to get another mini but for $50, an OTA is a crazy deal.


----------



## Nelson2009

Really ? Remove CableCard adapter from Basic and put OTA ?? I guess OTA logic board had connector for cablecard adapter. Hope I didn't misread


----------



## HarperVision

Nelson2009 said:


> Really ? Remove CableCard adapter from Basic and put OTA ?? I guess OTA logic board had connector for cablecard adapter. Hope I didn't misread


You read correctly. Just swap the connector bracket and off ya go.


----------



## tgenius

HarperVision said:


> You read correctly. Just swap the connector bracket and off ya go.


Do you have to take it apart to make that change?


----------



## HarperVision

tgenius said:


> Do you have to take it apart to make that change?


 You should just be able to open the cable card compartment and screw it in there.


----------



## JBinSD

foghorn2 said:


> Yes, got it and verified it has lifetime on it. Screwed in the cable card bracket extracted from the Basic and now its a lifetime basic.


Wow, so a few of you actually got a OTA Roamio with Lifetime for $49? Smokin' deal. :up: I really wanted to find a basic, with cablecard and OTA, but I may have to just buy the OTA, as I don't like the idea of monthly subscription service. . .

Frys has the OTA (without lifetime) on promo special for $40 today too. . .


----------



## tgenius

HarperVision said:


> You should just be able to open the cable card compartment and screw it in there.


Is there an actual connector that plugs in, or is it only the 4 screws holding in the bracket? Concerning the cablecard, if I were to pick one up on Ebay used would the Tivo even recognize it or does it HAVE to be an active card for it to be detected?

Thanks!!


----------



## foghorn2

The bracket has many pins that attaches to the receptacle sticking out of the motherboard. The bracket is held on with 4 screws, 2 on the top of the bracket to the connector, two screws on the legs of the bracket to the chassis.

The connector looks some thing like an old IDE harddrive connector.


----------



## dbtom

foghorn2:

Did you do anything special to get the lifetime on the OTA box you got from Amazon? I ran through the guided setup. It was getting stuck at "one moment please." Read online that I should try to add it to my account online to get past this message. However, online the only option is $14.99 monthly service. I suspect this $49 box does not have lifetime


----------



## lpwcomp

Am I the only one to whom the obvious joke has come to mind?


----------



## HarperVision

tgenius said:


> Is there an actual connector that plugs in, or is it only the 4 screws holding in the bracket? Concerning the cablecard, if I were to pick one up on Ebay used would the Tivo even recognize it or does it HAVE to be an active card for it to be detected?
> 
> Thanks!!


See foghorn2's reply for connector questions.

For the cablecards from ebay, I would say YMMV. I ordered a lot of 10 of them and they all have worked so far for basic mapping of the channels. Just make sure you get the brand that matches what your cable co uses as a headend, i.e. - Motorola/Arris, Scientific Atlanta/Cisco. They will not activate these for you though, so the only thing you can get with them are the channels that are already in the clear.


----------



## foghorn2

dbtom said:


> foghorn2:
> 
> Did you do anything special to get the lifetime on the OTA box you got from Amazon? I ran through the guided setup. It was getting stuck at "one moment please." Read online that I should try to add it to my account online to get past this message. However, online the only option is $14.99 monthly service. I suspect this $49 box does not have lifetime


Nothing special. Just registered it online first with the TSN and the MAK.

Maybe Amazon is pulled a fast one on their mistake.


----------



## opus472

Just bought the Plus for $350 plus $99 lifetime with free slide pro. Took a while to get there though, he started out at $499 plus a "terrific deal" of $199 lifetime.


----------



## dbtom

foghorn2 said:


> Nothing special. Just registered it online first with the TSN and the MAK.
> 
> Maybe Amazon is pulled a fast one on their mistake.


Tricky. They changed their description of what I bought to "Style: Monthly service required". I have a PDF of what I bought saying: "Style: DVR with Product Lifetime Service"


----------



## krkaufman

foghorn2 said:


> Nothing special. Just registered it online first with the TSN and the MAK.
> 
> Maybe Amazon is pulled a fast one on their mistake.


Well, wasn't your "anything special" contacting Amazon at the time of purchase to make sure you were getting the Lifetime OTA model at the subscription model price, based on the erroneous product buttons?

Just buying the $50 OTA w/o forcing Amazon to acknowledge the pricing error wouldn't automatically net the customer a Lifetime OTA.


----------



## krkaufman

opus472 said:


> Just bought the Plus for $350 plus $99 lifetime with free slide pro. Took a while to get there though, he started out at $499 plus a "terrific deal" of $199 lifetime.


Way to hang in there....!


----------



## tgenius

HarperVision said:


> See foghorn2's reply for connector questions.
> 
> For the cablecards from ebay, I would say YMMV. I ordered a lot of 10 of them and they all have worked so far for basic mapping of the channels. Just make sure you get the brand that matches what your cable co uses as a headend, i.e. - Motorola/Arris, Scientific Atlanta/Cisco. They will not activate these for you though, so the only thing you can get with them are the channels that are already in the clear.


Do you have one that you could lend me to test? I just want to see if with the CCard slot added to the OTA if it will recognize it?

Thanks!


----------



## krkaufman

tgenius said:


> Do you have one that you could lend me to test? I just want to see if with the CCard slot added to the OTA if it will recognize it?
> 
> Thanks!


Probably cheaper just *buying one off eBay* -- when compared to shipping from Hawaii.

Or cheaper still... just get a CableCARD from your cable provider and return it after a day or two. Shouldn't cost hardly anything, assuming you're only charged for the time you have it.


----------



## krkaufman

The Lifetime'd Roamio OTA is available via Amazon, again, at the $300 rate --- though with a 1-2 days processing caveat...

*TiVo Roamio OTA HD DVR with Product Lifetime Service ($300)*
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148ZRFVO

*In stock but may require an extra 1-2 days to process.*
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.​


----------



## HarperVision

tgenius said:


> Do you have one that you could lend me to test? I just want to see if with the CCard slot added to the OTA if it will recognize it? Thanks!


$12 with shipping included to lower 48 and it's yours.


----------



## dbtom

Funny message I got when I contacted Amazon

---------
In my experience, the quickest way to have this issue resolved is to contact the manufacturer directly for further assistance. Here's their contact information:*

Visit*www.directv.com/dvr*
Phone: 800-DIRECTV (800-347-3288) 24/7*


----------



## raqball

I snagged the Amazon OTA with lifetime deal. For $300 what the heck!

I was going to wait but once they are gone they will never come back and I assume even ones being sold on the secondary market will not be at that price..


----------



## mickinct

raqball said:


> I snagged the Amazon OTA with lifetime deal. For $300 what the heck!
> 
> I was going to wait but once they are gone they will never come back and I assume even ones being sold on the secondary market will not be at that price..


Got my 3rd one due in Your new estimated delivery date is: Monday, October 26, 2015 - Friday, October 30, 2015 .
TIVO OTA 3TB


----------



## raqball

mickinct said:


> Got my 3rd one due in Your new estimated delivery date is: Monday, October 26, 2015 - Friday, October 30, 2015 .


I did one day shipping as the prime update to it was only $7 more. My order says delivery is expected Thursday the 22nd, so in like 2 days which means they'd need to ship mine tomorrow..


----------



## TivoJD

There is a support article about how to activate the Roamio OTA with lifetime deal from Amazon.

https://support.tivo.com/SupportPortalArticleViewPage?artURL=/articles/Installation_Setup_Configuration/Roamio-OTA-from-Amazon-Installation-Instructions


----------



## raqball

TivoJD said:


> There is a support article about how to activate the Roamio OTA with lifetime deal from Amazon.
> 
> https://support.tivo.com/SupportPortalArticleViewPage?artURL=/articles/Installation_Setup_Configuration/Roamio-OTA-from-Amazon-Installation-Instructions


Thanks for the link! I already have an account so I assume I'll just need to call..

Are the people having activation issues new or existing customers?


----------



## mickinct

raqball said:


> Thanks for the link! I already have an account so I assume I'll just need to call..
> 
> Are the people having activation issues new or existing customers?


Getting Started	
Amazon.com is currently featuring the TiVo Roamio OTA with Product Lifetime Service for $299. If you are already a TiVo customer, all you need to do is call TiVo Customer Support at 877-367-8486 to add your new Roamio OTA to your existing account.

If you are a new TiVo customer, welcome! You're almost ready to enjoy all the features of the world's best DVR and streaming player in one. Just follow the instructions below to register your TiVo Roamio OTA:Tivo Roamio OTA with lifetime


----------



## raqball

mickinct said:


> Getting Started
> Amazon.com is currently featuring the TiVo Roamio OTA with Product Lifetime Service for $299. If you are already a TiVo customer, all you need to do is call TiVo Customer Support at 877-367-8486 to add your new Roamio OTA to your existing account.
> 
> If you are a new TiVo customer, welcome! You're almost ready to enjoy all the features of the world's best DVR and streaming player in one. Just follow the instructions below to register your TiVo Roamio OTA:


I understood that but some have posted that they were having problems activating it through Tivo customer support. I wonder if they were new or existing customers.

It should be a simple process but who knows. I guess I'll find out Thursday when mine arrives and I call to activate it on my account..


----------



## Saturn_V

I bit too, especially after learning TiVo upped the PLS (All-in) to $600. That's nucking futs. October 23 is my delivery date. My other Roamio is still on monthly, and I also have a PLS TivoHD that's still kicking. 

Haven't decided on the fate of the older Roamio yet.


----------



## Adam1115

I called to complain about all of these offers ($299 for refurb Roamio with lifetime, $299 for OTA with lifetime, $149 for mini with lifetime) and they gave me lifetime on my mini for $50. The Roamio they couldn't do anything on lifetime but lowered my monthly fee to $9.95/mo.


----------



## JBinSD

Considering the OTA instead of cable, but I'm about 35 mi. away from network towers, is there a recommended amplified antenna people prefer? I saw the winegard at costco that might work @ ~$90. . .


----------



## raqball

JBinSD said:


> Considering the OTA instead of cable, but I'm about 35 mi. away from network towers, is there a recommended amplified antenna people prefer? I saw the winegard at costco that might work @ ~$90. . .


You want indoor or outdoor?

I use 2 Mohu Leaf amplified antennas (50 mile range) inside (placed in different areas). I run both antennas into a combiner and then to the Tivo. I get 47 channels but some of these are Spanish (which I don't speak), some are QVC types and a few are religious channels. All in all I get 26 channels that I watch... Of those 26 channels, 16 are HD..

A few of my channels are 35-40 miles away and they come in just fine.

You can check at TV Fool

http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=1


----------



## JBinSD

wow, I never expected to get that kind of range from an indoor antenna. I ran the TV fool program, it looks like I'm 40 miles away from the majority of stations, and will probably need to go rooftop to the get the best signal, as I'm on a slight hillside but have a 2 story home with good southerly line-of-sight.

Still have an 8 bay bowtie, but thinking the newer, smaller powered amps might work better or at least be less obvious. . .


----------



## raqball

JBinSD said:


> wow, I never expected to get that kind of range from an indoor antenna. I ran the TV fool program, it looks like I'm 40 miles away from the majority of stations, and will probably need to go rooftop to the get the best signal, as I'm on a slight hillside but have a 2 story home with good southerly line-of-sight.
> 
> Still have an 8 bay bowtie, but thinking the newer, smaller powered amps might work better or at least be less obvious. . .


I live in a condo so an outside antenna is a no go for me. I get great reception from the Mohu Leaf's.

An outdoor antenna mounted to the roof or in an attic is always going to be the best bet but I am more than happy with the Leaf's...


----------



## HarperVision

Adam1115 said:


> I called to complain about all of these offers ($299 for refurb Roamio with lifetime, $299 for OTA with lifetime, $149 for mini with lifetime) *and they gave me lifetime on my mini for $50.* The Roamio they couldn't do anything on lifetime but lowered my monthly fee to $9.95/mo.


You could have just cancelled your mini and then went back in online the next day or so and reactivated it there, which gives it free lifetime at that point, just like any other newly activated mini does now.


----------



## tarheelblue32

HarperVision said:


> You could have just cancelled your mini and then went back in online the next day or so and reactivated it there, which gives it free lifetime at that point, just like any other newly activated mini does now.


Why did you say that? You are just going to upset him.


----------



## HarperVision

tarheelblue32 said:


> Why did you say that. You are just going to upset him.


Sorry. I guess I did just in case anyone else sees this and doesn't make the same choice.


----------



## keenanSR

So TiVo charged him $50 to do what he could have done himself instead of just telling him he could do it himself? Is TiVo really that scummy? I must have missed something.


----------



## hummingbird_206

raqball said:


> I understood that but some have posted that they were having problems activating it through Tivo customer support. I wonder if they were new or existing customers. It should be a simple process but who knows. I guess I'll find out Thursday when mine arrives and I call to activate it on my account..


It's been 9 days since i called to get the Amazon OTA Roamio activated to my existing account. Still not done and TiVo can't give me an completion date. I am not happy.


----------



## raqball

hummingbird_206 said:


> It's been 9 days since i called to get the Amazon OTA Roamio activated to my existing account. Still not done and TiVo can't give me an completion date. I am not happy.


Hopefully mine goes smoother than that..

How hard can it be? I assume Amazon activates the lifetime in their name so all Tivo needs to do is transfer it. I am sure they are well aware of it as there are plenty of these Amazon Tivo's already out there..

Have you asked for a supervisor?


----------



## HarperVision

keenanSR said:


> So TiVo charged him $50 to do what he could have done himself instead of just telling him he could do it himself? Is TiVo really that scummy? I must have missed something.


It would appear so, unfortunately.


----------



## tarheelblue32

keenanSR said:


> So TiVo charged him $50 to do what he could have done himself instead of just telling him he could do it himself? Is TiVo really that scummy? I must have missed something.


In fairness, the CSR he talked to probably doesn't actually know that he could have done this, and TiVo probably does not intend for people to do this either.


----------



## HarperVision

Well, in "fairness" TiVo should have just made it so ALL the Minis that were purchased on the old monthly/annual plans would automatically go to lifetime (or at least do it at call in) after their one year commitment was up, no?


----------



## tarheelblue32

HarperVision said:


> Well, in "fairness" TiVo should have just made it so ALL the Minis that were purchased on the old monthly/annual plans would automatically go to lifetime (or at least do it at call in) after their one year commitment was up, no?


Well it's possible that TiVo never intended to give out free lifetime on units with monthly service activated at all, and it's just an unintentional quirk of their online activation system that some people are taking advantage of.


----------



## Adam1115

HarperVision said:


> You could have just cancelled your mini and then went back in online the next day or so and reactivated it there, which gives it free lifetime at that point, just like any other newly activated mini does now.


I bet I can still do that. All newly activated minis are free lifetime?

Man these guys ripping people off on the phone is getting old. I'll cancel it tomorrow.


----------



## HarperVision

tarheelblue32 said:


> Well it's possible that TiVo never intended to give out free lifetime on units with monthly service activated at all, and it's just an unintentional quirk of their online activation system that some people are taking advantage of.


You're proving my point. It's a "Richard Head" move to go to all new minis with free lifetime yet make the poor saps that bought in before you decided that to first of all pay a FULL YEAR of service on top of the full retail price, then expect them to ALSO pay another $50 to convert it to lifetime after they paid that FULL YEAR!

I can see them making them fulfill their original contract with the one year of monthly payments, but then gouging with ANOTHER $50 to me is BS.


----------



## HarperVision

Adam1115 said:


> I bet I can still do that. All newly activated minis are free lifetime?
> 
> Man these guys ripping people off on the phone is getting old. I'll cancel it tomorrow.


Yes, they're free lifetime if activated after whatever that date was.

I'm not sure you can do that. Sounds risky.


----------



## tarheelblue32

HarperVision said:


> You're proving my point. It's a "Richard Head" move to go to all new minis with free lifetime yet make the poor saps that bought in before you decided that to first of all pay a FULL YEAR of service on top of the full retail price, then expect them to ALSO pay another $50 to convert it to lifetime after they paid that FULL YEAR!


Yes, but the retail price also increased by $50, so that was $50 the person on monthly service didn't have to pay. So the $50 lifetime charge just brings the retail price up to what everyone else pays now.


----------



## HarperVision

You're not accounting for the year of monthly payments they made though. $72 I think.


----------



## tarheelblue32

HarperVision said:


> You're not accounting for the year of monthly payments they made though. $72 I think.


I understand that, but you made it sound like they were getting hit twice, with the monthly fees and the additional $50 for lifetime, when really the $50 just pulls them even with the current retail price. So the only thing "extra" they are having to pay that new Mini buys don't have to pay is the $72 they paid in monthly fees, but they got to use the Mini a year earlier than everyone else for that $72.

I paid $250 for my Minis with lifetime, that's $100 more than people today have to pay. But I don't think TiVo owes me that $100 back.


----------



## HarperVision

tarheelblue32 said:


> I understand that, but you made it sound like they were getting hit twice, with the monthly fees and the additional $50 for lifetime, when really the $50 just pulls them even with the current retail price. So the only thing "extra" they are having to pay that new Mini buys don't have to pay is the $72 they paid in monthly fees, but they got to use the Mini a year earlier than everyone else for that $72. I paid $250 for my Minis with lifetime, that's $100 more than people today have to pay. But I don't think TiVo owes me that $100 back.


Honestly I forgot they were $99 originally so I get your point more. I was never asking for them to refund anything though, just not charge "additional" after they paid their year. Effectively saying that original buyers would pay $171 and new buyers $149, or even lower now with Amazon and BB pricing.


----------



## raqball

Just to update this..

My OTA with lifetime arrived from Amazon this morning. I started it up and ran through the initial setup process. Once it was done and updated I called Tivo to have it transferred to my account.

It took all of 5 minutes on the phone and it is already showing on my account with Lifetime service. Maybe Tivo has worked out the kinks in getting the Amazon units transferred...


----------



## raqball

Double post....


----------



## tgenius

Looks like Amazon ran out of stock on the Lifetime Tivo Roamio OTAs.. Glad I was able to get in when I did!


----------



## raqball

tgenius said:


> Looks like Amazon ran out of stock on the Lifetime Tivo Roamio OTAs.. Glad I was able to get in when I did!


Me too... I was going to wait, so glad I didn't.. :up: :up: :up:

I figured they were not going to last long.. I bet that's the end of them as well as usually Amazon will say 'more on the way' or something like that...


----------



## eric102

raqball said:


> Me too... I was going to wait, so glad I didn't.. :up: :up: :up:
> 
> I figured they were not going to last long.. I bet that's the end of them as well as usually Amazon will say 'more on the way' or something like that...


Actually this is what Amazon is now saying:

"Item Under Review. While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!) We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible."


----------



## mickinct

eric102 said:


> Actually this is what Amazon is now saying:
> 
> "Item Under Review. While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!) We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible."


My 3rd OTA Lifetime unit is shipped and due in next Thursday. shipped from Washington state Amazon DS.


----------



## raqball

eric102 said:


> Actually this is what Amazon is now saying:
> 
> "Item Under Review. While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!) We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible."


That's odd considering this is their 2nd or 3rd run of them and it appears as thought the transfer of lifetime issues have been worked out..

As a side note, when I was on the phone with Tivo earlier the girl told me all the OTA were sold out on their end and the only Roamio they had left in their stock was the Pro...


----------



## HarperVision

raqball said:


> That's odd considering this is their 2nd or 3rd run of them and it appears as thought the transfer of lifetime issues have been worked out.
> 
> As a side note, when I was on the phone with Tivo earlier the girl told me all the OTA were sold out on their end and the only Roamio they had left in their stock was the Pro...


I wonder what happens if someone orders a Roamio base or plus from here then?:

www.tivo.com/military


----------



## raqball

HarperVision said:


> I wonder what happens if someone orders a Roamio base or plus from here then?:
> 
> www.tivo.com/military


Good question.. Maybe she was wrong but I was talking to her about all the deals they had been offering and she said the only Roamio they had left was the Pro.. Of course this would not be the 1st time a rep was wrong but she appeared to know what she was doing as it only took 5 minutes, tops, for her to transfer the Amazon lifetime to my account..


----------



## foghorn2

eric102 said:


> Actually this is what Amazon is now saying:
> 
> "Item Under Review. While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!) We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible."


Thats probably because of my complaint, but its the reg OTA that had the wrong description.

They just cant get it right 

Amazon used to be pretty smart.


----------



## raqball

I am guessing they took it down due to some having issues with transferring the lifetime service..

Amazon and Tivo need to bump heads and figure out a better way to do it.. That might be moot however as I bet there are not many left and by the time they figure it out, it will apply to only a few...


----------



## hummingbird_206

raqball said:


> Just to update this..
> 
> My OTA with lifetime arrived from Amazon this morning. I started it up and ran through the initial setup process. Once it was done and updated I called Tivo to have it transferred to my account.
> 
> It took all of 5 minutes on the phone and it is already showing on my account with Lifetime service. Maybe Tivo has worked out the kinks in getting the Amazon units transferred...


Wow, I'm going on 2 weeks trying to get mine on my account. I'm on hold with TiVo again right now while they try to figure it out.



raqball said:


> I am guessing they took it down due to some having issues with transferring the lifetime service..
> 
> Amazon and Tivo need to bump heads and figure out a better way to do it.. That might be moot however as I bet there are not many left and by the time they figure it out, it will apply to only a few...


I've complained to Amazon about it a couple of times. And I will probably do so again after I get off of this most recent call to TiVo. It's just crazy that it's taking this long.


----------



## raqball

The 1st guy I got on the phone didn't really appear to know what he was doing. He said it gave him an error when trying to transfer the service so he transferred me to advanced support (or something like that). 

The woman I was transferred to was all over it and had it done in no time flat! As soon as she said it was transferred I looked at my Tivo account online and sure enough there it was, almost instantly..

I'm sure you've tried but maybe ask for advanced support? I wish I had the name of the woman who helped me because she was all over it and could probably have you up and going quickly..


----------



## hummingbird_206

raqball said:


> The 1st guy I got on the phone didn't really appear to know what he was doing. He said it gave him an error when trying to transfer the service so he transferred me to advanced support (or something like that).
> 
> The woman I was transferred to was all over it and had it done in no time flat! As soon as she said it was transferred I looked at my Tivo account online and sure enough there it was, almost instantly..
> 
> I'm sure you've tried but maybe ask for advanced support? I wish I had the name of the woman who helped me because she was all over it and could probably have you up and going quickly..


I've talked to advanced support multiple times. Today the woman I talked to said the TSN was showing as a Roamio Plus. I told her it's an OTA, but I'd be happy to send it back to TiVo and they could send me a Plus in its place. She just laughed.

She thinks she got it transferred over to me. But it will take up to 24 hours for it to show in my account. I've heard that before. But maybe this time it will actually work.


----------



## raqball

hummingbird_206 said:


> I've talked to advanced support multiple times. Today the woman I talked to said the TSN was showing as a Roamio Plus. I told her it's an OTA, but I'd be happy to send it back to TiVo and they could send me a Plus in its place. She just laughed.
> 
> She thinks she got it transferred over to me. But it will take up to 24 hours for it to show in my account. I've heard that before. But maybe this time it will actually work.


Fingers crossed for you!

I was told the same 'it may take 24 hours' to show but mine was listed under my account almost instantly..


----------



## lessd

raqball said:


> Fingers crossed for you!
> 
> I was told the same 'it may take 24 hours' to show but mine was listed under my account almost instantly..


If the unit does not move within a few seconds of the CSR coming back on the phone it never will, (until you call back and get a CSR that know what their doing) that my experience.


----------



## Adam1115

HarperVision said:


> You could have just cancelled your mini and then went back in online the next day or so and reactivated it there, which gives it free lifetime at that point, just like any other newly activated mini does now.


THANK YOU for this. The $50 lifetime was showing online as a 'future plan' so I cancelled it online. I activated it today for free.



keenanSR said:


> So TiVo charged him $50 to do what he could have done himself instead of just telling him he could do it himself? Is TiVo really that scummy? I must have missed something.


So GET THIS CRAP! I logged in and cancelled the future $50 lifetime plan.

So I called customer care, tell them I want to cancel the mini. They transfer me to someone who repeats the same thing - $50 lifetime. I say cancel. He gets pushy, "if you change your mind, it will be $149 for lifetime or $6.99 a month."

So I say "Ok, answer me this - if I sell my mini and someone buys it, how much will it cost to activate?

Mr slick says "If they call in, it will be $149 or $6.99 a month."

Adam- "What if they activate it online?"

TiVo- "I'm just telling you what will happen, if you want it cancelled I will do it but I think you should let me give you a couple of free months to think about it."

Adam- "I was told that if I called and cancelled then activated it online, it would be lifetime for free. Is that true?"

TiVo- "WHO TOLD YOU THAT? IF someone here told you that I need their name and employee number so they can be coached!"

Adam- "It doesn't matter who told me, is it true or not true??"

TiVo- "I've cancelled your mini from your account, is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Adam- "No, thanks."


----------



## Adam1115

TiVo seriously left a really bad taste in my mouth. First it was my OLED Series 3 where they swore they would never offer lifetime then did once I committed to THREE YEARS of service. Now this.


----------



## raqball

That Tivo rep was a jackwagon!


----------



## HarperVision

Adam1115 said:


> THANK YOU for this. The $50 lifetime was showing online as a 'future plan' so I cancelled it online. I activated it today for free. So GET THIS CRAP! I logged in and cancelled the future $50 lifetime plan. So I called customer care, tell them I want to cancel the mini. They transfer me to someone who repeats the same thing - $50 lifetime. I say cancel. He gets pushy, "if you change your mind, it will be $149 for lifetime or $6.99 a month." So I say "Ok, answer me this - if I sell my mini and someone buys it, how much will it cost to activate? Mr slick says "If they call in, it will be $149 or $6.99 a month." Adam- "What if they activate it online?" TiVo- "I'm just telling you what will happen, if you want it cancelled I will do it but I think you should let me give you a couple of free months to think about it." Adam- "I was told that if I called and cancelled then activated it online, it would be lifetime for free. Is that true?" TiVo- "WHO TOLD YOU THAT? IF someone here told you that I need their name and employee number so they can be coached!" Adam- "It doesn't matter who told me, is it true or not true??" TiVo- "I've cancelled your mini from your account, is there anything else I can do for you today?" Adam- "No, thanks."


Wow......just wow! Glad you got it all worked out though.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Adam1115 said:


> THANK YOU for this. The $50 lifetime was showing online as a 'future plan' so I cancelled it online. I activated it today for free.
> 
> So GET THIS CRAP! I logged in and cancelled the future $50 lifetime plan.
> 
> So I called customer care, tell them I want to cancel the mini. They transfer me to someone who repeats the same thing - $50 lifetime. I say cancel. He gets pushy, "if you change your mind, it will be $149 for lifetime or $6.99 a month."
> 
> So I say "Ok, answer me this - if I sell my mini and someone buys it, how much will it cost to activate?
> 
> Mr slick says "If they call in, it will be $149 or $6.99 a month."
> 
> Adam- "What if they activate it online?"
> 
> TiVo- "I'm just telling you what will happen, if you want it cancelled I will do it but I think you should let me give you a couple of free months to think about it."
> 
> Adam- "I was told that if I called and cancelled then activated it online, it would be lifetime for free. Is that true?"
> 
> TiVo- "WHO TOLD YOU THAT? IF someone here told you that I need their name and employee number so they can be coached!"
> 
> Adam- "It doesn't matter who told me, is it true or not true??"
> 
> TiVo- "I've cancelled your mini from your account, is there anything else I can do for you today?"
> 
> Adam- "No, thanks."


I'm glad you got the free lifetime. That is pretty bad. Clearly the CSRs know that you can get the free lifetime by activating online and are pushing the paid lifetime instead. Once you ask them a direct question about the free lifetime by activating online, they should realize that the jig is up and just admit the truth to you.


----------



## raqball

Looks like the OTA Amazon deal is back live.. $299 for the OTA with lifetime service.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148ZRFVO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00


----------



## phox_mulder

raqball said:


> Looks like the OTA Amazon deal is back live.. $299 for the OTA with lifetime service.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148ZRFVO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00


I got a notice it was available in my cart again, purchased last night, and it shipped today, should be here tomorrow by 8pm.

Previously had one in my cart, but they ran out before I decided I really needed it, and there was a note that it would take longer to ship than normal Prime items.

phox


----------



## raqball

phox_mulder said:


> I got a notice it was available in my cart again, purchased last night, and it shipped today, should be here tomorrow by 8pm.
> 
> Previously had one in my cart, but they ran out before I decided I really needed it, and there was a note that it would take longer to ship than normal Prime items.
> 
> phox


I wonder how many are left...

I just checked and it's back saying 'may require an extra 1-2 days to process'..


----------



## HarperVision

Roamio OTA refurb on Woot for $25. That's worth it for the remote, power supply and HDD alone!

http://www.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-8?ref=cnt_dly


----------



## heifer624

harpervision said:


> roamio ota refurb on woot for $25. That's worth it for the remote, power supply and hdd alone!
> 
> http://www.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-8?ref=cnt_dly


sold out now


----------



## hooper

I can't remember TiVo just dumping products to this extent before. They must have had a ton of inventory collecting dust. It has been what like 5 months of sales? 

It's not like the Roamios were fire phones type unmitigated disasters. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## raqball

hooper said:


> I can't remember TiVo just dumping products to this extent before. They must have had a ton of inventory collecting dust. It has been what like 5 months of sales?
> 
> It's not like the Roamios were fire phones type unmitigated disasters.


It's mainly the OTA they are dumping and appear to have, or had, a lot of stock. I assume this is because of the $15 a month plan. Not many cord cutters are interested in spending $15 a month.

I think the CM DVR+ sold rather well because it does not have a month fee associated with the purchase. Yes the Roamio OTA was only $50 but I think the monthly fee scared many away.

The way it stands now, the OTA Amazon deal makes the Tivo much more attractive. Same $300 price as the CM DVR and with no monthly fees. The Tivo offer so much more and is the much better unit. I doubt CM is selling many DVR's right now unless someone is clueless about the Amazon deal..


----------



## HarperVision

hooper said:


> I can't remember TiVo just dumping products to this extent before. They must have had a ton of inventory collecting dust. It has been what like 5 months of sales? It's not like the Roamios were fire phones type unmitigated disasters. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





raqball said:


> It's mainly the OTA they are dumping and appear to have, or had, a lot of stock. I assume this is because of the $15 a month plan. Not many cord cutters are interested in spending $15 a month. I think the CM DVR+ sold rather well because it does not have a month fee associated with the purchase. Yes the Roamio OTA was only $50 but I think the monthly fee scared many away. The way it stands now, the OTA Amazon deal makes the Tivo much more attractive. Same $300 price as the CM DVR and with no monthly fees. The Tivo offer so much more and is the much better unit. I doubt CM is selling many DVR's right now unless someone is clueless about the Amazon deal..


I'm thinking they are dumping more stock and getting ready to release the Bolt OTA Aereo edition soon, in time for the holiday shopping season.


----------



## aaronwt

HarperVision said:


> I'm thinking they are dumping more stock and getting ready to release the Bolt OTA Aereo edition soon, in time for the holiday shopping season.


I thought it was already past the date needed for release to get them on store shelves for the holidays?


----------



## HarperVision

aaronwt said:


> I thought it was already past the date needed for release to get them on store shelves for the holidays?


Oh, maybe. Now that you mention it I do remember someone posting that retail deadline. I have no idea what it was though.


----------



## Anotherpyr

heifer624 said:


> sold out now


And again. I guess they found a few more units, but those were gone before I got to this thread. You can never tell on a woot off day if more will show up later in the day so it doesn't hurt to check.


----------



## lman

I got one of the units that was supposed to have lifetime service. I was unable to transfer the service when I received it. Tivo said that this unit did not have lifetime service. Amazon said to return it. Now I'm waiting for another one. It sounds like I'm not the first one to have this problem.


----------



## mickinct

lman said:


> I got one of the units that was supposed to have lifetime service. I was unable to transfer the service when I received it. Tivo said that this unit did not have lifetime service. Amazon said to return it. Now I'm waiting for another one. It sounds like I'm not the first one to have this problem.


who was the company??


----------



## Saturn_V

The Roamio OTA I got two weeks ago was shipped and sold by Amazon. Activated with lifetime fine. 

I'd be real interested to see if this was a 3rd Party Amazon seller that sold this to you.


----------



## lman

It was the $299.00 unit from Amazon.com. If you read the feedback other people have had the same problem.


----------



## mickinct

lman said:


> It was the $299.00 unit from Amazon.com. If you read the feedback other people have had the same problem.


was it from a 3rd Party Amazon seller ?? not amazon itself.? I made that mistake too but it was not shipped, I asked the vendor and it did not have PLS. so refund was giving right away, then ordered from amazon direct they shipped it from amazon warehse, got it put 3tb in unit actvd no problems this is my 3rd new OTA unit.


----------



## lman

As I said earlier it was the unit from Amazon.com. It was not from a 3rd party. I did not make a mistake, Amazon did. If you don't believe me, read the feedback.


----------



## mickinct

lman said:


> As I said earlier it was the unit from Amazon.com. It was not from a 3rd party. I did not make a mistake, Amazon did. If you don't believe me, read the feedback.


CHILL OUT good luck..............


----------



## waterchange

$24.99 + $5 shipping Woot refurb Roamio OTA is back. Not a Woot-Off like last time so 4 days left or until sold out. I really want to buy one just to get a new remote for my Plus but I'm amazingly exercising fiscal restraint and will pass.

http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-10


----------



## HarperVision

No reason to have "fiscal restraint" when it's only $30 dude!


----------



## dmurphy

waterchange said:


> $24.99 + $5 shipping Woot refurb Roamio OTA is back. Not a Woot-Off like last time so 4 days left or until sold out. I really want to buy one just to get a new remote for my Plus but I'm amazingly exercising fiscal restraint and will pass.
> 
> http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-10


Same here - was thinking just for spare parts for my two Roamios!


----------



## HarperVision

Or if you have an old broken Roamio you can just swap the cablecard bracket on it as a cheap replacement.


----------



## tarheelblue32

dmurphy said:


> Same here - was thinking just for spare parts for my two Roamios!


I just bought one for spare parts. It's at least worth the cost for the remote alone.


----------



## waterchange

HarperVision said:


> No reason to have "fiscal restraint" when it's only $30 dude!


fair enough ... I just bought it!


----------



## mickinct

dmurphy said:


> Same here - was thinking just for spare parts for my two Roamios!


Just snagg it, 3 ota with pls and 2 spares.


----------



## keenanSR

Just ordered one as well, I have no idea why, but for $33 delivered, what the heck!


----------



## satpro

The remote, power supply and spare 500 gb hard drive are well worth the price.


----------



## heifer624

Since Roamio's are getting scarce and the new Bolt is a $299 initial investment the $25 is a no brainer. Or maybe I just lost my brain since I just bought three


----------



## HarperVision

Of course, no shipping to AK or HI. 

I'm beginning to hate Woot!


----------



## TivoJD

The Amazon $299 deal for Roamio OTA with Lifetime is now $389 ...


----------



## krkaufman

TivoJD said:


> The Amazon $299 deal for Roamio OTA with Lifetime is now $389 ...


That's the price for the "Sold by S&Y Electronics and fulfilled by Amazon" units; the $300 "sold by Amazon" units are "temporarily out of stock."

Though, to be completely accurate, the $389 "S&Y Electronics" units are listed as "In stock on November 13, 2015," so they're not in stock, either.


----------



## mickinct

$299.99

& FREE Shipping. Details
+ $0.00 estimated tax
Amazon Prime TM
New

Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item.
Domestic shipping rates and return policy.

Amazon.com


krkaufman said:


> That's the price for the "Sold by S&Y Electronics and fulfilled by Amazon" units; the $300 "sold by Amazon" units are "temporarily out of stock."
> 
> Though, to be completely accurate, the $389 "S&Y Electronics" units are listed as "In stock on November 13, 2015," so they're not in stock, either.


----------



## krkaufman

mickinct said:


> $299.99
> 
> & FREE Shipping. Details
> + $0.00 estimated tax
> Amazon Prime TM
> New
> 
> *Temporarily out of stock. *Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item.
> Domestic shipping rates and return policy.
> 
> Amazon.com


Yes, correct, as stated in the reply you quoted...


krkaufman said:


> That's the price for the "Sold by S&Y Electronics and fulfilled by Amazon" units; *the $300 "sold by Amazon" units are "temporarily out of stock."*


----------



## TivoJD

oops, guess I should have looked farther down to see the $299


----------



## junesen

waterchange said:


> $24.99 + $5 shipping Woot refurb Roamio OTA is back. Not a Woot-Off like last time so 4 days left or until sold out. I really want to buy one just to get a new remote for my Plus but I'm amazingly exercising fiscal restraint and will pass.
> 
> http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-10


It says:

TiVo service required; not included. 1-year commitment.

So if you buy this, don't you have to pay $15/mon for a year?


----------



## heifer624

junesen said:


> It says:
> 
> TiVo service required; not included. 1-year commitment.
> 
> So if you buy this, don't you have to pay $15/mon for a year?


YES, when you eventually activate it through TIVO to receive guide service. If you never activate or use it for parts, then NO.

https://support.tivo.com/SupportPor...ntial_Summary/TiVo-Payment-Plans-and-Policies


----------



## Random User 7

bought one as well. my remote has been dropped just a few too many times.


----------



## floorabove

First , I'd like to say thanks for such a great forum. I cut th cord a few weeks ago, and this forum makes me realize I should hav folloomy gut instinct and cut the cord years ago. 

Anyway thanks to this forum I wwas a le to get a lifetime roamio ota from amazon for 300. I still have t hD time to unbox it. 

And last night thanks to this forum I impulsively pulled the trigger on the woot deal. Thinking I would be able to use my lifetime plan on this tivo too. But after buying I looked into it, and now I think I would need a second subscription. Is that correct?


----------



## krkaufman

floorabove said:


> Anyway thanks to this forum I wwas a le to get a lifetime roamio ota from amazon for 300. I still have t hD time to unbox it.
> 
> And last night thanks to this forum I impulsively pulled the trigger on the woot deal. Thinking I would be able to use my lifetime plan on this tivo too. But after buying I looked into it, and now *I think I would need a second subscription.* Is that correct?


Yes, any service plan is specific to a given device. There is no "family plan."

And just to be clear, the Lifetime service plan that you purchased with your $300 Roamio OTA via Amazon is limited to that device -- and to the lifetime of that device, not your lifetime. (Which also means that the Lifetime service moves with the unit, should you later go another route and look to sell the Roamio OTA. The Lifetime service plan would move with the Roamio OTA when you transfer the OTA to the new owner's TiVo account.)


----------



## raqball

If you want to use the Woot Tivo then yes you need another subscription.

I think most are buying it to keep for spare parts. For $25 you are basically getting an extra remote, hard drive and power supply..


----------



## fcfc2

floorabove said:


> First , I'd like to say thanks for such a great forum. I cut th cord a few weeks ago, and this forum makes me realize I should hav folloomy gut instinct and cut the cord years ago.
> 
> Anyway thanks to this forum I wwas a le to get a lifetime roamio ota from amazon for 300. I still have t hD time to unbox it.
> 
> And last night thanks to this forum I impulsively pulled the trigger on the woot deal. Thinking I would be able to use my lifetime plan on this tivo too. But after buying I looked into it, and now I think I would need a second subscription. Is that correct?


Hi,
Yes you are correct, but I wouldn't feel too bad. For your $30+, you get an extra remote, power supply, hard drive, and potentially several other parts if you ever need them. There is a better than fair chance you could sell the parts and easily recoup your entire investment.


----------



## mickinct

Has anybody use a different ie cheaper av cable other than the tivo av 15$ 3.5 mm rca ? to a dvd recorder or tv other than hdmi.


----------



## floorabove

Ok. Thx. 

But if i keep it for spare parts, how will i know it works?

Can i use this without a subscription?


----------



## tarheelblue32

floorabove said:


> Ok. Thx.
> 
> But if i keep it for spare parts, how will i know it works?
> 
> Can i use this without a subscription?


Even without a subscription you can still plug it in and let it boot up and see how far you get. I think it should let you get through guided setup to where you can at least watch live TV channels with it and have access to the live TV buffer.


----------



## krkaufman

mickinct said:


> Has anybody use a different ie cheaper av cable other than the tivo av 15$ 3.5 mm rca ? to a dvd recorder or tv other than hdmi.


Yes.

Composite and component (like the TiVo kit)...
http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10581858#post10581858

... or composite only:
http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10689057#post10689057


----------



## keenanSR

tarheelblue32 said:


> Even without a subscription you can still plug it in and let it boot up and see how far you get. I think it should let you get through guided setup to where you can at least watch live TV channels with it and have access to the live TV buffer.


So it becomes a basic ATSC tuner with a 30 min buffer per tuner/channel? That's a very doable use situation for some people. I didn't think it would let you even do that without the subscription though I've never really investigated doing something like that anyway.


----------



## mickinct

krkaufman said:


> Yes.
> 
> Composite and component (like the TiVo kit)...
> http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10581858#post10581858
> 
> ... or composite only:
> http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10689057#post10689057


I'll see if this works.http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5mm-Mini-...udio-Video-Camcorder-Cable-6FT-/301167716109?


----------



## mickinct

keenanSR said:


> So it becomes a basic ATSC tuner with a 30 min buffer per tuner/channel? That's a very doable use situation for some people. I didn't think it would let you even do that without the subscription though I've never really investigated doing something like that anyway.


This will not work, without the subscription I have a spare unit got for 20$ it does not work without the subscription.You do see any channels.


----------



## tarheelblue32

mickinct said:


> This will not work, without the subscription I have a spare unit got for 20$ it does not work without the subscription.You do see any channels.


Did you try going through guided setup?


----------



## mickinct

tarheelblue32 said:


> Did you try going through guided setup?


It boots to account closed. call tivo. pulled bat out to reset unit, no go, will try with another hdd.


----------



## mickinct

mickinct said:


> It boots to account closed. call tivo. pulled bat out to reset unit, no go, will try with another hdd.


I changed HDD, it works as a tuner gets all channels.with a 30 min buffer per tuner/channel


----------



## satpro

mickinct said:


> I changed HDD, it works as a tuner gets all channels.with a 30 min buffer per tuner/channel


If another HDD worked then you should have also been able to pull the HDD that came with it, reformat it on a computer, reinstall it, let it download fresh software, and then use it for live TV.


----------



## dmurphy

tarheelblue32 said:


> I just bought one for spare parts. It's at least worth the cost for the remote alone.


Yep, I did it. Just having a spare power supply is worth the $25.

I have about a half dozen spare remotes now that all my Slide remotes are in but still.... Just some spares is a good thing. Even a spare case in case mine gets scratched


----------



## eric102

I wonder what would happen if I put in the 500GB HD that originally came with my lifetime basic, would it auto reformat or just use it as is?


----------



## mickinct

eric102 said:


> I wonder what would happen if I put in the 500GB HD that originally came with my lifetime basic, would it auto reformat or just use it as is?


It would remember all the settings from the other owner/ place . You can hot swap in the same machine and all your recds are all there.


----------



## ClearToLand

waterchange said:


> $24.99 + $5 shipping Woot refurb Roamio OTA is back. Not a Woot-Off like last time so 4 days left or until sold out. I really want to buy one just to get a new remote for my Plus *but I'm amazingly exercising fiscal restraint and will pass*.
> 
> http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-10





HarperVision said:


> *No reason to have "fiscal restraint" when it's only $30 dude!*





dmurphy said:


> Same here - was thinking just for *spare parts for my two Roamios!*


I just returned to TiVo ("New" Refurb Roamio Basic w/Lifetime) after a decade with 4 networked ReplayTV 5XXXs so not only was the $300 deal great, I'm looking at this deal as 3 HDDs, 3 Remotes, and 3 Power Supplies for ~$85 ($28.33 ea) and forgetting the rest. All indications are the Roamio Basic is history - the warranty was 30 days parts, 90 days labor, IIRC. As long as the motherboard holds on, I now have PLENTY of repair parts (Remote will probably go in a few years and P/S might when I upgrade the HDD to 3TB). I intend to use 1 or 2 HDDs for PC image storage so I'm a Happy Camper.

So glad to see the deal returned.

Thanks @waterchange!


----------



## mickinct

Just got e-mail from woot saying mine shipped... from IND.


----------



## eric102

mickinct said:


> It would remember all the settings from the other owner/ place . You can hot swap in the same machine and all your recds are all there.


I'm the original owner and activated the basic over a year ago with its original 500GB HD in place. Then later I upgraded it to a 3TB and put the 500GB HD in storage without removing any data.

Now I'm getting one of the woot OTA refurbs for spare parts but was just curious what might happen if I were to drop that original basic HD into the refurb OTA without wiping it clean.

I'm assuming there is some sort of TSN info on the HD which wouldn't match the TSN of the OTA so it probably wouldn't work without a reformat?


----------



## mickinct

eric102 said:


> I'm the original owner and activated the basic over a year ago with its original 500GB HD in place. Then later I upgraded it to a 3TB and put the 500GB HD in storage without removing any data.
> 
> Now I'm getting one of the woot OTA refurbs for spare parts but was just curious what might happen if I were to drop that original basic HD into the refurb OTA without wiping it clean.
> 
> I'm assuming there is some sort of TSN info on the HD which wouldn't match the TSN of the OTA so it probably wouldn't work without a reformat?


DO NOT install in the woot ota, you WILL loose all your recordings. you can reinstall it in the older unit and see all your recordings.


----------



## PSU_Sudzi

mickinct said:


> I changed HDD, it works as a tuner gets all channels.with a 30 min buffer per tuner/channel


Can it see other TiVo's on your home network?


----------



## tarheelblue32

PSU_Sudzi said:


> Can it see other TiVo's on your home network?


It can't do that unless there is active service on it. The best you can do without service is live TV with the 30-minute buffer.


----------



## satpro

My $25 Woot refurb Roamio OTA just got delivered today, on a Sunday morning thanks to Amazon/USPS delivery. 

The back of the Tivo says it was made on 19 Jun 15. The Tivo is still wrapped in the plastic coating, the power supply is wound like new and the remote looks like it might have been tested, the two AA batteries in the box are Duracell one from 2012 and one from 2013 that were just connected by hand with scotch tape.


----------



## heifer624

Got my three units today from Woot just as you described. Firing up one now to see what it can do without actually activating service. It looks like a brand new unit. No scratches what so ever.


----------



## tarheelblue32

My refurbished Roamio OTA from Woot arrived today as well. Haven't tested it yet though.


----------



## krkaufman

dmurphy said:


> Same here - was thinking just for spare parts for my two Roamios!


My rationalization for just pulling the trigger on a $31 Woot Roamio OTA is for the spare remote and power adapter, but also to use the OTA for drive upgrade experimentation.

I just wish they had a similar deal for refurbished base Roamios, 'cause I'd sure like to snag a CableCARD bracket.


----------



## satpro

Woot sale is over, it says sold out now, mine was approx carton 300 of 606 units on the inner cardboard box.


----------



## keenanSR

tarheelblue32 said:


> Did you try going through guided setup?





krkaufman said:


> My rationalization for just pulling the trigger on a $31 Woot Roamio OTA is for the spare remote and power adapter, but also to use the OTA for drive upgrade experimentation.
> 
> I just wish they had a similar deal for refurbished base Roamios, 'cause I'd sure like to snag a CableCARD bracket.


Wasn't there a link here somewhere to those brackets/slots on Ebay?


----------



## ChrisFix

satpro said:


> Woot sale is over, it says sold out now, mine was approx carton 300 of 606 units on the inner cardboard box.


That's so crazy, I literally just bought one not a minute before you posted...just under the wire I guess.
EDIT: Actually, I just checked, and the deal is still working for me - I was able to add another to my cart.


----------



## tarheelblue32

Well I've gone through guided setup on my OTA. I have access to a single tuner to watch live TV on, but no access to the buffer. Oh well, it's still a spare ATSC tuner, TiVo remote, power supply, and hard drive. Pretty good for $30.


----------



## HarperVision

tarheelblue32 said:


> Well I've gone through guided setup on my OTA. I have access to a single tuner to watch live TV on, but no access to the buffer. Oh well, it's still a spare ATSC tuner, TiVo remote, power supply, and hard drive. Pretty good for $30.


There's actually a spare QAM tuner in there as well, just add a TA and/or bracket to take advantage of it!


----------



## eric102

tarheelblue32 said:


> Well I've gone through guided setup on my OTA. I have access to a single tuner to watch live TV on, but no access to the buffer. Oh well, it's still a spare ATSC tuner, TiVo remote, power supply, and hard drive. Pretty good for $30.


Well at least you know it works for spare parts or future sale.


----------



## satpro

ChrisFix said:


> That's so crazy, I literally just bought one not a minute before you posted...just under the wire I guess.
> EDIT: Actually, I just checked, and the deal is still working for me - I was able to add another to my cart.


It's working again for me too, it said sold out when I checked.


----------



## krkaufman

keenanSR said:


> Wasn't there a link here somewhere to those brackets/slots on Ebay?


No one has ever proven any third party bracket works, to the best of my knowledge. The only thing tried and tested successfully has been pulling a CableCARD bracket from a base Roamio.


----------



## satpro

tarheelblue32 said:


> Well I've gone through guided setup on my OTA. I have access to a single tuner to watch live TV on, but no access to the buffer. Oh well, it's still a spare ATSC tuner, TiVo remote, power supply, and hard drive. Pretty good for $30.


Mine was doing this and it said the status was "new," but I was able to get it to "not set up, 7 days left" by reformatting the drive and now I have the 4 channel buffer and guide working. I will have to wait to see after the 7 days are up what happens. Mine is calling itself Unknown and telling me to go to Unknown to activate.


----------



## keenanSR

krkaufman said:


> No one has ever proven any third party bracket works, to the best of my knowledge. The only thing tried and tested successfully has been pulling a CableCARD bracket from a base Roamio.


Thanks, I don't remember the details, I just remember reading about a bracket swap somewhere here, that must have been what I read.


----------



## tarheelblue32

satpro said:


> Mine was doing this and it said the status was "new," but I was able to get it to "not set up, 7 days left" by reformatting the drive and now I have the 4 channel buffer and guide working. I will have to wait to see after the 7 days are up what happens. Mine is calling itself Unknown and telling me to go to Unknown to activate.


Well, I spoke too soon. My OTA has magically started allowing me access to all 4 tuners and the live buffer, as well as to the guide data. I can even manually record and schedule recordings. It's still telling me I need to activate service, and my account status says "not set up, 6 days left". Does TiVo just allow you to use it for the first 7 days this way without activating service? Since everything has started working, I have disconnected the OTA from the internet. I'm hoping that even when the guide data runs out in a couple weeks I'll still have access to all the tuners and buffers since the OTA can't call the mothership to get a kill signal, but it might just automatically self-destruct after 6 more days even without an internet connection.


----------



## tgenius

keenanSR said:


> Thanks, I don't remember the details, I just remember reading about a bracket swap somewhere here, that must have been what I read.


I bought a base Roamio and threw the CableCard slot in. I bought a cablecard from Ebay and tested, worked fine (came to screen about needing to call to activate) so *IF* my OTA + OTT doesn't work (or the Comcast cap gets me) then I may end up going that route.


----------



## satpro

tarheelblue32 said:


> Well, I spoke too soon. My OTA has magically started allowing me access to all 4 tuners and the live buffer, as well as to the guide data. I can even manually record and schedule recordings. It's still telling me I need to activate service, and my account status says "not set up, 6 days left". Does TiVo just allow you to use it for the first 7 days this way without activating service? Since everything has started working, I have disconnected the OTA from the internet. I'm hoping that even when the guide data runs out in a couple weeks I'll still have access to all the tuners and buffers since the OTA can't call the mothership to get a kill signal, but it might just automatically self-destruct after 6 more days even without an internet connection.


Yes you get a free preview period like a week when you first go through guided setup, at least that is how it was with my brand new Roamio Basic so it should be the same with Roamio OTA. The network connection or not isn't going to matter because on the sys info screen the line under, "not set up," probably says Tivo service level 111515 like mine.

My media access key screen says temp unavailable.


----------



## mickinct

My refurbished Roamio OTA from Woot arrived today as well. Haven't tested it yet though.The back of the Tivo says it was made on 18 Jun 15


----------



## ChrisFix

mickinct said:


> My refurbished Roamio OTA from Woot arrived today as well. Haven't tested it yet though.The back of the Tivo says it was made on 18 Jun 15


Seems like these were shipped and delivered really quickly...When did you order yours?


----------



## mickinct

chrisfix said:


> seems like these were shipped and delivered really quickly...when did you order yours?


11/5...........


----------



## BobCamp1

heifer624 said:


> Since Roamio's are getting scarce and the new Bolt is a $299 initial investment the $25 is a no brainer. Or maybe I just lost my brain since I just bought three


The basic Roamio is back on the website and the OTA has been pulled. It's $200 + $15/month with no free first year. I wonder if you call if you can still get the loyalty lifetime deal with the Roamio basic now that they are back in stock?


----------



## krkaufman

BobCamp1 said:


> I wonder if you call if you can still get the loyalty lifetime deal with the Roamio basic now that they are back in stock?


Call and let us know... ???


----------



## elborak

Back in stock @ woot. "5 hours left"


----------



## heifer624

BobCamp1 said:


> The basic Roamio is back on the website and the OTA has been pulled. It's $200 + $15/month with no free first year....


New TiVo BOLT Series UESs and Roamio Pro DVRs include 1 year of service in the purchase price, which automatically rolls over to the Annual Plan at the end of the first year.

The Monthly Plan ($14.99/month with a 1-year commitment, $19.99/month with no commitment) is available for Roamio 4-tuner, Roamio Plus, Roamio OTA, and Premiere Series DVRs.

https://support.tivo.com/articles/Essential_Summary/TiVo-Payment-Plans-and-Policies#tpayplan


----------



## BobCamp1

heifer624 said:


> New TiVo BOLT Series UESs and Roamio Pro DVRs include 1 year of service in the purchase price, which automatically rolls over to the Annual Plan at the end of the first year.
> 
> The Monthly Plan ($14.99/month with a 1-year commitment, $19.99/month with no commitment) is available for Roamio 4-tuner, Roamio Plus, Roamio OTA, and Premiere Series DVRs.
> 
> https://support.tivo.com/articles/Essential_Summary/TiVo-Payment-Plans-and-Policies#tpayplan


Somebody had better tell Tivo's web designer.

The website doesn't let you choose the $19.99/month option for the Roamio basic. You'd have to call in for that I suppose.

For the Roamio Pro, you get a $100 discount ($600 vs. $500) if you choose the monthly $14.99 plan instead of the first year free plan. I don't get that option, but it too doesn't match the link you provided.


----------



## heifer624

elborak said:


> Back in stock @ woot. "5 hours left"


Sold Out Again


----------



## ChrisFix

satpro said:


> My $25 Woot refurb Roamio OTA just got delivered today, on a Sunday morning thanks to Amazon/USPS delivery.
> 
> The back of the Tivo says it was made on 19 Jun 15. The Tivo is still wrapped in the plastic coating, the power supply is wound like new and the remote looks like it might have been tested, the two AA batteries in the box are Duracell one from 2012 and one from 2013 that were just connected by hand with scotch tape.


Received my $25 Woot Refurb today (ordered Sunday night)...and it is either brand new, or just looks it.
Manufacturing date of August 21, 2015...
For spare parts - very happy.


----------



## tarheelblue32

ChrisFix said:


> Received my $25 Woot Refurb today (ordered Sunday night)...and it is either brand new, or just looks it.
> Manufacturing date of August 21, 2015...
> For spare parts - very happy.


Did it come in the colorful retail box or a plain brown box?


----------



## heifer624

All six I received came plain brown box. They all had a sticker on them that indicated they were "LOT XXX of 606". So I assume WOOT had 606 of them to sell.


----------



## ChrisFix

tarheelblue32 said:


> Did it come in the colorful retail box or a plain brown box?


Oh, it came in the standard refurbished brown box...just the unit looks absolutely unused/perfect. My guess it is a 30 day return - or they are replacing the plastic parts of the case, as it is untouched as best I can tell (looking very carefully).


----------



## krkaufman

One-day-only, Factory Reconditioned

TiVo TCD846510 Roamio OTA HD DVR and Streaming Media Player
$34.99

TiVo TCDA92000 TiVo Mini (v1)
$69.99


----------



## keenanSR

Price jumped by nearly 30%!


----------



## Thebreen

so to activate the TOTA you have to pay either monthly $15 or one time $599?


----------



## heifer624

The Monthly Plan ($14.99/month with a 1-year commitment, $19.99/month with no commitment) is available for Roamio 4-tuner, Roamio Plus, *Roamio OTA*, and Premiere Series DVRs.

https://support.tivo.com/SupportPor...ntial_Summary/TiVo-Payment-Plans-and-Policies

.........Or you could buy the OTA through amazon with lifetime for $299 total.


----------



## elborak

heifer624 said:


> Or you could buy the OTA through amazon with lifetime for $299 total.


...when/if they get more in stock.


----------



## raqball

elborak said:


> ...when/if they get more in stock.


It says order now and they will ship when available...

If you wait for it to show as in stock it may never get there.. If Amazon only has 100 on the way and 100 people pre-order it now then those will be fulfilled and it will never show as in stock..

It's a dice roll by waiting.

If you want it, you'd better order now...


----------



## elborak

raqball said:


> If you want it, you'd better order now...


Completely agree, just be aware that it's not guaranteed that they will get enough (or any) additional stock to satisfy these pending orders. But your odds obviously are much better if you order now than waiting until they show as "in stock".


----------



## eric102

elborak said:


> ...when/if they get more in stock.


Yep, have had other Amazon items marked as "temporarily out of stock" never get shipped.


----------



## eric102

Received my $25 Woot Refurb today, as others have noted it appears to be a brand new unit repackaged in a brown box.


----------



## ki4cgs

heifer624 said:


> New TiVo BOLT Series UESs and Roamio Pro DVRs include 1 year of service in the purchase price, which automatically rolls over to the Annual Plan at the end of the first year.
> 
> The Monthly Plan ($14.99/month with a 1-year commitment, $19.99/month with no commitment) is available for Roamio 4-tuner, Roamio Plus, Roamio OTA, and Premiere Series DVRs.
> 
> https://support.tivo.com/articles/Essential_Summary/TiVo-Payment-Plans-and-Policies#tpayplan


Anyone know how long the 1 year of service included will be for?


----------



## krkaufman

ki4cgs said:


> Anyone know how long the 1 year of service included will be for?


Is this a trick question?


----------



## keenanSR

ki4cgs said:


> Anyone know how long the 1 year of service included will be for?





krkaufman said:


> Is this a trick question?


I assume they're asking if the included 1 year of service is a new product promotion or will any and every new Bolt sold from here on out include 1 year of service.

To the best of my knowledge, any Bolt sold will include the 1 year, it's part of the package of purchasing a new Bolt; buy the Bolt, you get 1 year free(included in the price).


----------



## HarperVision

ki4cgs said:


> Anyone know how long the 1 year of service included will be for?





krkaufman said:


> Is this a trick question?


Only if you read it wrong. 



keenanSR said:


> I assume they're asking if the included 1 year of service is a new product promotion or will any and every new Bolt sold from here on out include 1 year of service.
> 
> To the best of my knowledge, any Bolt sold will include the 1 year, it's part of the package of purchasing a new Bolt; buy the Bolt, you get 1 year free(included in the price).


I agree and think that's what they're asking too.

Of course with TiVo, they'll change their mind in the not too distant future and it'll be a whole new ballgame anyway.


----------



## keenanSR

HarperVision said:


> Only if you read it wrong.
> 
> I agree and think that's what they're asking too.
> 
> Of course with TiVo, they'll change their mind in the not too distant future and it'll be a whole new ballgame anyway.


Yup, I'd say the odds are very high they'll change the payment plans again!


----------



## raqball

eric102 said:


> Yep, have had other Amazon items marked as "temporarily out of stock" never get shipped.


Never once happened to me and I've been ordering from them for years.. Amazon does a pretty good job of figuring out their stock levels in my opinion.


----------



## eric102

raqball said:


> Never once happened to me and I've been ordering from them for years.. Amazon does a pretty good job of figuring out their stock levels in my opinion.


Several times for me, but nothing recently.


----------



## ki4cgs

krkaufman said:


> Is this a trick question?


I see I worded that wrong. I was asking how long the promo lasted. Not how long 1 year is.


----------



## lpwcomp

ki4cgs said:


> I see I worded that wrong. I was asking how long the promo lasted. Not how long 1 year is.


Actually, even that could be a legitimate question. Some of TiVos actions lately appear as if they live on a different planet.


----------



## lessd

ChrisFix said:


> Oh, it came in the standard refurbished brown box...just the unit looks absolutely unused/perfect. My guess it is a 30 day return - or they are replacing the plastic parts of the case, as it is untouched as best I can tell (looking very carefully).


My Woot TA TiVo just came in, with as I hoped a RF remote, not bad for $31 total, I can sell the power supply for something.
Does anyone know the post that tells you how to take this OTA TiVo unit apart ?


----------



## hummingbird_206

I used this youtube video to learn how to disassemble the OTA Roamio. Audio is just banjo music so it's safe to mute. Text on screen and comments on Torx sizes got me what I needed to know.


----------



## lessd

hummingbird_206 said:


> I used this youtube video to learn how to disassemble the OTA Roamio. Audio is just banjo music so it's safe to mute. Text on screen got me what I needed to know.


Thanks, I figured it out myself, one back screw and some prying did the job.


----------



## ClearToLand

*To Those Who Bought The $25 Woot Refurb Roamio OTA for Parts...*

(For the folks subscribed to this thread)


----------



## ClearToLand

krkaufman said:


> One-day-only, Factory Reconditioned
> 
> TiVo TCD846510 Roamio OTA HD DVR and Streaming Media Player
> $34.99
> 
> TiVo TCDA92000 TiVo Mini (v1)
> $69.99


Are the P/S and Remote on the Mini the same as those on the Roamio Basic or OTA?


----------



## krkaufman

ClearToLand said:


> Are the P/S and Remote on the Mini the same as those on the Roamio Basic or OTA?


*Remote:* Roamio and Mini v2, yes; not the Mini v1 (see here)

*Power Adapters:* No.
Roamio: 12V 2.0A
Mini: 12V 1.0A​


----------



## ClearToLand

krkaufman said:


> *Remote:* Roamio and Mini v2, yes; not the Mini v1 (see here)
> 
> *Power Adapters:* No.
> Roamio: 12V 2.0A
> Mini: 12V 1.0A​


Thanks for all the LINKs and pictures!  (So many different forums to check.  )

To be more precise, will the Roamio / Slide Pro remotes work with the Mini v1 in IR mode? When I bought my $300 TiVo Refurb Roamio Basic w/Lifetime, I got the free Slide Pro but didn't know to ask about the dongle for future Mini v1 apps. But, since the Mini v1 out-of-the-box is IR only, I now have 3 more (Woot Roamio OTA) remotes as spares, if they are compatible.

Since the P/S is 12V, the Roamio P/S should work just fine on the Mini, with power to spare (more amps is good, less amps is bad), if the plugs are the same.

I'm just looking for uses for my $25 Woot Refurb OTA spare parts, trying to find an inexpensive Mini (v1 is cheaper than v2 and I don't really need RF), and sad that since my son from out-of-state was visiting Friday, I didn't see your post until Saturday when the $60 Woot v1 sale was over.


----------



## dlgamble

ClearToLand said:


> To be more precise, will the Roamio / Slide Pro remotes work with the Mini v1 in IR mode? When I bought my $300 TiVo Refurb Roamio Basic w/Lifetime, I got the free Slide Pro *but didn't know to ask about the dongle* for future Mini v1 apps. But, since the Mini v1 out-of-the-box is IR only, I now have 3 more (Woot Roamio OTA) remotes as spares, if they are compatible.


I called a few days ago to inquire about purchasing a dongle. The CSR said they don't sell the dongles separately, but he would be happy to send me one at no charge. Now I am using my Slide on my Roamio Plus and the R+ remote on my old Mini. He did this and I didn't purchase the remote from them.. I got it on Amazon.


----------



## raqball

The Roamio OTA with lifetime is back in stock on November 26th at Amazon..

Better grab it while you can.










Link to order -- > http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148ZRFVO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00


----------



## elborak

raqball said:


> The Roamio OTA with lifetime is *expected* back in stock on November 26th at Amazon..


Minor correction. While the odds are now pretty good (from my experience with Amazon), it's not 100%. I've seen cases where goods expected in stock don't arrive, or at least not in the expected quantities.

That being said, raqball's advice of "grab it while you can" is very sound. This is indeed quite likely to be back in stock as predicted, and there's always the chance that it will be the last gasp for this deal.


----------



## raqball

The date has now changed from in stock on the 26th to the 29th and I agree, I bet this is the last run of them. In the past when it went out of stock it was back within a week or so but this time it's been about a month..

Grab em while you can!


----------



## spicybrown

raqball said:


> The Roamio OTA with lifetime is back in stock on November 26th at Amazon..
> 
> Better grab it while you can.


I place an order with Amazon but wanted to ask a few questions. I have a roamio (4 tuner) with cable card on fios. I have been entertaining the notion of cutting the cord. But until I do so, I have a few questions:
- can I use this roamio as a Tivo mini to play recorded shows on another room? 
- Can it play from a live tuner on another roamio?

My thought is that a tivo mini costs around $130... if I can prepare for future cord cutting but still have utility until I'm ready to do so... its worth the investment.

I appreciate any thoughts.


----------



## lpwcomp

spicybrown said:


> I place an order with Amazon but wanted to ask a few questions. I have a roamio (4 tuner) with cable card on fios. I have been entertaining the notion of cutting the cord. But until I do so, I have a few questions:
> 
> - can I use this roamio as a Tivo mini to play recorded shows on another room?


Yes.



spicybrown said:


> - Can it play from a live tuner on another roamio?


No.


----------



## elkyss

raqball said:


> The date has now changed from in stock on the 26th to the 29th and I agree, I bet this is the last run of them. In the past when it went out of stock it was back within a week or so but this time it's been about a month..
> 
> Grab em while you can!


Well, they've now changed the status to IN STOCK, but the price has jumped to $414.99


----------



## Saturn_V

Third party sellers. IMO buy at risk of getting a DVR w/o Product Lifetime Service.

I wouldn't buy unless "Shipped and Sold by Amazon"


----------



## tarheelblue32

elkyss said:


> Well, they've now changed the status to IN STOCK, but the price has jumped to $414.99


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148ZRFVO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


----------



## miadlor

spicybrown said:


> Can it play from a live tuner on another roam?


No it can't, but a temporary work around is possible.
Scenario: 4 Tuner down stairs in main family room....You're upstairs in bed sick with a Roamio OTA.

You want to watch your TV show that's airing now on a cable/fios channel.

On the Roamio go to the shows of the 4 Tuner and then hit guide.
Then hit enter to search. You should now being searching for shows on the 4 Tuner.
Find the show you want that's on right then....record it.
Then you can go back on the Roamio and into shows of the 4 Tuner and watch that show.


----------



## raqball

Now it's back out of stock.... (the ships and sold by Amazon deal that is)

One thing to remember is that they may very well have pre sold what they have coming in. That''s the risk of waiting unit it shows as 'In Stock'.. It may never get there..

For instance, Amazon knows that they have lets say 100 units on the way. If they reach 100 pre-orders before they even get them, then it will never show as in stock.

Amazon is pretty darn good at estimating their stock levels.. Since it's now back showing as out of stock, they may be all gone and the deal done...


----------



## crxrocks

What the heck, I went ahead and backordered it from Amazon directly.


----------



## MrSinatra

got this in email:



> Exclusive TiVo Customer Sale
> Get 50% off Roamio with an All-In Service Plan.
> Welcome_4_BOLT_devider-line
> 
> Give thanks for BIG savings.
> This week only, we've got some delicious offers on TiVo Roamio® DVRs. So stop binge-eating and start binge-watching all your favorite entertainment today. And get this: Roamio will include our innovative, new QuickMode™ feature, so you can speed-watch shows, movies and sports 30% faster with pitch-corrected audio... and still leave room for pie! This special offer ends November 30, 2015, or while supplies last.
> 
> TiVo Roamio
> with All-In Service Plan
> $399.98	Save $400 with promo code
> 
> SHOP NOW
> Or call 877.289.8486
> MUST USE PROMO CODE:
> 
> TiVo Roamio Pro
> with All-In Service Plan
> $599.98 Save $600
> 
> PRICED TOO LOW FOR THE WEB
> CALL CENTER ONLY: 877.289.8486


----------



## alanisrox69

MrSinatra said:


> got this in email:


Would you provide the "Shop Now" URL link? Thanks!


----------



## alanisrox69

Nevermind, I called and got the deal. Sweet!


----------



## krkaufman

alanisrox69 said:


> Would you provide the "Shop Now" URL link? Thanks!


From the tail of the quoted text (from the email)...


> PRICED TOO LOW FOR THE WEB
> *CALL CENTER ONLY: 877.289.8486*


ordering mine now...


----------



## alanisrox69

krkaufman said:


> From the tail of the quoted text (from the email)...
> 
> ordering mine now...


No, I wanted the 4 tuner model for $399. But I called and got it.


----------



## alanisrox69

And anyone can order:
https://www.tivo.com/sale/ThanksgivingPLS


----------



## Bierboy

alanisrox69 said:


> And anyone can order:
> https://www.tivo.com/sale/ThanksgivingPLS


You need the promo code which is....?


----------



## krkaufman

MrSinatra said:


> got this in email:


Thanks, Frank!!! This appears to be what was speculated previously, that the "loyalty" special threshold might eventually drop to "1 day."

Here's what I learned on the phone, prior to ordering my $600 All-In Roamio Pro...

This is *TiVo's "Thanksgiving Sale,"* for which there are TWO CLASSIFICATIONS:
*Existing Customers* (TiVo DVR owner seemingly of any duration) are eligible for the "loyalty" special; meaning...

$400 4-tuner base Roamio (new), with All-In/Lifetime service included
$600 6-tuner Roamio Pro (new), with All-In/Lifetime service included

Call TiVo at (877) 289-8486 for access to the above "Existing customer" deals.
*New customers* are eligible for (mostly) refurbished units with 1st year of service included (so similar to BOLT's pricing):

$200 4-tuner base Roamio (new), with 1st year of service included

$150 "renewed" 4-tuner base Roamio, with 1st year of service included
$300 "renewed" 6-tuner Roamio Plus, with 1st year of service included
$450 "renewed" 6-tuner Roamio Pro, with 1st year of service included

Online ordering available for "New customer" offers via this link:
https://www.tivo.com/sale/Thanksgiving or
https://www.tivo.com/sale/Holiday​

NOTE: _Free shipping*; but taxes apply._​
Call: *(877) 289-8486* (between 7am-7pm PT M-F, 8am-6pm PT S&S)

---
* probably everywhere except Hawaii, anyway!

edited to add: "renewed" base Roamio offer, online ordering links


----------



## foghorn2

"* probably everywhere except Hawaii, anyway!"

you going to make that harp player envisioner angry


----------



## HarperVision

krkaufman said:


> ........NOTE: Free shipping*; but taxes apply. Call: (877) 289-8486 (between 7am-7pm PT M-F, 8am-6pm PT S&S) --- * probably everywhere except Hawaii, anyway!





foghorn2 said:


> "* probably everywhere except Hawaii, anyway!" you going to make that harp player envisioner angry


Nah, I've given up all hope of the common sense shipping that almost all companies use now, rather than the 1980's version TiVo seems to use.


----------



## JoeKustra

krkaufman said:


> Thanks, Frank!!! This appears to be what was speculated previously, that the "loyalty" special threshold might eventually drop to "1 day."


Thanks for the post. I just cancelled my Amazon OTA $300 Roamio for a TiVo $400 basic Roamio. I figured by the time I got to playing with a cable card I would come close to breaking even. And for those who call, if they don't know about the turkey day special, call back until you get somebody else. I hit on the second try.


----------



## krkaufman

JoeKustra said:


> Thanks for the post. I just cancelled my Amazon OTA $300 Roamio for a TiVo $400 basic Roamio. I figured by the time I got to playing with a cable card I would come close to breaking even. And for those who call, if they don't know about the turkey day special, call back until you get somebody else. I hit on the second try.


Glad to hear broadcasting the special helped.

If I might pry, what's your TiVo account age? (I got the deal having 2 1/2 years *ONE and a 1/2 years* on my TiVo account, so we've dropped well below the "10-year loyalty" threshold; so I'm curious if it just takes a single active DVR on one's account, at this point.)

edit: CORRECTION: The TiVo account used to purchase the Lifetime'd Pro under the "existing customer" Holiday sale is just 1 1/2 years old. (Kinda difficult for the account to be 2 1/2 years old given it was birthed on activation of a base Roamio.)


----------



## JoeKustra

krkaufman said:


> Glad to hear broadcasting the special helped.
> 
> If I might pry, what's your TiVo account age? (I got the deal having 2 1/2 years on my TiVo account, so we've dropped well below the "10-year loyalty" threshold; so I'm curious if it just takes a single active DVR on one's account, at this point.)


One Premiere at 3 years, one at 2 and a Roamio at 1 year. I just said I have five TiVo's (including two Mini) and left it at that. As usual, finding the right CS person is important. My money says indicating you have a TiVo and you want another would work. I admit I was tempted to get a Pro, but I may move and go OTA next year.


----------



## Chris Gerhard

Bierboy said:


> You need the promo code which is....?


I made several guesses and didn't find a promo code that worked for me. I didn't call but might try that to see if I am eligible.


----------



## JoeKustra

Chris Gerhard said:


> I made several guesses and didn't find a promo code that worked for me. I didn't call but might try that to see if I am eligible.


My method: "Hi, I'm interested in the Thanksgiving day special. I have five TiVos now". If they quote you retail, just tell them it's too much, hang up, then call back. My second try got me a basic Roamio all-in for $400. No code needed.


----------



## krkaufman

Chris Gerhard said:


> I made several guesses and didn't find a promo code that worked for me. I didn't call but might try that to see if I am eligible.


Unless your signature is complete fiction, you should qualify. Just call.


----------



## reneg

I haven't received an email yet, but I called in and went down the existing customer path in the call tree. I had a very nice agent who verified my account. I got the All-in/Lifetime Roamio Pro without a code. After she told me the total, I asked if that came with a free slider remote and she said no, but would be happy to add it.  

I tried to see if they would adjust their Tivo Mini pricing to match Amazon's lower price, but they said they couldn't price match their resellers. I'll just buy a Mini from Amazon.


----------



## tvmaster2

Just called to see if I could get a refurbished Plus with All-In.

"No. Here's what we are offering everyone in the world - your loyalty doesn't matter"

Okay, that's a dramatic recreation, but you get the drift. Recently, whenever I've talked to a CSR, I feel like I'm talking to a company selling time-shares, as opposed to what used to be cutting-edge TV tech.

Didn't matter that we are 15-year customers. Only offer is for a Pro, which we don't really need. They wouldn't even offer me the $450 price which NEW units were a month ago, for a refurbished unit.

Can't quite figure Tivo out anymore, and I kinda hate the Bolt, since stacking components is out, as well as component outputs. I know it's fast, 4K, blah blah...

keep trying I guess. That's what I get for missing the $450 NEW PLUS deal a month ago.


----------



## jchico

reneg said:


> ... After she told me the total, I asked if that came with a free slider remote and she said no, but would be happy to add it.
> ....


I just ordered the Pro and got the 599 deal with lifetime (never had to mention the "promo code").

Then I saw your post and called back to see if they would throw in a slide remote. The sales rep said flatly, "We don't offer free free slide remotes at TiVo."

I told her a buddy of mine had just received one with his order.

She repeated verbatim (a little more rudely this time) 
"We don't offer free slide remotes at TiVo."


----------



## HerronScott

tvmaster2 said:


> Didn't matter that we are 15-year customers. Only offer is for a Pro, which we don't really need. They wouldn't even offer me the $450 price which NEW units were a month ago, for a refurbished unit.


So the 1TB drive that a Plus comes with is large enough for your purposes? Or is it that the 3TB that the Pro comes with is not large enough? 

Scott


----------



## Wil

jchico said:


> She repeated verbatim (a little more rudely this time)
> "We don't offer free slide remotes at TiVo."


I got one five minutes ago. Very pleasant, no problem, on hold for a few minutes while the CSR "tried to get that that for you" but he cheerfully reported success.

I think a big deal when you do CSR roulette is not to let an unsuccessful attempt progress to the point you get notes put on the account. If the initial experience is unpleasant don't let the call get negative; just pleasantly end the call ASAP.


----------



## krkaufman

Wil said:


> I think a big deal when you do CSR roulette is not to let an unsuccessful attempt progress to the point you get notes put on the account.


Chuckle. I'm seeing flashes of Elaine Benes running around looking for medical treatment...


----------



## Mandy Moo

krkaufman said:


> Chuckle. I'm seeing flashes of Elaine Benes running around looking for medical treatment...


 "Oh come on, I'm not difficult. I'm easy." - Elaine


----------



## tvmaster2

HerronScott said:


> So the 1TB drive that a Plus comes with is large enough for your purposes? Or is it that the 3TB that the Pro comes with is not large enough?
> 
> Scott


In a way, I'd almost rather have two, 1tb Plus units in the house as opposed to one, 3tb Pro unit, just because of the number of Tivo drives which have gone bad on me over the years. This way, I have some redundancy in an emergency. Like the time the main, living room Tivo packed it in 12 hours before we were leaving to Europe on a trip. The house/pet sitter was looking forward to chilling with Tivo while we were gone, so that second unit came in usefully.

And, TiVo has reconditioned Plus machines, but they don't seem to be selling them on the website, just to people who phone in.

But yes, if the only choice is the Pro, I'll have to consider it I suppose


----------



## solstice

I have a similar dilemma, am a long time TiVo customer with two upgraded premier XLs which replaced series 2's a couple years ago. They are slow. I missed the opportunity back in early October to get a Roamio Plus with lifetime for existing customers - that would have been a good cost effective fit as that unit also has built-in MoCa and streaming capabilities. Can't get my arms around paying $400 for a basic Roamio, three year old technology without MoCa, or streaming. Can't see spending the extra $200 for the Pro even though the MoCa, storage, and the streaming capabilities justify the added expense. Hopefully the next generation Bolt Pro with faster processor, 4K, MoCa 2.0, more efficient apps like Netflix, Skipmode, etc will be available by this time next year. Current Bolt is interesting, but more a tease for what's really to come. I know the old adage that there are always better technologies in the pipeline, but for now, I think my $600 will make a great down payment for the future Bolt Pro.


----------



## NoVa

Shoot no Plus LT offer. That's really Goldilocks' porridge for me.


----------



## mbkintner

So I could buy a Roamio OTA tomorrow, activate it same day, and show as an Existing Customer in time to qualify for Pro w/lifetime for $600?


----------



## krkaufman

tvmaster2 said:


> And, TiVo has reconditioned Plus machines, but they don't seem to be selling them on the website, just to people who phone in.


The "renewed" Plus *is* available online, here: https://www.tivo.com/sale/Holiday, and here: https://www.tivo.com/sale/Thanksgiving

It's just not available "new," as part of the "Existing Customer" offer (with the $100 All-In/Lifetime service plan).


----------



## krkaufman

mbkintner said:


> So I could buy a Roamio OTA tomorrow, activate it same day, and show as an Existing Customer in time to qualify for Pro w/lifetime for $600?


I would think that would meet the M-W definition of existing customer, but I don't know if it would meet TiVo's threshold for "Existing Customer." (e.g. They may require that you were an existing customer at the start of the sale.)


----------



## mbkintner

krkaufman said:


> I would think that would meet the M-W definition of existing customer, but I don't know if it would meet TiVo's threshold for "Existing Customer." (e.g. They may require that you were an existing customer at the start of the sale.)


I was thinking that might be a possibility too. I'd call in and ask but I'd be surprised if I could get a consistent answer.

I know I can get the renewed Pro as a new customer but can get a new Pro from Amazon for about the same price as. It's the existing customer all in deal that is attractive.

I wish they'd bargain on a package deal. I'm willing to buy a Pro, Lifetime, and 3 or 4 Minis all at once if the price was right.


----------



## krkaufman

mbkintner said:


> I was thinking that might be a possibility too. I'd call in and ask but I'd be surprised if I could get a consistent answer.


Do you know anyone who *is* an existing customer?

NOTE: Also, I need to make a correction. I was able to get the "Existing Customer" deal with just *ONE and 1/2 years on my account*. (Would've been kinda hard to get a Roamio in May 2013!)​


mbkintner said:


> I know I can get the renewed Pro as a new customer but can get a new Pro from Amazon for about the same price as.


I expect the Amazon unit wouldn't come with the 1st year of service included, as it does with the Holiday sale refurbs, but I'd need to review the Amazon product page to have a better idea. And if we're looking at the same product description, here, I'm reading it as NOT including any service with the purchase:
_Requires subscription to the TiVo service - as low as $12.50/month with annual plan
_​


mbkintner said:


> It's the existing customer all in deal that is attractive.


No argument from this quarter. One plus of the "new customer" sale is, of course, access to the Plus -- which would offer a cost savings to anyone looking to go the subscription route, especially if they wanted more than 3TB of storage.



mbkintner said:


> I wish they'd bargain on a package deal. I'm willing to buy a Pro, Lifetime, and 3 or 4 Minis all at once if the price was right.


When I asked about "Holiday sale" discounts and deals for any *other* gear in the lineup, specifically asking about the Mini and Stream devices, the rep commented that the Mini *is* discounted -- the extended "Lifetime Included" pricing. ($150 retail for a Lifetime'd Mini, rather than $250) I know there's no way I'd have the setup we currently have (8 Minis) if their pricing had been the same as when I setup my mom w/ a base Roamio and Mini back in early 2014.


----------



## Harleyjoe43

I must have been on that site all night....but I finally got in.
Got two Roamios plus Lifetime for $800 total !
Found out that putting in zeros instead of "o" for the promo code finally worked for me.


----------



## Jay2tak

I just got the Pro/lifetime service $599 by calling.


----------



## NoNose

Not sure if Amazon has a handle on the demand for the OTA "Lifetime Service" deal for $299. I ordered on November 9th, 2015. I got a message saying that they would deliver on the 27th, they say they came in on the 24th, and they would ship "soon"...then flipped back to out of stock in the item description the next day. The CSR folks don't think that any stock has been received in the last several weeks, and can't/won't predict what to expect. I gotta wait, but I ain't likin' it!


----------



## mbkintner

krkaufman said:


> Do you know anyone who *is* an existing customer?


Unfortunately I don't. I sure wish I did though! Anybody live in or near Indiana that wants to make a new friend?


----------



## Photo_guy

NoNose said:


> Not sure if Amazon has a handle on the demand for the OTA "Lifetime Service" deal for $299. I ordered on November 9th, 2015. I got a message saying that they would deliver on the 27th, they say they came in on the 24th, and they would ship "soon"...then flip back to out of stock in the item description the next day. The CSR folks don't think that any stock has been received in the last several weeks, and can't/won't predict what to expect. I gotta wait, but I ain't likin' it!


Yup. I placed an order on 11/13 and got a notification a week ago that it was expected to be delivered 11/27(today). It has been stuck on that status since then on my orders page. It also says 'shipping soon' and I have not had a CC hit yet so I doubt it has shipped.

Strange thing is someone posted an order placed later that was shipped. I think Amazon is having inventory control issues.

UPDATE: Shipped today 11/28 for delivery 11/29(Prime)


----------



## krkaufman

Jay2tak said:


> I just got the Pro/lifetime service $599 by calling.


What's the activation date on the oldest TiVo on your account? (I got the "existing customer" deal as a 1 1/2 year-old account.)


----------



## mbkintner

Well I must have been having a lucky day today!

I decided to call today and ask if there was anything I could do to qualify for the $600 Lifetime deal on a Pro. I figured why not give it a shot. 

After truthfully explaining why I was calling the CSR put me on hold to see what could be done. To my surprise he came back a few minutes later and said "no problem, let's get your order placed." 

I was so surprised that I asked him several times to confirm what I was getting. It was exactly what I wanted. I've already received the confirmation and shipping notifications.


----------



## Jay2tak

krkaufman said:


> what's the activation date on the oldest tivo on your account? (i got the "existing customer" deal as a 1 1/2 year-old account.)


12/15/2007


----------



## HarperVision

Just got a Cyber Monday email deal:


----------



## Jrr6415sun

I have a 2nd account that I transferred one of my tivos to and the activation date is 10/13/2015 and I got the email deal for the lifetime deal. Only a month old account.


----------



## Robin

I have a friend who wants to get a first TiVo. Is there any reason I can't buy it on my account and sell it to him?


----------



## snerd

Robin said:


> I have a friend who wants to get a first TiVo. Is there any reason I can't buy it on my account and sell it to him?


Any TiVo that you buy is yours to do with as you please. You can sell it, gift it, or throw it away.


----------



## JPA2825

Cyber Monday email today:

Roamio + All-In = $399 (online w/ Promo Code)
Roamio Pro + All-In = $599 (must call CSR)


Interestingly, I tried to order it under my father-in-law's account (he's replacing a Premiere that has gotten cludgy) and it wouldn't process. The Promo Code must be tied to the login (which is where I received the email). Went back and did it under my account and it worked like a charm.

I won't have any trouble transferring the Roamio w/ All-In to him like I used to do with PLS, will I?


----------



## krkaufman

Robin said:


> I have a friend who wants to get a first TiVo. Is there any reason I can't buy it on my account and sell it to him?


What snerd said. I explicitly asked this of a TiVo CSR a month-ish back and snerd's words are almost word-for-word what they said. Once purchased, it's your's to do with as you please (within the terms of service agreement).

p.s. Great blog name... http://snerdswords.com


----------



## krkaufman

JPA2825 said:


> I won't have any trouble transferring the Roamio w/ All-In to him like I used to do with PLS, will I?


Nope.


----------



## philinny

Called this morning, tried to get a Plus with Lifetime using the loyalty pitch. Im a 15 year customer, won my first TiVo in 2000 during the Series 1 essay contest. (Will share my 250 word sitcom script starring a giant TiVo Plush Toy upon request.) 

Would prefer Plus to Pro, since I dont really need the drive space. I know ... more is better, but sig other likes to clean up and delete the suggestions periodically, and an extra TB may make her crazy with clutter! 

No go on the Plus, they only offered the Cyber Monday deal, so I popped for the Pro with Lifetime for $599. And they threw in a slide remote when I asked. Still a pretty great deal! 

Moving to a new house with more rooms in a few months and will need to add Minis. Now its time to retire my old sturdy Premiere XL lifetime ... will sell on eBay.


----------



## series5orpremier

That's because the Plus sold out weeks ago.


----------



## philinny

The Cyber Monday deal has refurb Plusses, so I was optimistic.



series5orpremier said:


> That's because the Plus sold out weeks ago.


----------



## gigaguy

I went for the Roamio Pro All In deal offered to me + free slide remote tonight to replace my Premiere XL4. With both Quick and Skip Modes coming to Roamio it was a no-brainer over a current Bolt. I don't do 4k or stream much at all. I imagine a Bolt Pro will cost 2x what I paid for the Roamio Pro.


----------



## elborak

Rep I spoke with earlier today said that the $600 Pro w/Lifetime deal had been "extended by a day". Doesn't mean it won't be extended by *more* than a day, of course, but it is still active.

And to reinforce that the free slide remote is at the discretion of the rep, when I asked about it after placing the order for the Pro (but before paying), she said "Aw, you spoiled the surprise! I'd already added that to your order."


----------



## krkaufman

elborak said:


> And to reinforce that the free slide remote is at the discretion of the rep, when I asked about it after placing the order for the Pro (but before paying), she said "Aw, you spoiled the surprise! I'd already added that to your order."


I should've just cancelled my order when they didn't include the Slide Pro, when I asked (*after* the order had been completed). (I was just too happy to finally have access to the $600 Lifetime'd Pro.)


----------



## spicybrown

I'm thinking about canceling my OTA with lifetime order from Amazon. I have a Roamio pro and a mini on FIOS. My intention was to use the use the OTA as another DVR for broadcast and use it to stream/transfer shows from my roamio pro.

The room I would set it up in does not have ethernet, so to use the MOCA connection I think I'm looking at another $50 for a MOCA adaptor.... is there any other way to get the roamio OTA connected to my network (on the cheap) if I'm using a COAX antenna?


----------



## gigaguy

I had to ask for the Slide remote, first the rep said no, no longer offered. I persisted and rep went to ask about it and came back and said since I was a 2 year customer I could get it. I was happy with the Roamio Pro deal, esp since they raised All-in pricing. Amazed at 2 day delivery. I need to sell my XL4..


----------



## krkaufman

spicybrown said:


> I'm thinking about canceling my OTA with lifetime order from Amazon. I have a Roamio pro and a mini on FIOS. My intention was to use the use the OTA as another DVR for broadcast and use it to stream/transfer shows from my roamio pro.
> 
> The room I would set it up in does not have ethernet, so to use the MOCA connection I think I'm looking at another $50 for a MOCA adaptor.... is there any other way to get the roamio OTA connected to my network (on the cheap) if I'm using a COAX antenna?


One option would be to shop for a TiVo Mini on a discount and use *that* in the room in which you were looking to place the OTA, and put the OTA somewhere more convenient. That's what we're doing... using an OTA DVR to supplement our Pro's 6 tuners, but primarily use Minis to access all content.

Or just shop for a cheap MoCA adapter. Done.


----------



## dforemsky

I was just able to order a Roamio Pro with lifetime for $600, with a free slide remote, so the deal is still there to be had.

I was finally pushed over the edge for this because Woot! has the TiVo Mini available again for $70.


----------



## mickinct

http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-15?ref=el_cnt_wp_2_16 TiVo TCD846510 Roamio OTA HD DVR and Streaming Media Player $35.OO


----------



## ClearToLand

mickinct said:


> ...TiVo TCD846510 Roamio OTA HD DVR and Streaming Media Player $35.OO


40% increase! Highway robbery!!


----------



## VicVinegar

Is it confirmed that the Woot Refurb Mini has lifetime service? 

And for the newer folks, is the angle with the $35 OTA to have a unit to cannibalize for parts to keep a lifetime unit running? What can you use from it? Everything besides the motherboard?


----------



## lessd

VicVinegar said:


> Is it confirmed that the Woot Refurb Mini has lifetime service?
> 
> And for the newer folks, is the angle with the $35 OTA to have a unit to cannibalize for parts to keep a lifetime unit running? What can you use from it? Everything besides the motherboard?


You also get a RF remote, that why I purchased my $25 OTA, sold the drive for $20, sold the rest of the chassis without the drive for $35 inc. shipping on E-Bay, great deal.


----------



## Robin

dforemsky said:


> I was finally pushed over the edge for this because Woot! has the TiVo Mini available again for $70.


Thank you! Passed this along to the friend I just bought a first TiVo for and he ordered three. This thread has saved him serious cash.


VicVinegar said:


> Is it confirmed that the Woot Refurb Mini has lifetime service?


IIRC it's mentioned in the listing.


----------



## danorum

VicVinegar said:


> Is it confirmed that the Woot Refurb Mini has lifetime service?


TiVo service required; not included. 1-year commitment.

That is in the listing, so I would guess no.


----------



## Photo_guy

danorum said:


> TiVo service required; not included. 1-year commitment.
> 
> That is in the listing, so I would guess no.


Actually I think that is in the Roamio OTA listing. I did not see that in the mini listing.

But, it is a moot point as the Mini's are sold out now.

[And, even if it were in the listing it may not actually be included: as those of us that purchased OTA's from Amazon recently found out - Amazon owns Woot!]


----------



## andyw715

What is the difference between the current 93000 version of the mini and the 92000 version sold on woot?


----------



## Bostonyte

andyw715 said:


> What is the difference between the current 93000 version of the mini and the 92000 version sold on woot?


93000 has both IR & RF where the 92000 only has IR.


----------



## krkaufman

andyw715 said:


> What is the difference between the current 93000 version of the mini and the 92000 version sold on woot?


See here.


----------



## mickinct

danorum said:


> TiVo service required; not included. 1-year commitment.
> 
> That is in the listing, so I would guess no.


THERE IS NO FEE...................... Watch live TV and recorded shows from your 4- or 6-tuner TiVo DVR
Share the complete TiVo experience on additional TVs in your home, no additional service fee required
Access TV and streaming content from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, VUDU and more without switching inputs
Streams music from Pandora®, Spotify®, iHeartRadio and more
Schedule recordings, WishList searches and Season Pass recordings
XFINITY On Demand available to Comcast subscribers
Supports Ethernet and MoCA - does not support Wi-Fi


----------



## heifer624

Looks like Woot is having some trouble getting rid of the OTA's sinces they jacked the price up by 40%... They always sold out quick at the $25 price point.

http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-15


----------



## jay427

heifer624 said:


> Looks like Woot is having some trouble getting rid of the OTA's sinces they jacked the price up by 40%... They always sold out quick at the $25 price point.
> 
> http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-15


I'm always a day late, but I did spring for one at the $34 dollar price tag, juts for parts. If I see them back at $25 I will pick up a couple of more!


----------



## JBinSD

Interesting, found out I had a Roamio refurb in my cart from this summer (I thought I missed the deal). I've tried twice to complete the transaction, and get a "technical difficulty" message. I chatted with a CSR that said no way, that deal was gone long ago. Anyone see a way to make this happen? Contractually I didn't perform (ie complete), so I don't think I can force the issue, but would be awesome to get this done. . . Its still in my cart, but it won't process. . .


----------



## mickinct

danorum said:


> TiVo service required; not included. 1-year commitment.
> 
> That is in the listing, so I would guess no.


Just recvd my MINI today with lifetime incld from WOOT for $80.00


----------



## mickinct

Is it confirmed that the Woot Refurb Mini has lifetime service?

And for the newer folks, is the angle with the $35 OTA to have a unit to cannibalize for parts to keep a lifetime unit running? What can you use from it? Everything besides the motherboard?

just recvd mine with lifetime incld.


----------



## Saturn_V

The spare remote would probably be the biggest reason to buy the refurb Roamio. (the remote by itself is $30 on TiVo's accessories site) The internal fan and power supply would also be good gets.

I've read of some attempts of taking the cable card bracket from a standard Roamio and integrating it into a Roamio OTA.... don't know how successful they were.


----------



## jay427

mickinct said:


> Is it confirmed that the Woot Refurb Mini has lifetime service?
> 
> And for the newer folks, is the angle with the $35 OTA to have a unit to cannibalize for parts to keep a lifetime unit running? What can you use from it? Everything besides the motherboard?
> 
> just recvd mine with lifetime incld.


That is my plan, the remote and the power supply for spares. Mine arrived yesterday, have not looked at it yet. I may flea bay the drive and box if I get around to it.


----------



## mickinct

heifer624 said:


> looks like woot is having some trouble getting rid of the ota's sinces they jacked the price up by 40%... They always sold out quick at the $25 price point.
> 
> http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-15


gone.................


----------



## ClearToLand

mickinct said:


> gone.................


IIRC, it was "*6 days or until sold out*", so, it (Roamio OTA) might be back. (The Mini sold out before 6 days.)


----------



## heifer624

Yeah, I don't think they sold out either. The whole "Home Theater" category they had them listed under is gone. I bet they will pop back up in a few days. Hopefully they will drop the price again to $25 for the OTA. I'm also looking for the Mini's to come back to snag a few.


----------



## elborak

Saturn_V said:


> I've read of some attempts of taking the cable card bracket from a standard Roamio and integrating it into a Roamio OTA.... don't know how successful they were.


Not attempts, many folks have done this. It's dead simple (4 screws).


----------



## heifer624

heifer624 said:


> Yeah, I don't think they sold out either. The whole "Home Theater" category they had them listed under is gone. I bet they will pop back up in a few days. Hopefully they will drop the price again to $25 for the OTA. I'm also looking for the Mini's to come back to snag a few.


DadGumIt..... Woot brought back the "Home Theater" category as "Jingle Bell Rockin Audio" with the same old products except for NO Tivo's.


----------



## spicybrown

We're thinking of purchasing a Roamio Plus as a gift for a non-Tivo owner. Ideally with lifetime service.

Is there anyway to purchase that right now?


----------



## krkaufman

spicybrown said:


> We're thinking of purchasing a Roamio Plus as a gift for a non-Tivo owner. Ideally with lifetime service.
> 
> Is there anyway to purchase that right now?


Not that I'm aware of, short of eBay. I'd recommend splurging and going for a new Roamio Pro: $600 with Lifetime service included.


----------



## spicybrown

krkaufman said:


> Not that I'm aware of, short of eBay. I'd recommend splurging and going for a new Roamio Pro: $600 with Lifetime service included.


Thanks - is that the call up offer?


----------



## krkaufman

spicybrown said:


> Thanks - is that the call up offer?


Yes, via phone sales support, at: 877-289-8486

See also: https://www.tivo.com/contact-us

Note that it's perfectly legit and OK with TiVo for you to use your "loyalty" creds to buy a TiVo for someone else and gift it. They don't care what you do with it once you own it. They'll be happy to transfer ownership; just call 'em up.



 said:


> *Existing Customers* (TiVo DVR owner seemingly of any duration) are eligible for the "loyalty" special; meaning...
> 
> $400 4-tuner base Roamio (new), with All-In/Lifetime service included
> $600 6-tuner Roamio Pro (new), with All-In/Lifetime service included
> ...
> NOTE: _Free shipping*; but taxes apply._​
> Call: *(877) 289-8486* (between 7am-7pm PT M-F, 8am-6pm PT S&S)


----------



## ned4spd8874

Just called TiVo to cancel service on my old HD Series 3 unit and they offered me a couple choices to stay. 

A little back story, I have a Premier XL that had a bad HD. While it was being repaired I got an old HD back up and running for a couple months. 

My Premier has Lifetime from a past deal and this time they offered me the Roamio for $199 or Roamio Pro for $599, both with lifetime service. They also offered to turn my old HD in for a refub Premier for $50, but keeping the monthly payments. I don't know if the refurb Premier is XL or not, didn't think to ask at the time, but probably not.

Thoughts? Should I take them up on the offer for the Roamio? Sure it looks cool, but I'm not entirely sure how much I'd use the extra features. But I like that it seems pretty "future-proof" for a while at least.

Tempting...


----------



## fcfc2

ned4spd8874 said:


> Just called TiVo to cancel service on my old HD Series 3 unit and they offered me a couple choices to stay.
> 
> A little back story, I have a Premier XL that had a bad HD. While it was being repaired I got an old HD back up and running for a couple months.
> 
> My Premier has Lifetime from a past deal and this time they offered me the Roamio for $199 or Roamio Pro for $599, both with lifetime service. They also offered to turn my old HD in for a refub Premier for $50, but keeping the monthly payments. I don't know if the refurb Premier is XL or not, didn't think to ask at the time, but probably not.
> 
> Thoughts? Should I take them up on the offer for the Roamio? Sure it looks cool, but I'm not entirely sure how much I'd use the extra features. But I like that it seems pretty "future-proof" for a while at least.
> 
> Tempting...


Hi,
If you have the numbers right on the base Roamio for $200 with lifetime, it's a no brainer, the sale has been $200 for the unit and another $200 for lifetime. Taking the refurb Premiere with payments....not a good deal. In the off chance that your numbers are wrong and the total on the base Roamio with LTS is $400, for the additional $200 on the ($600) Pro, you get an additional 2.5TB of hard drive space, builtin stream and builtin MoCA, plus an additional 2 tuners but it is cable card only.


----------



## wkearney99

fcfc2 said:


> Hi,
> If you have the numbers right on the base Roamio for $200 with lifetime, it's a no brainer, the sale has been $200 for the unit and another $200 for lifetime. Taking the refurb Premiere with payments....not a good deal. In the off chance that your numbers are wrong and the total on the base Roamio with LTS is $400, for the additional $200 on the ($600) Pro, you get an additional 2.5TB of hard drive space, builtin stream and builtin MoCA, plus an additional 2 tuners but it is cable card only.


Yep, if it's $200 for a base Roamio WITH lifetime included I'd snap it up. The UI on the Roamio units is a nice improvement from the older models. Worth the upgrade to get it. Likewise, with 6 cable-only tuners the Pro is pretty nice. I've never had a tuning conflict since using a Pro for my main recording/viewing.

I'd pass on the Premiere, even if it included lifetime. They're slow. Faster than an S3, but a Roamio is noticeably faster.

Note, if you don't have lifetime on an older S3 they will sometimes offer it for $99. Makes a nice gift to someone else or an extra set of tuners for another TV in house. You don't get play-in-place streaming (it still has to copy) but they're still very usable.


----------



## ned4spd8874

fcfc2 said:


> Hi,
> If you have the numbers right on the base Roamio for $200 with lifetime, it's a no brainer, the sale has been $200 for the unit and another $200 for lifetime. Taking the refurb Premiere with payments....not a good deal. In the off chance that your numbers are wrong and the total on the base Roamio with LTS is $400, for the additional $200 on the ($600) Pro, you get an additional 2.5TB of hard drive space, builtin stream and builtin MoCA, plus an additional 2 tuners but it is cable card only.





wkearney99 said:


> Yep, if it's $200 for a base Roamio WITH lifetime included I'd snap it up. The UI on the Roamio units is a nice improvement from the older models. Worth the upgrade to get it. Likewise, with 6 cable-only tuners the Pro is pretty nice. I've never had a tuning conflict since using a Pro for my main recording/viewing.
> 
> I'd pass on the Premiere, even if it included lifetime. They're slow. Faster than an S3, but a Roamio is noticeably faster.
> 
> Note, if you don't have lifetime on an older S3 they will sometimes offer it for $99. Makes a nice gift to someone else or an extra set of tuners for another TV in house. You don't get play-in-place streaming (it still has to copy) but they're still very usable.


Thanks for the replies!

I'm pretty sure I have the numbers right. I would still lean towards the Pro unit as it has more features and capacity so it seems like it won't be outdated as quickly.


----------



## krkaufman

ned4spd8874 said:


> Just called TiVo to cancel service on my old HD Series 3 unit and they offered me a couple choices to stay.
> 
> A little back story, I have a Premiere XL that had a bad HD. While it was being repaired I got an old HD back up and running for a couple months. ... They also offered to turn my old HD in for a refurb Premiere for $50, but keeping the monthly payments. I don't know if the refurb Premiere is XL or not, didn't think to ask at the time, but probably not.


Could use a skosh more backstory...

Are you a cable subscriber or using OTA antenna, or both?

And your Premiere was an XL (2-tuners) and not an XL4, correct? (It probably *would* make sense to know which model Premiere they were offering before making a final decision.)

Note, also, that existing customers (actually almost anyone, apparently) can also get the following deals by calling in to TiVo Sales...


 said:


> *Existing Customers* (TiVo DVR owner seemingly of any duration) are eligible for the "loyalty" special; meaning...
> 
> $400 4-tuner base Roamio (new), with All-In/Lifetime service included
> $600 6-tuner Roamio Pro (new), with All-In/Lifetime service included
> ...
> NOTE: _Free shipping*; but taxes apply._​
> Call: *(877) 289-8486* (between 7am-7pm PT M-F, 8am-6pm PT S&S)


... so they're not offering you anything special-special in regards to the Pro, but that $200 price on a Lifetime'd base Roamio would be awesome. (Though I'm left wondering if the rep misspoke and you may have a tough time getting that offer again.)

Ok, all that said... without knowing the answers to the above backstory grout, my recommendation would be to GRAB THAT $200 BASE ROAMIO if it's still on offer, and *sell it on eBay* (recent sales) if you don't actually want it. And then buy the $600 Roamio Pro via the above "loyalty" special, if you're strictly a cable subscriber and would prefer a biggerer, betterer box. (Or maybe they'll just sell you them both for $800 via the one phone call, maybe with a Slide Pro thrown-in, for good measure...)

edit: p.s. Or keep 'em both! We were solely using a Roamio Pro, but then, compelled by a recent sale, we opted to setup an OTA-connected basic Roamio to record shows on the CW channel (because Comcast only carries this channel in SD in our area, but it's available in HD via OTA), plus a couple local PBS sub-channels that Comcast doesn't provide. In addition, I figure the CableCARD-capable basic Roamio is there as a backup if our primary DVR, the Roamio Pro, ever fails. (knock on wood)


----------



## spicybrown

krkaufman said:


> Yes, via phone sales support, at: 877-289-8486
> 
> See also: https://www.tivo.com/contact-us
> 
> Note that it's perfectly legit and OK with TiVo for you to use your "loyalty" creds to buy a TiVo for someone else and gift it. They don't care what you do with it once you own it. They'll be happy to transfer ownership; just call 'em up.


Thank you - purchased the pro (even though I only have the plus for myself!) for $600 with lifetime.

No slide remote! I asked, they put me on hold and came back saying she placed the order and could not add the slide remote for free (annoyed that she placed the order without confirming I wanted to place without the slide remote).

Worth calling again to see if another rep could add? Are people still having luck?


----------



## krkaufman

spicybrown said:


> Thank you - purchased the pro (even though I only have the plus for myself!) for $600 with lifetime.


There's an easy fix for that...


----------



## spicybrown

krkaufman said:


> There's an easy fix for that...


Do you mean the hd swap (which would mean I lose my shows) or give them the pro? I've thought about both but he swap would mean I lose my shows and pro swap would be a logistics issue... And, in my wife's opinion, not In the spirit of the season 😞


----------



## krkaufman

spicybrown said:


> Do you mean the hd swap (which would mean I lose my shows) or give them the pro? (I'm guessing you meant 'Plus,' here) I've thought about both but the swap would mean I lose my shows and pro swap would be a logistics issue... And, in my wife's opinion, not In the spirit of the season 😞


T'was intentionally vague. As you've highlighted, there are a few fixes.

The most obvious is your Plus could be effectively upgraded, when convenient, to the equivalent of a Pro w/ a 3TB HDD upgrade: the technically easy but drive-snuffing way (drop-in), or the more technically difficult but sadness-averting MFS Tools 3.2 drive migration path.

I'm on the same page re: the moral/ethical quandary of the Plus/Pro gift switcheroo. 
Factors in favor of the swap are that you *had* intended on getting them a Plus with Lifetime, but that option's no longer available. Gifting your Plus is the same as buying a used Lifetime'd Plus off eBay (that *was* my first suggestion) -- though better, since you can vouch for the care given to the box since its receipt and that it is in good working condition. (The battle-hardened Plus might even be considered a better bet than a new, unproven Pro.) And let's be reasonable, a Lifetime'd Plus as a gift wouldn't exactly be spitting in someone's eye. Heck, if they end up loving the Roamio, the Plus might be the better choice for them if they decide they want to upgrade to a 4-6TB hard drive! (I'll be taking my Pro to 6TB in the next few weeks, and am pained between repurposing the 3TB drive or keeping it in storage should an extended warranty claim be necessary.)

Arguments against the swap are simpler: too little time left to receive the Pro unit, set it up, get all your content transferred over (losing protected content in the process), and the Plus reset and prepped for the recipient... all before St. Nick heads down the chimney; the Pro could have an extended warranty added; and, finally, why risk any anxiety or guilt. Give them the Pro knowing you've given them the best product available. Joy.​


----------



## tvmaster2

ned4spd8874 said:


> Thanks for the replies!
> 
> I'm pretty sure I have the numbers right. I would still lean towards the Pro unit as it has more features and capacity so it seems like it won't be outdated as quickly.


are you sure about that - I called Tivo and the best they offered was $399. If they were converting either an older (HD) or there was a specific hardware promotion, the price has been $199 for a Roamio Basic + $199 for Lifetime. No refurbished units were available, I was told


----------



## ned4spd8874

tvmaster2 said:


> are you sure about that - I called Tivo and the best they offered was $399. If they were converting either an older (HD) or there was a specific hardware promotion, the price has been $199 for a Roamio Basic + $199 for Lifetime. No refurbished units were available, I was told


Yeah, I messed up on the amounts. It was the same deal everyone else has mentioned 400 or 600. I want to snatch up the Roamio Pro, but still haven't decided if it's worth it right now. I see that I could sell my Premier XL for a little under $300, but even after that $300 is a lot to spend right now.


----------



## heifer624

A few Open Box OTA's back on Woot for $29.99....

http://sellout.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-17?ref=so_cnt_wp_3_11


----------



## Gaidin43

Are these refurbs worth it? I have a premier XL with lifetime and was looking to upgrade to the bolt, but not without lifetime. Monthly fees are not something I'm into. Thinking about making the switch to just OTA and Internet but my FIOS bill is only $89 a month for the middle package with Internet so I can't complain too much.


----------



## heifer624

I had six of the refurbs and they were as NEW. But throw in the open box on top of that, I don't know.


----------



## mjh

I have no problem with the refurb status nor the open box status. What I have a problem with is offering an OTA but only under a monthly subscription model. The people who are interested in an OTA are those people who are fed up with a monthly cable/satellite subscription. Why does tivo think that these same people are going to be happy replace that with a monthly tivo subscription?

I just don't understand tivo's logic behind offering an OTA box without a lifetime subscription option. Who in the world do they think is interested in that pricing model?


----------



## javabird

mjh said:


> I have no problem with the refurb status nor the open box status. What I have a problem with is offering an OTA but only under a monthly subscription model. The people who are interested in an OTA are those people who are fed up with a monthly cable/satellite subscription. Why does tivo think that these same people are going to be happy replace that with a monthly tivo subscription?
> 
> I just don't understand tivo's logic behind offering an OTA box without a lifetime subscription option. Who in the world do they think is interested in that pricing model?


People who can't afford the lifetime subscription price? For some folks, it's easier to pay by the month, especially if you don't want to or can't put it on a credit card.


----------



## L David Matheny

javabird said:


> People who can't afford the lifetime subscription price? For some folks, it's easier to pay by the month, especially if you don't want to or can't put it on a credit card.


He's not complaining about TiVo offering users a monthly payment option, just about their not offering any (realistically priced) lifetime option for the Roamio OTA.


----------



## mjh

L David Matheny said:


> He's not complaining about TiVo offering users a monthly payment option, just about their not offering any (realistically priced) lifetime option for the Roamio OTA.


Correct.


----------



## lpwcomp

mjh said:


> I have no problem with the refurb status nor the open box status. What I have a problem with is offering an OTA but only under a monthly subscription model. The people who are interested in an OTA are those people who are fed up with a monthly cable/satellite subscription. *Why does tivo think that these same people are going to be happy replace that with a monthly tivo subscription?
> *
> I just don't understand tivo's logic behind offering an OTA box without a lifetime subscription option. *Who in the world do they think is interested in that pricing model?*


Javabird was answering those two questions.

My question for you would be - who in the world is going to pay for lifetime on a partially crippled box when for not too much more they can have a fully capable Roamio Basic?


----------



## mjh

lpwcomp said:


> My question for you would be - who in the world is going to pay for lifetime on a partially crippled box when for not too much more they can have a fully capable Roamio Basic?


What do you mean "partially crippled"? Are you talking about the fact that it doesn't have a cable card slot? Well, I have a Roamio OTA and I'm quite happy with it. At this point, I'm struggling to imagine a time when I'll want that missing slot.

Look at it this way, imagine I'm allergic to peanuts. When a restaurant removes the peanuts from my food, I don't consider myself to be getting ripped off for the lack of peanuts.

I'm allergic to cable tv. So, to me, the box isn't crippled because it doesn't have a cable card slot. Frankly, I'm thankful that tivo gives me a discounted price to allow me not to pay for something I don't intend to use.


----------



## lpwcomp

mjh said:


> What do you mean "partially crippled"? Are you talking about the fact that it doesn't have a cable card slot? Well, I have a Roamio OTA and I'm quite happy with it. At this point, I'm struggling to imagine a time when I'll want that missing slot.
> 
> Look at it this way, imagine I'm allergic to peanuts. When a restaurant removes the peanuts from my food, I don't consider myself to be getting ripped off for the lack of peanuts.
> 
> I'm allergic to cable tv. So, to me, the box isn't crippled because it doesn't have a cable card slot. Frankly, I'm thankful that tivo gives me a discounted price to allow me not to pay for something I don't intend to use.


That is a ridiculous analogy. A CableCARD slot isn't going to cause you to go into anaphylactic shock‎

I glad you are satisfied with your box. My point was that why would anyone pay $399 for lifetime on this box when for not too much more they can get a box with higher resale value?

There's another factor to consider. The difference in price is way more that can be explained by just omitting the cable card slot. It's very likely that it's based on the fact that use of it creates a revenue stream..


----------



## L David Matheny

mjh said:


> What do you mean "partially crippled"? Are you talking about the fact that it doesn't have a cable card slot? Well, I have a Roamio OTA and I'm quite happy with it. At this point, I'm struggling to imagine a time when I'll want that missing slot.
> 
> Look at it this way, imagine I'm allergic to peanuts. When a restaurant removes the peanuts from my food, I don't consider myself to be getting ripped off for the lack of peanuts.
> 
> I'm allergic to cable tv. So, to me, the box isn't crippled because it doesn't have a cable card slot. Frankly, I'm thankful that tivo gives me a discounted price to allow me not to pay for something I don't intend to use.





lpwcomp said:


> That is a ridiculous analogy. A CableCARD slot isn't going to cause you to go into anaphylactic shock‎
> 
> I glad you are satisfied with your box. My point was that why would anyone pay $399 for lifetime on this box when for not too much more they can get a box with higher resale value?
> 
> There's another factor to consider. The difference in price is way more that can be explained by just omitting the cable card slot. It's very likely that it's based on the fact that use of it creates a revenue stream..


Is TiVo asking $400 to add PLS to a Roamio OTA, or is the price now $600 for the new "All In" PLS? I agree that the current purchase price (allowing a bit for resale value) would favor a Roamio Basic at $400 with PLS versus a Roamio OTA at nearly the same price. But $600 to later add "All In" PLS is exorbitantly expensive, especially for a unit aimed at people trying to save money. It would essentially limit the OTA to people foolish enough to pay monthly fees forever, but I guess cable subscribers are used to that.

I liked mjh's analogy. No, a CableCARD slot isn't going to cause anaphylactic shock, but cable TV can cause nausea, especially when you think about the exorbitant delivery fee you're paying to get ad-supported programming, much of which is available over-the-air or via streaming video or (delayed) via DVD sets.


----------



## Photo_guy

Tivo Mini $110 at Amazon

http://slickdeals.net/f/8403797-tiv...version-110-95-with-free-shipping?v=1&src=tdw

Not a bad deal for the new version.
Ironically, the old version is also available but for $10 more.


----------



## Adam1115

What's the difference between the new version and the old version?


----------



## mdavej

Adam1115 said:


> What's the difference between the new version and the old version?


Congratulations! You are the one millionth person to ask this question. You win a snarky, cryptic answer. Ready?

RF and $41


----------



## Adam1115

mdavej said:


> Congratulations! You are the one millionth person to ask this question. You win a snarky, cryptic answer. Ready? RF and $41


I don't see it at least the last month in this thread, but I apologize for missing it.


----------



## Photo_guy

Adam1115 said:


> I don't see it at least the last month in this thread, but I apologize for missing it.


I actually feel a bit guilty - seems like I set you (or someone) up for that by not including more info in my post.

It probably was not in this thread but there have been many, many posts about the differences over the past year or two. Here is a good post for the info.

http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10482584#post10482584


----------



## krkaufman

Adam1115 said:


> I don't see it at least the last month in this thread, but I apologize for missing it.


Well, this thread *is* titled "Roamio Deals?," so you wouldn't necessarily expect details on the Mini or related specials.

But might I interest you in the "Mini Deals?" thread?


----------



## mjh

lpwcomp said:


> That is a ridiculous analogy. A CableCARD slot isn't going to cause you to go into anaphylactic shock‎


You're missing my point. The point is that both are unwanted features. I'm not going to feel ripped off when that unwanted feature is not present.


> My point was that why would anyone pay $399 for lifetime on this box when for not too much more they can get a box with higher resale value?


And my point is why would I pay a premium for a function that I'm *NEVER* going to use? I paid $299 for a Roamio OTA w/lifetime. I could have paid $399 for a Roamio basic w/lifetime. That cablecard slot is simply not worth the extra $100.

And having recently sold a Tivo HDXL and a Tivo Premier, the resale value of these devices after they're 4-5 years old is a lot less than you think. I paid $600 for my HDXL with lifetime. I paid $600 for my premere with lifetime. That's $1200 that I paid, and I sold them for about $400, which is to say that I was only able to retain 33% of the initial value. But let's assume that I could have managed to get 50% of the original value. You're saying that I should pay $100 now, of which I'd be lucky to recover $50 in resale? That doesn't seem like a winning strategy to me.

The long and short is this: what is crippled to you is not crippled to everyone else. If you can't imagine doing something, then don't do it. But suggesting that others are crazy for not agreeing with you seems a step too far. Relax. Enjoy your tivo. And trust me when I tell you I'm not missing anything on mine.


----------



## MikeekiM

A friend of mine who is completely new to TiVo is interested in buying a 6-tuner Roamio with lifetime... He has no previous TiVo relationship...

Are there any current (or anticipated) deals out there?


----------



## mjh

L David Matheny said:


> Is TiVo asking $400 to add PLS to a Roamio OTA


If you have a Roamio OTA without PLS, you can't add PLS to it for any price. Tivo doesn't allow it. Over the summer, tivo had a sale where you could get a brand new Roamio OTA w/PLS for $299. AFAIK those are the only Roamio OTAs that have PLS on them. All other OTAs are monthly subscription only.


> I agree that the current purchase price (allowing a bit for resale value) would favor a Roamio Basic at $400 with PLS versus a Roamio OTA at nearly the same price.


Would you be willing to pay $100 extra for a Roamio Basic when you could get the exact same functionality out of a Roamio OTA for $100 less?


----------



## L David Matheny

mjh said:


> If you have a Roamio OTA without PLS, you can't add PLS to it for any price. Tivo doesn't allow it. Over the summer, tivo had a sale where you could get a brand new Roamio OTA w/PLS for $299. AFAIK those are the only Roamio OTAs that have PLS on them. All other OTAs are monthly subscription only.
> 
> Would you be willing to pay $100 extra for a Roamio Basic when you could get the exact same functionality out of a Roamio OTA for $100 less?


I might be willing to pay $50 more for a Roamio Basic to allow for the remote possibility that I (or someone I give or sell it to later) might want to use cable TV. $100 more would probably be a stretch. You got a good deal at $299 for an OTA with PLS, but I missed that one.


----------



## atmuscarella

MikeekiM said:


> A friend of mine who is completely new to TiVo is interested in buying a 6-tuner Roamio with lifetime... He has no previous TiVo relationship...
> 
> Are there any current (or anticipated) deals out there?


Only if you are nice enough to buy a Roamio Pro with lifetime for $600 and then transfer/sell it to him for the same $600 .


----------



## lpwcomp

mjh said:


> You're missing my point. The point is that both are unwanted features. I'm not going to feel ripped off when that unwanted feature is not present.


It's still a ridiculous analogy. You are not forced to use the slot and it's mere presence is not going to harm you in any way unless you're seriously warped.



mjh said:


> And my point is why would I pay a premium for a function that I'm *NEVER* going to use? I paid $299 for a Roamio OTA w/lifetime. I could have paid $399 for a Roamio basic w/lifetime. That cablecard slot is simply not worth the extra $100.


I agree with that but I thought the issue under discussion was that the option to get lifetime on an OTA only TiVo was no longer available and that it was a idiotic move on TiVos part. I was basing my argument on the actual current difference in price.



mjh said:


> And having recently sold a Tivo HDXL and a Tivo Premier, the resale value of these devices after they're 4-5 years old is a lot less than you think. I paid $600 for my HDXL with lifetime. I paid $600 for my premere with lifetime. That's $1200 that I paid, and I sold them for about $400, which is to say that I was only able to retain 33% of the initial value. But let's assume that I could have managed to get 50% of the original value. You're saying that I should pay $100 now, of which I'd be lucky to recover $50 in resale? That doesn't seem like a winning strategy to me.


And how much would they be worth if they were OTA only? The fact of the matter is that the HDXL is probably worth less than it would have been if it supported MP4. (oddly enough, there is some indication that TiVo is reconsidering adding it). The question you have to ask yourself - is the difference in cost less than the increase in residual value. $100 - borderline. $25- $50 - probably.

I have no idea why TiVo had the OTA only model w/lifetime priced $100 less than the original model. Financially, it makes no sense. There's no way that their costs are that much less. Maybe it no longer being available is at least partially based on their recognition that at least some people were installing a CableCARD slot. If I were TiVo, I would disable the CableCARD code in those models.



mjh said:


> The long and short is this: what is crippled to you is not crippled to everyone else. If you can't imagine doing something, then don't do it. But suggesting that others are crazy for not agreeing with you seems a step too far. Relax. Enjoy your tivo. And trust me when I tell you I'm not missing anything on mine.


No, the long and the short of it is that you are completely misrepresenting my argument. I NEVER SAID OR IMPLIED THAT "others are crazy for not agreeing with (me)". Sorry for that shouting but maybe you will be able to read what I actually wrote.


----------



## MikeekiM

atmuscarella said:


> Only if you are nice enough to buy a Roamio Pro with lifetime for $600 and then transfer/sell it to him for the same $600 .


Oh...as a current subscriber, can I buy a lifetime Roamio Pro for myself and transfer it to him?

I am willing to do this... Is there a link, or is this only something that I can get via a phone conversation with a CSR?


----------



## atmuscarella

MikeekiM said:


> Oh...as a current subscriber, can I buy a lifetime Roamio Pro for myself and transfer it to him?
> 
> I am willing to do this... Is there a link, or is this only something that I can get via a phone conversation with a CSR?


Yes you can buy a Roamio Pro with lifetime for yourself and then transfer it to him. No issues with TiVo doing so.

Regarding the $600 with lifetime offer it was/is available only by phone. But I am not even sure it is still being offered as it has been around for awhile, all you can do is call and ask. Perhaps if someone has purchased one lately they can post.


----------



## tarheelblue32

MikeekiM said:


> Oh...as a current subscriber, can I buy a lifetime Roamio Pro for myself and transfer it to him?
> 
> I am willing to do this... Is there a link, or is this only something that I can get via a phone conversation with a CSR?


You have to call in to get the deal, but you should be able to buy it and transfer it to him without any problems. TiVo will probably let you have it shipped directly to him.


----------



## MikeekiM

atmuscarella said:


> Yes you can buy a Roamio Pro with lifetime for yourself and then transfer it to him. No issues with TiVo doing so.
> 
> Regarding the $600 with lifetime offer it was/is available only by phone. But I am not even sure it is still being offered as it has been around for awhile, all you can do is call and ask. Perhaps if someone has purchased one lately they can post.





tarheelblue32 said:


> You have to call in to get the deal, but you should be able to buy it and transfer it to him without any problems. TiVo will probably let you have it shipped directly to him.


Is this considered "sneaky", or can I just be upfront with the TiVo CSR and let them know that I am buying it for a friend, and that I want to ship it and register it in his name/address? I obviously can pay for it...he can pay me back later...

Also...is it safe to assume that a $600 lifetime Roamio Pro is a recertified unit?


----------



## snerd

MikeekiM said:


> Is this considered "sneaky", or can I just be upfront with the TiVo CSR and let them know that I am buying it for a friend, and that I want to ship it and register it in his name/address? I obviously can pay for it...he can pay me back later...
> 
> Also...is it safe to assume that a $600 lifetime Roamio Pro is a recertified unit?


Nothing sneaky about it. Once you purchase a TiVo, it is yours to do with as you please. You can keep it, sell it, gift it, or smash it with a sledge hammer, as you wish. TiVo doesn't really care, nor should they.


----------



## krkaufman

snerd said:


> Nothing sneaky about it. Once you purchase a TiVo, it is yours to do with as you please. You can keep it, sell it, gift it, or smash it with a sledge hammer, as you wish. TiVo doesn't really care, nor should they.


The only hiccup I ever came across for this particular arrangement was that, previously, TiVo had a limit for the "loyalty" discount, so using it to purchase a unit for someone else would have eliminated the ability to get the discount at a later time for yourself. I'm not sure such a limit still applies.


----------



## krkaufman

MikeekiM said:


> Also...is it safe to assume that a $600 lifetime Roamio Pro is a recertified unit?


No way to answer that question without knowing exactly what you've been told by TiVo. If they said it applies to "New" units, then the unit should be new. And to the best of my knowledge, the "loyalty" discount has only ever applied to new units; they've had other specials for refurb/renewed units, and were explicitly classified as such.


----------



## MikeekiM

snerd said:


> Nothing sneaky about it. Once you purchase a TiVo, it is yours to do with as you please. You can keep it, sell it, gift it, or smash it with a sledge hammer, as you wish. TiVo doesn't really care, nor should they.


OK...That makes sense... So given this train of thought, do I even need to transfer the box to my friend?

Can I simply pay for it, send it to his house, and have him activate it with his name/address, etc, and be kept completely out of the loop (with the exception of payment of the box)?

And if the answer is no, and I have to be the initial registered user, can I transfer the box online via the TiVo website, or is this a CSR phone call that I have to make?

I thought I saw some recent threads indicating that lifetime is no longer transferable...so I just want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before pulling the trigger on a $600.00 transaction...


----------



## lessd

MikeekiM said:


> OK...That makes sense... So given this train of thought, do I even need to transfer the box to my friend?
> 
> Can I simply pay for it, send it to his house, and have him activate it with his name/address, etc, and be kept completely out of the loop (with the exception of payment of the box)?
> 
> And if the answer is no, and I have to be the initial registered user, can I transfer the box online via the TiVo website, or is this a CSR phone call that I have to make?
> 
> I thought I saw some recent threads indicating that lifetime is no longer transferable...so I just want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before pulling the trigger on a $600.00 transaction...


I done the xfer to a friend many times, TiVo does not care as All-in (Lifetime) can be xfered at any time, could be a gift to your dad, TiVo does know or care, TiVo can't tell if you friend paid you back, all TiVo cares about is that you pay for what you order. So purchase whatever you want from TiVo for a friend and don't fret about it.


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## MikeekiM

I just called them and forgot that the $600 deal is for customers that have been with TiVo for 5+ years...

Always upsets me that I was a DirecTV TiVo user for over 10 years, but that my years don't count as a TiVo customer (but I totally understand why it is the way it is)... I just recently moved to Comcast and became a true TiVo customer less than a year ago...

Oh well... This doesn't really impact me, as much as it does my friend who I was shopping for... I know a couple of 5+ year TiVo customers that *might* be willing to do a friend of a friend transaction...but not sure I want to tap that resource...


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## elborak

MikeekiM said:


> I just called them and forgot that the $600 deal is for customers that have been with TiVo for 5+ years...


That was originally the case, but recently it's been pretty much any existing customer. I took advantage of it about a month ago and have only been a customer for about 1.5 years.

If you got a CSR that shot you down claiming it was only for 5+ years, try again. Of course it's always possible that the more relaxed deal has expired and they've reverted to the 5+ limit, but I wouldn't assume that based on a single CSR.


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## pinballnut

I can tell you how. But I can Pm I have not posted enough. Can you PM me?



MikeekiM said:


> I just called them and forgot that the $600 deal is for customers that have been with TiVo for 5+ years...
> 
> Always upsets me that I was a DirecTV TiVo user for over 10 years, but that my years don't count as a TiVo customer (but I totally understand why it is the way it is)... I just recently moved to Comcast and became a true TiVo customer less than a year ago...
> 
> Oh well... This doesn't really impact me, as much as it does my friend who I was shopping for... I know a couple of 5+ year TiVo customers that *might* be willing to do a friend of a friend transaction...but not sure I want to tap that resource...


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## mbkintner

MikeekiM said:


> I just called them and forgot that the $600 deal is for customers that have been with TiVo for 5+ years...
> 
> Always upsets me that I was a DirecTV TiVo user for over 10 years, but that my years don't count as a TiVo customer (but I totally understand why it is the way it is)... I just recently moved to Comcast and became a true TiVo customer less than a year ago...
> 
> Oh well... This doesn't really impact me, as much as it does my friend who I was shopping for... I know a couple of 5+ year TiVo customers that *might* be willing to do a friend of a friend transaction...but not sure I want to tap that resource...


As was pointed out... try again to see what a different CSR says. I got the deal around Thanksgiving without ever having been a Tivo customer before.


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## jonw747

I got the deal back last Summer as a 10+ year former Direct Tivo customer after missing the Summer Sale, but it was clearly a YMMV thing then.

I don't think they even have records for us, which is a shame, because they really should be targeting folks who may have had a good experience with TiVo once upon a time but likely moved on due to the lack of an upgraded model being released.


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## boyet_m

mbkintner said:


> As was pointed out... try again to see what a different CSR says. I got the deal around Thanksgiving without ever having been a Tivo customer before.


Called today to ask if the Roamio Pro deal for $600 with all in is still up and running for 5+ years customers. And I guess It's my lucky day, the lady CSR ask me to hold for a couple of minutes and guess what she said it is. And to push my luck, I asked if she can throw in a slide pro remote and immediately she said sure. So, i pulled the trigger and my toys will be coming this coming Thursday.


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## psywzrd

So I'm finally ready to dump my 2 S3s for a Roamio Pro and I called in to Tivo today. They offered me the Pro for $499.99 plus $99 for lifetime as a 10+ year Tivo customer (almost 15 years now actually). They also offered me the Minis at $149.99, which I definitely won't do since Amazon has them for less. I'm adding a TV so I'll need a Pro and two Minis.

Is $600 for the Pro w/Lifetime as good as I'm going to get or have people gotten them for less? Also, Amazon has the Mini with RF remote (TCDA93000) for $110.95. Is that the one I want? It says current version so I assume that's the right one. They have the IR version (TCDA92000) for $119.99 but it says that's the old version (interestingly, that's the version that Tivo is offering me).

Am I better off getting a Plus and then throwing the biggest HD I can in it (depending on how much the recommended HD would cost of course)?


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## gigaguy

Tivo loyalty deal is best deal for a new Pro.
Tivo no longer sells the Plus, others may.
I don't use Minis. good luck.


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## Tweak42

I have a series 2 and HD lifetime, and got a Roamio OTA lifetime in November. 

Recently I came in possession of a Roamio Basic with no service. What's the chance I can get any discount on lifetime service on this unit? I called yesterday, and csr said $600 for lifetime - no specials he could find.

Or is the $400 for a new Roamio Basic deal still in effect? (I need both cable and OTA capability so stuck with Basic)


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## HarperVision

Tweak42 said:


> I have a series 2 and HD lifetime, and got a Roamio OTA lifetime in November. Recently I came in possession of a Roamio Basic with no service. What's the chance I can get any discount on lifetime service on this unit? I called yesterday, and csr said $600 for lifetime - no specials he could find. Or is the $400 for a new Roamio Basic deal still in effect? (I need both cable and OTA capability so stuck with Basic)


Super easy and FREE......just take the Cablecard bracket out of your Roamio basic and install it into your lifetime OTA unit and presto, you have a full cable and OTA Roamio "basic" with Lifetime service!


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## Tweak42

HarperVision said:


> Super easy and FREE......just take the Cablecard bracket out of your Roamio basic and install it into your lifetime OTA unit and presto, you have a full cable and OTA Roamio "basic" with Lifetime service!


Actually that's what I'm currently doing, the problem is the Roamio cannot do both OTA and cable at the same time. You must run the Guided Setup to toggle between modes. If I could get the no service Roamio Basic upgraded to lifetime, I would dedicate one OTA and one Cable, and they could easily manage and access content one each -almost- seamlessly.

Our old HD could do OTA and cable at the SAME TIME, and it's STUPID that TIVO dropped this feature on newer models. The workaround I have right now is I have the HD set to record all the OTA content our cable doesn't get, and have to manually transfer over network to watch it on the Roamio.


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## MikeekiM

psywzrd said:


> So I'm finally ready to dump my 2 S3s for a Roamio Pro and I called in to Tivo today. They offered me the Pro for $499.99 plus $99 for lifetime as a 10+ year Tivo customer (almost 15 years now actually). They also offered me the Minis at $149.99, which I definitely won't do since Amazon has them for less. I'm adding a TV so I'll need a Pro and two Minis.
> 
> Is $600 for the Pro w/Lifetime as good as I'm going to get or have people gotten them for less? Also, Amazon has the Mini with RF remote (TCDA93000) for $110.95. Is that the one I want? It says current version so I assume that's the right one. They have the IR version (TCDA92000) for $119.99 but it says that's the old version (interestingly, that's the version that Tivo is offering me).
> 
> Am I better off getting a Plus and then throwing the biggest HD I can in it (depending on how much the recommended HD would cost of course)?


Yes...this is the best deal going... Grab it before you become a victim of the "I should have pulled the trigger sooner" virus...


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## HarperVision

Tweak42 said:


> Actually that's what I'm currently doing, the problem is the Roamio cannot do both OTA and cable at the same time. You must run the Guided Setup to toggle between modes. If I could get the no service Roamio Basic upgraded to lifetime, I would dedicate one OTA and one Cable, and they could easily manage and access content one each -almost- seamlessly. Our old HD could do OTA and cable at the SAME TIME, and it's STUPID that TIVO dropped this feature on newer models. The workaround I have right now is I have the HD set to record all the OTA content our cable doesn't get, and have to manually transfer over network to watch it on the Roamio.


Actually, it can do both at the same time. I've done it. The problem is there's only one RF coax input and if you use a splitter or something to combine them then you'll have interference from overlapping channel frequencies.

Maybe get another Roamio OTA with lifetime since those are a little cheaper than the basics. I'm not sure they're available from Amazon anymore though.


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## Tweak42

HarperVision said:


> Actually, it can do both at the same time. I've done it. The problem is there's only one RF coax input and if you use a splitter or something to combine them then you'll have interference from overlapping channel frequencies.
> 
> Maybe get another Roamio OTA with lifetime since those are a little cheaper than the basics. I'm not sure they're available from Amazon anymore though.


Interesting, where can I find info / discussion on filtering the frequencies. I only need a few OTA channels, and it's possible they may not interrupt the any of the cable ones we care about.

I'm now kicking myself for not ordering another Roamio OTA when they were on sale.


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## HarperVision

Tweak42 said:


> Interesting, where can I find info / discussion on filtering the frequencies. I only need a few OTA channels, and it's possible they may not interrupt the any of the cable ones we care about.
> 
> I'm now kicking myself for not ordering another Roamio OTA when they were on sale.


Well, if your cable channels in the VHF band aren't of use to you like mine weren't (my system still has analog channels down there, but also does the HD redirect, so if I click on channel 3 FOX which is an analog SD channel, it will auto tune to channel 1003 using the cablecard, which is the HD equivalent anyway). You would also need your OTA channel's freqs to be in the VHF band though.

If these may apply to you, a cheap way to test to find out would be to use one of these like I did and connect your OTA antenna to the VHF leg and your cable TV coax to the UHF leg.









One thing that was pointed out to me later though was that the OOB signals are sent in the low VHF range, which is what is used to communicate to the cable co's headend. That could cause issues.


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## Tweak42

HarperVision said:


> Well, if your cable channels in the VHF band aren't of use to you like mine weren't (my system still has analog channels down there, but also does the HD redirect, so if I click on channel 3 FOX which is an analog SD channel, it will auto tune to channel 1003 using the cablecard, which is the HD equivalent anyway). You would also need your OTA channel's freqs to be in the VHF band though.
> 
> <snip>


I just checked and all my QAM cable channels are digital encrypted, and the OTA channels I'm trying to get are in the UHF band. Also wikipedia'd the actual UHF and QAM frequency ranges and unfortunately they overlap. 

Thanks for the suggestion though, I learned a lot more about tv frequencies than I intended.


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## HarperVision

Tweak42 said:


> I just checked and all my QAM cable channels are digital encrypted, and the OTA channels I'm trying to get are in the UHF band. Also wikipedia'd the actual UHF and QAM frequency ranges and unfortunately they overlap.
> 
> Thanks for the suggestion though, I learned a lot more about tv frequencies than I intended.


No problem! 

You can get notch filters to block out certain frequencies/bands too.

FYI, A 2 tuner premiere unit with lifetime would be cheap and better than using an older HD and also allows streaming between the Roamio instead of having to transfer.


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## bmgoodman

FWIW, I got the $599 Roamio Pro with Lifetime + free slide remote last night to give as a gift. This was my second Roamio Pro purchased at this price during the last 2 months, so maybe it a "while supplies last" kind of deal.


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## genius069

bmgoodman said:


> FWIW, I got the $599 Roamio Pro with Lifetime + free slide remote last night to give as a gift. This was my second Roamio Pro purchased at this price during the last 2 months, so maybe it a "while supplies last" kind of deal.


Is this via the "loyalty upgrade" program they have going on?

Does anyone know if I can get someone else to buy the unit for me? Not sure if there are restrictions on having to keep the unit for x months before you can sell it.


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## snerd

Tweak42 said:


> I just checked and all my QAM cable channels are digital encrypted, and the OTA channels I'm trying to get are in the UHF band. Also wikipedia'd the actual UHF and QAM frequency ranges and unfortunately they overlap.


That VHF/UHF diplexer that Dave mentioned can also be used to pass VHF frequencies from cable and UHF frequencies from OTA. I bought one on e-bay for $7 last month, just for some experiments.

Passing VHF from cable also has the advantage that the diplexer won't interfere with the OOB frequency that is used to communicate with cablecards.


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## bmgoodman

genius069 said:


> Is this via the "loyalty upgrade" program they have going on?
> 
> Does anyone know if I can get someone else to buy the unit for me? Not sure if there are restrictions on having to keep the unit for x months before you can sell it.


I told them I was buying it as a gift and even had it shipped directly to the intended party, who has never before had a Tivo.


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## liam1292

snerd said:


> That VHF/UHF diplexer that Dave mentioned can also be used to pass VHF frequencies from cable and UHF frequencies from OTA. I bought one on e-bay for $7 last month, just for some experiments.
> 
> Passing VHF from cable also has the advantage that the diplexer won't interfere with the OOB frequency that is used to communicate with cablecards.


I set mine up using MOCA and the OTA signals plus Catv signals do not interfere with each other. You basically run the mini (or source Roamio DVR) output to one input on your tv using hdmi ...then split the signal going into the mini (using only a 2000 MgHz or greater ) splitter to go to the catv input on your TV or CATv box then TV.


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## liam1292

Has anyone upgraded their Roamio with anything greater than 1 TB ... I hear you can't or shouldn;t AND I have heard of rumors that a 3TB works fine ... I was going to purchase a WD (AV-GP) 20(2TB) or 30 (3TB) EURX (green/Blue)


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## fcfc2

liam1292 said:


> Has anyone upgraded their Roamio with anything greater than 1 TB ... I hear you can't or shouldn;t AND I have heard of rumors that a 3TB works fine ... I was going to purchase a WD (AV-GP) 20(2TB) or 30 (3TB) EURX (green/Blue)


Hi,
The short answer is yes, the Roamio series can easily be upgraded with up to a 3TB drive which is basically plug and play. You can copy existing recordings up to a 4TB drive via MFS Tools 3.2 (link below)
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=529148
without saving recordings 4-6TB, you can use MFS Reformatter (link below)
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=528428
The should/ shouldn't issue is regarding the Tivo warranty. Opening the Tivo does technically void the warranty but the consensus is that if you don't tell Tivo and replace the original drive before returning the unit for repairs, there does not appear to be a problem.


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## HarperVision

liam1292 said:


> I set mine up using MOCA and the OTA signals plus Catv signals do not interfere with each other. You basically run the mini (or source Roamio DVR) output to one input on your tv using hdmi ...then split the signal going into the mini (using only a 2000 MgHz or greater ) splitter to go to the catv input on your TV or CATv box then TV.


Please explain further. That doesn't make any sense to me. The mini doesn't use standard RF OTA or cable signals nor have any tuners. It picks up the IP packet stream via MoCA or Ethernet.


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## Tweak42

OTA w/lifetime is back in stock for $300 at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0148ZRFVO


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## mickinct

$29.00 roamio ota ROAMIO MINI 89.00 http://electronics.woot.com/plus/tivo-roamio-ota-tivo-mini-2?ref=el_cnt_odet_el_crum_2_wp http://electronics.woot.com/plus/tivo-roamio-ota-tivo-mini-2?ref=el_cnt_odet_el_crum_2_wp http://electronics.woot.com/offers/tivo-roamio-ota-digital-video-recorder-20


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## Gaidin43

This woot deal worth it? Can you buy lifetime later for the roamio?


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## mickinct

NO I use these for parts only ie remote , power supply, hdd.


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## mickinct

tweak42 said:


> ota w/lifetime is back in stock for $300 at amazon.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/b0148zrfvo


sold out...........1/22/2016


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## Scooter Scott

mickinct said:


> sold out...........1/22/2016


It does say more are on the way...I wonder if they will bring the price back when they do.


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## Chris Gerhard

Gaidin43 said:


> This woot deal worth it? Can you buy lifetime later for the roamio?


I would say the deal is worth it but right now I don't believe it is possible to purchase lifetime. In the future it may be possible to buy lifetime for these Roamio OTA refurbs although I wouldn't consider that likely. If you already have a lifetime Roamio OTA, as a $30 parts machine it could make sense.


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## Photo_guy

Gaidin43 said:


> This woot deal worth it? Can you buy lifetime later for the roamio?


Currently Tivo has not allowed conversion to lifetime on boxes that start as service agreement required. That could change in the future but I would not count on it. 
There is the potential to get a reduced rate after the 1 year commitment is completed. I purchased a OTA for $50 and completed the 1 year @$15/month. When I called to cancel they offered me 2 months 'credit' ($30) and the option to get a $10/mo service going forward, no commitment.

If you want to test out Tivo for low upfront costs the Woot deal may be worth it. Just go in knowing it will cost you $35 + $15*12 = $215 for one year.


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## tatergator1

Gaidin43 said:


> This woot deal worth it? Can you buy lifetime later for the roamio?


Current Tivo policy prohibits the purchase of Lifetime on the Roamio OTA. Even if you could get it, it would be at the new price of $599. The only alternative is the Amazon $299 Roamio OTA with Lifetime deal, but that has just recently sold out again and may or may not return.


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## atmuscarella

Photo_guy said:


> Currently Tivo has not allowed conversion to lifetime on boxes that start as service agreement required. That could change in the future but I would not count on it.
> There is the potential to get a reduced rate after the 1 year commitment is completed. I purchased a OTA for $50 and completed the 1 year @$15/month. When I called to cancel they offered me 2 months 'credit' ($30) and the option to get a $10/mo service going forward, no commitment.
> 
> If you want to test out Tivo for low upfront costs the Woot deal may be worth it. Just go in knowing it will cost you $35 + $15*12 = $215 for one year.


Right and you could also buy a Bolt that costs $300 (or less we have seen deals at $211) for the first year. I have nothing bad to say about a base Roamio or Roamio OTA but when you can not get one of them with a good lifetime deal I would highly recommend going with the Bolt (Note: I have both a Bolt and a Base Roamio used for OTA). The old saying being penny wise and pound foolish comes to mind.


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## tvmaster2

or, just buy a used Premiere with Lifetime and use it for OTA?


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## atmuscarella

tvmaster2 said:


> or, just buy a used Premiere with Lifetime and use it for OTA?


Yes dual tuner Premiere's, Series 3, & TiVo HD's work fine as an OTA DVR - however the Roamio/Roamio OTA is a substantial upgrade to all of them and the Bolt is a major upgrade. But if someone just wants an OTA DVR they all work fine - in my Opinion the Original Series 3 is the best of the 3 for someone just wanting a DVR (I have and have used them all). All three are getting pretty old, Series 3 was released fall 2006, TiVo HD Summer of 2007, & Premiere Feb. 2010.


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## bwhitney

As the headline says, Woot has reconditioned TiVo Roamios OTA for 29.99 & TiVo Mini 2 for 89.99. woot.com in their Electronics section.

http://electronics.woot.com/?ref=cp_gh_el_3

Good luck bargain hunters!


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## HerronScott

atmuscarella said:


> All three are getting pretty old, Series 3 was released fall 2006, TiVo HD Spring of 2007, & Premiere Feb. 2010.


Minor correction. The HD was announced in late July 2007 with shipments in August 2007. 

Scott


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## lessd

HerronScott said:


> Minor correction. The HD was announced in late July 2007 with shipments in August 2007.
> 
> Scott


The Series 3 release date was correct, the TiVo-HD your release date was correct.


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## mickinct

bwhitney said:


> As the headline says, Woot has reconditioned TiVo Roamios OTA for 29.99 & TiVo Mini 2 for 89.99. woot.com in their Electronics section.
> 
> http://electronics.woot.com/?ref=cp_gh_el_3
> 
> Good luck bargain hunters!


Old news see post #3229........


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## mickinct

http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Roamio-S...UTF8&qid=1454766590&sr=8-10&keywords=TiVo+ota MINI............ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...63-4ed3-8d65-d32787529792&pf_rd_i=13779142011 http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=lp_1377...&ie=UTF8&smid=A1KWJVS57NX03I&node=13779142011


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## mickinct

$29.00 OTA units back in stock.......http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Roamio-S...UTF8&qid=1454766590&sr=8-10&keywords=TiVo+ota


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## bengalfreak

Tivo Roamio Pros from the Tivo.com web site are currently backordered. It's been a week and not yet shipped.


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