# 1 year free service from transferring lifetime to S3 is UP



## Granzella (Sep 13, 2006)

To make a long story short... I called Tivo up today to activate a third tivo and get the multi service discount. Well, it looks like I'm not eligible for MSD, even though I currently have 2 active tivos going. I then asked the person I was talking to about my 1 year of free service that is about to expire. (in 2 days) She said that I will be put on monthly service for *$16.95* a month! No MSD. She talked to people above her and they pretty much said that I am not able to get MSD because "having a lifetime does not count as a plan."

I know many of you transferred lifetime service and the 1 year of free service is coming to an end soon. I would like to know what your status of if you pay MSD or full monthly price.

Thanks in advance.


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## jfh3 (Apr 15, 2004)

That doesn't sound right.

As for my transferred service, I canceled both about a week before they were to expire, so I don't know what the rate would have been.


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

Granzella said:


> I know many of you transferred lifetime service and the 1 year of free service is coming to an end soon. I would like to know what your status of if you pay MSD or full monthly price.


I asked this specific question as I was transferring lifetime from my S2 to my S3, and was told in no uncertain terms that after the free year the S2 would get the MSD price whatever it was when the year ended.
The CSR said this because I asked if I'd get the current MSD price, and he said yes, if it's still that price, but if MSD price is more, I'd have to pay more, but it would definitely be the MSD price.

Just checked, and my 1 year free is up November 2nd, so I have a month before I have to throw a fit.

phox


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## Granzella (Sep 13, 2006)

Well, I called tivo again and talked to a more competent person but still the same results. No MSD.


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## wickerbill (Apr 4, 2002)

I can't imagine that they have changed this after it being the same for seven years. Tivo CS people are known to be incompetent, but very confident in the BS that they spew.


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## Spathy (Sep 18, 2007)

The Tivo MSD Agreement clearly states that a "Product Lifetime Subscription" qualifies as a "registered account holder" (Section 1 and 1C).

My 1-year free service expired last week and I am getting ready to renew. I am able to purchase the 3-year monthly plan for $6.95 per month (includes $6 discount). To do this, simply order online rather than over the phone. The Tivo website recognizes me as being eligible for this and states the following when I click on Tivo price plans, "*Congratulations-you qualify! Prices below reflect monthly fee after Multi-Service Discount*."


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## gthassell (Apr 22, 2003)

Mine showed up as month-to-month billing at 12.95 / month; a simple phone call got them to apply the MSD. Now, my box is at 6.95 / month. (I'm considering this very lucky, but what I was promised when I did the transfer.)  

As a result, I went out and bought a TiVo HD (costco, 279.99 OTD) to replace the upgraded S2. Also picked up a WD 500 GB drive for 109 OTD @ microcenter (and got a $50 credit on another drive I picked up last month).  

Downloaded WinMFS, backed up the virgin drive and restored to the 500 GB drive before even booting, and now have a 62 Hour (HD) TiVoHD currently on its 7-day free trial. 

I've been manually re-entering Season Passes and Wishlists, and have a CableCard install with Comcast set for Saturday. Of course, I've already spent about 90 minutes trying to explain to Comcast what a Multi-Stream card is, have been hung up on, had them tell the TiVo rep that they only have one kind of card, someone else said they have a special TiVo CableCard, etc. - so who knows what will happen.    

Still, as soon as its paired, I will be transferring the service from the Expired (now 6.95 / month) TiVo to the TiVo HD.

Anyone want to buy an upgraded T-800, single tuner? Its got 176 hours on it. PM me if interested.


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## matthewc (Dec 17, 2006)

Tell them you want to cancel that one that is going to expire and they will really help you out.


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## Ishma (Sep 8, 2006)

You clearly should be getting MSD. Lifetime is considered a "qualifying" box. Either tell them you want to cancel or go to a retention rep. I bet that will work.


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## Mahty (Jan 6, 2006)

gthassell said:


> Mine showed up as month-to-month billing at 12.95 / month


Same here.

My one year of free service on my old S2 ended a few days ago at which time my credit card was automatically billed for the mont-to-month rate of $12.95. I called to cancel my service on that particular TiVo since the S2 (original S2, i.e., all black) died just a few weeks ago. (Good timing?) They will credit back my $12.95.


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## spaceboytom (Jan 8, 2006)

Granzella said:


> I know many of you transferred lifetime service and the 1 year of free service is coming to an end soon. I would like to know what your status of if you pay MSD or full monthly price.


My tivo Bill:

Series 1 - Lifetime
Series 2 DT - $6.95/mo. MSD
Series 3 TivoHD - $6.95/mo. MSD

You do have to keep the lifetime box active (calling home to Tivo) or else the will revert you back to full rate.


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## anfab (Sep 20, 2006)

So since my Service Only, 1 Year, Prepay (SERIES 3 HD PRODUCT LIFETIME TRANSFER) is up 9/22, what should be my expectation?

I bought Series 3 and transferred lifetime on series 1. The series one is still chugging along.

On 9/23 will TiVo sign the series 1 up for a month-to-month under a 1Yr pricing plan at $16.95/mo?

Will they apply a MSD to this making it $10.95/month? Or some other rate?

Should I cancel the service on the series 1 before 9/22 and then reactivate under one of the prepay/monthly plans?

I actually expect that TiVo would send me a message letting me know my options. Sounds like this does not happen?

Doesn't sound like the message from TiVo is consistant (or am I missing something.)

Regards,
John Rasper


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## SCSIRAID (Feb 2, 2003)

I called earlier today and asked how much longer I had on my year of service for the S2 (due to the lifetime transfer) and what would happen once I reached the end of the period. The answer was that I had 2 more days and that the S2 would revert to 6.95 per month after that.


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## shady (May 31, 2002)

Perhaps this will help:
A link to the wise words of TiVoPony

In Particular



> * If you take advantage of the 'Transfer Lifetime to Series3' promotion, the old box that used to have Lifetime will be eligible for $6.95/mo MSD (or whatever is equivalent...legalese for lawyers) after the 12 months of comp'd service is over.


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## ah30k (Jan 9, 2006)

shady said:


> Perhaps this will help:
> A link to the wise words of TiVoPony
> 
> In Particular


Any historic quoting of future pricing must be caveated by the usual 'future pricing information may change.' I think the gist of him saying you'll be eligible for MSD stands but the actual price of that MSD might increase.


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## JacksTiVo (Jan 7, 2006)

Bought an S3 yesterday. Have S1 and S2 each with LT. Signed up for three year service, price $6.95/mo, the MSD rate. All of this done via the Web.

Remember, if you had not transferred your other unit's LT to the S3, the S3 would have been eligible for the MSD rate.


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## TJBChris (Jul 15, 2004)

I just called TiVo and got told that if don't do anything, the box with the free year will be billed $16.95/month. My year is up tomorrow. The only way I can get MSD, according to the rep, was to cancel that box and resubscribe it. I take that to mean I'll have to commit for three years if I want the $6.95/mo MSD. 

Once I see what they actually bill me, I'll act accordingly...
-Chris


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## Sy- (Sep 29, 2005)

Since transferring my lifetime 11 months ago my s1 has been on the 6.95 msd plan. When I called to cancel the plan on my s1 I was told that if I ever wanted to reactivate it the "NEW" msd plan would cost $12.95/mo. So I opted to continue service and pay the $6.95.


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## robm15 (Feb 23, 2004)

I was just reading the MSD agreement at this link:

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

Talk about confusing... It seems like when my S2 on the one year promotion will revert to full monthly price. And the only way to have MSD applied is to cancel my service on it and then reactivate service on an appropriate plan.

That just doesn't seem right, but that is how I read all the legal mumbo jumbo...


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## alyssa (Dec 7, 2003)

Just to add more confusion to this thread;
when I called up tivo I was told when my S2's free year was up I'd pay $10 

$16.95 - the MSD of $6.95= $10 

I opted to keep a second S2 on the books so I could transfer the MSD at the end of the year.


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## drew00001 (Jan 13, 2007)

How do you know when your 1 year ends? I know I am about there, and want to cancel my subscription.


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## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

robm15 said:


> I was just reading the MSD agreement at this link:
> 
> http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/policies/tivomultiservicediscountagreement.html
> 
> ...


The following seems to be the issue here (bold for emphasis):



> A. MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT for New Subscriptions Only. Beginning July 19, 2007, the MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT will *ONLY be applied to eligible new TiVo service subscriptions* (defined below). The MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT cannot be applied to existing TiVo service subscriptions. For purposes of clarity, this means, for example, that *if you have an existing full-priced Monthly Subscription to the TiVo service and then purchase a Prepaid Subscription to the TiVo service, the MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT cannot be applied to your existing full-priced Monthly Subscription*, only future new eligible TiVo service subscriptions (defined below). Existing TiVo service subscription are not eligible for the MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT. However, TiVo service subscriptions currently receiving the MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT shall continue to receive the MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT as long as their remains a Qualifying Subscription on the same TiVo customer account.


The problem is that while an TiVo that had the lifetime service transferred off of it is an existing subscription the existing subscription was a lifetime subscription. It was never an "existing full-priced Monthly Subscription". So does that mean it doesn't qualify or not?

It does state later on that (bolding not mine):


> Prepaid TiVo Package Subscriptions as well as Annual, Prepaid, Product Lifetime and promotional subscriptions to the TiVo service are *not eligible* to receive the MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT. However, in accordance with the Initial Qualification and General Eligibility requirements set forth above, paid Prepaid TiVo Packages, Annual, Prepaid, and Product Lifetime Subscriptions may serve as the Qualifying Subscription.


The question is whether the free year of service is considered a promotional subscription or not.

Basically it comes down to whether or not an ex-lifetime TiVo is considered a new subscription or not. Since the accounts indicate ex-lifetime TiVo's as being activated at the time of the lifetime transfer (TiVo swapped the subscription data), they could be considered either new or existing subscriptions since they, from a billing standpoint, have never had a subscription.

Since the billing history for my S2 that transferred lifetime service to my S3 is listed as "Service Only, 1 Year, Prepay" I would say that it could be considered a prepaid service plan and therefore not eligible for the MSD when the plan expires, except for the fact that TiVoPony originally said they would qualify for MSD.

Still it's little wonder customer support is confused and are quoting numbers all over the map. It would be nice to get some clarification on this.


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## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

drew00001 said:


> How do you know when your 1 year ends? I know I am about there, and want to cancel my subscription.


Check the TiVo account page and look at the billing history for your non-S3 TiVo. It lists the payment plan activation date. Just add a year.


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## bmgoodman (Dec 20, 2000)

morac said:


> Still it's little wonder customer support is confused and are quoting numbers all over the map. It would be nice to get some clarification on this.


This is the single most frustrating part of dealing with this company! This stuff should NOT be rocket science or in any way a black art. When Tivo's most ardent supporters are no longer capable of explaining to the general public how the pricing structure works, Tivo is in real trouble. And I think we're months past that point....


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## parzec (Jun 21, 2002)

bmgoodman said:


> This is the single most frustrating part of dealing with this company! This stuff should NOT be rocket science or in any way a black art. When Tivo's most ardent supporters are no longer capable of explaining to the general public how the pricing structure works, Tivo is in real trouble. And I think we're months past that point....


AMEN!!!


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## fred2 (Jan 20, 2006)

bmgoodman said:


> This is the single most frustrating part of dealing with this company! This stuff should NOT be rocket science or in any way a black art. When Tivo's most ardent supporters are no longer capable of explaining to the general public how the pricing structure works, Tivo is in real trouble. And I think we're months past that point....


Amen2.

It sounds as if Tivo has been taking lessons from some of its competitors. I am OTA but keep reading about the W.I.D.E discrepencies in cable card prices - absolutely no consistency and no way to tell how much it might cost. Tivo now seems in the same boat.


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## drew00001 (Jan 13, 2007)

morac said:


> Check the TiVo account page and look at the billing history for your non-S3 TiVo. It lists the payment plan activation date. Just add a year.


Thank you! Looks like I have 3 days to cancel or get billed $16.95 per month . . . even though I should only be billed $6.95 b/c of the lifetime subscription on my S3.


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## aztivo (Feb 23, 2005)

I called yesterday and was told (front line CSR) that i didnt have a plan(I transfered my lifetime to my S3 during the promo) to qualify for MSD even though online it says I do I told her I wanted to cancel and was transfered to the cancelation department where the chick there said that I should have the 6.95/mo with no commitment. She made notes and gave me a case number incase I ever have a problem. Now I am off to by a new S3


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## shady (May 31, 2002)

My Month to Month is supposed to start tomorrow, and I also was told the only way I could get the $6.95 was to sign up for a 3 year service. In which case they would have to cancel the existing service and start a new one.

Assuming I can transfer that to a new S3 at a later date, then I'm fine with that.

However, they couldn't do this at the moment, because my 1 year service hasn't finished yet. They are calling me back on Friday to set it up


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## TJBChris (Jul 15, 2004)

My month-to-month started today. They didn't bill me $16.95 as they mentioned on the phone during my conversation last night, and they didn't bill me $6.95. It was $12.95/mo. Called today and they promised to refund me the $6 this month and apply MSD to the S2, bringing my monthly cost to $6.95.

I'll have to keep an eye on them...
-Chris


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## larrs (May 2, 2005)

TJBChris said:


> My month-to-month started today. They didn't bill me $16.95 as they mentioned on the phone during my conversation last night, and they didn't bill me $6.95. It was $12.95/mo. Called today and they promised to refund me the $6 this month and apply MSD to the S2, bringing my monthly cost to $6.95.
> 
> I'll have to keep an eye on them...
> -Chris


Did they say anything about a three year committment for that price?


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## gthassell (Apr 22, 2003)

aztivo,

Be aware - if you are planning on buying a new S3 to take advantage of the $200 rebate - it only qualifies for NEW SERVICE. If you swap out for the 6.95 monthly plan, you will not get the rebate. That's specifically why I went with the TiVoHD and did my own 20-minute upgrade to a WD 500 GB drive (109 OTD @ MicroCenter).


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## shady (May 31, 2002)

gthassell said:


> aztivo,
> 
> Be aware - if you are planning on buying a new S3 to take advantage of the $200 rebate - it only qualifies for NEW SERVICE. If you swap out for the 6.95 monthly plan, you will not get the rebate.


Damn, that's exactly what I was thinking of doing. I'm not ready to buy a new tivo for a couple of months, so I was just going to extend the life of my series 2 for a while and then buy another series3 and transfer the service!!!

Why does it have to be this complicated!!!


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## gthassell (Apr 22, 2003)

Same boat I was in, so I got the TiVoHD and did a quick Hard Drive Upgrade to 500 GB / 62 Hrs HD. Used a new Western Digital drive that I got for $109 at Microcenter. 

Considering the price I paid for the TiVoHD was 279.99 @ Costco, my total cost ended up being 388.99, plus tax - just a little less than a new series 3 would have been after the rebate.  

Granted, I don't have the OLED display, THX, or fancy remote for the TiVoHD, but I use a Harmony remote anyway, so no real issue.


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## TJBChris (Jul 15, 2004)

larrs, 

I didn't have to commit, but was told the non-commitment MSD price applies only to this unit. When asked if I could transfer the contract to a new DVR should this one die, I was told that I could not, and would have to commit for 3 years on any new unit to get the $6.95 MSD rate. This was expected, as you couldn't transfer the free year to another DVR following the lifetime transfer to the S3.  

My S2 is 5 years old - so if I had to commit, I would have just cancelled it. I haven't seen the $6 I was overbilled credited to my account yet, but I would expect it to take a few days, anyway.

-Chris


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## irkedpenguin (Sep 12, 2006)

I was told they wouldn't cover it in a multi-service discount since it was a promotional offer, and I then asked if I canceled it and then reactivated it would it be covered, to which they replied yes, and then went ahead and lowered the price for me.

So anyone else that has problems, that is one way to go.


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## HDTiVo (Nov 27, 2002)

I just bought a TiVo HD with a 3yr $6.95 commit. I only did so because I thought if it came to it, one way or another I'd have at least one of my other TiVoes still active that I could substitute on the 3yr plan (in addition to an MSD qualifying unit.)

Now is this saying that I would lose MSD $6.95 if I substitute another unit on the 3yr plan and start paying $12.95? The 3yr plan can't be cancelled without penalty, so in that case I'd be forced to keep paying $12.95.

Suppose I want to go the other way. Buy a TiVo HD and substitute it for an old no-commit $6.95 MSD Series 2. Is that a no go now?


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## HDTiVo (Nov 27, 2002)

Looking at the terms Morac quoted before, this really looks like it is intended for Full Priced Monthly term commitment  subscriptions. What I think it is saying is that if you took a non-MSD sub for n years at Full rates ($12.95-19.95) you can't bring that rate down to the analogous MSD rate during the term of the sub, no matter what you do in terms of other subscriptions. For example, if you subed at $14.95 for 2 years, that can not be changed not matter what during the term.

What happens with boxes that are not subed (or expiring) (like an expiring 1yr free via LT transfer) would seem to be that box is eligible for any existing TiVo plan. Those plans are 1,2,3 year commits with Full or MSD prices, and you should get MSD on any such sub if you already have a qualifying subscription (ie. any other normal active sub.) Thus as example an LT (transfered) S3 ought to be a qualifying sub to get you an MSD sub on the old S2 that you transfered from. (* but to get a good price you are committing an S2 for 3 yrs.) 

That last is by the way one of the hearts of the travesty of the entire system. Old boxes have to suffer the commitment burdens of heavily HW subsidized new boxes.

As far as my questions, it looks like the MSD subs can remain MSD subs, so I'd be able to substitute another unit on my 3yr $6.95 and continue to pay $6.95.

Anyway, that's what the sense of it looks like, though I doubt TiVo has really figured it all out yet. They usually just wait for people to freak out and then come up with the correct answer which they should have articulated (and thought through) in the first place.


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## mathwhiz (May 28, 2000)

I just called to check on mine because it ends in a few days, after being put on hold for a couple minutes I was told I could do $10.95/month with no commitment or $6.95/month for 3 years.

It would be nice if there was some consistency on this.

I tried to have him transfer me to the cancellation department, but it sounded like he was going to do the cancellation himself, so I told him I'd think about it and call back. When I call back I'll go right to the cancellation department, since it seems like they are always willing to offer the $6.95/month plan.

Rich


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## HDTiVo (Nov 27, 2002)

mathwhiz said:


> I just called to check on mine because it ends in a few days, after being put on hold for a couple minutes I was told I could do $10.95/month with no commitment or $6.95/month for 3 years.


Are you sure $10.95 was no commit? Normally it would be 1yr commit.


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## SCSIRAID (Feb 2, 2003)

HDTiVo said:


> Are you sure $10.95 was no commit? Normally it would be 1yr commit.


Mine automatically went to 12.95 and I made no commitments.

The website shows my S2 plan as: The TiVo Service, Month to Month (SERIES 3 HD PRODUCT LIFETIME TRANSFER)


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## redtape (Oct 14, 2003)

I wonder if one of the TiVo reps on the board could comment on this. It seems that when we bought the Series 3 last year we were told that the MSD would apply and be $6.95 a month if we transferred the lifetime, but it is being billed at $12.95 (I just checked my credit card on this). In my case, since I don't use the Series 2 anymore, I suppose I'll just cancel, but others are going to fell cheated, (and rightly so).


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## redtape (Oct 14, 2003)

OK, on the line to TiVo CSR and they are crediting back $6 and said it should have been $6.95 all along. Very nice lady.
Hope it works out for everyone else.


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

redtape said:


> OK, on the line to TiVo CSR and they are crediting back $6 and said it should have been $6.95 all along. Very nice lady.
> Hope it works out for everyone else.


Maybe they'll have a staff meeting and get everyone on the same page.



Ok, couldn't keep a straight face on that one.

phox


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## danator (Sep 18, 2006)

> My one year of free service on my old S2 ended a few days ago at which time my credit card was automatically billed for the mont-to-month rate of $12.95. I called to cancel my service on that particular TiVo since the S2 (original S2, i.e., all black) died just a few weeks ago. (Good timing?) They will credit back my $12.95.


I went though a lot of trouble to get my credit back (Monthly services kicked in 2 days ago). Close to an hour of nonsense, on hold, transfers from one rep ot another, disconnection ...etc.

I was first promised by a knowledgable rep that knows about the charges and was put on hold while waiting for her to make the correction but it went to hell after a friendly disconnection. Just to make sure everything was ok, i called them back but I was REFUSED to talk to the last rep!! (what the hell??) and denied credit back to my CC. The only way to get this guy off my back is request to talk to a manager.

Tivo customer support so far is 50-50%. Just be glad when a good rep take your call or hell breaks loose.


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## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

wait til the end of the quarter, then call them. just like new car dealers, near the end they work harder to keep each sub that calls.


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## mathwhiz (May 28, 2000)

Called back today and selected the option to cancel. I told the rep that I wanted to cancel because it was going to be $10.95 a month and that was too much, and she said that I was wrong and that it was $6.95/month with no commitment. So I kept the service. Not sure how much I'll use that other TiVo, but I can handle $6.95/month to keep it around incase I need a 3rd tuner.

Just like any company, just keep calling back until you get the answer you want, since it seems that not everyone knows what is going on.

Rich


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## shady (May 31, 2002)

I finally got put through to someone who has now manually overridden to $6.95 per month for the series 2.

However she refused to refund me for this month because she said that "Because I wasn't actually eligible for the MSD on that box and she was only overriding it to "take care of me", that I wasn't entitled to a refund".

Here is how she explained her stand:

When I bought the Series 3, the service was transferred from the Series 2 to the Series 3. A new subscription was created for the Series 2. This was a *1 Year, Prepay* service. To get a multi service discount, the box has to be eligible at the time the subscription is created, however, 1 year prepay subscriptions are not eligible for the Multi service Discount. Because the subscription wasn't eligible then, then it isn't now!

To be perfectly honest, I think that's a load of baloney  but I'll just suck it up and forget the extra $6.95 I paid this month and be thankful I'm only paying $6.95 a month with no 3 year commitment.

My plan is to ditch the Series 2 in a few months and take advantage of the Series 3 offer, however I couldn't have done that if I was locked into a 3 year contract.


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## drew00001 (Jan 13, 2007)

mathwhiz said:


> Called back today and selected the option to cancel. I told the rep that I wanted to cancel because it was going to be $10.95 a month and that was too much, and she said that I was wrong and that it was $6.95/month with no commitment. So I kept the service. Not sure how much I'll use that other TiVo, but I can handle $6.95/month to keep it around incase I need a 3rd tuner.
> 
> Just like any company, just keep calling back until you get the answer you want, since it seems that not everyone knows what is going on.
> 
> Rich


I called once and was told $6.95 per month w/ no commitment. She claimed there was no other way to obtain such rate, even though I had another S3. Whether she was right or wrong, it did not matter, and I cancelled anyway.


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## retired_guy (Aug 27, 2004)

They charged $12.95 on my credit card the day my one year free service expired. I called and was told that was the monthly rate. However, after some discussion of my options, the rep left me on the line for a few minutes while she discussed the issue with someone else and then told me I could have the $6.95 monthly rate starting next month since I'd been such a "good customer". The lesson seems to be that one needs to call, complain and push a bit, and you'll have a good chance on their reducing the $12.95 to $6.95.

In any case, if one plans on ultimately replacing their S1 or S2 with, say, a THD, one can always sign up for a monthly three year plan and get the $6.95 rate using the MSD. One would plan on switching the new THD into the remaining months of the three year plan when finally replacing the original S1 or S2.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

I was charged $12.95 for October on my credit card for the S2 that's now coming off it's free year. I decided I already had a 500GB S2 and a 750GB S3 in the house, so a 2nd S2 wasn't an added feature and I was going to cancel it.

The rep quickly and confidently said " I see you have 2 units with Lifetime, that qualifies you for MSD, and because you're a long term customer, that's based on $12.95 a month with no contract, minus the $6.00 discount."

I declined since I just couldn't see needing it, but he was persistant and not rude, and gave me Nov and Dec free, and I just have to call before 12/23 with a decision to cancel or continue.

I was very pleased with how low pressure he was. That treatment may get me to put a year on it for MSD at $6.95 and see if I can use it as a sales tool to help other family members go Tivo.

Diane


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## synch22 (Dec 30, 2003)

for us adopters who paid $650 and $199 TIVO has pulled the move and bamboozled us. They changed the terms of the game I also remember reading $6.95 no commit. Who the heck wants to commit on a series 2 box...., makes no sense?

TIVO we paid the $$ now you change the terms? WOW way to treat the early S3 adopters.


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## 1283 (Sep 8, 2000)

synch22 said:


> Who the heck wants to commit on a series 2 box


It's commitment for service, not box. You can change the hardware as many times as you want.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

synch22 said:


> for us adopters who paid $650 and $199 TIVO has pulled the move and bamboozled us. They changed the terms of the game I also remember reading $6.95 no commit. Who the heck wants to commit on a series 2 box...., makes no sense?
> 
> TIVO we paid the $$ now you change the terms? WOW way to treat the early S3 adopters.


Synch22.

I'm in exactly that situation, I bought an S3 at $799, paid my $199 to transfer lifetime to it, and now my S2 is up for needing a subscription, and they offered me $6.95, no commit on that S2.

So I fail to see how I was being screwed as an early adopter, and I was one of the first 200 S3 orders..

Diane


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## mick66 (Oct 15, 2004)

You people really know how to complicate things and the incompetent Tivo CSRs aren't helping either.
Everybody with a 1 year prepay via lifetime transfer to S3 has an existing subscription. MSD is now only for *new* subscriptions.


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## ThreeSoFar (May 24, 2002)

I have just one TiVo still active from which I transferred lifetime. It's first monthly charge came in this month at $12.95.

After a short hold on the phone with TiVo (much less than the 10 minutes they estimated), a very pleasant, professional woman (American, southern accent, which of course means I think she must be cute) took care of me. It took a bit more on hold (v. good music actually, and loud enough you can hear it setting down the phone or on speaker), but it was just a 21 minute call, _in toto_.

She said my $12.95 will be credited back $6 and the monthly changed to $6.95 for the multiple service discount due to my other lifetimes (5 in the house, numerous others listed on my account from family/friends I helped hook up).

She also took the initiative and saw two inactive TiVos from which I transferred lifetime. She asked did I want those cancelled out now and I said yes.

All in all, a very positive CS experience today with TiVo.

:up: :up: :up:


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## retired_guy (Aug 27, 2004)

ThreeSoFar, my experience was essentially identical to yours; very professional lady with a southern accent. But I didn't get the $6 creditback; I guess you earned it with all those systems.


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## blacknoi (Jan 23, 2006)

A retentions rep told me that I would get my s1 at the 6.95 rate if I did nothing (i'll keep my eye out on the price i get charged)... Or if I wanted I could buy a Tivo HD and swap that in and get with NO CONTRACT, the 6.95/month rate on my tivoHD.


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## SCSIRAID (Feb 2, 2003)

retired_guy said:


> ThreeSoFar, my experience was essentially identical to yours; very professional lady with a southern accent. But I didn't get the $6 creditback; I guess you earned it with all those systems.


Mine didnt have a southern accent.... but she said that it should be 6.95 per month and that she would take care of it. She seemed to be new and said she needed to confirm with her 'coach... which she did.


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## shady (May 31, 2002)

dianebrat said:


> Synch22.
> 
> I'm in exactly that situation, I bought an S3 at $799, paid my $199 to transfer lifetime to it, and now my S2 is up for needing a subscription, and they offered me $6.95, no commit on that S2.
> 
> ...


You aren't being screwed as an early adopter, but that's because the deal they offered you ($6.95 with no commitment) is a good one. You are one of the lucky ones.

Not everyone else in this thread has been offered that deal.


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## eeg0323 (Sep 12, 2003)

No luck for me. Just got off the phone with CSR. After he went and discussed it, he came back and said I was not eligible for the MSD and $6.95 rate. Unless I commit to a long term contract I am at $12.95 a month. Guess I will be calling back and cancelling


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## TexasAg (Apr 2, 2006)

eeg0323 said:


> No luck for me. Just got off the phone with CSR. After he went and discussed it, he came back and said I was not eligible for the MSD and $6.95 rate. Unless I commit to a long term contract I am at $12.95 a month. Guess I will be calling back and cancelling


I never had any intention of continuing service on my old S1, so I called to cancel service about a week before my year was up. The CSR practically fell over himself trying to get me to keep service on the S1 for $6.95/month. It's amazing that the CSRs can't get a single answer for this.


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## robm15 (Feb 23, 2004)

My one year isn't up until the end of January, but I am thinking about canceling now and selling the S2. Does anyone remember if there were stipulations for when someone can cancel the service of the unit receiving the one year promotion?


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## eeg0323 (Sep 12, 2003)

I actually pulled the cancel card, but the response was "if that is what you want to do, I can connect you with the person that does that" GuessTIVO really doesn't want my business.


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## eeg0323 (Sep 12, 2003)

Ok, persistance does pay off. I called back and went to cancel and since I am a "platinum" customer they offerd the $6.95 rate.


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## shady (May 31, 2002)

robm15 said:


> My one year isn't up until the end of January, but I am thinking about canceling now and selling the S2. Does anyone remember if there were stipulations for when someone can cancel the service of the unit receiving the one year promotion?


Vaguely, I remember that it couldn't be canceled without penalty during the 1 year period.


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

shady said:


> Vaguely, I remember that it couldn't be canceled without penalty during the 1 year period.


It could be canceled but it could not be tranferred to another TiVo or new owner.


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## robm15 (Feb 23, 2004)

shady said:


> Vaguely, I remember that it couldn't be canceled without penalty during the 1 year period.


That is what I kind of what I rememberd, and something about the ownership could not be transferred. But the specifics escape me. It is a hard decision to give up a good reliable S2 that doesn't cost me anything for the time being. But if it is just sitting not being used because I have two better series 3 units, (S3 and THD), maybe someone else can make good use of it.


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

Here is a copy of the HTML page I saved on 1-2-07 from the VIP offer:


> *Offer does NOT apply to DIRECTV® customers.
> **You can find the 15 digit TiVo Service Number on the back of the DVR or on the System Information screen. (From TiVo Central, select "New Messages & Setup," then "System Information.")
> 
> Terms and conditions for the Eiger PLT Transfer TiVo Offer (the "Offer"):
> ...


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## mportuesi (Nov 11, 2002)

1-year free service on my S2 expires on the 28th. I'm considering cancelling the S2 right before then simply because I don't want the hassle.

Basically, TiVo's service plans are now so complicated even their own support staff can't comprehend them.


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## mathwhiz (May 28, 2000)

Well - I got billed for the $12.95 today instead of the $6.95 that I was told, so I called with the case number they had given me, so we'll see if they get it right this time.


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## TerpBE (Jan 23, 2003)

So for people that DIDN'T transfer, but still have a S2 lifetime box, how much are you paying for your S3? Is it $6.95/month? Do you have to agree to a contract?


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## Shawn95GT (Oct 7, 2005)

TerpBE said:


> So for people that DIDN'T transfer, but still have a S2 lifetime box, how much are you paying for your S3? Is it $6.95/month? Do you have to agree to a contract?


That's what annoys me. For $83.40 I couple have not done the VIp transfer and had the S3 at the 6.95 rate right now.

I just got billed $12.95 for the first of three S2s that I did the VIP transfer on. I'm on hold with customer service right now....

And I was told I should be at the $10.95 rate... which makes no sense at all to me.

I told them to leave it as is because $10.95 isn't correct either.

So the bottom line is that the VIP transfer was a crappy deal. We paid $200 so that we can be charged more for the MSD rate.


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## pmiranda (Feb 12, 2003)

Yet one more story, after seeing the non-MSD price on my old TiVo I called and asked to cancel my S1 service so I could resub with MSD. Nice CSR did alot of typing and said that the first month is already in the system but it should be discounted next month and beyond. I guess I'll see what happens next month.


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## SystemJinx (Aug 13, 2005)

My 1 year free Tivo subscription on my S2 was up as well. I called and talked to a CSR to drop the box down to the $6.95 multiple discount fee instead of the current $12.99 which I was billed for last month.

The CSR said I was not eligible for the multiple discount because I accepted the 1 year free Tivo service on the S2. Funny I wasn't told this when I transferred my lifetime from the S2 to the S3. Had they explained to me I wouldn't get the multiple Tivo discount if I accepted the 1 year free service, I never would have signed up for it.

After the CSR said I wasn't eligible, I asked to cancel my subscription on the S2. She transferred me to their cancellation department and I told the guy I wanted to cancel my Tivo service on the S2 because I didn't want to pay $12.95 a month on a second box. He looks up my account and says I can get a multi Tivo service plan for only $6.95 a month with no contract commitment. I said yes that was acceptable and he gave me a case number if there were any problems.

I'm glad I got the discount, but it drives me nuts that I had to threaten to cancel my subscription to get it.


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## Shawn95GT (Oct 7, 2005)

Well - what are our options for us VIP transfer 'suckers'?

Option #1, Cancel the old boxes
Option #2, take the $10.95 rate
Option #3, Commit to 3yrs and get the $6.95 rate we should be getting.

I don't really mind the 3yr commitment so long as we can switch boxes as we see fit to satisfy that 3 year commitment. This is possible as I understand it, but I also 'understood' that the VIP transfer boxes would get the $6.95 MSD rate .

So I'll ask.. If I re-up one of my S2s committing for 3 years to get the $6.95 MSD rate, can I upgrade that box with a THD down the road at no cost besides the cost of the box itself and not disturb / reset the 3yr commitment?

I can't get over how BAD of a deal the VIP lifetime transfer really was...


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## ah30k (Jan 9, 2006)

Shawn95GT said:


> I don't really mind the 3yr commitment so long as we can switch boxes as we see fit to satisfy that 3 year commitment.


But if you do this for a new box you won't be eligible for a rebate. Correct?


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## Shawn95GT (Oct 7, 2005)

ah30k said:


> But if you do this for a new box you won't be eligible for a rebate. Correct?


Of course... I love being a VIP!  Yet another opportunity to pay FULL RETAIL!

I could 3yr pre-pay stand-alone or on a new account cheaper than the default VIP MRV rate for 3 years. Of course if you're looking at three years then the 6.95 rate kicks in.

I'm just frustrated and feeling pretty screwed by the VIP transfer deal.


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## HDTiVo (Nov 27, 2002)

Shawn95GT said:


> I don't really mind the 3yr commitment so long as we can switch boxes as we see fit to satisfy that 3 year commitment. This is possible as I understand it, but I also 'understood' that the VIP transfer boxes would get the $6.95 MSD rate .


The ones reporting they got customer retention to offer $6.95, I'd really like to hear clearly if you got an understanding about what the *commitment period * is, *if any*.


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## HDTiVo (Nov 27, 2002)

Shawn95GT said:


> Of course... I love being a VIP!  Yet another opportunity to pay FULL RETAIL!
> 
> I could 3yr pre-pay stand-alone or on a new account cheaper than the default VIP MRV rate for 3 years. Of course if you're looking at three years then the 6.95 rate kicks in.
> 
> I'm just frustrated and feeling pretty screwed by the VIP transfer deal.


Surely you're *not * considering buying anything other than the TiVo HD! 

_edit: not_


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## SystemJinx (Aug 13, 2005)

HDTiVo said:


> The ones reporting they got customer retention to offer $6.95, I'd really like to hear clearly if you got an understanding about what the *commitment period * is, *if any*.


I asked this up front and said "If I decide I don't need this Tivo and cancel the subscription within a month, six months or a year, is there any penalty?" The CSR said no, I could cancel at any time because it's a month to month contract.

I will keep my case number handy just in case there is any problems down the road.

It kind of makes sense that they offered me this deal. I didn't ask the second CSR for a discount. I just told him I wanted to cancel. He volunteered the $6.95 per month rate. I am sure in their eyes a discounted fee is better than no fee at all. Those of you that call up and request a lower rate may be getting suckered into a three year commitment because these guys are salespeople. Their jobs are to up-sell you service. In my case, I wanted nothing and they up-sold me to the $6.95 plan with no commitment, because I asked about the commitment before agreeing to the service.


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## ThreeSoFar (May 24, 2002)

HDTiVo said:


> The ones reporting they got customer retention to offer $6.95, I'd really like to hear clearly if you got an understanding about what the *commitment period * is, *if any*.


I have five lifetimes in the house.

Probably close to 13 lifetimes on my account (friends/family).

I immediately got $6.95 with no mention whatsoever of commitment period.


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## weetz (Jan 9, 2005)

I called to cancel before my 1 year prepay on my S2 expires in 2 weeks. I had transferred my lifetime from this S2 to my S3 last year. When I told the CSR I don't use my S2 anymore, she said that the $6.95 MSD rate is transferrable to any Tivo so if I end up buying a Tivo HD I could still get that rate. No mention of any long term commitments.

She also said they were told that November is when they are releasing MRV which is supposed to also have TTG. She gave no details on exactly what that means. I told her that my S2 was only connected by phone and she offered me a free wireless adapter. OK, I'll take it!


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## mportuesi (Nov 11, 2002)

SystemJinx said:


> I just told him I wanted to cancel. He volunteered the $6.95 per month rate.


I had the same experience. I called up today to cancel my S2, the CSR volunteered the $6.95 rate. No commitment was mentioned.

I don't recall if they said it was possible to transfer in a new unit on the $6.95 month-to-month terms, since I was intent on cancelling.

She also asked me why I was cancelling. I said I didn't really use the second TiVo and that I only needed one. After the bit about the $6.95 rate, I told her I still wished to cancel and she went right ahead and processed the cancel order. I was expecting a stronger sell job to get me to keep the subscription.


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## bluetex (Apr 24, 2005)

All I did was ask for a Manager. I quoted back their webpage and he said. Ok I'll do that for you.

Whatever, it just seems like they're fishing for the folks who aren't paying any attention.


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## ThreeSoFar (May 24, 2002)

bluetex said:


> All I did was ask for a Manager. I quoted back their webpage and he said. Ok I'll do that for you.
> 
> Whatever, it just seems like they're fishing for the folks who aren't paying any attention.


Seems kind of underhanded, doesn't it? Never liked that about TiVo.


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## blacknoi (Jan 23, 2006)

Update to the below:

Even after calling and being assured I'd get MSD, my card was charged last week the full 12.95 price.

So I called up, got a first level CS rep who said I did not qualify for MSD since my first unit was lifetime (unless I wanted to commit to a contract period).

I stood firm, and told him was I was told prior.

He looked into my account, told me he saw on my casenotes from my prior call that I had been promised exactly what I told him, and he transferred me to someone else.

The woman who picked up was very nice, and after I gave her my case #, she got it all set up. She said I'd see the cost difference credited to my card in the next 7-10 days. I also confirmed that YES, when I do buy my TivoHD (I said I'd only do it when MRV was enabled) I can transfer the 6.95/month MSD from my old S1 Sony to the new TivoHD. The lady just said make sure the TivoHD I buy did NOT have any rebates attached to it, as this would negate this 6.95/month MSD discount.

EDIT: My $6.95 MSD is month to month, no commitment.

I'm kind of bothered how Tivo is operating in this respect. The first info I got was MISINFORMATION and had to insist on my account notes be checked before I got what I was promised (and what the website said I could get) in terms of MSD.



blacknoi said:


> A retentions rep told me that I would get my s1 at the 6.95 rate if I did nothing (i'll keep my eye out on the price i get charged)... Or if I wanted I could buy a Tivo HD and swap that in and get with NO CONTRACT, the 6.95/month rate on my tivoHD.





ThreeSoFar said:


> Seems kind of underhanded, doesn't it? Never liked that about TiVo.


Thats EXACTLY how I felt after I hung up the phone.


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## Chas_M (Jul 26, 2005)

A year ago tomorrow (10/20) my one year free service on my S2 lapses. I bought an S3 and transferred the life time service from the S2 to the S3, and was granted a free one year service on the S2. Over the past few months I have been following the stories that people have been having in getting their service renewed for $6.95, or for a higher price.

Yesterday I called TIVO and was politely informed that my service would automatically renew and charge my credit card $16.95 per month. On asking how I could get the MSD pricing ($6.95/mo), I was told I would have to buy a 3 year plan and select MSD during checkout. But first, I would have to cancel the service by phoning  TIVO customer support. Well that's one way I thought and took an action to cancel my service today (10/19).

Today, I called TIVO customer service, and requested them to cancel my service on my S2. The TIVO representative was very courteous, and asked me why I wanted to cancel my service. I explained what had happened previously. She said that it was not necessary, and said she could update my account so that when the free service expires tomorrow, the system will automatically revert to a monthly charge of $6.95 per month. There was no need to cancel my service or buy any plan. The new service will be $6.95 per month charged to my credit card and will continue as long as I operate the S2 TIVO ( no time limit). When the transaction was complete, she gave me a case number.

 Has TIVO changed its approach on this matter, or was I just lucky?


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## robm15 (Feb 23, 2004)

Chas_M said:


> Has TIVO changed its approach on this matter, or was I just lucky?


In my experience with TiVo Customer Service, my opinion is that the cancellation rep's are better trained, better equipped, have more authority than the regular CSR's.


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## windracer (Jan 3, 2003)

I'm calling in now to see what I can do about my TX20 ... my 1-year prepay ends tomorrow.

Current wait time is over 20 minutes!  On a Saturday afternoon? Wow ...

_edit:_ after 35 minutes on the phone, my TX20 will be billed $6.95/mo, no contract. That gives me a few more months to decide if I'm going to let it revert to TiVo Basic and give it to my parents and then replace it with a THD.


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

phox_mulder said:


> I asked this specific question as I was transferring lifetime from my S2 to my S3, and was told in no uncertain terms that after the free year the S2 would get the MSD price whatever it was when the year ended.
> The CSR said this because I asked if I'd get the current MSD price, and he said yes, if it's still that price, but if MSD price is more, I'd have to pay more, but it would definitely be the MSD price.
> 
> Just checked, and my 1 year free is up November 2nd, so I have a month before I have to throw a fit.


My free year ended on Friday.
Checked yesterday and I was charged $12.95.

Called TiVo yesterday afternoon and spent zero time on hold,
was connected with a nice man in New Mexico who was way too happy to be working on a Saturday,
told him my problem, he said it's a common problem that should have been fixed before it became a problem.
He fought with the computer system for a couple minutes and said it should be fixed on the next billing date and I should have a credit for this months overcharge.

I give TiVo a big :up: for their customer service, although it should have never happened,
it was the least painful customer support phone call I've ever made.

phox


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## stevereis (Feb 24, 2006)

WTF, can't they train these guys to have a consistent story. I called Saturday and got elevated up though 3 reps. Despite my explanation of the promises last fall, what other folks here are gettings, etc., the last one explained that in July, MSD was changed so it was only available on new subs so I did not qualify; no if, ands, or buts. At that point I told him to cancel the sub. 

I was transferred yet again, and that department finally gave me the MSD rate to keep the sub going - I am assuming a retention rate. I spent a total of 50 very frustrating minutes with TiVo customer service, a lot of it on hold. I give them :down: :down: :down: for my experience.


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## dbenrosen (Sep 20, 2003)

When I called after my year was up and I was charged the $12.95, the first rep said he understood the problem but that he couldn't change it. He immediately switched me to another rep who said that my old box didn't qualify for the MSD rate but he would give it to me because I have been a TiVo customer for so long (since 1999). In all I was on the phone maybe 15 minutes and I didn't have to threaten to cancel or anything else.


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## MarcusV (Oct 18, 2007)

wickerbill said:


> I can't imagine that they have changed this after it being the same for seven years. Tivo CS people are known to be incompetent, but very confident in the BS that they spew.


I found them to be very friendly, polite and helpful. I have huge respect for the Tivo organization. Don't throw out a barrel of apples just because of one or 2 bad ones!


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## chart (Sep 4, 2001)

Just got off the phone. First rep said I don't qualify for MSD even though I have both at lifetime S3 and a TivoHD at $6.95.
I said I wasn't going to pay $12.95 a month for a 7 year old Tivo and $6.95 for a TivoHD and please pass me to cancel dept. After being passed the new CSR said not problem now it will be changed back to $6.95. very nice and friendly about the change.


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## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

Based on this response from TiVoPony it looks like all MSD TiVo's from now on will be priced at $9.95 a month, including those coming off the free year after a lifetime transfer.

If you're already at $6.95 you are safe, but if you're year isn't up yet, you'll probably get stuck at $9.95 (or you can do a 1 year prepay for $99).


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## wickerbill (Apr 4, 2002)

morac said:


> Based on this response from TiVoPony it looks like all MSD TiVo's from now on will be priced at $9.95 a month, including those coming off the free year after a lifetime transfer.
> 
> If you're already at $6.95 you are safe, but if you're year isn't up yet, you'll probably get stuck at $9.95 (or you can do a 1 year prepay for $99).


Has TivoPony ever chimed in and explained why he told us last year that all of these lifetime transfers would automatically be rolled in at $6.95/month and now they're not? Now it looks like they will be $9.95. I will definitely be cancelling mine when its free year is up later this month.


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## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

wickerbill said:


> Has TivoPony ever chimed in and explained why he told us last year that all of these lifetime transfers would automatically be rolled in at $6.95/month and now they're not? Now it looks like they will be $9.95. I will definitely be cancelling mine when its free year is up later this month.


To be fair he did say $6.95 or whatever the current going rate is. Prior to this change the current going rate was $6 off whatever you would normally pay without the MSD, now it's just a flat fee of $9.95.


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## stevereis (Feb 24, 2006)

I am glad I finally called last weekend and got the $6.95 MSD rate (or retention rate). I definitely would be cancelling at $9.95.


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## CrispyCritter (Feb 28, 2001)

wickerbill said:


> Has TivoPony ever chimed in and explained why he told us last year that all of these lifetime transfers would automatically be rolled in at $6.95/month and now they're not? Now it looks like they will be $9.95. I will definitely be cancelling mine when its free year is up later this month.


I agree with Morac, as far as I know, TivoPony never said anything like that. I was parsing his words with great attention, and he was very, very careful to avoid saying an automatic 6.95/month. He never said they wouldn't be charged 6.95, but he passed by several opportunities to say they would, and phrased things in other words.


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## rgr (Feb 21, 2003)

I noticed the $12.95 was charged on 11/21 - called 11/24 - was told that they could give me the $9.95 rate and would credit me the $3.00. After a day of pondering decidied to cancel - called 11/26, explained the situation and asked to cancel. Then I asked about the charge already in place, THEN they said there would be no credit given, that cancelled service was not refundable, and they had already cancelled the service, so I was basically screwed.

This really bugs me:
- no notice that the one year is coming due and that I'd need to make a decision
- automatically charging my credit card for a rate higher than that promised
- no warning before canceling that I'd lose the charge they had already put through

TiVo has a great product, but the customer service is lousy.


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## CharlesH (Aug 29, 2002)

My S2 on this 1 year service is up in a few days. I called TiVo CS, and she moved it to the $399 MSD product lifetime within 5 minutes. There was a brief hiccup when the system wouldn't let her apply the MSD plan, but once I suggested that it could be due to the TiVo still being on a prepaid plan, she acknowledged that that was the problem, but that it could be quickly dealt with. No need to go through cancellation or any other weird contortions. :up:


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## shiffrin (Aug 23, 2000)

Called Tivo yesterday to cancel the 'free' one year service on my S2. They were going to start charging me $12.95 on 12/8. They immediately offered me the $9.95 deal. When I said no, they said they would give me 2 free months and I could decide then whether to keep the service.


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## wickerbill (Apr 4, 2002)

I got dinged for $12.95 last week and called to cancel yesterday. They offered $9.95, but I went ahead and cancelled it anyways. $10 a month for a 7-1/2 year old tivo is ridiculous. It's pretty awful service that tivo is automatically charging people the full rate instead of the MSD price that they should be. Just another example of a company fleecing their own customers to try and make a few more dollars instead of doing the right thing.


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## CrispyCritter (Feb 28, 2001)

wickerbill said:


> I got dinged for $12.95 last week and called to cancel yesterday. They offered $9.95, but I went ahead and cancelled it anyways. $10 a month for a 7-1/2 year old tivo is ridiculous. It's pretty awful service that tivo is automatically charging people the full rate instead of the MSD price that they should be. Just another example of a company fleecing their own customers to try and make a few more dollars instead of doing the right thing.


I don't know what TiVo is enforcing at the moment, but my reading of their policy language means it can be argued that they SHOULD NOT charge the MSD rate after the year is over.

After the year is over, the price reverts to $12.95 per month, without any 1 year contract obligations. You can drop the sub any time you want without penalty.

MSD is now only available with new service activations, and all new service activations have a minimum 1 year commitment (that's in the basic service agreement).

So just going by their policies, TiVo has the choice of charging you $12.95 per month with no commitment, or $9.95 a month with a 1 year commitment. I personally would be much more upset at TiVo if they sprang the latter on me, rather than the former.

I'm not expressing any opinion about what I think the policies should be (so don't get upset at me); I'm pointing out what the policies are. And I'm wondering how many of the people who now have a $9.95 rate have also incurred a 1 year commitment obligation.


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## HDTiVo (Nov 27, 2002)

rgr said:


> TiVo has a great product, but the customer service is lousy.


TiVo's main accomplishment in recent times has been the burning of good will. Don't begrudge them some taste of victory.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

dianebrat said:


> I was charged $12.95 for October on my credit card for the S2 that's now coming off it's free year. I decided I already had a 500GB S2 and a 750GB S3 in the house, so a 2nd S2 wasn't an added feature and I was going to cancel it.
> 
> The rep quickly and confidently said " I see you have 2 units with Lifetime, that qualifies you for MSD, and because you're a long term customer, that's based on $12.95 a month with no contract, minus the $6.00 discount."
> 
> ...


Well, that was a bust... they did everything right in September, I was ready to sign up and commit, and was clearly and repeatedly told yesterday that I am only eligible for either the $9.95 a month rate, or the 1 year prepay that works out to $8.25 a month.

Even though I had been eligible for the $6.95 rate in September on the unit when they gave me 2 free months to decide, with the pricing changes, it is no longer offered, and no longer available even in my situation.

So I canceled the service on that unit, it's amazing how they shot themselves in the foot on this one, and very disappointing.


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## wickerbill (Apr 4, 2002)

CrispyCritter said:


> I don't know what TiVo is enforcing at the moment, but my reading of their policy language means it can be argued that they SHOULD NOT charge the MSD rate after the year is over.
> 
> After the year is over, the price reverts to $12.95 per month, without any 1 year contract obligations. You can drop the sub any time you want without penalty.
> 
> ...


Check this post from TivoPony: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4553809&&#post4553809

Here is the relevant text: * If you take advantage of the 'Transfer Lifetime to Series3' promotion, the old box that used to have Lifetime will be eligible for $6.95/mo MSD (or whatever is equivalent...legalese for lawyers) after the 12 months of comp'd service is over.

If these boxes are eligible, why are they not automatically giving it to people instead of trying to get a few more dollars out of them hoping they won't call about it? They were doing this a month or two ago by charging people $9.95 instead of $6.95 that they were eligible for before their latest pricing and policy change. When I called the other day, there was no mention of a year commitment to get the $9.95 rate, just that they would switch me to that if I wanted to keep it.

It's pretty bad when a company pulls stuff like this on their best customers (those that paid the high costs for the series 3 & LT transfer last year).


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## CrispyCritter (Feb 28, 2001)

wickerbill said:


> Check this post from TivoPony: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4553809&&#post4553809
> 
> Here is the relevant text: * If you take advantage of the 'Transfer Lifetime to Series3' promotion, the old box that used to have Lifetime will be eligible for $6.95/mo MSD (or whatever is equivalent...legalese for lawyers) after the 12 months of comp'd service is over.
> 
> If these boxes are eligible, why are they not automatically giving it to people instead of trying to get a few more dollars out of them hoping they won't call about it?


I'm not sure of your point. There's no question that the boxes are eligible for MSD. Of course they are. The question is whether they're eligible for MSD without a further 1 year commitment. TiVoPony's comment doesn't address that.

I wouldn't want TiVo to automatically give me MSD if it means a further 1 year commitment.


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## wickerbill (Apr 4, 2002)

There was no mention of a one year commitment when I called, though I wouldn't put it past them to obligate me to a year without telling me in advance.


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## 1283 (Sep 8, 2000)

That post from TiVoPony was dated more than a year ago. TiVo's MSD policy has changed. The only thing TiVo promised was one year of free service.


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## rgr (Feb 21, 2003)

rgr said:


> I noticed the $12.95 was charged on 11/21 - called 11/24 - was told that they could give me the $9.95 rate and would credit me the $3.00. After a day of pondering decidied to cancel - called 11/26, explained the situation and asked to cancel. Then I asked about the charge already in place, THEN they said there would be no credit given, that cancelled service was not refundable, and they had already cancelled the service, so I was basically screwed.
> 
> This really bugs me:
> - no notice that the one year is coming due and that I'd need to make a decision
> ...


I just checked my credit card statement and see a $12.95 credit come through. After what I was told by the customer service rep, I am pleasantly surprised.
Thanks, TiVo!


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## PatMcNJ (May 22, 2006)

Crap, I have been charged $12.95 for the last 3 months for my Series 2. I am pretty mad, when I switched it last year I was assured it would be the $6.95/month. I will call tomorrow. I was wondering when they would contact me about charging me again; stupid me, I thought maybe they forgot or something. Duh. I never noticed the charges.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

PatMcNJ said:


> Crap, I have been charged $12.95 for the last 3 months for my Series 2. I am pretty mad, when I switched it last year I was assured it would be the $6.95/month. I will call tomorrow.


Unless they've changed their tune, you won't get $6.95, it's $9.95, or a discounted yearly that works to $8.12 ish now.

And that really bites.. see my post up a few for more details, I wound up canceling the S2 since they wouldn't budge.

Diane


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## pwlcheng (Dec 6, 2007)

I called to cancel the subscription due to my S1 no longer working. I was offered a new HD box for $199 and I add life time service to it. I must add the lady on the phone was very polite and helpful.


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## Go50s (May 9, 2007)

Hi I transfered my lifetime to my new HD about 2 months ago and they still have my old unit listed as lifetime and MY new HD listed as 1 yr prepay. How long does it take for them to make the transfer.


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## CrispyCritter (Feb 28, 2001)

Go50s said:


> Hi I transfered my lifetime to my new HD about 2 months ago and they still have my old unit listed as lifetime and MY new HD listed as 1 yr prepay. How long does it take for them to make the transfer.


TiVo's policy is not to make the transfer until after 60 days. So it should change anytime now for you.


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## Shawn95GT (Oct 7, 2005)

pwlcheng said:


> I called to cancel the subscription due to my S1 no longer working. I was offered a new HD box for $199 and I add life time service to it. I must add the lady on the phone was very polite and helpful.


I called yesterday to cancel my #2 S2 that was VIP transfered and was offered the same. $399 for lifetime now though.

They also had a pretty good deal on a S2DT. No contract on either option.

I decided to wait and weigh my options. I'm thinking about taking them up on the THD, cancel #2 anyways and then TSN swap the THD with my current 6.95 MSD rate S2 box.


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## HDTiVo (Nov 27, 2002)

Shawn95GT said:


> I called yesterday to cancel my #2 S2 that was VIP transfered and was offered the same. $399 for lifetime now though.
> 
> They also had a pretty good deal on a S2DT. No contract on either option.
> 
> I decided to wait and weigh my options. I'm thinking about taking them up on the THD, cancel #2 anyways and then TSN swap the THD with my current 6.95 MSD rate S2 box.


So they are willing to take effectively $299 for Lifetime on a direct THD purchase.

Another sign of intelligent life on Planet TiVo.


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## George Cifranci (Jan 30, 2003)

They definitely try hard to keep you from dropping a Tivo. My Series 1's 1 year free service (which I transfered my Lifetime sub to my S3 with) just expired. My credit card for that particular Tivo changed so they couldn't charge me. They were trying to charge me $12.95 for it so I called to cancel. The dude on the phone offered me $9.95 a month and I said no. He then offered free service to April 2008 and then after that I would be billed $9.95. He said I could cancel anytime after that. I really don't use my S1 that much anymore so I was ready cancel it, but I decided to take the deal they offered me and I will rethink it in April to see if I really want to keep a subscription with my S1 or not.


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## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

My S2's free year expired Dec 31. I called Dec 29 and asked to be put on the $9.95 plan and was told "no problem". On Dec 31, I was billed $12.95. I called back today and after talking to someone who tried numerous things for about 10 minutes she finally told me she was able to change me to the $9.95 plan without me having to sign up for a one year contract. Of course she said she couldn't reverse the current $12.95 charge so I'll have to check and make sure it really is $9.95 next month. In all likelyhood though I'll cancel my S2 in a few months (especially since it isn't recording anything).

I also learned a few things:
1) If you sign up for the $9.95 per month plan you need to keep service for a year, but after that you'll keep the $9.95 per month rate forever.
2) If you prepay the $99 for the year, at the end of the year you'll revert to $12.95 a month (or whatever the going rate is) and be force to take on another yearly contract. This is why the free year of service is converting to the $12.95 a month plan and not the $9.95 a month multi-TiVo discount plan.

The really bizarre thing I noticed was that there is a $200 early cancellation fee for terminating your service early if you sign up for the $9.95 monthly plan. If you stay on the whole year the $9.95 a month plan will cost you $119.40. So cancelling early costs you nearly double the amount to keeping your subscription. That just makes absolutely no sense.


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## synch22 (Dec 30, 2003)

mine is up feb 22nd...

I like the fact there is 9.95 a month then forever after 1 year. I may buy a Tivohd and try that method. Maybe even get them to offer me the tivohd for $199.

Still annoyed because i did expect 6.95 for the msd when i made these moves.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

I just called up to cancel one of my S1s after the free year. I had heard of other people getting deals about a few months free to reconsider.

She asked me if I could give the Tivo to anybody (I said basically I don't think anyone would want that old of hardware)... Then she said something to the effect of "what if I gave you 3 free months while you were looking for someone to give it to... oh that won't work out". So I wonder if a cutoff date for that offer just hit.

(I probably would have taken 3 free months even though this S1 is currently unplugged the majority of the time..)


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## booboy97 (Sep 20, 2000)

Mine ended on Jan 15th. I called them to cancel the S3 and I got it extended for 5 months for free. I have 1 S3, 1 THD, 1 S2DT and 1 S2 on the same account along with the S1. I guess they figure it isn't really costing them anything to give service to an older box with the hope it's upgraded to a newer box.


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## bmgoodman (Dec 20, 2000)

If you call to cancel your S1, I think you should unplug it before it figures out you've canceled your service. I didn't do this and now mine won't even allow manual recordings!! (My Tivo shipped with version 1.3 of the software, so it should ALWAYS allow manual recordings.) Now I have to call Tivo again to straighten this out. Of course, I also have to call them to complain that I still haven't seen the $12.95 credit to my CC that I was promised early this month after they billed me early, but that's a story for another thread.


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