# Extended Warranty - applies to Lifetime or not?



## igirl (Feb 5, 2011)

I bought a new Premiere 4 from an online retailer - then when it arrived I added the Extended 3 year Warranty plus Lifetime Service - in one other purchase on Tivo.com (because only 90 days hardware is just plain SCARY bad) - but nowhere does it say this covers the "Lifetime" part of the box.

It's very vague - or deliberately missing.

I'm just wondering if I've been duped - and this only covers the hardware - and the "Lifetime" part is considered software that you lose if your box crashes and burns. 

I would never otherwise pay $40 for a 3 year warranty on a hardware box that only cost $200. Plus having owned many Tivos, I've never had one die.

Rather than assumptions and guesses - can anyone in authority speak to this?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

If the TiVo is replaced under an extended warranty then TiVo will transfer lifetime to the new box once. That applies to their own warranty or an in store warranty. After that one time transfer your SOL. I think the TiVo warranty is a one time use anyway, so they go hand in hand. But some in store warranties will replace the box multiple times, so in that case TiVo does the transfer once and that's it.

Dan


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## CoxInPHX (Jan 14, 2011)

That is my understanding also and has been told to me by someone at TiVo over the phone,

But, nowhere I can find in writing on the TiVo website does it specifically states that Lifetime service will be transferred or honored on an extended warrantied box. The actual Warranty I was emailed also does not specify anything about Lifetime service.


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## Arcady (Oct 14, 2004)

Here's the link on TiVo's site:
http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/20

The relevant part says:



> Product Lifetime Service is valid only for the life of the TiVo box for which it was originally purchased and can be transferred to another box only in one of the following situations:
> 
> You activated the TiVo box with Product Lifetime Service less than 30 days ago.
> The TiVo box was exchanged under warranty, either through the retailer or the manufacturer. (Proof of this exchange will be required).
> The TiVo box was activated under an incorrect service number.


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## CoxInPHX (Jan 14, 2011)

Thanks good to know it is in writing, TiVo should really put that at least on the extended warranty documents, if not in the description of Lifetime service.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

Tivo will also 'usually' transfer the lifetime sub to a replacement box if the defective unit is returned to tivo for out of warranty 'repair'

They do not acutally repair your unit, they ship you a pre activated refurb. They will not do this as part of any upgrade.

There is nothing in writing that says they have to, but they have for many years.

Also, the highest incidence of repair for a tivo is the hard drive. Usually cheaper to buy a replacment drive 'plug n play' from one of the known vendors than to have tivo exchange the box. Can upgrade capacity at the same time if desired.

The next most likely failur mode is the power supply. Also readily available for less than cost of repair and easy to replace.

Failure of the logic board is very rare outside of infant mortality.


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## igirl (Feb 5, 2011)

OK, thanks - that's kind of what I was thinking. Interesting that if your Tivo dies in 4 months and you get a replacement - you are screwed if that one breaks. So it's not really 3 years - if you actually need it more than once.

And you're only allowed a one time possible box to box transfer of Lifetime licensing too.

Again - never had a problem with any Tivo box - so here's hoping that trend continues!


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

jcthorne said:


> Tivo will also 'usually' transfer the lifetime sub to a replacement box if the defective unit is returned to tivo for out of warranty 'repair'


They only do that if the box is less then 3 years old. If it's more then 3 years old then they charge $199 to transfer the lifetime to the "repaired" box.

Dan


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

Good to know. I have never in the 12 years I have used Tivos around our home done a Tivo out of warranty repair. Replaced a couple hard drives but that was it.

Sold every prior box no longer used for at least the cost of the lifetime sub. IE cost to own and use tivo is only the hardware cost, no subscription cost and very low incidence of repair.

That said, I have likely jinx myself and one of my Tivo's will fail a spectacular death this evening.....


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## videobruce (Nov 30, 2012)

How about buying a used TiVo w/ lifetime and the unit takes a dive. How does that work with the subscription xfer to another used unit with no lifetime?

Other than the HDD failing and possibly the power supply, how common are main-board failures on any of these? Lastly, if a PS does die, can you get a replacement without sending the whole DVR in?


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

videobruce said:


> How about buying a used TiVo w/ lifetime and the unit takes a dive. How does that work with the subscription xfer to another used unit with no lifetime?


In the past, if your Tivo was on a monthly subscription, you could go to your TiVo account online and simply swap the TSN from the broken unit to the working unit.









Lifetime sub transfers required you sending your box back to Tivo for replacement, along with a modest fee if the box was out of warranty.

I don't think the above applies to the Series 4 platform Tivos.
TiVo has different rules for the Premiere line.



videobruce said:


> Other than the HDD failing and possibly the power supply, how common are main-board failures on any of these? Lastly, if a PS does die, can you get a replacement without sending the whole DVR in?


Motherboard failure is exceedingly rare compared to the ratio of HD or PS failures. I think I've read of 1 (maybe 2) instances of MB failure in my time here.

You can get replacement power supplies @ weaKnees.


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## videobruce (Nov 30, 2012)

> I don't think the above applies to the Series 4 platform Tivos.
> TiVo has different rules for the Premiere line.


Any idea why??


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

videobruce said:


> Any idea why??


My guess is because of the new service cost for the Premiere.
I just saw this in another thread. It applies to this situation.

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/20/kw/service transfer


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## Akatraypa (Oct 24, 2012)

Has anyone had experience with the Best Buy extended warranty? I got my warranty from them because it was cheaper and covered 4 years instead of three.


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## AZrob (Mar 31, 2002)

Akatraypa said:


> Has anyone had experience with the Best Buy extended warranty? I got my warranty from them because it was cheaper and covered 4 years instead of three.


They are great...I have replaced two Tivo's for free by using them, and it basically amounted to a free upgrade each time to the latest Tivo, since the original model was no longer available.

I wish they were selling them now...I don't see it being offered right now for the Tivo XL4.

Rob from AZ


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## oregonman (Jul 1, 2002)

Dan203 said:


> If the TiVo is replaced under an extended warranty then TiVo will transfer lifetime to the new box once. That applies to their own warranty or an in store warranty. After that one time transfer your SOL. I think the TiVo warranty is a one time use anyway, so they go hand in hand. But some in store warranties will replace the box multiple times, so in that case TiVo does the transfer once and that's it.
> 
> Dan


I think that you can buy a Tivo extended warranty on the replacement Tivo. I know that a while back, I got a replacement Tivo under the original warranty and I was able to buy an extended warranty on the replacement box. Wouldn't the lifetime transfer then be covered under the new extended warranty?


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

AZrob said:


> They are great...I have replaced two Tivo's for free by using them, and it basically amounted to a free upgrade each time to the latest Tivo, since the original model was no longer available.
> 
> I wish they were selling them now...I don't see it being offered right now for the Tivo XL4.
> 
> Rob from AZ


I wonder why they don't have the extended warranty any more for the XL4? I got the four year extended warranty from BestBuy when I got both of my Elites. Although not as good a deal as the four year warranty they offer on the two Tuner Premiere.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

oregonman said:


> I think that you can buy a Tivo extended warranty on the replacement Tivo. I know that a while back, I got a replacement Tivo under the original warranty and I was able to buy an extended warranty on the replacement box. Wouldn't the lifetime transfer then be covered under the new extended warranty?


Maybe, but I've never seen anyone confirm this.

Dam


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## videobruce (Nov 30, 2012)

Can you but a extended warrenty from a third outside party; Square Trade for example?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Yes and with proper documentation TiVo will transfer lifetime to a replacement unit once. 

Dan


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

oregonman said:


> I think that you can buy a Tivo extended warranty on the replacement Tivo. I know that a while back, I got a replacement Tivo under the original warranty and I was able to buy an extended warranty on the replacement box. Wouldn't the lifetime transfer then be covered under the new extended warranty?


You can. We got our premiere replaced then bought a new extended warranty.

ETA: I would assume the lifetime would transfer as well. We haven't tried it yet and hope we don't have to. I'd pitch a major fit if they refused to transfer it.


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## videobruce (Nov 30, 2012)

Can a subscription be transfered more than once? As in, you buy a used TiVo w/ lifetime and then sell it.

Further, if the sub was not transfered over the 1st time, how does that work if it is then sold a 2nd time?


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

videobruce said:


> Can a subscription be transfered more than once? As in, you buy a used TiVo w/ lifetime and then sell it.
> 
> Further, if the sub was not transfered over the 1st time, how does that work if it is then sold a 2nd time?


For stand alone TiVos (not DirectTV units) *ALL* lifetime subscriptions are attached to an individual unit not a person or an account. Which means a lifetime subscription stays with the unit it was purchased for no matter who owns it or how many different owners there have been.

Generally speaking a lifetime subscription CAN NOT be transfered to another unit, there are exceptions like when a unit is replaced under warranty then TiVo allows the lifetime subscription to be transfered to the replacement unit. There have also been times it the past when TiVo has allowed a lifetime subscription to be transfered to a different unit, however such transfer offers are very rare. There was also a one time transfer allowed for Series 1 units with lifetime purchased before some date (I think 1/31/2000 but have forgotten the exact date at this point).


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## videobruce (Nov 30, 2012)

Interesting. I figured it was a one time (owner) transfer. I understood the limitation about transferring to another unit though.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

Weakknees claims they can fix an S3 or S4 for $99 plus the cost of parts and retain the lifetime service. This might be a better option than an extended warranty, because you don't have to pay anything unless there is a problem with the Tivo.


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