# Tivo Rip Off



## iamozzie (Jan 13, 2011)

Ripped off by Tivo. $142.50 is more important than 5.5 years of customer loyality. I can't believe how backwards their customer service mentality is. Beware, they may be ripping you off too. Check your account, and make sure they aren't billing you for boxes that aren't in service. 
One of their "advanced" customer service reps compared Tivo to a health club, he said it's not their fault that the service wasn't used. That's good, a health club, a bastion of good clean customer service in that industry. Well I cancelled my service and will use the money to support a different company, one that doesn't look to make money with shady practices.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

And just where is your responsibility in all of this?
Who didn't bother to cancel their subscription when they stopped using a subscription based product?
Who didn't pay attention to their own finances for 11 months (11x12.95= 142.45) and didn't know they were being billed by Tivo the whole time?


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## patnmike427 (Sep 9, 2002)

scandia101 said:


> And just where is your responsibility in all of this?
> Who didn't bother to cancel their subscription when they stopped using a subscription based product?
> Who didn't pay attention to their own finances for 11 months (11x12.95= 142.45) and didn't know they were being billed by Tivo the whole time?


+++1


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## patnmike427 (Sep 9, 2002)

iamozzie said:


> Ripped off by Tivo.


How so???



iamozzie said:


> $142.50 is more important than 5.5 years of customer loyality.


Really? Read this CAREFULLY:



scandia101 said:


> Who didn't *pay attention* to their own finances for 11 months (11x12.95= 142.45) and didn't know they were being billed by Tivo the whole time?


So, whether you used a credit card or checking account debit card, for almost a YEAR, you blithely ignored that "Tivo Inc." charge of $12.95? Wow...that is rich...and somehow that's Tivo's fault?



iamozzie said:


> I can't believe how backwards their customer service mentality is.


"Backwards"? I'm surprised they didn't laugh at you on the phone.



iamozzie said:


> Beware, they may be ripping you off too. Check your account, and make sure they aren't billing you for boxes that aren't in service.
> One of their "advanced" customer service reps compared Tivo to a health club, he said it's not their fault that the service wasn't used.


Guess what? The rep was RIGHT! Let me ask you a couple of questions, genius:

1-If you don't use your cell phone for a month, do you tell THEM that you shouldn't get billed for that month?
2-If you lease a car, and you go on vacation for a month and don't drive it, do you think the leasing company will allow you to skip the payment?



iamozzie said:


> That's good, a health club, a bastion of good clean customer service in that industry.


What's wrong with that? The TERMS & CONDITIONS are laid out, plain and clear...if you don't haul your lazy butt to the gym, you still gotta pay. What part of that are you having difficulty understanding?



iamozzie said:


> Well I cancelled my service and will use the money to support a different company, one that doesn't look to make money with shady practices.


Such as? Those bastions of integrity and honesty, the cable companies? Or DirecTV, where any additions or changes lock you in for another two years?

Your refusal to acknowledge your stunning lack of personal responsibility is amazing...you screwed up-for a YEAR, no less-and expect Tivo to reimburse you for your lack of functioning brain cells? OK...I'd hate to see how you handle really important problems in your life!


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

iamozzie said:


> Ripped off by Tivo. $142.50 is more important than 5.5 years of customer loyality. I can't believe how backwards their customer service mentality is. Beware, they may be ripping you off too. Check your account, and make sure they aren't billing you for boxes that aren't in service.
> One of their "advanced" customer service reps compared Tivo to a health club, he said it's not their fault that the service wasn't used. That's good, a health club, a bastion of good clean customer service in that industry. Well I cancelled my service and will use the money to support a different company, one that doesn't look to make money with shady practices.


What the heck are you even talking about? Did you accidentally delete a point that you are trying to make or something? You haven't stated what Tivo did to you other than something about $142.50.


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## gastrof (Oct 31, 2003)

Well, to be fair, TiVo's people have been known, at times, to make some whopper-sized mistakes. It _is_ possible he did cancel a box and TiVo never changed their records.

That's not to say his not noticing they were still billing him for months doesn't shift SOME of the blame, but on the other hand, he may have simply trusted TiVo to do their job, and that they failed to.

Maybe.


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## Series3Sub (Mar 14, 2010)

All companies are pretty shady, even the large well-known "reputable" ones, often the the biggest offenders. What company wouldn't continue to charge every month for a service you failed to cancel? Very few, if any. Sure, TiVo may be a bit slimey in that regard, but it's really no worse than just about any other company (like the banks who are worse) gleefully charging you knowing full well you aren't using the service until they get "caught" and claim ignorance or put it back on you to let them know to stop taking your money every month.

Really, maybe TiVo could have been more ethical about this, but what grown adult is going to trust a money making entity to behave well? Who would be naive enough NOT to check things and keep an eye on TiVo for charges they think are wrong? It is a cruel world, and "they" are always looking to "stick it to us." A person would be more angry that their spouse didn't check these things more carefully.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

If it was canceled the OP should have a confirmation email.


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## takeshi (Jul 22, 2010)

iamozzie said:


> Ripped off by Tivo. $142.50 is more important than 5.5 years of customer loyality.


Loyalty to any corporation is misplaced anyway. It's not a reciprocal relationship. Use what works for you but don't expect loyalty from the company.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

I sold a Premiere and a month later I got a charge on my credit card for an extended warranty on it. 

Scary that my cc was still attached to the Premiere]. 

Took a few calls and some anger to get it taken off my account. They wanted me to track down the guy I sold it to and work it out.

I told them flat out. I didn't initiate this charge in no way shape or form.


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## lastdeadcat (Mar 14, 2005)

I don't think we will hear from this OP again. It was a 1st post and a vent. It was clearly the fault of the OP for the oversight in not regularly reconciling the montly credit card statements.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

lastdeadcat said:


> I don't think we will hear from this OP again. It was a 1st post and a vent. It was clearly the fault of the OP for the oversight in not regularly reconciling the montly credit card statements.


hope he got his 142$ worth of vent


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## AnotherVictim (Feb 5, 2011)

I canceled my Tivo subscription, a gift sub, over 2 months ago. Last month they charged a small amount to my credit card that I assumed was a final balance clean up. This month came another full charge. When I telephoned, after being put on hold by 3 Tivo customer service representatives, I was told that they had no record of my cancellation. Yes indeedy they could verify that I had not been hooked up to Tivo for over 2 months but they had nothing to show my cancellation. I replaced my computer in December and in the process lost archival email so had nothing with which to prove that I had canceled my subscription.

The moral to the story is that once Tivo gets your credit card number it doesn't matter whether or not you're actually receiving their service, even if they in fact know that you are NOT receiving their service, if you cannot PROVE that you canceled your subscription, their position is that they can continue to charge you for eternity. A more honest company would look at a customer's claim of cancellation in conjunction with that customer not being hooked up to their service, and offer at least a partial credit but Tivo is not such a company.

For years I've wondered why the seemingly nice guy I've seen interviewed who founded Tivo allowed his company to use sleezy pop up marketing. Now I've learned that Tivo's sleezy practices are not limited to marketing.


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## tough joe (Sep 16, 2006)

so the moral to this story is - when you cancel a recurring bill on a credit card, cancel the card too (just call them up and say the card is lost - they will close out the card and send you a new one) and viola - no more recurring charges



AnotherVictim said:


> I canceled my Tivo subscription, a gift sub, over 2 months ago. Last month they charged a small amount to my credit card that I assumed was a final balance clean up. This month came another full charge. When I telephoned, after being put on hold by 3 Tivo customer service representatives, I was told that they had no record of my cancellation. Yes indeedy they could verify that I had not been hooked up to Tivo for over 2 months but they had nothing to show my cancellation. I replaced my computer in December and in the process lost archival email so had nothing with which to prove that I had canceled my subscription.
> 
> The moral to the story is that once Tivo gets your credit card number it doesn't matter whether or not you're actually receiving their service, even if they in fact know that you are NOT receiving their service, if you cannot PROVE that you canceled your subscription, their position is that they can continue to charge you for eternity. A more honest company would look at a customer's claim of cancellation in conjunction with that customer not being hooked up to their service, and offer at least a partial credit but Tivo is not such a company.
> 
> For years I've wondered why the seemingly nice guy I've seen interviewed who founded Tivo allowed his company to use sleezy pop up marketing. Now I've learned that Tivo's sleezy practices are not limited to marketing.


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## magnus (Nov 12, 2004)

tough joe said:


> so the moral to this story is - when you cancel a recurring bill on a credit card, cancel the card too (just call them up and say the card is lost - they will close out the card and send you a new one) and viola - no more recurring charges


The moral is that you should ask for and write down your transaction number when you do anything with TiVo or any other company.


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## nrc (Nov 17, 1999)

I hate feeding these threads, but I'm curious that if TiVo had no record of the cancellation how they explained the partial charge in this latest complaint.

I'm also amused that "customer loyalty" is so often cited as a reason TiVo should cut them a break when they're canceling service and willing to pitch a fit over a few dollars when it was their mistake.

In any case, the notion that TiVo should be responsible for researching and detecting when someone stopped connecting is just foolish. If TiVo makes a mistake and fails to cancel service then that's a legitimate complaint, but TiVo can't be expected to start taking people's word that they canceled service on the last date that they connected. That would be open to all sorts of abuse.


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## lafos (Nov 8, 2004)

I wonder about a troll. Had TiVo for 5.5 years, but joined the TC in January to post a single rant?


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

Simple solution. Dispute the charge with your credit card company.


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## TheWGP (Oct 26, 2007)

Whether or not OP is a troll, this is relevant to discuss because yeah, it happens.

First off: Yeah, your credit card company will back you up when Tivo won't (or just about any other company for that matter). Give them a call sometime, you may be surprised how far your protections extend depending on what credit card you have.

I'd never trust any recurring bill company to actually stop charging - why would they? They have a financial incentive to rip you off, plain and simple. As long as they don't get in too much hot water with too many state AG's, it's just another revenue stream, albeit a small compared to their larger, legitimate revenue streams.


BTW, this thread is really useful for new people because it's easy to pick out the diehard Tivo apologists. Seriously, you're defending theft and blaming it on the former customer? Seriously?! Nothing personal, I just find that incredibly hard to believe.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

TheWGP said:


> Whether or not OP is a troll, this is relevant to discuss because yeah, it happens.
> 
> First off: Yeah, your credit card company will back you up when Tivo won't (or just about any other company for that matter). Give them a call sometime, you may be surprised how far your protections extend depending on what credit card you have.
> 
> ...


Who is defending any alleged theft?
Did you miss the part where the OP never cancelled his subscription but instead just stopped using the Tivo?


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## TheWGP (Oct 26, 2007)

scandia101 said:


> Who is defending any alleged theft?
> Did you miss the part where the OP never cancelled his subscription but instead just stopped using the Tivo?


You were the first one.  Not going to get baited into an argument, so I don't plan to reply to whatever self-congratulatory-affirming response is posted.

Oh, and before anyone rationalizes that I must be a troll, please look at my join date - yes, I lurked for the most part after registering when I got my first S2DT, but I've been around for quite awhile. At most I'm a somewhat cynical user who does not own Tivo stock.

Not going to discuss that one, either. Have a nice night.


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## nrc (Nov 17, 1999)

"Oh, and I'm not going to be baited into an argument because I have no basis for my comment." 

It's pretty easy to spot an apologist for the typical entitled cry baby who thinks that life is so unfair because they're expected to live up to their end of an agreement.

If TiVo incorrectly charges someone someone who has actually canceled and TiVo has refused to correct that error even in the face of proof then TiVo is absolutely wrong. There is no case like that in this thread.


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## m.s (Mar 8, 2007)

I'm pretty sure YHJBT. HTH! HAND!


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## janry (Jan 2, 2003)

So, let's see if I understand this. The OP quits using he TiVo, and expects TiVo to read hs mind and quit charging him. Is that right?


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

janry said:


> So, let's see if I understand this. The OP quits using he TiVo, and expects TiVo to read hs mind and quit charging him. Is that right?


I don't think that's the case here, however you bring up a good point. TiVo most certainly can do this because they do exactly that on lifetime units where discounts are based on the existence of the lifetime unit -- that is, if your lifetime unit stops connecting to TiVo's servers at some point they increase the charges on your other TiVo receivers as if you didn't have a lifetime unit on your account.

So, frankly, if they're going to do that when it works out in favor of TiVo, they should be doing something similar to disconnect and stop charging for units no longer in use.


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## TVCricket (Mar 7, 2010)

Gotta love people who who expect others should be responsible for looking at where their money is going. If I sign up for a subscription to Netflix, but I'm going on vacation for 2 months, shouldn't it be my responsibility to cancel it? Stupid people make me so angry.


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## magnus (Nov 12, 2004)

OP only has one post. This rant. Friggin Troll. Just posted and left. 

Why do we waste our time with such people?


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## wp746911 (Feb 19, 2005)

so
1)this guys first post is a complaint
2)he doesnt even attempt to make an arguement defending his position

That like me saying 'Enterprise car rental charged me $3000, they are dishonest'- when the facts could either be a)that you have no insurance and ran into a telephone pole and they are charging you for it, or b)you bought insurance, are protected by the insurance, didnt damage the car and enterprise eronously is billing you for it. Both are completely different.

Devils in the details. The MOST LIKELY situation is this guy moved and stopped using it and then realized 1 year later that he never cancelled tivo so he calls up tivo and asks to give his money back and they say no and he gets mad. That IS LIKE a healthclub membership-tivo is 100&#37; correct. If you have a membership to netflix, ymca, or AAA- it doesnt EVER matter if you use it or not- if you dont cancel it you WILL and SHOULD pay for it- no refunds.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

magnus said:


> OP only has one post. This rant. Friggin Troll. Just posted and left.
> 
> Why do we waste our time with such people?


some of the blog sites have noted trouble lately with folks claiming to be DISH employess and saying all kinds of negative things about others.

I suspect here we have this same issue except they know that saying they work for DISH would expose them right away


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

TheWGP said:


> You were the first one.  Not going to get baited into an argument, so I don't plan to reply to whatever self-congratulatory-affirming response is posted.
> 
> Oh, and before anyone rationalizes that I must be a troll, please look at my join date - yes, I lurked for the most part after registering when I got my first S2DT, but I've been around for quite awhile. At most I'm a somewhat cynical user who does not own Tivo stock.
> 
> Not going to discuss that one, either. Have a nice night.


Asking the OP what part he played in losing his money is not defending Tivo.


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