# Why won't TiVo sell me a lifetime gift subscription?



## JustAllie (Jan 5, 2002)

Some friends and I are planning to chip in to buy another friend a TiVo with lifetime subscription. While there are several options for buying a TiVo with a 3 or 12 month subscription on the TiVo website, they aren't selling the lifetime subscriptions for $299.

What's the deal with this, anyway? Are they losing that much money on the lifetime subscriptions?!?!?

I really don't want to the gift recipient to have to pay any money. I realize they'll need a credit card to activate the TiVo, but if I could buy them a gift subscription for lifetime service, that credit card would never actually be charged. It seems awkward to send this person a check along with the TiVo so that they can upgrade a 1-year subscription to lifetime. 

I'm left sitting here wondering what's the best way to handle this. Maybe if we ship the TiVo to someone in our group, have _them_ activate it, and then re-ship to the gift recipient? Then we have to pay something like $25 in shipping costs that we would not otherwise have to pay. Bah. 

Hmm... TiVo's shipping confirmation doesn't include the TiVo Service Number of the box being shipped, does it? If it did, we could sneak in there and activate it ourselves while the TiVo is still en route to her. I'm looking back at my old receipts and it doesn't seem to be in the order confirmations.


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## SMWinnie (Aug 17, 2002)

JustAllie said:


> While there are several options for buying a TiVo with a 3 or 12 month subscription on the TiVo website, they aren't selling the lifetime subscriptions for $299.


Interesting. The TiVo store doesn't list a lifetime gift option, but it shows up in several places, for instance in the Gift Subscription FAQs.

Excerpt from the FAQs linked above:
What is a TiVo service gift subscription?
A TiVo service gift subscription is pre-paid TiVo service and is only available for order direct from TiVo. It is available in 3-month and 12-month TiVo service increments and also for Product Lifetime service. The gift subscription can be redeemed for new TiVo service subscriptions at the time of activation by entering the 9-digit gift subscription redemption code. The TiVo service gift subscription allows the gift recipient to enjoy their TiVo box without having to pay the subscription fee upon activation.

(There is comparable language about buying a Product Lifetime gift card from BestBuy.)


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## JustAllie (Jan 5, 2002)

Yeah, I thought that was weird, so I called and spoke to a live human being. She confirmed that they don't offer lifetime gift subscriptions at the moment. And even if I had enough reward points for one, they removed that option from the TiVo Rewards site a few weeks ago.


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## dylanemcgregor (Jan 31, 2003)

I'm starting to get a little worried that they are planning on removing the Lifetime option altogether. This is *pure unfounded speculation* on my part, but with the announcement of the higher monthly charge, the gift certificate issue, and my unending paranoia...I'm a little worried. As much as I want a Series 3, I won't buy one if there isn't a lifetime option.

Anyway, back to your problem. Do you need a gift certificate for lifetime? The last time I bought a unit (about a year ago). I thought I paid for the unit and the lifetime as a single item. They gave me a code when I was on the phone that I used to register it after I received the unit. Is that the same thing as a gift certificate? I'm looking to buy one today for a friend's birthday so I guess I'll find out soon.


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## mbalgeman (Feb 6, 2002)

I think you could give 2 1-year gift subscriptions. My understanding is that the gift subscriptions credit their account. So their account would have $310 in it. Then they can change their monthly sub into a lifetime sub and have $10 left over. It's a waste of $10 (until they buy a second TiVo!!!), but it's a better option then shipping the TiVo all over the place.

Of coarse, make sure that you verify all this before you going following my advice. I could be wrong/things may have changed.


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## Guindalf (Jun 13, 2001)

Anyone want to bet against me? I say there's a price increase coming.


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

Could you not buy the Tivo, have it shipped to yourself, then register it in their name and paying off the balance of the gift sub up to lifetime? Isn't the Tivo TSN on the outside of the Tivo box?


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## TiVoStephen (Jun 27, 2000)

Sorry for the inconvenience. You're correct, due to a number of issues, we have indeed taken down lifetime gift subscriptions.

Unfortunately, the shipping confirmation doesn't include the TiVo Service Number.

The best option is to either call customer support and ask for the TiVo Service Number of the unit that is shipping out (they can look it up once you get the final ship confirmation), or call your friend when the unit arrives and ask them for the TiVo Service Number.

Then, activate on your friend's behalf. You'll need basic information such as address and phone number and e-mail address.

Note that you have a week's grace period once the unit is set up. So you'll have a week to activate your friend's service.

Best regards,
Stephen


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## JustAllie (Jan 5, 2002)

SeanC said:


> Could you not buy the Tivo, have it shipped to yourself, then register it in their name and paying off the balance of the gift sub up to lifetime? Isn't the Tivo TSN on the outside of the Tivo box?


TiVo shipping directly to gift recipient = FREE
TiVo shipping to me in Virginia, then re-shipping to friend in California = $$$

I think I'll follow TiVoOpsMgr's advice and call them for the TSN while the TiVo is en route to my friend. That should work!


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## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

JustAllie said:


> TiVo shipping directly to gift recipient = FREE
> TiVo shipping to me in Virginia, then re-shipping to friend in California = $$$


And you're not shipping it to me? 

Of course, it's not like you know someone in California who knows how to get TiVo TSNs.....


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

JustAllie said:


> TiVo shipping directly to gift recipient = FREE
> TiVo shipping to me in Virginia, then re-shipping to friend in California = $$$
> 
> I think I'll follow TiVoOpsMgr's advice and call them for the TSN while the TiVo is en route to my friend. That should work!


AH! A friend not local to you! Gotcha.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

mbalgeman said:


> I think you could give 2 1-year gift subscriptions. My understanding is that the gift subscriptions credit their account. So their account would have $310 in it. Then they can change their monthly sub into a lifetime sub and have $10 left over. It's a waste of $10 (until they buy a second TiVo!!!), but it's a better option then shipping the TiVo all over the place.
> 
> Of coarse, make sure that you verify all this before you going following my advice. I could be wrong/things may have changed.


I would not bet on being able to use two certificates on one TiVo. It clearly states the certificate must be used on a previously unactivated TiVo

May bot be exactly a price increase coming but instead a higher monthly sub abd you get the TiVo "free". That would not work with a lifetime option.

and generally TiVo would rather have monthly subs than lifetime subs, but TiVoOpsMgr has stated on this board that TiVo has no intention of getting rid of the lifetime as an option. So I would guess that they will encourage monthly subbing by 
not having lifetime as an available certificate as it just leads to hassles in the types of pricing offers they want to make. So Lifetime will be at activation and not a certificate

another approach would be to ship to them, and then get on the phone with them at activation and do the activation for them with your credit card. After that they can siwtch to their own card on the account

Edit - oops I smeeked TiVoOpsMgr without realizing it


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## Kingfish (Dec 14, 2005)

I bought a Tivo and lifetime subscription gift card at Best Buy during Christmas.


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## juststained (Nov 2, 2005)

If I was a betting man I would say Lifetime is going BYE BYE..soon.




And I am a betting man.....


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

juststained said:


> If I was a betting man I would say Lifetime is going BYE BYE..soon.
> 
> And I am a betting man.....


NOPE - the two pricing models TiVo is moving toward are 
no upfront and monthly
or
all upfront with no monthly.

You would lose the bet.


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## briguymaine (Mar 17, 2004)

what about buying an $300 American Express gift card (or similiar, I think Visa and MAstercard have them too) and letting your friend know that it is equal to the lifetime cost. Those gift cards are nice because you can spend them anywhere those credit cards are excepted.


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## juststained (Nov 2, 2005)

I wonder what Tivo's with Lifetime Subs would go for on Ebay if they got rid of Lifetime's all together?


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## dylanemcgregor (Jan 31, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> all upfront with no monthly.


I'd like to believe you, but I haven't seem much evidence of this yet. I'd really like to be able to buy (online or in a store), pay one total that includes the box and lifetime service, and then go home and set it up, never having to go online or call TiVo again.

It seems like it would be pretty easy to do this with the current $150 instant rebate and the prepay for a year deal, but instead you have to pay for the box and the year when you order it and then pay the remainder later upon activation. As JustAllie pointed out this makes giving a gift of Tivo kind of a hassle. I'd never think of giving a Tivo with out a lifetime subscription (and in fact just about every TiVo I've given is still on my account, because I don't like to give gifts that ask for a credit card even if it isn't going to charge them).

-Dylan


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

dylanemcgregor said:


> I'd like to believe you, but I haven't seem much evidence of this yet. I'd really like to be able to buy (online or in a store), pay one total that includes the box and lifetime service, and then go home and set it up, never having to go online or call TiVo again. -Dylan


well I am not seeing any future directiom from TiVoOpsMgr on this point nor did he say in this thread that Lifetime would stick around. Perhaps some clarification like that would help


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## ChuckyBox (Oct 3, 2005)

ZeoTiVo said:


> and generally TiVo would rather have monthly subs than lifetime subs, but TiVoOpsMgr has stated on this board that TiVo has no intention of getting rid of the lifetime as an option.


They each have their advantages to TiVo -- monthly means a higher ARPU and (potentially) greater ROI, lifetime provides a lot of cash.


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## ChuckyBox (Oct 3, 2005)

dylanemcgregor said:


> I'd like to believe you, but I haven't seem much evidence of this yet.


The CEO said as much just today: http://yahoo.reuters.com/stocks/Quo...2_2006-02-27_17-44-46_N27369890&symbol=TIVO.O


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## JustAllie (Jan 5, 2002)

I ended up ordering from a Tivo + 12 months service TiVo.com in order to avoid the whole rebate hassle. I'll call in a few days to get the TSN and hopefully upgrade it myself over the phone. There wasn't any other way to do this without having to submit rebate forms and wait months for a check. 

Note to TiVo Inc.: I'd be more likely to give TiVo again as a gift in the future if you'd let me buy a TiVo with lifetime service.


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## murgatroyd (Jan 6, 2002)

JustAllie said:


> Note to TiVo Inc.: I'd be more likely to give TiVo again as a gift in the future if you'd let me buy a TiVo with lifetime service.


Ditto. It's not a kindness to give someone a gift which requires a monthly service fee.

Jan


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## megazone (Mar 3, 2002)

You can activate a unit as lifetime and apply a credit for pre-paid monthly toward it... I wonder if you could buy 2 12-month gift subs and use both as credits toward lifetime?


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## ChuckyBox (Oct 3, 2005)

megazone said:


> You can activate a unit as lifetime and apply a credit for pre-paid monthly toward it... I wonder if you could buy 2 12-month gift subs and use both as credits toward lifetime?


No, that is specifically excluded: https://www.tivo.com/2.9.3.asp fourth question from the bottom.


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Guindalf said:


> Anyone want to bet against me? I say there's a price increase coming.


Actually, I would bet that the change that is coming is the shift to a monthly subscription model, no purchase and no lifetime subscription or a more expensive lifetime subscription. All of this is based upon all of the TiVo Executive news being spread across all of the news organizations and in interviews with TiVo Executives that have been released in the last two weeks.

TiVo is changing their why of doing business to a PURE subscription model, and I would bet it is coming very soon.

There is a very good possiblity that they will offer a PURE purchase model which would be the LIFETIME subscription.

Thread: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=289066


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

ZeoTiVo said:


> NOPE - the two pricing models TiVo is moving toward are
> no upfront and monthly
> or
> all upfront with no monthly.
> ...


I agree, but the NO UPFRONT and MONTHLY subscription model appears to be the ultimate winner, because it is being fronted on multiple newscasts and in multiple interviews with TiVo Executives over the last two weeks.

Actually, it has been big news on most of the news wires and the leading local TV news channel in Seattle, KOMO TV. Add to that the interviews with TiVo Executives that have made the news in the last two weeks and I would say that TiVo is very close to making the announcement, I would bet it should be coming within the next month.

TiVo tried the PURE subscription model at Christmas and it appeared to work well and they didnt advertise it heavily.

Since I just added local cable TV to my almost twelve year old DirecTV subscription last Thursday, I was almost tempted to reactivate my almost six year old Sony SVR-2000, but when I found out that I would have to subscribe for a year, I though it would be better to wait until TiVo dropped the other shoe. It appears that the other shoe is about to drop.

Thread: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=289066


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## dylanemcgregor (Jan 31, 2003)

ChuckyBox said:


> The CEO said as much just today: http://yahoo.reuters.com/stocks/Quo...2_2006-02-27_17-44-46_N27369890&symbol=TIVO.O


:up: Thanks. I hadn't had a chance to listen to the Reuters interview yet, but figured since I'd heard the Bloomberg interview a little while back that it would be mostly the same. Definitely don't remember Tom saying anything about an all upfront model in the Bloomberg interview though.


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## ChuckyBox (Oct 3, 2005)

tbeckner said:


> I agree, but the NO UPFRONT and MONTHLY subscription model appears to be the ultimate winner, because it is being fronted on multiple newscasts and in multiple interviews with TiVo Executives over the last two weeks.


Rogers talked about this as far back as the 3Q conference call, and gave more details at the Citibank investors' conference back in January. I'm not sure why the media is just picking it up now, but maybe TiVo's PR machine is starting to push the point.



> Actually, it has been big news on most of the news wires and the leading local TV news channel in Seattle, KOMO TV. Add to that the interviews with TiVo Executives that have made the news in the last two weeks and I would say that TiVo is very close to making the announcement, I would bet it should be coming within the next month.


I tend to agree. At this point the only hold up seems to be inventory. I don't think there are enough TiVo boxes in channel right now to support a single weekend under a new promotion. So TiVo either has to wait for new shipments to hit the stores or, if there is an updated box (Series 2+) coming, they're trying to burn off the old inventory so they can introduce the new boxes and new pricing at the same time.


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## uclakidd (Dec 28, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> juststained said:
> 
> 
> > If I was a betting man I would say Lifetime is going BYE BYE..soon.
> ...


juststained won that bet.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

uclakidd said:


> juststained won that bet.


well I could weasel out and say they still have all upfront with no monthly - it just does not last the lifetime of the box anymore 

but, since TiVoOpsMgr never came back and siad lifetime was going to stick around, I already did a lifetime on a unit I wanted to last week before the anouncement came so basically we both won the bet anyway. 

but thanks for noticing and keeping track


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## pdhenry (Feb 28, 2005)

I missed this thread the first time around, but now I'd like to see *justained* and *dylanemcgregor*'s March Madness bracket selections...


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## Atomike (Jun 12, 2005)

> so basically we both won the bet anyway.


What a hilarious quote. I can't stop laughing.

There's no way around it, dude. 100% completely, totally, brazenly wrong. It's okay to say it. Try it once. It's liberating in a way.


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## TiVoStephen (Jun 27, 2000)

ZeoTiVo said:


> but, since TiVoOpsMgr never came back and siad lifetime was going to stick around, [...]


Well, I saw this thread and obviously knew that Product Lifetime was going to go away, but there was no way I could tell you that at time. But even if I hadn't known that, I wouldn't have been able to tell you it would stick around.

In general, I can almost never talk about future plans. It's a very rare day when I can talk about the future. Sorry!


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