# Transferring Lifetime Service If Box Dies?



## robnalex (Sep 8, 2002)

Recently got a Roamio OTA with Lifetime, and wondering what my options would be if it dies in the months/years ahead? Obviously replacing the hard drive is no problem, but what about non-user serviceable issues? If it craps out, and is out of warranty, can I buy a new one anywhere and transfer the lifetime service?

TiVo says:

Product Lifetime Service is valid only for the life of the TiVo DVR for which it was originally purchased and can be transferred to another DVR only in one of the following situations:


You activated the TiVo DVR with Product Lifetime Service less than 30 days ago.
The TiVo DVR was exchanged under warranty, either through the retailer or the manufacturer. (Proof of this exchange will be required).
The TiVo DVR was activated under an incorrect service number.

I'm actually tempted to pick up a 2nd Roamio OTA - Lifetime from Amazon, as a backup.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

After the 1 year warranty is up the official answer is no. 

TiVo may agree to sell you a replacement refurbished unit (they have in the past as an unwritten policy), but no one can guarantee you they will do that. 

If you want some assurance you can buy TiVo's extended warranty (Note: extended warranty is only good for the replacement of one unit) that will assure you can transfer your lifetime to the replacement unit provided via the warranty.


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## Scooter Scott (Jun 1, 2015)

Will the SquareTrade warranty from Amazon transfer the lifetime service to the new device?


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## SomeRandomIdiot (Jan 7, 2016)

Scooter Scott said:


> Will the SquareTrade warranty from Amazon transfer the lifetime service to the new device?


In the past TiVo has worked with 3rd Party Warranty service, but that could change at anytime with no additional notice until you have filed a claim. I've never figured out why someone would pay usually much more for Squaretrade than TiVo 's much cheaper Extended Warranty to prevent the issue. (The exception might be the minis, based on final cost).


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## Jack Mccarthy (Aug 24, 2012)

I recently got the TIVO roamio for $400 for being a long term customer and they tell me that all-in-one lifetime service can only be transferred under warranty for a new or replaced unit within a 30 day window (new or receiving a replacement refurbished unit if the original craps out in less than 30 days). Any time beyond that and you pay $200 to transfer the lifetime service even to a box under the standard warranty of 90 days or and extended warranty of 2 to 3 years.


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## Scooter Scott (Jun 1, 2015)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> In the past TiVo has worked with 3rd Party Warranty service, but that could change at anytime with no additional notice until you have filed a claim. I've never figured out why someone would pay usually much more for Squaretrade than TiVo 's much cheaper Extended Warranty to prevent the issue. (The exception might be the minis, based on final cost).


My 3 year squaretrade agreement was $21. TiVo's is $29.99 and I don't think it is for that long


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## mae (Dec 10, 2001)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> In the past TiVo has worked with 3rd Party Warranty service, but that could change at anytime with no additional notice until you have filed a claim. I've never figured out why someone would pay usually much more for Squaretrade than TiVo 's much cheaper Extended Warranty to prevent the issue. (The exception might be the minis, based on final cost).


I'm not familiar with the nitty gritty of Square Trade, but I can give you two reasons I prefer Best Buy extended warranty over TiVo.

First, a longer term is available, four years over three.

Second, they don't provide a refurbed unit of the same generation, but a credit of the purchase price which can be used to buy a new generation. My old unit failed in just under 4 years, and was replaced by BB with a Roamio Plus, and TiVo transferred the lifetime. See http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=514639

This topic always raises impassioned positions on both sides of economic basis on these plans, so let's hope this doesn't start yet another thread on the subject.


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## KimHedrick (Oct 12, 2014)

In your case the fine print was a good thing!


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## SomeRandomIdiot (Jan 7, 2016)

mae said:


> I'm not familiar with the nitty gritty of Square Trade, but I can give you two reasons I prefer Best Buy extended warranty over TiVo.
> 
> First, a longer term is available, four years over three.
> 
> ...


I really do not understand why people are so up in the air over a refurbished unit. You unit was not "new" when it failed.

When the financial crisis first hit in 2008, the first major bank to fail was Indy Mac.

As soon as they re-opened, I immediately opened up a large account with them.

My friends, in shock, said "Why"?

I stated "Right Now, its the safest bank in America. The Federal Government took all their risky loans and they are off their books. The Bank is like Fort Knox now".

Same thing with refurbs.

What is most likely to fail in the unit....has already failed.

Much more likely for New Unit to fail than a refurb.


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## mae (Dec 10, 2001)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> I really do not understand why people are so up in the air over a refurbished unit. You unit was not "new" when it failed.
> 
> When the financial crisis first hit in 2008, the first major bank to fail was Indy Mac.
> 
> ...


I have no problem with refurbs, buy them all the time, the unit I'm typing on is one from WOOT. The best explanation of your opinion was given by David Letterman after NBC was bought by GE and he used to give away refurbed GE clock radios:

_*They're better than new, this time they checked them before they put them in the box!*_

In this case, I prefer the option of a credit for an equivalent next generation product. I would guess the statistics provide about the same mean time to failure as a refurb (plus the logic of Letterman's quote).

The features of the Roamio plus including 6 tuners, built in MoCA (replacing the NIM100 I was using), and the built in Stream was to me a significant advantage of a refurb S4XL with two tuners.


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## pmiranda (Feb 12, 2003)

mae said:


> They're better than new, this time they checked them before they put them in the box!


That's been true for my premiere... Bought one new from Best Buy, it died within two years. Got a refurb from TiVo under their 3 year warranty and it's been running strong for... oh wait... just two years now... check back with me next year


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## duncan7 (Sep 17, 2004)

SomeRandomIdiot said:


> I stated "Right Now, its the safest bank in America. The Federal Government took all their risky loans and they are off their books. The Bank is like Fort Knox now".


Same goes for houses.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

mae said:


> I have no problem with refurbs, buy them all the time, the unit I'm typing on is one from WOOT. The best explanation of your opinion was given by David Letterman after NBC was bought by GE and he used to give away refurbed GE clock radios:
> 
> _*They're better than new, this time they checked them before they put them in the box!*_


Assuming it was an easy to diagnose failure. 
You also sometimes could sometime the refurb clock, TiVo, whatever, sent back due to some intermittent failure that didn't reproduce itself when on the service bench. So they assume it was operator error and if you get that unit then you inherit the intermittent failure that the service guys never saw.
(Or a situation where a bad part in the power supply causes something else to burn out; they replace the burned out component but may miss that the power supply is out of spec. Then its just a mater of time before it fries something else)

Still, I usually don't have any issue going refurb, assuming warranty and price make sense.


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## hytekjosh (Dec 4, 2010)

Consider putting it on a credit card that extends the warranty for free.


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