Registered: Sep 2002
Location:
Posts: 1

Is TiVo a legitimate company?

confused: I recently bought an AT&T branded TiVo. The unit I received did not have the AT&T logo on the front and was missing the remote control card among other things. I was assured by TiVo that this was a Series Two unit with the appropriate specs that I could only determine after I set it up. When I tried to set up it had a defective modem that would not connect. TiVo said they would replace it but I would have to pay the return shipping charges. What kind of company ships a useless product but then requires the consumer to pay the replacement shipping charges? When I objected the tech rep said somebody would call me tomorrow to "make a determination" about whether they would pay the return shipping charges. Am I missing something here? If anybody thinks I am making this up they can reach me at j.hogue21@attbi.com.

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Silicon Valley
Posts: 3135

You bought an AT&T-branded unit from TiVo????? Are you sure you didn't purchase it from AT&T Broadband?

TiVo is a legitimate company that has a current run-rate of over $100M revenue and trades on the NASDAQ with the symbol TIVO.

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Registered: May 2002
Location: Alviso, California
Posts: 1190

Sorry you're having trouble.

I'm afraid I'm out of the office, and can't look into this myself. But I'll forward this thread to TiVoBill, and ask him to take a look as to what happened.

It does sound as though you purchased a system from AT&T, not TiVo. Is this correct?

Pony

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Chino, CA
Posts: 103

The fact that you "recently" bought the unit begs the question... why not return it as defective and missing parts? This doesn't seem like something that Tivo as a company should be involved in.

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Registered: Sep 2002
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Posts: 1

To clarify, I responded to an Email solicitation from AT&T but they refer you to a TiVo web site to complete the transaction. TiVo ships the unit and decides questions like product return policy. When I queried the TiVo rep why I should have to pay the shipping costs for a defective unit (bad modem) he said he agreed with me but the decision would have to be made at a higher level and someone would call me to discuss this. It all seems kind of bush league to me.

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Methuen, MA
Posts: 515

That is one of the unfortunate side effects of shopping online. Once in a while something will be broken, it's a fact of life. Everytime it does happen, with almost any company, there is the argument over who should pay shipping costs.

Usually it is with a retailer who doesn't feel they should pay to ship an item twice. Once back to them, and once out to you. Some will do it to keep the customer happy, but others feel the customer should shoulder some of the cost and that it's the risk you take shopping online. You usually get better prices online, but once in a while something will go wrong.

Now, when you pay the cost to ship it back, they usually pick up the tab to send another out to you (remember, I'm speaking of retailers in general, not TiVo specifically). In this sense, you're splitting the cost evenly and admitting that it's neither their fault nor your fault that the manufacturer gave the retailler a bad unit that was passed on to you.

Ok, I'm rambling.... time to reel it in.

Now having said all of that, TiVo is not the retailer in this case; They are the manufacturer. I believe that they should have more responsibility for defective deliveries than the average retailler.

I do feel for you. But the way I see it, it's just a part of shopping online. I've been shopping online for many years now and I think I've only been bitten once by a defective item. I just think of all the money I saved online and chaulked it up to the price of doing business online.

Sorry, I hope everything works out for you.

-Mike

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Woonsocket, RI, USA
Posts: 796

My experience with defective hardware bought online (or by mail, before Internet retailers took off) is that few vendors will pay all the shipping charges involved. There are really three shipping charges involved: The original shipping charge, the return shipping charge, and shipping for the replacement item. You pay for the original shipping, as per the terms of the sale. In my experience, most retailers require you to pay return shipping but will ship the replacement for free. Some insist on your paying for that, though. I agree that it's a slimy practice, but this alone doesn't make a company "illigitimate" in any sense.

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Registered: Jun 2002
Location: Alviso, CA
Posts: 888

Re: Is TiVo a legitimate company?

quote:

---

Originally posted by jhogue
confused: I recently bought an AT&T branded TiVo. The unit I received did not have the AT&T logo on the front and was missing the remote control card among other things. I was assured by TiVo that this was a Series Two unit with the appropriate specs that I could only determine after I set it up. When I tried to set up it had a defective modem that would not connect. TiVo said they would replace it but I would have to pay the return shipping charges. What kind of company ships a useless product but then requires the consumer to pay the replacement shipping charges? When I objected the tech rep said somebody would call me tomorrow to "make a determination" about whether they would pay the return shipping charges. Am I missing something here? If anybody thinks I am making this up they can reach me at j.hogue21@attbi.com.

---

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location:
Posts: 1

Bill Dailey's reply is helpful information. He should consider passing it on to the people in his service department. I spoke to three different tech reps who said it was "odd" or "I don't understand" or "I don't know why" there was no AT&T logo on my unit. If they knew, nobody mentioned the "130" coding. They all did suggest that I could determine authenticity by setting up the unit but that, of course, was a catch-22 because the modem didn't work. Incidentally, my unit was not exactly "newer." It was manufactured on January 17, 2002.

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Registered: Sep 2002
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A TiVo supervisor called yesterday and said they would issue a rebate for the return shipping charges. This has all worked out very nicely. I found out about this forum because I was looking for some place to complain. Not only did I get the company's attention but by reading some of the other posts I learned of the alternatives to AT&T.

I have now backordered an 80-hour unit from goodguys.com. The defective AT&T unit cost $350 with shipping and sales tax. The new unit will cost $375 (no shipping or sales tax). So for a total out-of-pocket cost of $50 I upgraded to twice the capacity and reportedly better picture quality. A total no-brainer!

Thanks to the TiVo higherups who did respond quickly to correct a minor but symbolically important problem. And special thanks to the people in this forum who took the time to consider my problem and respond. It's nice to know there are people like you out there.

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Registered: Mar 2002
Location:
Posts: 282

You have been assimilated.

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Maricopa County Maximum Security Correctional Facility For Men, State Farm Road Number 31, Tempe, Arizona
Posts: 4413

TiVo, TiVo,
Tastes great!
TiVo, TiVo,
Can't wait!

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