Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Mogo, TX
Posts: 97

Early adopters got to use the service for much longer than anyone else. That's a plus for them. If you didn't have time in 30 days to evaluate features properly, how is that TiVo's fault? A full month should be sufficient to determine if the features you paid for were right for you. Did you contact customer service after you figured it out to see if a deal could be made for a refund, either full or partial? Should TiVo have called or emailed each subscriber to see if they were happy with the service or if they needed more time to decide?

People that bought HMO as early adopters did so because the features were worth it for them. Otherwise, they would not have ordered it in the first place. In those cases they did order it when they weren't sure, they had a full 30 days to decide that they didn't like it and get their money back.

People got exactly what they paid for. Things will also be cheaper, better, smaller, faster, more in the future. It's the nature of advancement. People make decisions about where to put their money and when. We're not all stuck in a permanent holding pattern of waiting for the next best thing just because it will be better and cheaper, otherwise nobody would ever buy anything.

You wanted more personal customer service from a company that has over a million and a half customers or so. That's fine. I'm not sure it's a realistic expectation, but it's one you had. They sent an email to every person signed up on their mailing lists and you feel slighted because they touted it as a new feature and didn't take the time to mail a separate email to the previous HMO subscribers. Fair enough, and sure, it would have been nice. Did they owe it to the early adopters? I don't think so. Will they do something for us in the future? Maybe. It's all just speculation at this point.

POST #101 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Alviso, CA, USA
Posts: 944

quote:

---

Originally posted by TivoFan
It could very well have been that Tivo, when it found out about the DirectTV news, wanted to offset the bad publicity and speculation. So they rushed to put together something that they could boast about and that would distract from the rumor that DirectTV might be going with the a competing DVR.

---

__________________
E. Stephen Mack, Director of Service Operations at TiVo (estephen@tivo.com)
http://www.tivo.com/support/
NOTE: I prefer e-mail to Private Messages. Due to the volume of e-mail I receive, please try to go through normal channels or post your question on the forum BEFORE contacting me directly, if possible. Thanks!

POST #102 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: CA
Posts: 1009

quote:

---

Originally posted by sublime
TiVo gave a free trial for HMO for the past 30 days. Nobody has been able to purchase it for that long since they took down that option from the website at the same time they made it a free trail. Nobody went in last week and paid full price. Nobody paid full price the week before. Nobody paid anything for HMO for the past 30 days. So how, exactly, were people screwed on this?

---

POST #103 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 2176

quote:

---

Originally posted by TiVoOpsMgr
My goodness! Anyone who has worked with coordinating press releases (five press releases and a New York press event on Wednesday), changing billing systems (changes required to include the Home Media Option and allow for multiple subscription discounts), or creating agreements with new companies (Best Buy and Nikon) would be able to tell you that we have been working on these announcements for many months. And I have to tell you on a personal level, it took a lot of hard work from many people within TiVo's marketing, sales, business development, IT, service operations, engineering, accounting, finance and customer support groups to get here.

---

I respect the hard work you put into this exciting news for SA TiVos, I think it is an excellent business strategy and I very much look forward to the last months of this year for yet more TiVo press anouncements on how much better my TiVo is to be.

that being rightfully acknowledged - if it was known months ago that HMO was going to be bundled in and no longer a paid feature, why the marketing push for discounted HMO ? Why was there not a halt to HMO sales and the free trial started much sooner ?

it would be good to have answers to these questions. For me this is a blemish on an otherwise quality experience I am having with my TiVo and I would love to clean it up.

__________________
Whoops, missed that Zeo did address this in his reply. ZeoTiVo is right! - TiVoOpsMgr

TTiVoToGo FAQ, I have never seen a company so bashed in a forum becasue its software is a little late

• TiVo series 2/HMO 40 hours unmodded - so far
• Toshiba SD H400 for 99$
• JavaHMO/ paid for my HMO whiner
• AVcast to broadcast TiVo/DVD/PC throughout house and playfort
• 5 at a time NetFlix subscription

POST #104 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 748

By the way, the 3.4GHz Extreme Edition is no cheaper than $989 right now.

That's the lowest I can pay.

In two years, when the dual core chips are running at 4x the performance of that puppy, what will it sell for? Answer --> $100 or so.

I'm thinkin 90% depreciation of price is close enough to 100% that I'm done acknowledging the following argument has any validity:

Whereas Tivo is now giving something away, that is bad.

What next? We decry Costco for giving me 2x the paper towels of Safeway for 1/2 the money?

Uh, no.

POST #105 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Alviso, CA, USA
Posts: 944

Zeo, that's a fair question, but even putting up the free trial and taking down order-taking for the Home Media Option takes quite a bit of time. We definitely did what we could to ramp down sales. Just curious, but how do you think we should have handled this differently?

Rseligman, I'm surprised you see it as an attempt to screw people out of refunds. It's entirely the opposite -- we have to set a cut off at some point, and we honestly did not want people to be upset at having purchased the Home Media Option a month before it became free. Where should we have put the cut off point? We are handling upset customers (for example, for the relatively small number of people who purchased the Home Media Option in April) on a case by case basis and we definitely are sensitive to people who feel they were misled or are upset. Honestly, I am at a loss for how you think we should have handled this better or differently.

Best regards,
Stephen

__________________
E. Stephen Mack, Director of Service Operations at TiVo (estephen@tivo.com)
http://www.tivo.com/support/
NOTE: I prefer e-mail to Private Messages. Due to the volume of e-mail I receive, please try to go through normal channels or post your question on the forum BEFORE contacting me directly, if possible. Thanks!

POST #106 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2000
Location:
Posts: 811

quote:

---

Originally posted by rseligman
Hmm, you're right, but if TiVo planned it that way then that's actually pretty slimy of them! Basically they purposely fudged the schedule to prevent people from getting refunds that they deserved.

---

POST #107 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 514

This is very good news. I have to admit, I laughed at the price of HMO.

But this now makes the idea of a second Tivo VERY attractive, especially since we still don't have locals on DirecTV. A second Tivo would mean knocking out some conflicts.

I'm curious, for those who have used it, how is the remote scheduling?
Can you view your To Do list, search for shows, etc., remotely?

POST #108 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Posts: 727

TiVoOpsMgr: TiVo should do something to "make good" for the people who paid. $99 is nowhere near what my limited time with limited HMO was worth to me. Also, a history of doing this sort of thing leads people to no longer buy new products, since "I'll probably get screwed in six months anyway..."

__________________
Context-free testimonial originally posted by Animgif:
99.999% of the time esperantisto is right

POST #109 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: CA
Posts: 1009

quote:

---

Originally posted by TiVoOpsMgr
Rseligman, I'm surprised you see it as an attempt to screw people out of refunds. It's entirely the opposite -- we have to set a cut off at some point, and we honestly did not want people to be upset at having purchased the Home Media Option a month before it became free. Where should we have put the cut off point? We are handling upset customers (for example, for the relatively small number of people who purchased the Home Media Option in April) on a case by case basis and we definitely are sensitive to people who feel they were misled or are upset. Honestly, I am at a loss for how you think we should have handled this better or differently.

---

POST #110 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 2176

quote:

---

Originally posted by TiVoOpsMgr
Zeo, that's a fair question, but even putting up the free trial and taking down order-taking for the Home Media Option takes quite a bit of time. We definitely did what we could to ramp down sales. Just curious, but how do you think we should have handled this differently?

Rseligman, I'm surprised you see it as an attempt to screw people out of refunds. It's entirely the opposite -- we have to set a cut off at some point, and we honestly did not want people to be upset at having purchased the Home Media Option a month before it became free. Where should we have put the cut off point? We are handling upset customers (for example, for the relatively small number of people who purchased the Home Media Option in April) on a case by case basis and we definitely are sensitive to people who feel they were misled or are upset. Honestly, I am at a loss for how you think we should have handled this better or differently.

Best regards,
Stephen

---

__________________
Whoops, missed that Zeo did address this in his reply. ZeoTiVo is right! - TiVoOpsMgr

TTiVoToGo FAQ, I have never seen a company so bashed in a forum becasue its software is a little late

• TiVo series 2/HMO 40 hours unmodded - so far
• Toshiba SD H400 for 99$
• JavaHMO/ paid for my HMO whiner
• AVcast to broadcast TiVo/DVD/PC throughout house and playfort
• 5 at a time NetFlix subscription

POST #111 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: CA
Posts: 1009

quote:

---

Originally posted by DrStrange
rseligmans view of the situation just proves that no matter what Tivo does, there will be people who will see it in whatever way makes them a screwee so that they can whine for entitlements.

---

First of all, I almost didn't bother responding to your post, as I believe I presented my point of view very clearly and supported each of my points. Yet just because I disagreed with you, you immediately categorize my post as "whining" so you don't have to take it seriously.

However, I'll rise above that and admit that I now see your point more clearly. I think this is a situation where the execution makes economic sense and looks good on paper, but is perceived much differently in broad daylight.

quote:

---

They were trying to keep the May people from doing the very bitching that the April people seem to be doing anyway!

---

But the May people were entitled to bitch. That was built into the policy to begin with. What they should have done is let the May people bitch like they're supposed to, and then give them all refunds. That's consistent with their policy, and also would make TiVo seem responsive. But by preventing the May people from bitching, they made the April people now feel entitled to bitch when they're actually not.

quote:

---

If they somehow cut the April people slack too then the March people will scream that much louder because they'll feel specifically targeted.

---

If TiVo gave a refund to everyone who bought HMO 1 to 30 days before the price cut, I hardly think anyone would pay much attention to those who would complain about having bought on the 31st day.

By the way, I bought HMO almost a year ago, and I have no expectation of entitlement or refund (although I'll happily accept a free TiVoToGo dongle ) . I bought when the price was higher than it is now. That's the luck of the draw. In fact, as a result of the HMO and multi-sub price cuts, I yesterday purchased a second TiVo for my house.

This situation is different in that TiVo intentionally blocked sales before the price drop, thus creating a situation in which someone who bought HMO one hour before the effective price drop (on May 9) feels screwed. And while you can proabably demonstrate in a spreadsheet how they're not actually screwed, they could have been prevented from feeling that way in the first place.

POST #112 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2003
Location:
Posts: 288

quote:

---

Originally posted by terminus303
It could be they are selling off those assets because they are bringing all those services inside. they have the satellites and own a PVR company so maybe they plan to sell satellite music and PVRs themselves and eliminate several of their outside suppliers.

---

__________________
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

TIVO S2 140060 100 HR
TIVO S2 140060 60 HR

POST #113 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: CA
Posts: 1009

quote:

---

Originally posted by esperantisto
TiVoOpsMgr: TiVo should do something to "make good" for the people who paid. $99 is nowhere near what my limited time with limited HMO was worth to me.

---

POST #114 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Alviso, CA, USA
Posts: 944

Folks, I definitely want to reinforce: If you are upset about what you paid for the Home Media Option, please call Customer Support (1-877-367-8486, 8am to 8pm Pacific, seven days a week) and explain your situation. We will definitely do what we can for you on a case-by-case basis.

Overall, we want people to be thrilled with the TiVo service. We definitely had to make some hard decisions about the Home Media Features and how to handle the changes. We worked hard to be as fair as possible.

Bottom line, I'm overjoyed to be able to tell this to my friends and family: If you walk into Best Buy today, you can pick up a 40-hour Series2 DVR for as little as $129 after rebate. For new subscribers, it's just $12.95 a month for the great TiVo service -- and now all of the Home Media Features are included. If you're an existing subscriber, it's even better: Last week you would have had to pay $49 for the Home Media Option on your second unit, and Monthly TiVo service would have cost you $12.95. Today, the Home Media Features are included, and service is only $6.95 per month for that second unit. Everyone in this thread can now take advantage of the new lower pricing for a second (or third, or fourth...) unit.

Some of you saw a price cut this week: For example, if you have a Series1 unit with Product Lifetime service, and a Series2 unit with Monthly service, then last month we charged you $12.95. Now, next month you'll only be charged $6.95!

We appreciate the input and feedback from the forum. We understand that some people will be upset. While we did our best, we know that we can't always please everyone. But if you're upset, please call us and give us a chance to make things right. Overall, we hope that everyone will be as thrilled as we are with the new opportunities and more attractive pricing that EVERYONE can now take advantage of.

Best regards,
Stephen

__________________
E. Stephen Mack, Director of Service Operations at TiVo (estephen@tivo.com)
http://www.tivo.com/support/
NOTE: I prefer e-mail to Private Messages. Due to the volume of e-mail I receive, please try to go through normal channels or post your question on the forum BEFORE contacting me directly, if possible. Thanks!

Last edited by TiVoOpsMgr on 06-11-2004 at 12:14 AM

POST #115 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 3582

I paid for early access to the features, and for the lifetime service transfers. I have no complaints about that.

Shouldn't it be "Home Media Feature" now? Seeing as it is no longer optional?

And why did both my Series2 units reboot last night?

About the pricing, since I have two units with Lifetime, can I get 10 discounted monthly rates on the same account? If I were to split the two Lifetime units into different accounts, would I no longer be able to share shows between them even if in the same home?

__________________
┌──┬──┐
─├┤┬├┤─ There is no spool.
└─────┘

If you are dissatisfied with your life, return unused portion for partial refund.

POST #116 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 2176

TiVoOpsMgr -
thanks for diving into a hot topic and acknowledging the situation

__________________
Whoops, missed that Zeo did address this in his reply. ZeoTiVo is right! - TiVoOpsMgr

TTiVoToGo FAQ, I have never seen a company so bashed in a forum becasue its software is a little late

• TiVo series 2/HMO 40 hours unmodded - so far
• Toshiba SD H400 for 99$
• JavaHMO/ paid for my HMO whiner
• AVcast to broadcast TiVo/DVD/PC throughout house and playfort
• 5 at a time NetFlix subscription

POST #117 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Alviso, CA, USA
Posts: 944

HTH, right you are. It's now the Home Media Features:

http://www.tivo.com/1.2.13.asp

__________________
E. Stephen Mack, Director of Service Operations at TiVo (estephen@tivo.com)
http://www.tivo.com/support/
NOTE: I prefer e-mail to Private Messages. Due to the volume of e-mail I receive, please try to go through normal channels or post your question on the forum BEFORE contacting me directly, if possible. Thanks!

POST #118 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 2176

quote:

---

Originally posted by HTH

If I were to split the two Lifetime units into different accounts, would I no longer be able to share shows between them even if in the same home?

---

now there is a dodge they may have not worked through

I think they have to be on the same account to share shows right now
but
the survey asked about sharing personal videos between accounts, wonder how far they would take that idea.

__________________
Whoops, missed that Zeo did address this in his reply. ZeoTiVo is right! - TiVoOpsMgr

TTiVoToGo FAQ, I have never seen a company so bashed in a forum becasue its software is a little late

• TiVo series 2/HMO 40 hours unmodded - so far
• Toshiba SD H400 for 99$
• JavaHMO/ paid for my HMO whiner
• AVcast to broadcast TiVo/DVD/PC throughout house and playfort
• 5 at a time NetFlix subscription

POST #119 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2002
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 1997

quote:

---

Originally posted by HTH

And why did both my Series2 units reboot last night?

---

__________________
Ron

TiVo | SERlES2 - 302 Hrs
TiVo | SONY SVR3000 - 273 Hrs

POST #120 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged