Have you joined my incredibly non-annoying, once-in-a-while email newsletter?
Here’s my TiVo story – can’t fit it in a Tweet.
Been a TiVo customer since 2003. Lifetime Subs on all three accounts. A year ago, I switched to an HD TiVo in the living room, since they were having a promo – they’d give me a year free before I had to buy another lifetime sub. (Remember, “lifetime” in TiVo’s world equals life of the box, not of you.) So I said fine, and at the end of the year, just bill me again for a lifetime sub. ($299.) Guy said it would, and made a note in my account.
Today I’m checking my AmEx, and notice two charges of like, $14.03, or some annoyingly small amount from TiVo. One each month, past two months. I call. After 20 minutes, I get a woman who tells me, “yeah, your free year expired, and we’re billing you monthly now.”
Actually, I asked to be billed for lifetime service when the free service expired, so please do that, and please refund me the two months of service since I’m paying for my lifetime service, which is $299 regardless of whether I did it two months ago or now. As such, you’ve sucked an extra $29 bucks out of me that I wouldn’t have had to pay for had you moved me to lifetime when I requested to be moved to lifetime, instead of monthly.”
“Sorry sir, we can’t do that, since you already used those two months.”
“Yes, but they should have been on a lifetime plan, which is the same price now vs. two months ago, so you’re getting an extra $29 out of me.”
“Yes sir, but I can’t adjust those charges since they happened already.”
“Isn’t that what an adjustment actually is?”
“Yes sir, but I can’t do it.”
“Who can?”
“Sorry, sir, we can’t make those adjustments. However, I’ve now billed you for $299 for the new lifetime subscription.”
End of story? TiVo has made an extra $29.00 from me.
Do I care about the $29.00? No. But it’s the fact that they did it and won’t refund it. I BOUGHT THE LIFETIME SERVICE ANYWAY. That’s a really, really scummy thing to do, don’t you agree?
Thoughts?
PS: Added: I should note that I love the TiVo service, and I love that I can download shows right to my computer. In my opinion, they blow any cable company’s DVR service away – which is why this bad customer service is even MORE frustrating!
