A Cool Deal on Tivo Boxes … or not.
I was as excited as anyone was when I received the email from TiVo promising me a refurb 40-Tivo box for the price of 12 mos. service. The email even said that because I was adding a TiVo, my Multi-Unit Discount would bring the cost down to $6.95. A TiVo for 83.40? Hell yeah.
A quick call to the mothership showed my math was right, but the e-mail was a little ambiguous. The $6.95/mo. would kick in at month 13. My $83.40 TiVo actually costs $155.40. It’s still a pretty good deal, but I’d advise any readers who get any kind of TiVo-originated sales mail to call 1-800-GET-TIVO to ensure the deal is what the email makes you think it is.
Peace, love and TiVo-ness,
Webslog
June 9th, 2005 at 1:12 pm |
Sadly, I did not receive said email. I’m slightly confused by your post… are you saying thats the price *including* service? My parents TiVo had its audio chip failed and I’m debating paying the $80 to service it, or to just buy them a new one. I pay for their service already at $6.95/mo.
June 9th, 2005 at 1:12 pm |
Errr, I meant to add that TiVo already offers a refurbed 40-hr for $150 after rebate, so what kind of deal is that?
June 9th, 2005 at 1:44 pm |
I thought about it, and realized that they would make you pay the $12.95 fee upfront for the 12 months, then give you the $6.95 over the course of the year… Not a bad deal, but yes, not a 1/2 price.
June 12th, 2005 at 11:36 pm |
kind of deceptive of them
June 14th, 2005 at 4:41 pm |
Chris Szurgot has it correct. As does Kim (see the TiVo father’s day deal). The longer I’m in advertsing the more I realize that the price is the price is the price. It could also be a way to encourage someone to go ahead and upgrade to a lifetime on box #1.
June 14th, 2005 at 10:29 pm |
Just to make it absolutely clear. The deal is that you pay $155.40 upfront for service and get a free 40 hour box. The $155.40 is a gift certificate, and it counts for 1 year of service if it is your first TiVo, or 22 months if it is your second TiVo. You can also by lifetime on the unit and get the box for free. I’d say it is a pretty good deal since you would have to pay for the service no matter what and you are saving the $199 that a 40 hour TiVo costs new.
-Dylan
June 15th, 2005 at 7:18 pm |
Dylan, nicely explained. Thanks.