http://www.pvrblog.com/pvr/2003/12/replaytv_fraud_.html
What possessed DNNA to change the pricing on the RTV in the week before Xmas? The only explanation I can think of is that sales were miserable and they dropped the pricing in a desperate attempt to move more stock. Now, I think the decision to switch back to the split fee structure is the correct one – I never understood why they switched back to the higher ‘all-in-one’ pricing when it didn’t work the first time. But the timing couldn’t have been worse!
No matter what mistakes retailers made, DNNA created the confusion by making the change during the busiest shopping week of the year. (Contrary to popular belief Black Friday isn’t the biggest shopping day of the year. The weekend days just before Xmas are bigger.) It was asking for trouble – retailers are going crazy, it isn’t a time to try to get them to change pricing and put stupid red or green stickers on the boxes. Plus, stickers or not, the boxes state a 3-year activation is included, as do the docs inside the box. And people have reported that RTV’s customer service people were still telling callers activation was included, even after 12/23.
In the end this isn’t the consumers fault. DNNA and/or the retailer is to blame. Jerking the consumer around, especially when the units were given as gifts and the receiver probably doesn’t have a receipt to prove purchase price, etc, is just bad business. DNNA should admit they made a hideously bad decision and suck up the loss, honoring the 3-year activation for any units sold. And if they can’t manage to be that big, at least just give it to people who contest being asked to pay for what they already beleived they paid for. DNNA had a chance to earn consumer support, instead they’ve decided to poison themselves. What the hell are they thinking?
