TiVo Product Lifetime Is Back for $399, $299 For Existing Subscribers

Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 by MegaZone

It looks like TiVo’s product lifetime service is back, and not as a special promotion this time. I won’t say it is back for good, since it went away before, but there doesn’t seem to be a set date for it to cease either.

This video was posted to YouTube last night (don’t bother watching it, really) by user ‘TiVoLifetime’, with this description:

TiVo Product Lifetime is back by popular demand for folks who “Never Want to Give TiVo Up”.

TiVo Product Lifetime service means consumers pay once up-front for the life of your DVR and never again. Product Lifetime service is priced at $399 for new customers and we offer a multi-service discount price of $299 if you are already a TiVo customer with a qualifying subscription.

In short, customers asked, we listened.

Could be a joke, right? Well, Product Lifetime service is back on the TiVo Price Plans page for $399.00. And that’s without being logged in, it is available to everyone. The new pricing plans are $12.95/month, $129.00 annual, $299 three years, and $399.00 product lifetime.

And there’s more – if you’re an existing subscriber you qualify for Multi-Service Discount, and for the first time MSD also applies to Product Lifetime! Logged in the pricing options are $9.95/month, $99.00 annual, and $299.00 product lifetime. That’s both surprising and very welcome.

These changes are further confirmed by the “TiVo service payment plans document“, which is marked as updated in May 2008. The document states:

2. You may pay for the TiVo service on a monthly basis for one (1) year at $12.95 per month. Promotional Pricing may be available from time-to-time.

3. You may also pay annually for your TiVo service at $129 a year, prepay for three (3) years at $299 (renews annually after 3 years) or purchase a Product Lifetime Service (as described below) at $399. Promotional Pricing may be available from time-to-time.

The “TiVo Multi-service discount service agreement” has also been updated in May 2008, and now states:

1. Discounted TiVo service fee. The MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT reduces the 1-year Monthly TiVo service or TiVo Plus service subscription fee to $9.95 per month, $99 per year if paid annually, and $299 for Product Lifetime Service while in compliance with all applicable Initial Qualification and General Eligibility requirements on new eligible TiVo service subscription activations (not existing TiVo service subscriptions). 3-Year prepaid TiVo service plans are not eligible to receive the MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT. However, in accordance with the Initial Qualification and General Eligibility requirements set forth above, paid 3-year prepaid TiVo service plans may serve as the Qualifying Subscription. In the event two or more TiVo service plans are being purchased simultaneously, the Product Lifetime Service shall be considered the Qualifying Subscription and if no Product Lifetime Service is being purchased, then the highest priced prepaid service plan shall be the Qualifying Subscription.

There you have it – TiVo Product Lifetime is back!

Thanks to Dave Zatz for the heads up via IM – and he’s posted at Zatz Not Funny as well.

About MegaZone

MegaZone is the Editor of Gizmo Lovers and the chief contributor. He's been online since 1989 and active in several generations of 'social media' - mailing lists, USENet groups, web forums, and since 2003, blogging.    MegaZone has a presence on several social platforms: Google+ / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / LiveJournal / Web.    You can also follow Gizmo Lovers on other sites: Blog / Google+ / Facebook / Twitter.
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  • Breadfan

    I am a fairly new TiVo subscriber. I purchased a 1-year prepaid subscription in January 2008. Does this mean I can now add a lifetime subscription for $299? Or just an additional year for $99?
    I assume the the lifetime subscription wouldn’t take effect until January of 2009?

  • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

    The MSD prices are for *additional* boxes. If you only have one box then it is $399 lifetime, $129 annual, $12.95/month, or $299 for three years. The lower prices are for a second (or third, etc) box on the same account.

    And normally they only allow lifetime on new product activations, but you might call and see if you can upgrade your subscription.

  • Brian Purcell

    I just bought a TiVoHD two weeks ago and added lifetime for $399 at the time (I already owned an S2DT). Now it looks like if I waited two weeks I would’ve saved $100. :-(

  • Brian Purcell

    Actually, I called CSR, and they reimbursed my credit card the $100. :-)

  • Breadfan

    Brian, how many TiVos do you have?

  • Suzanne

    Yay, lifetime! I’m fairly new to the TiVo thing, too, so I’m hoping somebody could help me out with a few questions that I hope aren’t too stupid. I currently have an S2 on an annual plan, and I’d like to get a lifetimed HD under the MSD. My questions are:

    1. TiVo says “If the registered account holder’s Qualifying Subscription is cancelled or otherwise becomes ineligible, the oldest eligible TiVo service subscription on the account shall become the registered account holder’s Qualifying Subscription and will no longer receive the MULTI-SERVICE DISCOUNT.” Does that mean that my second TiVo could somehow become un-lifetimed if I ever cancelled the first, or does this really only apply to monthy/annual plans?

    2. To these price plans only apply to a TiVo purchased through the site? I tried look it up on the activation side to be sure, but couldn’t figure out how to look at the price plans without entering a unit number first. I’ve got some Amazon gift certificates I’d love to throw at an HD, but not if that would eliminate the lifetime/MSD option.

    Any help would be much appreciated!

  • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

    Suzanne,

    1. No, once a unit has product lifetime it has it for good. They won’t revoke it if you took the other unit out of service at some point. That only applies to plans with ongoing payments.

    2. No, you can purchase the TiVo anywhere, then select your plan when you’re activating it. You can get lifetime on a unit purchased from Amazon.

  • Suzanne

    Sweet! Thank you!

  • Brian Purcell

    Breadfan, I currently own two TiVo’s. I used to own a lifetimed S2 40hr, but I sold that two years ago. I now own an S2DT 80hr (3 year prepay) and a lifetimed TiVoHD. I was eligible for the 299 because of my current S2DT.

  • tlc

    Stupid question. I have a lifetimed HD and another HD on the 3 year monthly plan. Will this let me move the latter from the 3 year monthly plan to a lifetime sub?

  • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

    tlc – Normally it only applies to new activations, but it can’t hurt to call and ask to purchase lifetime for the monthly unit, they may let you.