# TiVo Premiere "Lifetime Service" --- is it transferable?



## theo (Aug 15, 2013)

In discussions in another recent thread, the availability of "lifetime service" for TiVo Premiere came up.

Interested, I looked for and found several TiVo Premiere units advertised for resale by their current owners, virtually all of whom mention "lifetime service" for the units they are selling.

*BUT*...none of these advertisers seem to be able or willing to actually cite any specific TiVo source or document which verifies or confirms that this "lifetime service" can indeed be transferred from the original purchaser of the unit / service to the next unit owner. My preliminary and limited review of TiVo's own  material online has not yet yielded a definitive answer to this question either.

Do *YOU* know? Can *YOU* cite or refer me to a TiVo source or document which addresses and answers this (...seemingly) clear and specific question? 

I'd like to save fees long term, as well as avoid the nuisance of monthly billing for a mere $15, so a "lifetime service" resale purchase interests me. That said, I certainly don't want to buy a resale unit (at +/- $400) only to discover later that the "life" of "lifetime service" actually "died" with the sale by the original purchaser. 

Assistance sincerely appreciated --- thanks in advance.


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## SMHarman (Aug 15, 2013)

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/24



> NOTE: Product Lifetime Service accompanies the DVR, not the owner. If you sold or gave away a DVR that has Product Lifetime Service, either you or the new owner must contact TiVo Customer Support to transfer the service to the new owner.



http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/28/related/1



> *Product Lifetime Service*
> 
> *I am the CURRENT owner*
> We are sorry that you’re giving your TiVo DVR a new home, but we understand situations arise when it’s better to place your TiVo DVR with new owner.
> ...


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## timeos2 (Aug 15, 2013)

It is lifetime and transferable. But it isn't YOUR lifetime, it's the TIVO unit's life (which is likely to be far shorter).  If you get 5-7 years total you will have done well.


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## theo (Aug 15, 2013)

*Thanks!*



SMHarman said:


> http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/24
> 
> http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/28/related/1




Thanks very much; I guess you found what I could not. I may have to switch to stronger coffee... 

So, it's now clear that the "lifetime" is the *unit* lifetime. I'm not entirely sure how (e.g.,  in a ebay purchase) a buyer could ensure that the "old owner" contacts TiVo, let alone old owner and new owner doing so "at the same time" as TiVo optimistically suggests, but that would just be a leap of faith and details to work out...


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## SMHarman (Aug 15, 2013)

theo said:


> Thanks very much; I guess you found what I could not. I may have to switch to stronger coffee...
> 
> So, it's now clear that the "lifetime" is the *unit* lifetime. I'm not entirely sure how (e.g.,  in a ebay purchase) a buyer could ensure that the "old owner" contacts TiVo, let alone old owner and new owner doing so "at the same time" as TiVo optimistically suggests, but that would just be a leap of faith and details to work out...


If the old owner has multiple TiVo then they are incentivised to get it off their contract or else you willl be able to share with their other devices.
If this is their only one then that is less of an incentive, however I think once you've had TiVo you don't go back.
I've bought other things on ebay where account ownership needs to change and the seller has done that with no problem.  The feedback process helps that to happen.  This won't take weeks or months to happen, so will happen in the 60 days.


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