Would you expect this TiVo to still work?

[Countryman]

Hi guys

Based on this listing on eBay, if you bought this TiVo, would you expect that it could still download the EPG (well, at least until June 1st!).


TIA

[irrelevant]

Don't count on it. Status 3 relies on the owner being paid up.

My main one still shows status 3, but that's because it was disconnected before I cancelled (a month before they stopped charging .. sigh ..) If the cachecard would connected to my LAN, I expect it'd revert to "Account closed" on the first DC..

[Countryman]

Ah but in order for that to happen, the owner needs to be TiVo savvy and not log in once they had cancelled their account so that they would maintain Status 3 on their TiVo. Thus maintaining the pretence that their TiVo was still OK to download. Ie a deliberate act of misleading.

[steveroe]

All the picture proves is that there was an active monthly sub on 5th December 2010 - it could have been cancelled subsequently (although not sure why you would as they aren't being billed anymore...)

[Countryman]

I hear what you're saying and like you I am only too aware of the TiVo statuses. I think that I may have phrased the original question badly.

If one saw a TiVo listed on eBay and there was no status screen shown then one would ask the question of the seller what the status was in case it was account closed.

If, on the other hand, there was this status screen and the listing said that it was in good working order then I would have thought that a reasonable assumption would be that the thing was still Account in Good Standing. Or perhaps I am too trusting.

[spitfires]

Based on that picture I would expect the unit to be status "3" and usable until 1st June. I think the man on the Clapham Omnibus would agree.

The only way it wouldn't be so is if he closed his account sometime before October - but there is no mention in the listing of the unit having been "in storage" or "unused".

It is reasonable therefore to assume the account is what he says - "in Good Standing". He is clearly selling it as so!

[healeydave]

Just an FYI, I have come across a lot of boxes over the years that have reported "Account in good standing" like a pay monthly sub but have in actual fact been lifetime's.

I had one in my bedroom that was that status, originally just pulled from my stock pile but worked for years!

[Countryman]

Unfortunately when I bought this and turned it on, the status turned out to be 8- Account Closed.

[healeydave]

strange, when you consider Tivo have not been charging people in the last few months, and the June cut-off, you would think there would be no reason to close an account now anyway.

[spitfires]

I suspect it's purely automatic. As suggested above by irrelevant, I think what happens is that someone stops paying the TAM but doesn't necessarily ring Cust Svces to close the account. If you switch the box on it will still show status "3". However, the next time the box dials-in, the mothership says "oi you've not paid" and tells the box to go to status "8".

Just my guess but could be plausible?

[healeydave]

Yes but the last dial in date is Dec and TiVo stopped taking money from TAMs before then.
So I don't know what would trigger an account closed now other than someone specifically calling in and cancelling their account which is kinda pointless now anyway. However, I think some customers haven't even realised they are not paying anymore and may explain why a user might still call in to cancel, especially if they have upgraded to VM.

[steveroe]

It may raise a question (sorry to take this off topic) about what Monthly subbed Tivos will do when they dial in to the original service after 1st June, will they change to status 8?

Will the replacement EPG be able to reactivate these?

[spitfires]

Yes but the last dial in date is Dec

He he *I* made that mistake at first as well That's actually "Today's Date" showing in the pic not date of Last Call Attempt

Obviously he reckoned the service was going t*ts-up after he heard they stopped taking money, got his old box out of the cupboard and tried to flog it in December - probably for waay too much money - and the price has nose-dived ever since. Hence he switched it on but didn't do a daily call.

As soon as @Countryman@ did one then it went to status 8.

what Monthly subbed Tivos will do when they dial in to the original service after 1st June, will they change to status 8?

If you dial in to TiVo then yes.

Will the replacement EPG be able to reactivate these?

Yes.