Tivo Boxes From Virgin

[joko]

virgin want me to pay £5 a month and a £49 installation fee for Tivo

is the subscription fee a rental for the use of the box, or or the service?

but i was just wondering if i could buy a cheap one online and just install it myself - would this work?

is a tivo box a bit like a VHS recorder in that you just plug it in and use it? or does it need 'switching on' and authorising at their end?


if it needs authorising, can i still buy my own box an install myself for less that £50 and just pay the subscription fee?


Thanks

[knowabit]

I got the Tivo when it first came out, no installation fee and was told it was £3 per month (will have to check bill!) Have you been a customer of Virgin for long. Maybe ask for them to drop the installation fee... you could say you were thinking of going to SKy or something? They might do a deal for you? I dont think you can buy and install your own. i seem to remember the Virgin man taking a while to set mine up and doing all sorts of things with it on the TV screen?

[hc4361]

Virgin own the Tivo boxes, you don't own it, so you shouldn't be able to buy a second hand one.
Tivo is great, well worth the money.

[mazie]

I've been with Virgin forever and when I had a brochure through the door on their latest deals for Tivo...I rang them and said I wanted it for the price they were offering for new customers. They did that and then said I would have to pay £49 for in installation. I said no, I would cancel and go to Sky. The chap went to speak to his supervisor and said there would be no installations charge. Tivo is good but I wouldn't have paid the £49 installation fee.

[joko]

hc, there are about 30 on ebay...

[joko]

knowabit and mazie - yes i have been one for about 15 years and i also have all four services with them.

i dont paticularly want and engineer to come round as last time it was a pain - they didnt turn up, then were late and its also quite hard to get to the place where the box is - its all wedged in with units etc, so if i wondered if i got my own and followed the online instructions i found - then rang them and asked them to turn it on, it may be easier

i too refused to pay the £49 fee - the man said hed mail me when there was a free offer on.