Post by KyleEl on Nov 1, 2013 13:44:38 GMT -5
Kimba, there's no way you have had as much trouble as I have.
I should have sent the machine back, but I keep being told there will be no need to upgrade because I already have digital cble. I'll believe it when I see it.
I went to the cable company and asked for a card. I was told someone would have to come install it. I asked what I needed to do to update my other TiVo and I was told I needed a converter box, which I could pick up and install later.
I got a call from the cable company stating the man would arrive between 8 and 9 (talk about good service!) and that the man would take an hour and a half to do the installation. I've been told I'll have to pay, but what he did was all for nothing and hoping that won't require me to pay. We will see.
It took him until around 9. The other times I was told between 8 and 9, the man arrived sooner, but I was reporting storm damage which may or may not have the potential to affect service. The second time, I actually made sure the man saw it because I had given the wrong information and there had still not been a repair. He said it was fine.
Anyway, he came when promised. He had much more equipment than I had expected, and he had to initialize everything, which was quite complicated and might have been more than I could handle. This involved making a phone call. At one point, he had to go out to the truck and wait for the firmware to update. Part of that had to be done while it was unplugged, and the rest while it was plugged in.
After all this "no channels". I called TiVo and asked what we had to do. I kept telling her what he was doing and what the results were. She kept thinking my situation was strange. I had no modem? Wel, of course I had no modem. The other TiVo didn't need anything but a phone line and a splitter. I am told I need an adapter (from Best Buy or Radio Shack) because the TiVo has no place to put a phone line, and I was sent an email with details (it was a bunch of links to TiVo's web site, none of which told me a thing). The man from the cable company thinks this is strange. And he ends up having to repeat the process with the cable card.
Meanwhile, I asked what I need to do to update my other TiVo. He wanted to see it, and I showed it to him and what channels I had. He said the box he had installed was necessary to get the seocnd shopping channel, the government channel and the religious channel. I said I didn't want any of those. Then he said he could just take out that box, then. And he said there was nothing I needed to do for the other TiVo. He checked my channels on the TV he had worked with and I saw Drew Carey and the Big Wheel, so everything was fine. He reconnected the TiVo which meant I lost those channels (more on the "Reign" thread).
When it was all over, he said it was up to me to get that adapter and finish the process. I walked to the college library and heard the noon chimes.
I was going somewhere yesterday anyway. Easier said than done. I walked into Staples first, since when I passed the mall at 8:45 on the way to a college library to look at some magazines and newspapers and use the Internet, only Staples was open. I was told they used to have the part, but not any more, and to go to Radio Shack.
At Radio Shack, the first person talked to the second, the second talked to the third, and the third talked to the fourth. I said I had the specific information in an email, and they couldn't look at it there. they suggested an Internet cafe or the library (but they're not going to BE there). I was finally told the only place in town that would have this was near the interstate. I had to ask for directions at a church (where the man was a little too happy) because I was assuming I had heard of this street. I had not.
It was a long way down that street, as the man had said. And when I got there, they didn't have it.
That's it. Tivo ought to sell this part if they're going to make it a requirement to use one of their machines. So either they have it or I'm sending it back. I don't know how I'm going to do that since I threw everything out I would need to do that.
But there is good news. TiVo sells the part. I was referred to the department which can sell it to me. And then a really nice and really patient man (he HAD to be!) told me it's not going to work. He doesn't want me to spend $30 and not have it work. We have this great product and we want you to be able to take advantage of ALL its features (no, I only want to record shows like I do now, and four at a time is better than two, or one when my cable is digital). That's why ALL the machines we sell have software that has to be downloaded. We don't put a connection for a phone line on it because you can't download software when all you have is a phone line. Now you can upgrade to broadband (Oh, no. I can't afford that. Besides, I'm happy with my phone company's cheap slow Internet). Your only other option is to send it back. Meanwhile, he's not telling me just how I do that. I tell him all I know to do is throw all this stuff on the porch and hope UPS will box it up. No, that won't work. When he finally gets around to saying I can take it to the post office ... THAT works. He still hasn't gotten the message I have given up on the product, but rather I don't know how I'm going to send it back. He says he can sell me the part, and then the software downloads won't work, and I'll have to pay to send it back. As opposed to what I'm doing anyway? I think what he means is the deadline is getting close. I should have done all this faster.
Anyway, He assures me he can tell me in detail what I have to do. He gives me a number to write on the box when I get it. And lists the parts. I didn't find them all but I sent back what I found. And most importantly, he says take that cable card out. It's easy. Actually, it was easy. He sends me an email with the shipping information which I won't look at because turning on my computer and waiting and waiting is more than I care to do.
And he says that while TiVo doesn't sell anything but the latest, best technology, Amazon does sell older machines that do use a phone line because all they do is get programming information. He will even help me. He's calling me back later today.
Knowing I had that email, I turned on my computer early while fixing lunch. The email said print it out. Oh, good. I don't want to be home alone with a printer. For years I couldn't face being alone with a computer. I had to finish lunch first. I called the phone company to find out what broadband would cost, just to see what I would have paid. It took a while to get through, and then I realized my lunch would be burning. It tasted awful. And was very hard to clean. $22 more a month (though can I really get that speed over a phone line? If so, that would make it ridiculous not providing a place to plug in a phone line). Honestly, it's not worth it. I CAN send the old machine back and get one that's not the latest technology.
I went to the college library. Now I couldn't have gone to the post office early, because the only reason it exists is the college, and it was almost closed, but a compromise was to open at noon. I printed the email, which for non-students costs 10 cents (luckily I knew I'd have to bring the money to pay for the box and shipping cost). I remembered that I've seen lots of boxes being delivered with magazines and books and such. They did have one the perfect size, so at least that was free!
I took it home--it was drizzling--and loaded the stuff and put some newspaper in. I didn't do enough, I'm pretty sure. But I was tired of figuring out how to load it and just told the woman at the post office to mark it fragile just so it would be treated gently. It cost $18.45! They make a product I can't use and I have to pay to send it back?
And of course I didn't bring enough money. I've never shipped anything that heavy. I really got my exercise today. It's just a five-minute walk and I can use the exercise.
More on the "Reign" thread.
I should have sent the machine back, but I keep being told there will be no need to upgrade because I already have digital cble. I'll believe it when I see it.
I went to the cable company and asked for a card. I was told someone would have to come install it. I asked what I needed to do to update my other TiVo and I was told I needed a converter box, which I could pick up and install later.
I got a call from the cable company stating the man would arrive between 8 and 9 (talk about good service!) and that the man would take an hour and a half to do the installation. I've been told I'll have to pay, but what he did was all for nothing and hoping that won't require me to pay. We will see.
It took him until around 9. The other times I was told between 8 and 9, the man arrived sooner, but I was reporting storm damage which may or may not have the potential to affect service. The second time, I actually made sure the man saw it because I had given the wrong information and there had still not been a repair. He said it was fine.
Anyway, he came when promised. He had much more equipment than I had expected, and he had to initialize everything, which was quite complicated and might have been more than I could handle. This involved making a phone call. At one point, he had to go out to the truck and wait for the firmware to update. Part of that had to be done while it was unplugged, and the rest while it was plugged in.
After all this "no channels". I called TiVo and asked what we had to do. I kept telling her what he was doing and what the results were. She kept thinking my situation was strange. I had no modem? Wel, of course I had no modem. The other TiVo didn't need anything but a phone line and a splitter. I am told I need an adapter (from Best Buy or Radio Shack) because the TiVo has no place to put a phone line, and I was sent an email with details (it was a bunch of links to TiVo's web site, none of which told me a thing). The man from the cable company thinks this is strange. And he ends up having to repeat the process with the cable card.
Meanwhile, I asked what I need to do to update my other TiVo. He wanted to see it, and I showed it to him and what channels I had. He said the box he had installed was necessary to get the seocnd shopping channel, the government channel and the religious channel. I said I didn't want any of those. Then he said he could just take out that box, then. And he said there was nothing I needed to do for the other TiVo. He checked my channels on the TV he had worked with and I saw Drew Carey and the Big Wheel, so everything was fine. He reconnected the TiVo which meant I lost those channels (more on the "Reign" thread).
When it was all over, he said it was up to me to get that adapter and finish the process. I walked to the college library and heard the noon chimes.
I was going somewhere yesterday anyway. Easier said than done. I walked into Staples first, since when I passed the mall at 8:45 on the way to a college library to look at some magazines and newspapers and use the Internet, only Staples was open. I was told they used to have the part, but not any more, and to go to Radio Shack.
At Radio Shack, the first person talked to the second, the second talked to the third, and the third talked to the fourth. I said I had the specific information in an email, and they couldn't look at it there. they suggested an Internet cafe or the library (but they're not going to BE there). I was finally told the only place in town that would have this was near the interstate. I had to ask for directions at a church (where the man was a little too happy) because I was assuming I had heard of this street. I had not.
It was a long way down that street, as the man had said. And when I got there, they didn't have it.
That's it. Tivo ought to sell this part if they're going to make it a requirement to use one of their machines. So either they have it or I'm sending it back. I don't know how I'm going to do that since I threw everything out I would need to do that.
But there is good news. TiVo sells the part. I was referred to the department which can sell it to me. And then a really nice and really patient man (he HAD to be!) told me it's not going to work. He doesn't want me to spend $30 and not have it work. We have this great product and we want you to be able to take advantage of ALL its features (no, I only want to record shows like I do now, and four at a time is better than two, or one when my cable is digital). That's why ALL the machines we sell have software that has to be downloaded. We don't put a connection for a phone line on it because you can't download software when all you have is a phone line. Now you can upgrade to broadband (Oh, no. I can't afford that. Besides, I'm happy with my phone company's cheap slow Internet). Your only other option is to send it back. Meanwhile, he's not telling me just how I do that. I tell him all I know to do is throw all this stuff on the porch and hope UPS will box it up. No, that won't work. When he finally gets around to saying I can take it to the post office ... THAT works. He still hasn't gotten the message I have given up on the product, but rather I don't know how I'm going to send it back. He says he can sell me the part, and then the software downloads won't work, and I'll have to pay to send it back. As opposed to what I'm doing anyway? I think what he means is the deadline is getting close. I should have done all this faster.
Anyway, He assures me he can tell me in detail what I have to do. He gives me a number to write on the box when I get it. And lists the parts. I didn't find them all but I sent back what I found. And most importantly, he says take that cable card out. It's easy. Actually, it was easy. He sends me an email with the shipping information which I won't look at because turning on my computer and waiting and waiting is more than I care to do.
And he says that while TiVo doesn't sell anything but the latest, best technology, Amazon does sell older machines that do use a phone line because all they do is get programming information. He will even help me. He's calling me back later today.
Knowing I had that email, I turned on my computer early while fixing lunch. The email said print it out. Oh, good. I don't want to be home alone with a printer. For years I couldn't face being alone with a computer. I had to finish lunch first. I called the phone company to find out what broadband would cost, just to see what I would have paid. It took a while to get through, and then I realized my lunch would be burning. It tasted awful. And was very hard to clean. $22 more a month (though can I really get that speed over a phone line? If so, that would make it ridiculous not providing a place to plug in a phone line). Honestly, it's not worth it. I CAN send the old machine back and get one that's not the latest technology.
I went to the college library. Now I couldn't have gone to the post office early, because the only reason it exists is the college, and it was almost closed, but a compromise was to open at noon. I printed the email, which for non-students costs 10 cents (luckily I knew I'd have to bring the money to pay for the box and shipping cost). I remembered that I've seen lots of boxes being delivered with magazines and books and such. They did have one the perfect size, so at least that was free!
I took it home--it was drizzling--and loaded the stuff and put some newspaper in. I didn't do enough, I'm pretty sure. But I was tired of figuring out how to load it and just told the woman at the post office to mark it fragile just so it would be treated gently. It cost $18.45! They make a product I can't use and I have to pay to send it back?
And of course I didn't bring enough money. I've never shipped anything that heavy. I really got my exercise today. It's just a five-minute walk and I can use the exercise.
More on the "Reign" thread.
I think you decided to send back the new Tivo but then you posted that you didn't have enough $ to mail it. Does that mean that you took it back later and then mailed it back?