All TiVo reps are not created equal.

We have a TiVo stuck on a startup loop. Been there done that six months ago, got the replacement.

Now, I’m sure they get a lot of inept people calling, but seriously, you can see we’ve been customers since 2001 so maybe we might have a F’ing clue about what we’re doing?

But this jerk (hi Bob!) was trying to blame it on:

  1. Being plugged into a UPS (saying those are really just to give you time to back up your 100 page thesis if the power goes out). So, we should “let TiVo take the brunt of the restart” and forget trying to save an $800 investment if there’s a lightning strike…
  2. Bad wiring in our house (asking us when the house was built and claiming “who knows what those contractors do”). At one point he said “I have a $100,000 sound system but I plugged a $1000 receiver in and it blew up. So you just never know.”
  3. Using an external expander (asking us if we read the hard drive manual and/or contacted them regarding hooking it up because they can be wonky). Um, no, we plugged it in and followed the Tivo’s on-screen instructions.
  4. Not plugging in the expander in the right order.
  5. Having anything else plugged into the UPS along with the TiVo (we don’t but it shouldn’t matter).
  6. Having the TV and TiVo plugged into the same outlet (he was talking to us about things like grounding and circuits and…SERIOUSLY?
  7. Claiming we never did a guided startup (then how the hell were we recording programs?).

Basically, it was something we’re obviously doing since this is the second one that’s died. Then he tells us that after a third replacement they won’t replace it again. Huh?! We said we bought the warranty. Nope, three and you’re done.

The whole conversation was just completely ludicrous. The things I’ve mentioned are the BASICS of what he touched on, and everything just sounded utterly condescending. I SO wish we had been recording it because we were just so gobsmacked. Tom and I just kept looking at each other and mouthing “Is he serious?”

Needless to say we asked for a manager and he didn’t seem very with it, either—he was just kinda like “Hey, soooo, where are we at? Let me look at your info…” instead of jumping in feet first and taking control. But to his credit he processed the exchange as if we were still within the first 90 days so there’s zero cost to us AND we still have the rest of our original warranty left. He said he had no idea what the other guy was talking about limiting exchanges to three.

So, if you call TiVo support and happen to get Bob who sounds quite a bit dooshy and questions the build construction of your house while diagnosing a dead TiVo, hang up and try again. Or record it for all to enjoy.

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