Now on his blog there have been 167 comments to date with the only response by him (early on) being 'email bskyb' which is quite clearly nonsense as the service is still TiVo's responsibility. This would appear to be a case of 'if you can't get Virgin cable and thus a TiVo, just get SKY+'. A nice parting gift to BSkyB now that they have 'left' for Virgin.
I wasn't all that hopeful of a response, but as I found his personal profile on Facebook (here) I thought I'd send him a message. When I first found this profile he still had the option for non-friends to send him personal messages. This option has since disappeared so he obviously knows he's been found out and that people are extensively displeased with what's going on, but has decided that the people who have been loyal to TiVo in the UK are now just a nuisance.
To date I have had no response, so after some digging I intend to send it by email and also by snail mail to his office to ensure that he gets the message.
For the record, here's the letter
Joshua,
You don't know me, but I suspect you already know what this message will be about.
I have been a loyal TiVO customer in the UK for a few years now, activley seeking out a box, even though they were discontinued, because I already knew that it was far superior to anything else on the market, and still is.
You must already know that dissatisfaction with TiVO's choice to cut the EPG service, which basically renders the series 1 units almost useless, is at a high level. The massive amount of comments in your blog and amount of aggrevied customers frequenting the TiVO forums shows you that you have chosen to simply turn your back on many loyal fans (of which in the UK you may need soon).
Regardless of all the arguments we have about exactly what is 'lifelong service', and the fact that half (49%) of the country cannot receive Virgin Media cable services, you have so far failed to actually answer the questions behind your reasoning for removing the service.
I would like therefore to ask you the following questions to which I, and other TiVO users would like a straight answer:
- Exactly whose decision was this to cut the service? TiVO? Was it part of your deal with Virgin Media? Is it down to BSkyB? Most people at the moment are assuming that its to do with your deal with Virgin, to try and push people that can get it onto the new TiVO box. Perhaps you can correct me?
- How did you come to this decision? Why now? Seems like strange timing, just as you launch a new product with a new partner? No?
- Did you ever consider that you could still make money from the S1 service? Many people, myself included, that have a lifetime subscription would be happy to start paying a nominal/reasonable sum to keep the service alive.
- As there is an active community of 'home brew' enthusiasts around the S1, did you consder perhaps releasing sections of the service to open source to allow the community to at least make it easier for the homebrew community to provide their own EPG service? What a great PR opportunity that would be!
As it stands this is a bit of a PR disaster for you, you were MUCH more likley to get more custom out of existing S1 owners if you didn't effectivley kill the box they already have, as now most people simply do not trust TiVO anymore and will be very unlikley to now spend out on the Virgin Media equipment.
So, I think I have put my points and questions reasonably and fairly. WIll you at least have the good manners to inform your very loyal S1 community the real reasons behind this?
Yours, a (still just about) loyal TiVO fan
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