Normally it's not polite to ask how much a gift costs. But if there's a ReplayTV under your Christmas tree tomorrow, make sure you ask the gift giver for the receipt. To activate the ReplayTV service, you may have to prove how much it cost. To activate the ReplayTV service, you may have to prove how much it cost.
"Last week I purchased a ReplayTV 5504 at Circuit City for $150 as a Christmas present for my mother," a reader wrote. "I bought it instead of a Tivo because the box had a big green sticker on it saying 'This ReplayTV unit includes 3 years of ReplayTV service' and I didn't want her having to pay a monthly service charge. Now the ReplayTV-related message boards on the Internet are saying that the company claims the sticker was a mistake, and getting the service activated requires a $12.95 monthly subscription. Talk about bait-and-switch!"
As documented thoroughly in Fat Wallet and AVS forum discussion threads, on Dec. 17th a variety of major retailers including Amazon, Circuit City and RadioShack began promoting new pricing on various ReplayTV 5500 models -- prices less than half the former list price for the same models with the three years of service included.
At first, Replay TV fans thought the new prices must be a mistake, in spite of the green tags, but initial purchasers reported they were indeed able to activate the ReplayTV service without problem. ReplayTV customer service agents confirmed that new prices still included the service bundle, and ReplayTV's website - although not advertising the new prices - continued to state that "All 5500 models include a 3-year subscription to ReplayTV."
On Dec. 22 ReplayTV's parent company posted a press release announcing the new pricing but also stating that the ReplayTV service would now be sold separately for a $12.95 monthly subscription or a lifetime subscription for $299. The next day Replay TV posted a notice on its home page that customers who bought 5500 models under the new pricing - green sticker or no - must pay for a subscription to the service or try to get a refund from their re-seller.
"Our retail partners were asked to help implement this pricing change in a variety of ways," the ReplayTV read in part. "Unfortunately, certain retailers may not have taken the appropriate steps to change the pricing model resulting in potential confusion for customers ... Understandably, some customers may wish to return the product due to the additional required fees, and should resolve the matter with their retailer. We sincerely apologize for any confusion."
While ReplayTV seems to be trying to blame the retailers, it seems odd so many different online and brick-and-mortar would make the same mistakes and fail to remove the green sticker. It's also strange that ReplayTV did not attempt to clarify the situation for almost a week, although the company could not have been unaware of the confusion expressed in the message boards. And to allow that confusion to fester the week before Christmas, letting its boxes be sold under false pretenses, makes it very hard to believe this was just an honest mistake. The biggest surprise we get from our Christmas presents shouldn't be how much it's actually going to cost us.
Whether the mistakes were that of ReplayTV or the retailers, or a combination therefore, it was clearly not the fault of the customers. It is absolutely wrong for the company to now say that those customers who paid a particular price are not entitled to what the packaging, the retailer's promotional materials and ReplayTV itself promised them.
9:36:19 AM 
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