User:Louis/Fetch TV's response to the Gen 3 Extended Service Levy video

Fetch TV, an Australian subscription television service, emailed consumer advocate Louis Rossmann on October 1, 2026. The day before, Rossmann had published a video about the Fetch TV Gen 3 Extended Service Levy, a $29.99 charge on owners of Gen 3 Mini and Mighty set-top boxes more than five years old who hold no active Fetch subscription. The email says the video's title inaccurately characterises Fetch's actions as ransomware, and that Fetch hopes he will reconsider the title.

The email says Fetch does not intend to take any levy payment without a customer's authority. Fetch's levy page said the same day that the levy "will be automatically charged". The email says the Mighty does not have the capability to manually record offline to its internal hard disk, and calls recording a service. Fetch's FAQ says the Mighty records "on its 1Tb hard drive", and Fetch's online store sold the box as "a powerful Personal Video Recorder with a 1TB hard drive". The email gives contracts with premium-content providers as one reason the box cannot work without the Fetch Service. The same email lists recording of free-to-air television and encrypted recording of premium content among the features the Fetch Service enables.

Full text of the email

The email came from [email protected].

Hi Louis,

We watched your YouTube coverage on Fetch TV with interest and we genuinely respect your advocacy for Right to Repair and Consumer Rights, which has built you a strong following.

First off, we’re not asking you to take any action. We’re reaching out because we think you should know that, in the case of the video you have published on Fetch TV’s Gen 3 upgrade program, the information provided to you (by a Mighty Gen 3 user) is not complete or completely accurate – leading you to inaccurately characterise Fetch TV’s actions as “Ransomware” in your video title. Given that your reputation is built on balance and accuracy, and here you’ve relied on 3rd party information where you’re probably not familiar with our product first-hand, we thought it would be useful to provide you full and accurate information here for your re-consideration:

*What is Fetch?*

Fetch launched in Australia in 2010 as an IPTV / Streaming Entertainment service, which is accessed via devices known as the Mighty and Mini. It was sold in retail and via telco resellers bundled with streamed premium subscription content. The Fetch Service delivers an integrated proposition of free, included and premium subscription & transactional entertainment in the form of TV, Movies, Streaming Apps and Games via the platform. The Fetch Service also enables a 48-hour reverse TV guide (on all devices), recording of Free To Air TV and encrypted recording of premium content (via Mighty devices) via proprietary technology including a commercial 7-day EPG which feeds the Smart TV Guide and enables advanced recording features as-a-service via the Mighty.

*Do Fetch devices work standalone?*

When customers purchase a Fetch device via retail, or receive one via their telco reseller on a plan, they must activate an account and maintain an internet connection to first activate and operate their access device. *Fetch access devices cannot operate without an active account or internet connection* and this has been clear on all packaging from the beginning. Mighty devices do not have the capability by design to manually record offline to the internal hard disk, as has been characterised in your video. Recording is a service, enabled by the underlying Fetch Service as described below, and Fetch access devices, including Gen 3 Mighty, continue to receive regular critical updates and bug fixes – many of which are required to keep the service/device operating due to 3rd parties making changes to their content or app delivery.

*But the Mighty is just an offline PVR, right?*

Fetch is an integrated IPTV service. Beyond the integrated UI with universal voice search and control, Gen 3 Mighty users today continue to be provided with over 30 international streamed TV channels plus over 30 family games, as well as full customer support, at no ongoing charge. Fetch TV is quite unique in providing free ongoing content, product features & critical updates and customer support to 5-10 year old devices well outside of their warranty or consumer guarantee period.

The Fetch Mighty was not designed as a manual PVR and cannot operate without access to the Fetch Service via an internet connection and authentication to an active customer account. This is similar to how TiVo operates, for familiar context (though there are key differences we explain below). As you know, an offline PVR works by ingesting a free over-the-air single-day EPG broadcast to the DVB-T tuner and manual user timer setting. Fetch (like TiVo) uses a commercial 7-day EPG feed delivered via the Fetch Service over the internet into our Smart TV Guide, across both Free To Air TV and our Premium subscription TV; it is not a free EPG or FTA-only EPG. The advanced recording features of Fetch (or TiVo) compared to an offline PVR are the very features customers value, and are only enabled by having the platform operate in an integrated way as described. If the Mighty operated offline it would not have the same set of recording capabilities it has offered customers over the past decade.

TiVo is not a standalone offline PVR as you know, and in the USA charges a subscription for ongoing recording services. You may not be aware that TiVo operated in Australia from 2008 to 2017, with the service shut down in a 2017 End Of Life event and all devices ceasing to operate, following a commercial decision by the company (TiVo sold devices without the subscription in Australia and we can only assume the business became unsustainable over time due to little ongoing revenue but continued platform/EPG and support costs). Customers were not given an opportunity to extend the life of their TiVo, in contrast to Fetch’s ESL offer.

The majority of Fetch TV’s retail Mighty customers contacted recently regarding the upgrade/ESL program - likely including the one who reached out to you - are ex-TiVo Australia customers who, after the TiVo shutdown bought a Fetch Mighty at a promotional discount in 2017. They moved from one online proprietary and commercial-EPG-enabled product, TiVo, to another, Fetch.

*Why not let customers modify or continue to use the Mighty offline?*

We have heard customers suggest that they should be allowed to modify their Fetch Mighty to enable them to access the local hard disk and record manually, and you have also mentioned a similar thread in your video about the product being usable standalone ‘to record to its own local hard disk’. Apparently, some hobbyists achieved this with TiVo in Australia after it was shut down. This is not feasible for Fetch, as a key difference between Fetch and TiVo is that Fetch offers both free and Premium Subscription content in one integrated platform, and commercial EPG. *The Fetch Service and access device need to support secure end-to-end encryption / DRM for playout and recording* under Premium Subscription contracts we have with global Content providers (NBCU, WBD, Disney/ESPN, BBC etc). Any attempt to de-couple or breach the secure Fetch platform will result in legal breach of those contracts and an infringement of the content owners’ IP Rights. It cannot be changed by Fetch TV or a user.

*What the Extended Service Levy (ESL) offers Fetch customers*

The A$29.99 one-time Extended Service Levy (ESL) is a one-off, non-recurring levy to extend the usable life of the 10 year-old Gen 3 platform in a commercially feasible manner, and Fetch is only contacting the subset of customers with devices over 5 years old. *It is not an ongoing charge or subscription*, and it has been clearly explained to customers via our website and email communications that it will not be repeated on 31 October 2027 or ever. It offers an opportunity to preserve all of the Fetch Service content and features including recording service capability on the Mighty, and it provides ongoing customer support to Gen 3 users for the remaining life of the product. Customers can continue to use their Gen 3 access device “as-is”, with the exclusion of certain 3rd party apps which are being deprecated beyond our control, and receive ongoing support and updates which keep the Fetch Service/device operating.

Regarding the 31 October 2027 “Extended Service” date referenced, we have clarified with customers who have reached out to us and in subsequent direct email communication that there is no fixed End Of Life date for the Gen 3 devices. 31 October 2027 is not an EOL date; it is a point in time where Fetch TV will review the commercial and technical feasibility of continuing service for the Gen 3 access devices, with the expectation that we will continue the useful life of the products for as long as commercially feasible beyond that. It’s important to note that commercial feasibility includes us being able to continue to support Gen 3 alongside the newer Gen 4 and Gen 5 products on the same platform without negatively affecting or holding back the experience of all customers.

We believe this is a fair approach, and the ESL specifically enables us to extend Gen 3 service and support for longer – in the case of support, it is not a preferred path to remove customer support for older devices as an alternative, as the nature of the product/platform requires ongoing updates and bug fixes imposed by 3rd party changes from time to time.

*Will Fetch TV take an ESL payment without authority?*

Fetch TV is not intending to take any ESL payments without a customer’s authority. The initial email communication you have referenced is not standalone or final, as such upgrade programs normally require several iterations of information, offers and reminders. Fetch TV will be contacting customers with follow-up communications in October, including some newer options being offered based on customer feedback (such as 1 month of 50+ included Premium Subscription TV channels valued at A$26.99) for continuing customers. In that communication customers will again be reminded of their options, and in the case of the ESL option they will be provided with an opt-in method to voluntarily make the payment if they choose. It remains, as explained, that not taking any action (including cancellation), and then actively choosing to not pay the one-time ESL, will result in the commencement of a phase-out of Fetch Service and Support for Gen 3 access devices linked to that account. These follow-up communications will start going out to customers next week in batches.

*What’s the alternative?*

Customer have options beyond paying the one-time ESL. They can upgrade to a newer generation access device (Mini Gen 5 or Mighty Gen 4 Pro) with more features/performance at a material discount, subscribe to any content service, or cancel their Fetch service. The alternative is to commence a phase-out of Gen 3 support, which as we saw with TiVo in Australia and as Fetch TV has itself done with phasing out our Gen 2 and Gen 1 devices in the past (most recently as 2024), and is our commercial decision to make. This outcome would mean that Gen 3 devices would no longer operate, as we have established that they are not standalone offline devices that can work in isolation. We do not believe this option is the best path, hence the options we’ve provided to customers including the nominal ESL.

We therefore believe that the offers we have made to customers to either upgrade their access device, subscribe to a Fetch service, or pay a one-time ESL as a way to extend the useful life plus retain all included content and customer support, is not at all “ransomware” – it is a pragmatic and reasonable offer to customers who do not wish to upgrade or subscribe at this time but want to continue to enjoy the Fetch Service with included content and full customer support. Early feedback in the past week shows that hundreds of Gen 3 customers contacted have either pre-ordered the Mighty Gen 4 Pro, purchased a Mini Gen 5 or Mighty Gen 4, subscribed to Fetch Access or other content, or have updated payment details and indicated their intention to opt for the ESL to support the product and receive ongoing support. It is, in our observation, a vocal minority on social media who have spread misinformation and outrage, often without seeking to clarify information directly with us or simply refusing to believe the information we have provided.

Some users will disagree no matter what we offer, and it’s their choice to seek an alternative product if they still believe the A$29.99 one-time ESL for extending ongoing 30+ streamed TV Channels, 1 month of ‘Ultimate Pack’ (50+ Premium Channels) worth A$26.99, Recording Service, 30+ Games and full Customer Support for at least one more year but intended to be longer, is not good value for a product they have clearly enjoyed for upwards of a decade. Either way, there is no ransom involved and we hope you will reconsider, now that you know the full context, that such characterisation is inaccurate/unfair, and whether your video title remains appropriate.

Kind Regards,

Fetch TV media team

FetchTV Pty Ltd, Level 13, 100 Arthur St, North Sydney, NSW 2060

This email is sent by FetchTV Pty Ltd (ABN 36 130 669 500). The contents of this communication may be confidential, legally privileged and/or copyright material. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure or copying of this communication is expressed prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender and delete it immediately.

Payment authority

Fetch's email says:

Fetch TV is not intending to take any ESL payments without a customer’s authority. The initial email communication you have referenced is not standalone or final, as such upgrade programs normally require several iterations of information, offers and reminders. Fetch TV will be contacting customers with follow-up communications in October, including some newer options being offered based on customer feedback (such as 1 month of 50+ included Premium Subscription TV channels valued at A$26.99) for continuing customers. In that communication customers will again be reminded of their options, and in the case of the ESL option they will be provided with an opt-in method to voluntarily make the payment if they choose.

Fetch's levy page said the same day:

The Extended Service Levy will be automatically charged to your Fetch account from 1 November 2026 if you have not cancelled your account by 31 October 2026 ...

The page applies the charge to an owner who is still using a Gen 3 device without an eligible subscription on that date. On an owner who takes no action, the page said:

If you do not take action on or before 31 October 2026, the levy will be applied and your Fetch service will continue “as-is” on your Gen 3 device with no further action required.

Both sentences were on the page when it was archived on September 19, 2026, before the video was published on September 30, 2026.

Fetch's Retail Terms of Use, as archived on October 1, 2026, say an account that meets the listed conditions is "automatically liable to be charged" the levy. They list the levy among the charges made to the customer's credit card. The terms archived on April 14, 2024 list the activation fee, add-on packs, movie rentals and purchases, and carrier-billed apps.

Fetch hosts two wordings of its notice to customers at news.fetchtv.com.au. One says the levy "will be automatically charged to your account on 1 November 2026". A second, archived on September 24, 2026, says the levy "will be charged" on that date to an owner who continues to use the box.

• Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026
• 
  1(a) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: Fetch is not intending to take any levy payment without a customer's authority.
• 
  1(b) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: an opt-in method is to come in a follow-up message the next week.

• Levy page, terms and customer notices
• 
  1(c) Fetch's levy page, October 1, 2026: the levy "will be automatically charged" from November 1, 2026.
• 
  1(d) Fetch's levy page, October 1, 2026: with no action the levy is applied "with no further action required".
• 
  1(e) Fetch's levy page as archived on September 19, 2026: the levy "will be automatically charged" from November 1, 2026.
• 
  1(f) Fetch's Retail Terms of Use as archived on October 1, 2026: an account meeting the listed conditions is "automatically liable to be charged".
• 
  1(g) Fetch's Retail Terms of Use as archived on September 27, 2026: the levy is in the list of credit card charges.
• 
  1(h) Fetch's terms of use as archived on April 14, 2024: the list of credit card charges.
• 
  1(i) Fetch's notice to customers at news.fetchtv.com.au/extended-service-levy-1: the levy "will be automatically charged".
• 
  1(j) Fetch's notice to customers at news.fetchtv.com.au/extended-service-levy-1b, archived September 24, 2026: the levy will be charged on November 1, 2026.

Recording to the internal hard drive

On recording, the email says:

Mighty devices do not have the capability by design to manually record offline to the internal hard disk, as has been characterised in your video. Recording is a service, enabled by the underlying Fetch Service as described below, and Fetch access devices, including Gen 3 Mighty, continue to receive regular critical updates and bug fixes – many of which are required to keep the service/device operating due to 3rd parties making changes to their content or app delivery.

The email also says:

The Fetch Mighty was not designed as a manual PVR and cannot operate without access to the Fetch Service via an internet connection and authentication to an active customer account.

Fetch's FAQ said in June 2016:

Fetch TV is a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) and pay TV service delivered over your broadband connection to your TV via the Fetch TV box.

In a submission to the Australian Government dated June 21, 2018, Fetch called the Gen 3 Mighty a "PVR STB" with "1 terabyte of recording storage capacity, 4 tuners". Fetch's press release of May 2, 2022 called it "the very popular Mighty Gen 3 PVR".

The "Record TV" page on Fetch's site said in February 2017:

With the Mighty and Gen 2 boxes there’s space for up to 585 hours of SD recordings on the massive 1 terabyte hard drive, which means you can always have something recorded ready to watch.

The quick start guide for the Mighty model M616T says:

You get your Free to Air Digital TV channels using your normal TV antenna. They are not delivered over broadband Internet.

On the day of the email, Fetch's FAQ answered the question of whether Fetch slows a broadband connection:

Watching and recording Free-to-Air TV, and watching recordings do not have any impact on bandwidth use, as they do not use your internet connection.

Fetch's Wi-Fi guide of July 2016 describes use with no internet connection:

No internet connection (Fetch TV Box locked) You can use Fetch TV for a few days without an internet connection, to watch Free to Air TV or recordings, but after that you’ll see a Box Locked message and will need to reconnect your box to the internet before you can use Fetch TV again.

The Mighty user guide of the same month lists three ways to set a recording: from the Info Bar, from the TV Guide and using Top Shows. The levy page says the device "needs to access the Fetch Service with an active account and internet connection" for features that include recording.

• Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026
• 
  2(a) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: the Mighty cannot "manually record offline to the internal hard disk".
• 
  2(b) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: the Mighty "was not designed as a manual PVR".

• FAQ, store, press release, guides and levy page
• 
  2(c) Fetch's FAQ as archived on June 9, 2016, describing Fetch TV as a personal video recorder and pay TV service.
• 
  2(d) Fetch's online store, March 30, 2021: the Mighty as a personal video recorder with a 1 TB hard drive.
• 
  2(e) Fetch's press release of May 2, 2022, naming the Mighty Gen 3 PVR.
• 
  2(f) Fetch's "Record TV" page as archived on February 18, 2017: recordings on the 1 terabyte hard drive.
• 
  2(g) Fetch's FAQ, October 1, 2026: the Mighty records "on its 1Tb hard drive".
• 
  2(h) Fetch's Mighty user guide, July 2016: the box records free-to-air TV and subscribed channels.
• 
  2(i) Fetch's FAQ, October 1, 2026: watching and recording live free-to-air TV needs an aerial.
• 
  2(j) Fetch's specification page, October 1, 2026: four DVB-T (digital terrestrial television) tuners in the Mighty model M616T.
• 
  2(k) Fetch's FAQ, October 1, 2026, on bandwidth: recording free-to-air TV and watching recordings "do not use your internet connection".
• 
  2(l) Fetch's Wi-Fi guide, July 2016: use "for a few days without an internet connection", then a Box Locked message.
• 
  2(m) Fetch's levy page, October 1, 2026: the device needs the Fetch Service with an active account and internet connection.

Premium-content contracts

Fetch's email gives digital rights management (DRM) as one reason the box depends on the Fetch Service:

*The Fetch Service and access device need to support secure end-to-end encryption / DRM for playout and recording* under Premium Subscription contracts we have with global Content providers (NBCU, WBD, Disney/ESPN, BBC etc).

The email describes what the Fetch Service enables:

The Fetch Service also enables a 48-hour reverse TV guide (on all devices), recording of Free To Air TV and encrypted recording of premium content (via Mighty devices) via proprietary technology including a commercial 7-day EPG which feeds the Smart TV Guide and enables advanced recording features as-a-service via the Mighty.

Fetch's terms say apps, free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, rented or purchased movies, free-to-air channels delivered over the internet, and Movie Box cannot be recorded, "usually due to rights restrictions imposed by the content providers". Fetch's terms archived in February 2017 said:

you may use the Fetch TV Box to record certain programming content as permitted by FetchTV or in accordance with the exemptions in the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).

The same 2017 terms said Fetch "may erase any program recorded by you for any reason", including where its agreements with content suppliers require it.

Of ending Gen 3 support, the email says:

The alternative is to commence a phase-out of Gen 3 support, which as we saw with TiVo in Australia and as Fetch TV has itself done with phasing out our Gen 2 and Gen 1 devices in the past (most recently as 2024), and is our commercial decision to make.

Fetch's store listing described "a powerful Personal Video Recorder with a 1TB hard drive", and its compare page priced the box with a $1 one-off activation fee and no ongoing cost for the Starter Pack. Fetch's levy page says a Gen 3 device whose owner cancels "will lose all functionality". A box sold with no ongoing cost that loses all functionality years later unless its owner pays a new fee is a time-lemon. The contracts the email names are between Fetch and its content providers, and they do not excuse selling one.

• Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026
• 
  3(a) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: encryption and DRM under premium subscription contracts.
• 
  3(b) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: recording of free-to-air TV and "encrypted recording of premium content".
• 
  3(c) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: phasing out Gen 3 support "is our commercial decision to make".

• Fetch's terms of use
• 
  3(d) Fetch's Retail Terms of Use, October 1, 2026: the content that cannot be recorded.
• 
  3(e) Fetch's terms of use as archived on February 18, 2017: recording as permitted by Fetch or under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).

Broadcast guide data

The email compares program guide data on an offline recorder and on Fetch:

As you know, an offline PVR works by ingesting a free over-the-air single-day EPG broadcast to the DVB-T tuner and manual user timer setting. Fetch (like TiVo) uses a commercial 7-day EPG feed delivered via the Fetch Service over the internet into our Smart TV Guide, across both Free To Air TV and our Premium subscription TV; it is not a free EPG or FTA-only EPG.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the broadcasting regulator, publishes principles for the electronic program guide (EPG) data that free-to-air broadcasters transmit. Its page says the industry guides call for "a minimum 7 days of schedule information", and states this principle:

Each free-to-air broadcaster should give EPG data free to the public.

Free TV Australia, the commercial broadcasters' industry body, says in its operational practice that the broadcast schedule depth "shall be at least eight days". The ACMA says there is no formal requirement for broadcasters to meet the principles. Fetch's terms say its monthly access fee helps cover costs that include the licensing fees for its TV Guide.

• Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026
• 
  4(a) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: an offline recorder uses a "single-day EPG".

• ACMA and Free TV Australia
• 
  4(b) The ACMA's electronic program guide page: "a minimum 7 days of schedule information".
• 
  4(c) The ACMA's electronic program guide page: broadcasters should give guide data free to the public.
• 
  4(d) Free TV Australia's Operational Practice OP-58: schedule depth "shall be at least eight days".

Cost disclosures at sale

Fetch's email says of the account and internet requirement:

*Fetch access devices cannot operate without an active account or internet connection* and this has been clear on all packaging from the beginning.

The store listing for the Mighty in March 2021 listed an internet connection and online activation among its requirements. In August 2016 the terms required a current subscription to the Starter Pack for the box to operate, and allowed Fetch to vary the terms on 14 days' notice.

Fetch's compare page said of that Starter Pack in August 2016:

Box is $399 RRP from selected retailers There is a $1 one off activation fee There is no ongoing cost for the Starter Pack

The page still said "There is no ongoing cost for the Starter Pack" in March 2023. Fetch's FAQ in December 2020 said there was "a $1 one off Activation Fee, but no ongoing costs". Fetch's home page, as archived on December 2, 2025, said "Fees are subject to change with notice". In a press release dated December 1, 2025, Fetch introduced a monthly fee for new retail customers activated from that date.

• Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026
• 
  5(a) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: the account and internet requirement "has been clear on all packaging from the beginning".

• Compare page, FAQ, store, home page and terms
• 
  5(b) Fetch's compare page as archived on August 18, 2016: a $1 one-off activation fee and no ongoing cost for the Starter Pack.
• 
  5(c) Fetch's compare page as archived on March 17, 2023: no ongoing cost for the Starter Pack.
• 
  5(d) Fetch's FAQ as archived on August 15, 2016: a one-off $1 activation fee.
• 
  5(e) Fetch's online store, March 30, 2021: a $1 activation fee.
• 
  5(f) Fetch's home page as archived on December 2, 2025: "Fees are subject to change with notice."
• 
  5(g) Fetch's retail terms as archived on August 6, 2016: a current Starter Pack subscription is required.

Email's description of the video

The email says the video characterised the Mighty as able to manually record offline to its internal hard disk. It also says:

We have heard customers suggest that they should be allowed to modify their Fetch Mighty to enable them to access the local hard disk and record manually, and you have also mentioned a similar thread in your video about the product being usable standalone ‘to record to its own local hard disk’.

The video does not use the words manual, offline or standalone, and does not contain the phrase the email puts in quotation marks. Its title refers to "LOCAL recording of free TV", and it compares the box to a videocassette recorder that keeps recording while it receives a signal.

Of the video's sources, the email says:

Given that your reputation is built on balance and accuracy, and here you’ve relied on 3rd party information where you’re probably not familiar with our product first-hand, we thought it would be useful to provide you full and accurate information here for your re-consideration:

The documents read aloud in the video are Fetch's notice to customers, a Fetch marketing page and the FAQ on Fetch's levy page.

Near its start, the email says:

First off, we’re not asking you to take any action.

The email's closing sentence reads:

Either way, there is no ransom involved and we hope you will reconsider, now that you know the full context, that such characterisation is inaccurate/unfair, and whether your video title remains appropriate.

• Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026
• 
  6(a) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: "we’re not asking you to take any action".
• 
  6(b) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: Fetch hopes Rossmann will reconsider the video title.
• 
  6(c) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: the video "relied on 3rd party information".

Consequences of non-payment

The email describes the result of not paying:

It remains, as explained, that not taking any action (including cancellation), and then actively choosing to not pay the one-time ESL, will result in the commencement of a phase-out of Fetch Service and Support for Gen 3 access devices linked to that account.

Fetch's levy page says, of an owner who cancels:

Once you cancel your service, your Gen 3 device will lose all functionality and any recordings, and cannot be reactivated in the future by you or anyone else. Gen 3 devices should not be re-sold as they will not be re-activated by Fetch once cancelled. Please dispose of your Gen 3 device thoughtfully.

After four failed payments, the page says:

If payment fails 4 times: Your account will be suspended, and your Gen 3 device will be permanently deactivated and cannot be used again by anyone. If you use a Mighty Gen 3, you will permanently lose all recordings and they will not be recoverable once your account is suspended.

• Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026
• 
  7(a) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: under a phase-out, "Gen 3 devices would no longer operate".

• Levy page
• 
  7(b) Fetch's levy page: a cancelled Gen 3 device loses all functionality and cannot be reactivated.
• 
  7(c) Fetch's levy page: after four failed payments the device is permanently deactivated.
• 
  7(d) Fetch's levy page as archived on September 19, 2026: after four failed payments the account is permanently terminated.
• 
  7(e) Fetch's levy page as archived on September 23, 2026: after four failed payments the account is suspended.

Customer figures

On the response from customers, the email says:

Early feedback in the past week shows that hundreds of Gen 3 customers contacted have either pre-ordered the Mighty Gen 4 Pro, purchased a Mini Gen 5 or Mighty Gen 4, subscribed to Fetch Access or other content, or have updated payment details and indicated their intention to opt for the ESL to support the product and receive ongoing support.

Fetch's press release of January 22, 2025 put its installed base at "around 715,000 homes".

The email describes the customers it contacted:

The majority of Fetch TV’s retail Mighty customers contacted recently regarding the upgrade/ESL program - likely including the one who reached out to you - are ex-TiVo Australia customers who, after the TiVo shutdown bought a Fetch Mighty at a promotional discount in 2017.

A swap offer for TiVo owners ran in 2017, at $299 against a recommended price of $399.

Of how long owners have had the product, the email says:

Some users will disagree no matter what we offer, and it’s their choice to seek an alternative product if they still believe the A$29.99 one-time ESL for extending ongoing 30+ streamed TV Channels, 1 month of ‘Ultimate Pack’ (50+ Premium Channels) worth A$26.99, Recording Service, 30+ Games and full Customer Support for at least one more year but intended to be longer, is not good value for a product they have clearly enjoyed for upwards of a decade.

Fetch's levy page says the affected boxes were "first activated between 5 years and 10 years ago".

• Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026
• 
  8(a) Fetch TV's email, October 1, 2026: the majority of the retail Mighty customers Fetch contacted are former TiVo owners who bought in 2017.

• TiVo Australia site and Fetch press release
• 
  8(b) TiVo Australia's site as archived on April 15, 2017: the swap offer for a Fetch Mighty at $299.
• 
  8(c) Fetch's press release of January 22, 2025: an installed base in around 715,000 homes.