renewing XM after the trial period

Here is my chat session with XM, referring to my automatic renewal:

Jason: my name is Jason, Thank you for contacting SiriusXM. How may I help you?
Jack : I came off of my trial subscription in June and called to extend for 6 months for about $27. I don't know if I ever set up an account with you guys.
Jason: I will check the details for you Jack.
Jason: I will be happy to assist you with the information.
Jack : It's a 2012 Prius
Jason: Yes, the account has the package which you've mentioned.
Jason: The account number is 1-233xxxxxxxx
Jason: Name: Jack XXXX
Jason: Shall I help you to get access to it, so that you can check the details online?
Jack : Now that I have that info can I register or am I already registered?
Jason: You are not registered Jack.
Jason: You will need to register now.
Jack : Two more questions.
Jason: Sure.
Jason: Please go ahead.
Jack : I asked them not to put me on automatic renewal. Is that on the account?
Jason: Are you referring not to have the credit card details on the account?
Jack : What is the name of the package I have?
Jason: The name is XM Select
Jack : No, I don't want them to continue with the subscription after the 6 months
Jason: I'm afraid that it is not done on your account.
Jason: Please call our listener care so that they will schedule the cancellation to be done at the end of the subscription.
Jack : Can you please put that on my account?
Jason: I'm sorry, we do not have authorization to do that.
Jack : Who does?
Jason: I will provide the number, and I'll leave a detailed note on your account about our conversation.
Jason: Our listener care team does.
Jason: Please call our listener care at 888-601-6302.
Jack : Thanks!!!
Jason: You are welcome!
Jason: It was nice chatting with you today. Is there anything else that I may assist you with?
Jack : No thanks!
Jason: You are welcome. I hope that I have answered all of your questions. Thank you for contacting SiriusXM and have a nice day.
Jason has disconnected.

I called the listener care number and here is the short version:

After listening to their sales pitches about the automatic renewal, which would be at their standard price, I finally was able to get them to give me an automatic deactivation after this 6 month subscription ran out. He informed me that if it does run out, and I want to reactivate, I will be charged $15.

If I reactivate before the end date no extra fee. He did try to keep me on the automatic reactivation and offered me 2 free months if i did so. But, I nicely refused and stuck to my guns on the automatic deactivation.

So, in conclusion, be firm in getting an automatic deactivation noted on your account and remember the end date on your calendar so you can call before and negotiate a new deal.

 

I have two cents to add to this conversation: Have you investigated a "Lifetime" subscription? I don't know what they cost these days (likely around $300), but if you plan to keep your car a long time, it might be worthwhile.

I had installed an Audiovox XM module in out 2007 Prius and purchased a "Lifetime" subscription back in 2008 when XM announced that they were raising the monthly rates to cover increased music licensing costs. When we purchased our 2011 Model 5 in November 2011 I called XM at the end of the free trial and transferred the "Lifetime" subscription from the Audiovox module to our new Prius - cost was a one time fee of $75. Now, XM was very clear that once transferred to the new Prius I could not transfer the Lifetime again, but we keep cars a long time, so the Lifetime subscription works well for us. (Incidentally, XM never shut off service to the Audiovox unit in our old Prius (which we still use).

 

Thank you very much for the suggestion. I did not realize that XM offers a lifetime subscription. I am going to to look into that for sure since I keep my cars for a long time. Does anyone one know the price of the current lifetime subscription and do they negotiate on the price like they do with the monthly plans?

 

Someone mentioned in another thread on same topic: you can get temporary credit card numbers from your credit card company, good for one transaction, or a limitted time. XM is a perfect application for this.

We went for one year, then cancelled. Cancelling, the sales rep. was persistant to the point of rudeness. My ace in the hole was the card number I'd used a year back was no longer valid, LOL.

Their prices and sales tactics aside, reception was just too spotty, cutting out at every tall building or retaining wall. The content was ok, we quite like stuff like the radio dramas, for example.

But way too much drama dealing with their sales staff.

 

XM no longer offers a lifetime subscription
As part of the price increase that went into effect January 1, 2012, SiriusXM discontinued the Lifetime Subscription Plan for new subscribers.

After my trail period I received an offer in the mail that was something like 6 months for $30.00. I renewed and sent in a check because I didn't want them hitting my credit card with a higher rate after 6 months.

After the 6 months was up (about two weeks ago) I received a bill that was for over $90 for the next six months. I do not plan to pay this bill, nor will I call them to talk to some salesperson about the different offers. I don't like the way this is being handled and I'd rather drop the satellite radio service in my car than play by these rules.

Sirius XM needs to offer everyone the same price and not require us to call in and listen to some sales pitch every time we want to renew. Also the lifetime subscription should be made available again. I had my car last October and I was never notified that the lifetime subscription option was permanently ending.

 

They never really publicized the lifetime option. I found out about it several years ago when they were raising prices to cover increased music licensing costs*. At the time, I decided to go for a 2 year subscription and the XM CSR suggested the lifetime (at a price between the 2 yr and 3 yr subscription).

*NOTE: At that time the two (XM & Sirius) had just merged and were operating under an agreement with the FCC not to increase rates for some specific number of years. The copyright board had just ruled that satellite radio (and Internet radio as well) should pay greater licensing fees and the FCC allowed SiriusXM to pass those increases on.

 

I got in on the lifetime subscription after their first price increase on it a couple years ago. I think I paid about $500 plus a token amount for lifetime licensing fees. Still rocking away on my first receiver. But.....just because you have a lifetime subscriber doesn't mean it's for life. First, it's only for the lifetime of the company. Those pre-merger days with a suicidal stock price were a nail-biter. Glad things have stabilized a little. Second, you do not want a lifetime subscription on a built-in car receiver because you cannot transfer it to another receiver if you sell or wreck your car. Third, even though I have a separate receiver (XpressR) I can only transfer my lifetime subscription three more times to different receivers (plus a $50 or $75 fee each time). After that I'm SOL. So, it's safe to say I treat my receiver with the utmost care.

As for my wife's Kia, her trial period was supposed to expire seven months ago. I've heard trial periods lasting a year or two after the supposed expire date so I'm not celebrating just yet. What might play into our favor is that our new Kia was the salesman's first sale on his first day. Here's hoping he screwed up.

 

Yes I too have a Sirius lifetime subscription that I bought several years ago for 500.00. I use it for the receiver in my home. This does me no good for my XM in the Prius, they give me no price break for having the Sirius lifetime subscription.

Even though it's not really lifetime, I'd rather pay $500 or even $900 for a subscription now that would last the lifetime of the car. I will probably have my Prius for 10 years and would prefer just paying once and then not having to bother with SiriusXM their billing and sales tactics.

 

It would cost you a little to transfer the subscription to another receiver (which I wouldn't do unless my old receiver was broken) but I use my XpressR receiver for both home and car use. XM sells a nice home unit that holds the receiver and can be removed and slipped into the car receiver base. Think I got it used on ebay for $50.

 

The trial for XM is 90 days. I don't know what happened, but Labor Day weekend will make it a year that I've had XM and haven't paid a dime. When they ever catch up, I'm still up in the air if I'm going to keep it or not.

 

Shhhhhhhhhhh. Maybe the dealer never told them that the car was sold!!

 

That's what I was thinking. I guess you could say it makes up for the interest on the car loan.

 

Update: Well, you know what they say about all good plans. I set up a reminder on my iphone to remind me that today was the day to call in to renew my subscription before it expired. I logged onto my account on the computer and found out that they had charged my card for the full amount ($97). So, I called them and mentioned right away that I had previously set up a "future deactivation plan", which they obviously didn't honor.

To make a long story short he did see that in the account notes. He said they no longer have a "future deactivation plan". He could not give me the same rate ($27), so he forwarded me to the retention dept. They told me that they would give me the $27 for 6 months, but it would automatically renew at the regular rate. I asked how I could avoid that and they said to remove my card info from the file. I would get a bill and to call.

So, I will do that and in 6 months call back to do the dance again. Honestly, I don't use it that much. I keep it more for when my wife is in the car. For $27 it's worth it, for $97 it's not!

 

pandora off my Iphone via blue tooth for me

 

$27 is the going rate my brother just renewed at this, funny there was a weird issue with our 2010 Honda element I bought it used from the dealer and XM was working so I thought it would be turned off soon by the last owner but it was working for the next 2 years.

 

The owner of the account was probably getting automatically renewed without realizing it.

 

Shhhhhhhhhhh (Quiet Please - don't remind them)

 

Yea, I had free XM in the 2011. I shouldn't have traded it in for the PiP.