Sirius raising prices!

[Scott Greczkowski]

It's official ... from Sirius XM to raise some prices as debt looms (Reuters) by Reuters: Yahoo! Tech

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sirius XM Radio Inc plans to increase prices for subscribers with multiple accounts and begin to charge for its online music feed, moves that may help the pay-radio service meet looming debt payments.

While it is keeping its core rates unchanged -- a condition to which Sirius and XM Satellite Radio agreed last year in order to close their merger -- the move could also anger subscribers still raw from a series of programing changes enacted in November.

Starting March 11, users with more than one account will pay about $9 for additional accounts, up from about $7, a customer service representative for the New York-based company said Wednesday.

Also, subscribers will have to pay about $3 a month for the online version of the service. Currently, it is free for subscribers.

Users will be able to defer the increases if they sign up for a long-term annual contract extension, or pay up to $500 for a lifetime subscription, representatives said. They added that there is no plan to change the standard monthly subscription price.

An official spokesman for Sirius, one of the largest U.S. subscription services with about 19 million subscribers, did not return calls for comment.

Sirius agreed with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to not raise for three years the retail prices on its basic $13 per month subscription package, and other programing packages such as a la carte; "best of both"; its news, sports, and talk package; and a discounted family-friendly programing package.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I signed both mine up for 1 year deals in July. Appears this wont effect me because Ill be doing that again.

If they had made a big jump, i'd dial it back to 1 radio.

 

[tedb3rd]

Article and Thread Correction:

XM/Sirius to Subscribers and FCC: "SUCKERS!!"

 

[BrianMis]

This does it for me, I'm dropping them.

 

[Weezknight]

I'm wondering how this affects me. I received the upgraded stream for free due to a class-action lawsuit concerning my Stratus receiver. I'm wondering if they still have to offer that to me for free as part of the settlement, or if I'll have to pay up.

Honestly it's no big deal to me. The upgraded stream sounds great, and I've been paying the same for Sirius for several years (more than I can say about my Dish subscription), so the extra $3 isn't that bad.

 

[talos4]

I had six Sirius subs up until the first of the year. I dropped 4. I still have my Car and an old PNP3 in my office that I listen to.

The playlist changes are by far the worst thing that has happened since the merger.

I'm a bit of a dinosaur with my music, with that said, Classic Rewind and the Vault were my favorite music channels. NASCAR 128 is my #1 during the season.

The great playlists of Rewind and the Vault (Deep Tracks) are virtually gone. I might as well be listening to the local FM "Classic Hits". Same 20 songs all day long.

As soon as the "Classic Hits" label was ironed those two channels I knew that was it.

It's mostly Talk radio and sports for me now. Once in a while Real Jazz and Siriusly Sinatra.

 

[HD MM]

Looks like a $5/month increase for me (Online streaming + 2nd radio).

If I wasn't hooked on a few of the talk stations (Howard, Sirius NFL, etc) I'd really have to re-think about continuing as a sub.

Hell, for the price I'm going to be paying on a monthly basis, I'd be able to add quite a few songs regularly via iTunes. Hmmmm. How much is Howard actually worth?

 

[GweeDo767]

Okay, so I have two radios on annual renews (come due in July and August). Will my internet streaming keep working until then? Or does it get axed for all in March no matter what?

 

[tman1991]

I paid $450 or so for lifetime.. All they have to do is stay in business for almost 3 more years then its free after that

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Okay, so I have two radios on annual renews (come due in July and August). Will my internet streaming keep working until then? Or does it get axed for all in March no matter what?

The internet radio will continue working until that time.

 

[mikew]

I am curious to see how they plan to convey this info to the customers. Will the internet stream suddenly stop working or are they going to automatically bill you the increased rate? Will it be an auto "opt in" or auto "opt out" ???

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

MikeW please checkout XM Satellite Radio - America's #1 Satellite Radio Service

 

[mainstream]

Okay, so I have two radios on annual renews (come due in July and August). Will my internet streaming keep working until then? Or does it get axed for all in March no matter what?

Beware if you are on annual and cancel, they charge a $75.00 fee to break the contract even if you have only 1-2 months left. It happened to me last July When one of my portables broke and I wanted to cancel it until I got a new one.

 

[tomcrown1]

MikeW please checkout XM Satellite Radio - America's #1 Satellite Radio Service

Those 37@(#(#(#(# in order to get free online service you have to renew your service---I call that blackmail!!!!

 

[GweeDo767]

I am curious to see how they plan to convey this info to the customers. Will the internet stream suddenly stop working or are they going to automatically bill you the increased rate? Will it be an auto "opt in" or auto "opt out" ???

With Sirius it did an overlay (like the "Are you Still listening you bandwidth stealing punk????" overlays)

 

[james_k_p]

Wow. I am a sucker, no doubt about it.

I was all for the merger. With all the talk of dual radios to pick up both services, I was so excited. I figured the best of both worlds and I didn't want to believe the negative crap many was spewing.

I am a sirius sub and have been since Howard joined them. I don't mind the price increase on the online thing because I already pay that for the "CD Quality" version of the streaming. So my cost for that won't go up.

But after the merger of lineups....thus, all the talk of dual system radios being a bunch of crap and obviously will not happen, I am extremely disappointed.
When it first happened, I was sort of excited as you could notice the MUCH DEEPER playlists on the XM stations, such as 80s on 8. But now, only the name exists. It is the crappy "Big 80's" will the same ol' hit 80's songs that we are all sick of as Sirius totally weeds out the XM flavor.

So it's official, I realize now we at sirius are getting the same ol' same ol', and you poor XM guys simply lost the good channels you had. I always knew XM had better playlists and therefore better channels, but I didn't want to have 2 services and I gotta have my Howard 100/101. But to know now that the XM Channels are gone and can't even be paid for to get, it's sad.

I'll stick around for now for Bubba and Howard, but the day they leave....I will probably cancel as I am starting to get real bored with the song variety.

So I deserve the I told you so's. I'm totally bummed and disgusted. I felt like giving my own little rant after reading Scott's. <sigh>

 

[mrsdrgn]

I am paid through September. I will be dropping them come September. Iphone rules. Shoutcast radio, Pandora radio, and other free radio. Who needs them now?

 

[gck105]

I wonder if those who lock in the free online listening with a new term will get upgraded to CD quality since they are eliminating the lower quality service or if those people will still get the lower grade stream?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I am guessing yes. (Although didn't XM always offer 128k streams? There is a High or Low bitrate selection in the player)

I think that the online streaming should be included in the base radio price of $12.95. If customers don't use it then it cost Sirius XM nothing for them to have that feature.

 

[gasman882001]

Sounds like it is time to cancel my next receiver that comes up for renewal to make up for the price increase. Just not looking forward to the long and frustrating phone call. If they hang up on me that will be one nice scream fest they will be receiving!

Too bad you cannot cancel receivers online like you can add receivers. They make that real easy!

Sad to see this product get screwed up like this. guess it is slacker radio for me in my future!