XM Annual Renewal

[cpdretired]

My $77.00 annual subscription for America's Everything expires 31 Aug. That rate was a special one year ago. The notice of auto renewal came in toda'ys mail. Americas Everything with the Royallty fee would be $179.16 a year plus taxes. I called 877-291-5304 and spoke with a CSR. He offered me the same package for $164.00 plus Royalty fees.
I gave him the sob story about this is alot of money to listen to the radio so I may have to cancel the service. I asked to be connected to customer retention. She immediatly gave me the $77.00 yearly rate again.

 

[azgreg]

I don't understand why they play these games. I haven't paid full price for my sub in three years. I've been at 5 months for $20 for three billing cycles after two years of $77. Just make it $77 for everybody and watch the sub numbers climb and the defectors decrease. They could even save money by dumping their retention team and forcing all calls to the Phillipines.

 

[cpdretired]

My first call by the accent was not in the USA.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I hate calling XM... Got to do it soon for my wifes car as her radio was replaced a few weeks ago... and we need to flip the service over to her new radio.

 

[Bobby]

My last three phone calls to XM was to shut of each of three radios. I don't deal with them at all any more after about 7 years of service....

 

[navychop]

I'm about to call Sirius for the Premium service, but if it doesn't include ch 152 weather, it's of little use.

I must say I've gotten hooked. I'd hate to be without it now. FM just isn't good enough anymore.

 

[Bobby]

I'm about to call Sirius for the Premium service, but if it doesn't include ch 152 weather, it's of little use.

I must say I've gotten hooked. I'd hate to be without it now. FM just isn't good enough anymore.

I've got a ton of MP3 CDs that play in my car radios. I'm never without commercial free music.

 

[jcrandall]

For those that get the $77 promo (pretty much the norm if you call) you can add best of sirius for $24 more. That is the plan I am on for $101/yr.

 

[navychop]

I mostly listen to BBC and the 3 comedy channels, plus weather. For music, it's mostly 40s & 50s.

 

[digiblur]

Retention folks are awesome... they smoked my radio with an update. They wanted to make me buy a new one. I fought and fought with them then finally go to retentions after I had enough. I bargained with her a little bit and ended up with a brand new radio and boom box (better than what I had before too) and 3 months free. I got the 3 months free by giving a sob story about I had to pay someone to install the new radio in the car. Took me only an hour to do it.

 

[truckracer]

I like the Sirius channels - octane, hair nation, pulse, 80's, 90's, rewind.

 

[Rangers484]

I emailed XM customer care to inquire about the $77/year annual fee and was told "no can do" and they offered me the standared 1,2,3 year and lifetime sub prices.

I asked them for the number to the cancellation department and called them.

Told them I was looking to save money (true) and to cancel both my subs because for the value I thought the price was too high.

I was initally offered 5 mo for $25 for each radio, which is actually a very good deal but told the woman I did not want to have to call back in Jan to cancel anyway.

She then offered up the $77/year deal for each radio and I jumped on it.

Saving me about 50% on my XM fees which puts it in line with how much I think it should cost for the value I receive.

 

[truckracer]

Of course realizing a lot of people across the country are having financial problems I see a need to cut costs. Another key point is that both sat radio services have to maintain multiple satellites orbiting in space, uplink centers, all the expensive hardware it takes to make it happen. No to mention most of the radios are subsidized to some point.

77.00 is no money nowdays! You can buy virtually nothing with 77.00 dollars. I think it's good to negotiate but pushing too hard on any company will make it go down and everyone will be stuck back with commercials and fm.

 

[Rangers484]

Of course realizing a lot of people across the country are having financial problems I see a need to cut costs. Another key point is that both sat radio services have to maintain multiple satellites orbiting in space, uplink centers, all the expensive hardware it takes to make it happen. No to mention most of the radios are subsidized to some point.

77.00 is no money nowdays! You can buy virtually nothing with 77.00 dollars. I think it's good to negotiate but pushing too hard on any company will make it go down and everyone will be stuck back with commercials and fm.

Sat Radio is a luxury.

I am not going to pretend this was anything other than a way for me to save money. Either XM negotiated or they lost my 2 XM radios and my 1 Sirius sub. I went into this fully prepared to pull the plug if necessary.

Since I originally subbed to XM in 2004 the price has just about doubled. The merger promised "more competitive pricing", at least that's what they told Congress and the FCC when they pushed this though.

So far prices have gone up 2 times, they removed online streaming unless you want to pay extra for it and they cannot even link my Sirius sub (factory radio) to my XM account so I am expected to pay full price for Sirius.

Poor management and bloated contracts will kill Satellite before their customers do.

Also, last I read, SiriusXM plans on transitioning to the XM sats (better sats, more stable platform) in the future. No word on all those legacy Sirius radios and what their owners are supposed to do with useless hardware.

 

[JimmyMcGee]

Don't quote me on this but my understanding is xm and Sirius share the S-band xm getting the upper frequencies and sirius the lower or vice versa. Sirius' satellites are in a tundra orbit keeping them overhead the us. Xm's satellites are in geosync orbit.

I read that sirius will be retiring their three tundra orbit satellites. This leaves them with the two geosync Sirius satellites and the xm geosyncs. So ultimately people with old radios will still be able to get signal regardless of the satellites they use.

 

[Jimbo]

I got a deal from them last time I called to pay them.
I have XM with the BOS package for $ 100 per radio.
They told me I would be able to get this same plan next year and it better be available (or something better) previously I was paying MUCH more.

I have my Internal radio in my Impala and 2 add on radio's for other vehicles.

 

[Islandguy43]

I was initally offered 5 mo for $25 for each radio, which is actually a very good deal but told the woman I did not want to have to call back in Jan to cancel anyway.

She then offered up the $77/year deal for each radio and I jumped on it.

Saving me about 50% on my XM fees which puts it in line with how much I think it should cost for the value I receive.

It was 5 months for $20, plus taxes and royalties and they offered it to me yesterday. The offered me a free radio too.

I have a roadyxt that I am having problems with, and their freebe was an express. I didn't take the freebe because I already have a boom box and home kit for the roady, so I am gonna try pick a good used one up on ebay. I did take the 5 for 20 though.

 

[jadiff]

Just renewed at the $77 rate again. CSR told to to make sure and call in next year before the monthly kicks in to get the promotion again.

 

[atvman]

I just got a new car with XM. I already had 2 radios, but one was my daughter's. I called and told them I was going to cancel my old radios if I didn't get a deal. They said $88 per radio. I still had a 2 month credit for the old 2 radios. The added charge came to $198 for 3 radios for a year.

 

[Rangers484]

I am guessing it was the $77/year deal plus taxes/fees that you got. Pretty standard if you ask them for it and are persistent. Next year when you are about to revert to monthly billing, call and ask/demand the same rate again. They will probably give it to you based on past experience of members who have done so. I plan on doing it or losing a sub to keep the price in line.