Travel Technology - Sirius Radio

I have been a subscriber for over four years and we have two cars with radios. Last month I began having problems with the radio in my car, Sirius was kind enough to send me a new radio and antanna. When I installed the new system, I got an awful signal. I finally decided to put my old radio (stronger signal) with the new antanna. During this time, Sirius shut off the radio in my wife's car twice.

We finally got everything working and when I was driving home tonight my radio went out with a message that I need to sign-up for service. Waiting in traffic on the Beltway, I called and finally got hold of someone. They told me that I had one subscription (I have had two for over four years). They had no record of the cancellation. I asked them to turn my radio back on and I waited and waited to get a signal. My radio did not receive the signal and I told them I was going in for dinner.

I really enjoy Sirius, I have been a great word of mouth advocate of the company for years, but I am so fed up with their customer service that it looks like our relationship will end in a divorce.

Sure I'll miss Howard Stern, and the Underground Garage but it looks like I will be better off getting an iPOD adapator for my car.

All I can say ilack of customer service lost this loyal subscriber.

I have been an XM subscriber since about 6 months after their launch, I went ahead and paid last year but I won't renew again, I normally pay annually. the merged lineup is a wreck and I don't care for their new customer disservice either.

I went ahead and paid last year but I won't renew again

Have to agree. Take a look at xmfan.com (http://xmfan.com/) where there is a lot of discussion about play lists on the decades channels. It gets tiring hearing the same songs over and over without some variety, and I've decided not to renew next year when my second 3-year subscription comes up. I already cancelled a portable unit when they raised the monthly rate on that a few months ago (from $7 to $9 IIRC).

Can you have the traffic without the radio portion (I have both right now).

I called up sirius and told them I want to cancle and they gave me a year for free it mite be worth a try to get the same!

I've been in the US for 3 months with a rental car that has XM.

For a 40 year old Brit, 1st Wave has been a godsend :)

Cheers,
Rick

I am getting to be an old fart -- I hate change.

My cable company changes (Comcast -> Time Warner. This is the 4th cable company I've had in the past 13 years and I haven't moved! )

Delta buys my airline (Northwest) and ruins it.

Sirius and XM Merge (was XM subscriber) and messes with my channels and gets rid of my favorites.

Hey you kids -- get off of my lawn!

I have been with Sirius for years and I am calling to cancel in the next few days as I am extremely fed up.

The customer service is a disaster, the hardware is garbage (four radios in four years) and the programming changes have been a little too much for me. First Wave is the only channel that hasn't been destroyed in the last year - indeed it has improved since they got rid of that freak of nature from the B-52s.

The last straw is the looming $2/month price increase when I was already having trouble justifying the expense.

I switched to slacker radio. You can customize your channels, and they offer a free service. They also have a hardware player that you sync up from your PC, or via wifi, and can take with you and not have to worry about having an internet connection, or a clear view of the sky ;)

www.slacker.com

How well does Slacker work in the car? Would all I need is the FM Transmitter?
This could easily drive Sirius/XM out of business, or at least their customer service will.

How well does Slacker work in the car? Would all I need is the FM Transmitter?
This could easily drive Sirius/XM out of business, or at least their customer service will.
You just use a modulator. I use my old XM modulator :) Every few days I re-sync it via wifi from my car in the garage. Works like a champ.

Push comes to shove, I have CD players in both cars and Mrs BamaVol's has a port for an iPod. I must be in the age bracket that was unaffected. What I listen to wasn't too badly butchered. I do miss 'Rumbon' (??) which was all salsa - now it's a mixture of latino sounds, not all of which are my taste. The XM reggae station is better. I'm ok with 14/15/16 oldies, in fact The Vault is an improvement.

As far as the $2 increase, call your congressman - it was his doing. I have to expect a company that is losing money will pass on government mandated cost increases.

I haven't had a bad experience with Customer Service yet. I may change my tune afterward. :D

I have XM in one vehicle and Sirius in the other. The XM signal seems better. The Sirius came in the suv and the XM is aftermarket, not sure if that makes a difference. Ive had sat radio for over 8 yrs i think, maybe longer, whenever XM launched.

These companies are pathetic. They have been merged for almost a year, but when I called Sirius to add an XM2GO radio, they told me to call XM, and no, they did not have the number (and they couldn't just put me through to them).

All this, even though the radio itself says to call Sirius or to go to Sirius.com to activate.

So now I had to create a second account, and I don't get any kind of multi-radio discount.

The radio itself is pretty cool, but I have a really bad taste in my mouth from their totally useless customer service. They absolutely do not care one bit that they are useless.

These companies are pathetic. They have been merged for almost a year, but when I called Sirius to add an XM2GO radio, they told me to call XM, and no, they did not have the number (and they couldn't just put me through to them).

All this, even though the radio itself says to call Sirius or to go to Sirius.com to activate.

So now I had to create a second account, and I don't get any kind of multi-radio discount.

The radio itself is pretty cool, but I have a really bad taste in my mouth from their totally useless customer service. They absolutely do not care one bit that they are useless.

I agree fully, it is worth it for me to replace my 1. year old XM head unit in my car and replace it with an ipod dock one, just to not deal with these people. It will cost more than a years radio sub, but I am just fine with that.

Heck. We are the reverse. We just signed up for lifetime (be that as it may), an extra radio for the car (which they sent us for free) and the high end internet. I can listen to the latter with the Sirius app for my iPhone. I cant stand commercial radio. I listen to lots of different stations from First Wave and Underground Garage to Met Opera and Bluesville. I love it. Bought software to stream it for our Macs too. Customer service has been good for us too.

2 XM 3-year packages. The thing that drives me nuts is that they pretend to be one company, but try asking them when Major League Baseball games will be on Sirius. As a long-time (for 4+ years now) Sirius subscriber, I finally cancelled and got XM instead rather than waiting.

Stern rules.... Baba booey!!!

Stern rules.... Baba booey!!!

I grew up listening to Stern in the 1980s on 94 WYSP out of Philadelphia. Back then he was cool, cutting edge. Now he's just repetitive and boring to me. I did like Bubba the Love Sponge, though, until he went back on terrestrial radio and had to gut his Monday-Thursday shows since they are simulcast.

I grew up listening to Stern in the 1980s on 94 WYSP out of Philadelphia. Back then he was cool, cutting edge. Now he's just repetitive and boring to me. I did like Bubba the Love Sponge, though, until he went back on terrestrial radio and had to gut his Monday-Thursday shows since they are simulcast.

Hat tip for being such a long time fan. Bubba is great but Stern still has the magic, nobody gives and interview like him... nobody