Middle_Seat

A few days ago I purchased the lowest-end ($30) XM radio for my car. It's nice, but I can live without it. I'm trying to decide whether to get a contract for XM serviice, or just discard the radio.

A Google search finds people complaining bitterly about their difficulties in canceling XM service after the contract has expired. Stories about talking with a CSR that they could hear plainly but the CSR could not hear them, being charged for months after service was terminated, hang-ups, etc.

Is this the norm, or are these just isolated complaints?

gfunkdave

I put my XM subscription on a generated credit card number so that I could set the card to expire before the subscription renewed. XM emailed, mailed, and called me for about six months afterwards, and didn't cancel the service for about 2 months after I stopped paying.

Dunbar

I don't think it's very hard to cancel but they will send you to the retention department. I would not use a virtual credit card that can be canceled because I've heard of Sirius XM sending people to collections who stopped paying but didn't bother to cancel the service.

ScottC

The best way to find out is to call them and find out

When I canceled (after they killed BBC Radio 1), they tried very hard to keep me, but I insisted on having it canceled. They refunded my remaining month and 30 seconds later the radio was shut off.

nmenaker

It is easy to cancel, the just ask for cancellations. Be ready for them to offer you the 77$ a YEAR deal for all channel radio access. I've been doing that the past five years. At 77$, it's worth it to me to keep.

rubesl

I bought a lifetime subscription for my car's radio for $575 a couple of years ago. You might want to look into that, rather than paying $77 a year.

Middle_Seat

I just created an XM account and selected a plan, then cancelled out before entering credit card information...mainly because I was irritated to see the late disclosure of an activation fee, and also from curiosity to see if they will offer a discounted deal.

For reference, the activation fee is $15 and the Premier plan is about $17 per month plus <$3 tax/fees. It appears to be possible to subscribe a month at a time, although they do offer discounts on quarterly and annual plans.

A forum devoted to XM is at http://xmfan.net/viewforum.php?f=2

mauld

I got my Sirus/XM with a new auto last Dec, it came with a 6 month free trial. At the end of the trial I called to cancel, they transfered me to the retention dept where I got 8 months for $29.

Steve M

I cancelled a few years ago, and they did the "hard sell" to keep me. At the time, the offer was something like 3 months for free, then presumably back to the regular price. I told them that my radio was not even in the car for the past two years and it gets zero usage. They even asked if I could sell or give my radio to someone else and transfer the subscription. After I persistently said no, they agreed to cancel on the first call and actually did so.

Often1

It's a nuisance, takes forever, and you will be switched through to the retention department. Just be passive and say "no." Don't bother getting argumentative because you will be cut off and spend another hour getting back to where you were.

Do not fail to pay by cancelling or otherwise using a generated CC #. XM will refer a $10 matter to a collection agency. Sooner or later you will pay and, at a minimum, you will have a "referred to collection" note on your credit report.

Pete838

I've called to cancel every year at renewal time and they give me a really sweet deal. Otherwise I'd switch it to talk only. I'm not much of a music fan, but I love the comedy channels and political talk hosts I can't get anywhere else.

Regarding canceling, did you 'sign' a contract?

gfunkdave

I used a generated credit card number and they just cancelled my service a couple months after they couldn't renew me for another year.

No collection agency ever contacted me.

My credit report is squeaky clean.

Of course, I never signed a contract or anything - just paid online for a year.

ferrarif1fan

First you need to understand that there isn't a "contract" with SXM. If you sign up for service and choose to end the service it is easy and not a pain, you just need to be forceful. They will try to keep you as a customer since that is how they generate revenue, but if you insist that you don't want the service they will cancel it for you. When you cancel you will get a refund as well. The comment about the collections calls and it showing up on your Credit Report are not correct, they do try to collect if you owe them money but it won't be reported to your credit report.

Steph3n

They dropped all the good channels so I dropped them.

I have a phone and pandora, slacker, spotify, and so many other choices now.

Mary2e

I got XM with my new car purchase for 6 months and am enjoying it and was considering keeping it even though the car is only used on the weekends.

After reading this thread about the difficulty to cancel, I doubt we will keep it.

FWIW - I just received and email from them clearly stating that by signing up, you are also signing up for auto-renew and unless you call to cancel, will be responsible for the charge.

I also think OnStar is exactly the same. They duped me into giving me my credit card number to pay for 60 minutes of telephone time, and then signed me up for auto-renew. I went to the website to check something else out and saw that not only was I on autorenew, but it could only be cancelled if I called. That call took 15 minutes - just to get rid of auto-renew.

These companies are shooting themselves in the foot. I'm not going to renew either because of these tactics. I was going to renew both.