Inactive XM
Jun 15, 2007 | 10:27 am
#1
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: About 45 miles NW of MCO
Programs: Acapulco - Gold, Panama - Red, Timothy Leary 8 Mile High Club
Posts: 31,338
Inactive XM
For the second time, I picked up a car with an XM radio that wasn't active. It was unexpected, since it was only an Impala. I hit band one too many times and got the promo channel.
Is there an easy way to get XM activated? Wouldn't it be nice if you could call XM and get a 1 day or 5 day subscription?
Is there an easy way to get XM activated? Wouldn't it be nice if you could call XM and get a 1 day or 5 day subscription?
Jun 19, 2007 | 6:51 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: DTW
Programs: NW Platinum Elite, *Wood Platinum, HHonors Diamond, Hertz PC, National Exec Elite
Posts: 1,644
They probably just get the 3 month trial with new cars and let it expire... It'd be smart of XM to do that, waive the activation fee and allow you to rent for 5 days for say 6.95. Or allow a roaming plan.
Jun 20, 2007 | 11:30 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ATL
Programs: DL SkyMiles, MR, HH, ICH/PC, Avis Pref., Hertz Gold
Posts: 2,897
Just this evening, I picked up an Impala with functioning XM ^. This Impala has over 22,000 miles on it so I don't think I'm in the three month trial period. I have also rented Sonatas with functioning XM. Neither of these are "Premium" cars in the Avis fleet.
I don't know who pays for XM (or Sirius, as the Chrysler 300 I rented earlier this week had) in the Avis fleet. I thought it might be a promotional effort to expose more people to satellite radio. Maybe some of the Avis insiders can shed light on this.
I don't know who pays for XM (or Sirius, as the Chrysler 300 I rented earlier this week had) in the Avis fleet. I thought it might be a promotional effort to expose more people to satellite radio. Maybe some of the Avis insiders can shed light on this.
Jun 24, 2007 | 8:46 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Programs: AA Plat, BA, DL, Frontier, NWA, SWA, UA, HHonors Gold, Priority Club Plat, Choice Priv, BW, Diners
Posts: 1,554
Last week at a far-from-the-big-city location, Avis gave me a Suzuki Grand Vitara which had an XM antenna in the back and an XM button the radio that did nothing at all (it stayed on FM or AM). The car had about 3600 miles on it when I got it.
Of note, the AM radio also hardly worked, because of intense interference from something in the car. (A local station was only receivable for a couple miles from the transmitter, before being drowned in that interference.) Dunno if whatever was wiping out the AM reception was also related to the XM not working...
The car seemed very new, as not a single radio station was preset on FM or AM. (It also had a CD player, so I presume previous renters had mostly used to that or tuned one station and not set a preset.)
Of note, the AM radio also hardly worked, because of intense interference from something in the car. (A local station was only receivable for a couple miles from the transmitter, before being drowned in that interference.) Dunno if whatever was wiping out the AM reception was also related to the XM not working...
The car seemed very new, as not a single radio station was preset on FM or AM. (It also had a CD player, so I presume previous renters had mostly used to that or tuned one station and not set a preset.)