Sirius/XM in trouble for failing to let customers cancel their subscriptions

Funny, my "free" subscription is still working ! In Canada.
Car was bought late May 2010 and it's now Nov 2010.

I just found out that I had it two weeks ago, I never bothered pressing the AM/Sat switch, or on the Mode switch.

 

Don't count on having it for long -- the deactivate signal will catch up to you sooner or later.

 

LMAO Our last 6 months, never did get a call from them to renew

 

I had XM on my other vehicle and had a paid subscription. I had not intended to renew and some 6 weeks after the subscription expired, I got a bill. THey had not deactivated the signal. I called and was offered all kinds of cheap deals but stilltold them to cancel since I rarely used that vehicle. They sent me a bill for the 6 weeks the subscription continued after the expiration date. Upon calling they told me that was their policy since they "didn't want to interrupt" anyone's service. It was only a few bucks but I was pissed they extended my subscription and tried to charge me without my permission. They did give me soen threats if I did not pay...I can't recall but maybe credit report things. ANyhow I sent a number of emails to their management and they removed the charged that should have never been there. ANyhow maybe some of you who think you are getting a free extended subscription may yet get a bill...That being said, yiou can often get the service for under 90 a year and if you use it, I believe it is a very good and reasonably priced service...but not at the retail price/....

 

When I bought my new Prius, I had to call and cancel Sirius on my Ford Escape trade-in. I was able to cancel after waiting for a few minutes on their customer service line. I got about a $3.00 refund pro rated to my tri monthly subscription. I was within a few days of my payment date so it wasn't much. The credit showed up on my credit card after a few days. Besides receiving a few emails begging me to come back, I didn't have any problem at all.

I must be one of the lucky ones

 

If they just renewed the subscription at the same price you paid before (ie, the <$90/yr I already have), they would have fewer customers canceling their service. The whole "and we will automatically renew you at "then current" rates" doesn't tend to fly when they are 2-3x higher than what you are used to. Very counterproductive business strategy.

 

I agree. I gave my daughter a new, one year subscription
as a Christmas present last year. This was at the promo
rate of about $80/year.

I recently got the automatic renewal notice, and the new
price is more than double.

I wasn't going to renew anyways, in other words, if my
daughter wanted to continue it, then it would have been
her responsibility. But the new rate is so much higher
that I can't recommend to my daughter that she do it.

That being said, I did notice that you could get a "music
only" option for $119/year, which is more appropriate
in this case (kids rarely listen to talk radio).

 

We just bought a minivan with an XM radio. I called and got the free 90 day subscription (didn't give them a credit card). But the rep told me XM costs about $16.99/month, or $200/year. This left me completely baffled -- Who pays them so much money, just for radio? Long distance truck drivers?

 

This might explain the daily phone calls from them to renew. (Two or three times a day weekdays, and only once on the weekends.) It's been more than two weeks now, and I've gotten to know the 877 numbers after they first got through to me while I was busy and offered to try back later. I suppose I could answer and ask them to give it up, but I'm curious to see how long they'll go.