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Anyone familiar with the business end of Sirius XM?

1.9K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Scarlet 258 FTNT  
#1 ·
When I bought my 2017 last week the Sirius XM was active. I just got an email from them that it's a trial period that I assume the dealer activated under some sort of marketing agreement with them. I've used it, it's OK, but certainly not necessary. What annoys the hell out of me is in order to get even the most basic information from them, such as how long is the trial period, how much is the monthly plan if I chose to subscribe, etc, they insist that I first open an account to get that info. I'm not eager to do that right now. So I'll ask some of you Sirius folks here:

  • How long do these trial period usually last?
  • How much do the plans for music only cost? I have no interest whatsoever in Howard Stern, political and talk radio, etc
  • Are there bargains to be had anywhere on these plans? If so where and how?
  • Can you negotiate with these guys? I vaguely remember hearing somewhere that this is possible.

Thanks!
 
#4 ·
Just kept telling them it was too much and that my daughter has the subscription for two cars
@ $125, which she does, dirt cheap, so after a few quotes, we settled on the $144.
Another item is that if/when you do subscribe, it will renew automatically in one year to whatever
the current ridiculous rate might be, so mark your calendar and call @ 2 weeks before due date
and renew/renegotiate the rate for the next year.

You don't want to renegotiate too early as the new year will begin at that point, not when the
original subscription ends.
 
#5 ·
Satellite radio is a joke out where I live. Roads here follow rivers into the coastal mountain range or along the Pacific coast and the satellite signal would constantly drop in and out depending on when the topography would block the line-of-sight transmission from the satellite. After the 3-month free trial period, I dropped it. I have better luck streaming off my iPhone but even that drops out in a few areas around here.
 
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#6 ·
I have Sirius XM on both the '21 & '23 Audi, and I had it on my '17 Q60. Before the trial period ends, I call them and tell them I don't want to extend the subscription past the trial period end date, and they end up <always> finding a "promotional rate" for either 5 months @ $20, or an annual subscription for between $84-99/yr. + taxes & royalty fees, which is usually for a total no more than $110-120/yr.

I typically go for the annual subscription, because I don't want to be bothering calling them to cancel every 5-6 months. Note: You always have to take note of the subscription end date, and call to cancel before that date, otherwise, they will start charging you $x.xx/day based on the inflated annual "regular" subscription rate. It's a game I've played with Sirius for probably the past 10 years. However, I'm OK with $8-10/month w/taxes & royalty fees because my wife and I make frequent road trips to Eastern WA, Oregon, etc., and its nice to have a variety of music out in the boonies.
 
#7 ·
I have Sirius XM on both the '21 & '23 Audi, and I had it on my '17 Q60. Before the trial period ends, I call them and tell them I don't want to extend the subscription past the trial period end date, and they end up <always> finding a "promotional rate" for either 5 months @ $20, or an annual subscription for between $84-99/yr. + taxes & royalty fees, which is usually for a total no more than $110-120/yr.

I typically go for the annual subscription, because I don't want to be bothering calling them to cancel every 5-6 months. Note: You always have to take note of the subscription end date, and call to cancel before that date, otherwise, they will start charging you $x.xx/day based on the inflated annual "regular" subscription rate. It's a game I've played with Sirius for probably the past 10 years. However, I'm OK with $8-10/month w/taxes & royalty fees because my wife and I make frequent road trips to Eastern WA, Oregon, etc., and its nice to have a variety of music out in the boonies.
For $10/month, I think you'd be better off with music streaming subscription to Pandora or Spotify. You get to choose what artists or songs you want to listen to instead of Sirius/XM programming.
 
#8 ·
$5.99 a month for non car subscription, i get all channels available music and talk radio. then just blue tooth through your phone
 
#9 ·
I have an offer coming in the mail today (I could see it in the Informed Delivery email I get from USPS), and the call out on the envelope is for $5.00 per month for 12 months. But maybe that is because I had let the free three months I received recently lapse. I had taken the car into the dealer last fall for a brake fluid flush and received a 3-month complimentary reinstatement of my Sirius service, which has since expired again.
 
#10 ·
For $15/month, you can get a Pandora Family Premium account that allows up to six unique Pandora accounts. Given the choice of playing whatever music I want vs. limited Sirius channel programming, it's a no-brainer. You can create your own stations, playlists, and download music for off-line use in the car when cellular signals aren't available.
 
#11 ·
Businesswise, I know that they could save themselves a TON of money by not continuing to snail mail me offers every week. Hell, at this point it'd probably be cheaper for them to just give me the subscription for free.

Other than that, can't help, sorry.
 
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#12 ·
As someone who grew up with free, terrestrial radio, and who still owns a bunch of CDs and LPs and 45s, I have a hard time with the streaming model where I am renting music and it all disappears once I quit paying for the subscription.
 
#13 ·
Play those LPs and 45s much? I guess if it doesn't matter that radio stations keep cycling their top 40 at you every day, then you should stick with them. I can take a 30-million song library anywhere I go, in the car, in the house, or outside. I've found new artists and music that I never would have known about had I stuck with restrictive radio stations who are paid to play certain songs. I use it every day so it's worth it to me.
 
#14 ·
Ive had xm for over ten years now. They will try and get as much money as they can. i pay $47 a month for 3 subscriptions. I use the app where you get a lot more channels and i just stream wherever i go. I'm in canada. I'm sure i could do better. I will renegotiate when its time to renew. if you try hard enough you probably can get it for like $10 a month. good luck
 
#15 ·
Apple or android carplay. Spinning your wheels with anything else.