# Waiting for SiriusXM to stop?



## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

It is free to the world or at least all those who have Sirius XM Radios through the 27th of November. However I HAD to give a CC with my Salesman in the Car to get my first free trial and was told I needed to cancel or I would be billed for the following term


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Like Eddy said.....it is currently broadcasting to any unit that has the capability till the 27th.

As long as they don't have any cc info on you you're in the clear. 

I only had the three month deal as well but I'm currently receiving the broadcast.

Rob


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## LiveTrash (May 24, 2015)

Robby said:


> Like Eddy said.....it is currently broadcasting to any unit that has the capability till the 27th.
> 
> As long as they don't have any cc info on you you're in the clear.
> 
> ...


They tried to bill me for usage I never had. Good thing they didn't have my CC info. They sent me a bill in the mail outlining a service period during which I had no connectivity to XM radio. I called them and they almost immediately demanded payment once I verified my account and once I said no, they threatened legal action. I just hung up at that point and haven't heard since.


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## blackbird (Nov 6, 2017)

As mentioned they normally do a free trial open to everyone a few times a year around major holidays where people are out on the road. The lineup is usually basic or reduced channels.

Unless the newer receivers have changed, the way service has worked in the past is if you start a subscription or service they'll ask that you have the vehicle powered on within a certain timeframe. They computer systems periodically send down a list of receiver IDs over the satellite downlink that tell the SiriusXM receiver/radio it is authorized to decode the transmission and what channels or package you have.

At the end of the service period they will periodically send a list of IDs down to deactivate the radio. Years ago I had a car with an active subscription that ended up getting parked for about a year with the battery disconnected. During that time the Sirius subscription expired. When I eventually pulled the car out of storage I had "free" satellite radio for around six months or so until I happened to have the radio or when they apparently did a scrub through the deactivation list and it hit my radio.




Eddy Cruze said:


> It is free to the world or at least all those who have Sirius XM Radios through the 27th of November. However I HAD to give a CC with my Salesman in the Car to get my first free trial and was told I needed to cancel or I would be billed for the following term


On the half dozen new cars I've bought that have had satellite radio, the free period (three months to a year) has never required a call to SiriusXM or their separate predecessors. I'm pretty sure the activation is done automatically. If you bought your Cruze new and the salesman called in I suspect they were getting a bigger kickback from SiriusXM, hoping like many people you'd forget to cancel and pay the overpriced, regular monthly rate. The call to OnStar on the other hand always tries to cell extra calling minutes but doesn't need a credit card on file either.


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## CRUISE-CRUZE (Nov 8, 2010)

I always get the $30 for 6 months deal. But I ALWAYS use AME gift card that has 0 fee, you can buy it from CVS or Wallgreens:
https://www.americanexpress.com/serve/ 
Keep in mind:
- put $35 on it to cover all the tax & fee
- use all the amount in the first month or you will pay ~$4 fee/month
- the money you put are available right after you pay for the card, no online registration, no name, etc
- the $2-3 left can me used on any gas station, insert the card, put any valid zip code if it asks then you can put gas until it gets to zero. Don't worry, you can't get over the amount left on the card.
- don't reload the card, you will start paying fees..
When the "promotion" ends ask to get a new one and use a new card or don't worry, they can't charge that card anymore...


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

blackbird said:


> On the half dozen new cars I've bought that have had satellite radio, the free period (three months to a year) has never required a call to SiriusXM or their separate predecessors. I'm pretty sure the activation is done automatically. If you bought your Cruze new and the salesman called in I suspect they were getting a bigger kickback from SiriusXM, hoping like many people you'd forget to cancel and pay the overpriced, regular monthly rate. The call to OnStar on the other hand always tries to cell extra calling minutes but doesn't need a credit card on file either.





How do you get a kickback on Zero $? Its not like my Salesman got on the phone and gave his secret kickback account ID. Either XM or OnStar asked for a CC. First thing I was told by my Sales guy is they would do it and it can be canceled with no problems. Same basic thing goes with my DirecTV, they require a form of payment on file, gave me "Free NFL Sunday Ticket" for the season and made it quite clear along with an email from the NFL reminding me about my obligation to cancel if I don't want to continue. I got 6 months of HBO too, that I don't have to cancel and one last bonus aside from the $45 monthly credit for 12 months was The Movie Channel free for 3 months, that I do have to call and cancel.


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## blackbird (Nov 6, 2017)

I can't recall the current arrangement and don't want to quote something that might be off by quite a bit, but the dealership gets a kickback for every new vehicle they activate and normally the salesperson gets a small cut. That's why they don't want to let you off the lot without doing the first OnStar call to activate and set up service. It has nothing to do with you pre-paying anything for the service but is instead a corporate arrangement between SiriusXM as well as OnStar and GM and their dealer network.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

OK so I have till "Next Monday on the free trial" for the Music. and they "screwed me" anyway on my lifetime subscription which turned out to be "lifetime of one radio/car" not written in the contract when purchased. That died with my 2012 Eco in May. BTW not sure I like their programming anymore anyway. Just don't want them coming back and saying I owe them money for the last week or so of usage. Like my brake drums, I am not going to worry about it, just drive the car!!! LOL


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## blackbird (Nov 6, 2017)

If it helps to reassure you, the satellite signal is a one-way, downlink only and they have no way of talking to your car's receiver to see if it's active. If you did have an active plan or subscription and they didn't turn it off right away for not renewing that's their fault. You just have to be very careful about letting them ever have a real credit card number on file which is why the pre-paid cards that were already mentioned are a good idea. They'll have no problem renewing at the way higher "regular" rate.

It does suck that you can't transfer lifetime service and there isn't even an option to transfer with a one-time fee. I also don't like that I have to pay individually for each car I own and there isn't a way to activate service for all the cars you have registered in your name for a flat price. I once thought about buying one of those portable SiriusXM receivers and move it between cars but that would get pretty clunky and is a hassle.

With cell coverage improving and streaming music apps taking hold in the market you'd think they'd offer a reasonable, low monthly price. The $30 for six month deal they've been pushing lately seems fair but I'm not going to deal with the hassle of calling in and threatening to cancel every five months. I'm also not paying full price which is as much or more than Netflix and other video streaming services. I know they have a very expensive satellite network to maintain but until they offer a no hassle, no contract, flat fee I don't see myself using them outside the free trial periods on a new car (which is now often 3 months instead of a year). Speaking of that it would be nice if the automakers could do a 3 or 5 year free service even if they had to build that into the cost of an up-level radio upgrade.


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## goochman (Mar 20, 2015)

blackbird said:


> If it helps to reassure you, the satellite signal is a one-way, downlink only and they have no way of talking to your car's receiver to see if it's active. If you did have an active plan or subscription and they didn't turn it off right away for not renewing that's their fault. You just have to be very careful about letting them ever have a real credit card number on file which is why the pre-paid cards that were already mentioned are a good idea. They'll have no problem renewing at the way higher "regular" rate.
> 
> It does suck that you can't transfer lifetime service and there isn't even an option to transfer with a one-time fee. I also don't like that I have to pay individually for each car I own and there isn't a way to activate service for all the cars you have registered in your name for a flat price. I once thought about buying one of those portable SiriusXM receivers and move it between cars but that would get pretty clunky and is a hassle.
> 
> With cell coverage improving and streaming music apps taking hold in the market you'd think they'd offer a reasonable, low monthly price. The $30 for six month deal they've been pushing lately seems fair but I'm not going to deal with the hassle of calling in and threatening to cancel every five months. I'm also not paying full price which is as much or more than Netflix and other video streaming services. I know they have a very expensive satellite network to maintain but until they offer a no hassle, no contract, flat fee I don't see myself using them outside the free trial periods on a new car (which is now often 3 months instead of a year). Speaking of that it would be nice if the automakers could do a 3 or 5 year free service even if they had to build that into the cost of an up-level radio upgrade.


Technically they do have a no contract flat fee offering - $14 a month. Cancel anytime, no hassle. If you have more than 1 radio the others are like $9 a month or something like that.

Personally for me I have the $30 for 6 month plan on 2 radios that expire the same time. At 5 months and 28 days I call to cancel unless they give me the same deal. I have no problem turning the system off so after a bit of "we cant do that", they end up doing that . Its worth it for $68 a year to me per radio (royalty fees), but not much more.

They offer a 1 year plan which is like $95 a year.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

blackbird said:


> If it helps to reassure you, the satellite signal is a one-way, downlink only and they have no way of talking to your car's receiver to see if it's active.


Pretty sure you're wrong about this 'one way' exchange of data?
http://www.siriusxm.com/pdf/siriusxm_privacypolicy_eng.pdf


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

Eddy Cruze said:


> Pretty sure you're wrong about this 'one way' exchange of data?
> http://www.siriusxm.com/pdf/siriusxm_privacypolicy_eng.pdf


So, which receivers are 'internet enabled'?
The ones in millions of GM cars?


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## blackbird (Nov 6, 2017)

My home A/V receiver is connected to the internet and has a SiriusXM app. You can also connect to their services and stream online from a phone or computer. The satellite receiver module in the cars doesn't transmit and they aren't currently connected to the internet via OnStar or WiFi connections. I could see them moving in that direction someday if cell coverage for data became way more robust and to save on having to maintain a satellite constellation but you could do that today with their streaming only package.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

> They offer a 1 year plan which is like $95 a year.


That is before taxes and required surcharges which takes it up to @ $120
same with the 5 months for $25 that becomes $30. 
If I sound cheap, it is more a matter of principle than not since they turned my lifetime subscription into "lifetime of one radio"
and I don't think the programming is all that great. Tired of hearing about the "VJs" from the 80s that I saw on MTV when it came out in
the early 80s and what else happened in the 80s. Besides tired of listening to Dr Laura telling people how stupid they are. Which is about the only thing not on regular radio(thank goodness) and requires XM Select or Better Packages besides comedy channels and I heard them all
Only thing I found useful on satellite was I found out Malcolm Young(AC/DC) was dead along with Sean Cassidy(Partridge Family)

So if I were to get anything it would be mostly music package which they don't like selling.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

Patman said:


> Only thing I found useful on satellite was I found out Malcolm Young(AC/DC) was dead along with Sean Cassidy(Partridge Family)


That would be news to 'Sean"?

*Shaun Paul Cassidy (born September 27, 1958) is an American television producer/creator, screenwriter, and former singer and actor. He is the eldest son of Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy. His older half-brother was David Cassidy.*


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

blackbird said:


> At the end of the service period they will periodically send a list of IDs down to deactivate the radio.


What do you need to do to receive the deactivation code?
Have the battery connected with the radio fuses installed?
Turn the car on?
Turn the radio on?
Tune in an XM station?


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Got in the car this afternoon and its' gone. No more satellite radio for Patman. Not even a message saying that this radio is no longer active. just "dead air".


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

Patman said:


> Got in the car this afternoon and its' gone. No more satellite radio for Patman. Not even a message saying that this radio is no longer active. just "dead air".


They must be really mad at you Pat as you were cheated out of the final 2 days through the 27th?

g is on in your car Nov 14-27​
100 channels free for 2 glorious weeks.
We’ve turned on your inactive satellite radio so you can hear all kinds of commercial-free music, plus sports, news, talk and entertainment now. FREE.

(Some older Sirius satellite radios may not be capable of receiving the free listening channels.)​​


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Not sure what the glitch was yesterday but it's back today and I have satellite at least until the end of the day I guess or whenever they decide to turn it off for me. As far as mad at me, they took away my 
lifetime subscription for changing more than one car!!! So they "owed me" anyway LOL


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