Sirius Rip Off

[rdmac]

Bought my 300C on 5/1/04. Got the Sirius radio free for the first 13 months. After that period they contacted me and I signed up for another year (this was summer of 05). I like the satellite radio but am not flipped over it. Well looking at my credit card bill the other day and I see they automatically re signed me up for another year and charged me about $143. I was not contacted in any way. I called them to complain / cancell / get a discount - I was put on hold for long periods of time, was lead to believe the guy was working on getting me a discount, and in the end got no help (pay up or cancell) and was so frustrated I hung up. This to me is no way to run a business. Anybody in the forum run into te same thing or feel the same way.

Bob

[kevenj]

When I re-upped recently (for 2 years) I went round and round with the guy once I finally got off hold. I asked if I could go month to month and he said "yes"; so I said "fine, send me a monthly statement and I'll send you a check each month". Well, turns out you can't do that. He said if I want to go "month to month" I still had to give him a credit card number. I explained to him that I simply do not do "automatic payment" (never give control of your bank account to someone else) and then he said if I wanted to go month to month, they would charge my card for an entire year up front - - that is the ONLY way they will do it! So there really is no 'month to month' option;

Long story short, I ended up paying for 2 years in advance on my Discover Card; he told me that when it is due for renewal that my card WOULD be charged again automatically UNLESS i contact them and cancel. What he told me to do was to wait until I got my discover statement showing the charge, and then call Sirius back and cancel the Automatic renewal. That is the only way to avoid having them automatically bill your card again when the term runs out.

For a company providing a service that nobody actually NEEDS, they are not very 'customer friendly' and I may decide over the next 2 years that I can live without their service; especially if it is as much of a hassle next time.

[SRT8PMP]

a lot of places automatically rebill you for subscriptions. It's probably somewhere in the small print

[NautcaSprt6]

Originally Posted by SRT8PMP

a lot of places automatically rebill you for subscriptions. It's probably somewhere in the small print

Keyword Subscription.

[stevesrt8]

Hey, I'll be the first to admit Sirius sucks for programming, but I am sure they charge your card like any other merchant: at your discretion!

If you choose you may contact your card company and charge it right back to them. I have never had any charge stick that I was willing to argue.

Can we convert to XM???

[SRT8PMP]

Originally Posted by NautcaSprt6

Keyword Subscription.

what exactly do you call having sirius?

[bruno]

Originally Posted by rdmac

Bought my 300C on 5/1/04. Got the Sirius radio free for the first 13 months. After that period they contacted me and I signed up for another year (this was summer of 05). I like the satellite radio but am not flipped over it. Well looking at my credit card bill the other day and I see they automatically re signed me up for another year and charged me about $143. I was not contacted in any way. I called them to complain / cancell / get a discount - I was put on hold for long periods of time, was lead to believe the guy was working on getting me a discount, and in the end got no help (pay up or cancell) and was so frustrated I hung up. This to me is no way to run a business. Anybody in the forum run into te same thing or feel the same way.

Bob

Bob,
You just re-wrote my experience the I previously posted on 7/27:

tbyrne,

Thanks for remembering to post your successful follow-up and hope you are now enjoying your Sirius Satellite Radio.

I just got off the phone with them because I was upset they did an automatic yearly renewal using my credit card without my permission plus the time period of my original renewal date was shortened by 9 days.

Anyway, after more than 30 minutes on the phone, they removed any further auto. renewals, will now send me a statement when the time comes due, and gave me another free month of service for this inconvenience.I enjoy SSR but never authorized them to do the auto. credit renewal. I would have renewed anyway but would have paid by check/debit, not credit.

Unfortunately, many companies are now doing business this way and I know it serves to keep us totally confused and forgetful. Magazine companies are the worst. Many no longer print the subscription expiration date on their labels...next thing you know, you have an auto. renewal for 3 more years! Webshots also zapped my credit card and I had to make a call there as well.

bruno

[hawking1]

Originally Posted by stevesrt8

Hey, I'll be the first to admit Sirius sucks for programming, but I am sure they charge your card like any other merchant: at your discretion!

If you choose you may contact your card company and charge it right back to them. I have never had any charge stick that I was willing to argue.

Can we convert to XM???

You don't want to do that. I had major problems with xm and they are losing out on programing to Sirius.

I got sirius last year and love it. I've talked to them on the phone several times and always hang up pleased with the service. My boss had xm and always complained. Said it was too boring.

[jjs]

Aftre hearing several negatives about it, I am continuing to be comforted in my decision to not select that option when I had them build my car.

[NautcaSprt6]

Originally Posted by jjs

Aftre hearing several negatives about it, I am continuing to be comforted in my decision to not select that option when I had them build my car.

I love Sirius. Better thatn XM IMO.
I had Sirius installed in my previous car with an aftermarket Head Unit before Sirius was popular and If my car did not come with Sirius when I bought it, i would of got in installed regardless the price.
I listen to it at work and in my car.
They charge me monthly and I have no problem with that.