Tips for Renewing Sirius Radio Subcription

[Laurel]

Today while driving my Sirius radio subscription ended.  We figured our six month trial was ending shortly, but expected to get some notification in the mail which did not happen.  Just all of sudden Sirius was gone.  I have done a lot of reading on the internet re:tips on renewing so that a person doesn't have to pay full price.  Those tips were great.  I copied down my ESN number that was displayed and then phoned Sirius Canada (all of the tips I read were actually for Sirius in the States).  I told the young man at Sirius, who from his French Quebecois accent was obviously in Quebec, that my Sirius had been cut off.  I asked for the rate for one year to re-new.  He quoted me $188 plus tax which took it to over $200 for the year.  As advised by the internet, I responded with "that is way too expensive for us as we only listen to two channels.  I guess we will have to do without".  He immediately said, "Let me check for any discounts or specials for you".  He came back with $75 plus tax for one year!  I said "great, we'll take it!"  He then directed me to go to the car while he was on the phone to ensure that he had it had turned back successfully.  Then before he hung up he told me to "carefully" write down that the subscription expires on June 6th next year.  He said you must know this as Sirius will automatically bill you full price next year.  So please phone on June 5th and say you will need to cancel unless you get a special deal again.  He was an absolutely honest and charming young fellow, and I told him this.  So yeehaw we have Sirius for a year for $75 plus tax.

 

PS The internet also said if you happen to get a service rep. that says there are no discounts or specials, just say thanks and hang up and try for a different rep. later as some are very helpful and some are very hard nosed.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Laurel

[xanotos]

Was the special pricing of $75 also includes Traffic and Travel Link?

[zhackwyatt]

Today while driving my Sirius radio subscription ended.  We figured our six month trial was ending shortly, but expected to get some notification in the mail which did not happen.  Just all of sudden Sirius was gone.  I have done a lot of reading on the internet re:tips on renewing so that a person doesn't have to pay full price.  Those tips were great.  I copied down my ESN number that was displayed and then phoned Sirius Canada (all of the tips I read were actually for Sirius in the States).  I told the young man at Sirius, who from his French Quebecois accent was obviously in Quebec, that my Sirius had been cut off.  I asked for the rate for one year to re-new.  He quoted me $188 plus tax which took it to over $200 for the year.  As advised by the internet, I responded with "that is way too expensive for us as we only listen to two channels.  I guess we will have to do without".  He immediately said, "Let me check for any discounts or specials for you".  He came back with $75 plus tax for one year!  I said "great, we'll take it!"  He then directed me to go to the car while he was on the phone to ensure that he had it had turned back successfully.  Then before he hung up he told me to "carefully" write down that the subscription expires on June 6th next year.  He said you must know this as Sirius will automatically bill you full price next year.  So please phone on June 5th and say you will need to cancel unless you get a special deal again.  He was an absolutely honest and charming young fellow, and I told him this.  So yeehaw we have Sirius for a year for $75 plus tax.

 

PS The internet also said if you happen to get a service rep. that says there are no discounts or specials, just say thanks and hang up and try for a different rep. later as some are very helpful and some are very hard nosed.

Interesting, I've been getting letters in the mail, each increasingly more desperate than the last for me to renew.

 

Thanks for the info though!

[Laurel]

Was the special pricing of $75 also includes Traffic and Travel Link?

We don't have those in our part of Canada, but I suspect it does as I can pick up Bellingham, Washington weather and traffic--so I assume when we travel into the States it is there for us.. And I did read on the internet that lots of folks renewed in the States at $79 for a year including Traffic and Travel Link.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Laurel

[ScubaDadMiami]

I had Sirius in a past vehicle, and it had its place, before there were apps out there that I think are better and usually cheaper.  I prefer to pick my own music.  So, after my free six months, I doubt that I'll continue with the music. 

 

I do enjoy some of the talk radio, some of which I think is high quality.  It just gets to a point that all of the subscriptions start to really add up.  I may possibly consider the limited menu option that is now available.

[Laurel]

My husband was not  too keen on signing up, but we have many areas in British Columbia where regular radio reception is very poor when you leave the major cities.  This summer we will head up to the Cariboo to visit our two horses Molly and Kit (and human friends too) and people up there are quite reliant on Sirius if they want radio reception.  Plus I am hooked on all the croaky voiced country singers on Willie's Roadhouse and I love the 50's Oldies channel.  We have our Ipods loaded with music, but I like hearing some chit chat too on road trips.  I guess it is a novelty for me and I wanted to keep it.  I can't see paying full price, but we got it at a reasonable price.  I was actually doing a little jig of joy when I hung up the phone after wheeling and dealing with Sirius.

[salsaguy]

don't have a C-Max yet but my Sirius xm ended a while ago. while unsubscribed it would many times just turn back on and give me a week or so of free channels without me calling our doing anything. I'm sure they do this to tease you to want it again. they probably track to see how many folks try to see if it still works or not.

just recently got a mailing that they had a free week of programming over the memorial day holiday and then an offer to renew for 6 months for only $25.

i signed up of course. no traffic of travel link though. when my 6 months are up i will try some of the tricks to see what i can get.

i listen to about 6-7 channels. cnn, watercoolers, bpm, boneyard, fox news, comedy radio.

it's not worth $120 a year for sure but it's nice to have something else to listen to. i have hd radio in my passat, a CD player as well as my 32gb sd card so it's not like i don't have choices.

[dtorres]

I just renewed mine this past week,  $25 for 6  months ($29 after taxes) for the Sirius Select Package which does not include TravelLink or Traffic.  I just have to remember to cancel in 6 months when the price skyrockets.  He did also offer 1 year of the Select Package for $99 so that's an option that's out there to.

 

I believe you can also sign up for TravelLink or Traffic for $2.50 per month/per service without having to sign up for the radio portion of their service.  Both features were neat during the free trail period but seemed redundant to what a smart phone and even the Ford Sync Services can do.

[plus 3 golfer]

You don't have to wait 6 months. You can cancel anytime.  I call within a week or so after the start of service and cancel effective on the normal termination date 6 months out.   I've done this probably 1/2 dozen times in the past with no issues. One time I tried to cancel immediately while still on the phone with the rep that signed me up but I got the story that the system couldn't handle it until the system files were updated which he thought was overnight.  By cancelling earlier, you'll also then likely get email / mail renewal reminders that your subscription is about to run out. Otherwise, since it's on auto renewal at the then current rate, I doubt you will see any reminders. :) 

[ScubaDadMiami]

I think you can even cancel online, or discontinue auto renewal.  It's been a while, but I believe that this is the case. 

[salsaguy]

i need to check to see if they put your subscription end date on your online profile do you can remember to cancel out renew.

[BillJ]

I just got a call from Sirius about my "free trial period" ending. I like Sirius, but I am not sure that it is worth $10/month. I told that to the phone representative, who simply said "OK then, call us if you would be interested in restarting your subscription". I was not offered any special deals.

I will be happy listening to either of the public radio stations here in Philly, both of which my wife and I support financially. My thinking may be flawed, but I just have the feeling that public radio is more "deserving" of support than Sirius, although I certainly see nothing wrong with Sirius' provision of a service for profit.

[Bill-N]

... I just have the feeling that public radio is more "deserving" ....

 

Absolutely!

[dtorres]

You don't have to wait 6 months. You can cancel anytime.  I call within a week or so after the start of service and cancel effective on the normal termination date 6 months out.   I've done this probably 1/2 dozen times in the past with no issues. One time I tried to cancel immediately while still on the phone with the rep that signed me up but I got the story that the system couldn't handle it until the system files were updated which he thought was overnight.  By cancelling earlier, you'll also then likely get email / mail renewal reminders that your subscription is about to run out. Otherwise, since it's on auto renewal at the then current rate, I doubt you will see any reminders. :) 

That's good to know.  I'm going to cancel it now so I don't have to worry about it six months.

[Bill-N]

FYI, $25 for 6 months; received in today's mail.

 

 

[salsaguy]

yup that's the one. you gonna go for it?

[wamba2000]

Latest offer received, after service ran out 6 months free on a 12 month contract.  Works out to $86/yr, $7.77 per month plus some fees.

Under $100, might consider.....

There was not a time limit on the offer that I can see

[bigalpha]

How do you guys like the Weather Map?

[plus 3 golfer]

I think you can even cancel online, or discontinue auto renewal.  It's been a while, but I believe that this is the case. 

 

AFAIK, you must call to cancel.  I recall looking online a few years back and Sirius stated that you had to call to cancel.  Also, I don't recall anyway to discontinue auto-renewal.  Some have indicated that by being persistent in not giving a credit card and demanding that a bill be sent that Sirius did send a bill that they then payed with a check.

 

Also, many have very recently stated that cancelling was no issue with minimal hold times (generally 10 minutes or less).

[fishead924]

As terrible as music sounds on Sirius in the C-Max, I wouldn't sign up if they offered it to me for $25 per year. When I switch from analog FM to Sirius, it has all the audio quality of an 8 Track recording from back in the day. Unless I'm getting crappy sound because it's the free trial and once I pay the big bucks it's magically uncompressed and CD quality, I'm steering clear.

[zhackwyatt]

As terrible as music sounds on Sirius in the C-Max, I wouldn't sign up if they offered it to me for $25 per year. When I switch from analog FM to Sirius, it has all the audio quality of an 8 Track recording from back in the day. Unless I'm getting crappy sound because it's the free trial and once I pay the big bucks it's magically uncompressed and CD quality, I'm steering clear.

I thought the Sony system sounded horrible when I first got it.  But then I put in a USB drive w/ MP3's and was like nope, its just Sirius.

 

They also dropped the only station I really listened to, so I just decided not to renew.

[ArizonaEnergi]

I got my renewal letter today. $144.90 for one year. I have no real interest in it or any of the features at that price or even a negotiated lesser amount. I consider expenses like this "vampire expenses" that drain a little from one's funds drip by drip, hardly noticed, but the bank account is smaller and one ponders why.

[ScubaDadMiami]

The only thing I would consider keeping would be some news and talk stuff, if for the right price.  I'll just take a journey back to listening to sound quality of AM radio with bad reception. 

[BIG ROCCO]

Yeah - the top of the line Harmon Kardon XM radio in my Lacrosse sounds really good, but it does seem like it is better on some stations than other.  For example, the 80s on 8 station usually sounds better than 70s on 7 or 90s on 9.  I would say a CD or MP3 file on USB does sound even better.

 

On the C-Max, I noticed the Sony system had more bass than the base audio system, but it's still pretty weak, especially compared to my Lacrosse.  Then, I accidentally inserted and CD, and there seemed to be tons of bass...???  I need to research this further, but I think your observation does have merit.

 

I do love the XM radio in my Buick - I drive 1/2 hour each way to work and we take that car on long trips and into remote areas with no radio reception.  Also, XM has MLB play by play, every game is on the air, and we are big Red Sox fans.  The C-Max is the wife's car - she doesn't commute and it's more of an around town/short trips car...we'll see what she wants to do after 6 months.

 

 

I thought the Sony system sounded horrible when I first got it.  But then I put in a USB drive w/ MP3's and was like nope, its just Sirius.

 

They also dropped the only station I really listened to, so I just decided not to renew.

[Hero161]

Our subscription runs out on 8/4/13. I called today and talked with John (yeah right, another country for sure) we went though all the high dollar offers, the last one coming down to $92 annual. I told him that was more than I wanted to pay and did he have any 6 month pricing. He came back with $24.99 for 5 months and I took it. It was $28.11 for 5  months when the smoke cleared.  

Thanks for the tips everyone.

 

Rick & Valerie