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Latest BS and Rudeness from XM Radio and WARNING

6K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  prospyder 
#1 ·
We have had XM Radio in our 2007 STS and decided to let the current agreement lapse. We had been on the $77 per year renewal, that ends up closer to $90 with "fees" and taxes.
I listened to one particular channel and grew tired of the DJs chatter and the many announcements for other XM Channels (note that I don't call them commercials, since this is supposed to be a subscription service.) I want music, like Music Choice -- my cable provider's music service provides -- none of the extra garbage.
Fortunately, we were on an invoice basis so I ignored the invoice XM sent us for nearly $250.00 per year, including taxes and "fees" and sent an email to "Listener Care" citing our invoice number and telling them to cancel our subscription. The email reply told me I had to call Listener Care to cancel.
I know the deal is that I would call them, tell them I want to cancel and then be turned over to someone else who would offer me better deals than the full price subscription until the cost is down to $77 plus "fees" and tax. But I'm not interested in renewing since I don't like the service.
We have had a number of both automated and live calls from the XM (1-866-963-4321) which we've ignored. Today, I decided to take the call and told the representative, one Carl Homan, to cancel the subscription and cease calling us. He said I had to call their "Listener Care" number since it was the only way to cancel. I told him I had emailed the cancellation and he repeated that the only way to cancel is to call Listener Care. I told him that I was on an invoice basis and would not call Listener Care (I suppose Carl Homan was with the "Listener We-Don't-Care Department") and, if I receive further calls from XM Radio, I will report them to the Missouri Attorney General. Homan said, sarcastically, "Oh no, not the Missouri Attorney Genral. I'm freaking terrified."
I AM going to report this situation to both the MO AG and the BBB. I understand that XM Radio is desparate for subscribers, but they will never have me as one again using those tactics.
Obviously, I am quite displeased with XM Radio and the hurdles they present to cancelling their "service." (It's quite easy to subscribe online, but impossible to cancel without talking to a "Listener Care" representative who will try to salvage the subscription.)
Fortunately, based on advice from others on this forum, I refused to give them a credit card number initially and required them to send me an invoice when I renewed last year or I would likely have to fight to prevent automatic renewal.
I suppose some of you might like the XM programming and find it worth the price, but I find their programming doesn't suit my tastes and am very disappointed that they will continue to call, according to Homan, until I call Listener Care to cancel. (I can use call blocker to prevent that.)
That's no way to run a customer service-oriented business!
 
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#5 · (Edited)
This is precisely why I have been reluctant to sign up with XM. I don't want the hassles, so I just don't bother with it. And I also would never give them a credit card number. Many people have posted complaints about XM.

If I were you I would call Listener Care and make sure they are aware that you don't want to renew. Just do it and get it over with so you can alleviate the stress. Also, you may want to write a letter to the chairman of the company if you're that upset. Then again, considering all the complaints it appears as though the chairman doesn't pay attention anyway. If XM is so desperate for subscribers the first they should do is drop the annual subscription rate by 50%. There's a reason why they're desperate for subscribers--they're rates are too high. They have to be more proactive and simply try to get subscribers like hotels don't want empty rooms and airlines don't want empty seats. You do what you need to do to get people to renew, which begins by stopping the pricing games.
 
#7 ·
Give them a call (then you can express why you are canceling); that should give you some closure (and satisfaction). Bitching to us doesn't get the ultimate point across (to the service provider). I do see why you are miffed; I also try to avoid hassles and get upset when marketers waste my time (and piss me off) when I'm just trying to perform a transaction. I don't understand why they insist on treating you/us poorly, and think that somehow, you are going to change you mind and embrace their product (when actually they are alienating you for life).
 
#10 ·
Whining? Apparently CCC has not tried to call XM to cancel: first a foreign voice (India?) will ask for your account number and account verifying information, then when you tell them you want to cancel, will quickly "transfer" you to some other number where you will wait. After fifteen minutes, I gave up. See Aurora5000's link above to see that some have waited as long as an hour and 10 minutes on hold. Others have simply been hung-up on by the "Listener Care" representative.
The XM Radio people make it ever so easy to sign-up and nearly impossible to stop their "service." The point of my OP is to warn forum members to be very careful dealing with XM/Sirius and never give them credit card information. If that's whining, so be it.
 
#11 ·
I just re-signed up today for another 5 months of XM for another $19.95. This is the second time around for me. Just have them bill you so when your subscription is over and they don't hear from you they will cancel your service when they have no check nor CC number.( thats 10 months for $40)
 
#15 ·
I used to be a huge advocate of satellite radio. Spent about a thousand bucks on home tuners, portable tuners, car tuners, extension cables, antennas, and accessories. The guy who runs xmfan.com has a local store that sells nothing but XM equipment. XM's customer service used to treat you like gold.

Unfortunately, the audio quality has degraded to make room for BS content, music channels are repetitive and no longer very deep. The service got more expensive, customer service got pretty terrible, and the Sirius merger has only made it worse.

Now I have a pile of useless hardware. If I stick to interstates, I can stream IHeartRadio or other content sources with my Blackberry.
 
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