XM price increase

[markgoodrich]

I rarely use my XM radio any more, and just got a notification of a price increase. If I cancel it I'll mainly miss listening to NPR, BBC and PRI as I cross various vast empty spaces. I find the playlists on the few stations I listen to are pretty repetitive. I have an Ipod and for that matter now my Droid has all my ipod tunes on it, and maybe the Droid can pick up Pandora from the glove box...need to try that after cedar pollen season abates in a couple of weeks.

 

Here's my question: anyone have success calling XM and having them roll the price increase back?

[bobbybob]

Mark, I cancelled both mine & wife's radios plus the Fisherman WX package back in early Nov. 2010. Since that time, I've gotten 2 phone calls from them plus deals in the mail--"WE want you back" type stuff. I will probably re-instate them around May 1, depending on the pricing structure at that time.

 

Asking them for a better price while you're subscribed won't get you anywhere--you're still a customer--and they are convinced they need the increase.

 

 

 

 

 

Hows the Nomar doing?

 

 

PS: Keep us posted on Pandora vs Droid--I plan to get a Droid-2 Global in March when my contract runs out.

[Richard_D]

Wrong ! Try it. I told them to cancel me and got a promotional deal plus cash back.

[bobbybob]

Right--but you cancelled (or threatened to)--that may work now, since they announced the increase. What'd they give you--1/2 off for 6 months? Any contract involved? If you just call and ask for a roll-back, nothing will happen. Cancellation is the key--like I said in my post.

[Rphoto]

Pandora works fine in my car. Haven't tried it on the bike, but should work there, too. XM's pricing is crazy for people like me who drive 3 different cars and a motorcycle.

[Richard_D]

I just called and said I can't afford to keep their service due to the economy but I loved their product . All true. She asked if I would keep it if she could offer me a deal. I said it depends how much. She said with the current promotion and a cash back offer it came to $38.44 for an entire year.($3.20 per month). I also said to send me a bill and I didn't want the auto renew with a credit card any more. The bill came and it says for one year from that date. I think they must be losing customers right and left due to the economy and are undrstanding of the times.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

We didn't renew in November after cancelling the auto-renew credit card. They sent all sorts of snail and email that failed to entice us. We only used it at home.

 

It still receives just fine.

 

So, we still only use it at home.

[bobbybob]

I just called and said I can't afford to keep their service due to the economy but I loved their product . All true. She asked if I would keep it if she could offer me a deal. I said it depends how much. She said with the current promotion and a cash back offer it came to $38.44 for an entire year.($3.20 per month). I also said to send me a bill and I didn't want the auto renew with a credit card any more. The bill came and it says for one year from that date. I think they must be losing customers right and left due to the economy and are undrstanding of the times.

 

Smart move removing the auto-billing. They screwed me up big time in 09 for a while--if they know they can debit your card they WILL take advantage of that. I suddenly started getting billed for stuff I had never asked for or heard of. Sounds like you got a decent deal for a year. The squeaky wheel....

[bobbybob]

We didn't renew in November after cancelling the auto-renew credit card. They sent all sorts of snail and email that failed to entice us. We only used it at home.

 

It still receives just fine.

 

So, we still only use it at home.

 

Be sure and check your card statement to make sure they aren't still billing you. I do not trust them. When I cancelled mine in Nov., I could still receive the radio part for another 6 weeks or so. Then, it suddenly quit. Guess they caught up with me.

[jb11GSA]

I don't mind small increase it's business (we went from $110 annual to $160), so we dropped them back in '09. We had two cars/subscription - shame I enjoyed their programming before Sirius came a long and screwed it up.

 

I still get eMail once in a while offers to come back. Customer services and retention is very important, XM business strategy seems to be arrogance (not sure how it's working for them).

 

Go with an iPod (or a like), pandora and so on seems to work just fine :-)

 

[Armando]

+1. I have 2 radios with them. Called them to cancel 1 of them and they offed 1/2 off the service. Plus, I asked for the internet access which I got. Plus, they refunded the difference on the annual prepaid subscription on the second radio.

That is a price point I am willing to stay at.

 

a

[GRB60]

I've been paying half for a few years. I learned that they offer half price to people who try to cancel when the free intro period expires on their new car. Called and said I'd like that coupon, too. They said no. I called back and went thru the menu to cancel. THEN they offered it to me. Each year I call and offer to renew at half the price. Works so far. As noted, make sure to tell them you are authorizing a one-time charge to the card, not an auto pay.

[thencamebronson]

I am leaving XM also. I am paid through Mar, but sold my GXM30 so I have no radio now. I was hardly using it since I only had it on the bike and when I decided to go to bluetooth the XM would not come through the hardwire to my ScalaRider once I paired the 2730 with it. (or at least I couldn't make it work)

Plus, the GXM3o was huge and on an R1100S there isn't much extra room for.

 

Like the OP I enjoy NPR and BBC. The answer is podcasts on the iPod. Most NPR programs have free podcasts as do BBC, plus you control when you it is "broadcast". Coupled with an iJet remote, I keep the iPod either in my pocket or tankbag, hardwired to the Scala with the earbud mod. I can hear the GPS, music or podcast, and if I really want to, I can talk on the phone.

 

 

[Lmar]

Just canceled my XM account today. Haven't listened to XM for months. No hassles, they did want to know why??

[IT_Mike]

Cancelled mine years ago (and fought auto-payment for four months thereafter).

 

Now I use Slacker, which allows me to cache up to four hours worth of music for when I'm out of cell range. Works great on my Droid, which pipes it to my helmet via bluetooth. Pauses for GPS/Phone too.

[markgoodrich]

Mark, I cancelled both mine & wife's radios plus the Fisherman WX package back in early Nov. 2010. Since that time, I've gotten 2 phone calls from them plus deals in the mail--"WE want you back" type stuff. I will probably re-instate them around May 1, depending on the pricing structure at that time.

 

Asking them for a better price while you're subscribed won't get you anywhere--you're still a customer--and they are convinced they need the increase.

 

 

 

 

 

Hows the Nomar doing?

 

 

PS: Keep us posted on Pandora vs Droid--I plan to get a Droid-2 Global in March when my contract runs out.

 

I meant...cancel and see if they offer a roll-back, Bobby. I will report on the Verizon Pandora reception as soon as I can get out, maybe this weekend. There doesn't seem to be a useful waterproof case for the Droid X like I have for my iPod, so I want to try it in the glove box.

 

I like the other suggestion to download NPR to the ipod...assuming I can figure out how to do that.

 

EDIT: just called, and the best they would offer was half off for a year, or slightly more than half off for six months. I declined, and had the service turned off.

[CGameProgrammer]

The reason deactivated radios can still work is because the signal is broadcast everywhere and your radio does not know it's deactivated. When you cancel, a deactivation signal is sent, but if your radio is not on while this signal is sent, it'll never learn it's been deactivated.

 

I haven't tried it myself but I suspect cancelling, but leaving the radio off for at least a week, would then allow you to get satellite radio for free. But it depends on if the deactivation signal is ever sent again.

[Lmar]

I just canceled my subscription yesterday. I will give it a try in a week or two.

[markgoodrich]

I've been using my Droid in the glove box, playing Pandora through the Autocom. It has been working great.

 

One thing I've had a problem with, with Pandora, is periodic "searching for signal" silences, which sometimes go on until I interact with it. I did a search and the solution appears to be to set the display timeout to "never." I've been listening to it for the last three hours at home, with no timeouts, no stops, with no discernible drop in the battery icon.

 

The occasional short ads are so far not annoying, but for three bucks a month they can be dispensed with.

 

I imagine crossing west Texas I'll have some dead spots, ditto in Utah, etc, but for around the home base it's worked great.

[Skywagon]

Read your contract closely. Mine would only allow me to cancel in one way...I can't remember if it was a phone call or letter, but I did it the wrong way and they kept billing. When I finally did reach them they pounded me with special offerings for several months offering discounts. Things like $5bucks a month for 6 months then regular pricing for 18 monhts. All in all it wasn't price for me, but I just didn't use it. Try it...your rate will go down.

[randy]

I guess I am not sure how it benefits you. Most (I am verizon) data plans cost around 30.00 per month. It is easy to get XM for 9.95 and I got mine for 8.75 per month paid a year in advance. I know the internet radio is cool, but are you not basically exchanging a monthly 9.00 cost for a 30.00 cost. that just does not seem financially sound?

 

I know some of you probably get your data plan from work, but I am guessing most of us do not. For me even with the pain of dealing with XM, it was worth the effort to get XM for 8.75 vrs 30.00 minimum data plan cost.

 

Other than terrible XM customer service, am I missing something?

[bobbybob]

I suppose a lot of folks (like me) just happen to have a data plan for email, internet, etc. and using it for radio is just an unexpected bonus. No, I would not pay $30/mo just for radio service.

 

As for Pandora radio, I am really impressed at the way it will intuitively play just the type of music I like. With XM, no matter which channel you choose, its still a broad base of genre's and styles. With Pandora, its like it has read my mind. They have done their homework on the design. If you say you want a "Doobie Brothers channel", it analyzes the components of the "Doobie sound" and plays their music plus lots of others that have the "sound" that I like. Its really pretty cool. Try it on your desktop (or laptop) computer sometime.

[beemerman2k]

I cancelled my XM radio subscription about a year ago. Enough of the Viagra ads, refinancing ads, GoToMyPC ads, cycling over the XM radio every 5 minutes! My goodness, it got to the point where I could recite the ads by memory.

 

Hasta la Vista, baby. I won't listen to that nonsense for free.

[bobbybob]

I hear ya B2k and agree; the ads in Pandora, so far, have been like one 20 second ad after every 4th song. Very unobtrusive. So far.

[ryan_a1982]

FWIW I am trying out rdio.com and rhapsody.com. They both have iPhone apps and I think they may have droid apps. They each cost $9.99/month and you can listen to millions of songs. You can also pick songs/albums/playlists to be downloaded to your phone for times when you will be out of cell/wi-fi service. The downloads are included in the $9 price and stay on your phone until you stop paying. Both services have a pandora like radio service as well...and no commercials.

 

Rhapsody has a better catalog and rdio has a better social network feel that allows you to learn about new music. I think they are both worth the $$.

 

Also, NPR has a app that allows you to listen to all sorts of their stuff. I think you can even preload or buffer programs so you can listen when you run out of service.

 

Also, if anyone wants a free trial to rdio.com I think I have some to hand out. Right now it is an invitation only service. Also, rhapsody lets you have a week or two free trial if you go to their website.

 

[randy]

I guess because I like blue's music and Jazz I have not run into the add's issue on XM so far those stations I guess are not popular enough to warrant adds.

 

I have used a number of the internet radio options on my home PC. I actually work for Philips TV company, and now Philips TV have internet radio built right into the TV. Basically pandora on your TV. So now I listen to all my music right from my TV.

 

also on XM when not listening to jazz or blues, I mostly listen to financial or political talk radio. Now that I have not researched. Is that on some of those cell phone apps.

 

And it makes sense, if I had a reason to have data on my phone, which at this point I never have had (I sit at a computer all day doing tech support) then it would be a natural to use the phone for my music.

[Whip]

I cancelled my XM radio subscription about a year ago. Enough of the Viagra ads, refinancing ads, GoToMyPC ads, cycling over the XM radio every 5 minutes! My goodness, it got to the point where I could recite the ads by memory.

 

Hasta la Vista, baby. I won't listen to that nonsense for free.

 

You ain't kidding about that.....

 

But....I love my ZUMO and XM....I am not sure I would enjoy riding near as much without XM. I got hooked on Old Time Radio and never get tired of it.

 

I ride almost every day and my XM is on every minute I'm on the bikes.

 

 

 

 

[RichEdwards]

I have the cheaper version of XM...just music stations. I listen to the 50's, 60's, 70's, classic rock stations. No ads. I'm happy.

[flars]

"...No ads..."

Yeah, but you have to listen to Cousin Brucie and his ilk...and that is just plain irritating.

With that said, I do like XM, and listen to the 60s and 70s stations.