XM radio Renewal amount...ARE THEY FREAKIN NUTS!!!!

[dfchelbay]

Just got the bill yesterday in the mail and they want $270.56. I have one radio in my car and one portable we use around the house, outside, and while out of town. Well, we will not be paying this amount. I will call tomorrow or Monday, to either get it reduced to a reasonable amount or cancel it all together. We only listen to certain talk shows, but I can learn to live without them. I've learned, on this board, that they charge people different amounts for XM. So, I have two questions, (1) what are they charging you for your radio service; and (2) what's the best deal (and what are the calling it) you got for your annual renewal.

This is the breakdown on my bill for service:

1st Radio: $139.72 + $21.38 (US Music Royalty Fee)=$161.10
2nd radio: $ 96.99 + $10.47 (US Music Royalty Fee) = $107.46

Thanks, and let me know how good a deal you've gotten upon renewal.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

We got $20 for 5 months on both XM & Sirius.

 

[dfchelbay]

We got $20 for 5 months on both XM & Sirius.

Is that $20 per month, or $20 for all five months?

 

[Havana]

We canceled our subscription last summer. We just got the offer $20 for 5 months for us to come back.

 

[Havana]

Is that $20 per month, or $20 for all five months?

Our offer was $20 for all five months

 

[robin09]

We canceled our subscription last summer. We just got the offer $20 for 5 months for us to come back.

We got the same offer.. but we let it slide... I wasn't happy with their service.

 

[Tina]

I reluctantly did a two year renewal about a year ago in the $300 range. I really love my XM, but I think they need to offer specials at some point. Also, the royalty fee caught me off-guard. I don't recall paying that in the past. I've had XM since 2001. I couldn't imagine not having it, but I may have to next year at renewal time. It's just too much money. I also wanted to add the online listening option. But when I went to the website, I couldn't figure out how to do it without renewing for another 2 years.

 

[dfchelbay]

I reluctantly did a two year renewal about a year ago in the $300 range. I really love my XM, but I think they need to offer specials at some point. Also, the royalty fee caught me off-guard. I don't recall paying that in the past. I've had XM since 2001. I couldn't imagine not having it, but I may have to next year at renewal time. It's just too much money. I also wanted to add the online listening option. But when I went to the website, I couldn't figure out how to do it without renewing for another 2 years.

I know what you mean about the royalty fee. It started last year. It ticks me off to have to pay that because I don't even listen to any music on my XM radio...just talk shows. I like the idea of the online listening too. Until last March, it was free to all subscribers. Now, it's $2.99 per month. I believe you have to subscribe to online listening in order to get the XM radio App for iphone to work too. Fees, fees, and more fees...when will enough be enough for them.

 

[peabody58]

Me '07 Passat Wagon: Lifetime Sirius since 2006 (w/original lifetime plan on-line included and up to 3 transfers).
DW '09 EOS: Lifetime Sirius since 2010 (no on-line or non-failure transfers).

We keep our cars 10+ years, so my subscription is now payed for itself. I hate the thought of paying continually rising subscription fees, so I rationalized the lifetime cost as a sound system upgrade option which does not depreciate, unlike the high end $$$ stereo options which are hardly factored into to resale value after 5 years.

Can't live without Sirius, especially with 6 - 2200 mile round trip road trips planned to WDW/HHI in the next 2 years!!

 

[disneychrista]

Every place you go to that has music also has to pay these fees. The bar I manage pay close to $500 a year just for the previldge of playing music (that we paid for to begin with).

 

[maddiesmom0116]

I had the $20 for 5 months that ended in November, they then charged me $160 to my CC for the next 6 months. They really did not tell me they auto renew. I called and they took it down to $48 for 6 months. I really can live without it and will when April 19th comes around, that is the day I am calling to cancel before they charge my card again for an overly large amount. I only get it for Radio Disney since we don't get it on regular radio for my DD6, she will be fine without it at the costs they try and charge w/o a special.

 

[hpfan100]

I got my renewal in October for 77 a year which I think is pretty good. It was the third or fourth offer they sent me so I waited until I got this one which was to good to pass up.

 

[chamonix]

I let my XM expire--the first bill they sent was for almost $500, not sure for how long a subscription, but I did not feel like putting that much $ into my raido at the time so ignored it--and after a few weeks or so they started sending me increasingly better and better offers. At this point I think they are offering me 6 months at $6.50 per month or 12 months at $4.99 a month.....something like that. Apparently i have to call to get these deals though, i can't do it online, so I haven't gotten around to it yet.

I can get along fine without it at $500, but will renew at the more reasonable cost.

Most of the time i just plug my iPad or iPod into the dash and listen to that anyway.

Edited to add the $77 a year deal sounds like the one I'm getting at this point. I don't think XM is worth much more than that to me.

 

[Disneychix]

One of our receivers broke (Sirius not XM) so we dropped down to one receiver plan. Within 2 weeks they were calling us and offering us deals to purchase a new receiver and discount our service.
OP: your best bet is to cancel and just wait to the deals.

 

[RangerPooh]

We were going to cancel our subscription to Sirius as we were not going to pay the fee. They then offered the $20 deal. Call them to let them know that you'll be canceling your subscription and see what deals they offer to keep you.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

WOW! That is a lot, I had no idea. When I bought my DH his XM years ago we paid $300ish for the Lifetime subscription. It is only for one radio but he takes it from the car into the house and to his office using the "boombox."

 

[LBKB]

If you cancel is there a connection fee? And how much is it?

 

[Tina]

I'm glad to hear these deals are out there. Come renewal time next year, I'll be holding out for a deal!

 

[dfchelbay]

If you cancel is there a connection fee? And how much is it?

I'd like to know the answer to this as well.

 

[mrodgers]

The royalty fee is probably based on the fact that CD sales are declining and MP3 downloads are rising. The record labels and music industry isn't raping in off the artists as much any more and have to scam the money somewhere.