Current Sirius offers?

[djminfll]

I know there are prior threads on SiriusXM Satellite, but none are current. My subscription is about to expire, and their regular renewal rates are ridiculous. Has anyone renewed a subscription recently, and if so, were you able to negotiate a lower rate?

Thank you all for your help!

[md13ffhguy]

Just tell them you want a promotional rate. They always offer something.

[jadei]

I have been able to keep getting the 5 months for $25 promotion which works out to $30+ after taxes, etc they add on. You have to have a good reminder system or they will automatically renew after 5 months at the full $10+/mon rate. Just call and say you'd like to cancel and keep declining until you hear an offer that you like.

 

And if you really do cancel you'll get a flyer in the mail with a promotion not long after.

 

Also, heads up non-subscribers, I heard today they have the free preview going on through early June so all radios will be working for 60 channels!

[hybridbear]

I know there are prior threads on SiriusXM Satellite, but none are current. My subscription is about to expire, and their regular renewal rates are ridiculous. Has anyone renewed a subscription recently, and if so, were you able to negotiate a lower rate?

Thank you all for your help!

We recently got a flyer in the mail of five months for $20. You can call them up and request that offer. That offer seems to be pretty standard as we've been seeing flyers advertising it for years.

 

Edit: I'm going to move the topic to the audio section so that it's easier to find in the future to keep up-to-date.

Edited May 21, 2015 by hybridbear

[jeff_h]

We recently got a flyer in the mail of five months for $20. You can call them up and request that offer.

 

... and when they say that this offer doesn't currently apply to your vehicle, tell them OK then just let it expire. They will likely then offer a deal close to that, such as $89/yr and hope you bite on that, but just say no thanks that if you can't get the 5 months for $20 rate that you saw on another flyer you'll just let it expire. Then they "will see what they can do, please hold" and then you might get put on hold for about 30 seconds or so, then they come back and say that they talked to the supervisor and got the OK to offer you this rate. I have been doing this dance with my car and my wife's car every 6 months each for almost 2 years, it seems to follow that pattern each time.

[jeffo65]

Just received a notice in the mail for the following deals on our other car for SiriusXM Select package

 

Monthly - $14.99

6-Month - $29.94

1-Year - $99.00

 

With auto renewal

 

siriusxm.com/savenow1

 

.

[djminfll]

I called them today, and they wanted to renew at $55 for 3 months, or $220 per year. I told them to cancel unless they can do a better rate. The agent told me they have the 5 months for $20 rate, but he needed to transfer me to Customer Service. He told me since I was already on a promotional rate, he couldn't offer it again. So I told him again to cancel it. He came back with $89 for 12 months, with tax $115 for a year. So I took it, that's not a bad rate.

I figure, it doesn't cost them anything to transmit to my car - so half their rate is better than zero. So I'll just keep doing this year after year until I get a new car with a new trial subscription! LOL!

[jadei]

I called them today, and they wanted to renew at $55 for 3 months, or $220 per year. I told them to cancel unless they can do a better rate. The agent told me they have the 5 months for $20 rate, but he needed to transfer me to Customer Service. He told me since I was already on a promotional rate, he couldn't offer it again. So I told him again to cancel it. He came back with $89 for 12 months, with tax $115 for a year. So I took it, that's not a bad rate.

I figure, it doesn't cost them anything to transmit to my car - so half their rate is better than zero. So I'll just keep doing this year after year until I get a new car with a new trial subscription! LOL!

 

Yeah, I haven't paid full price for satellite radio in years. They will always offer you a deal if you say you are cancelling.

 

I can get used to the online streaming account so hopefully that won't be too much to add when my free trial that came with my FFH expires in Nov.

[Hybrider]

I called them today, and they wanted to renew at $55 for 3 months, or $220 per year. I told them to cancel unless they can do a better rate. The agent told me they have the 5 months for $20 rate, but he needed to transfer me to Customer Service. He told me since I was already on a promotional rate, he couldn't offer it again. So I told him again to cancel it. He came back with $89 for 12 months, with tax $115 for a year. So I took it, that's not a bad rate.

I figure, it doesn't cost them anything to transmit to my car - so half their rate is better than zero. So I'll just keep doing this year after year until I get a new car with a new trial subscription! LOL!

 

Yeah, I figure the next time my 6 month subscription gets ready to expire, I'll just go for the $89 for 12 months deal even though it is more expensive than the 6-month deal, just so I can wait 12 months to do the next cancel-hold-offer-accept dance instead of doing it every 6 months. Those 6 months go by really fast these days and maybe those extra dollars to Sirius will help keep them from going out of business sooner than later. ;)

[thrasher086]

Just giving an update that I called to renew last night and said I want what I had which was 24.99 for 6 months of Sirius Select. There was no hassle. The guy put me on hold for a few minutes to get it going. I used to have 50% off the Travel Link and Traffic which was an extra 18 bucks that he would not give me back.

 

Since today was my renewal day, about 15 minutes into driving to work I received the update subscription signal. I am surprisingly still "subscribed" to Travel Link and Traffic. I am guessing that may go away at some point but would be nice if it stays on.

[murphy]

Just giving an update that I called to renew last night and said I want what I had which was 24.99 for 6 months of Sirius Select. There was no hassle. The guy put me on hold for a few minutes to get it going. I used to have 50% off the Travel Link and Traffic which was an extra 18 bucks that he would not give me back.

 

Since today was my renewal day, about 15 minutes into driving to work I received the update subscription signal. I am surprisingly still "subscribed" to Travel Link and Traffic. I am guessing that may go away at some point but would be nice if it stays on.

There is a free demo period in effect until September 8.

[thrasher086]

There is a free demo period in effect until September 8.

Ha I could have waited a week! Too late now. I don't think the free demo does Traffic and Travel Link though.

[murphy]

Ha I could have waited a week! Too late now. I don't think the free demo does Traffic and Travel Link though.

I don't have an active subscription in my car and the subscription screen shows all items except for audio as subscribed.

[thrasher086]

I don't have an active subscription in my car and the subscription screen shows all items except for audio as subscribed.

Does the features actually still work? Do you see traffic on your navigation or can check the weather?

[hybridbear]

Ha I could have waited a week! Too late now. I don't think the free demo does Traffic and Travel Link though.

In our Focus Electric the traffic appears on the map & the weather works during the demo period.

[jeff_h]

In our Focus Electric the traffic appears on the map & the weather works during the demo period.

 

Seems like sometimes they include it, and sometimes not... in 2 previous trips with her car (does not have traffic subscription) it was active during the demo period (by luck, the timing worked out perfectly), but she took a trip to PA last weekend and it was not available.

Edited September 2, 2015 by jeff_h

[thrasher086]

In our Focus Electric the traffic appears on the map & the weather works during the demo period.

Well that explains it. I thought the free demo period was just music. I guess I will need to fight with them next week to try to get the 50% off that too.

[hybridbear]

 

Seems like sometimes they include it, and sometimes not... in 2 previous trips with her car (does not have traffic subscription) it was active during the demo period (by luck, the timing worked out perfectly), but she took a trip to PA last weekend and it was not available.

The Energi vehicles & Focus Electric are supposed to have TravelLink Traffic/Weather free for 60 months, same as MyFord Mobile. Ford did this since the Focus Electric was introduced in 2012. Recently all Fords with navigation were given this same bonus. Unfortunately, some Focus Electrics & Energi vehicles don't get the free TravelLink for 60 months. Based on a thread at the Focus Electric Forum, about 10% of 2013 Focus Electrics lose TravelLink after the 6 months of free Sirius ends, while the other 90% correctly keep it for 60 months. Only 2013 Focus Electrics seem to have this problem. I tried contacting both Sirius & Ford about this but could never get it resolved for our Focus Electric. Kim, our IVT rep at the time, said that she could find no documentation that the EVs were supposed to get 60 months free. I searched the web thoroughly & could find nothing in writing from Ford, just forum comments. We bought Sirius for one 6 month period, just music, but also found that TravelLink was reactivated for those 6 months. Each demo period has also caused TravelLink to work again in the Focus Electric.

 

My parents' C-Max Energi has continued to have TravelLink, even though they let their Sirius expire after the initial 6 months free & have never purchased it again. Unfortunately they have not used it once & don't know how to use it so it is completely wasted on them :(

Edited September 2, 2015 by hybridbear

[jeff_h]

The Energi vehicles & Focus Electric are supposed to have TravelLink Traffic/Weather free for 60 months, same as MyFord Mobile.

 

Travelink yes -- traffic, no. When I've had my routine 6-month dance with the Sirius reps to renew for another trial period, they will review the coverage that the ESN has and would note that the Travelink was good until 2018, but they would then also note that traffic was a separate subsciption of $3.99 per month and they say this price is firm )I assume they pay part of that to someone else to get the feed), so it doesn't do any good to waffle on "maybe I want the service, maybe I don't" during the phone call, from the phone calls that I've had with them it's a take-it-or-leave-it.

[thrasher086]

Just giving an update that I renewed my Sirius plan. I always tried to get the promos on the chat option but after about 4 reps saying no, I decided to call to cancel. The phone call lasted 8 minutes and I was able to get Sirius Select for 6 months for 29.99 and continue the 50% off Traffic and Travelink for 18 bucks. Total was 52 something after the fees. I used to get 6 months for 24.99 but I had no luck in continuing that one.

[stlouisgeorge]

I had a bad experience with SiriusXM about 5 years ago. In short they charged me hundreds of dollars more than they said they would on the phone. I had to get my bank to go after them (only time I have ever had to do that). I dread my "expiration showdown" in 4 months. They know that too. I understand that my Ford factory Sirius Traffic/TravelLink goes for 5 years.

What I do now for these situations is create a "Virtual Account Number" credit card. My Citibank credit card allows me to create, on the fly, a random credit card that proxies (fronts for) my real card. You set an expiration date (typically 30-90 days) and a dollar limit. So, if I know Sirius wants to charge me $100, I can create a unique credit card number with a limit of $100 and give it to them worry-free. Note: for some things (such as rental cars) they will "hold" (but not ultimately charge) more than what you owe (so be careful).

 

No more worry about overcharging! No more worry about someone stealing your credit card number either!

 

 

When shopping online or by mail order, you can use a randomly generated Citi card Virtual Account Number instead of your real account number.

https://www.cardbenefits.citi.com/Products/Virtual-Account-Numbers

Edited March 24, 2017 by stlouisgeorge