Complain about a product or service

XM Satellite Radio

Rebecca of Brandon, SD October 1, 2009

I bought my car new in 2005 and the XM Radio was already running. I had an automobile accident in July, 2009 and did not have access to service for XM from the time of the accident until September, 2009. I began receiving automated calls telling my my service was about to run out and I should call such and such a number. Since I did not have my car, I could not verify anything. I also do not call and give out my credit information to automated machines (or people for that matter), that I have not initiated contact with. I also did not receive a paper bill. However, I then began getting calls from a bill collector in September, within days after receiving my car back, telling me XM had turned me into collections!

I refused to give my billing information to this stranger who was demanding my credit card information and requested XM's telephone number. He refused to give it to me said, "you have to pay now." I let him know the conversation was over. I then looked up XM's number on line and was assured, that, yes, I had in fact, been turned over to collections (the first time in my 54 years!). So, I requested they send me a paper bill and that I would pay it. Guess what? I got not only the collections bill, but also a separate bill from XM for a differing amount for the time period when I did not have my car! I guess when times are tough, companies feel a need to bully money out of the customers. I'm not impressed. And, now that I know how they do business, unless you are a masochist, spare yourself some pain. It appears they are desperate.

Martin of Massapequa, NY September 27, 2009

I've been trying to find out pricong plans for XM radio. It's impossible to find on their website. I'm a subscriber who downgraded their service last year to get the channels I wanted. Supposedly, when Sirius and XM were allowed to combine they would have to offer a la carte pricing. I see no evidence of that. They do offer some of the worst mini packages every conceived. In all, I would say this service is overpriced and under performing. The FCC gave them a license to steal. After a year or so, you have to realize what a waste of money this is.

Courtney of Henderosnville, TN September 25, 2009

I would like to express how un-profesional XM Radio's overseas staff really is and their lack of true customer care. My husband and I are new customers (1 week) to the XM Radio experience and had a serious issue regarding our 7 month subscription. A birthday gift for my husband, my mother called XM and ordered two 55.00 giftcards for him to put towards his subscription...that's a total of 110.00. Seven days into his new subscription he lost all service.

To make a long story short, I contacted XM (was put on hold on 3 different occasions, each 10 minutes or longer), they explained our two gift cards are non-redeemable and suggested I contact the store where my mother purchased the cards....ironically she had called XM Radio and bought the giftcards directly from them! I've spoken to 4 customer service techs and each give me one more piece of useless information. Currently we're waiting for a tech in the refunds department to contact us in the next 3 days to investigate the matter! What is there to investigate? We've been cheated and stolen from! To top off my frustrations when asked what our Radio ID number was they told me the ID could not possibly be correct b/c there system showed our specific ID as still available!!!

Scott of Athens, GA September 24, 2009

At between 7:25pm and 7:30pm EST on Spet. 11, 2009 , I was listening to station 8 (aka 80s on 8) on XM radio which claims to air 1980s music. In between songs, a LENGTHY pro-Obama political tirade in a male voice was aired that suggested, among other things, that parents who felt that "their children's ears would be harmed" by listening to Obama should "use this weekend" in order to get some "perspective". The tirade included additional insulting statements directed at those who disagree with the President. XM radio offers explicitly labelled talk radio stations. 80s on 8 is not one of them. Randomly placing incendiary political tirades on music-only stations is misleading and constitutes a deliberate misrepresentation of the service.

T. of Apopka, FL September 23, 2009

My husband sold his truck in January so he called XM to cancel his subscription. They offered him 3 months of free service until he purchased his next vehicle. His next vehicle had Serius... and of course they could not combine our accounts. So 3 months later we receive a bill in the mail for his old radio. I called and explained that he hasn't had the radio/truck since January, reminded them that he called to cancel it back then, and therefore should not be billed. Not only did I get hung up on, treated rudely, and had to ask for a supervisor. When they finally did apply the credit months later, they credited all but 5. So, I called back again, today, tried to explain what happened and asked them to credit the remaining 5. Sherine argued with me for at least 10 minutes about dates, and call history, and offers... blah, blah, blah. I finally said, "Sherine, may I please speak to your supervisor to have this 5 credit applied?" IMMEDIATELY she said, "I will gladly apply the credit to your account today. Is there anything else I can help you with?" I laughed out loud and said, "yes, you can tell me why you are willing to apply the credit now." She started arguing again. I said, "look, Sherine. I really appreciate you helping me today and taking care of this 5. Thank you and have a nice day." I am utterly amazed! HOW CAN CSR's ARGUE WITH CUSTOMERS ON THE PHONE? I mean, come on, what kind of customer service training do these people get? This is THE MOST unprofessional operation I have EVER come across in all my ** years!

Tami of Lake Mary, FL September 23, 2009

My husband called to upgrade our xm service to "best of everything". He asked how much extra a month it was and he was told 4 a month per account. He agreed and said he wanted to do it and they added the service. Then I just happened to check our credit card bill and we were charged 430 for this upgrade. I called and was told that how they do it is they stop the current subscription and have to then renew the subscription with the new service added on! How deceiving this is because my husband called to upgrade NOT renew. He was also never told the final amount that our credit card would be billed. We were also never sent a receipt. This is very bothersome to me that they can just charge us without telling us the amount or sending a receipt. I have called asking for a detailed receipt and they claim they can not send one and I can mangage my account online if I want to see it. I feel that since I am the customer and I pay them then THEY can manage the account and send me a receipt when they have just charged me 430! This is a monopoly at it's best--If I want satelite radio they are the only option and they know it!!

Mike of carson city, NV September 22, 2009

I called to try and settle a billing issue. The Customewr service rep could only find one of my 4 radio accounts. I asked if she could get me a supervisor because I needed to consolidate all me accounts and she insisted that I only have ONE account. I politely stated that I KNOW I have four accounts so if she would get a supervisor we could settle this. She rudely said she would get a supervisor and put me on hold... for over 17 minutes and never got back to me. The most unprofessional company since there is NO competition left for digital radio. Monopoly at it's finest.

glen of morganton, GA September 21, 2009

Got a call from xm offering a discount if I would reinstate my membership. I accepted the offer. that is when the problems started. I was told to access my account to see the details. I was unable to access the account so I called customer service ( that is a joke) I had 6 different reps assisting me. I was on the phone for slightly over two and a half hours.

Most of the people spoke such broken english that I was unable to understand them. I repeatedly asked for supervisors because they all told me that my service had been cancelled 7 months before and there was nothing they could do to help me. This was after they had taken my credit card info and charged me for the service. The car that my xm radio was in had not even been built 7 months ago but you cannot convince the people on the phone.

I finally, after the 2 1/2 hr phone time, just requested cancellation and a refund. Everytime you ask them to check something in your account they put you on hold (for a minute) which actually ends up averaging nearly 20 minutes per hold. Twice they conviently lost the connection and the whole process had to start over again. This company does not deserve to stay in business and they will NEVER get my business again. I now would not take one of their special offers even if it was for free.

If I had gone ahead with the offer and didn't call to cancel my price would have increased by a bunch. The trick is in getting to someone who can cancel the account without making you wait over two hours. The first five people who told me everything was taken care of were wrong since they were looking at an old account that had been cancelled long ago. If I hadn't persisted I would have had recurring charges to my credit card. Do yourself a favor and stay away from these people. They are either inept or worse they are crooked. Forewarned is forearmed.

Donald of Malone, NY September 19, 2009

I bought a truck 8/08 and it came with a free trial of XM Radio for 3 months. At the end of the trial period XM Radio went into my personal ON STAR account and got my satellite phone # and kept calling me to extend my trial period for 3 months for 14.97. Finally I gave in. Well 9/09 I receive a bill from the collection agency for 41.07 for the month of 4/09 & 5/09(so they tell me). I called the collection agency (whom by the way I think is owned by XM RADIO-how quaint) and explained I never entered into a contract with XM for any service and that I extended my free trial after they kept calling my truck phone. They just want the money and do not want to listen to details.

So I then called XM-1st time I ever called them on record 9/9/09 for explanation of collection agency charges and they told me I should have called to cancel my "promotion period" when it was up or they automatically bill me. I expalined I was never told this by the person who called me. Pretty much i was told to bad-they get these calls all the time and I should make a one-time-payment of 41.97 just to get this over with. I am hopping mad-how many people have they scammed, how many people have just payed and not fought? Is there a class action suit? I spoke to On Star and they agree that XM Radio is very deceiving and they are tricking people. Yeah it's seems like 41 bucks just pay it-but add all those 41 up and they are robbing people. The address of the collection agency is XM RADIO, C/O CCA, PO BOX 567, NORWELL, MA 02061. Funny huh? Collection agency with the title XM in it. They also told it it would hurt my credit if I don't pay the bill. Anybody out there fought them and won?

Leland of Wichita Falls, TX September 19, 2009

I have been trying to sign up with xm for two days,but I do not have any service yet even though I signed up for a year after my 3 month trial. I was with serius for 6 years and did not have this kind of problems.they said I would get my account # by e-mail? What do I Have to do?

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