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Sirius XM Radio

Sirius XM Radio review: The worst customer support 25

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7:06 pm EST
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I have been a customer with XM Radio (now Sirius XM) for almost 5 years. In that five year period I have had to contact customer service at least once per year due to billing issues. Although the technical part of the service provided (the broadcast) has been quite good, the Sirius XM customer support team is near worthless. As best as I can tell, they are a contracted organization and not likely even Sirius XM employees, so they know little about the products or services. Generally, you can expect to be on hold for at least 15 minutes. During this time you will be asked several automated questions like for your phone number, etc. Once a human does answer, you will find that this person barely speaks English, so understanding will be very difficult. The first question you will be asked is for your phone number, which the automated system just previously thanked you for providing. Whatever you do, do not ask a question which requires any kind of authorization. Nearly anything you ask will result in this comment, "Let me escalate your issue...". The problem is that this means nothing. The next comment you hear will be, "...is there anything else I can do for you today...?" followed by them hanging up. No one will be contacting you regarding your so called "escalation", so don't hold your breath.

In general, Sirius XM is just about the worst I have ever come in contact with. What a shame that such great technology is backend by horrible customer service. Corporate greed is responsible for this. This is the theme for too many companies world wide. When will the consumer starting fighting back? We need to stop complaining and start doing something about this. Maybe this is my first step. My next will be to drop the service.

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25 comments
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jacena
Melbourne Beach, US
Jan 29, 2010 8:26 am EST

After canceling my order, they keep sending me a bill that does not agree with any of my previous bills.When I demanded an explanation they sent the bill to a collection agency.This company is awful and I don't understand how they are allow to get away with it .The reason I cancelled my subscription is that after they offer me a discount and I accepted to continue they sent a bill higher than the previous year !Then I called and cancelled.

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totallyunhappy
Tampa, US
Jul 25, 2009 7:13 pm EDT

When I choose not to renew with them, they tried to charge my credit card anyway. I had already cancelled that card. They kept trying to bill me and then sent me to their collection agency. They won't take no for an answer. Time to get an attorney involved and I will never do business with them again and will tell others to watch out for their unethical ways.

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Gary Van Heusen
Grass Valley, US
May 27, 2009 9:51 pm EDT

What a run around. I canceled my service in March, I was still charged on my credit card in May for another quarter. I called and was very polite in getting my refund. I was told there was no problem a refund would appear on my credit card within 72 hours. After six days I called regarding my refund and was told that XM did not have a credit card on file and that I should receive a check within 2-3 weeks. I'll believe it when I see it!

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DJM
Redondo Beach, US
Mar 25, 2009 11:33 am EDT

If you ever had XM radio check your credit card statements. I've called twice to cancel and after long hold delays and alleged cancellation, I still get monthly credit card charges. It seems that the only way to end this will be to cancel the credit card.

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Patrick
, US
Mar 09, 2009 6:10 pm EDT

Today I got a bill from this company telling me they were going to auto-renew my contract with them for service I have not had for over five years. This company has significant financial problems since they were acquired by Sirius and they are not resorting to these billing scams. If you ever had service with these people watch your credit cards to make sure they don't start charging you for service you do not have.

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Brent
San Lorenzo, US
Feb 14, 2009 2:44 pm EST

Cancelled a subcription to xm radio for a reciever I was not using. I had about 9 months time on my prepay when i called to cancell . They "gave " me three months "free" and told me i could let a friend use it .
this week I got a bill for quarterly service, for an account I closed last year, for $40. When I told them I cabcelled they said I asked for the extension, and would not credit the amount.

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Jo Ann Keith
Twin Falls, US
Dec 18, 2008 6:13 pm EST

I get XM radio on TV because I have my TV service thru Direct TV. I have enjoyed the music on xm radio the channel 819 Love. Now it says xm sirius, Abba Radio, not the good listening music that I enjoyed before. If I wanted to listen to Abba, I would buy cd's. But I don't enjoy what you have now. The tv shows are so bad, sometimes I just listen to music. Now that is gone. Why?

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shawn
,
Sep 29, 2008 10:52 am EDT

waited over 30 min. on phone for tech support. xm radio quit working. guess they shouldn't have made me wait. gave up on them and am now going to cancel subscription. xm is to large to care for its customers except when they want your money!

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Martin
,
May 12, 2008 11:57 am EDT

I listen to your Bloomberg radio on my XM Radio for very good financial news coverage. My compaint is with your advertising announcers, during an ad will say websites with WWW.Whomever. DOT CUM instead of DOT COM. This is disturbing because it is so obvious that they are perverting it on purpose. I hope someone would get on this and stop this filthy so called subliminal advertizing.

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IsaacNo
New York, US
Jan 30, 2011 3:25 pm EST

Terrible company, and terrible customer service.

Never do business with them. They do not refund full amounts, and hang up when you call them back to complain about it. Tell your friends and family not to ever subscribe. Its simply not worth it.

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CompGuyEye
San Diego, US
Dec 26, 2010 7:20 pm EST

The whole company is a joke. Billing problems. I even had to spend my own money to send the product back. Someone needs to put the company out of business! Please.

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Judith Lorenz
Ocean View, US
Feb 16, 2013 3:40 pm EST

I have tried to contact SiriusXM and all I get is another country. They are outsourced to Egypt, India and several other countries. They admit they cannot help me, but refuse to give me a number to reach someone in the US. I paid for 2 years service for 2 cars. The signal stopped on one car and the message came through on the radio to renew. My husband thought he only had one year service and never told me. The renewal has arrived in the mail and low and behold he saw the bill and is angry that he was cut off and it had been paid for. Sirius owes me 1 year service and I cannot get anyone in the US to help me. Anyone have any idea to whom I complain?

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Bob2029
Livonia, US
Mar 16, 2011 5:23 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Below is a letter I sent to XM's Third Party collections Agency - I'll never do business with these people again!

March 14, 2011

To:
EOS CCA
700 Longwater Drive
Norwell, MA 02061
[protected]

Subject: Dispute of XM Radio Charges

In order to get you and XM Radio off my back I have enclosed a check for $36.27 to “CLOSE” my account and “I am disputing the validity of this debt” and will continue actions for reimbursement of this amount.

Upon receiving a service renewal bill from XM Radio on 1/20/11 I spoke with their Listener Care Rep to discuss a lower rate or discontinuation of services, she could not help with a lower rate so I told her to discontinue my service or just let it expire.
I received another bill on 2/2/11, I call Listener Care again I told her I had already called about this issue and if she could not give be a better deal to just let it expire or turn it off.
I received another bill on 2/28/11 and a phone call from them indicating that my service would be shut off, I told him I had already called twice and to just let it shut off. It finally shut off on 2/28 or 3/1/11.
I checked my XM account On Line only to find out that it was in collections, I immediately call them "Again" and was told that they (She) would take my account out of collections, I thanked her for her help and then she went on to try and get me to renew to which I declined.
I thought this was over until I received at least two emails indicating that they had tried to bill an old credit card they had on file (I had requested this card be removed from my account two years ago) I then received a Debt Collector notice on 3/8/11 for $36.27.
I did not request or authorize any extension of service and do not owe this amount. I am very frustrated with their unethical, deceptive, harassing, boarder line illegal subscription practices.
A copy of my complaint has been submitted to the FTC, BBB and On Line with www.customerservicescroreboard.com, looks like I’m not the only one having problems with XM Radio, I will also be filing complaints with the State Attorney Generals Office and our local news “trouble Shooters”.

Bob Haid
P.s.: I would sign this but I’m afraid they’d try forging my signature on a check.

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ExquzM3
Discovery Bay, US
Feb 09, 2011 4:02 pm EST

I had the same experience. I hope the $75 they sent me to collection for was worth NEVER getting my business again. I cancelled two other radios because of this. I'm DONE! I recommend NEVER doing business with companies that do this unethical billing.

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Gene68
Orland Park, US
Oct 18, 2010 7:53 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

The same problem happened to me. I had to dispute the charge with my bank before it was corrected. Everytime I would call they would tell me they did not charge me twice yet I had the statement to prove it. When I would ask to speak to a manager, I was always told they were in a meeting, be put on hold or hung up on. Here is the e-mail I sent to the CEO.

Dear Mr. Karmazin,

I am a customer of XM radio.

Last year my credit card was charged more than once for service renewal. It took several months to get it resolved and I had to dispute the charges with my bank.

Every time I called and asked for a manager I would be hung up on, told all the managers were in a meeting or put on hold with no one to pick back up.

Now my service is up for renewal. My statement is showing that I owe $166.24 for “Account Summary for Billing Period 8/1/2010 – 10/10/2010”. That is for two months that already past. I called your customer service and had another horrible experience. I did not get the name of the female employee I spoke to. I told her why I was calling and she informed me that the bill is for October 2010 – October 2011. I tried to explain to her what my invoice stated and since I had a problem last year I wanted to make sure I was being invoiced correctly. The employee was extremely rude and when I asked to speak to a manager she said “whatever” and hung up. I called back and spoke with another female. I asked to speak to a manager and was told they all were in a meeting. She asked if she could help me so I went through the explanation with her. I basically got the same response from the second employee and she didn’t know why my invoice had the incorrect dates. She then kept pressing for a credit card payment. I told her I would mail a check. I once again insisted to speak to a manager and was put on hold. After about 10 minutes being placed on hold the call was disconnected.

Is all of this acceptable to you and your directors? Are managers available to speak to customers with issues? All of your employees I have dealt with this year and last have been rude and unwilling to resolve issues except one male. I feel I have been a good customer and don’t deserve this type of treatment.

I am asking that you look into this situation and get back to me.

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Francee
, US
Feb 11, 2010 1:37 pm EST

XM Radio is involved in shady billing practices.

The amount they charge customers on the phone differs greatly from the actual credit card charge. Keeping a close eye on your statement is the only way to catch it.

A verbal phone charge is the same as signing a receipt in person--imagine if the receipts you signed in stores did not include 2 types of taxes + other unauthorized fees. I cannot believe they are getting away with this fraud.

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ScoutsFather
, US
Jul 25, 2009 7:42 pm EDT

Good to know. I am not going to renew either, so I'm glad hear your experience and will prepare to get documentation when the time comes.

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wayne m m
Greenville, US
Jun 29, 2009 10:43 pm EDT

I had one year service with XM Sat. Radio. The next year, I was charged for another year on my credit card. I called and advised that I did not want their service and received a partial refund. I was offered 3 month FREE. I told him I didn't want his service. He said after the 3 FREE months the service would stop. They have my credit card number and keep charging me each 3 months for additional service. I have been on the phone over and over and am told that because I received the free 3 months, that they have the right to auto renew the service and keep bislling me. They are like talking to a wall. What a bunch of Crooks. DON'T GIVE THEM YOU CREDIT CARD NUMBER, unless you want them to charge you for the rest of your life.

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Beck
Cumming, US
Jun 17, 2009 11:29 am EDT

Seems everyone agrees, XM has NO CUSTOMER SERVICE and when you do get someone, they are in Asia. A couple of years ago I took them off my credit card for payment and have since paid them online thru my banks online bill pay. I acidentally paid them $1561.00, yes that's fifteen hundred dollars! (should have been $35) 4 weeks ago and still have not gotten my money back. I contacted my bank who called them with me on the line and we were transfered from one person to another around the world. One rep told me check was mailed and it takes 4 to 6 weeks to receive it! Wow is it on a boat from Asia? If and when I get my money back I am cancelling all services with them and we have been customers of Xm for 5 years.

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Mary Ann Weyer
West Hills, US
Apr 07, 2009 6:21 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Don't trust anything that they promise. They promise things and they are not trust worthy. They are workers in another country and unethical.

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Mary Ann Weyer
West Hills, US
Apr 07, 2009 5:49 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

customer service is in the Carribian and act like robots. Would only help me if I wanted to stay a customer. Charge unathourized charges on credit card. Prices have gone up way too much over the past 4 years. I canceled my account and they could and would not credit my account after taking out fee for a year because it was after 30 days and they only give you 30 days to dispute billing. it is not worth the money. I was offered 1/2 price for a year if i wanted to sign up or stay a customer but I was not given all my money back. It only goes one way. They techs talk at you. It is as if you are speaking to a recording. Constantly appologising but unable to really help or make customer satisfied. It is not the feel of an American company.

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Wayne Allan
Boise, US
Mar 30, 2009 5:16 pm EDT

I was just charged $479.51 for a radio I cancelled almost a year ago (I am assuming it's that radio, so far I have been placed on hold several times and told they have no record of the charge, but it is on my amex as XM SATELLITE radio and verified as the merchant by amex.) They have transfered me to their "supervisor" and each time the phone transfer is unsuccessful and I get hung up on and have to start again.
Earlier this year they over-charged me for a different phone for $128 and have failed to refund me. This is unbelievable.

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Gerry
Antioch, US
Mar 27, 2009 11:41 am EDT

I sent the following letter to XM Radio, requesting removal of a charge they applied that I did not authorize. Not only did I send it to the email address XM says to send to on their website (listercare@xmradio.com), but I looked up who the senior management was at XM/Sirius (CEO, COO, Sales/Mktg SVP, etc.) and found that the logic XM/Sirius uses in their email system is first letter of first name followed by entire last name and sent the letter to both @xmradio.com and @siriusradio.com for each name. The @xmradio.com emails were returned unsent, but the @siriusradio.com went through! This morning I received a call from XM Corporate indicating they got my email and completely removed the charge from my account and sent an email confirmation to me as proof (upon my request. I figured I'd post this to help the MANY people I see are having similar issues and feel there's no possible solution. The execs you can send emails to include: mkarmazin@siriusradio.com, sgreenstein@siriusradio.com, jmeyer@siriusradio.com and daltman@siriusradio.com. Here's the letter I sent:

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To Whom It May Concern:

Three years ago I signed up (over the phone) for a 3-year subscription for both of my cars (radio ID's: XXXXX and XXXXX), paying in advance. My 3 year commitment expired and I was debating on whether to renew, but had not decided yet. Today I received 2 invoices for $34.05, indicating a past due amount. I called your customer service to understand what the charge was for and was told that because I did not call to cancel my 3-year subscription, it automatically renewed and was shut off because of non-payment. I was told that it was my responsibility to go to your website to understand the terms and conditions, which indicate I needed to call to cancel.

I am disputing the charge and would like it removed from my account and not sent to collection, in that I never signed, nor agreed to, an automatic renewal. I signed for a 3-year plan and expected that at the end of my commitment, I would not have service if I did not renew, no different than a magazine subscription.

I asked to get escalated to a supervisor (Will -employee #47809), who told me that he was the furthest I could escalate to and that I should've gone on your website to be familiar with a term and condition that required me to physically call to cancel my subscription. When I asked told him how people would be expected to do that if they did not have internet or a working computer, he told me I/they would need to go to the library to access your website. When I asked for a call back from his manager, he told me it was unlikely I'd get a call.

I am outraged that this has happened and planned to re-subscribe in due time, but have serious doubt about it now, learning that this is how you treat a customer who had faith to sign and pay for 3 years in advance. I would greatly appreciate it if you would acknowledge removal of this charge, in that I do not want to have to deal with collection disputes and other time-consuming/costly effort to defend myself. After Googling to see if there was anyone who had this same problem, and how they got it resolved, I was appalled to find this is a BIG issue and not uncommon. Please prove them wrong and waive this charge.
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I hope this has been helpful to you! Good luck!

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Zuzs
, US
Mar 10, 2009 8:00 pm EDT

I'm having that same problem. I checked my card today and notice that I had an unauthorized charge of $142.45 from them. I sent them a message earlier and if I don't hear anything back, I will be calling them and my credit card company.

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Danielle
Las Vegas, US
Dec 26, 2008 3:18 pm EST

XM was bought out by sirus. has nothing to do with the cable service. XM channel just doesn't exist any longer.