On Monday, a satellite radio subscriber has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Sirius XM Radio Inc. alleging that the Sirius XM merger has created an abusive monopoly that "has harmed competition and injured customers."
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, claims that Sirius XM Radio has raised prices "above competitive levels" and failed to increase consumer program choices despite its commitments to regulators.
"The company's illegal and deceptive conduct has harmed competition and injured customers in the (satellite digital audio radio service) market in the United States," the complaint said.
The lawsuit claims that Sirius XM has used its monopoly power to raise fees not governed by the FCC's order when it approved the Sirius and XM merger - such as fees for multi-radio subscribers. It also claims the company violated federal antitrust laws and state consumer protection statutes.
The suit states a multi-radio subscriber with one additional radio has seen their subscription fees increase by 40 percent since the merger. This was never ordered by the FCC, which mandated that Sirius XM commit to not to raise prices of its basic package for 36 months after the merger was completed.
The complaint was filed on behalf of Carl Blessing, a Florida resident and Sirius XM subscriber, by law firms Grant & Eisenhofer PA in New York and Cook, Hall & Lampros LLP in Atlanta. The lawsuit is also seeking class-action status.
[Wall Street Journal]
"The company's illegal and deceptive conduct has harmed competition and injured customers in the (satellite digital audio radio service) market in the United States," the complaint said.
The lawsuit claims that Sirius XM has used its monopoly power to raise fees not governed by the FCC's order when it approved the Sirius and XM merger - such as fees for multi-radio subscribers. It also claims the company violated federal antitrust laws and state consumer protection statutes.
The suit states a multi-radio subscriber with one additional radio has seen their subscription fees increase by 40 percent since the merger. This was never ordered by the FCC, which mandated that Sirius XM commit to not to raise prices of its basic package for 36 months after the merger was completed.
The complaint was filed on behalf of Carl Blessing, a Florida resident and Sirius XM subscriber, by law firms Grant & Eisenhofer PA in New York and Cook, Hall & Lampros LLP in Atlanta. The lawsuit is also seeking class-action status.
[Wall Street Journal]
More power to this guy. Precisely the reason I'm canceling once my pre-pay runs out in March. My 2 radios cost me $20/month now. Come March it'll be $20/month + $6 for 2 internet subs + $2 or $3 in added royalty fees. Plus $2 extra for each additional radio. That's nearly a 50% increase in cost. I wouldn't tolerate that type of price hike from anything I have.
I completely agree with this disgruntled subscriber. As an XM user who has 2 radios and used XM Radio Online with both (wife and I listened at work) we have been very unhappy with the way that our bill has gone, up, while the quality of programming and features available to us have gone down. Even taking off the internet access (just use Slacker and my Inno in recorded mode now) I am paying more for less since the merger. Thanks a lot Mel.
When I first signed up back over 5 years ago, we just got a radio and subscribed and had access to everything XM offered (didn't care about O&A so paid no extra for that). Now they want to lock you into a contract, make you pay for a year at a time and try to hit you with fees for making the slightest change to your account. That's bullshit, and I'm tired of it. I am glad somebody is trying to stand up for us.
Whatever happened to those ala carte plans and public access channels anyways? When does all that rollout Mel?
WAY TO GO MR. BLESSING!!!!!!
There's a REASON for your last name!!!
To: The law firm of Cook,Hall & Lampros LLP, Atlanta, GA - I live about 2.5 hours from Atlanta and I will PERSONALLY drive to your office and sign my name as part of a class action suit and that is NO BULLSHIT!!!
Just let me know. I can find your office on Google/Mapquest and I'll be there!!!
This DEAR fellow posters is the ONLY way we are going to get Mel and his shit for programming brains "yes" men/women's attention!!!
As soon as it becomes a class action lawsuit, go to the lawyers website ASAP to sign up!!!
Come to think of it, I'm gonna contact the Atlanta office in just a few minutes!!!!!
Well, this was only a matter of time.
I'm curious to see how it pans out.
a lawsuit over $1.98 helloo NAB
They promised lower prices, THEY LIED. They promised "The Best Radio On Radio." THEY LIED. As the programming deteriorates, the cost goes up exponentially. Mel Karmazin is a coniving shyster who never has, and never will care about the subscribers or the shareholders. Everybody has been holding in their outrage for far too long. The whole situation reeks of deception and greed.
This is the best news I've heard on the subject of satellite radio in a long, long time. The management is heartless, greedy, selfish, exploitive, and arrogant beyond belief. Everything... EVERYTHING they promised was a complete MYTH !!! And these slithering, coniving snakes wonder why people aren't signing up for the service! I have thought for a long time that the only thing keeping satellite radio from thriving is the absolutely deceitful behavior this company indulges in. They have made plenty of people suffer. I hope they get what's coming to them.
Way to go! I am about to cancel, since all the increases, I just can't afford it anymore.
Yes, my iPod is quaking in its boots now that there is no other way to deliver music other than sirius xm.
By the way, is there a value to a monopoly on something people just don't need?
Yes, my iPod is quaking in its boots now that there is no way to deliver music other than sirius xm.
By the way, is there a value to a monopoly on something people just don't need?
yeah it may not be a monopoly per se, but the price certainly has gone up. When my year prepay is up, I am pretty sure that I will have to pay $13 a month plus $2 royalty fee and what another $3 to get it on my iphone?? Dont forget if I wanted football, another $3? How is the "Best of" not included when the companies merged? I think I may finally quit in January and I have had XM since summer 2002.
Will really miss O&A and the ease of use of the PnP in the office but poor SQ and lame music selection have finally made me realize enough is enough.
Mr. Blessing, you rock!
It's true that satellite radio is neither essential nor the only way to receive audio programming. But, the status of this medium and the desirability of competition was established by law when the FCC set up two satellite radio companies. In order to get the FCC to allow them to merge, which it expressly forbade when it issued the original licenses, the companies pledged not to raise prices and to offer consumers more programming and pricing options. On both counts, Sirius XM has violated both the letter and spirit of its word.
Further, it misled customers and the FCC when it issued pre- and post-merger channel lineups that included all of the former channels, and in so doing making the promise that two separate services would be maintained to give consumers more variety. It also promised inter-operable radios that would have allowed us to take advantage of all of these channels. Instead, it gutted one of its services, XM, and while it did issue an inter-operable radio, it's all but pointless, as there's now essentially one satellite radio channel lineup broadcast over two systems.
Given the deceptions this company handed both to the FCC and satellite radio customers, I think this lawsuit is justified.
I have to agree about the price increases. They promised to lower prices and they did not. They said they would offer A la Carte at $6.99 and special options for $9.99. HOwever, the A la Carte is only available on 2 radios. And the $9.99 plans are worthless options. So, 99 % of people pay more than they did before the merger. The only way around all these increases is to buy a lifetime or at least a multi-year plans. That would be the best option and will save you hundreds of dollars over they years.
Ummm, why not just cancel instead of coming on here all angry. I can't give you your money back.
By the way, when are you guys suing Comcast? My bill has gone from $110 to $170. But I love my channels and internet, so guess what I pay!
I think this is great news and some thing that I think most people that read and comment on Orbitcast were waiting for. I no longer pay XM as I canceled my subs a couple of months after the merger, but I still listen to the service in my Cobalt for free until next April. I used to listen to the service online and on my receiver inside my home, but now I barely pay attention because SXM has basically f'ed the consumer ever since the merger went through.
I hate to dog and talk bad about a service that I used to be so happy with and tell my friends to sign up for.
PS - the Best Buy pop-up ads are killing me.
Let's hope something comes out of this. Like the previous commenters, I've been disappointed with Sirius XM since the merger. The music channels are bland and boring now. Honestly, I never even turn it on in my car anymore except on the rare occasion when I'm in it and Ron and Fez or baseball are on. As soon as they come out with a Sirius XM Droid app, I'll probably go online only.
I am normally not a fan of litigation and think it's abused in many cases, much more often than it is actually helpful. In this case though, I totally agree with the guy and think this is one of the few times where a class-action status would be totally warranted. This merger has blatantly harmed its subscribes on both sides (XM/Sirius), and the new company has flouted the terms of its agreement with the FCC and DOJ. Prices have been raised, and their' now even broadcasting on the very "competitive media" (iPhones and Streaming) that they claimed could harm them and steal market share. The new company lied through its teeth, and legal relief needs to be sought.
Well i am glad to see that so many people are interested in making a difference, but one thing here is missing and is actual knowlege of what are we doing. First of all this isn't something that is being forced on people, everyone had the right to not use the service if they wish. Another thing is that this service is not needed to live day per day... And has everyone forgotten that there is terms and conditions with every service we obtain as well they must be respected... Now this is something each and everyone of us had created on ourself... I don't see an issue with the merger because it was never posted that this merger will combine the products, instead we did hear that it will combine the companies... well lets think about that...
Yeah, I think I won't be subscribing again. I got it free for 3 months with the car and didn't subscribe when it was up until they sent me a "deal". I think it was $40/6 months. When I activated that they wanted me to sign up for another year at the end, so I authorized it. However, times are tight now, and oops that card has been canceled already.
I only listen to 2 stations. It's easier to just go online, see what songs they played on the station, go to iTunes and listen to a preview of any new ones, and if I like it, I buy it. Then I only have to listen to songs I want, not the other crap they play. And at much higher quality.
Linda
Yeah, I think I won't be subscribing again. I got it free for 3 months with the car and didn't subscribe when it was up until they sent me a "deal". I think it was $40/6 months. When I activated that they wanted me to sign up for another year at the end, so I authorized it. However, times are tight now, and oops that card has been canceled already.
I only listen to 2 stations. It's easier to just go online, see what songs they played on the station, go to iTunes and listen to a preview of any new ones, and if I like it, I buy it. Then I only have to listen to songs I want, not the other crap they play. And at much higher quality.
Linda
Maybe they need a slap on the face to wake them up! I am calling to cancel 2 of my subs because the price I'm paying now is almost double what it was when I had XM exclusively. Maybe then I can get the price back in line to what I was paying - or at least closer. I had a bad feeling about the merger from the start and I guess my intuition wasn't wrong. More money, worse service, decreased content, broken promises, explain that to the Feds Mel.
You bashers jump at everything. Leave, we are better off without you. Go listen to your 60% commercials and 40% content. The basics haven't changed. You can get the $6.99 option. I have both services with the best of the other. An iPhone, a Skydock and a car sub. I listen more to satellite/internet/iPhone radio than I watch TV. Content with no commercials (between innings is okay) is a major life enhancing development. And on the revolutionary iPhone too? They are both money well spent.
Wow pleople why don't you read the terms and conditions first... This isn't something we need to live. Is not like is milk or bread so there is no monopoly... Now read the terms and conditions and you will see that we are doing this all wrong...
comcast
All I want is an option for Opie & Anthony on my Inno. That's it. XM 202. No Howard. No sports. No stand up comedy. I only use my XM subscription to listen to O&A, record O&A, and catch O&A replays. Yet I'm forced to pay for the 100 plus channels I don't want or need.
I'd pay up to $10 per month for just "The Virus" and I know thousands of others would do likewise. We only maintain subs because of our loyalty to O&A. But XM isn't happy with giving their subscribers what they want. They are, however, thrilled to spam me about one cent Howard Stern channel offers when I made it abundantly clear I have no interest in his show anymore.
J
Don't bother explaining how capitalism works!
Don't have to subscribe to the service if they don't want to!
They don't get it and more then likely paid bashers or lost there ass on the stock.
The deal was Sirius hold the base price 12.99, has not changes for more them 3 years.
How often has cable gone up in three years?
Internet 128k was already premium service, 56k no longer supported.
Royalty fee pass thru was approved by FCC after one year!
Additional radio charge was not frozen by FCC, Sirius could charge base price of 12.99 if they wanted!
Sirius can not fully merge because of legacy radi out in the market, hence separate services.
While I don't think this lawsuit will amount to much, it will be interesting if any more people come forward with their lawsuits. I feel that there too many people who just want to sue, but I can understand how Mr. Blessing feels. After all, this merge really did become a monopoly and we were mainly lied to about how the merge would be handled. Then again, satellite has a history of lying to the FCC. Remember the agreement when satellite radio first started that each company was only supposed to have 50 channels and not cover weather reports for certain cities? That all was a lie too.
I'm getting more disgusted with this company every day. I have decided after the holidays are all over and I get another internet radio I'm dropping my subscription. Playlists are being cut even more and the deejays are annoying. Satellite radio is slowly dying and I don't want to be around when the ship finally goes under.
Doesn't everyone realize that this is basically an XMFan, O & A loving, Sirius hating blogsite.
Any chance to bury Sirius, Howard and pimp XM, you come here.
The wsj article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091207-714212.html
I can't wait till the sub #'s are out in February because they are easily going to increase by 500k in the 4th Q despite the few disgruntled people who don't know what a great deal they are getting despite the increase in price.
i can say i spen more now for one radio then i did it went from 13 to 17 and i didnt get a warning or nothing i called and then were very nice to explane it and i told her as soon as Howard stern goes so will i
piss poor
and if mel was smart he would do something about it cause i know alot of others are going to
this is how you turn a good idea bad
thanks for messing this up
Applause! Applause!
About time someone filed a lawsuit against Sirius for creating a dangerous monopoly that has ultimately hurt consumers.
This isn't just about price increases as far as many of us are concerned.
Sirius took over a company that brought something unique and innovative to satellite radio. Listening to XM radio was a unique, fresh experience unlike anything heard on regular radio.
What Sirius did was bastardize the concept of satellite radio and reduce it to the levels of FM radio with short playlists, talkative DJs and morning zoos featuring no-talents who know how to force laughter at each other's jokes.
It's disgusting what satellite radio has turned into and we have nobody but Mel to thank for it.
Gotta agree with many here...I always supported SatRad and stayed away from bashing it. With that said, many things promised about the merger NEVER happend (no big surprise). I was going to cancel in the summer but was givin a discounted package. I will not re-new in 2010 if prices stay high. To much entertainment out there and SatRad need to wake up and realize that many LOYAL subs are starting to be disgruntled. I still enjoy the service but the monthy rate is not justifyed.
What about the increased "royalty fee"... doesn't that constitute a price increase since the original fee already included that? Just because the music industry is hurting doesn't mean I should have to fork over more money to greedy record companies!
No not at all, because you cant have all these companies putting up satilites and towers.Reason being it is and will become a securtiy threat to all contries.As well cloge the space above the clouds and become more of a danger putting out radio signal and give more room for mistakes , the last thing you want is for all these satilights falling from the sky if something goes wrong.Haveing XM is very important to keep cummunacation in the sky as well as it is safer then the towers for securty reasons and broadcasting to the people.We are provided a great service that will only become better at a very cheap rate for all the perks it provides.
A monopy is a electric company which there in every state as it is safe for now, but they have had one on us, which should be governmently owned because of the danger and monoply , would be better owned by the government.The man Mr. tesler had the best idea to provide electric to the people and it was never applied because of the cheaper and safer waay to give.Which XM has used his invention to provide a luxury not a nesd to have this service.
Really they can get more for there service then what there giving now and start to make money for the stock holders and if you by the stock you will get a cheaper rate , while the stock goes up .If we all go and buy more of the company then is it really a monoply?
"This isn't about price increases as far as many of us are concerned."
Good point, NJRonbo! The cost increase may be the least offensive piece of this whole pathetic puzzle. It is more a matter of principle than price; what bothers me more than the increase is the fact that they have no principles. They said they wouldn't do it, and then they proceed to nickel and dime the subscribers like a panhandler snorkling in a shallow wishing well. Satellite radio is still a veritable bargain compared to most things. If you spring for the "lifetime" deal, you eventually listen for *nothing. I agreed to that almost 3 years ago, because I was damned if I was going to keep shelling out the yearly fee, which I did the first year. They got much more than a fat chunk of dough - they got a virtual PR machine that extolled the virtues of satellite radio to anybody and everybody. I was so enthused, people probably thought I was a stalker. The whole thing was kind of creepy. What a difference a merger makes; I haven't recommended Sirius/XM since that day of infamy.
I was so sick of terrestrial radio - with the repetition and the commercials - that turning on Sirius was a radio revelation. It was like Dorothy opening the door to the crashed house, and discovering Oz. My first thought was the affirmation that AM/FM truly sucked. Satellite radio became my scantily clad, 23 year old cocktail waitress. I just wanted to turn it on all day long, baby! I was in Emerald City, and my wish had been granted.
My enthusiasm has faded. I still listen for hours a day, but the honeymoon is definitely over, and my soulmate (radio) has gained about 80 pounds (price increases). The allure is still there, but nowhere like in the beginning, when I couldn't wait to touch the knobs and try to make beautiful music (find a good channel). I don't get it (good programming) as much as I used to, and I find myself more frustrated than ever. It's like my plug and play went from Jessica Alba to Jessica Tandy.
When you stop and think about the millions upon millions of dollars that this company has not only invested, but squandered, it just has to burn peoples asses. For a fraction of what has been spent signing "talent", and outrageous sports contracts, money could have been invested in the music programming. There is no excuse for what they have done to satellite radio; the programming has been plundered and mutilated beyond recognition, the yakking and cajoling between songs - and over songs - is degrading, and to charge more for an inferior product is disgraceful.... and immoral.
As corny as it may sound, it really comes down to a matter of attitude and principle. Their attitude is appalling and disgusting. Their principles? That's easy; THEY DON'T HAVE ANY ! It's a damn shame what this management demolition goon squad has done with this marvelous technology. It had so much promise, so much potential to bring great radio back to the millions of people who remember when radio was indespensible - and have been yearning for that experience again. Unfortunate, also, is that younger generations may be denied the opportunity to discover just how wonderful, spontaneous, and astonishing great radio can be. For all you Mel fans out there, all I can say is "good luck." Personally, I have lost all faith in the man.
I don't understand what all the fuss about $1.98. Honestly, if you feel that the service is not worth the additional cost, terminate your contract. It is that simple. I personally could not go back to free radio after having been exposed to XM. It is one of the small pleasures in my life and I don't mind the $1.98 and yes, I have 2 subs one in each of my vehicles.
has anyone noticed that when you subscribe for a year, you run out in 11 NOT 12 months. I just re-upped my internet sub for a year, and they only charged me 11 months, but they call it a year subscription, what is that ?
"When you stop and think about the millions upon millions of dollars that this company has not only invested, but squandered, it just has to burn peoples asses. For a fraction of what has been spent signing "talent", and outrageous sports contracts, money could have been invested in the music programming. "
Steve,
That's the entire problem with SiriusFM in one short paragraph.
Imagine the money the company could save themselves and their subscribers if they fired all the DJs and morning zoo no-talents. All that the service has left at that point is MUSIC.
This is a music service. So is FM radio. However, we are paying for something better and getting the same thing we get for FREE on FM. This is not a service you are proud to integrate into your home music system because you can't simply relax and listen to music. You have to tolerate DJs doing their own shtick and talking right up to the first vocal within a song. And, if not the DJs butting into the music, it's the jingles and promos that play every other song.
So get rid of the talent on the music channels. Give us music. That's what we pay to hear. The company will save millions in salaries. The subscribers will (hopefully) get quality music with expanded playlists.
After all, this is pretty much what XM Radio was before Sirius basterdized it all.
Could you cite a terrestrial station or program that features "60 percent commercials and 40 percent content"? I've listened to lots of terrestrial radio and never heard that. On the baseball games you referenced, for example, as well as on many of the talk stations, commercial time on satellite is identical to terrestrial.
You're better off without other subscribers? How so? If enough leave, your service goes, too.
RMAN, what part of capitalism do people not understand or correctly practice by expressing concerns about a service that has, in their view, changed for the worse? Would it be the part that holds that the only remedy available to such a consumer is simply to keep his her mouth shut and cancel, or the part that says companies in a regulated industry should be able to say anything they want to regulators and then do something different?
As I said above, the company issued pre- and post-merger channel lineups as exhibits in its testimony to the FCC and DOJ (I still have the Acrobat files), and then completely changed those lineups by gutting one service to replace it with the the other. That's the issue to me. I'd be glad to pay their music royalty fees and higher extra-radio charges if the service were returned to its former quality.
You know it's amazing..Guys like Steve O think they are such radio experts. Sirius-XM is the best radio on radio. You CANNOT with a straight face say that any terrestrial station is better with music or talk content, then what you get on satellite! Remember, you don't have to buy a subscription....My guess would be, most whiners realize regular radio blows chunks, but they are pissed that Sirius-XM isn't there own personal I-Pod. Does this lawsuit have merit, guess we'll see.
This has NOTHING to do about any price increase people--Its another special interest broadcaster, such as the NAB(hint) who is bankrolling this frivilous lawsuit--Someone go do your homework and find out who is "paying" the attorneys for this--Its not the person named
* As regards my comment above: Make sure you read the fine print!
For all of those that are screaming read the Terms and Conditions, you will be incorrect in this one... The company creates its terms and conditions and changes them on a regular basis and the terms and conditions are based on the product that they are selling, and "sometimes" the service.
Meaning if you buy a pre paid product or get a free product or reduced product, it has a term condition associated with it that you will maintain the service for "x" period of time w/out penalty... Those penalties and durations vary base on the the offer and product...
As for service you have multi year service plans, and lifetime subscription plans. Multi year plans were offered through both companies, yet Sirius only offered the Lifetime plan... Please understand however that the lifetime plan is a joke, because its only valid for the "life" of a product... So when that product is dead, which life expectancy is typically roughly 5 years on average, you're out of a plan and product... XM did not offer this or use this business practice, probably because it seems unethical and a misleading business practice...
For the record, there was no merger, there was an acquisition that took place, hence the leadership being full of executives from the legacy Sirius company and really no effective executive leadership on the legacy XM side... Despite the fact that the legacy XM side of the business was far more advanced in the business/infrastructure/and technology (by 3 years), a decision was made to migrate to all things "Sirius" even if it is not the best move in the interests of the consumer, or the company itself, there are executives that are making decisions without the foresight, background, or wisdom to do so... One company was run by a series of vendors, while the other company had a more organic growth grassroots entrepreneur model... They chose to go down the path of using the executive management team that is not used to getting their hands dirty or know how things truly work and only look at "cutting costs" by making decisions that cost them more in the long run... Enter "programming rationalization" where they removed channels that they felt were redundant on both sides (and they truly weren't) without reviewing any listnership trends analysis before pulling the plug. That was the first nail in the coffin for many. The next was the rate increase, then having to pay for streaming, and now royalty fees (which by the way XM paid using a portion of the subscription fee consumers were ALREADY paying for), Sirius did not.
Consumers, share holders, and employees (worker bees) alike are feeling the sting of horrific business decisions... The only ones that seem to be coming out on top of all of this are the executives... It's like they are being paid to run the business into the ground... Having a CEO that does not have a background in this type of business, but the exact opposite (Terrestrial radio/CBS etc) would seem like a conflict of interests to have him running a business that should have been at the forefront of cutting edge technology and exceptional programming... Unfortunately the company is being led under the instruction to cut costs, cut people, and cut more costs, and raise pricing, and do not invest into its employees or the business itself... That's a recipe for disaster in and of itself...
Rich,
Make sure that after you cancel your stuff it stays canceled. This will be the third time that I have canceled subs and my internet sub and the next month it is back and I am being charged. When I call customer service, after noticing it 3 months later I am told that it was my fault for not checking my account monthly to make sure they are over charging me.
Orbitcast.................Why don't you write a story on Sirius's deceptive and highly illegal billing practices? Too afraid of what you might find?
@Buck
I pay the extra $2 for invoice billing. I do not let them automatically bill my credit card. They've asked numerous times for it and every time I tell them no. "$2 now will save me lots of money and headaches later."
Thanks for the heads up though
Your post contains many excellent points - thank you for posting it.
Lifetime subscriptions are indeed a joke when you read what "lifetime" means. As you said, it's telling that this was a Sirius ruse that XM did not besmirch itself with until after the merger.
A joke indeed, hence the asterisk! They should rename the company "Siriusly Deceptive XM (X-tra Manipulative) Radio. Outsider... you said it very well. Great post!
Outsider, what a maginificent post and much to what we have pretty much speculated about what is happening with Sirius.
They really turned into a shithole company that is there to boost the earnings of its executives while treating their employees and subscribers like shit.
It's so sad to see what satellite radio has turned into.
....and people wonder why we are so vocal here.
I have had a TiVo with lifetime service for years and they have had the same policy..."lifetime" means the life of the device. Nothing "deceptive" or "illegal", just common sense. Does anyone really think it meant the lifetime of the user? Incredible.
I contacted Customer Care last week to express my grievances. Here is the first one, followed by their reply:
Message: I just updated my preferences, which is really swell. Perhaps you can pass this suggestion along to somebody who cares: please, for the love of God, restore the programming to pre-merger quality. A very large percentage of your listenership, including myself, is outraged at the shorter playlists, the frequency of song repitition, and how closely Sirius/XM is resembling terrestrial radio these days. I hadn't listened to AM/FM for 3 1/2 years, but the programming has gotten so bad that I am doing the unthinkable; listening to some terrestrial radio again.
I'm not the only one who is turning on that "other" radio, and a couple of years ago I would have bet you anything that I never would. People are not happy, and I beleive it is incumbent upon Sirius/XM to pay attention to what the subscribers are feeling, and to strive to make them happy. Instead of asking what our preferences are, take a moment to read the comments on Orbitcast, Siriusbuzz, and Satwaves. This will give you an idea of how people are really feeling about your music programming; it's not a pretty picture!
Satellite radio will not turn the corner until this situation is addressed. It deserves your utmost attention, and the urgency can not be overestimated. Go directly to the subscribers, and ask them how they feel about the programming changes since the merger. If you don't already know, then you should. People are disgusted, and demoralized. Thank you for taking the time to hear me out.
Customer Care reply:
Dear Mr. O-------,
Thank you for your recent email. We appreciate your comments about our entertainment programming on SIRIUS. SIRIUS remains dedicated to providing an unparralleled variety of programming on our more than 50 channels of world-class news, sports, talk, and entertainment channels.
We continually rely on customer feedback like yours and research to enhance your entertainment experience. As we strive to create the most diverse listening experience available, we find that the feedback we receive is crucial to our success! We are forwarding your comments to the appropriate programming team for consideration.
Sincerely,
Ghen R
SIRIUS Customer Care
To be continued........
After getting what I believed to be a rather perfunctory response to my complaints, I emailed them again. What I am trying to convey here is just how incredibly clueless this company is. Their idea of programming - World Class Programming as they claim - is to simply base it, allegedly, on feedback from the listeners. Then they inform me that I can send individual song suggestions directly to an individual channel right from their web site - telling me that "it's easy!"
What the hell is this... Casey Kasems Top 40! No wonder we are listening to shitty programming on satellite radio; these idiots have relinquished control of the programming to any dumb ass who has a hankerin' to hear their favorite hip hop/rapper thug, their favorite lip syncing whore in spandex, or their favotite sound the same as all the other, fake name, country crossover pop hybrid that has spent years perfecting their phony twang! I don't want to hear this shit. The American public has no taste whatsoever. No, Sirius/XM - YOU are the ones who are supposed to be the programmers. You are the ones who are supposed to know what is good, what is musically valid, and what has the melody and the substance and the quality to merit my approval, and other lovers of diverse "tunes." Knock off the popularity contest crap, for heavens sakes! We have enough of that already; if I want what's popular, and what sucks, then I will check out American Idol, or Dancing With The Stars, or The American Music Awards, or last but not least, The Grammy's. All examples of pure, unadulterated CRAP!
My second email to Sirius Customer Care - and their reply:
Thank you for replying back to me. Sirius may be striving to make the programming the best radio has to offer, and in some respects you could make an argument for that claim. However, when it comes to music, SPECIFICALLY, Sirius/XM is wanting. I am on every satellite radio web site/blog on a daily basis (blatant embelishment), and I can assure you that a huge number of your MOST LOYAL SUBSCRIBERS are thoroughly disgusted with the dumbing down and the "FM-inization" of your playlists and musical content. It isn't just about song choices, and about what's popular. If that was the case, Siriusly Sinatra would play "My Way" all day long, because that's what white bread America thinks is good, and it's their favorite. If left to their own devices, and if entrusted by you programmers to make the correct choices, the listeners will turn satellite radio into a second rate karaoke machine. This is where things are heading, and it doesn't bode well for many thousands - if not millions - of your loyal fans, or for satellite radio in general. Your programmers need to stop catering to these request line lunatics, and should, instead, try to appeal to the knowledgable and passionate REAL MUSIC LOVERS. People for whom radio is so much more than a mere appliance playing what is popular, but an incredible medium that entertains, enthralls, mesmerizes, and captivates. Some of your offerings have no distinction from what we can hear on any FM terrestrial station, and this is disheartening. The changes that occured after the merger are, quite frankly, unacceptable to a large portion of your fan base. I say this.... no matter how many people call you or write you demanding more Jonas Brothers, or more "morning zoo" nonsense.
My suggestion is this: You need to change. Your philosophy about programming needs an overhaul. Don't just play what people allegedly want; believe me, most people have no idea what they want - so don't assume they aren't completely clueless. They are! You need to raise the bar, so to speak. Instead of lowering yourselves to cater to the whims of the people who request and glorify mediocrity, why not elevate the programming - in every respect - to cater to the sensibilities of your core base; the millions of subscribers who crave the return of long playlists, unique and eclectic songs and genres, and a return to the spontaneity and diversity that are the earmarks of truly great radio. This approach would sincerely make Sirius/XM the "best radio has to offer." Educate the listeners by immersing them in world class programming; they will discover that so much of what they never heard, and aren't familiar with, is so much beter than the drivel that they used too listen to, that they thought was so terrific. Music is not a static art form; it constantly evolves. Doesn't it make sense for the listeners to evolve along with it? You are doing the listeners a disservice by playing their favorite songs, over and over each day. They will never evolve beyond the "American Idol" mentality that you are helping to encourage. You are doing nothing more than enabling their ignorance. More than that, you are doing the true music lovers a disservice. We left terrestrial radio for one reason; to get away from the type of programming that you are, incredibly, offering to us... and charging us for! This is preposterous, and is one of the prime reasons why subscriber numbers are dwindling, there is no positve word of mouth, and why people are cancelling.
You aren't listening to the subscribers. You may think you are, but you're not. I have been listening to Sirius/XM for 4 years now, and I can assure you that your programming quality has diminished, while the prices continue to escalate. I never used to hear songs repeated like I do now, and I find myself constantly changing the channel in search of "the sense of discovery and spontaneity" that originally attracted me, and countless others, to satellite radio. You need to change, and you need to do it NOW! It isn't too late. Pretty soon it will be. You can take that to the bank.
Customer Care Reply:
Dear Mr. O_______,
Thank you for contacting SIRIUS regarding your feedback on SIRIUS music programming. We apologize for any disappointment this matter may have caused and, we certainly understand your frustration. Please remember that SIRIUS strives on making our programming the best radio has to offer. Song choices on our music channels are made based on feedback from our listeners.
We will certainly forward your comments and suggestions off to our programming department for further consideration. You can send comments and song suggestions directly to an individual channel right from our website. It's easy! Please click on "Request A Song" located towards the right hand side of each channels webpage.
Thanks again for your feedback. All suggestions we receive are forwarded to our progamming department for further consideration. If you have any more suggeations or comments, please feel free to conact SIRIUS Customer Care.
Sincerely,
Jillian G
SIRIUS Customer Care
Doesn't it seem as if Sirius XM is purposely attempting to ruin this
company? If they can't get enough subscribers at $12.95, what do you
think will happen when they increase the price to $14.93?
They have already raised the prices for the multiple radio "discount"
and done away with the free Internet listening. My favorite tactic is
that now the companies are merged, I still have to pay full price for
my Sirius and XM subscriptions because they don't offer the multiple
radio discount across the Sirius and XM brand names. I am failing to
see where the merger helped the consumer. Besides turning off the
service, how else could they discourage consumers from subscribing?
Now, why would a company want to purposely destroy itself this way?
When Liberty Media was given 40% of the company for a mere 530 million
dollars, (remember when the merger was valued at 13 billion dollars?)
it was agreed that Liberty Media would not be able to own a majority
stake in the company for three years. So why would Liberty Media want
the stock price to increase when that will simply increase the cost
for them to take control of the company? After Liberty Media owns a
majority stake in the company, the company will be taken private and
the share holders will be helpless to do anything to stop it. Better
yet, if they can get the company to fail quicker, they could argue
that taking the company private is it's only hope and the share
holders will have to agree to this for fear of losing every cent of
their investment.
Now, after the company is taken private, this is when Sirius XM will
initiate all of these great technologies that we have been hearing so
much about. For instance, being able to broadcast free satellite
radio and inserting advertisements into the stream, while the paying
subscribers will not hear the commercials. We all know that Sirius XM
has this technology because we have see the patents. For those of you
that have not seen it, here is the link.
http://www.rapidpat.com/backpage.cfm?PAGENO=0&TYPE=SIRI8
So why would Sirius XM be waiting to deploy this technology? Could
you imagine the value this would bring to the company? Liberty Media
and Mel Karmazin certainly can. But they don't want the share holders
to steal their profits away from them. If this technology were to be
implemented before Liberty Media owns a majority stake, they may not
be able to afford to purchase the additional 10.1% of the shares they
will need to take control of the company.
What would a company that owned essentially 300 radio stations in
every inch of every market in the continental United States (coming
soon to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico) be worth? This is the reason
we invested in Sirius XM, but I fear we have only paid for the
development of this technology and will never see the financial
benefits.
When I first wrote about Sirius three years ago I stated, "One thing
is for sure...someone out there, somewhere, is scheming." I just
never imagined that the scheme would be so sinister.
BRAVO, Mr. Blessing!!!!
I hope this guy wins, and I hope that Sirius-XM are:
1) Forced to return prices to PRE-merger levels
2) IMMEDIATELY cease ALL simulcasting of channels across both services. Each service MUST have its own unique programming as it was PRE-merger.
I believe these two conditions to be NON-NEGOTIABLE!!!!!
Please, Please Steve O and NJRonbo for the love of all that is holy...LEAVE, CANCEL, SMASH your satellite radios. It's obvious this service will never live up to your incredible talents as music experts who could easily step in and assume even Howard Stern's duties. You guys obviously will never be statisfied with anything Sirius-XM does! So start up your own little internet radio thingy's so you can then be bashed by another expert. If you are unhappy...bottom line cancel! I say again, for my money I CANNOT FIND, nor will I ever find the amount and types of content ANYWHERE on terrestrial radio...that I find on Sirius-XM!
SIRIUS IS NOT LIYING TO CUSTOMERS AS SOME SAY THEY PROMISED NOT TO RAISE (SUBSCRIPTION PRICE OF 12.95$)GET IT ? SUBSCRIBTION PRICE!!! THE SUBSCRIPTION PRICE OF 12.95$ IS STILL 12.95$ NOW THE MUSIC ROYALTY FEE HAS BEEN ADDED WICH IS 1.98$ A MONTH THAT IS FROM THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR THE COPYRIGHTS OF THE MUSIC (ECT)..
Steve,
I love 'ya and I appreciate you trying...
However, attempts to change Sirius via letters and phone calls have been exhausted long ago.
Sirius has received many phone, email and letter complaints over the past two years. This has been verified through our Insider.
Fact is, Sirius is ignoring those complaints and will continue to do so. What you received was nothing more than a form letter response.
It is this continued negligence towards subscribers that has caused more of us to seek forums like this to voice our concerns. At least here it isn't falling on deaf ears.
Your letter is admirable. In most cases you would expect someone to listen. In this case, as in all cases, it will probably never reach a person that cares.
Why is anyone surprised? Why XM went for this merger is beyond me.Sirius has turned XM into a pay hits only top 40 service.Since the merger XM's playlists has dwindled to what made me ditch Sirius in the first place. To make a long story short I will NOT be renewing when my time is up. XM used to be a great service worth paying for, Sirius has poisoned XM and I can't and wont pay for top 40 hit's only radio. Thanks Sirius for fucking up what used to be a great service.
P.S. Is there any way XM can back out of this merger and return to what they USED to be?
NJRonbo & SteveO:
I have gotten similar responses to e-mails that I sent to the SiriusXM "customer service" department concerning the same topic.
I would suggest to anyone who has gotten the "shaft" from SiriusXM(especially as it relates to the rate increases,etc) to contact that law firm (as I did two days ago).
I don't like lawsuits more than anyone else but SiriusXM has gotten so damn sorry that sadly this is the only recourse as far as I'm concerned.
Its the only thing that will get Mel's(and his minions) attention.
NJRonbo,
It was more of a knee jerk response (replying to them), due to the fact that I was absolutely stunned that they responded to my email. Yes - it's a classic form letter, and it is so vapid, vague, and so deprived of any significance that I decided to post it here, where even THEY might read it; albeit when hell freezes over!
A good example of their poor attitude, and a virtual "F-OFF!" from their useless, in name only "Customer Care."
>> I am failing to see where the merger helped the consumer.
No shit?
I mean, like it wasn't obvious up front that the consumer would be the loser in this? Where are all those people who were here before the merger telling us how the consumer would benefit?
Before the merger about 1 in 10 of us posting here pointed out the quality would drop, the consumer would suffer, the price would go up and the promised benefits wouldn't materialize.
Today, it seems those 9 in 10 who wanted the merger are gone. Where'd they go? Back to FM?
I once blamed the death of sat radio on Stern. The truth, however, is that Gary Parsons killed it, by agreeing to the merger in the first place, and once having decided to do it, by wimping out and giving control to the chimps at Sirius.
I wonder....
I wonder if a well-written online petition was drawn up would do our cause any good?
I am certain there are hundreds upon hundreds of past and present subscribers unhappy with the quality of Sirius programming.
If we were to start the petition here and then go to every satellite radio forum and advertise the link to the petition, I think we can garner enought responses that it would make a sizeable impression when presented to Sirius. It may also garner some press in the process.
Just throwing this out there. If you guys think its a good idea we would need an author willing to pen the petition itself.
Tristan28,
It sure does seem like there is a concerted effort to wreck the company. You don't attract the masses by continually raising the prices; lowering prices made Walmart the worlds largest retailer. How do they get all those slobs and seniors - social security check in hand - to pack into buses like human sardines, then migrate en-mass like a herd of gambling addicted wildebeest roaming the Serengeti... to go to tha Casinos ? Very simple; hand out rolls of quarters, and vouchers for this, that and the other thing! People love a bargain, especially now with the country going right down the toilet. It's about getting people in the door - once you have them, THEN you can get the money. Sirius/XM will open the door a crack, and then quickly slam it shut. Look at the Skydock, for instance. The people who own i-phones/i-pod touch have already shelled out major bucks before they even consider the Skydock; especially the i-phone owners. To price this thing at $120 is just plain stupid. To not promote it is beyond stupid.
Of course, if all of the scheming that you suggest is going on - I'm sure it is considering the parties involved - then in the final analysis, WE will look like the ones who are stupid. Although that label may very well apply to me, I prefer the word "victims." I liken Sirius/XM management to a bunch of greedy, coniving predators; salivating like ravished jackals, willing to feed off the carcasses of left for dead subscribers until that big payday in the future materializes.
I thought the whole merger fiasco was sinister. That was childs play compared to the clandestine, depraved corruption that is occuring right under our noses. How very sad this has turned out to be.
My feeling is this lawsuit, if it reaches class-action status will get some attention, but I'm doubtful it will force a change.
Mr. Blessing I think has made a good argument, but when David battles Goliath, it's a pretty tough road in the business world.
In the end, I don't see that Sirius/XM will be forced to do much of anything, apart from some tiny refunds to consumers. It will not change the way the company has de-evolved into a Satellite version of Terrestrial Radio, circa 1982.
Unless some sort of smoking gun is brought out (and still smoking), Sirius/XM's attorneys and mouthpieces will deride this lawsuit as a nuisance, and try for quick dismissal.
Yes,a petition signed by hundreds and hundreds of people will certainly worry a service with 18 million subscriptions. As for the press, I'm sure The Onion would be interested in the story "New Jersey Man Doesn't Like Morning Zoo". Power to the people!
So if Sirius XM started charging the customers an additional "delivery" fee for the signal they didn't lie because they didn't raise their "subscription" price.
There have been a number of on-line petitions since the acquisition and not one damn thing has changed. I do recall that a bunch of subscribers threatened to cancel enmass for one of the "new-buck" channels and that is the only thing that has worked to date. Like some of you have posted, check out the other websites. Unless a bunch of y'all want to deliver a stack of about 500,000 signatures to Mel's office(I would take time off and help deliver them BTW)is the only way a petition would have any effect what so ever and I doubt that's gonna happen.
In my opinion, the law suit is the only thing that will get Mel and his shitty bunch of minions attention. I get no pleasure in posting that but if you go back over time, the entity/company that gets a lawsuit usually deserves it because all other avenues of redress have been exhausted.
Mel,Greenstein,"Guttless" Gary Parsons, et.al. are to blame for this sorry mess and need to pay.
Plain & simple.
For real...or Terminix or Walmart or McDonalds (the value meal is now $1.25 instead of a $1)...the comments crack me up, people complaing over $2 if that is enough to warrant cancellation or complaints from you, you have MUCH BIGGER problems in life! just cancel and move on...i'll keep paying and be happy.
Your post might be a bit more credible if you actually took the time to 1 proof read and spell check and 2 actually share any kind of factual information. Until then, you are just a clueless moron who will continue to pay for a service which is obviously not worth paying for. The merger destroyed what satellite radio once was and as others have pointed out, it isn't any better then what you get from your AM/FM radio. While it is true that with satellite radio you don't get commercials on the music channels, the play lists are so watered down and the DJS so annoying and boring, you may as well be listening to over the air "free" radio. Take channel 8 for instance. You get to listen to a bunch of washed up x vjs play the same 40 songs over and over. Where is the entertainment value? Easy. There isn't one any more. So feel free to pay out the ass for a product which at best can be described as inferior and best of luck to you. BTW, not only did i cancel my subscription for the 3 radios I was paying for, but I also have 1 Siriuss and 1 xm radio which I bought through ebay, which fore some reason came activated and have remained activated for the 3 years I have owned them and I still refuse to listen to "satellite radio" because of how crappy the service has become even though I am basically getting the service for free.
Just bought a new 40k 2010 Honda Odyssey, fully equipped with NaVi and XM Satelite radio capability. Honda told us sure, they were able to transfer our Sirius lifetime subscription to the XM receiver in our new vehicle, after all we were told, "they merged months ago Sirius/XM radio is one in the same company"!
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! My problem was cansed it seems, when Sirius and it's other XM Radio division failed to inform Honda and other auto producers that though they bill themselves as one company on paper, they operate entirely separately in fact. This leaves a lot for dealersip sales personnel to be "guessing" about when closing expensive auto deals.
Here's the situation: Sirius wants us to forfeit our $500.00 lifetime subscription, replacing it with a new $500.00 prepaid subscription to XM to receive their signal. Seems illogical and presumptuous that their service could command such prices, doesn't it? Someone suggested that I purchase and install an aftermarket receiver, a "Jury rigged," unit and connect it to my Honda warranted radio/GPS system, a move that I have been warned about that may likely void our new car warranty. Seems odd to be paying Honda for a factory installed XM satelite radio that we can't use.
How convenient and profitable for Sirius to be doing this. To expect us to tolerate being taken advantage of by one division of itself and then be happy about re-subscribing to its other division to receive a signal we have already paid for, for a lifetime, in advance no less, is just laughable and seems somewhat criminal too! What are their VP's in charge of marketing thinking? Are they just plain nuts? Remember, advertising themselves as Sirius/XM yields the impression in the marketplace that they are the same company.
How can the FCC let them get hurt subscribers in this manner? How can Honda, among the other automakers, be duped into selling OEM radios for this habitually less than end-user friendly company which attempts to "picks its customer's pockets"? The FCC should be ashamed having let Sirius act this way. Sirius should be federally investigated, chastised and prohibited from such abhoring customer treatment pertaining to life subscribers. The FCC had somehow allowed them to lead separate lives and to use loopholes created by so doing. The guise that they live under are a boon to their profit base but, saying they operate separately, when the name you go by and advertise is spoken in the same mouthful infers nothing less that one single company to me, and many more like me. I can vouch it meant the same to Honda Motors employees I dealt with before I purchased my new vehicle too!
Why not just stop the funny business with the lifetime subscriptions already, simplify them and permit their transfer? After all, We life subscribers didn't make it hard for Siris/XM to access our $500.00 life time payments now, did we? Likely, they laughed at us while strolling to the bank to with their deposits.
Siris/XM radio VP's need to remake their sales and consumer policies, step to the plate and legitimize themselves in the eyes of customer, OEM dealer and investor alike by ceasing impactive and horriffic "cash grabs with strings attached" right away if they ever hope to survive in the marketplace? Simply look at their languishing stock price to see that of which I speak.
So, let's get serious, no pun intended , and rectify contract and service "glitches", that are boardline fraudulent from a consumer perspective. Give customer's exactly what they pay for like any real market based company does to promote goodwill to surround its name. Enemies, after all don't make good bedfellows. The FCC should review its prior legislative actions to close loopholes surrounding these companies. When a money raise through Wall Street was too costly, the life subscription was conceived. Little did subscribers realize the pitfalls they would experience or the profits Sirius/XM would be enabled to reap from it.If permitted, the shinannigans Sirius/XM is attempting to pull with us could ultimately cost us $1000.00, Imagine, paying $1000.00 to enjoy receiving a signal in my vehicle. (Honda was paid separately for the receiver remember!)costing Sirius/XM nothing in that regard. Do others see this at all reasonable?
Suggestion to FCC: Make them merge lifetime subscriptions so signals may be accepted by either Sirius or XM subscribers,either or both signals if they wish. Let those who have dealt in good faith with the Sirius/XM concern and who may have experienced a similar situation contact me at Phishnhunt@sc.rr.com; maybe, we can discuss placing a case in the hands of a lawfirm willing to effect a contingency based, Class Action Lswsuit against them.
That's what the lawsuit is all about. It's already in the process. Contact the law firm listed in the article.
One basic problem here is that the whole concept of a "lifetime" subscription is nonsense, in this case, for if you read the terms regarding radio transfers and associated fees, this is not a "lifetime" anything, even if you had stuck with a Sirius radio.
But, in your specific case, I believe a big portion of your beef should be with Honda, or more probably, the dealership that told you a Sirius lifetime subscription could transfer to an XM radio. If they made any written claims to this effect, I think you could recover something from them, but if all you got were informal statements from salesmen, I don't think there's much you can do.
The lesson here: Keep your money in your pocket and don't fall for this. If you want to subscribe, give them their $15 a month so you have some leverage. Once they've got your $400 or $500 or whatever it is at this point, they have absolutely no motivation to do anything for you.
How is this company a monopoly and greedy when they barely have enough profit to keep it running?
The FCC by holding up the merger (the longest in history) nearly eliminated both of the satellite radio companies. How was that good for the consumers and where were your complaints then?
If the lawsuit wins it will just mean Sirius/XM goes bankrupt that much sooner.
For about the 10th time (on this site anyway.....)
For the record:
I was AGAINST the acquisition from the start and the acquisition was BAD for consumers.
Several CONSUMER GROUPS went on record at the time stating that the acquisition/merger would result in HIGHER SUBSCRIPTION rates,and DECREASE in customer service and programming quality due to non-competition...DUH!!!. US Congressman Kohl(sp?) from Wisconsin was one of the few who warned against the acquisition and opposed it from the start. The good man was right. I sent letters to my US congressman and two US senators expressing my concern for the impending acquisition and asking them to oppose it. Rep. Inglis & Sen. Grahmn "meely-mouthed" replies & "Guttless" Jim Demint sent me a letter informing me he was in favor of the acquisition and pubically crowed how it would give better choices and allow for family programming when the acquisition took place. DeMint NEVER passes a chance to get on the "family values" bandwagon any chance he gets and you see how correct he was on this matter.
The original FCC charter was for at LEAST two satellite companies and that shyster Mel Karmazin bullshitted his way into the mess that SiriusXM is today.
Both companies should have failed or succeeded on their own merit. The acquisition has been a disappointment from the start. Sirius & XM are like oil & water(or WERE prior acquisition). Too bad Parsons didn't have the backbone to call a screaching halt to the acquisition but he went to Mel with his hat in his hand instead.
Maybe you wern't around or subscribing back then but there were posts galore on XM-oriented websites saying that the acquisition was going to be the downfall of SATRAD. Sadly they are probably right.
Like a lot of us, I hoped for the best but it has turned to quasi-shit under Karmazin,Greenstein and like-minded minions like we feared it would.
Lifetime subscription for 500 bucks, about the price of any decent radio without any subscription at all, plus you get a second one with subscription for 16 bucks. Must be painful. I don't even want to think what that would add up to with the monthly plan.
Sometimes I don't know what goes through peoples heads. They aren't preventing anyone from putting up another satellite, and if the prices are so bad I don't see how they could possibly be preventing anyone from selling cheaper product. The only thing left is a monopoly through too good a deal, and nobody in their right mind would complain about that.
Lifetime subscription for 500 bucks, about the price of any decent radio without any subscription at all, plus you get a second one with subscription for 16 bucks. Must be painful. I don't even want to think what that would add up to with the monthly plan.
Sometimes I don't know what goes through peoples heads. They aren't preventing anyone from putting up another satellite, and if the prices are so bad I don't see how they could possibly be preventing anyone from selling cheaper product. The only thing left is a monopoly through too good a deal, and nobody in their right mind would complain about that.
I just signed up for the $6.99 a la carte package and I love it! Used to have Sirius back in '04 and '05 but got rid of it because I wasn't traveling as much. Now I come back four years later and my monthly fee is half as much! A la carte is the way to go, hands down. I can barely listen to the 50 channels I have. I mean are you really going to listen to some of the channels they offer like Canadien talk and such. I hate paying for radio but $6.99 is a lot better then $12.95. Only two things I dislike about Sirius/XM is the FM TRANSMITTERS...THEY SUCK and they only offer two rather basic radios for the a la carte (I'm sure they will remedy that soon)
A friend of mine recently bought a lifetime subscription; he is enjoying it and thinks it's a great investment.
For now, it may appear to be, and it certainly equals peace of mind to know when you flip on your system it'll be there.
Thing is, will it be there next year? Or two years, or even five years down the road? Despite the slow turning, in terms of getting a grip on debt, there's still an awful lot behind the scenes we don't know about.
What happens to the subscribers who paid $500 or whatever it is for the lifetime deal if/when it dies? They're screwed, no matter how you look at it; and there's no chance of getting any of it back.
I think the "lifetime" subscription was kind of like the old PTL Club's lifetime membership scam--the Bakkers sold too many, and got called out on it. Here, enough of these subscriptions mean the company's already got the money, yet they have to keep providing product.
In the long run, not good for cash flow.
Any way we can join this lawsuit?
Its not even just the $1.98 for music royalty fees (which the companies were getting charged with all the time I believe. They just chose now to add more for the subscribers). It's the increased fees for multiple radios...the once free online streaming is now a separate subscription...and if your radio breaks or you buy a new one, they charge you I think it was $15 to transfer from one radio to another. That was also free before the merger. These are all ways of circumventing the 'can't raise subscription prices' rule. The quality of programming has gone down as I used to go days without hearing the same bands twice and now it is barely a few hours. And for those that say 'well, if you don't like it...cancel'..and do what? Its a monopoly and there is nowhere else to go to get the same service. At least until internet access and internet radio is available in vehicles. I understand they have a business to run and try and make it profitable. But instead of alienating customers...how about not offering those insane contracts that drain the company like Howard's and Oprah's among a few.