We know that XM/Sirius has be outsourced to various third world countries. Those reps can resolve "normal" problems but are incapable of resolving anything out of the ordinary.

When I sold my BMW, I had about 8 months left on my Sirius subscription. When I cancelled the sub, the rep suggested that I roll it over to the new Acura on the XM. They charged me a few months at the $77 rate and said that my subscription would start when the free trial expired. They found my radio number using my VIN and said that the subscription would include traffic and weather.

Two days ago my free trial expired. I knew that because my radio quit working. I called and had the signal resent. Nothing happened.

When I called back it turns out that they activated a wrong radio (who knows which one) and that my year started in February. I got that fixed and the sent a signal.

Great - I now have radio but no traffic or weather. A call back got me a rep who said that they can't add the weather and traffic on the $77 plan, that the rep should not have promised the free weather and traffic and that they'd be glad to charge me a special rate of $84 in addition to the (now) $12.95 a month for radio.

A supervisor profusely apologized for the rep's lies and said they'd escalate the problem but that nothing could be done. They hung up on me instead of transferring me to the people who would give me the "trouble ticket" number.

I feel sorry for these reps because they are expected to deal with issues they know nothing about. A year's service is probably what they earn in a month and they really have no clue what a satellite radio is.

How do I get somebody in US customer service before I cancel the damn thing and make sure that everyone who will ever consider XM or Sirius hears about the bad experiences?

 

So I guess I'll answer my own question.

After you talk to CS in the Phillipines, they send you an on-line survey that is actually quite good. Every "You guys aren't better than sliced bread" answer gives you a text box that is read somewhere by CS in the US and - if you give them a phone number at the end of the survey - you get a call from a CS rep in Canada who fixes the problem quickly and with little mess.

That's the only way I've been able to get US CS.

 

when I talked to them it was from India-I told them I wanted to talk to someone in the USA. They transferred my call-which they told me they had to do.

 

So in the end what did you wind up with per year? I'd like to get XM again simply because of the traffic. But the pricing is too high for the terrible sound quality offered. CD quality my ass.

 

Their sound quality is more like 96 kbps MP3s. Scratchy, "sloshy" and muddled.

When they DO bother to upgrade their sound to something close to CD quality, I'll come back.

 

It is hard to say what I paid, but the cheapest pricing on the weather/traffic seems to be ~$84 in addition to the $77 for the radio, so a hair under $200 a year after you add taxes.

 

It depends on what you listen to. I listen to news, radio classics and stuff like that, so sound quality is immaterial to me. I like the ability to drive long stretches without losing signal and having to change the station.

 

As do I, but that doesnt work well where I live with valleys, mountain passes and tall trees.



FWIW, every Sirius/XM person I've spoke to on the phone sounds like they're from the Deep South.

 

You were taken by a bait-and-switch.

The rep said you would get "traffic and weather" for the $77 and that is true...you get some standard weather and traffic channels for major metro areas.

You do NOT get the "live" traffic and weather. This almost happened to me too until I pressed the operator to admit that they are not the live versions of those features.

 

this is their us # 202-380-4000 good luck