Sirus XM Offer

[jake75]

Got an email offering 3 years for $99 to activate XM on my Vibe. I called them and asked if I could use that offer on my Equinox as that is my primary vehicle. Talked to 3 people. The first two never heard of that offer. The third says I could not use it to activate service on the XM radio in my Equinox. Oh well, I guess I saved $99. Plenty of free music on am and fm. I mentioned that their website says I could transfer service from the Vibe radio to a new vehicle but was told I could not transfer a promotional deal. The only deal they offered on the Equinox was $99 for 1 year.

[Caretaker]

Yep; those of us Vibe owners who took a huge risk in '09 by buying a lifetime plan, helping to bail Sirius XM out of financial difficulty as their stock lagged at 63 cents a share, were thanked by a provision which prevents us from doing a one time transfer. Here are the rules for lifetime owners:

If you purchased a Lifetime subscription

Before June 20, 2005: Yes, it is transferable from one radio to another any number of times.*
From June 20, 2005 until September 7, 2007: Yes, your Lifetime subscription is transferable a maximum of three times.*
On or after September 8, 2007: Lifetime subscriptions associated with home, portable or dock & play radios can be transferred a maximum of three times.* Lifetime subscriptions first associated with or transferred to radios installed in vehicles by automakers or dealers are NOT transferable unless the radio is stolen, accidentally damaged or defective

So for us lifetime Vibe owners, we get a whole-lota-nothin' when it comes to extending our "lifetime" listening while driving. I need to keep this oil guzzler alive for one last cross country trip. Then, any additional time I get out of the car while living in tropical paradise will be considered a bonus. There are now plenty of listening options installed into current model cars that render XM customer service's bag of lies moot.

[jake75]

I never had any subscription, let alone a lifetime subscription. The 3 years for $99 seemed to finally be what it is worth to me, but didn’t want it on my Vibe which is now our least used vehicle, wanted it on my Equinox. I can understand the logic re a lifetime deal, a person could stretch that for decades. But there is I think the ability to transfer a term of years subscription. There is a $15 activation on such transfer, but it is still xx number of months for yy dollars. I guess the $99 for 3 years deal is an attempt to get revenue from aged vehicles only. It’s all marginal profit for them. Adding a unit costs them nothing. Not allowing my Vibe offer to be used on my Equinox is a loss of $99 for XM. I guess they hope I will opt for the one year $99 deal. Nope, not gonna happen.

[tpollauf]

Yep; those of us Vibe owners who took a huge risk in '09 by buying a lifetime plan,

I'm one of them also

Bought our first sirius radio somewhere back in 2005 and immediately paid the lifetime subscription. Back then I think it was $299 (no royalty fees) and it was a gamble as they were still new to the industry and you never knew if they would go bankrupt in the future. Second radio was purchased two years later along with the boom box (use it on job sites and the lake/beach) and also purchased lifetime subscription for the same $299. Third radio was my 2009 Vibe Gt and purchased the lifetime (went up to $399, still no royalty fees) and will keep this car 20-30 more years or till I'm in my grave

Had the home receiver transferred once in 2010 and the boom box one in 2014. Both were the basic $75 transfer fee. To date, I'm ahead of the game on all three and somewhat satisfied with the whole Sirius/XM system.

For my remaining cars (truck, wife ,son) I negotiate the promotional 6 months/$30 plan twice a year. Never had any problems yet!

[Caretaker]

I just received a notification of a class action lawsuit against XM.
As I read this, it appears as part of the lawsuit, I and others who took a HUGE gamble and bought our lifetime subscription within a very small window of time between Sep 2007-2009 when XM's stock price was 12 cents a share, will no longer will be singled out and may transfer our subscription to another car radio for $35. Before, they would not allow this very small subset of people transfer at all unless our radio was broken and a new one was placed into the same car. The wording/passage I posted a few postings up from this one no longer is found on the XM website

***From the Settlement: Under the Settlement, Class Members with Lifetime Subscriptions that are active as of June 5, 2020 (“Active Lifetime Subscriptions”) will be able to transfer their Lifetime Subscriptions from one satellite radio to another radio capable of receiving Sirius XM’s satellite radio service (either pursuant to a paid or trial subscription to satellite radio and/or data services) for an unlimited number of times provided that they pay a transfer fee to Sirius XM of $35 for each transfer. The Settlement reduces the transfer fee from $75 to $35. If you hold an Active Lifetime Subscription you automatically qualify to receive the benefits provided by the Settlement assuming the Settlement is approved by the Court.****

I just chatted with and agent and read the terms on a page I found on Consumer Reports. Typical of XM employees, they continue to issue contradicting information. The agent said that YES, I can now change my service to another car ONE TIME for a fee of $75. On the page Consumer Reports provided from XM, it says that anyone may change up to 3 times. I guess I'll wait until the settlement is over in January to see what the new rule actually is. Now that the month is over, I now have averaged XM at $3 a month. Pretty good investment, especially if I can switch it to another car in the future.

[tpollauf]

Glad we have guys like you who have time to dig up this valuable information This will be good to know in the event I need to do a future transfer. Right now I don't see that happening anytime soon. Keep your eyes & ears open to ANYTHING that you feel us Vibers will benefit from and post it here. I for one, really appreciate it! Tim

[Caretaker]

No problem T. I have lots of time to dig up kr@p these days. Last week I was helping a total stranger (who I still have not met) to sell her '03 Vibe and get into a '17 Fit. I think the salesperson at the dealership got really spooked as she was talking to me over the phone as the negotiations were happening.
When I spoke to the XM chat agent this morning, as I have done over the years with letters to XM, I continued to express my dismay as to why such a small group of lifetime subscribers were singled out and kept from performing even one transfer. I do understand that I took a risk on a company with a 12 cent stock, and I do understand that the risk has paid off handsomely, and that after the results of a settlement in January I won't take part in, may amount to "lifetime XM highway robbery" with a free transfer to be named later. Short of winning the PCH sweepstakes, as in your case, that transfer may not be necessary for some time to come.