XM Radio like Vonage... easy to get in, hard to get out... RANT
 

Gene Kearns wrote in
:

I just tried to cancel my XM subscription via the net and you can't
do it....

here's the pseudo-American email I got in response....

"Thank you for contacting XM Satellite Radio.

We got your email requesting to cancel. It is so unfortunate that you
would like to cancel your services, however for you
to cancel your service with XM please call 1-800-998-7900 between the
hours of 6 am and 2 am, Monday through Saturday and
Sunday 8 am through 8 pm Eastern Standard Time. An XM Satellite Radio
Listener Care phone representative will be happy to
assist you.

Thank you,
[Indian/Pakistani Name Deleted]
XM's Listener Care Email Team "

Just like my gripe with Vonage, this company has a special fast-track
number for signing up, but you want out, you are going to sit on hold
for some serious time before you get a human voice.

If you can sign up, alter account details, initialize the radio, and
pay via Internet, why not terminate service the same way......?

The reason? I just installed the new SIR-GM1 receiver in the truck...
and I like Sirius' programming better....

If anybody has a late model GM product and factory installed satellite
radio.... this is a *very* simple black box conversion from XM to
Sirius... works exactly the same as before, keeping all of the factory
features.


Why not send them an email, or snail mail cancelling and then just stop
paying. Assuming you have it on credit card, just tell the credit card
company they are no longer authorized to charge you. The credit card
company has to listen you.

XM Radio like Vonage... easy to get in, hard to get out... RANT
 

Remember, though.... time is on THEIR side.... and they'd love to
ignore your snail mail....

Send it certified. Once it's received and you have your receipt, call the CC
company. My father in-law did that with AOL many moons back, and while AOL
threatened, a copy of the receipt shut them up. They claimed that it may not
have been read...doesn't matter, they received it.

--Mike

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 09 Sep 2006 19:47:31 GMT, akheel penned the following well
considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:



Why not send them an email, or snail mail cancelling and then just stop
paying. Assuming you have it on credit card, just tell the credit card
company they are no longer authorized to charge you. The credit card
company has to listen you.

Good answer... and I have used this with great effect with assholes
like PayPal. However, they finally did answer the phone.... and I did
get disconnect from them at the hip.... they we one or two notches
above vongage on the food chain...

Remember, though.... time is on THEIR side.... and they'd love to
ignore your snail mail....

--

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
http://myworkshop.idleplay.net/

Rec.boats at Lee Yeaton's Bayguide
http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats

XM Radio like Vonage... easy to get in, hard to get out... RANT
 

Why not send them an email, or snail mail cancelling and then just stop
paying. Assuming you have it on credit card, just tell the credit card
company they are no longer authorized to charge you. The credit card
company has to listen you.


Actually, they don't. Read your credit card agreement very
carefully with regard to contractual obligations on
cancels/returns.


Gene Kearns wrote:
Good answer... and I have used this with great effect with assholes
like PayPal. However, they finally did answer the phone.... and I did
get disconnect from them at the hip.... they we one or two notches
above vongage on the food chain...

Remember, though.... time is on THEIR side.... and they'd love to
ignore your snail mail....


For many of the bottom-feeders among the credit card
business, time is also on their side. They make more money
by keeping you on the hook.


That said, I have generally had pretty good cooperation with
credit card companies avoiding and/or stopping this kind of
rip-off. At one point, my ISP was bought up by Earthlink and
converted to a credit card billing. About a month later I
got a different (faster & cheaper) ISP and tried to cancel.
Snail mail, email, messages left at their 800# which would
not under any circumstances connect you to a living human
being, etc etc. After a couple of months I asked the credit
card company to cancel, and after some hesitating, they did.

If all else fails, you can always cancel the credit card
account that it's billed to, assuming you can get them to
agree on what date you have a zero balance.

Lots of ways companies conspire to keep consumers on the
hook these days.

DSK

XM Radio like Vonage... easy to get in, hard to get out... RANT
 

On Sun, 10 Sep 2006 16:31:50 -0400, DSK wrote:

If all else fails, you can always cancel the credit card
account that it's billed to, assuming you can get them to
agree on what date you have a zero balance.

Lots of ways companies conspire to keep consumers on the
hook these days.

Send the company a registered letter, return receipt requested, and
send a copy to your credit card customer service department.

XM Radio like Vonage... easy to get in, hard to get out... RANT
 

DSK wrote:
Why not send them an email, or snail mail cancelling and then just stop
paying. Assuming you have it on credit card, just tell the credit card
company they are no longer authorized to charge you. The credit card
company has to listen you.


Actually, they don't. Read your credit card agreement very
carefully with regard to contractual obligations on
cancels/returns.


Gene Kearns wrote:
Good answer... and I have used this with great effect with assholes
like PayPal. However, they finally did answer the phone.... and I did
get disconnect from them at the hip.... they we one or two notches
above vongage on the food chain...

Remember, though.... time is on THEIR side.... and they'd love to
ignore your snail mail....


For many of the bottom-feeders among the credit card
business, time is also on their side. They make more money
by keeping you on the hook.


That said, I have generally had pretty good cooperation with
credit card companies avoiding and/or stopping this kind of
rip-off. At one point, my ISP was bought up by Earthlink and
converted to a credit card billing. About a month later I
got a different (faster & cheaper) ISP and tried to cancel.
Snail mail, email, messages left at their 800# which would
not under any circumstances connect you to a living human
being, etc etc. After a couple of months I asked the credit
card company to cancel, and after some hesitating, they did.

If all else fails, you can always cancel the credit card
account that it's billed to, assuming you can get them to
agree on what date you have a zero balance.

Lots of ways companies conspire to keep consumers on the
hook these days.

DSK


I've heard of people calling the CC company and reporting their card
"stolen" a new card is issued, and AOL , XM, Vonnage, or whoever is
dropped because you have to give permission to have their bills paid
by the CC co.

XM Radio like Vonage... easy to get in, hard to get out... RANT
 

Wayne.B wrote:
Send the company a registered letter, return receipt requested, and
send a copy to your credit card customer service department.


It would certainly be interesting to see them try to wiggle
their way around this one in court!

Personally, I think companies who practice policies that are
either 'pushing the envelope' or are outright fraud, such as
denying customers the ability to cut off service,
slow-paying accounts, 'service fees' levied for no service
given, etc etc, should be outed with big publicity campaigns
.... they should be driven out of business.

DSK

XM Radio like Vonage... easy to get in, hard to get out... RANT
 

If all else fails, you can always cancel the credit card
account that it's billed to, assuming you can get them to
agree on what date you have a zero balance.

Lots of ways companies conspire to keep consumers on the
hook these days.


wrote:
I've heard of people calling the CC company and reporting their card
"stolen" a new card is issued, and AOL , XM, Vonnage, or whoever is
dropped because you have to give permission to have their bills paid
by the CC co.


Good idea! I didn't think of that!

DSK

XM Radio like Vonage... easy to get in, hard to get out... RANT
 

That just results in them considering the bill unpaid. That doesn't
turn them off.


DSK wrote:
If all else fails, you can always cancel the credit card
account that it's billed to, assuming you can get them to
agree on what date you have a zero balance.

Lots of ways companies conspire to keep consumers on the
hook these days.


wrote:
I've heard of people calling the CC company and reporting their card
"stolen" a new card is issued, and AOL , XM, Vonnage, or whoever is
dropped because you have to give permission to have their bills paid
by the CC co.


Good idea! I didn't think of that!

DSK

XM Radio like Vonage... easy to get in, hard to get out... RANT
 

DSK wrote in
:

Why not send them an email, or snail mail cancelling and then just
stop paying. Assuming you have it on credit card, just tell the
credit card company they are no longer authorized to charge you. The
credit card company has to listen you.


Actually, they don't. Read your credit card agreement very
carefully with regard to contractual obligations on
cancels/returns.

Agree, except, it's not a cancellation or return. It's withdrawing
permission for a future charge for a service not yet received. No
permission, no charge allowed.