| BostonX |
My first yearly subscription recently lapsed and XM had continued to bill my credit card for $40.00 a month (small print legalese in the user agreement allows them to pull this sleazy stunt).
I've been calling them for the past few days in order to try to get a discounted ($77.00) rate to re-subscribe. After talking to many unhelpful people who were obviously answering phones in India, I finally got a hold of "Chris" in the promotions department. He tersely informed me that I didn't qualify for any promotional discounts and they would continue to charge me a quarterly rate of $40.00. I told him I didn't want them to do this and he said, "O.K., hold on a second while I deactivate your account.... There. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"
What a crappy way to do business. I hope XM radio fails miserably and their shareholders end up on skid row.
XM RADIO STINKS!!! |
|
|
| crazymjb |
I agree that they suck, but because they have crappy programming. We didn't renew with the TL.
My father said he would keep it for the Red Sox if we lived out of state.
I think once HD radio becomes more mainstream and all cars(ahem, acura, tick tock tick tock) include RDSa Sattelite radio will become obsolete, that is unless they manage a MAJOR overhaul in what they offer.
A price drop wouldn't hurt either. I would pay 50 bucks a year for no commercials, but that is about it. I have CDs and an Ipod.
Mike |
|
|
| G. COLTON |
We just purchased a new car for my wife and activated the XM radio. We think it has quite good programming. Already talking about renewing at the end of a year.
G
PS Bostonx, why would you wish ill of/to XM radio shareholders? They are just ordinary people, including your neighbors. I have owned XM radio stock in the past. |
|
|
| BostonX |
quote:
Originally posted by G. COLTON
We just purchased a new car for my wife and activated the XM radio. We think it has quite good programming. Already talking about renewing at the end of a year.
G
PS Bostonx, why would you wish ill of/to XM radio shareholders? They are just ordinary people, including your neighbors. I have owned XM radio stock in the past.
No one ought to profit by treating their clients like crap. It's as simple as that. |
|
|
| Izzdog |
Save yourself the $ and forget XM. Spend wisely and invest it in a Sirius radio. I got Sirius a year ago and 3 months into the contract I upgraded to lifetime for the special deal they had going $499...plus they credited the $ I had already paid. Programming is great and if you care about sports you'll be hooked.
I'm headed tomorrow to pick up my new '06 MDX and I laughed when they tried to play up the deal with the XM. Matter of fact I hear that there is some type of chip coming out allowing conversion of the XM unit to Sirius...about a $100. |
|
|
| cycler15 |
| Trying to decide whether XM or Sirius is better is so subjective. It's so funny when people say "XM sucks... Sirius rocks!" The price point is basically the same. It all depends on the music you like and the sports you want to listen to. To each his own... |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by cycler15
Trying to decide whether XM or Sirius is better is so subjective. It's so funny when people say "XM sucks... Sirius rocks!" The price point is basically the same. It all depends on the music you like and the sports you want to listen to. To each his own...
I agree. People should make an informed decision with sat radio just like anything else. Visit each site and decide which offers the programming you like. |
|
|
| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
I agree. People should make an informed decision with sat radio just like anything else. Visit each site and decide which offers the programming you like.
How can you visit the sites and listen to a sample of their programming?
G |
|
|
| cycler15 |
| You can go to their websites and see a listing of sample artists for each channel. That should give you a good indication if you like a particular channel or not. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by G. COLTON
How can you visit the sites and listen to a sample of their programming?
G
To sample, you can sign up for internet access to the programming for trial periods for free. With an XM subscription you also get a free internet listening account that has a majority of the channels. I listen to the internet feed at work.
XM
Sirius |
|
|
| freq |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
With an XM subscription you also get a free internet listening account that has a majority of the channels.
Sirius too. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by freq
Sirius too.
I'm curious, does the Sirius internet feed include all their "major" channels? Their free trial was very limited when I tried it. XM internet includes all the channels that are not also broadcast over "Free FM". |
|
|
| BostonX |
| From what I understand, people are leaving XM in droves and switching to Sirius, not the other way around. A lot of it might have to do with the programming but I'm gonna make the switch because of the appalling customer service! |
|
|
| Izzdog |
Yes, absolutely it's strictly a personal choice, if you compare the music channels you get good stuff on both so call it a wash there. Now again if sports are your interest then don't even look at XM, unless baseball is all you listen to...because that is it for XM! Yes they have ESPN and Fox but there is no NFL, NCAA sports, no NBA, no NHL...etc...and I do believe soon, if not already NASCAR is coming over too. Stern may not be your cup of tea but he sure as heck has brought in tons of new listeners and it's hurting XM BIG time.
Either way, it sure beats regular radio with commercials every 10 minutes. |
|
|
| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by Izzdog
Yes, absolutely it's strictly a personal choice, if you compare the music channels you get good stuff on both so call it a wash there. Now again if sports are your interest then don't even look at XM, unless baseball is all you listen to...because that is it for XM! Yes they have ESPN and Fox but there is no NFL, NCAA sports, no NBA, no NHL...etc...and I do believe soon, if not already NASCAR is coming over too. Stern may not be your cup of tea but he sure as heck has brought in tons of new listeners and it's hurting XM BIG time.
Either way, it sure beats regular radio with commercials every 10 minutes.
If you follow the stock of either company there is nothing to show that Sirius is beating XM. Nor is there any evidence the other way around. I owned stock in both. Sold my XM when it was in the low 30's and I had a very nice profit. Have never had a profit in Sirius.
G |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by G. COLTON
If you follow the stock of either company there is nothing to show that Sirius is beating XM. Nor is there any evidence the other way around. I owned stock in both. Sold my XM when it was in the low 30's and I had a very nice profit. Have never had a profit in Sirius.
G
I agree. Nothing like backing up your assertions with facts:
Izzdog: "Stern may not be your cup of tea but he sure as heck has brought in tons of new listeners and it's hurting XM BIG time."
BostonX: "From what I understand, people are leaving XM in droves and switching to Sirius, not the other way around."
"XM Passes 6.5 Million Subscribers
April 3, 2006, 1:26 PM
XM said Monday that it had added 568,000 new subscribers to the service during the first quarter, bringing its subscriber base to over 6.5 million. The company also reiterated its end-of-year target of 9 million subscribers.
Buoyed by shock jock Howard Stern, Sirius was on track to add around 750,000 subscribers by the end of March. Sirius announced it had passed 4 million total subscribers on March 22."
So XM has added 568K subscribers and Sirius has added 750K boosted by Stern coming to Sirius. I don't see how Sirius is hurting XM big time from that data. How many subscribers will Sirius add next quarter when the Stern boost isn't there? And if XM subscribers are leaving for Sirius, then XM is doing a pretty good job of replacing them. There is the other issue that the companies count subs differently. Sirius counts unsold cars on dealer lots as subs while XM waits until the car is activated. I am not arguing for one or the other but just putting some FACTS out there after those unsupported statements. I still believe that everyone should go with whatever they determine is best for them. |
|
|
| BostonX |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
I agree. Nothing like backing up your assertions with facts:
Izzdog: "Stern may not be your cup of tea but he sure as heck has brought in tons of new listeners and it's hurting XM BIG time."
BostonX: "From what I understand, people are leaving XM in droves and switching to Sirius, not the other way around."
"XM Passes 6.5 Million Subscribers
April 3, 2006, 1:26 PM
XM said Monday that it had added 568,000 new subscribers to the service during the first quarter, bringing its subscriber base to over 6.5 million. The company also reiterated its end-of-year target of 9 million subscribers.
Buoyed by shock jock Howard Stern, Sirius was on track to add around 750,000 subscribers by the end of March. Sirius announced it had passed 4 million total subscribers on March 22."
So XM has added 568K subscribers and Sirius has added 750K boosted by Stern coming to Sirius. I don't see how Sirius is hurting XM big time from that data. How many subscribers will Sirius add next quarter when the Stern boost isn't there? And if XM subscribers are leaving for Sirius, then XM is doing a pretty good job of replacing them. There is the other issue that the companies count subs differently. Sirius counts unsold cars on dealer lots as subs while XM waits until the car is activated. I am not arguing for one or the other but just putting some FACTS out there after those unsupported statements. I still believe that everyone should go with whatever they determine is best for them.
Your point is well taken, but conversely don't you think that your data might also be suspect?
XM and Sirius have both been reportedly fudging their numbers to bolster stock sales and appease shareholders from the start. Don't take my word for it, do a Google search.
Didn't you learn anything from Enron? |
|
|
| JL_SS |
| Another question for the Sirius subscribers: Does Sirius have a wearable portable unit that plays live sat radio? All I see is the S50 which only lets you listen to recorded sat radio if you undock it. The XM Myfi and Inno have built in antennas that let you listen to live XM while wearing it. I usually wear my MyFi jogging and am curious whether Sirius would let me do the same. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by BostonX
Your point is well taken, but conversely don't you think that your data might also be suspect?
XM and Sirius have both been reportedly fudging their numbers to bolster stock sales and appease shareholders from the start. Don't take my word for it, do a Google search.
Didn't you learn anything from Enron?
At least it's the data that the analysts are basing their reports and recommendations on. It's not an unsupported remark based on how I feel. If you think both companies are over-reporting their numbers, then what difference does it make? Both added subscribers - did XM only add half as many as reported? Did Sirius only add half as many as reported? The problem is really with the satellite business model that is not turning a profit for either company yet. |
|
|
| Izzdog |
At this time I don't believe that Sirius has any portable unit that can receive a live broadcast...just the one you described that can record programming.
On a side note, we all know you can throw out stats to show whatever you want them to show. Just a personal preference and opinion, but from people I talk to and what I hear and see, Sirius seems to be on the rise. Whether Stern drops or not remains to be seen...he sure has managed to thrive for years...I wouldn't bet against him.
All I can tell you I love my Sirius and what it gives me but if XM does it for you...go for it! |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by Izzdog
At this time I don't believe that Sirius has any portable unit that can receive a live broadcast...just the one you described that can record programming.
On a side note, we all know you can throw out stats to show whatever you want them to show. Just a personal preference and opinion, but from people I talk to and what I hear and see, Sirius seems to be on the rise. Whether Stern drops or not remains to be seen...he sure has managed to thrive for years...I wouldn't bet against him.
All I can tell you I love my Sirius and what it gives me but if XM does it for you...go for it!
Thanks for the info.
On your side note, Both Sirius AND XM are on the rise. Sirius reported 750K subs this quarter. My comment on Stern was that they expected an initial rush of subscriptions due to Stern joining so this 750K is inflated a bit by that. The subs will likely continue to rise for Sirius but I would expect the number to be less next quarter because they will not have the Stern initial boost. |
|
|
| BostonX |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
At least it's the data that the analysts are basing their reports and recommendations on. It's not an unsupported remark based on how I feel. If you think both companies are over-reporting their numbers, then what difference does it make? Both added subscribers - did XM only add half as many as reported? Did Sirius only add half as many as reported? The problem is really with the satellite business model that is not turning a profit for either company yet.
Analysts are guessing it will be between four and seven years before they start showing a profit. Yikes. A lot can happen in that time, including new and better technologies.
Just a reminder, my original post was about how lousy I felt the customer service at XM was, not on the fiscal solvency of XM or Sirius. |
|
|
| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by BostonX
Your point is well taken, but conversely don't you think that your data might also be suspect?
XM and Sirius have both been reportedly fudging their numbers to bolster stock sales and appease shareholders from the start. Don't take my word for it, do a Google search.
Didn't you learn anything from Enron?
I would say that the data that he presented is a lot less suspect then the data that you did not provide.
He did not take your unsupported word for it, he did a Google (I Presume) search and found data, then presented it.
Can you do the same?
G |
|
|
| finesse92 |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
I agree. Nothing like backing up your assertions with facts:
Izzdog: "Stern may not be your cup of tea but he sure as heck has brought in tons of new listeners and it's hurting XM BIG time."
BostonX: "From what I understand, people are leaving XM in droves and switching to Sirius, not the other way around."
"XM Passes 6.5 Million Subscribers
April 3, 2006, 1:26 PM
XM said Monday that it had added 568,000 new subscribers to the service during the first quarter, bringing its subscriber base to over 6.5 million. The company also reiterated its end-of-year target of 9 million subscribers.
Buoyed by shock jock Howard Stern, Sirius was on track to add around 750,000 subscribers by the end of March. Sirius announced it had passed 4 million total subscribers on March 22."
So XM has added 568K subscribers and Sirius has added 750K boosted by Stern coming to Sirius. I don't see how Sirius is hurting XM big time from that data. How many subscribers will Sirius add next quarter when the Stern boost isn't there? And if XM subscribers are leaving for Sirius, then XM is doing a pretty good job of replacing them. There is the other issue that the companies count subs differently. Sirius counts unsold cars on dealer lots as subs while XM waits until the car is activated. I am not arguing for one or the other but just putting some FACTS out there after those unsupported statements. I still believe that everyone should go with whatever they determine is best for them.
I agree with all you said except one thing... The counting subs before they leave the lot is XM, not Sirius. That's why you had XM activated when you pulled your MDX off the lot, XM also has more factory installed vehicles than Sirius and depends heavily on them (GM and Honda especially).
Sirius has prided itself on aftermarket retail sales. That's the #'s we should check to get an acurate gauge of sales.
As you can tell, my preference is Sirius. I've have a good amount of stock since it was $0.70. I don't have an MDX, but I do have a TL. I got rid of XM and have an aftermarket Sirius Replay... and I got it mostly for sports and old school Hip Hop/R&B. When I pick up the new MDX I'll do the same thing until the conversion tuner is out.
With that said, both companies are great, but I prefer Sirius. |
|
|
| socalJD |
quote:
Originally posted by BostonX
My first yearly subscription recently lapsed and XM had continued to bill my credit card for $40.00 a month (small print legalese in the user agreement allows them to pull this sleazy stunt)...
XM RADIO STINKS!!!
I can understand your displeasure, but the original mistake was yours. NEVER give out your credit card #, insist on them billng you and pay by check - that's what I did. When my promo sub runs out, they'll send me letters or leave messages on my voicemail to convince me to re-up - either way I control the situation and don't have to worry about what they did to you. Having your CC# on file is just begging for troube. Caveat empor . . . |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by finesse92
I agree with all you said except one thing... The counting subs before they leave the lot is XM, not Sirius. That's why you had XM activated when you pulled your MDX off the lot, XM also has more factory installed vehicles than Sirius and depends heavily on them (GM and Honda especially).
Not true at all, do a google search. Xm only counts the radios that are in SOLD vehicles. They do that because they give 3 month free trial that is activated once the vehicle is sold to a customer. But they don't count that sub until the vehicle is sold to a customer. If the customer doesn't renew it counts as a dropped sub. Sirius counts the unit as a sub once it is sold to a dealer, not a customer. So the XM sub actually has a person listening to it while the sirius sub may be an unsold car on a lot.
Which brings up another point, the churn rates for both XM and Sirius are very low 1-2%, so people in general are sticking to what they chose.
And aftermarket retail sales are still subs - nobody buys a radio not to activate it. |
|
|
| keremoner |
| I never understood why people would pay for radio. Unfortunately, customer service has gone out the window with almost everyone in the past 10-15 years. |
|
|
| Izzdog |
quote:
Originally posted by keremoner
I never understood why people would pay for radio. Unfortunately, customer service has gone out the window with almost everyone in the past 10-15 years.
Why? I suppose there is no reason if regular radio fills your listening needs. Some of us are tired of garbage on the radio, the commercials, the lack of choice. Pay radio gives you an option, option to listen to what interests you. The same reason everyone now has cable...personally I can't ever go back to regular radio.
I'm not going to tell anyone that they should pay $ for radio but the reasons for making that choice are obvious. And once you have, it
becomes even ore obvious. |
|
|
| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by keremoner
I never understood why people would pay for radio. Unfortunately, customer service has gone out the window with almost everyone in the past 10-15 years.
Paying for an XM/Sirius radio has nothing to do with customer service. That radio service is over and above the conventional radios installed in vehicles. Paying for the XM/Sirius receiver is just like paying for the CD player. After that the only difference between XM/Sirus and the CD player is that you pay an annual fee instead of buying CDs.
Now that I have XM in my wife's new Cadillac I am a fan. We just took her DHS on a 2100 mile trip around Florida (took the DHS because it gets better fuel economy that my MDX) and used the XM radio for many hours. Didn't even open the portfolio of CDs that we had with us. The XM provided all of the entertainment that we wanted.
G |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by BostonX
Analysts are guessing it will be between four and seven years before they start showing a profit. Yikes. A lot can happen in that time, including new and better technologies.
Just a reminder, my original post was about how lousy I felt the customer service at XM was, not on the fiscal solvency of XM or Sirius.
Welll, to address your original issue. You had one bad experience with customer support and damn the company because of it. Did you ever try and get customer support from any of the major computer manufacturers? You would be surprised at the number of companies that automatically continue to bill after a one year sub is up. Hell, Disney does it with my daughters Disney Blast account.
And after you were notified that you did not qualify for the discounted rate, you informed him that you did not want to continue at the regular rate. He then deactivated your radio. What did you expect him to do after you told him you were not going to pay?
So far I've had an OK experience with XM customer service, not the best but certainly better than any computer manufacturers help lines. |
|
|
| BostonX |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
Welll, to address your original issue. You had one bad experience with customer support and damn the company because of it. Did you ever try and get customer support from any of the major computer manufacturers? You would be surprised at the number of companies that automatically continue to bill after a one year sub is up. Hell, Disney does it with my daughters Disney Blast account.
And after you were notified that you did not qualify for the discounted rate, you informed him that you did not want to continue at the regular rate. He then deactivated your radio. What did you expect him to do after you told him you were not going to pay?
So far I've had an OK experience with XM customer service, not the best but certainly better than any computer manufacturers help lines.
It wasn't as simple as that. When he told me that I didn't qualify for any discounted rates, I said that I didn't want to be paying the $40.00 quarterly rate and was looking for some other yearly or two year "bargain" rate, he abruptly said that he would simply cancel my account. It was done in a rude and malevolent fashion.
Keep in mind that I also spent two days of dealing with outsourced phone-answerers and probably a total of one hour of wasted time trying to get someone to answer my inquiries about promotional rates and maybe you can appreciate the degree of my dissatisfaction. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by Izzdog
Why? I suppose there is no reason if regular radio fills your listening needs. Some of us are tired of garbage on the radio, the commercials, the lack of choice. Pay radio gives you an option, option to listen to what interests you. The same reason everyone now has cable...personally I can't ever go back to regular radio.
I'm not going to tell anyone that they should pay $ for radio but the reasons for making that choice are obvious. And once you have, it
becomes even ore obvious.
I haven't listened to regular radio in about a year now. Even "Free FM" is looking to Satellite radio for talent now. In the east, CBS radio filled Stern's time slot with David Lee Roth. Now that DLR has proven that he has no talent for talk radio, CBS has made a deal with XM to broadcast a cleaned version of XM's Opie and Anthony show in that time slot. Even HD radio is just going to be better sounding garbage radio. But to each his own. |
|
|
| Sly_ |
| I love XM. I've been a subscriber Since October 2004 and I use it on a daily basis. Rarely listen to radio anymore. |
|
|
| nightguy |
quote:
Originally posted by BostonX
My first yearly subscription recently lapsed and XM had continued to bill my credit card for $40.00 a month (small print legalese in the user agreement allows them to pull this sleazy stunt).
XM RADIO STINKS!!!
NEW YORK (Reuters) - XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. on Thursday posted a wider quarterly loss on higher spending, and said federal regulators were probing its billing and marketing procedures.
Amazing. I guess BostonX isn't the only one. Based on responses, some of you must work for XM. :)
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wire...2&business=true |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
NEW YORK (Reuters) - XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. on Thursday posted a wider quarterly loss on higher spending, and said federal regulators were probing its billing and marketing procedures.
Amazing. I guess BostonX isn't the only one. Based on responses, some of you must work for XM. :)
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wire...2&business=true
BostonX isn't the only one who what? We work for XM because we said that we enjoy it? |
|
|
| BostonX |
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Nightguy.
I stand by what I said.
I even described my experience on the über-dorky fansite xmfan.com and was promptly shouted down and eventually banned!
I guess dissention and stating one's opinion is becoming an unpatriotic thing to do in the current political climate... |
|
|
| KifsterDDS |
Think about what XM has to offer:
Each category of channel has somewhere between 3 to 5 stations. Thus, country gets 3-5 stations, christian rock gets 3 to 5, and so on and so forth. That's a minimum of 15 garbage stations right there that I won't listen to.
Then, there's the talk radio. Who the hell wants to pay $13/month to listen to some dumb a-hole talk his/her head off on the XM radio, when you can get that same kind of nonsense talk for free on your local FM radio? Half of XM is talk radio....i.e. sports, comedy, talk, news, etc. etc. You listen to sports on the radio in your car when you're traveling between places with TVs.
So, let's look at some of the other categories: "HITS", for example. It's a damned hodgepodge of trendy music of all genres from hip-hop to rock. One minute you'd be listening to "Green Day", and the next minute you're listening to Mary J. Blige.
Same with the "ROCK" category. It's a mixture of hard rock, soft rock, punk rock, heavy metal, and everything inbetween.
XM categories suck. Yes, it does allow you to choose your music just a hair better than free radio, but it's not worth $13 a month.
And not only that, if XM charged $5 a month, I don't think it's worth the hassle of paying a $15 every 3 months for it, and running the risk of forgetting to pay. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by BostonX
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Nightguy.
I stand by what I said.
I even described my experience on the über-dorky fansite xmfan.com and was promptly shouted down and eventually banned!
I guess dissention and stating one's opinion is becoming an unpatriotic thing to do in the current political climate...
Stating one's opinion is fine but doing that opens up the chance for other people to state theirs also. You described a customer service experience that unfortunately is much closer to typical these days for most companies. Then you stated your OPINION of customers switching from XM to Sirius without anything backing it up. I just provided some real data that refuted that. Saying that you were banned from a website without provided a link to the discussion to suport that you were not provoking a banning doesn't help. Negative posters with no useful posts have been deemed trolls and banned on AcuraMDX.org also.
Nightguy's article doesn't really add anything to support your complaint or claim. It doesn't say anything about customer service. It states that XM added 500K+ subs this quarter as I posted earlier. Revenue doubled but the net loss per share was higher than expected. The higher loss was because the customer aquistion costs were not reduced as much as they had forecast. All the analyst comments are very positive in the article. XM had one executive quit last year because he did not think the company should be spending money on talent/content to attract more listeners until they were making money. How did he think they were going to attract more listeners without talent/content? The fed probe doesn't mean anything unless something is found wrong. Given the rumors of both Sirius and XM business practices, I'm not surprised by any announcment of probes. |
|
|
| G. COLTON |
After finding out how much I like XM radio after using it in my wife's cadillac I would like to add it to the MDX. Listened to it throughout a 2100 mile trip and never once put a CD in the slot.
Does anyone know of any simplw way to do this? I do not want any extra "packages" sitting around. My dealer does not have any ideas.
G |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by KifsterDDS
Think about what XM has to offer:
Each category of channel has somewhere between 3 to 5 stations. Thus, country gets 3-5 stations, christian rock gets 3 to 5, and so on and so forth. That's a minimum of 15 garbage stations right there that I won't listen to.
Then, there's the talk radio. Who the hell wants to pay $13/month to listen to some dumb a-hole talk his/her head off on the XM radio, when you can get that same kind of nonsense talk for free on your local FM radio? Half of XM is talk radio....i.e. sports, comedy, talk, news, etc. etc. You listen to sports on the radio in your car when you're traveling between places with TVs.
So, let's look at some of the other categories: "HITS", for example. It's a damned hodgepodge of trendy music of all genres from hip-hop to rock. One minute you'd be listening to "Green Day", and the next minute you're listening to Mary J. Blige.
Same with the "ROCK" category. It's a mixture of hard rock, soft rock, punk rock, heavy metal, and everything inbetween.
XM categories suck. Yes, it does allow you to choose your music just a hair better than free radio, but it's not worth $13 a month.
And not only that, if XM charged $5 a month, I don't think it's worth the hassle of paying a $15 every 3 months for it, and running the risk of forgetting to pay.
Of course everyone's situation is different.
Different stations within the same genre is great. For example, some days I am in the mood for alternative rock, other days its heavy metal, then maybe classic rock. I can switch to whatever I'm in the mood for. With FM, I get one alternative rock station around here that cycles the top 14 songs.
Then when I'm in the mood for blues, I just switch to the blues station, which we don't have on FM here.
Then there's the issue of reception. Some people live in rural areas that get very few stations. I get maybe 3 or 4 stations clearly, the rest are too staticy too listen too. Plus I get the same reception essentially everywhere I go. A lot of the time I was driving out of the range of the few stations I got anyway.
Then there is internet access. I listen at work in a building that gets no reception of any radio stations at all.
Then when my 8 yr daughter wants too listen, I've got radio disney, I don't have to worry about the lyrics of any songs.
So far, be it XM or Sirius, I feel I'm getting my moneys worth. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by G. COLTON
After finding out how much I like XM radio after using it in my wife's cadillac I would like to add it to the MDX. Listened to it throughout a 2100 mile trip and never once put a CD in the slot.
Does anyone know of any simplw way to do this? I do not want any extra "packages" sitting around. My dealer does not have any ideas.
G
G,
Your options are limited without an XM ready Head Unit. If you don't want a portable unit that can be removed from the vehicle then you can get a tuner/receiver combo (XM Commander Link). The tuner gets mounted out of site (under seat, etc) and the small footprint receiver gets mounted somewhere that you can access. The unit is connected to your existing head unit via rca inputs or fm modulation. |
|
|
| cycler15 |
quote:
Originally posted by KifsterDDS
Think about what XM has to offer:
Each category of channel has somewhere between 3 to 5 stations. Thus, country gets 3-5 stations, christian rock gets 3 to 5, and so on and so forth. That's a minimum of 15 garbage stations right there that I won't listen to.
You state the exact reason why people love XM radio. If you are a huge christian rock fan, where else can you listen to 3-5 stations of that type of music?
The fact of the matter is that they have something for everyone.
I love your reasoning... "I hate country, christian rock, talk, etc ... XM sucks!" |
|
|
| nightguy |
Reading some of the posts on xmfan.com, I'm amazed how many people slam corporate radio and put other corporate radio on a pedestal. I wonder how much corporate involvement there is with that site as some of the posts have a weird PR sort of energy to them...pretty overzealous IMO.
Even on that website there seems to be a lot of people dissatisfied with the customer service. For as much product awareness as there is, they still have minimal success selling it. How else do you explain the exponentially increasing cost of adding subscribers ?
I've said it before, I'll say it again. I really wanted to like XM. I spent a couple of weeks checking out Best Buy, the website and using the free trial on the website. I just never could find anything I liked. I'd be forever channel surfing which is no different than what I do now, except I'd have a monstrosity on my dashboard and I'd be paying for it.
They keep adding HD channels here. No commercials and some just go song to song to song. I guess that's where my money looks to be headed for now. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
Reading some of the posts on xmfan.com, I'm amazed how many people slam corporate radio and put other corporate radio on a pedestal. I wonder how much corporate involvement there is with that site as some of the posts have a weird PR sort of energy to them...pretty overzealous IMO.
Even on that website there seems to be a lot of people dissatisfied with the customer service. For as much product awareness as there is, they still have minimal success selling it. How else do you explain the exponentially increasing cost of adding subscribers ?
I've said it before, I'll say it again. I really wanted to like XM. I spent a couple of weeks checking out Best Buy, the website and using the free trial on the website. I just never could find anything I liked. I'd be forever channel surfing which is no different than what I do now, except I'd have a monstrosity on my dashboard and I'd be paying for it.
They keep adding HD channels here. No commercials and some just go song to song to song. I guess that's where my money looks to be headed for now.
I don't think it has anything to do with being "corporate" at all. It's about content. Free radio is limited and XM/Sirius offer more options and choices.
I wouldn't call selling approx 1.3 million units in 3 months between Sirius and XM "minimal" success. And do you even read what you link to? Going from a gross subscriber aquisition cost of $90 in to 1st Q05 to $94 in 1st Q06 is exponentially increasing? I believe that Sirius's cost is higher but both Sirius and XM spent more in 4th Q 2005 due to Christmas advertising. There will always be an aquisition cost because of competition but no one has defined what that cost should reasonably really be cause nobody is making money yet.
Nowadays you don't need a "monstrosity" sitting on your dashboard. Acura/Honda radios include XM capability or you can replace your head unit with an XM capable unit like you would also need to do for HD.
Ultimately all radios will be XM/SIrius/HD capable for the maximum choice. |
|
|
| nightguy |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
I don't think it has anything to do with being "corporate" at all. It's about content. Free radio is limited and XM/Sirius offer more options and choices.
I wouldn't call selling approx 1.3 million units in 3 months between Sirius and XM "minimal" success. And do you even read what you link to? Going from a gross subscriber aquisition cost of $90 in to 1st Q05 to $94 in 1st Q06 is exponentially increasing? I believe that Sirius's cost is higher but both Sirius and XM spent more in 4th Q 2005 due to Christmas advertising. There will always be an aquisition cost because of competition but no one has defined what that cost should reasonably really be cause nobody is making money yet.
Nowadays you don't need a "monstrosity" sitting on your dashboard. Acura/Honda radios include XM capability or you can replace your head unit with an XM capable unit like you would also need to do for HD.
Ultimately all radios will be XM/SIrius/HD capable for the maximum choice.
Really ? My 2004 MDX has XM capability built in ? Thanks for enlightening me on that. I'm off to go look for it.
Free radio is limited ? Have you ever looked beyond the stations that spend a few million a year marketing themselves ? I really don't see how satellite's any different except for the commercials on the music stations, a feature you can get with HD for free. |
|
|
| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
Really ? My 2004 MDX has XM capability built in ? Thanks for enlightening me on that. I'm off to go look for it.
Free radio is limited ? Have you ever looked beyond the stations that spend a few million a year marketing themselves ? I really don't see how satellite's any different except for the commercials on the music stations, a feature you can get with HD for free.
Yes, "free" radio is very limited. It is so limited in this area that I have taken to keeping the CD changer on my MDX full at all times so that I have something to hear.
You obviously have not had any access to XM or Sirius if you think that the only difference is commercials. Tell me which of the "free" radio stations gives my a choice of 4 channels of country/western, a channel devoted to each of the years of 40s, 50s, 60s, 70, etc to which to listen. Which of the "free" radio stations is devoted to weather news?
Before we got my wife's car with XM I too did not understand why people thought XM/Sirius was so great.
You need to experience it to understand it.
G |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
Really ? My 2004 MDX has XM capability built in ? Thanks for enlightening me on that. I'm off to go look for it.
Free radio is limited ? Have you ever looked beyond the stations that spend a few million a year marketing themselves ? I really don't see how satellite's any different except for the commercials on the music stations, a feature you can get with HD for free.
XM capability started with 2005. But you can do what I suggested for G and install the hidden tuner with the small footprint receiver if you wanted to eliminate any monstrosity. You have to replace your head unit anyway to get HD.
As I stated in an earlier post the free radio stations in my area are very limited. I know you didn't read it cause I gave several examples. A quick check of the local stations I can get show that they are broadcasting the SAME content in HD and regular radio. Plus you need to buy a HD capable head unit. So I can invest money and hear the same 14 alternative rock songs broadcast over and over between lengthy commercials.
If HD suits you and you have stations broadcasting commmercial free music that you like by all means go for it. It doesn't suit everybody. |
|
|
| vtech016 |
| i had experience xm radio, not bad at all, but why pay for radio when you have a 6 disc in dash and also an ipod connector. why pay that extra money especially the way gas prices are going up now at days. i have a 05 touring nav,res and plug the ipod in the aux in jack. it sounds good to me. have 60's, 70's, 80's 90's and present all in the ipod, also very easy to burn all your favorite songs to a cd, who needs to pay for xm????????????? |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by vtech016
i had experience xm radio, not bad at all, but why pay for radio when you have a 6 disc in dash and also an ipod connector. why pay that extra money especially the way gas prices are going up now at days. i have a 05 touring nav,res and plug the ipod in the aux in jack. it sounds good to me. have 60's, 70's, 80's 90's and present all in the ipod, also very easy to burn all your favorite songs to a cd, who needs to pay for xm?????????????
Are you paying to legally download those songs on your IPOD? Burning songs to a CD means you have to carry all your CDs around. I also have an MP3 player. I used to discover bands and tunes that I liked via the local radio stations and downloaded songs to the mp3 player, now I discover the same on XM but there is a lot more variety than my local stations. |
|
|
| vtech016 |
| i dont carry any cds around, i have a in dash 6cd , thats all i need in the car along with the ipod, i am set with over 1600 songs |
|
|
| JL_SS |
1st Qtr 2006 Sirius Results released now also:
Company____XM_________Sirius____
Net Loss:___149 Mill______459 Mill
Revenue:___208 Mill______126 Mill
New subs:__569K________761K
"By far the largest factor affecting the Sirius results was costs for stock-based compensation, which all companies had to begin recording this year under new accounting rules. Sirius reported stock compensation expenses of $284.6 million, of which about $225 million went to Stern and his affiliates, a company spokesman said."
Sirius gambled and laid out a lot of money for Stern. It was estimated that 90% of his audience didn't follow him to Sirius - even after David Lee Roth Failed miserably enough for CBS to fire him. |
|
|
| laborlitigator |
quote:
Originally posted by BostonX
No one ought to profit by treating their clients like crap. It's as simple as that.
Gee, for a second, I thought this was a thread regarding oil companies. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by laborlitigator
Gee, for a second, I thought this was a thread regarding oil companies.
No just an XM troll that posts everything negative about XM that he can find whether it has merit or not and provides no substantiative backing arguements for the info he posts. Doesn't seem to post anything negative on Sirius which has results much worse than XM. |
|
|
| nightguy |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
No just an XM troll that posts everything negative about XM that he can find whether it has merit or not and provides no substantiative backing arguements for the info he posts. Doesn't seem to post anything negative on Sirius which has results much worse than XM.
What brand of blinders do you have ?
What do I need to back up ? The info in the article speaks for itself. A lawsuit has been filed over something I've suggested might be going on for a long time.
Both services are a waste IMO, but the S is really hitting the fan right now for XM. I'm sorry because they're your favorite. I will try to rip equally from now on. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
What brand of blinders do you have ?
What do I need to back up ? The info in the article speaks for itself. A lawsuit has been filed over something I've suggested might be going on for a long time.
Both services are a waste IMO, but the S is really hitting the fan right now for XM. I'm sorry because they're your favorite. I will try to rip equally from now on.
The kind of blinders that actually require proof. Anyone can file a lawsuit. They lawsuit is about XM misleading investors by understating FORECAST 4th qtr 2005 aquisition costs. Well it wasn't all that hard to figure out that aquisition costs would remain high with the Christmas season and that fact that they were competing with the Sirius Stern deal. In my opinion, if you don't know what you are investing in, then you shouldn't invest in it. Both companies are forecasting year end sub numbers that they will likely not achieve. But it's a forecast, so people need to do the research themselves like any investment.
The other article says that XM is not currently paying distribution fees for customers downloading songs and doesn't agree that it should have to. Then it states that XM is in negotiations to pay the distribution fees anyway and Sirius already has negotiated them.
You can rip all you want, I actually read the articles and determine whether they have any merit or not. I will readily agree with any that provide facts that can be proven or backed up. |
|
|
| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
It just keeps getting better and better...
XM boss accused of misleading investors
Congress Examines XM's Song Recording
Those two references are really no news. Companies and their management are geting sued by some group of shareholders all the times. I get so many of those in the mail from companies in which I hold stock that I have learned to automatically throw them out. Ninety nicn times out of 100 nothing ever comes from the suits because there was nothing there to start.
As far as the congressional investigation, where in the link did it say that XM had done anything wrong? All it said was that Congress was INVESTIGATING.
Better luck next time in finding something significant.
G |
|
|
| andreseng |
quote:
Originally posted by G. COLTON
I get so many of those in the mail from companies in which I hold stock that I have learned to automatically throw them out.
G-
You must be rich. You could be throwing money away. I have seen nice settlement checks recently from Xcel Energy. I've gotten smaller ones from several other settlements. Nothing near to the loss, but still money. I understand you are probably frustrated by the whole process. But unfortunately, we do live in a litigious society. You could be taking the wife out in the Caddy for a meal!!
G
EDIT: And here's a link to back it up Xcel Energy Securities Litigation |
|
|
| nightguy |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
The kind of blinders that actually require proof. Anyone can file a lawsuit. They lawsuit is about XM misleading investors by understating FORECAST 4th qtr 2005 aquisition costs. Well it wasn't all that hard to figure out that aquisition costs would remain high with the Christmas season and that fact that they were competing with the Sirius Stern deal. In my opinion, if you don't know what you are investing in, then you shouldn't invest in it. Both companies are forecasting year end sub numbers that they will likely not achieve. But it's a forecast, so people need to do the research themselves like any investment.
The other article says that XM is not currently paying distribution fees for customers downloading songs and doesn't agree that it should have to. Then it states that XM is in negotiations to pay the distribution fees anyway and Sirius already has negotiated them.
You can rip all you want, I actually read the articles and determine whether they have any merit or not. I will readily agree with any that provide facts that can be proven or backed up.
Really ? The insider trading doesn't bother you ? 99% is a lot. No I don't know yet that it happened but how likely is it that they filed the lawsuit for no reason ? See: Martha Stewart.
Good for you that you "actually read articles". You've really wowed us with all of your business knowledge so far so I can't wait to see the next item on which you make a determination of whether or not it has merit.
Whether or not XM is currently in negotiations with licencees is really secondary. The point is they thought it better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission like Sirius. Eventually, (as you alluded to before) people in this country will start to realize that intellectual property is not a fantasy. |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
Really ? The insider trading doesn't bother you ? 99% is a lot. No I don't know yet that it happened but how likely is it that they filed the lawsuit for no reason ? See: Martha Stewart.
Good for you that you "actually read articles". You've really wowed us with all of your business knowledge so far so I can't wait to see the next item on which you make a determination of whether or not it has merit. Frivolous lawsuit: see USofA. Wasn't Martha sued by the FTC not shareholders?
Whether or not XM is currently in negotiations with licencees is really secondary. The point is they thought it better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission like Sirius. Eventually, (as you alluded to before) people in this country will start to realize that intellectual property is not a fantasy.
There's proof that there is insider trading? Please point to it in your posted article. How likely is it that a lawsuit is filed for no reason? - unhappy investers file all the time whether there are legitimate claims or not. Frivolous lawsuit: see USofA. Wasn't Martha prosecuted by the FTC not sued by shareholders?
It's easy to determine whether an article has merit or not. Read it and look for facts or proof of it's claims.
They're not asking for forgiveness. They are in negotiations for something that they do not have to pay for as the law is written now. From a business standpoint it makes perfect sense. Perhaps Sirius should be sued for not maximizing profits because they willingly paid for the rights that they were not required to.
The intellectual property rights is an entirely different issue from the business issue. By all means laws should be passed to protect it and business should abide by those laws. Then XM and Sirius would be required to pay distribution fees. Rapidly changing technology means that there will always be something pushing the limit as far as rights go.
While the technology with XM allows users to store songs only on the unit while they are subscribers - listeners for many years taped songs off of the radio that could be played anywhere. |
|
|
| BostonX |
| Am I supposed to provide "proof" that I had a horrible experience with XM's customer service? And what of the many others (they're out there on the internets) with similar experiences? If we all stood on your front lawn and shouted about the shabby way we were treated, would that convince you? |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by BostonX
Am I supposed to provide "proof" that I had a horrible experience with XM's customer service? And what of the many others (they're out there on the internets) with similar experiences? If we all stood on your front lawn and shouted about the shabby way we were treated, would that convince you?
My comments about proof were aimed towards the articles that really contain nothing damaging that nightguy keeps posting as examples of XM going down the toilet. I acknowledged you had a crappy experience and the right you have to broadcast over the internet. It's the same right that allows us to have our own opinions. You had an experience that unfortunately reflects a majority of customer interactions with companies nowadays. A couple of us have posted that we have perfectly fine experiences with XM service. My experiences with Acura customer service make your experience with XM look like a breeze.
Oh wait, you did make an unsupported statement about XM subscribers leaving XM in droves for Sirius with no proof. A check of churn rates and new subs doesn't support that. |
|
|
| BostonX |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
My comments about proof were aimed towards the articles that really contain nothing damaging that nightguy keeps posting as examples of XM going down the toilet. I acknowledged you had a crappy experience and the right you have to broadcast over the internet. It's the same right that allows us to have our own opinions. You had an experience that unfortunately reflects a majority of customer interactions with companies nowadays. A couple of us have posted that we have perfectly fine experiences with XM service. My experiences with Acura customer service make your experience with XM look like a breeze.
Oh wait, you did make an unsupported statement about XM subscribers leaving XM in droves for Sirius with no proof. A check of churn rates and new subs doesn't support that.
Yeah, you got me there. I made that comment (about subscribers "leaving | | | |
