Some "Sirius-ly" Good News
Who do you think has the bigger mouth, Howard Stern or me?
If you are an XM customer and have been following along with the online streaming issues I have been reporting here in “The Satellite Dish” then the answer to that question is me.
Today I am proud to announce that we have achieved victory against SiriusXM satellite radio!
If you haven’t been following along the issue here was that SiriusXM sent out email to XM customers in late January urging them to “lock in” to keep the services they had and this includes free XM Radio Online (XMRO) for the life of their term. Now up until March 10th XM customer could listen online with 32k or 64k streams, however on March 11th XM dropped the 64k stream leaving those who locked in with the poor sounding 32k stream.
Nowhere in SiriusXM’s email did it tell customers that by locking in their rates that their online service was going to be downgraded. To make matters worse those who locked in were told that they would need to pay $2.99 more a month for the new higher quality 128k service. To make matters worse CSR’s for SiriusXM were giving customers different answers, many where telling customers that the new service was included because they locked in, while other were told it would be $2.99 a month.
Many XM fans (myself included) felt that this was bait and switch and started to complain online at a popular XM discussion site XMFan.COM.
After getting the run around for weeks by SiriusXM customer service reps I emailed SiriusXM CEO Mel Karmazin who put me in touch with Joe Zarella who is the Chief Service Office for SiriusXM. In his emails to me he admitted the issue and the fact SiriusXM overlooked the 64k streaming.
After a number of emails from Mr. Zarella I decided to write about it here in my blog. In it I included copies of my emails back and forth. For some reason that very blog entry was picked up by Google News and became major news at a number of sites. I believe that blog entry was the most popular I have ever written here at MultiChannel. The number of comments left was also a record!
I believe it was that blog entry that really got things in motion. In addition I was helping to rally the troops together at XMFan.COM and got a number of people to complain and publicly voice their issues there.
After that I received another email from Mr. Zarella telling me they were working on a solution and to give him 24 hours. I agreed to give him the time and asked the folks at XMFan to stand down as well.
24 hours came and went and I heard nothing back from Mr. Zarella. So I emailed him again. Late last night I got an email back from him it just said “response being worked”
I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing, but working in a large office with lots of lawyers I knew that it meant was that whatever the reply was, was going through the legal department at SiriusXM.
After waking up this morning I was again mad, so started working on rallying the troops at XMFan again. I was working on a list of folks in the media to email about the issue and started work organizing a rally to go and picket in front of SiriusXM’s headquarters in New York.
That’s when the email from Mr. Zarella arrived. It read as follows:
“Scott,
For business reasons, XM began charging for the right to listen to our service on the Internet. As part of the launch of this service, and to make it a more robust offering, the speed was upgraded to 128K. Also as part of this change, we offered existing customers the opportunity to continue to listen to their Internet streaming, at no additional charge, for the term of their current subscription or renewed subscription.
We had assumed all existing customers were receiving their internet streaming at 32K. After our offer to existing subscribers was released, we learned that certain existing customers were receiving an internet stream at 64K.
To remedy this oversight, for subscribers who were streaming at 64K and locked in to a new term in order to continue to receive free streaming, we will absolutely provide the 128K stream for the term they purchased for no additional charge.
Unfortunately, the company is no longer supporting 64K web stream of the XM service. As a result, we cannot accommodate your specific request for a 64K stream.
Accordingly, we are prepared to offer you either:
your choice of a 32K or 128K web stream for the term you signed up for at no additional charge
or
you may choose to cancel and we will provide you a full refund of the amount you paid to renew.
Please let us know which option you would like to elect. Thank you for your patience while this was investigated.”
I knew there and then that I had won, I was very happy. I sent back an email to Mr. Zarella asking what about everyone else who has this issue, who do they contact to take advantage of this offer. When I sent this email I did like I have been doing all along and that was cc’ing it to SiriusXM CEO Mel Karmazin.
A few moments after sending that email I got a reply back from Mr. Karmazin himself that he didn’t mean to send to me. In it he told Mr. Zarella not to respond to me about everyone else.
I quickly replied back to Mr. Karmazin’s email and explained to him that if he wants his customers to be happy there needs to be an easy way or a special number for his customers to call to opt in to the same offer that was made to me.
After sending this email to Mr. Karmazin I then received another email back from Mr. Zarella that read as follows:
“Scott,
thanks for your patience and understanding.
there are a couple of ways being assessed to implement this solution for
those who locked in during the lock-in period. Ideally we would like to
automate it, but won’t have that nailed till early next week.
those eligible should contact XM Listener Care mid next week.
Thanks”
So there you have it, sometime mid week next week those XM customers who locked in are eligible to call in and request the 128k online streaming for no charge for the length of the term they locked in at.
I consider this a victory for everyone who took the time to voice their opinion on their matter. I consider this good news for everyone that locked in!
For some of these XM customers I am sure there will be dancing in the streets, and as least now they will have music to dance to playing as well.
So yeah it looks like I have a bigger mouth then Howard Stern, but honestly I couldn’t have done it without all you readers and more importantly all the XM customers over at XMFAN.COM.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Bill From Upstate NY commented:
I thought Macrh 11 it would start and told april. Better proof read better. How do I email the CEO and not have to deal with support idiots? I emailed Howard Stern.
Bill From New York upstate commented:
Opps That\’s April 11. Sorry
Bill From New York upstate commented:
Sirius sent me an email that said they were getting rid of 32k and only going to use 128k and if you locked in before whatever date it was you would get it for free. I locked in for 2 years. I thought it would start april 11. But when I contacted support I was told March 11. Now that it\’s March 11 today I get the \”you locked in at 32k\”. Now they want 2.99. Just like you said bait and switch. So how will I get help with this fraud? But two weeks ago one night I got the 128k. Made the mistake of trying to see the difference, pressed standard button and haven\’t gotten 128k since. Now I\’m getting the bull crap line.
Mayer commented:
I paid for Lifetime Membership and had Customer Sevice representative agree to split payment. I then paid in full for lifetime membership to XM as agreed; but I am now being billed all over again for lifetime membeship. Any suggestions who to contact?
Brent commented:
Just a note to all you folks, they haven\’t sent out an email that it would happen. I spoke with a Executive Assistance and he had to make it happen. I just got on this web site and saw this, but again, XM hasn\’t notified all that locked in the rate. You should follow up yourself and make sure it happens. I will still hold the dispute on my credit card until I actually see it. Bye the way, I logged into my account. On March 29th, the service reflected Premium Online service. Today, talking to the EA, it said regular service. Check your accounts and print them out for proof. Its probably too late by now. But follow up if you don\’t get it soon. Call the Corporate HQ and make it happen.
Sidney commented:
I\’m on the other side of the coin - I\’m a Sirius subscriber. With Sirius, you had two stream options: 32K or 128K.
I received an email on February 3 from Sirius, basically offering me to upgrade to a lifetime subscription. As part of this email clearly says:
\”On March 11, 2009…the online listening platform will be upgraded to a higher quality digital audio and no longer included as part of a base subscription at no charge…Just renew your current subscription today and you can continue to enjoy FREE online listening for the length of your subscription.\”
My translation, and what I believe I signed up for, is a lifetime subscription that INCLUDES the 128K stream for no extra charge.
Bull.
I have talked to no less than 12 people at the Sirius call centre, and have had my account bounced back and forth between the 32K and the 128K stream, trying to get the higher quality stream without paying for it.
Today, I was given a $10 credit, and told…
\”As of April 2, there will only be a higher quality stream.\”
It will be interesting to see if I\’m going to have to talk to the lucky 13th customer service agent on Thursday.
GadgetDave commented:
What I would like to know is when is 128K streaming actually going to work ? I called customer support and got them to add the free year of XM Premium Online to my account since I renewed a year during the \”lock-in\” period, yet still no streams better than 32K in the player. The settings dialog lies and tells me I am not subscribed to premium even know my account says I am, and customer service says that I am.
Does anyone have this working with a non-trial account ?
XM/Sirius needs to make this work.
Eric commented:
Too late for me. After 2 weeks of run-arounds in e-mail, more than 6 hours of phone conversations and Customer Relations Reps that lied to me, I canceled all three of my radios. I too blogged about the entire, painful experience at www.itburns.us.
Mr. Karmizin lied and Mr. Zarella blew it. Sirius XM is completely dead to me, but I am hoping someone has the time to investigate the possibility of filing a class-action suit against them for stealing from their customers (i.e., taking the 64k stream away from us even after we locked-in but never mentioning that in e-mail, then telling us we won't have 128k access unless we paid more). I'd sign-up.
Eric
DodgerKing commented:
What is up with the Sirius online streaming advertisement for $12.95? Again, why pay $12.95 when you can do the same exact thing (online only streaming) with XM for only $7.99? That is like $5.00 less a month...
Bubba_Army commented:
Scott,Does the same apply to Sirius subs too? We were misled as well. Your argument seamed to be biased to XM only.
Beach Gambler commented:
I signed up for the life time membership just over a month ago. Do you know if then I will be able to get the better stream at no charge
?
TiredOfSXM commented:
The management of SirusXM caters to the people who loaned them money, not the people who supply them money (we the subscribers). This business model is unsustainable and will result in the bankruptcy of the company. Enjoy what you\’ve got because if the company is still in business by year end more than a few people will be surprised.
kschramm commented:
I was an XM customer with 3 radio\’s since 2001. I canceled my sub for this type of customer service. I hope Scott took choice B and canceled his sub just for principal.
JC commented:
Dont get it Scott. I have Sirius and when I try to log in it tells me I am no longer eligible for the old 32k stream. I must upgrade to the 128k for 2.99/month. I auto update each year in March so what gives?
JC
Jim commented:
I happened to call XM customer service regarding this same issue, before reading this article, earlier this week. I asked about the nature of the "Premium Online" radio service and why didn't I get it with my prepaid one year subscription commitment. She told me that there is only one quality of online service and if you are using the online product that is what you get. Foolish me, I didn't asked what the rate of streaming is and I'm not quite sure if she could have told me. Is there a way to monitor the streaming rate from my end?
Sam commented:
You can get just Internet streaming (sithout a regular radio) for $12.95 a month total. Go to Sirius' web site, click the link at the top of the page for "Listen Online" then on the next page click on the link that shows the price of $12.95/month and says "I'm not a subscriber."
DodgerKing commented:
Harsh,
Why would any non Sirius sub pay $12.95 for streaming when these same subs can pay $7.99 to listen to pretty much the same stations through XM streaming?
Harshness commented:
Sirius offers their online streaming service for $12.95/month for those who don't have radios.
Visit their website for details.
Jud commented:
I only wanted to get the streaming over the net. I dont drive. I tried to get streaming only and was told I had to pay the full subscription price + the 2.99. Is siri xm prevented from offering streaming over the net due to one of the FCC conditions?
