Uncle Meat

I'm currently receiving 3 months of free XM and a year of free OnStar courtesy of GM. I know both OnStar & XM have my personal info on file now (name, address, phone #), but they have never been given any sort of billing source like a credit card.

So what happens when my XM runs out? What about the OnStar? Are they going to continue to operate and I can then expect a bill in the mail? I keep reading all these posts about other members and their problems with subscriptions for these services. Someone clue me on on what I should expect and what my options are.

Thanks.

U.M.

jdavis

It is my understanding that OnStar is a separate company from GM and would be considered as any GM supplier. Therefore, you should expect to be contacted via mail or telephone by them with an offer. (Your contact information will be provided to them from dealer paperwork. I would not give them a credit card number because they have been known to charge you for unauthorized services such as "locations and directions" even if you have a navigation unit.
XM/Sirus also is a separate company from GM and also on the verge of bankruptcy. They will simply cut your service and wait for your call to reinstate or they may send you mailed offers.
Hint: Ask for the $77 deal and say that you received a mailed offer. If the agent balks, hang up and call back until you find a willing agent.

griff99

I let my XM run out because the car was in the garage for the winter. All that happened was they called me to see why I let it expire, I explained the situation, so they started spamming my mailbox with ads with discounted rates.

inthehunt2

When you first receive your Vette and activate the OnStar, DO NOT give them a credit card. This avoids all possibilities of being automatically billed when the free subscription runs out. JMHO.

Gannet

What will happen is that your subscriptions will stop working and they will hit you up a couple times to sign up. That's it. XM will go into "preview" mode where it physically works but all you can get is a "preview" channel or two, complete with lots of ads begging you to sign up. OnStar keeps working, in the sense that the equipment works, but they won't provide any further services without a CC. If you press the OnStar button without a subscription they will know who you are (according to their records) and they will offer to sell you a subscription on the spot.

In other words, you won't get any unwanted bills, since you never gave them a CC.

I've never tried to cancel OnStar so I can't speak to them. With XM, the problem is that you tell them to cancel and they say they cancel, but they don't cancel. Then you do it again. And again. They are thieves.

Red Rochester

Once they get you it's hard to get away. Auto billing beware

Uncle Meat

Thanks guys for the info! I guess I was a little confused 'cause I had read a few threads about folks who were billed for service they never authorized. Neither OnStar nor XM has my CC as stated previously, although OnStar did their best to convince me to give it up so my service would continue under an automatic renewal process...

U.M.