Another XM nightmare
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 774
Likes: 1
From: Seguin Texas
Another XM nightmare
In early DEcember I traded in my 2005 C6 for a 2007 to be built next week. At the time of trade-in I cancelled my XM account as I had no vehicle nor radio to use the service. At that time I had a credit of over $140 with them. The next week I got a postcard in the mail stating that the credit card I had oon file with them was about to expire. I called right away as I had never authorized them to have my credit card on file. It gets worse
I spoke to a "customer service" rep.. Ha, and was told that they would take the card number off my account and since I had no service refund me the credit. I checked today and they did in fact refund the credit. HOWEVER, their records and those of my credit card company show they also made a charge to my credit card yesterday for $38.xx as some XM employee had re-activated my card on his own and made the charge. Remember I have no service and closed my account and they issued a refund. Bottom line I have had to write my credit card company with the details to stop the un-authorized payment to XM. I will never use XM again and I post this so all that do can be aware of their interesting billing practices...... and they wonder why they are losing so many customers. Be alert
I spoke to a "customer service" rep.. Ha, and was told that they would take the card number off my account and since I had no service refund me the credit. I checked today and they did in fact refund the credit. HOWEVER, their records and those of my credit card company show they also made a charge to my credit card yesterday for $38.xx as some XM employee had re-activated my card on his own and made the charge. Remember I have no service and closed my account and they issued a refund. Bottom line I have had to write my credit card company with the details to stop the un-authorized payment to XM. I will never use XM again and I post this so all that do can be aware of their interesting billing practices...... and they wonder why they are losing so many customers. Be alert
Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 711
Likes: 0
From: To the right of Attila Cogito, Ergo, Corvette!
GM take the Hint!
With all the XM troubles so many have reported in this forum, statistically, one should be able to infer that a large number of XM users in all vehicles are having the same problems. Why hasn't GM recognized this and put pressure on XM. Surely they carry a lot of weight and could tell XM to get their act together or GM will start offering Sirius.
Does anyone from GM monitor this and/or other GM product forums? Would seem to be a great way to get feedback from your customers.
Does anyone from GM monitor this and/or other GM product forums? Would seem to be a great way to get feedback from your customers.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,007
Likes: 0
From: central coast Ca
With all the XM troubles so many have reported in this forum, statistically, one should be able to infer that a large number of XM users in all vehicles are having the same problems. Why hasn't GM recognized this and put pressure on XM. Surely they carry a lot of weight and could tell XM to get their act together or GM will start offering Sirius.
Does anyone from GM monitor this and/or other GM product forums? Would seem to be a great way to get feedback from your customers.
Does anyone from GM monitor this and/or other GM product forums? Would seem to be a great way to get feedback from your customers.
This is another issue that GM has fallen on deaf ears about. When I had all my troubles with XM, I contacted Chevrolet about XM. The answer was we can not do any thing about it. I'm glad I've got Sirius now.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,611
Likes: 5
From: Thousand Oaks California
I had to call XM and have them remove my credit card information from their files.
For me, XM having my CC on file is a dangerous thing. It gives them the ability to debit my card whatever and whenever they want, without my permission. I like XM radio, so I just renew year by year.
For me, XM having my CC on file is a dangerous thing. It gives them the ability to debit my card whatever and whenever they want, without my permission. I like XM radio, so I just renew year by year.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,713
Likes: 0
GM loves being in bed with these types -- very lucritive to license them, but plausable deniability on the business relationshp backend "Hey, man, we just sold you some H/W; go see the subsription service if you have issues with them".
I know Bill Gate's _ _ _ dream is to not sell S/W, but to rent it to us. He see's the whole Internet as nothing more than an easy window into fleecing your wallet... I wonder how much cars are going to end up that way -- just a platform to provide subscription services for. Look at smart pass/toll roads, having to pay parking, having to pay urban fees to get into certain areas in Europe, XM subscription, GPS map upgrades, Onstar, I hear you can pay ('fuel abatement credits'?) to use the diamond lane with just one driver, etc, etc.
The world wants to bleed you dry one drop of blood at a time, without you even feeling the pinch.
Or maybe I am just a grumpy old fart.
I know Bill Gate's _ _ _ dream is to not sell S/W, but to rent it to us. He see's the whole Internet as nothing more than an easy window into fleecing your wallet... I wonder how much cars are going to end up that way -- just a platform to provide subscription services for. Look at smart pass/toll roads, having to pay parking, having to pay urban fees to get into certain areas in Europe, XM subscription, GPS map upgrades, Onstar, I hear you can pay ('fuel abatement credits'?) to use the diamond lane with just one driver, etc, etc.
The world wants to bleed you dry one drop of blood at a time, without you even feeling the pinch.
Or maybe I am just a grumpy old fart.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 254
Likes: 1
From: Sachse TX
I don't think that GM has such an easy out here. They're one of the largest investors in XM along with Clearchannel and as such, they should be listening to customer complaints about XM's billing practices.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,078
Likes: 2
From: Northern Virginia
I HATE XM!
Just need to experience their customer service once, and you just wish they would implode. Worst I've ever experienced. I had the credit card BS before, and it took many calls to get it closed and done with.
So far, Sirius has been fine.
Just need to experience their customer service once, and you just wish they would implode. Worst I've ever experienced. I had the credit card BS before, and it took many calls to get it closed and done with.
So far, Sirius has been fine.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,713
Likes: 0
Saw this article and thought it fit in with this thread perfectly:
"How to quit your gym (or almost anything)":
http://tinyurl.com/gtcn7
snips:
"How to quit your gym (or almost anything)":
http://tinyurl.com/gtcn7
snips:
That mysterious recurring charge
Here's a familiar frustration: The charges on the credit card -- sometimes bizarre or undecipherable -- that reappear month after month.
"The most annoying charges that Complaints.com consumers post complaints about are charges that they don't even recognize, which are worse on the frustration scale generally than having trouble canceling a service that at least a consumer knows he signed up for," says Matthew Smith, president of the consumer Web site.
For example, the top two frustrating mystery charges, according to Smith's site, are "BAC TRAVELADV" and "TWX."
The first is actually Travelers Advantage, a travel savings and convenience program affiliated with Bank of America. It is an opt-in program, a spokeswoman said, so that people who have been billed for it "somehow or other agreed to try it out; these things don't just magically appear." If you've enrolled and didn't mean to, or you don't want the membership to continue, there should be a toll-free number for Travelers Advantage on your credit card statement. Or e-mail the company and explain that you'd like to terminate your membership.
An AOL*TWX designation (TWX is the stock ticker symbol for AOL parent Time Warner) doesn't offer much insight into what the charge is for, since Time Warner offers many services, said a spokeswoman. Customers with questions can call (800) 827-6364.
Often what happens with these curious charges, says Sheila Adkins, director of public affairs for the Council of Better Business Bureaus, is that consumers sign up for free trial memberships -- a service, a magazine -- that then become full-fledged subscriptions if consumers don't explicitly cancel them. "They're banking on most consumers not remembering to tell them," Adkins says of the companies.
Amazingly, even if you haven't given these companies your financial info, sometimes they can get your credit card number anyway from another company that sells its mailing list. "Then in that case, if you don't respond, they could start charging your credit card account," she says. "I'm not sure if it's legal in all states, but it's done."
Here's a familiar frustration: The charges on the credit card -- sometimes bizarre or undecipherable -- that reappear month after month.
"The most annoying charges that Complaints.com consumers post complaints about are charges that they don't even recognize, which are worse on the frustration scale generally than having trouble canceling a service that at least a consumer knows he signed up for," says Matthew Smith, president of the consumer Web site.
For example, the top two frustrating mystery charges, according to Smith's site, are "BAC TRAVELADV" and "TWX."
The first is actually Travelers Advantage, a travel savings and convenience program affiliated with Bank of America. It is an opt-in program, a spokeswoman said, so that people who have been billed for it "somehow or other agreed to try it out; these things don't just magically appear." If you've enrolled and didn't mean to, or you don't want the membership to continue, there should be a toll-free number for Travelers Advantage on your credit card statement. Or e-mail the company and explain that you'd like to terminate your membership.
An AOL*TWX designation (TWX is the stock ticker symbol for AOL parent Time Warner) doesn't offer much insight into what the charge is for, since Time Warner offers many services, said a spokeswoman. Customers with questions can call (800) 827-6364.
Often what happens with these curious charges, says Sheila Adkins, director of public affairs for the Council of Better Business Bureaus, is that consumers sign up for free trial memberships -- a service, a magazine -- that then become full-fledged subscriptions if consumers don't explicitly cancel them. "They're banking on most consumers not remembering to tell them," Adkins says of the companies.
Amazingly, even if you haven't given these companies your financial info, sometimes they can get your credit card number anyway from another company that sells its mailing list. "Then in that case, if you don't respond, they could start charging your credit card account," she says. "I'm not sure if it's legal in all states, but it's done."
Last edited by TrackNoob; Jan 5, 2007 at 01:19 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,786
Likes: 0
From: Pleasanton California
Amazingly, even if you haven't given these companies your financial info, sometimes they can get your credit card number anyway from another company that sells its mailing list. "Then in that case, if you don't respond, they could start charging your credit card account," she says. "I'm not sure if it's legal in all states, but it's done."
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,786
Likes: 0
From: Pleasanton California