NY AG sues SiriusXM for ‘trapping’ customers in unwanted subscriptions

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NY AG sues SiriusXM for ‘trapping’ customers in unwanted subscriptions

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) sued SiriusXM on Wednesday, alleging the satellite radio company illegally traps customers in unwanted subscriptions, costing them hundreds of dollars. J…

thehill.com

NY AG sues SiriusXM for ‘trapping’ customers in unwanted subscriptions​

BY NICK ROBERTSON - 12/20/23 6:59 PM ET

SiriusXM logo on building (Getty Images)

New York Attorney General Letitia James(D) sued SiriusXM on Wednesday, alleging the satellite radio company illegally traps customers in unwanted subscriptions, costing them hundreds of dollars.

James argued the company maintains “deliberately long and burdensome cancellation processes” as part of a strategy to prevent people from canceling their subscriptions to the service.

“Having to endure a lengthy and frustrating process to cancel a subscription is a stressful burden no one looks forward to, and when companies make it hard to cancel subscriptions, it’s illegal,” James said in a statement. “Consumers should be able to cancel a subscription they no longer use or need without any issues, and companies have a legal duty to make their cancellation process easy.”

The suit also alleges that the company explicitly trained its customer service representatives to push back on customers attempting to cancel their subscription.

“According to SiriusXM’s own data, it takes subscribers an average of 11.5 minutes to cancel by phone, and 30 minutes to cancel online, although for many subscribers it takes far longer,” the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said in a statement.

“Despite these long wait times, OAG found that the company can cancel a customer’s subscription with a simple click of a button, or even allow customers to do so themselves.”

Those deliberately long wait times and convoluted processes violate federal and state law, James said.

The suit seeks restitution for SiriusXM customers, including direct compensation, in addition to change in company policy and financial penalties.

TAGS CONSUMER PROTECTIONLETITIA JAMESNEW YORKSIRIUSXM

 

[Wildin]

It's a pain in the ass. I've had xm before the merger with Sirius. It does take forever to cancel (wait for a rep), and you really have to double check because one person will say "ok, it's cancelled, at the end of the cycle your service will be stopped" to then you get charged for another month and have to do the refund.

When you cancel, it takes about 60 days but they send you an email for a free service or another offer. Then you re-up and cancel again and repeat the process

They've never ever hit me with something like "well, you've gotten the 90 day trial in the past we can't honor that."

I can't stand their service anymore too many commercials and a lot of the radio channels aren't available, there's more stuff via the app, but if i wanted to connect via Bluetooth id just listen to YouTube or something.

 

[Remote]

It's a pain in the ass. I've had xm before the merger with Sirius. It does take forever to cancel (wait for a rep), and you really have to double check because one person will say "ok, it's cancelled, at the end of the cycle your service will be stopped" to then you get charged for another month and have to do the refund.

When you cancel, it takes about 60 days but they send you an email for a free service or another offer. Then you re-up and cancel again and repeat the process

They've never ever hit me with something like "well, you've gotten the 90 day trial in the past we can't honor that."

I can't stand their service anymore too many commercials and a lot of the radio channels aren't available, there's more stuff via the app, but if i wanted to connect via Bluetooth id just listen to YouTube or something.

There are commercials on Sirius?

I thought having no ads was the point of paying for satellite radio.

 

[Elim Garak]

I've done the trial a few times and recall canceling through the app or website. This sounds like the 2023 version of AOL lol.

 

[General Mills]

I keep my subscription because I do use the nfl live streaming when I am working and not able to watch and I do play it in the whip. I also keep a subscription for my moms car.

The service is too expensive but each time I go to cancel they offer me to stay for like 15 bucks which covers both subs. To me that’s worth it because I actually do use it.

 

[Tribal Outkast]

They are the worst man lol. I mean XM is cool but they’re really only good for when you’re taking long trips. I listen to Sway off and on, and I used to listen to Jude and Lord Sear before they broke up or whatever. They still be trying to charge people over 20 a month.. whyyyy??? You better take this 5 or less a month and shut up

 

[jadillac]

I kept my sub for years, but what I would do is call to cancel, they'd try to get me to stay, I'd say "NO", then they'd respond with I can offer you "6 months at a rate of $30 total....will this work?"

I'd say, "ok, I guess that's fine....". The trick is, after that months they charge full price. So then I'd set my calendar to cancel 2 days before the 6 months date ends. Rinse repeat.

I did forget once or twice to cancel tho and had to get a refund

 

[Womb Raider]

This service is ass, mf gave me a 90 day trial with my Lex and then started charging me a month in then when my car got totaled, they changed my sub to my new car and kept charging me I cussed them nikkas out over the phone, I wasn’t even impressed the one time I used that shyt

 

[General Mills]

I kept my sub for years, but what I would do is call to cancel, they'd try to get me to stay, I'd say "NO", then they'd respond with I can offer you "6 months at a rate of $30 total....will this work?"

I'd say, "ok, I guess that's fine....". The trick is, after that months they charge full price. So then I'd set my calendar to cancel 2 days before the 6 months date ends. Rinse repeat.

I did forget once or twice to cancel tho and had to get a refund

My exact model lol. They do tend to get me for one month at the full price and then I call and get that super discount for another year.

Matter of fact let me put in a reminder to cancel my account before my full price auto renewal in March

 

[jadillac]

My exact model lol. They do tend to get me for one month at the full price and then I call and get that super discount for another year.

Matter of fact let me put in a reminder to cancel my account before my full price auto renewal in March

At the time, I didn't have a car with Bluetooth capability. But since I do now, I can listen to whatever and don't really need satellite radio.

 

[Wildin]

There are commercials on Sirius?

I thought having no ads was the point of paying for satellite radio.

It was before it blew up.

I don't believe they are traditional ads. More like "the 5'o clock mix show! With dj mouma...." And a bunch of talking. Then they'll play a song and talk, play 2 songs and talk "check out dj mouma on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, everyday at 5 o clock!" For all the stations they have, they cycle a lot of the same songs. And it's kind of like terrestrial radio where you hear one song on the billboard or hot 100 then flip the station to another and it's playing on that one. I remember hearing that Nicki minaj/ice spice princess Diana a lot this summer and i was like
" aight I'm cancelling this shyt"

 

[General Mills]

At the time, I didn't have a car with Bluetooth capability. But since I do now, I can listen to whatever and don't really need satellite radio.

Truthfully the main reason why I keep it is because I also pay for a sub for my mom’s car. I have tried multiple times to get her off it but she just can’t figure out how to use Bluetooth streaming from her phone. I will set it up for her and inevitably she will somehow erase all her settings or somehow put her phone on airplane mode or some other horseshyt that stresses me out lol


Just easier to pay the sub than get her to figure out easy technology

 

[ORDER_66]

Sirius be trapping y'all in contracts?!?!

 

[CrushedGroove]

I ended up removing the rap stations. I have like 4-5 news channels saved, Real Jazz, all of the R&B stations, KF Gospel, NBA, NFL, MLB, Bob Marley channel, Urban View, etc

I use it everyday.

 

[Jaylen Tatum]

Like some of yall have said I got a free trial when I bought my car and tried to cancel but they made me an offer of like 4.70 a month so I kept it. I've done that twice so far but the price is really $7.86 a month. Still much cheaper than $20+.

I mainly listen to nba and nfl radio, And rock the bells.