Well, the situation continues to fester at Sirius-XM. It’s really starting to pick-up some attention now, too. I’m starting to find blogs linking to other blogs about people dealing with the same XMRO fire that Sirius-XM started on March 11th.
Lifetime subscribers are apparently taking it in the you-know-where, too, because even THEY aren’t entitled anything but 32k access, according to XM’s ListenerCare.
Ouch.
In this quick post, I’ll provide some of those links to help share the love. I’m hopeful now more than ever that someone will set-up a Class-Action Lawsuit against Sirius-XM for screwing their customers. I would very happily be a part of that effort. If you’re interested in working to that goal, I can be reached at eric • at • itburns.us.
In other news, I continue to get e-mail from XM about my account (even though it’s been closed). They don’t even know whose accounts are still active! How much time, total, have people spent on this fiasco? How much ListenerCare bandwidth is being gobbled-up by this? I would love to see the metrics. Unfortunately, I don’t think Joe Zarella knows a thing about performance metrics, or how to use them to improve XM’s business or customer care (hey, I call it like I see it…)
I got this e-mail on Monday, March 30:
Thank you for contacting XM regarding your XMRO service. We would like to apologize in advance for any confusion that our recent changes may have caused.
As of March 11, 2009, we have stopped offering free online listening and have upgraded our online listening platforms to a higher digital quality. The new upgraded service is offered at $2.99 per month. Over the past few months, we had been offering existing subscribers a way to continue free online listening with one of our Annual Savings Plans. Taking advantage of this offer enabled subscribers to continue receiving online streaming at 32K for the duration of their Annual Savings Plan.
If you have any more questions feel free to contact Customer Service at 1-800-XM RADIO (800-967-2346) or personal assistance. Our Listener Care Center’s hours of operation are 8am to 11pm EDT Monday through Saturday and 8am to 8pm on Sundays.
Best Regards,
Roberta Lovejoy
Corporate Customer Relations
XM Radio Inc.
Fascinating. Notice how this e-mail didn’t come from ListenerCare? This e-mail was apparently a follow-up from the Corporate Customer Relations Rep that directly told me that I WOULD be entitled to Premium XM Radio online at 128k. In fact, she was absolutely certain at the time. I guess she was wrong, too.
However, this seems to directly contradict a statement made by Joe Zarella, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Listener Care & Information Technology, who recently sent the following e-mail to Scott Greczkowski on March 27th, 2009:
“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.”
So, who are we to believe? The Care-Clowns that will tell you whatever you want to hear to pacify you long enough to drop the phone call, or an Executive at Sirius-XM that appears to pushing-out false official statements, or at the very least, can’t be bothered to do his job well-enough to actually manage his staff or implement a roll-back or failure contingency plan? Oh, that’s right – HE DOESN’T HAVE ONE.
Who knows. Having canceled my accounts, I’m only a spectator in this sport at this point. I’ll enjoy my popcorn and soda no matter what the outcome.
I am, however, greatly enjoying watching Sirius-XM go out of their way to inflame the situation while infuriating their existing customer base – all with the apparent goal of committing Corporate Seppuku.
Go, Mel, Go… Burn the Sirius Dog House down!!
And now for some tasty links to other people that Sirius-XM has managed to burn:
• Scott Greczkowski’s Blog: Some "Sirius-ly" Good News
• Scott Greczkowski’s Blog: Sirius XM Bait & Switch
• The XM Radio Fan Community Forum: ITS FIXED, Fkin FINALLY!!!!!
• ConsumerAffairs.com – XM Satellite Radio
• ConsumerAffairs.com – Sirius Satellite Radio
I’ll update this list as I find more. That XM Fan link is already up to 56 pages long (as of 4/12/2009). Lifetime subscribers are now reporting they only have access to the 32k stream as well. Additionally, they’re starting to see the text “Premium” vanish from their accounts. Sounds like classic Bait ’n’ Switch. Boy, the satellite services industry has never tried THAT one before!!
Glad I’m no longer paying for the privilege to get screwed by Sirius-XM!!