XM Radio Trial Subscription period?

[Viktor]

Why do U even need it in the city car? It annoys me when signal is being lost under the bridges or behind big buildings. Leaf cant be really used for long distance travel where satellite radio might be usefull. Plenty of FM or internet radios which are free of charge and readily available with much better choices.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I have a 43 mile (total) commute, and I lose the signal in exactly one spot - a mile from home. The dead zone is about 15' long. I find XM to be quite useful, although I want to duct tape the mike of the "alternative nation" canned DJ. Who wants to hear distortion 6 times an hour?

 

[adder70]

I still can't believe that with the cost of the nav system you still have to pay for traffic. My Garmin, for about $125, has lifetime maps and traffic! I didn't realize XM had a separate option for traffic only.

When the XM salesperson called and asked how I liked XM, I talked about the limitations of searching to find a good station (maybe mine never had the trial, and was always in a limited demo mode) and he basically said, oh, okay and hung up. I was even interested in paying for a month or two to see how the full functioning XM worked, but I didn't realize that he thought I was trying to shut him down until he said, "Have a good day" or something similar, and I was still disbelieving as he hung up. Oh well.

I haven't had the best of luck with the tech stuff on the Leaf, though. We had trouble getting the car to connect to the center to start up Carwings (like 3 or 4 attempts with call center reps on the phone), and I've never had the chance in the past 5 1/2 months to take it to the dealer so they can do it from the lot (I don't want to have to sit in the dealer lot on hold for 10 minutes before finally getting person to help me, but I think I'll have to since AT&T coverage at my house isn't reliably strong for the connect process.)

Oh wait... Did I digress? No, that would be *temporarily* deviating from the subject!

 

[jdunmyer]

I'm still waiting to see what happens. I've had the Leaf nearly 2 months now, and have heard nothing from Sirius/XM. Last October, I bought a new VW Passat, also with a satellite radio, and they began contacting me via email and letters about a week or 2 after delivery. As I do "kinda" like it, I called them after it quit and got the $25.00/6 months price. Made a note on my calendar to call and cancel, hopefully to have them give me another "deal I can't refuse".

 

[LeftieBiker]

I didn't hear from XM until my subscription had about three weeks left on it. They set me a mailer with horrific prices, which I ignored. Then, right at the end of the trial, they sent me a $30/6 month offer, which I accepted. I'm due for another one about now.

 

[palmermd]

After a bit over four years, our XM radio trial finally expired. Bummer. My wife liked listening to XM, but I never did, just AM/FM. I did like to use the traffic display on the map whenever we headed north toward downtown Sacramento to see which route had the least backups, if any. I guess I'll have to use my phone with Waze for that function now...just easier to take a quick look on the car nav before backing out of the garage.

 

[mwalsh]

After a bit over four years, our XM radio trial finally expired. Bummer. My wife liked listening to XM, but I never did, just AM/FM. I did like to use the traffic display on the map whenever we headed north toward downtown Sacramento to see which route had the least backups, if any. I guess I'll have to use my phone with Waze for that function now...just easier to take a quick look on the car nav before backing out of the garage.

LOL! It's time for me to confess that I've also had a 4 year trial of XM. I don't quite know (or care) what went wrong for them procedurally to allow it, but they've apparently caught up with us now. Mine went dead a week ago Saturday, precisely 4 years from when the 90 day trial should have ended. :lol:

I've tried going without NavTraffic this last week, but I really do believe I'm going to re-up with XM just for it (~$4 monthly).

 

[TomT]

Mine was still working in trial mode when I turned it in at four years and two weeks! On my XM portal it STILL shows active...

LOL! It's time for me to confess that I've also had a 4 year trial of XM. I don't quite know (or care) what went wrong for them procedurally to allow it, but they've apparently caught up with us now. Mine went dead a week ago Saturday, precisely 4 years from when the 90 day trial should have ended.

 

[mjblazin]

Did you call XM and officially commence the trial? I think if you never contact them, it could go for a long time. You just cannot do any pre sets that remain after car shuts down.
I bought used and dealer did not tell me the XM procedure. Since I had a previous agreement, I contacted XM. The rep told me I could activate the trial for three months, and then revert to my regular contract. The trial is a high premium package. It includes the guy that thinks he is the king of all media. I only have music, news and limited sports in my contract, no special stars.

 

[TomT]

Nope, I had a slew of presets the entire 4+ years of trial...

You just cannot do any pre sets that remain after car shuts down.

 

[palmermd]

Nope, I had a slew of presets the entire 4+ years of trial...

You just cannot do any pre sets that remain after car shuts down.

We had the same. Fully functioning with all features for the duration of the trial.

I'd be curious to see if yours continues to work for the next few weeks, since I see your delivery date is a week or so after mine was scheduled, but delayed.

 

[mwalsh]

Nope, I had a slew of presets the entire 4+ years of trial...

We had the same. Fully functioning with all features for the duration of the trial.

+1.

 

[mjblazin]

Nope, I had a slew of presets the entire 4+ years of trial...

You just cannot do any pre sets that remain after car shuts down.

You did call XM and activate the trial? Or did your dealer do it for you? Inability to fix pre-sets was I determined XM had not activated trial in my name.

 

[TomT]

Here is the chronology. When I got the car, XM was activated and working properly. About 3 months after I got it, it stopped. It was supposed to be a six month trial so I called them and they said, sure, no problem, and turned it back on. It continued to work ever after that for 4+ years...

You did call XM and activate the trial? Or did your dealer do it for you? Inability to fix pre-sets was I determined XM had not activated trial in my name.

 

[mwalsh]

Here is the chronology. When I got the car, XM was activated and working properly. About 3 months after I got it, it stopped. It was supposed to be a six month trial so I called them and they said, sure, no problem, and turned it back on. It continued to work ever after that for 4+ years..

+1. That is exactly what happened with mine.

 

[palmermd]

Here is the chronology. When I got the car, XM was activated and working properly. About 3 months after I got it, it stopped. It was supposed to be a six month trial so I called them and they said, sure, no problem, and turned it back on. It continued to work ever after that for 4+ years..

+1. That is exactly what happened with mine.

I never called them ever. I got my car and XM worked for about 2 weeks and then went off. I did not care that the trial did not last long since at that time I was the primary driver of the vehicle. About two weeks later it came back on and was working until last week. I don't expect it will come back on at this point because I think it was turned back on from all the calls from other owners who's trial did not last the full trial period.

 

[TomT]

By the way, I know of at least two people who logged on to their account and were able to activate another 90 day free trial once their four years ran out... I logged on and was also able to activate it for another 3 months! Who knows what will happen after that...

I never called them ever. I got my car and XM worked for about 2 weeks and then went off. I did not care that the trial did not last long since at that time I was the primary driver of the vehicle. About two weeks later it came back on and was working until last week. I don't expect it will come back on at this point because I think it was turned back on from all the calls from other owners who's trial did not last the full trial period.

 

[mwalsh]

By the way, I know of at least two people who logged on to their account and were able to activate another 90 day free trial once their four years ran out...

Decided that I couldn't live without NavTraffic, so I went to sign up (and pay) for it today and was also offered another 3 month trial. I wonder how many years this one will last? :lol:

 

[Sondy132001]

All I had was the XM Channel #1 that was free music I really don't listen to so I didn't care. Then about 2 weeks ago they had a free trial period, I listened to it, it lasted until June 1st, I dug it and it has great stations and the music sounds even better on my speakers than the radio, XM is HD I believe.

Anywho I paid $24.99 for the next year I believe and it'll be $10 a month after that, I said I'd never pay for radio but I just love the stations and I spend that much if not more on iTunes, Vinyl and CD's a month !

S

 

[mwalsh]

All I had was the XM Channel #1 that was free music I really don't listen to so I didn't care. Then about 2 weeks ago they had a free trial period, I listened to it, it lasted until June 1st, I dug it and it has great stations and the music sounds even better on my speakers than the radio, XM is HD I believe.

Really? It sounds pretty bad in my 2011 - compressed all to heck. I doubt very much it's anything close to HD.