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I just got a receiver/antenna for my car.  I've never had the service before, and I'm not even sure that I want it now (I got a crazy low sale price for the hardware, which kind of made it a no-brainer purchase just in case I ever DO want the service).  Anyway, I hear stories all the time of people calling them up and getting a subscription for much lower than the advertised price.  What is your experience with this?  Can new customers get deals like that, or is it just for renewals?  How would I go about it?

i will accept their special 6 mo rate for $25/30, let it expire, then re-up when same offer comes back. they are a pain to deal with.

From what I'm seeing through my research, they aren't very flexible with new customers.  So I'm thinking I'll probably just get their cheapest plan for the shortest term, and then see what they'll give me to stay when that expires.

I have received a free year each time I lease a BMW. After that the renewal seems to be a full price. I've never called them about a better deal since I can't threaten to go to another supplier. So I either use them or no satellite radio at all. After almost 9 years with it, I couldn't go back to regular radio. And I don't use the Bluetooth in the car with my cell phone since my cell phone is not a smart phone.  :biggrin:

Is it still analog?

It's probably not much help, but as part of my DishTV package I get 99 Sirius/XM channels free. Of course, that's not everything, and I really haven't tried to run it in my car. My car does have Sirius/XM capability, but I am unsure if it would run through that.  I can certainly use the MyDish app on my phone directly into my car, though I haven't tried that.

All of which is to say, if you are a Dish customer, you could maybe get an upgrade to your package, try the free 99 channels and see if you like it.   :toothless:

If you are a new customer, you can get a 3-month trial...don't even have to input a credit card #. After your trial period is up, they'll try to get you to renew. If you don't, they'll offer you a special discount. I've never, ever paid full price and I have it on two vehicles. May have to go without it for a month or two, but they'll always wind up offering a subscription for around $20 for 6 months or something similar.

I'm not sure I would ever pay full price for satellite radio, even if I traveled a lot. It's great for sports, talk radio and politics/news, but not so much for music. I find myself just connecting my phone via Bluetooth more and more. At least on the channels I listen to, they tend to just play the same artists and songs over and over and over.

There is a free trial, but according to the paperwork that came with the unit, it's only for their most expensive package ($20/month), and you have to commit to a 12 month contract up front.  Not gonna do that.

If so, it's changed in just the past few months. What's the point of a "trial" if you have to commit upfront?  :crazy:

I've only used SiriusXM with vehicles that were factory-equipped, so it may be different with aftermarket hardware. But, if it works the same, you can enter your radio's ID here to activate a free two-month trial:

https://care.siriusxm.com/preownedvehiclestrial_view.action

I have it in both vehicles now and when they wanted me to pay them $800 to renew for three years I said "hasta la vista, baby" and then they said ok for 120 per year all access....took it and will do the same thing next year to!

I got the 90 day free trial with the last 4 new Nissans I bought (traded one and wrecked on, so I have 2 now). After the 90 day free, I got a special rate for 1 year. Since I have 2 subscriptions, I get a discount on 1. I love the service during vacation travel. If you drive every day, it may be worth the service because you will not have to listen to local radio unless you want to. I drove out to Wyoming this August from Tennessee and it was great. I get the expanded service (NFL, Nascar, etc.) because I wanted it. If you are a penny-pincher, this will not be for you. Frankly, I enjoy it because I do not have to drag out the IPod unless I want to.

Not true. 

We bought my wife a new car the last day of August and had a 90 day free Sirius/XM trial. 

After 60 days they called trying to get us to subscribe at the "regular price", and I don't recall what it was but it was far more than we ended up paying. 

I told the "CSR" several times that I wasn't going to subscribe - even though I was because my wife has a 45 minute commute each way and likes listening to a couple of Sirius/XM channels - the sales person basically asked me what I would pay.  I told him that I wouldn't pay more than $5 per month and that was my tops - period.  He told me that if I would pay a year's subscription in advance that we could get the $5 per month rate. 

They sent us an invoice for $60 and we are subscribed until December 2017, and at that time I will tell them $5 per month is what we will continue to pay or we are walking, or in this case riding with no Sirius/XM. 

So - yes - they will negotiate.  It just pays to be a hard ass. 

Had it ever since my wife's new SUV had a trial for Sirius, trial ran out and I got them to give me the cheap promo price, I've done that about twice so far and they've given me the deal I wanted each time.

The auto renewal process, I had a fight over that, but if you just call each year and haggle the price it has always been knocked down for me. I like Sirius/XM because I love to discover lots of new music. A lot of the "DJ"'s are musicians themselves. Lately I have been listening to channel 60 Outlaw Country. Don't let that fool you. Lot's of great music on Outlaw Country, depending on who is on the Mic.  :dude: :clap:

Outlaw Country is what I listen to mostly on Sirius/XM, as well. 

As somebody else mentioned, we too get about 70 or so Sirius/XM channels as part of our DishNetwork service.  I have a couple of TVs hooked up to surround sound systems, so Outlaw Country sounds greta through those.   By far, my favorite Sirius/XM music channel. 

Enjoy listening to Mojo Nixon, Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale, Steve Earle, Johnny Knoxville and his cousin Roger Alan Wade, Hillbilly Jim, and Shooter Jennings all host shows. 

Not a fan of Elizabeth Cook's show.  To much of a trashy mouth for my likes. 

This is pretty much my experience as well, except I let my wife deal with them.  They are a real pain in the ass, but we've always been able to cut a deal with them.  I've had it for 8 yrs now.  I gotta listen to Outlaw Country more - that is a great channel.  I have loved the Mojo Nixon show whenever I have heard it.  I also like the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s along with the 2 classic rock channels and the First wave channel.  All of the DJ's are pretty cool and it's nice to hear a human voice mixed in there from time to time. 

I miss radio like that. There is a station I volunteered for in Utah many years ago called KRCL. Way ahead of it's time and still going strong today. It was all volunteers and each show was unique and unscripted. Great story telling done on many of those shows along with great music that never made it to commercial radio.
 

I love my XM radio and don't ever want to give it up....but will probably have to after I retire next year.   I don't drive that much anymore since I'm working from home....and since Momma died, I won't be making trips back and forth to Knoxville soon (once we sell the condo).....so I can't really justify it anymore.