Sounds like Sirius/XM is telling different stories to everyone! When I called earlier this week to activate my trial membership, I was told I only got a 3-month trial.
Jun 19, 2012. Hi all, I got a 2012 Mazda 3 i Touring and kinda wanting to install Sirius on there. I asked my dealer how much it would cost and they said the Sirius.
Send a refresh signal to the radio by just scanning the VIN. Go Online or Call: You can also refresh radios by visiting our online refresh site at siriusxm.com/refresh or by calling SiriusXM Dealer Support at 1-800-852-9696. Find the radio ID by turning to Channel 0 or visiting siriusxm.com/activationhelp. Aug 16, 2016 How to activate SiriusXM Mazda Connect therealturbofanisme. HOW TO ACTIVATE YOUR SIRRUS RADIO ON YOUR MAZADA - Duration: 3. Sep 17, 2012 The following steps will help you activate your new., radio, satellite radio, sirius, siriusxm. Sirius XM Trial Expired In Your Mazda?
When I quoted their own website's info, clearly stating 4 months on all new Mazda vehicles, the lady held her ground--saying I was 'confused.' A few choice words to her later, she adjusted my account. Anyway, follow Mark's advice and stand your ground. Also, for what it's worth, I gave her my radio number, not my VIN, and had no registration problems whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I was never even asked for my VIN. Hope this helps.
![Sirius Radio Sirius Radio](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/sxm-java/images/content/12_ONE_SIZE_IMAGE_01_4706.jpg)
Have you checked out their website? Have you tried to tune to 184 for Sirus radio or 1 for XM?
They say you should hear something. See the attached.
Hit on the Blue 'HERE'. It should not be that difficult. Looks like it is the radio number not the VIN. I did indeed hear demo programming on Channel 1 only (even in the garage), and I could see my Radio ID on Channel 0, but I couldn't select any other channels.
I then followed the instructions above, typed my Radio ID in the box, and clicked on 'Send Refresh Signal'. I sat back for the five minutes suggested, but nothing happened on the Miata screen. However, when I then tried Channel Up, I saw and heard Channels 2,3,4 and all the others. This without any other contact with Sirius/XM, no VIN, and no credit card. This surprised me because I expected that they would not do a free trial without the ability to begin charging for the service after the four free months. Perhaps the service will simply terminate at that point, and I'll have to go through the regular sign-up process, or not, at that time.
Phillies baseball now on Channel 184, although it's with Arizona Diamondback announcers. The web site has the full channel lineup. Thanks for the tip. I did indeed hear demo programming on Channel 1 only (even in the garage), and I could see my Radio ID on Channel 0, but I couldn't select any other channels. I then followed the instructions above, typed my Radio ID in the box, and clicked on 'Send Refresh Signal'. I sat back for the five minutes suggested, but nothing happened on the Miata screen.
However, when I then tried Channel Up, I saw and heard Channels 2,3,4 and all the others. This without any other contact with Sirius/XM, no VIN, and no credit card.
This surprised me because I expected that they would not do a free trial without the ability to begin charging for the service after the four free months. Perhaps the service will simply terminate at that point, and I'll have to go through the regular sign-up process, or not, at that time.
Phillies baseball now on Channel 184, although it's with Arizona Diamondback announcers. The web site has the full channel lineup.
Thanks for the tip. I get channel 1, but that is all.
How do you get to channel 0 to get the radio code? Apparently, Mazda hadn't bothered to tell Sirius/XM about the 4-month trial subscription for the new MX-5 until a few days ago. I had called Sirius/XM last weekend, and they couldn't find the VIN. They did give me a 2-month demo subscription and told me to contact the dealer to get things straightened out. After a fairly long email/phone exchange, I just got an eMail from my salesman saying Mazda had finally given Sirius/XM all the info about the affected VINs and telling me to call Sirius/XM to switch over to the 4-month subscription. I'm planning to do so this weekend - we'll see how it goes. * just read back all of what I wrote below.
Yes I'm frustrated. * sorry for its' length, as a bit of a rant.
Good outlet however.:ohno: I just got a mailing today that my ND LE is up for renewal of Sirius XM. (huh?) The mail mentions deactivation if no renewed by Nov.
Weird, as I never activated Sirius XM for my LE ND. I did try a few times, but never got past a 2 month trial offer from Sirius. So I gave up. I picked up my LE on July 24th.
Coincidence, as Nov. 24th is exactly 4 months after I bought my car? I know I did not activate it in the first couple weeks, as I did not call Sirius until later. So then did the Dealer activate it when sold? Since I bought the car, Sirius XM has not worked.
After an approximate 2 weeks, I called Sirius asking about the 4 mo. When I spoke to Sirius, they could not find my VIN. Nothing I could do from there.
I tried again an approximate week or so later. I was told then my RadioID was licensed activated with a dealership.
Since I told them the car had sold, they pulled the dealer off account activation and asked if I wanted a 2 mo. I said Mazda promises 4 months, it's in their brochures. I got nowhere. Now today this mailing came.
What the f&*^! I called Sirius and guess what, a regurgitation of the mailing saying I have another 2 months of trial. I told them Sirius has not played in my LE since I purchased it. They replied that they may have to send a signal. I then asked, would that give me a 4 mo. The agent said I'm only good up to Nov.
Before I hung up, I told the Sirius agent that I'm going to report this lack of service to Mazda customer service Irvine. Just after I hung up, I did just that. Mazda was very interested in what I had to report. They mentioned issues other LE buyers had with Sirius as well. I told them I'm no longer trusting in Sirius. They refuse to give me the 4 mo. Trial Mazda advertises.
One that is activated by me, signal or whatever, where I am actually using these 4 trial months. And when trying to explain it.
Sirius customer service ranks up there with Cable companies such as ComC^&*. Ive been a Sirius customer since its inception, years before getting my 08 NC, which also came with a free subscription. I believe it was 6 months at the time. In any case it was like pulling teeth getting it activated to include the free trial period. Actually took months and customer service at Sirius is as bad as it gets. Im totally hooked on the product though. I just sold the NC and cancelled its subscription.
Should be a complete Cluster F*&% in a couple of weeks when the ND arrives and i got to activate. Ive Ill ready told my self not to expect them to honor the 4 months and If there is no hassle then it will just be an unexpected surprise. PS, the Sirius receiver in the 08 NC went bad a few weeks after I got it all straightened out and needed to be replaced, of course with a new ID to be activated. LOL, dont even want to get into the hassle that was.:eek. Not only NEVER give SiriusXM your credit card number, be VERY sure that you call and CANCEL the service before the 4-month trial ends. Get a cancellation number and the name of the person you spoke with. Have them confirm it via email, if possible.
Even if you didn't give them a credit card number, SiriusXM will continue the service beyond your 4-month trial. It doesn't automatically end. They'll keep you hooked up and then BILL you for the service. Mark The mailing states 'Your SiriusXM service(s) will automatically stop on the date your trial ends, unless you choose to subscribe before that date'.
It also says that by doing so, you will avoid a $15 activation fee should you choose to sign up later. Of course, personal experience trumps anything the vendor says, and I'm put off by the 'difficult cancellation' stories I've already read on this site.
In spite of this, I may have to sign up just to get music, talk, and baseball when beyond the reach of cell towers, which happens a lot around here. I also don't want my shark fin to get rusty through lack of use:) I do notice that the mailing's renewal option is only for their 'Select' package. Their web site shows other options both more and less expensive. As a reminder, details appear earlier is this thread explaining how to activate the free trial on the SirusXM web site. This avoids the confusion caused by not fully informed telephone agents and dealers.
And yes, it's true that the free trial period starts on the date the car is sold, not on the day you activate. That actually seems reasonable to me considering that the trial period is for four months. What's not reasonable is the runaround that TerryK got on the phone. An insert to go with the owner's manual explaining how all this works would prevent a lot of problems. Mazda & Sirius/XM failed to communicate the VIN's for the trial period. I got the dealer to sort it out, but got some pretty nasty comments from the sales geek about it. That cost the dealer $200 of free accessories & a $50 gift card.
Sirius/XM will claim you owe for service after your contract expires but can't collect if you pay by check. The last time we contracted with them we wanted the 'mostly music' package for $9.99/mo. They offered the 'select' package for slightly less, so we accepted.
We'll have to go through the process again when the contract expires. Satellite radio, great concept! Sirius/XM, terrible business!
Mazda & Sirius/XM failed to communicate the VIN's for the trial period. I got the dealer to sort it out, but got some pretty nasty comments from the sales geek about it. That cost the dealer $200 of free accessories & a $50 gift card.
Sirius/XM will claim you owe for service after your contract expires but can't collect if you pay by check. The last time we contracted with them we wanted the 'mostly music' package for $9.99/mo. They offered the 'select' package for slightly less, so we accepted. We'll have to go through the process again when the contract expires.
Satellite radio, great concept! Sirius/XM, terrible business! Again, see my post #30. You need to be strong when dealing with the company.
If you don't like the quoted price/terms, say so and tell the rep. What you expect.
If that doesn't elicit a favorable response, tell the rep that you will do without. You can always talk with a different telephone closer the following day. It's your money! Again, see my post #30. You need to be strong when dealing with the company. If you don't like the quoted price/terms, say so and tell the rep. What you expect.
If that doesn't elicit a favorable response, tell the rep that you will do without. You can always talk with a different telephone closer the following day. It's your money!
I have walked away. I no longer discuss it with them, I simply wait till the contract expires, call & tell them to send me an invoice for the service I want at the price I want, or better, & pay by check after I receive a satisfactory invoice. You got it right, that doesn't mean I got it wrong. * just read back all of what I wrote below. Yes I'm frustrated. * sorry for its' length, as a bit of a rant.
Good outlet however.:ohno: I just got a mailing today that my ND LE is up for renewal of Sirius XM. (huh?) The mail mentions deactivation if no renewed by Nov.
Weird, as I never activated Sirius XM for my LE ND. I did try a few times, but never got past a 2 month trial offer from Sirius. So I gave up. I picked up my LE on July 24th. Coincidence, as Nov. 24th is exactly 4 months after I bought my car? I know I did not activate it in the first couple weeks, as I did not call Sirius until later.
So then did the Dealer activate it when sold? Since I bought the car, Sirius XM has not worked.
After an approximate 2 weeks, I called Sirius asking about the 4 mo. When I spoke to Sirius, they could not find my VIN. Nothing I could do from there.
I tried again an approximate week or so later. I was told then my RadioID was licensed activated with a dealership. Since I told them the car had sold, they pulled the dealer off account activation and asked if I wanted a 2 mo. I said Mazda promises 4 months, it's in their brochures. I got nowhere. Now today this mailing came. What the f&*^!
I called Sirius and guess what, a regurgitation of the mailing saying I have another 2 months of trial. I told them Sirius has not played in my LE since I purchased it. They replied that they may have to send a signal. I then asked, would that give me a 4 mo. The agent said I'm only good up to Nov.
Before I hung up, I told the Sirius agent that I'm going to report this lack of service to Mazda customer service Irvine. Just after I hung up, I did just that. Mazda was very interested in what I had to report.
They mentioned issues other LE buyers had with Sirius as well. I told them I'm no longer trusting in Sirius. They refuse to give me the 4 mo.
Trial Mazda advertises. One that is activated by me, signal or whatever, where I am actually using these 4 trial months. And when trying to explain it. Sirius customer service ranks up there with Cable companies such as ComC^&*.
I had a similar experience on another car. The dealership activated the radio on the day of purchase but the activation signal never made it through to the car's radio. After a month of no service I called about my 3 month trial. While they immediately enabled my radio, they refused to honor the missing month.
The gist of what they were saying was that I was SOL. Such great customer service.:rolleyes. I have never had any problem with Sirius. I have it on 4 cars. Multi-car discounts.
Does work like cable. Need to call and negotiate the best deal. But folks not reading the brochure when they buy a car and not understanding the trial starts at purchase is not Sirius' fault. Also, another instance of where Mazda dropped the ball with the LEs. When folks took possession of their car and mentioned Mazda didn't have the radio IDs worked out with Sirius that is on Mazda. I have never had that issue with any other new car trial.
I activated my trial after the issue was worked out, so that did not happen to me, only know of it by reading the forum. But folks not reading the brochure when they buy a car and not understanding the trial starts at purchase is not Sirius' fault. I had (and read) the brochure before my LE arrived.
I confirmed with Mazda (Irving) that Mazda provides 4 free months trial period for 'all' their new cars. By the way, speaking of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 product brochure, available at some dealerships if you can get ahold of one. I agree that Mazda should of made clear that service starts at time of purchase.
Perhaps the Dealer mentioned this, and I missed it. However I feel strongly that Sirius should of let me know this, when I called them 1-2 weeks after purchase and became interested in SAT Radio. At that time, I was offered only 2 months. A second call later to Sirius (when a VIN was available), still offered 2 months.
It was only this last week in my 3rd (last) conversation with Sirius, that they mentioned my trial started back on July 24th. I find this out 2 months after owning the car? Just can't figure it out. Seems to me if Sirius was serious about getting new customers, they'd be more positive in starting a 'new-car' trials and getting people hooked, in hope of selling more subscriptions.
In contrast however, the Sirius agents were 'stone-cold' in response to any 4 month trial offer (as if they did not know anything about it). In other words, 2 months take it or leave it! Well you can guess what my decision was. I had (and read) the brochure before my LE arrived.
I confirmed with Mazda (Irving) that Mazda provides 4 free months trial period for 'all' their new cars. By the way, speaking of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 product brochure, available at some dealerships if you can get ahold of one.
I agree that Mazda should of made clear that service starts at time of purchase. Perhaps the Dealer mentioned this, and I missed it. However I feel strongly that Sirius should of let me know this, when I called them 1-2 weeks after purchase and became interested in SAT Radio. At that time, I was offered only 2 months. A second call later to Sirius (when a VIN was available), still offered 2 months. It was only this last week in my 3rd (last) conversation with Sirius, that they mentioned my trial started back on July 24th. I find this out 2 months after owning the car?
Just can't figure it out. Seems to me if Sirius was serious about getting new customers, they'd be more positive in starting a 'new-car' trials and getting people hooked, in hope of selling more subscriptions. In contrast however, the Sirius agents were 'stone-cold' in response to any 4 month trial offer (as if they did not know anything about it). In other words, 2 months take it or leave it! Well you can guess what my decision was. The 'free trial' of Sat.
Radio in new cars is the same with most brands. Only the length of the trial varies.
What brochure.? I think this is where Mazda could have done better. Product Brochure This is the deluxe brochure that was still not available in the early days of waiting for the LEs to arrive at dealerships. On the specifications page, last page foldout, footnote #3: 'Subscriptions to SiriusXM services are sold by SiriusXM after a 4 month trial subscription to the SiriusXM All Access package expires and are continuous until you call SiriusXM at 1-866-635-2349 to cancel. See Sirius XM Customer Agreement for complete terms at www.siriusxm.com. There are some more statements about minimum age, 48 states only, trademarks, and the fact that you need a subscription and a satellite radio to get the service.'
Read carefully, I don't think this conflicts with the SiriusXM mailing some of us have just received, which says: 'Your SiriusXM service(s) will automatically stop on the date your trial ends, unless you choose to subscribe before that date'. It also says that by subscribing before the trial ends, you will avoid a $15 activation fee assessed if you choose to sign up later. Smart Start Guide Here it says: 'New Mazda vehicles equipped with SiriusXM® Satellite Radio will receive an introductory subscription with a limited term trial offer to over 150 channels of SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
Enjoy commercial-free music, plus sports, news, entertainment, and every premium channel in your vehicle. Call 877-447-0011 to activate. See the Owner’s Manual and/or dealer for details.'
Owner's Manual Here there is no mention of the 4 month trial. The system is described and use is explained. For activation it says 'Call 888-539-7474 to activate.' See page 5-46. The fact that the trial starts on the day you purchase, and expires exactly 4 months later was only communicated with the Sirius XM mailing recently received, as far as I know. This is why some folks just finding this out feel that they didn't receive their full trial.
There is no mention anywhere of the online means of activation, which is the most convenient and foolproof method of availing yourself of the free trial. I discovered that through this forum. SiriusXM agents should have been flagged by the VIN and their system that a 4 month trial was in place on the 2016 MX-5, so that they could just help with the activation and be done with it. Instead, I think they could only offer a more standard 2 month free trial which probably is not dependent on a new car purchase. I also would guess that their system doesn't allow agents to reset the start and end dates of a free trial, even if it's clear that activation was not done immediately after purchase. An insert with the owner's manual that said 'Congratulations. Your free 4 month trial starts today.
Call or go online to activate, etc.' Would have been really nice. But I'll bet that the dealer paperwork would have to hit the system before the free trial activation could be accomplished. I think this is where Mazda could have done better. Product Brochure This is the deluxe brochure that was still not available in the early days of waiting for the LEs to arrive at dealerships. On the specifications page, last page foldout, footnote #3: 'Subscriptions to SiriusXM services are sold by SiriusXM after a 4 month trial subscription to the SiriusXM All Access package expires and are continuous until you call SiriusXM at 1-866-635-2349 to cancel.
See Sirius XM Customer Agreement for complete terms at www.siriusxm.com. There are some more statements about minimum age, 48 states only, trademarks, and the fact that you need a subscription and a satellite radio to get the service.' Read carefully, I don't think this conflicts with the SiriusXM mailing some of us have just received, which says: 'Your SiriusXM service(s) will automatically stop on the date your trial ends, unless you choose to subscribe before that date'. It also says that by subscribing before the trial ends, you will avoid a $15 activation fee assessed if you choose to sign up later. Smart Start Guide Here it says: 'New Mazda vehicles equipped with SiriusXM® Satellite Radio will receive an introductory subscription with a limited term trial offer to over 150 channels of SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Enjoy commercial-free music, plus sports, news, entertainment, and every premium channel in your vehicle. Call 877-447-0011 to activate.
See the Owner’s Manual and/or dealer for details.' Owner's Manual Here there is no mention of the 4 month trial. The system is described and use is explained. For activation it says 'Call 888-539-7474 to activate.' See page 5-46. The fact that the trial starts on the day you purchase, and expires exactly 4 months later was only communicated with the Sirius XM mailing recently received, as far as I know.
This is why some folks just finding this out feel that they didn't receive their full trial. There is no mention anywhere of the online means of activation, which is the most convenient and foolproof method of availing yourself of the free trial. I discovered that through this forum. SiriusXM agents should have been flagged by the VIN and their system that a 4 month trial was in place on the 2016 MX-5, so that they could just help with the activation and be done with it. Instead, I think they could only offer a more standard 2 month free trial which probably is not dependent on a new car purchase.
I also would guess that their system doesn't allow agents to reset the start and end dates of a free trial, even if it's clear that activation was not done immediately after purchase. An insert with the owner's manual that said 'Congratulations.
Your free 4 month trial starts today. Call or go online to activate, etc.' Would have been really nice.
But I'll bet that the dealer paperwork would have to hit the system before the free trial activation could be accomplished. Most dealerships activate the free trial during the pre delivery orientation.
Most dealerships activate the free trial during the pre delivery orientation. That probably explains why the Sirius agents are not prepared to do better. New car owners should drive away with the free trial activated, and a couple of months later receive the SiriusXM mailing for subscription after the trial expires. You get the full advertised trial period. That's simple enough. My dealer did not activate it for my LE delivered in the third week of July, and there was no mention of the SiriusXM system at delivery/purchase. This being my first exposure to such, I did not know to ask about it.
This forum got me going, though. So it's either dealer neglect, or it's possible that LE VINs had not hit the SiriusXM system yet at delivery, though it seems Mazda should have been able to make that preparation by the time LEs arrived at dealers. Did anyone taking delivery of an LE in the first delivery cycle have their SiriusXM activated by the dealer?
Did anyone taking delivery of an LE in the first delivery cycle have their SiriusXM activated by the dealer? I took delivery of my LE on July 24th. (My VIN ends in digits.088x).
When I spoke with Sirius, they said my LE was activated by the Dealer. They also gave me its' activation date as July 24th. The Sirius agent then deactivated it upon learning the car was sold.
And next followed up offering me just 2 months. So therefore, Sirius had my delivery (purchase) date. However I'm curious how my LE was activated that early, being that Mazda had not supplied the LE VINs yet to Sirius. I guess there are some questions that come up in life, that you will never get answers to.
I took delivery of my LE on July 24th. (My VIN ends in digits.088x).
When I spoke with Sirius, they said my LE was activated by the Dealer. They also gave me its' activation date as July 24th. The Sirius agent then deactivated it upon learning the car was sold. And next followed up offering me just 2 months.
So therefore, Sirius had my delivery (purchase) date. However I'm curious how my LE was activated that early, being that Mazda had not supplied the LE VINs yet to Sirius. I guess there are some questions that come up in life, that you will never get answers to. You've got every right to be done with them at this point, and that's too bad. If it were me, I think I'd try an online refresh: 5 and if you get the service, enjoy it until Nov 24. If you can interact with them completely online, it might almost be tolerable.
A distant second choice is to call, tell them it's your 4th call, and ask for a supervisor. Your case is: Bought an MX-5, Am already in a 4 month free trial, Radio won't play. In the unlikely event that its a radio hardware problem, you can get it warranty repaired. Someone there wants to solve this for you. You've got every right to be done with them at this point, and that's too bad. If it were me, I think I'd try an online refresh: Thanks, may give this a try.
I surely don't wish to speak with anyone over at Sirius again. Why they would turn off XM Radio activation for a customer of a new car is beyond my comprehension. Thanks again for the link!:cool: Follow up: Stepped outside and went through the online activation you pointed me. It took a few minutes of wait time but worked. I will use it some over the few weeks left, to see how reliable reception is. Being that I'm in the Pacific NW, the northern latitude location may have more difficultly with satellite reception. I am happy 'not' to have to speak with them.
I sure do not feel comfortable giving them credit/debit card information, if I later decide to continue. I also requested they 'not' send me so much spam (mail & email). Hasn't let up yet. I am going to recycle all their mail, and route all their email into my spam bucket. Oh well, I'm sure I'm not the only one that's gone through this. Useless shark fin, wish that was the radio antenna instead.
Not bothering to turn on the Sirius LA's a great place for more traditional FM/AM. With less available to us here in central VA, SiriusXM is an interesting option.
I've not had it before, and the idea of coast to coast service ad-free music/talk (plus major league baseball) is attractive to me. I'm not one to store music on my phone - I'd rather stream. But cell phone coverage is also not solid around here.
On the other hand, the sound is a bit compressed, and it feels a little like cable TV with too many channels of uninteresting content and no way to pay for just the channels I want. If you're an audiophile with 10's of thousands invested in sound reproduction gear, then yeah, it's not *GREAT* sound. Butt, it's in a car, a convertible at that. Satellite radio is a great idea, good reception on favorite stations all across the country. The problem is Sirius' attitude. They could be polite & helpful, & everyone would be a customer. Butt, they're like ATT internet.
Shitty attitude & no concern for the customer. With both, when you figure out how to deal with them they're no longer a problem.
If there's ever any competition they're both in trouble. I got a letter in the mail about my subscription and called to activate. Found out the dealer activated it and I had 3 months of my 4 left. I didn't give a credit card and I'm glad. I think the sound quality is horrible. I have to turn it WAY up to get the same volume as any other source and it's just flat.
I'll stream from Pandora or use my USB flash drive. I'll be cancelling before it's up.
At least you got the correct advice from the SiriusXM agent. In theory, you don't have to cancel since the mailing says 'Your SiriusXM service(s) will automatically stop on the date your trial ends, unless you choose to subscribe before that date'.
OTOH, some here think that the service will continue after the trial, followed by a mailed invoice for the service. That's difficult to believe. More likely to be just an offer to continue with paid service. But I've never been there myself, so I can't say for sure. If you don't drive your car often, your XM service can lapse, and your radio will never get the kill code. The XM sats only send the kill code once a year, and the week or month after your service is canceled. Since satellites are a one way communication, the only way to disable your XM radio after the sub is expired is for the sats to spam your unique XM radio ID.
If your car isn't on, listening for that time, yours will never expire. That's where some of the confusion may be. The reason that the audio appears much quieter is because they don't heavily process audio like the FM radio stations. If you've ever listened to FM radio and gotten a headache you know what I mean. FM radio stations make quiet parts of music as loud as the loudest parts of music so that music can be heard from loudspeakers instead of headphones. On the other hand XM radio doesn't do this as harshly, so their sound signature is different. And also, if you extend your trial, and you give them your credit card, you can't deactivate through the web, you have to call in.
They're pretty forgiving if they charged your card and you tell them 'i never signed up for this', or 'I didn't like it'. At first they may offer a discount off that month, but keep pushing and they'll usually refund your entire month. If you actually like the sat radio, and want a discount, you can speak with the customer retention dept and they'll give you a hefty discount, sometimes a year for free. Just some food for thought. I may luck out here in that I got my ND end of August.
I probably won't drive much (if at all) during the winter when the 4 months subscription ends. If that's the case, I may get XM longer! (-: BTW - I used the Activation Request link posted earlier (and input my Radio ID (Channel 0). The website said it may take up to five minutes for the signal to go through. Only took about two.
The way I could tell is that the screen blanked out for a split second (barely noticeable!). After that, I could scroll up through all the channels. Thanks to the forum (yet again!) for another great tip.
Are you saying that if I don't drive my car (turn it on) at all the month my trial subscription ends that my car won't get the code and I'll still get it? That seems a bad way to do business and way easy to keep free service forever. Had a little issue with Sirius a while back & told them to cancel service. At that point the dumb ass insisted I give him all my info: name, address, CC #, last 4 of Social, etc. I told him 'use what you already have' & hung up.
Vehicle stayed in the garage for several weeks while we drove my NC & the wife's convertible. When we finally took the vehicle out I was surprised to realize that Sirius was still working. Worked all the way across town. We stopped & did some shopping. Came back out to a dead radio.:thumbs. I think this is where Mazda could have done better. Product Brochure This is the deluxe brochure that was still not available in the early days of waiting for the LEs to arrive at dealerships.
On the specifications page, last page foldout, footnote #3: 'Subscriptions to SiriusXM services are sold by SiriusXM after a 4 month trial subscription to the SiriusXM All Access package expires and are continuous until you call SiriusXM at 1-866-635-2349 to cancel. See Sirius XM Customer Agreement for complete terms at www.siriusxm.com. There are some more statements about minimum age, 48 states only, trademarks, and the fact that you need a subscription and a satellite radio to get the service.' Read carefully, I don't think this conflicts with the SiriusXM mailing some of us have just received, which says: 'Your SiriusXM service(s) will automatically stop on the date your trial ends, unless you choose to subscribe before that date'.
It also says that by subscribing before the trial ends, you will avoid a $15 activation fee assessed if you choose to sign up later. Smart Start Guide Here it says: 'New Mazda vehicles equipped with SiriusXM® Satellite Radio will receive an introductory subscription with a limited term trial offer to over 150 channels of SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Enjoy commercial-free music, plus sports, news, entertainment, and every premium channel in your vehicle. Call 877-447-0011 to activate. See the Owner’s Manual and/or dealer for details.' Owner's Manual Here there is no mention of the 4 month trial. The system is described and use is explained.
For activation it says 'Call 888-539-7474 to activate.' See page 5-46. The fact that the trial starts on the day you purchase, and expires exactly 4 months later was only communicated with the Sirius XM mailing recently received, as far as I know. This is why some folks just finding this out feel that they didn't receive their full trial. There is no mention anywhere of the online means of activation, which is the most convenient and foolproof method of availing yourself of the free trial. I discovered that through this forum.
SiriusXM agents should have been flagged by the VIN and their system that a 4 month trial was in place on the 2016 MX-5, so that they could just help with the activation and be done with it. Instead, I think they could only offer a more standard 2 month free trial which probably is not dependent on a new car purchase. I also would guess that their system doesn't allow agents to reset the start and end dates of a free trial, even if it's clear that activation was not done immediately after purchase.
An insert with the owner's manual that said 'Congratulations. Your free 4 month trial starts today. Call or go online to activate, etc.' Would have been really nice.
But I'll bet that the dealer paperwork would have to hit the system before the free trial activation could be accomplished. The Sirius XM brochure that came with my car states on the last page 'Welcome to the trial subscription included with your newly purchased or leased vehicle. It started the day you drove off the lot, so go ahead and enjoy!' Are you saying that if I don't drive my car (turn it on) at all the month my trial subscription ends that my car won't get the code and I'll still get it? That seems a bad way to do business and way easy to keep free service forever. That's basically how it works. The radio is always listening for a kill code, the satellite has limited ability to send everyones code down, since there are so many satellite receivers, so to save bandwidth, they only send kill codes for the first month or two after your service ends.
They also send the code down once a year after that, not sure when though. So if you use this car as a weekend car, or keep it in your garage a lot, you might get radio for longer than your subscription end date. I've heard of people temporarily disconnecting the antenna for sat radio in that time frame, or removing a fuse to the sat receiver, but that's a little too dishonest for me.
That's basically how it works. The radio is always listening for a kill code, the satellite has limited ability to send everyones code down, since there are so many satellite receivers, so to save bandwidth, they only send kill codes for the first month or two after your service ends. They also send the code down once a year after that, not sure when though.
So if you use this car as a weekend car, or keep it in your garage a lot, you might get radio for longer than your subscription end date. I've heard of people temporarily disconnecting the antenna for sat radio in that time frame, or removing a fuse to the sat receiver, but that's a little too dishonest for me. The signal penetrates my roof, and then the room above the garage, most of the time. Maybe we could make a tinfoil hat for the shark fin.:D After reading many stories about negotiating the service cost, I'll probably try that. I think they should be paid for the service but I don't want to be at the high end of their service cost range.
I've received two mailings from SiriusXM at this point, after buying an LE in the third week of July. The first offered their Select package at pricing between $13.74/mo (1, 2, or 3 yr) and $14.99/mo (monthly or quarterly). The second mailing offers much lower priced, shorter term options, notably $6/mo for five months, and $8.25/month for 12 months. These carry the caveat that when they expire, your price jumps to the 'going rate' at the time of expiration, and I imagine that happens without notice.
If you choose the lower priced options, I recommend calling a couple of weeks before expiration, so that you can negotiate another similar renewal deal. This will also keep you practiced for your next vehicle purchase.:D.
Well it seems these issues still are not settled. I picked mine up yesterday, spent almost an hour on the phone with Sir/XM to no avail.
The radio simply would not accept any codes or updates. Back to square one at the dealer.
Go to Channel 0 and get your Radio ID. Then refer to post #46. Make sure the car is parked under the open sky, and give it 5-10 minutes to receive the activation signal. If this doesn't work, you might wait a few days and try again, just in case some of your purchase info needs to reach the SiriusXM database. With luck, you won't have to talk to SiriusXM on the phone at all. The 4-month free trials of the All Access SiriusXM service are nearing expiration for many LE owners. I have two mailings, the latest of which offers the Select Package, list price $17.92/mo ($14.99 + $2.93 U.S.
Music Royalty fee and taxes) for either $35.87 ($29.99 + 5.88) for 5 months, or $118.40 ($99.00 + $19.40) for 1 year. The pricing automatically renews at the 'current rate' (presumably $14.99) if you don't call to cancel or renegotiate.
The 5 month deal is the lowest effective monthly rate, but requires more frequent negotiations. The Select Package is missing some services compared to the All Access package, including, I believe, Howard Stern, and the ability to listen to the programming over the internet. There may be other differences - check their web site. Has anyone here subscribed? The 4-month free trials of the All Access SiriusXM service are nearing expiration for many LE owners.
I have two mailings, the latest of which offers the Select Package, list price $17.92/mo ($14.99 + $2.93 U.S. Music Royalty fee and taxes) for either $35.87 ($29.99 + 5.88) for 5 months, or $118.40 ($99.00 + $19.40) for 1 year.
The pricing automatically renews at the 'current rate' (presumably $14.99) if you don't call to cancel or renegotiate. The 5 month deal is the lowest effective monthly rate, but requires more frequent negotiations. The Select Package is missing some services compared to the All Access package, including, I believe, Howard Stern, and the ability to listen to the programming over the internet. There may be other differences - check their web site.
Has anyone here subscribed? Over the years we've had Sirius on several vehicles & one portable. Our first subscription was via credit card, that's a mistake. Currently we have two cars & the portable on subscription paid for once a year via check, & the free trial in the MX-5. For us the 'Mostly Music' package includes everything we want for $10.99 a month. However during negotiations for the three we pay for, Sirius upped the package to 'Select' for $9.99 per month.
Take a look at their website for package prices, but deal directly & pay once a year by check. When the MX-5 free trial expires I'll do without till time to renew them all next year. One payment, one check, my way. Go to Channel 0 and get your Radio ID.
Then refer to post #46. Make sure the car is parked under the open sky, and give it 5-10 minutes to receive the activation signal. If this doesn't work, you might wait a few days and try again, just in case some of your purchase info needs to reach the SiriusXM database.
With luck, you won't have to talk to SiriusXM on the phone at all. I had done this from the get-go. This was a well known issue both at my dealer, and XM. The dealer was able to get it activated after a software upgrade on the car. The whole point was that the radio was not receiving the signals from XM.