# I won't accept any plan with auto renewal or where I have to provide them with a CC,



## gjrhine (May 16, 2002)

Does not work. You agreed to renewal whether or not you used a CC. You agreed to cancel by phone otherwise expect to hear from a collection agaency.


----------



## krel (Mar 20, 2013)

call up before it auto renews to get a deal or cancels


----------



## Eva (Nov 8, 2013)

My cousin who got a new car had a trial and when it went away they offered 3 more months, just pay a $2 "billing fee." He called them on that and they didn't budge, so he said no biggie.


----------



## krel (Mar 20, 2013)

sxm has always treated me right


----------



## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

Eva said:


> My cousin who got a new car had a trial and when it went away they offered 3 more months, just pay a $2 "billing fee." He called them on that and they didn't budge, so he said no biggie.


Gee, $2 billing fee seems like a bargain to me.


----------



## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

billsharpe said:


> Gee, $2 billing fee seems like a bargain to me.


It is a bargain but how does one pay it if they refuse to give a credit/debit card number?
That is the trap. Once the provider has a valid form of payment they can charge you an auto renewal.


----------



## NR4P (Jan 16, 2007)

SXM mailed me a letter 30 days before the renewal date. USPS old fashioned way. Very upfront. Also, if you renew you subscription on July 20 2020, grab your smart phone and put a calendar entry in about 360 days from now. You have 4-5 days to react. Let the renewal discussion begin.


----------



## krel (Mar 20, 2013)

James Long said:


> It is a bargain but how does one pay it if they refuse to give a credit/debit card number?
> That is the trap. Once the provider has a valid form of payment they can charge you an auto renewal.


i would pay the 2.00 before giving them my CC or debit card


----------



## krel (Mar 20, 2013)

billsharpe said:


> Gee, $2 billing fee seems like a bargain to me.


do they still even do invoices for new subs. i thought it was all debit or CC now for the new timers


----------



## krel (Mar 20, 2013)

NR4P said:


> SXM mailed me a letter 30 days before the renewal date. USPS old fashioned way. Very upfront. Also, if you renew you subscription on July 20 2020, grab your smart phone and put a calendar entry in about 360 days from now. You have 4-5 days to react. Let the renewal discussion begin.


i'm on the horn two weeks prior letting them know that if there's no deals then i am gone


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

James Long said:


> Once the provider has a valid form of payment they can charge you an auto renewal.


Some credit card companies offer virtual credit card numbers. The numbers can be either one-shot (what you want in this case) or they can be assigned to a particular vendor. There are also services that will sell you a one-shot credit card number.

Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay can also offer some protection from unauthorized billing.

I personally lament that while Citi offers Virtual Account Numbers, they don't offer the service with their Costco VISA.


----------



## gjrhine (May 16, 2002)

I am not getting the "trap". And no matter how you pay yes you have to call to cancel - that is in the service agreement and not a hardship in my opinion. It will certainly not keep me from being a subscriber and apparently "approximately *33.7 million subscribers*.Jan 8, 2019".

"
*Can I pay by check or money order?*
Yes you can. If you elect to pay your automatically renewing plan by check or money order, or if you request an invoice, there is a $2.00 invoice administration fee plus applicable taxes for each invoice rendered, except where prohibited. Click here to chat with a Listener Care agent who can set you up to pay by invoice, or add/update a credit card to avoid the invoice fee and applicable taxes.

Make your check or money order payable to SiriusXM Radio Inc., and be sure to write your SiriusXM account number or Radio ID on your payment.

NOTE: The below post office box is for payments only, not hardware returns. Hardware returns should go to the address listed here.

Mail to:
Sirius XM Radio Inc.
P. O. Box 9001399
Louisville, KY 40290-1399
"


----------



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

I enjoy SiriusXM, but not enough to pay full price. I have the renewal dates set in my Google Calendar, and a few days before, I call them up threatening to cancel my service. Of course, I pay a year in advance. I also make sure that I use a rewards credit card that I pay off every month. And, I receive a notice through email.

In fact, I have everything but my mortgage and air conditioning payment auto-charged to my credit card, and pay it off every month. This includes the toll roads that I (fortunately) rarely use. The toll collection is all electronic, thus you have a choice of using a toll sticker and having the amount charged to your credit card or maintaining a balance by regular payments by check or credit card. The other option is to use the "Toll by plate" (ZipCash) option where your plate is scanned and a bill sent in the mail.... but there is a 50% premium for toll-by-plate. As an example, from my home to the DFW airport, it's either $3.59 billed electronically, or $5.43 by Toll by plate... each way. That's a $1.84 surcharge. I made sure that both my and my mother's car had toll tags before we even drove out to Texas.


----------



## Eva (Nov 8, 2013)

billsharpe said:


> Gee, $2 billing fee seems like a bargain to me.


Oops, forgot to add the envelope and the card he got said "Free for 3 more months" and when online he was hit with the $2 charge.


----------



## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

I was notified via email almost 2 months prior to my auto renewal. If they have problems with peoples security and credit cards, they won't stay in business.


----------



## gjrhine (May 16, 2002)

dmspen said:


> I was notified via email almost 2 months prior to my auto renewal. If they have problems with peoples security and credit cards, they won't stay in business.


True for all companies for many decades now. But there are still some who put paranoia over utility and convenience.


----------



## likegadgets (Dec 29, 2005)

For years now, I have an account with a fake name, fake address, fake email, and a fake phone number. When the year is over I wait a few days and call them to renew. I tell them I will pay by check and send them a USPS postal money order - to make sure they don't have a check with my name or account.
After I check they received the payment ( I do have web access under the fake account, but only access their web site using a VPN with an IP from a fake location ) I cancel the renewal and record them when they repeat the cancelation and reference number. When I call them is from a VOIP call out number - all they see is OUT OF AREA. Extreme measures, but needed for a company such as Sirius XM. I get no junk mail, no junk email and no phone calls as they have zero contact information. When I get a new car, I make it a condition of the lease in writing, that they will not provide Sirius any information from me and leave the radio unactivated - I then call to activate it myself under the fake name account. It has worked, so far for, many years and multiple vehicles. They get paid for the agreed promo fate and I get service. No renewal unless I call them, no one to threaten no one to contact. Sounds more complex than it really is.


----------



## gjrhine (May 16, 2002)

Dear fake,

I renew every year for every vehicle in about 2 minutes online chat getting the best deal. Many years, no issues.

I really feel sorry for those that go through life constantly in a state of paranoia.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

To each their own, but it isn't easy to find a subscription service of any kind that doesn't have some insight into at least your home address and a phone number.

If you're one of those that believes the secret questions are an invasion of privacy, just do like I do and answer them incorrectly.


----------



## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

The trouble with a lie is that one has to remember the lie. 
That being said, I have seen schemes for "secret questions" that are easier to remember.

(I remember giving my bank a fake answer for "mother's maden name" ... my mom was not happy when she called in and found out I used something else. Then again, she wasn't on my account and still got past the security so it didn't make much difference.)

Those "secret questions" are easy to figure out when you know someone via social media. It is good to be anti-social.


----------



## b4pjoe (Nov 20, 2010)

For every security question I enter the answer as a number. The same number for every question. That way I will always remember the answer.


----------



## steve053 (May 11, 2007)

I use a password manager and keep track of my random answers to the relatively easily guessed personal questions.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

James Long said:


> Those "secret questions" are easy to figure out when you know someone via social media.


If the answers are wrong, nobody is going to glean them from any kind of media unless there's a security breach that reveals the answers.

Yeah, I acknowledge that not everything that should be hashed is being hashed, but it is getting better every day.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

b4pjoe said:


> For every security question I enter the answer as a number. The same number for every question. That way I will always remember the answer.


Using numbers sufficiently large that they aren't easy to brute force attack is probably better than true answers.

Using the same answer for every question is a terrible idea if the black hats have access to all of the hashes, it is pretty easy to see what's going on if you figure out that it is a non-answer.


----------



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

That's why my master password list is on KeePass, including all of the bogus answers to the secret questions.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Mark Holtz said:


> That's why my master password list is on KeePass, including all of the bogus answers to the secret questions.


I'm currently using KeePass in the same way, but I'm seriously considering changing to KeePassXC due to issues with KeePass opening up windows that demand immediate answers that are hidden by other applications. I'm also a little concerned that the KeePass author seems to be pretty consumed with his Kee Vault application.

I'd miss the database sync plug-in but that pales in comparison to the pop-up frustration. I'm already using KeePassXC on all of my non-Windows boxes anyway.


----------



## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

I had one site ask me for an answer to my secret question, yet I had never provided an answer for that question to that or any other site. Mother's maiden name is not a good question to provide an online answer to.


----------



## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

I use last pass. It’s great and I store the secret questions answers in there as well. Every password as unique and as strong (they have a random generator as most do) as I can make it and every secret question answer is unique and never even close to a real answer.


----------



## krel (Mar 20, 2013)

likegadgets said:


> For years now, I have an account with a fake name, fake address, fake email, and a fake phone number. When the year is over I wait a few days and call them to renew. I tell them I will pay by check and send them a USPS postal money order - to make sure they don't have a check with my name or account.
> After I check they received the payment ( I do have web access under the fake account, but only access their web site using a VPN with an IP from a fake location ) I cancel the renewal and record them when they repeat the cancelation and reference number. When I call them is from a VOIP call out number - all they see is OUT OF AREA. Extreme measures, but needed for a company such as Sirius XM. I get no junk mail, no junk email and no phone calls as they have zero contact information. When I get a new car, I make it a condition of the lease in writing, that they will not provide Sirius any information from me and leave the radio unactivated - I then call to activate it myself under the fake name account. It has worked, so far for, many years and multiple vehicles. They get paid for the agreed promo fate and I get service. No renewal unless I call them, no one to threaten no one to contact. Sounds more complex than it really is.


dear mr or mrs fake do you use a VPN to hide your fake address when you stream online??? they can still find you via your IP ADDRESS. you might want to adjust your tinfoil hat you are not coming in clearly as to why you need a fake acct


----------

