Premium Billing Question

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cadmium

New Member
Feb 25, 2009
1
0
1
How does billing work for Sirius Internet Premium? Can you sign up for a year and get a discount, or is it always just $2.99 per month?

I'm in the process of renewing my membership, and it gives you the option of upgrading to Premium, or staying with regular for free, but the difference in payment is only $1. So I'm assuming that the Internet Premium is billed monthly, separately, but then what's the dollar difference for?
 
IdRatherBeSkiing

IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
26,749
13,444
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Toronto, ON
cadmium said:
How does billing work for Sirius Internet Premium? Can you sign up for a year and get a discount, or is it always just $2.99 per month?

I'm in the process of renewing my membership, and it gives you the option of upgrading to Premium, or staying with regular for free, but the difference in payment is only $1. So I'm assuming that the Internet Premium is billed monthly, separately, but then what's the dollar difference for?
Click to expand...

It is $2.99/mo regardless of term. Since I have a lifetime, I just have Sirius bill it every month.
 
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jeff0514

New Member
Nov 12, 2008
13
1
3
With the upcoming changes in plans and how they charge for internet radio, does anything change with those who have a lifetime subscription and pay $2.99 a month for the premium internet? I have a SL100. Would I still need to pay $2.99 a month for the premium internet on my stiletto?
 
Jager

Jager

Member
Nov 16, 2008
119
0
16
Virginia
So let me ask. I just did a lifetime sub with one of my radio's (xm). Does that come with online listening? or do I have to pay extra for online?
 
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syphix

Member
Oct 15, 2008
366
10
18
Lifetime subscribers who upgraded to Lifetime PRIOR to today (3/11/09) will get the 32k stream for free. It's still $2.99 for the 128k stream, even for Lifetimers.

It's rumored that SL100/S2 subscribers will get the 32k stream ONLY on their SL100/S2 (i.e., not on a web browser). To get the 128k stream, it's still $2.99/month. But then you get it on both the SL100/S2 and on a web browser. Again, this won't be known for sure until later today, once the new streams are active.
 
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laxruss

New Member
Mar 11, 2009
6
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1
syphix said:
Lifetime subscribers who upgraded to Lifetime PRIOR to today (3/11/09) will get the 32k stream for free. It's still $2.99 for the 128k stream, even for Lifetimers.

It's rumored that SL100/S2 subscribers will get the 32k stream ONLY on their SL100/S2 (i.e., not on a web browser). To get the 128k stream, it's still $2.99/month. But then you get it on both the SL100/S2 and on a web browser. Again, this won't be known for sure until later today, once the new streams are active.
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It's unfortunate that Sirius rolled this change out with so much disclarity. I have been happily subscribing to the premium stream for $2.99 a month as a lifetime subscriber. My second lifetime subscription with the 32bit rate has been posting that Sirius was going to 128K stream only but lifetimers would continue to receive streaming. Based on that info and talking to a customer service rep, I dropped the $2.99 plan and am waiting to see what happens. If in fact lifetime subscribers have to continue paying to receive the 128K, I'll be somewhat upset about having had to deal unnecessarily with modifying my account back and forth, just through lack of information. I'll also be curious whether they make any changes to the streaming that I receive as an XM lifetime subscriber too.
 
Jager

Jager

Member
Nov 16, 2008
119
0
16
Virginia
syphix said:
Lifetime subscribers who upgraded to Lifetime PRIOR to today (3/11/09) will get the 32k stream for free. It's still $2.99 for the 128k stream, even for Lifetimers.
Click to expand...

I did. But went to log into Xmro and it says that I'm not a subscriber for online, even though I did the lifetime sub and put in this radio id
 
limegrass69

limegrass69

Confused
Oct 12, 2008
6,079
245
63
New York
I'm not sure how that story got created that somehow everyone would be magically upgraded to the premium Internet stream. Why would Sirius suddenly give away something for free that until now had been a $2.99/month incremental item?

People seem to forget that this is a price increase, not a decrease.
 
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laxruss

New Member
Mar 11, 2009
6
0
1
limegrass69 said:
I'm not sure how that story got created that somehow everyone would be magically upgraded to the premium Internet stream. Why would Sirius suddenly give away something for free that until now had been a $2.99/month incremental item?

People seem to forget that this is a price increase, not a decrease.
Click to expand...

For about the last six weeks, whenever I logged on to the internet radio using my lifetime subscription that only had 32k speed, I started receiving the unsolicited message that Sirius online was converting to 128K on March 11 but that lifetime subscribers would continue to receive free access. That gave me the distinct impression that Sirius would be discontinuing their 32k feed to concentrate on their 128K feed (if not, then why would they advertise a 128K feature they already provide?) Thus, logic lead me to the conclusion that I should not be paying for the 128K feed on my second lifetime account if Sirius is providing the service free to lifetime subscribers (while they raise the rates on the larger pay-as-you-go pool of customers.)

If my assumptions are wrong, then why did Sirius even bother to inform me as a multiple account lifetime subscriber about a supposed March 11 change to online services. I mean if they are continuing to operate both the 32k and the 128k feeds, their service is providing me nothing different from what I had yesterday. So why did they waste my time and mess up my home listening until I can get things back to the way they were?
 
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laxruss

New Member
Mar 11, 2009
6
0
1
OK, thanks all for the clarification. I listen to Symphony Hall all day in the office on the internet feed and at home on Sonos so I reenrolled in the 128K. Just sorry I heard about this supposed March 11 day of change because it really has no effect on lifetime subscribers and should not have been an issue that Sirius touted.
 
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djqwikcut

New Member
Mar 9, 2009
12
0
1
Yes I also received an email saying online streaming is going to 128K and will no longer be free. FREE? I had streaming radio included in my account with 32K and 64K since I have had xm radio and its never cost me extra.. what does this email mean if they are still keeping the low bitrate and adding a extra cost 128K. This is what sirius already did so I guess XM is following? but why the mis-leading email...
 
IdRatherBeSkiing

IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
26,749
13,444
168
Toronto, ON
djqwikcut said:
Yes I also received an email saying online streaming is going to 128K and will no longer be free. FREE? I had streaming radio included in my account with 32K and 64K since I have had xm radio and its never cost me extra.. what does this email mean if they are still keeping the low bitrate and adding a extra cost 128K. This is what sirius already did so I guess XM is following? but why the mis-leading email...
Click to expand...

Once your sub renews, you will lose your free internet stream unless:

1) You are a lifetime subscriber OR
2) You have a SL100 or SL2 in which case you will keep the free stream on the unit itself but not on a PC.

You can subscribe to the premium stream for $2.99/mo.
 
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