Sirius is really this inept?

[Biaviian]

So I canceled 4 of my 5 radios, due to the merger. I was supposed to get a credit back to my credit card but it hasn't hit yet (several weeks later). I just called and they can't credit the credit card because they must credit it to the card that it was charged on. This card was stolen so I got a new number, and changed the number on my account, so they can't issue me a credit. Now I have to wait 6-8 weeks for a damn check.

They claim that the system won't allow a credit on another credit card. However, they don't even know what the old (stolen) number is because it isn't in their system. So, they were trying to get me to remember the card number and give it to them so they could issue a credit to a non-existent card.

This is absolutely ridiculous. If the Sirius radio in my car wasn't factory, I would cancel that too just for this hassle. Well, then again, the only reason I still have it is due to the factory issue so if it wasn't for that I would have already canceled it.

 

[SSF]

I know you called them but I would also submit an email complaint explaining in detail your situation. Ask that they escalate this to a senior manager and tell them you are willing to fax them bank statements to prove your case. Remind them of your long time loyalty to the company and request that this issue be a priority.

Please keep us posted too. I had a similar situation back in 2006 and after faxing my credit card statements to them it was resolved immediately. But only after I requested senior management to get involved. The good news is that Sirius Support is working to improve itself. The bad news is that this has been a long standing issue with internal account management/billing. Good luck.

 

[Biaviian]

45 minutes later (I was on the phone when I posted the thread) and 3 transfers later, I got somebody who could speak English (she had a mid-southern accent so I know she was from the US) explained that I will be OK because the card is still the same type (Amex). The issue arises when you go from one type to another (one company to another).

 

[My name is Matt]

So I canceled 4 of my 5 radios, due to the merger. I was supposed to get a credit back to my credit card but it hasn't hit yet (several weeks later). I just called and they can't credit the credit card because they must credit it to the card that it was charged on. This card was stolen so I got a new number, and changed the number on my account, so they can't issue me a credit. Now I have to wait 6-8 weeks for a damn check.

We have the same problem w/ our credit card system. However, when we have to send out a check it usually doesn't take 6-8 weeks. Sorry you have to deal w/ this stuff. That really sucks.

 

[TSS Taylor]

We have the same problem w/ our credit card system. However, when we have to send out a check it usually doesn't take 6-8 weeks. Sorry you have to deal w/ this stuff. That really sucks.

Yeah it's the Credit Card system. You can't Pay Back customers with Credit Cards. It's not like Paypal. And the more corporate a company is the more likely it will have to be taken care of with a check. And yeesh that processing time can be a pain.

 

[ClubSteeler]

What's also a crock is that when it's time for them to renew your subscription, the money always seems to hit your credit card, even after they expire.

The info on my account has an expired card, incorrectly in my brothers name, and is listed as an AMEX instead of a VISA, yet those charges certainly find my card.

 

[SSF]

The good news here is that they are taking care of the problem.

 

[spaceghost]

So I canceled 4 of my 5 radios, due to the merger. I was supposed to get a credit back to my credit card but it hasn't hit yet (several weeks later). I just called and they can't credit the credit card because they must credit it to the card that it was charged on. This card was stolen so I got a new number, and changed the number on my account, so they can't issue me a credit. Now I have to wait 6-8 weeks for a damn check.

They claim that the system won't allow a credit on another credit card. However, they don't even know what the old (stolen) number is because it isn't in their system. So, they were trying to get me to remember the card number and give it to them so they could issue a credit to a non-existent card.

This is absolutely ridiculous. If the Sirius radio in my car wasn't factory, I would cancel that too just for this hassle. Well, then again, the only reason I still have it is due to the factory issue so if it wasn't for that I would have already canceled it.

They told you the system won't allow them for professional reasons. It's possible to send it to another card, however that would get the agent in shit and cause you a bit of a problem. The reason they do not send it to another card is to avoid fraud.. think... if you paid for a plan and let's say sold the radio.. the new owner calls up and sees the credit on the acct and goes hey.. send that back to this card.
Yes it seems a little riddiculous.. but at least you know the money is going to you.

As for you calling up weeks later after canceling to find this out.. that's not SIRIUS.. the agent you spoke with is a moron. I wish they would do some sort of a basic IQ or competency test.

 

[Supafly]

As a buisness owner I'll try to help the OP understand what's happening and correct some mis-information for those bored enough to care.

1) You can refund credit card charges. I've done it hundreds of times.

2) Fraud isn't the reason you can't refund the charge to a different card. The name and billing address of the new card should be verified to be the same as the Sirius account holders (same as the orginal card was verfied, or you could have used a stolen card to start your account).

The reason you can't charge back to a different type of card is exactly what the term "charge back" implies. To refund a charge card I have to find the original charge and essentially erase it. I can't just remove $100 from Bob's card if it never appears on the card history. I have to find and remove the exact transaction.

If your card is stolen, you generally recieve a new card from the same company and the same type of card. Your previous balance as well as charge history transfers to the new card.

But if you went from an AMEX to a VISA, you've essentially closed the AMEX account and opened a new VISA account. There is no transfer of history, thus no $100 Sirius charge on the new card.

Someone please correct the info where I'm wrong or if it's different in your state.

 

[Biaviian]

They told you the system won't allow them for professional reasons. It's possible to send it to another card, however that would get the agent in shit and cause you a bit of a problem.

Actually, it is the system that won't allow it.

The reason they do not send it to another card is to avoid fraud.. think... if you paid for a plan and let's say sold the radio.. the new owner calls up and sees the credit on the acct and goes hey.. send that back to this card.
Yes it seems a little riddiculous.. but at least you know the money is going to you.

Again, it is the system.

As for you calling up weeks later after canceling to find this out.. that's not SIRIUS.. the agent you spoke with is a moron. I wish they would do some sort of a basic IQ or competency test.

No, it is Sirius. Sirius is only as good as the employees it employs (or companies it contracts out). You may blame the employee but, ultimately, it is Sirius.

You may want to understand a situation before you try to explain it.

As a buisness owner I'll try to help the OP understand what's happening

I understand the limitations 100%. I just didn't understand why they had their limitations which, after talking to the right person, were complete bullshit and they could do what I thought/needed.

If your card is stolen, you generally recieve a new card from the same company and the same type of card. Your previous balance as well as charge history transfers to the new card.

This is the key. They claimed that they couldn't put the refund to the new number (they claimed it keyed off the number instead of the account transactions). This was an issue because they didn't have the old number nor did I. I knew that they could issue the credit to the new number but they wouldn't even try.

When I eventually talked to the "right person" everything worked out as I expected.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

As a buisness owner I'll try to help the OP understand what's happening and correct some mis-information for those bored enough to care.

1) You can refund credit card charges. I've done it hundreds of times.

2) Fraud isn't the reason you can't refund the charge to a different card. The name and billing address of the new card should be verified to be the same as the Sirius account holders (same as the orginal card was verfied, or you could have used a stolen card to start your account).

The reason you can't charge back to a different type of card is exactly what the term "charge back" implies. To refund a charge card I have to find the original charge and essentially erase it. I can't just remove $100 from Bob's card if it never appears on the card history. I have to find and remove the exact transaction.

If your card is stolen, you generally recieve a new card from the same company and the same type of card. Your previous balance as well as charge history transfers to the new card.

But if you went from an AMEX to a VISA, you've essentially closed the AMEX account and opened a new VISA account. There is no transfer of history, thus no $100 Sirius charge on the new card.

Someone please correct the info where I'm wrong or if it's different in your state.

This makes a lot of sense. Cedit card companies are not set up to give money to card holders from merchants. Its like trying to row a boat up Niagra Falls. The water just doesn't flow that way.

 

[spaceghost]

Actually it's not the system. It is possible to send it back, but what SIRIUS would do is actually take it back from that card, unless they caught it before the 7-10 days it takes to process is up.
Trust me, it's not the system.. it is possible, but it's policy not the system.
And no it's not SIRIUS... I'm sure if they found out that this is what the agent has been doing they would at the very least put him on termination status and that if he wanted to keep his job they would advise him to smarten up. And yeah I get your bull about the company only being as good as it's employees.. in which case.. it's just one employee. I know from the site in Canada, personally, out of the dozens of employees that work there, there is not one who would be so inept as to do such a thing.

And to you supafly.. it is fraud.. what happened in the past is the plan was being purchased on one card and then being refunded to another. What happened most recently is a huge scam where hundreds of dollars were being stolen by buying the plan on credits put on a fake account and then putting their own credit card on the acct.. there were several people doing this and all were arrested, a couple at work. The good thing is they were stealing from the company not the customers.