Before our Sirius Satelite radio subscription had expired (at the end of 2010), we called customer serice and negotiated a new package and rate for the forthcoming year. Their renewal rate was about $265 for another two years, but we negotiated a lower one-year package price of $100. I called and spoke with the billing department directly to make sure that they would bill the correct amount--just over $100 for one year of service--to the correct credit card. I received a confirmation while I was still on the phone for both the total charge and the credit card number. A few days later, Jan. 3, 2011, I checked my Sirius billing account, and discovered that not only had they gone ahead and renewed the account for an un-authorized 2-years, they had also billed the credit card over $300 -- $35 over the 2-year-plan quote we had received via email in mid-December, and over $200 more than the invoice I had approved and supposedly paid for only three days before. After another hour on the phone, I got a serivice person to fix the billing error and refund the difference between the quoted price and the actual bill, but I can't help feeling that I was still being scammed.

I have the sense that they try this scam on everyone--overcharging wildly on the off chance that many people will avoid the time hassel of a confrontation and just pay the inflated bill.

Please read attached letter I wrote to Collections Company of America~March 23, 2009

Collection Company of America
Client Reference # 1-1428788506
Agency Account # 11-36176568

Cc; CEO Mel Karmazin/XM Radio
XM Radio [email protected]
Reference to Radio ID- LGR580CT & Radio ID-NMHE808M


Reference to my account with XM Satellite Radio and the balance in question of $37.83.

As it states in your letter received and dated March 10, 2009 I have 30 days from the date received to dispute this debt. I am disputing it. I have contacted the XM customer service several times about this account, the first time was to cancel my membership on 10/26/08 confirmed with their confirmation number 1-3GMCS14 when I received my renewal notice showing my account was due again on 11/16/08. I thought the account was cancelled. Then I received another due bill, I then phoned XM Radio customer service again and cancelled my account on 11/11/08. Another bill came to me and I phoned in and spoke to Stella at 581-529-2851, the XM Customer service and she said the account was closed. Then in the month of February 2009 I received another bill so I wrote an email to XM Radio explaining this chain of events again to them.
I am providing you with the documentation to view, it comes down to this, I cancelled the XM Radio account and confirmed that with a confirmation number on 10/26/08. It is their issue that they cannot keep records of what was confirmed and then keep charging me for their mistakes. I was responsible with the account and cancelled it 3 times in a timely manner. I expect this bill to be zero balance and closed as promised by XM Radio’s customer service representative on 10/26/08. I will hope with this letter you will be able to correct this gross mistake with XM Radio, not to mention my valuable time and the unneeded stress it has caused me.

Thank you,

Jeri Graves
P.O. Box 552
Twain Harte, CA 95383