XM value -- Keep After Free Trial or Let Expire

Im on the fence keeping this service. I paid to extend it years ago after purchasing a car, but rarely used it. 10+ years later my Tundra XM service is expiring and I never turned it on. Im pretty satisfied with my own plug in choices, and if/when on local or long haul trips will use local radio whenever necessary for local weather or traffic events..etc. I would rather pinch the penny to keep my Tundra's 38 gallon tank happy and the rest for the few mods I cannot seem to ignore. If I let the XM expire what else should I expect to lose coverage wise and what's the general thought on it? Thanks in advance

 

I gave up on it on at the beginning. For traffic I find using “Waze” from your phone a better source for traffic conditions and navigation. For music, I’m using “Spotify”, I’m find that a better source and specific variety I want to listen too.

 

I don’t use terrestrial radio to the point I even took off my whip antenna. All I use is Satellite. Using phones for pandora, etc., is all well and good except we like to go out into central California a lot, and don’t have a lot of cell service out there. Plus it’s also nice being able to turn on a station and it always being the same, not having to move locations and refind a station I like locally. Plus...no commercials...

 

All I listen to is XM. I can’t stand AM/FM anymore. That being said, it sounds like you never use it. If that’s the case, then it doesn’t make sense to pay for it.

 

All I listen to is XM too because I can't find a stubby antenna that gets good enough reception lol

 

when you call and cancel it they’ll give you a deal. Mine is 5.00 a month for 5 months. You just got to remember to call and cancel every 5 months and you’ll get the deal over and over. Just tell them you don’t listen to it much. I’ve been doing that for 4 years.

 

I have it in my wife’s car because she uses it daily, on my truck I didn’t keep the service because i don’t use my truck on a daily basis I just use my music on my phone , if I used my truck daily I probably would have kept it .

 

For casual listening then the listener needs to decide. The signal is SO compressed that there isn't any real audio quality to it. But, again, for your casual listening, and if you can shag one of those $5/month deals then it would be worth it. IMHO.

 

All I listen to is XM. I just signed up for $5.99 a month for 12 months.

Call up and tell them you want that deal, you will get it just keep telling them my friends pay that.

 

Cancel it. They'll send you increasing good deals the longer you wait to renew (during which time you can evaluate whether or not you even miss it). Once you take a deal though, gotta make sure to cancel before that deal ends... it'll up to a crazy exorbitant rate.
Ask me how I know.

 

I have had XM for almost 13 years and I got tired of messing with them. The wife and boys got me a iPod Touch as an early Fathers Day gift. Right now I am in the process of filling it up with music. Our Apple Play account has already paid for its self. The only thing that I will miss is listening to MLB at lunch.

ETA, Apple Music, not Apple Play

 

I like my XM, but it sounds like you don't even use it. So why pay for it?

 

Have you checked out the Antenna Source? Look here.
I went with the 'Original" 1c. Several folks here have them. My XM looses more signal (in low dips, woods, etc.) more than my AM/FM does.

 

Yep, we just call and say we are thinking of canceling it. All the sudden they will give you a deal of 5 or 6 months for $30-$35. Set a reminder on your phone a few days before that term is up and call them back. Tell them you want another deal of the same or you just want to cancel it. I've been getting the same deal for about 4 years now, haha.

 

If you have a smart phone, check out the MLB app. For $20, you can stream any game all year. If that phone is connected via Bluetooth to your head unit, you can play it thru your car speakers. Works really well for me, and frees me up from being stuck with the "home" feed XM likes to only provide (meaning I can pick which broadcast to listen to, so I can always listen to my home town guys regardless of whether they're the home team or not).

 

I thought of doing that. Between Xfinity and AFN I'm good to go. Usually when I am overseas I can stream or watch Armed Forces Network.

 

I got the complimentary 90 day XM deal with my new Tundra. They carpet bombed me with ads during that period. I took one of their snail mail fliers that including a very colorful comprehensive listing of all of their channels. I counted all the channels. Then I marked the ones I would DEFINITELY listen to. Then I marked the ones I might listen to.

Final count (these are approximate as this was some 2 years ago):

- total XM channel count = 146
- channels I would definitely listen to = 6
- channels I might listen to = 8

14 out of 146. Pfffttttttt. Never did the pay-to-listen.

Reminds me of the cable/satellite TV ads: "over 500 channels." Pfffffffffffffft.

 

I actually have the 6 3/4 one. its my second stubby antenna and it keeps going in and out of HD unfortunately

 

I use it a lot since I travel in my tundra all week. Might cancel it since I get the Apple Music student discount at $4 a month. Might just change out the head unit to get car play and use that instead.

 

This^

We have been doing this on all three vehicles for a couple of years.

 

Yes don’t pay full price they called me when it was expiring and I told them. The only way I will renew is if I can get it for x amount for whatever length. I had a coupon in the mail but lost it. I don’t use it that much... and they’re like oh ok no problem what was the coupon for. I honestly forget bc it was so little. I think that sounds about right 5$ a month. I think it was like 60 for the year or 65. But I only listen to xm. Or Spotify but mostly xm.