Do This: Haggle with SiriusXM

*Ed. Note: I don't know why this old post is posting again.  This isn't an intentional repeat.  If I wanted to repeat a tip, it would be this. 

SiriusXM radio is a pretty good source of entertainment and provides a comprehensive selection of music, but it's far from a necessity.  Moreover, in my opinion, it is not worth the advertised cost of $14.49 or $17.99 a month.  

In my case, our car came with a free trial of SiriusXM.  Once the free trial was up, they wanted a total of $184.66 per year to continue the service.  At a little over $15 a month, that was simply not going to happen.  

So, I simply called their customer service department and told them I wasn't willing to pay $185.  

"Would I be interested in their service for $100 for a year?" they asked.  

"Unfortunately, no..." I responded. 

"How about $30 for five months of service, to give you time to reevaluate?' they countered.

"Sold!"

I have now had this same conversation with SiriusXM about six times and continue to renew my subscription for $30 every five months.  They made me an offer I was willing to pay and I accepted it.

My guidance here is simple: If you're paying full price for SiriusXM, or any service provider like Comcast, etc., and feel that you're not getting good value, call them and speak to a customer service agent.  Explain your situation, and more often than not, this simple phone call can save you substantial money, and in their case, keep a happy customer.