I won't accept any plan with auto renewal or where I have to provide them with a CC,

call up before it auto renews to get a deal or cancels

 

My cousin who got a new car had a trial and when it went away they offered 3 more months, just pay a $2 "billing fee." He called them on that and they didn't budge, so he said no biggie.

 

sxm has always treated me right

 

Gee, $2 billing fee seems like a bargain to me.

 

SXM mailed me a letter 30 days before the renewal date. USPS old fashioned way. Very upfront. Also, if you renew you subscription on July 20 2020, grab your smart phone and put a calendar entry in about 360 days from now. You have 4-5 days to react. Let the renewal discussion begin.

 

i would pay the 2.00 before giving them my CC or debit card

 

do they still even do invoices for new subs. i thought it was all debit or CC now for the new timers

 

i'm on the horn two weeks prior letting them know that if there's no deals then i am gone

 

Some credit card companies offer virtual credit card numbers. The numbers can be either one-shot (what you want in this case) or they can be assigned to a particular vendor. There are also services that will sell you a one-shot credit card number.

Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay can also offer some protection from unauthorized billing.

I personally lament that while Citi offers Virtual Account Numbers, they don't offer the service with their Costco VISA.

 

I enjoy SiriusXM, but not enough to pay full price. I have the renewal dates set in my Google Calendar, and a few days before, I call them up threatening to cancel my service. Of course, I pay a year in advance. I also make sure that I use a rewards credit card that I pay off every month. And, I receive a notice through email.

In fact, I have everything but my mortgage and air conditioning payment auto-charged to my credit card, and pay it off every month. This includes the toll roads that I (fortunately) rarely use. The toll collection is all electronic, thus you have a choice of using a toll sticker and having the amount charged to your credit card or maintaining a balance by regular payments by check or credit card. The other option is to use the "Toll by plate" (ZipCash) option where your plate is scanned and a bill sent in the mail.... but there is a 50% premium for toll-by-plate. As an example, from my home to the DFW airport, it's either $3.59 billed electronically, or $5.43 by Toll by plate... each way. That's a $1.84 surcharge. I made sure that both my and my mother's car had toll tags before we even drove out to Texas.

 

Oops, forgot to add the envelope and the card he got said "Free for 3 more months" and when online he was hit with the $2 charge.

 

I was notified via email almost 2 months prior to my auto renewal. If they have problems with peoples security and credit cards, they won't stay in business.

 

For years now, I have an account with a fake name, fake address, fake email, and a fake phone number. When the year is over I wait a few days and call them to renew. I tell them I will pay by check and send them a USPS postal money order - to make sure they don't have a check with my name or account.
After I check they received the payment ( I do have web access under the fake account, but only access their web site using a VPN with an IP from a fake location ) I cancel the renewal and record them when they repeat the cancelation and reference number. When I call them is from a VOIP call out number - all they see is OUT OF AREA. Extreme measures, but needed for a company such as Sirius XM. I get no junk mail, no junk email and no phone calls as they have zero contact information. When I get a new car, I make it a condition of the lease in writing, that they will not provide Sirius any information from me and leave the radio unactivated - I then call to activate it myself under the fake name account. It has worked, so far for, many years and multiple vehicles. They get paid for the agreed promo fate and I get service. No renewal unless I call them, no one to threaten no one to contact. Sounds more complex than it really is.

 

To each their own, but it isn't easy to find a subscription service of any kind that doesn't have some insight into at least your home address and a phone number.

If you're one of those that believes the secret questions are an invasion of privacy, just do like I do and answer them incorrectly.