Olivia recently wrote in to share her story of success in sending an executive e-mail carpet bomb to Sirius/XM Sattelite Radio. She writes that the company has been billing her credit card for $44.79 every three months since the middle of 2008, even though her original subscription came from a gift card, and she never authorized payments from her credit card. Should she have noticed this? Yes. Should Sirius have billed her when she made it clear that they were not to charge her? Uh, no.

Here’s Olivia’s tale of triumph:

I thought I’d let you guys know about the success I had in using your EECB with Sirius Radio. I recently found out that my account was still active and charging me even though I had cancelled it. I sent everyone in the list on your website an email stating the following:

Sirius Radio

Re: Account #XXXX

In January 2008, I started a 3 month trial of Sirius Radio. I had been given the radio as a Christmas gift and given a 50$ gift certificate to cover the initial 3 months of play. When I registered the gift card, I was unable to complete the registration without providing my credit card information. I did so and made sure the account was set up to not automatically autobill me.

After my initial 3 month period, I cancelled the account. I have recently discovered that this account has been active without my approval and charging my card every three months for 44.79. I spoke with XXXX (Badge #XXXX) at the customer service call line and re-cancelled the account and have been told that I will be credited the 44.79 for the most recent charge. However, he was not authorized to credit me for more than that and suggested that I contact Sirius through email.

I cancelled this account 3 years ago in 2008. I have not even owned the car or Sirius radio attached to it since 2009. I would like to be refunded for more than 44.79. When I received the radio and gift card, I was skeptical about signing up and turning in my credit card because I was worried that this would happen. The giftgiver, my father, assured me that he had Sirius and that it was a great and reputable company and that I could cancel at the end of the 3 months with no problem. My father continues to use Sirius to this day and often purchases radios and gift cards for employees and friends as gifts.

I will look for a timely response and a rectification of years of charging for a cancelled account. My father has asked to know about how this is dealt with as well as he is considering cancelling his and all of his employees accounts as well. I found your email through consumerist.com and plan on updating them with how this is rectified as well. I thank you for your time and look forward to hearing from you before the end of August when I will contact the Better Business Bureau.

Sincerely,

Olivia

I received multiple responses within the hour. I was contacted by someone at Corporate Customer Service who was able to refund me 2 additional payments. The rest I am going to chalk up to life experience in that I should have realized I was being charged a long time ago.

My thanks go out to Consumerist for teaching me about EECB and for giving me the contact information for the executives at Sirius.

Yay, Olivia! It’s not perfect, but that extra $89.58 will surely be useful for something.

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