My subscription renewal notice arrived about a month ago and I intended to call before the renewal date, which was yesterday. My negotiating experience last year was horrible and lasted nearly an hour, hence my procrastination this time around.
The renewal fee on the notice was $185.50, including a Music Royalty Fee of $20.61. The charge on my credit card that appeared upon yesterday's renewal was $194.78. Of course I knew the $9.28 difference was for taxes, but I decided that was enough to argue for a refund or insist on cancellation. So, I called 866-635-2349 this morning and directed myself to the cancellation department. 'Brian' was extremely pleasant. He asked what was my reason for cancellation and I said I'm a student and money is tight. He immediately offered '50%' off, which totaled $105 after fees and taxes. I exhibited further hesitation saying every dollar toward Sirius is a dollar I could put toward textbooks. He then offered me $25 for 6 months, or ~$29 after fees and taxes. I took that deal and will be calling again just shy of 6 months to renegotiate. The total time of the call was 10m35s, which included his lengthy and comprehensive verbal confirmation of the agreement. I will be receiving a refund of the difference (~$164) to my credit card.