Has anybody here gotten the free lifetime Sirius subscription yet? For those who may not know, Mini USA and Sirius have an offer of a free lifetime subscription on all Mini (C&S) hardtops produced after June 2007 with factory installed Sirius radios. The $1400 Audio package qualifies for this. Here's my story:

I've got the audio package and when I called to activate the Sirius they told me that I get one free year automatically, but when the dealer files some paperwork it gets upgraded to lifetime. One month later I'm looking at my Sirius account online and see that it is still listed as a one year subscription. I called the Sirius help desk and they looked into it and said that according to my radio's ESN and my VIN, my vehicle is a 2005 BMW and it does not qualify for the lifetime offer. WTF says I...so I called my MA and asked if he had submitted the "paperwork" and he said he had. Then I told him the story about the 2005 BMW and he said that there is a glitch in the Sirius system and that almost all eligible Mini's are being told the same thing. He said that both Sirius and Mini USA are aware of the problem and that they should be able to have it fixed before the end of the year's subscription.

I was wondering if anybody else is having a similar issue, or could my MA possibly have been blowing smoke up my exhaust port? It seems feasible that a crafty individual along the road from the factory to my driveway could have swapped out the tuner with another that did not qualify for the lifetime subscription...but then I believe aliens have been in my shed at least six times this summer.

 

Thanks for the reminder! I took delivery of my car on 9/26. I had the same experience -- 1 year included instead of lifetime. My MA and his manager have been working on this for quite some time and have told me that they have talked to everyone they need to talk to.

Meanwhile, my account still shows 1 year.

I just got off the phone with my MA again and he did mention the glich and said it wasn't limited to just a few cars. Every car except some of the early (June 07) models with Sirius are experiencing this.

I told my MA that I hope before 9/26/08 this is resolved. He said he thought it would since there's at least a month of deliveries before mine that will have to be dealt with before mine.

If you are replying to this thread, let us know when you took delivery of your Sirius equiped MINI. Mine was 9/26/07.

 

Took delivery 8/27/2007, activated Sirrius that day as well. It shows lifetime subscription on account from that day forward and I also verified this with Sirrius customer service.

 

My delivery was 9/29/07.

 

Same deal. 9 months subscription + 3 months free is what shows up in my account.

Contact with Sirius to correct issue: First contact: no reply. Second contact: asked for VIN & radio number. No response to my reply.

Contact with Mini of Mountain View: No response to my email.

Sirius account: unchanged.

 

I took delivery on 9/21/07. My MA took a few days to get Sirius activated and it shows that my subscription expires one year after it was activated. Based upon what I've seen on NAM, I'll wait until a couple of months before I expire to raise this with MINI. I know what I bought and they know what I bought, so I'm not too worried about it.

 

I had the same issue. 9 months, that's all. I think MIN/BMW will just renew at the end of each year, less money out of their pocket. Does that make sense?

 

Yes, especially if some people total their cars. No more payments for Mini. In the end , Mini may make a bucket load off this.

 

Mine showed lifetime from the date of delivery (9/19).

 

Lifetime here. Activated minutes after I signed the papers.

 

The annual renewal theory doesn't make sense if some people are not affected. I got an email back from my MA saying that he turned my info and ESN over to the Mini rep handling Sirius and is waiting for a response. I'd recommend all affected do the same because people have a tendancy to assume all is copasetic if nobody is whining.

 

I activated the lifetime Sirius account the day after I picked up the car. The woman at Sirius knew about the Mini Cooper w/lifetime subscription. Just a few questions and I was ready to go. No problems, lifetime subscription with nothing to renew, ever.

 

I picked mine up on 10/23 and dealer had already activated the Sirius account for me. Looked at it online today and it shows as a "prepaid lifetime subscriber" on the account.

 

I was told by Sirius that all MINIs currently only have a free one year subscription.

My MINI MA at Main Line MINI confirmed this.

Then I called 866-ASK-MINI. They said it was a ONE YEAR subscription, but they are working on getting the lifetime subscription mess worked out for everyone. Essentially we paid for it, WE SHOULD GET IT!

I talked to Sirius twice in the past week so everybody who thinks they have a lifetime, you might be getting a $500 bill from Sirius because...

When I initially got my MINI I called Sirius to activate.Those idiots at SIRIUS cancelled my Sportster and put my MINI on my Sirius account for a 6 month subscription, UNKNMOWN TO ME - I WAS PAYING FOR IT! When the 6 month rollover came up last week, Sirius called me to get my credit card info and this whole mess started!

Sirius reimbursed me for the past 5 months, but I still only have a one year SIRIUS subscription on my MINI.

Sirius keep referring to the MINI as a BMW and that BMW has to put my MINI Sirius receiver on their account.

 

Your MA is full of it. The lifetime subscription is in writing on the site, in MINI press releases and, as you said, ASK-MINI said it was so.

Also, you can transfer it twice to different cars/radios etc for a $75 fee each time.

 

One of the Sirius folks told me (think convenience store Indian accent),"Yes, there is a lifetime program for new Minis, but your's is a 2005 BMW and does not qualify".

The problem is in the ESN-to-vehicle translation. I don't know if that is Mini's or Sirius' domain, but most likely it is the result of a collision between two data bases.

 

My MA just emailed me to say he's going to sort this out.

 

For all the doubters, my Sirius account shows this:

Current Active Service
Prepaid Lifetime Subscriber

 

Same here.

When I called Sirius and activated the Mini's system, the woman asked what package I wanted. I told her the Mini has a lifetime subscription but that she wouldn't know that and would only be able to give me a 1 year subscription. Her response was that she knew about the lifetime subscription with the Mini Cooper and it was NOT a one year with a renew to a lifetime after that.

The lifetime subscription activation was completely painless.

 

I'm in the "one year prepaid subscription" boat (according to Sirius) after having paid Mini $1400 for a lifetime subscription. My delivery date was 9/27/2007. While activating the subscription over the phone on the dealer lot, I was told by the Sirius guy "nobody gets more than a one-year deal." and (in the other ear) by the MA "I'll talk to my manager and get it taken care of."

OK.

I gave 'em a month to get it straightened out. Time's up. Time to turn up the heat on the MA, her manager, his manager, HIS manager, etc. If I have to pull out the flamethower, results will be gotten. If I have to not shower for a week and eat chili and beer until the gas is coming out my ears before camping out in the showroom until I get some satisfaction... so be it. I'll keep you posted.

By the way, I LOVE the audio package--the HD radio stations here in Chgo, the Sirius channels, sound quality--all great. It's a nice package. It's the one option I ALWAYS have on in the car. I feel like I got my $1400 worth. Or rather, I will, once that lifetime subscription is confirmed in writing.

 

Just picked up mine this week.... the lifetime subscription... Sirius never heard of it!!... I have 1 year. I will contact my MA.... Sounds like a random chance of getting someone at SIRIUS that knows something about this. Any names to contact at SIRIUS that know what they are doing????


Steve
2007 week 42 MCSa: LB/W alarm/nav/conv/prem/audio/sport/cold/punch carbon leather

 

Unbelievable! Two weeks ago I got an email from my MA saying, "Yours should be ok now. I forwarded your issue to the person that handles it in MINI corporate and he said your MINI is on the database and Sirius is going to take care of it. I hope everything is well."

Just checked my account with Sirius and it still says, "Prepaid Service - 9 Months Service w/3 Free Months".

It looks like the problem continues. I guess the question to be raised now is, has anybody with this problem had it fixed yet?

 

I called SIRIUS again and actually got someone that heard about this! At least this is progress. I was told it had to be arranged through the dealership so I am back to my MA. It hopefully is just delayed because of paperwork but it sounds like there are deeper problems based on the discussions here. How is ANYONE getting the lifetime without going through problems!!??

Steve

 

I think mine is resolved and yours may be too. If you login to your Sirius account and click on the ESN that is connected to your MINI it will take you to your SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS.

Here's mine showing that I have an upcoming subscription that is prepaid lifetime and that it will take effect on 9/26/08... one year after the initial service was activated in my car and runs out.



If your ESN shows an upgrade option, click on it and it may say something like a prepaid subscription has been put on this account (I forget the actual wording) with a cost of $0.00.

If one of these situations applies to you, next time you call, let them know this is the case.

Hope this helps.

 

Does not work for me..... Just 9 months plus 3 PLUS it tells me my subscription is about to run out!!
My MA is working on it. I am sure they can fix it soon.

2007 week 42 MCSa: LB/W alarm/nav/conv/prem/audio/sport/cold/punch carbon leather

Steve