NY AG sues SiriusXM for 'trapping' customers in unwanted subscriptions
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) filed a lawsuit against SiriusXM, accusing the satellite radio company of illegally trapping customers in unwanted subscriptions.
Long and Burdensome Cancellation Processes
New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against SiriusXM, alleging that the company engages in deliberately long and burdensome cancellation processes to prevent customers from canceling their subscriptions. James argues that this strategy is illegal and places a stressful burden on consumers.
According to the lawsuit, SiriusXM's own data shows that it takes an average of 11.5 minutes to cancel a subscription by phone, and 30 minutes to cancel online. However, many subscribers report that it takes even longer. The Office of the Attorney General found that the company could easily cancel a customer's subscription with a simple click of a button.
These long wait times and convoluted processes violate federal and state law, according to James. Consumers should be able to cancel a subscription they no longer use or need without any issues, and companies have a legal duty to make the cancellation process easy.
Pushing Back on Cancellations
The lawsuit also alleges that SiriusXM explicitly trains its customer service representatives to push back on customers attempting to cancel their subscriptions. This further obstructs the cancellation process and prevents customers from ending their unwanted subscriptions.
By training its employees to resist cancellations, SiriusXM is potentially violating consumer protection laws. Customers should have the right to cancel a subscription without unnecessary obstacles or interference from the company.
The lawsuit seeks restitution for SiriusXM customers, including direct compensation, a change in company policy, and financial penalties.
Legal Action and Consequences
New York Attorney General Letitia James has taken legal action against SiriusXM, accusing the company of trapping customers in unwanted subscriptions. The lawsuit alleges that the company's long and burdensome cancellation processes violate federal and state law.
If the lawsuit is successful, SiriusXM may be required to provide restitution to affected customers, change its cancellation policies, and face financial penalties. This legal action sends a message that companies must make it easy for consumers to cancel subscriptions they no longer want or need.
Consumer protection is a priority for the attorney general, and actions like this demonstrate the commitment to holding companies accountable for their business practices.
