New York’s attorney general, Latitia James, took legal action on Wednesday by filing a lawsuit against SiriusXM, alleging that the satellite radio and streaming service deliberately made it challenging for customers to cancel their subscriptions.
The attorney general’s office, following an investigation into customer complaints, claimed that SiriusXM employed tactics such as forcing subscribers to endure lengthy waits in automated systems and engaging with agents trained to deter cancellation requests. Latitia James stated, “Having to endure a lengthy and frustrating process to cancel a subscription is a stressful burden no one looks forward to, and when companies make it hard to cancel subscriptions, it’s illegal.”
SiriusXM contested the allegations, asserting that the extended interaction times mentioned in the lawsuit, based on a 2020 inquiry, were influenced in part by the pandemic’s effects on their operations. The company emphasized that many subscription plans could be canceled easily online with a simple click.
Jessica Casano-Antonellis, a spokesperson for SiriusXM, responded to the accusations, saying, “Like a number of consumer businesses, we offer a variety of options for customers to sign up for or cancel their SiriusXM subscription, and, upon receiving and reviewing the complaint, we intend to vigorously defend against these baseless allegations that grossly mischaracterize SiriusXM’s practices.”
The attorney general’s office referenced customer affidavits detailing frustrating experiences, including prolonged waits in automated systems, followed by extensive efforts from agents to retain business. According to the lawsuit, subscribers spend an average of 11.5 minutes canceling by phone and 30 minutes canceling online, with many experiencing even longer durations.
The lawsuit disclosed that between 2019 and 2021, over 578,000 subscribers seeking to cancel by telephone abandoned their efforts while waiting in the queue to connect with a live agent.
The legal action seeks financial penalties, including compensation for the time customers spent during what the attorney general described as a “deliberately lengthy” cancellation process. The dispute brings attention to consumer rights and service accountability in subscription-based businesses.