What a night - try to cancel your AOL account!

[MAD IN NC]

I've had my AOL account for over 10-15 yr's. In the early days of dial up you couldn't get connected without AOL from home. Then came "High Speed". Today, no longer is the AOL Operating system and browser mainstay. New names of Safari, Firefox and Chrome are all new to us for browsers in the last two years displacing even the iron horse's themselves being Netscape and Internet Explorer. The desktop PC for E-mail has been displaced with Blacberry's, IPhone's and my soon to be had Storm for remote access. Computer's have access to WiFI free service at airports or McD's. WiMax is being built out and we can have Internet connection while driving and even flying soon! Connectivity is everywhere and we no longer need a tethering ISP! It is 2009 damn it!

So with sound logic (and my wife stating we have a charge every month for something we never use)- I tried with good intentions and valor to cancel my AOL account. They even verified that the last time it was used was over 9 months ago and then by a miss click.

First I called them up and went through four layers of a voice responder, then talked to a nice kid (whom I'm sure is on anti depressant medicine after my call) and for the next 15 minutes - yes 15 minutes tried to cancel my AOL account! Since my own kids, when they were kids and growing up all had their AOL accounts under mine at one point he wanted to talk to all of them! He didn't care if the last time they used there accounts was over 4 YEARS ago!

And then here we went on another loose thread keeping me in the AOL family being that even though I opened the account in the 80's under my name he had to talk to my wife as it is billed to the house credit card and her name (ya, I know it's been for free.... missed that one). He probably thought that there is no way I'm married the way I'm talking to him so he asked to talk to my wife! She was bringing me my drink by then and gave her blood type to verify the CC account of which I also had to verify and give him the billing CC # which now means I'm eligible to run for Mayor of Papa New Guinea or from wherever he was located. I'm sure all the vulgarities were recorded!

.....so, two Plymouth Martini's later - he cancelled my fee based AOL service and stated if I had hi-speed I can still use it for e-mail and basic service - without customer support! So, now I'm thinking that I haven't turned the farking thing on for over a year why would I even contemplate customer support except to quit the frigging service!

Three minutes later and into my third drink - I even cancelled the free AOL service and deleted all dormant accounts! (I don't like appendages hanging out there in the Internet domain to be hit on later).

So the call ended - I had three drinks in 20 minutes, yelled at a poor kid trying to do his job, cancelled a monthly charge on the CC, and proceeded to delete AOL from my PC as the last act of defiance.... but that's another story all together!

Happy New Year All! Out with the Old - In with the NEW :cheers


BTW - next weekend I'm converting from Time Warner to AT&T U-Verse! :rofl

 

[Empty Pockets]

I feel your pain. 'Took 4 months and 4-5 additional telephone calls, and FOUR additional "cancellations" to terminate my Sprint long distance a/c...AFTER I'd cancelled it the first time! 'Still kept being charged for it. Sprint kept blaming the local provider and vice-versa. On and on it went.

'FINALLY got ahold of upper level management and ended it once and for all.

'IDIOCY.

 

[centerpunch]

Watch this if you haven't already: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmpDSBAh6RY

Six months after my 85 year old father died I realized his AOL account was still active and they had been billing my 80 year old mother even though she hadn't used the service once.

After about a dozen phone calls, making me more and more furious, one genitalhead at AOL insisted I had to send them a death certificate. After yelling F.U. and slamming the phone down, I considered various crimes, but finally just faxed a very fact- and profanity-filled letter to every member of Time Warner's Board of Directors.

30 minutes later I had a call from a corporate secretary, and two days later I had a refund check and a letter confirming cancellation.

But I still hate those f*ckers and hope they all die very slow and painful deaths.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Watch this if you haven't already: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmpDSBAh6RY

Six months after my 85 year old father died I realized his AOL account was still active and they had been billing my 80 year old mother even though she hadn't used the service once.

After about a dozen phone calls, making me more and more furious, one genitalhead at AOL insisted I had to send them a death certificate. After yelling F.U. and slamming the phone down, I considered various crimes, but finally just faxed a very fact- and profanity-filled letter to every member of Time Warner's Board of Directors.

30 minutes later I had a call from a corporate secretary, and two days later I had a refund check and a letter confirming cancellation.

But I still hate those f*ckers and hope they all die very slow and painful deaths.

I watched the vid, and I'll betcha a dime to a donut the guy wasn't fired - he was given a pat on the back for his tanasity! :lol

 

[B O N Y]

G Mail..... 7 gigs of storage, very trick, have been using it since 2002.
Anybody need an invite, let me know. It is FREE...
BONY'S FAVORITE FOUR LETTER WORD.


Just getting ready to take a hot tub, nail a Plymouth Gibson (or two) and take Mrs. Bony out for some PAISANO cuisine (PLEASE,..stop using the word 'Guido', Larry, it is not nice)

 

[Empty Pockets]

G Mail..... 7 gigs of storage, very trick, have been using it since 2002.
Anybody need an invite, let me know. It is FREE...
BONY'S FAVORITE FOUR LETTER WORD.


Just getting ready to take a hot tub, nail a Plymouth Gibson (or two) and take Mrs. Bony out for some PAISANO cuisine (PLEASE,..stop using the word 'Guido', Larry, it is not nice)

Uh, that's "Guedo", Bony. But, okay - "Gordo" IT IS from here on out, then!:lol

Enjoy you're night out, Bonymeister...:thumbsup :cheers

(Oh, wait a minute...don't we HAVE a "Gordo" here on the 'Forum? Shoot. I'm gunna hafta rethink this...)

 

[soroush]

this seems to be an epidemic, I have had numerous problems cancelling first my AOL account, then a dish network account, then my sprint account, I believe this is a commonly practiced corporate trick to perhaps try to collect a month or two more after an attempt to cancell an account. from now on if you want to cancell an account you have to send in writting with a certified return mail the cancellation so that you have proof that you actually cancelled the account, other wise they will deny you ever called them to cancell, and its so easy for them to do that since there will be no record of the phone call. I had to cancell my aol five times, five months in a row and they kept sending me the bill.

 

[BlackICE]

I had a similar problem with getting magazine subscriptions that I never ordered. The credit card company wouldn't back them out without me 1st contacting the vendor. Had to go through voice mail hell to cancel each one, one at a time took about 5 minutes each!(IMHO credit card company was colluding with the mag. comp). The second time it happened the credit card reversed all of the charges and changed my account number so that it wouldn't happen again.

 

[soroush]

the worst is companies that have direct access to your account, once permission is giving to take money out(automatic withdrawal) according to the banks it can never be taken back, it is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of. they can temporarily block the payment but can not permanently prevent them from withdrawing from your account. at least thats what I was told.

 

[MAD IN NC]

the worst is companies that have direct access to your account, once permission is giving to take money out(automatic withdrawal) according to the banks it can never be taken back, it is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of. they can temporarily block the payment but can not permanently prevent them from withdrawing from your account. at least thats what I was told.

NEVER EVER sign up for "automatic" withdrawal's as utilities companies and others profess..... They will never leave your account and continue to bill or suck it dry! Then it's up to you to prove different.... and to reverse after you have checked the "I Agree" button is meaning you are screwed until YOU prove otherwise!

 

[B O N Y]

what mikey said..
+1,000,000

Never let anyone transfer in funds either, since they now have the ability to transfer out.

 

[Empty Pockets]

(1)I believe this is a commonly practiced corporate trick to perhaps try to collect a month or two more after an attempt to cancell an account...(2)I had to cancell my aol five times, five months in a row and they kept sending me the bill.

There you go! My "Sprint" ordeal was a 4-5 months long too.

(1) is easily countered by (2). And that's exactly what I had to do too. Every month I was billed, I called and had 'em void the charge - AND RECANCEL my account!

I really think it turned out to be a contest of wills.

 

[BlackICE]

There you go! My "Sprint" ordeal was a 4-5 months long too.

(1) is easily countered by (2). And that's exactly what I had to do too. Every month I was billed, I called and had 'em void the charge - AND RECANCEL my account!

I really think it turned out to be a contest of wills.

Why didn't you just send Guido?

 

[Empty Pockets]

Why didn't you just send Guido?

That's "Guedo".

And Bony sez I can't send HIM no mo...dat's why!

 

[Empty Pockets]

NEVER EVER sign up for "automatic" withdrawal's as utilities companies and others profess..... They will never leave your account and continue to bill or suck it dry! Then it's up to you to prove different.... and to reverse after you have checked the "I Agree" button is meaning you are screwed until YOU prove otherwise!

I've never EVER gone that route ... except ONCE...and that was a "manditory" thing or I'da lost a $500 "rebate" on a car I bought for my youngest daughter.

(As I recall the situation, I had to "borrow" $5K thru GMAC for 6 months or so to GET that rebate...and the "interest" on the "loan" was zero if paid off in 6 months - so I took out the "loan"...got the $500 rebate...'paid everything off in the required time, and paid no interest. 'Long walk on a short pier for $500 - but, it was the "principle":lol of the thing that mattered!)

 

[Kingman]

The scams with magazines was brought up - though not as bad as AOL agony, the bait and switch magazines pull annoys me.

I'm sure we all get NUMEROUS notices that your subscription is about to end, only to find out that you just paid them.....and may have sent another check in. At least you are getting what you wanted. What ticks me off is the constant notices to re-subscribe....then getting a notice that the mag is going out of business and you will now receive some schlock alternative.

This just happened with Modified Luxury & Exotics. I just sent in my renewal (a few months early), only to get their notice that they are closing their doors and I will now receive European Car.....though one can go to their site and see that they are still soliciting. http://www.modifiedle.com/

 

[dbk]

Timely! I just looked at my CC bill and realized that I've been paying for AOL for about 4 years since I ceased using it. Knowing the horrors of canceling, I was looking around the net for the easiest way to cancel. Seems there is no easy way. Tomorrow I will attempt, and hopefully, I will not feel your pain. I read where a reporter published a corporate AOL memo to employees because many had been simply not canceling accounts people wanted gone, because they got a bonus if they talked them out of it. Apparently it said "your integrity is worth more than $6". Jesus.

When I canceled my DirecTV, I just told them there was no view of the southern exposure. They refused to believe. Of course this wasn't true, but I knew they would fight. The Indian voice on the other end argued and argued and argued. Amazingly annoying.

 

[RALPHIE]

The only access to my bank account is a Social Security Direct Deposit. The ski area where I work wanted direct access to it for my medical insurance payment - I said "NO" and that I would quit the job before allowing access. They relented, and set up a monthly billing to a MasterCard account of mine - which I use for all revolving monthly charges, such as AOL. If something goes awry, I can always just cancel the credit card account and move the legitimate monthly charges to another card.

 

[dbk]

I'm with you on that Ralphie except I have a feeling that companies who incessantly fight cancellations aren't above forward charges from "active" accounts to collections.

 

[RALPHIE]

I'm with you on that Ralphie except I have a feeling that companies who incessantly fight cancellations aren't above forward charges from "active" accounts to collections.

At least then, the shoe is on the other foot - they have to try and get your money, and, must acknowledge the cancellations eventually, as collections has no equity to reposess. Better than you trying to retrieve the monthly charges which they continue to draw.