AOL How did AOL become the company they are now? BY RIPPING YOU OFF & TAKING YOUR MONEY!! Internet

The same thing happened to me a few years ago- Tried to cancel, they wanted to give me 3 free months- which I declined, then they gave it to me anyway- then tried to upgrade to some "Great Package" deal- getting more hours for less-
Basically what happened was, they said I owed them for changing my plan, they pro-rated some outrageous amount and proceeded to deduct $750 from my bank account-

Needless to say- My bank was WONDERFUL- they had many complaints with AOL customers so they quickly placed the money back in my account and placed a block on my account preventing AOL from ever deducting from it again, mailed me some paperwork to sign, and set out on a lawsuit against AOL- that had a whopping total of 1200 city residents on it!!!! It took some time (6 months) but AOL finally paid the bank back- And after 6 months of threats to my home, work, and cell, and plenty of threats from creditors via mail--- I finally got a written apology letter and one last phone call apologizing for the inconvenience---

so keep fighting-- stop using them-- and Justice will happen in the end!!! DON'T GIVE UP!!! I highly suggest calling your bank and letting them know that AOL is fraudulently taking money out of your account-and trying to put some sort of a block on it--It's worth it!! GOOD LUCK!!

I agree with everything that has been said here concerning AOL and the impossibility of cancelling an account. Like most, it has taken months, numerous phone calls and eventually closing the account.

I really hope that AOL doesn't do like Enron did and shred papers... 'casuse someday (hopefully soon) there are gonna be agents coming into their corporate offices with warrants. T

They are gonna have the SEC coming down on them like a ton of bricks too for conspiracy to inflate their subscription numbers. If what they are doing is legal then it is just barely legal. It definitely isn't ethical.

One day, all of us will be getting letters from some law firm saying that we are possibly members of a class action suit against AOL. By that time though all the lawyers will be getting the money and we will get discounted coupons to AOL or Time Warner magazines.

But, at least AOL will hopefully be forced to stop their behavior.

They have shown that already when the got into trouble with the way that they charged advertising revenue.

Now, I am an old timer... I joined AOL the very first day that they went to one monthly price way back in the mid 90's. I did have them even before that but I cancelled it and it took one phone call and it was done.

Logic says that 10 years after I cancelled once with no problem they should be even more adept at letting a customer cancel... instead it is more difficult. I can think of only one reason.

Checking the mail...

I STILL have NO resolution with AOL! The most recent "theif" I talked to at AOL was a supervisor who told me and I quote "Since your bank is doing an investigation on "supposed" unauthoried charges from AOL, you a**#$ out! So what else do you want from us?" I have been forced to change bank accounts, and am now getting letters from AOL saying that I OWE THEM MONEY! They are UNREAL! And I for one REFUSE to let them do this to me ANYMORE!

You guys pay $24.00 a month for AOL they have a strict "don't cancel the customer 3 strike policy" I've tried to cancel my AOL membership and it's very tireing. They need to change their pratice and realize that AOL isn't for everyone. What's next they will charge us $30.00 a month for dial up and have all of this bloatware on your system that monitors your surfing habits?

AOL needs to have a simple "cancel" icon vs having to call in and wait..wait wait..wait..wait.. oops my battery died

I've heard customers get at least 1 free year of aol just because they call every month to cancel and get one month or 2 months free as a result. Time to start boycotting AOL guys and start using other ISP's (Don't let the ads of "get speeds close to DSL fool you either"

I've spoken with AOL employees on many platforms and AOL treats them like zombies (reading scripts recording each call etc)

Hi,
The reason AOL has become so aggressive is because when they merged with Time-Warner it was based upon the value of the AOL stock.

Since the merger it has been found that AOL's stock was artifically high... because of questionable accounting practices involving revenue from their advertising and number of subscribers to AOL.

A lot of people involved in the merger no longer work there. They got axed because it was such a bad deal. I suspect that those left are doing whatever they can to salvage the situation... unfortunately on the backs (and bank accounts) of the American consumer.

Also, since the merger broadband such as SBC's DSL and competition from internet providers that don't require AOL has driven away a lot of subscribers. A few years ago the only way that a lot of American's could get internet access was through AOL. That has changed.

Just try to quit AOL and they almost refuse. They offer free months and whatever else they can just to they can keep people as "users" and keep their membership propped up. If wall street really knew how many people were trying to quit AOL then they would be in even deeper doo doo.

Download Ad-ware 6.0 form Lavasoft (it is free) and it will get rid of a lot of that crap that is causing the pop-ups and whatever else they are using to control YOUR computer.

Good Luck!

I went through the exact same thing with AOL. My computer came with the free 2 months, but after using my mom's computer and seeing how she hardly ever had pop-ups I cancelled my AOL. I recieved dozens of come back to AOL CD'S and threw them away, but my son installed a game on my computer and in the installation process he accidently reinstalled free AOL again. I noticed it first time on my computer after that, pop-ups again, and immediatley uninstalled it and phoned the company, then forgot about it.

Two months ago, upon reading my bank statement I found withdrawls for AOL service. I went to my bank and payed the fee to not allow anymore withdrawls from this company, and I phoned AOL and asked why they took my money after I had cancelled the free trial and could I have my money back. They told me no. So I don't know how to get your money back from AOL, but most banks can stop anymore payments to them.

Best of Luck