AOL won't let a customer cancel account... audio

[Audioholics]

This has got to be the most frustrating thing I've ever heard. Apparently AOL management got involved finally, cannned the CSR and closed his account...

http://www.nbc10.com/news/9406462/detail.html?taf=phi

Unbelievable - and one of the reasons no one should ever use AOL (not to mention they hijack your mail which you can never truly download after you cancel the account...)

 

[mike c]

<embed SRC="http://clip.break.com/dnet/media/content/aolhell.wmv" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="320" AUTOPLAY="true" ></embed><br>As seen on Break.com

listen, don't read

 

[JoeE SP9]

I've been there. I demanded to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor finally cancelled the account after a very heated discussion. I use Verizon now. $15 a month for a DSL.

 

[Matt34]

I used AOL while I was waiting to deploy back in 03'. When I got back and tried to cancel it was a complete PITA. My wife ended up having to call them back because I was ready to kill someone.

 

[MDS]

Vincent, the customer, did a remarkable job of maintaining his composure and not getting too hot or resorting to profanity every other word as many would do in that frustrating situation.

His only slip was when we had had enough and said 'You are really annoying the sh!t out of me now!' and the service rep had the gall to say 'well it works both ways' - as if he was somehow being put out by a simple request to cancel an account. AOL claims to have fired that csr but I am willing to bet that they are 'trained' to dissuade customers from cancelling.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

This has been standard practice for AOL since atleast the mid-90's when I had to explain to the CSR that I was commiting suicide and didnt need the service. They billed me again the next month so I had to call and re-cancel and get my $25 pushed back to the VISA card. After that I cancelled the credit card just so they couldn't re-subscribe me again (which I'm almost certain they tried to do).

 

[Jack Hammer]

They used to be a lot worse

This really wasn't that bad for AOL. When I tried to cancel with them in the late 90's, there was no customer service number to call, and no easily listed instructions or directions on how to cancel. I had called their 800 # for new customers and they refered me back to the homepage. I finally found instructions posted online by someone who had figured it out. Later they were forced to make it easier for all by, I think it was an attorney generals office.

I'll never sign with them again.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Those CSR's are trained to handle objections. That was just a guy who was probably very successful at his job, who stuck his neck out for the big guy. It's too bad he had to work for such a slime ball company such as AOL. I don't blame him, I blame the training at AOL who does everything in their power to make sure these CRS's keep the clients on board. I'm sure their bonus/incentive depends on it. An attorney shoud go after AOL who fired this poor guy to get him compensation for the trouble he'll have finding a real job with an honest company.

 

[mtrycrafts]

This has got to be the most frustrating thing I've ever heard. Apparently AOL management got involved finally, cannned the CSR and closed his account...

http://www.nbc10.com/news/9406462/detail.html?taf=phi

Unbelievable - and one of the reasons no one should ever use AOL (not to mention they hijack your mail which you can never truly download after you cancel the account...)

A similar incident happened to me when I cancelled my mail account. I had a tough time doing it. The gut threatened me with computer hacking or some such, that I won't have a firewall as good as theirs, and the computer will be hacked even when it is off.
Horrible time cancelling it.

 

[mike c]

and the computer will be hacked even when it is off.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

I bet their pay structure is $20 for every account they sign up, and $35 for every account they lose (plus their hourly $12/hr rate).

 

[Sheep]

Thank you telus.

SheepStar

 

[Hi Ho]

I heard that on a local talk show and I was laughing and appalled the whole time. I have never touched anything AOL and I never will. I won't even touch AIM. If friends want to use AIM, they don't talk to me.

 

[sdy284]

thats why you just get an AIM account, then use some other chat program to use the actual instant messaging service

I for one use trillian: www.trillian.cc

 

[mytzen]

Trillian is great, no ads and many more features. Now to only convince the rest of the nation that AOL is horrible.

 

[brian32672]

The AOL thing happened to me as well. As another member here did, I to canceled the credit card that was done with that account. I had canceled the account, then they charged the next month - So I felt it would be easiest (with dealing with them) to just cancel the card.

This was years ago. And it's funny, that it is still happening.
Honestly (as most would say) I never even thought once of going back to them.
(they s"ck)

 

[masak_aer]

Several years ago, it was even a pain in the a$$ to delete their free AOL ad button. They were like everywhere. In fact, they will try their best to be on your computer hoping that you miss clicked or whatever...I, for one, NEVER EVER going to deal with them.