In spite of rulings against them, AOL is at it again!!! (I was charged $35.00 for a "free trial", causing an additional $30.00 overdraft charge by my bank). When I contacted AOL to straighten this out, I was told by AOL that they changed my plan during the trial to $4.95 for ten hours, with additional hours billed at $2.95 an hour, and I was lucky they weren't billing me for around $450.00. (the whole time my sign in screen was showing a plan for unlimited usage, and I was primarily using two other ISPs that I had a free trial with, in order to compare services. How many hours are there in a week, anyway? This just doesn't compute!!).
When I asked about a refund of the money, since I was on a free trial, they told me that the money would be refunded only if I signed up for a year's service. Needless to say I cancelled immediately!!!
AOL is now charging me $23.90 a month, and deducting it from my bank account, even though I no longer have their service (this has been verified by another of their departments, complete with cancellation number and date of cancellation). Has anyone found an effective way to deal with this bunch of thieves? From what I have found out on the internet, they have thousands of complaints for this type of dishonest behavior!!!
So far, AOL will not answer any of my communications since they started doing this, so I have contacted the Federal Trade Commission, the Better Business Bureau, and US Department of Justice (Fraud Division), and will be contacting the TN Attorney General's Office next week (I know the FTC and Attorney Generals offices of 17 states, including Tennessee's have already ruled against them for this type of thing, so what gives?). If they have done this type of thing to you, please join me in bringing this to someone's attention!!! (If enough people complain, maybe we can get this type of fraud looked into). Also, if anyone has found an effective way to deal with this bunch of crooks, please let me know!!!
You can't begin to guess what it's like dealing with those idiots!! Not only is their software inferior (it caused all types of problems in my system until I finally got it all removed), but when it comes to billing issues, they're impossible!!! I bought my computer on May 23, 2005, with a 3 month "free trial" (unlimited hours) of AOL included, which they extended twice, (all of this is documented) and yet they started billing me on July 7,2005 at 5 hours for $4.95, with any additional hours billed at $2.95. Short 3 months, isn't it. Then, after I cancelled before the end of the trial period, they decided to start billing me for regular service!! On top of that, I found that when you try to talk to them, they suddenly develop a collective IQ somewhere south of that of a houseplant, and won't even try to work anything out or look at any documentation you have (I guess they figure if you were dumb enough to give them a crack at your bank account, you are no brighter than they are).
Oh, well, within the next few days, I guess we'll find out if the geniuses are any brighter than Channel 13 News or the TN Attorney General's office....
Just a note...If you are having problems with AOL (or know someone who is), try the state Attorney General's office (especially if they dealt with them during their "little problem" a few years back, or if the AG's office has had other complaints about AOL (LOL!!!)) .
I got a prompt response from AOL when the AG's office got involved, and the AG's office had the teeth to even approve my having AOL pay the overdraft and other charges that AOL's fraudulent billing caused!!!
Talk about a swift, sure cure!!!!!!
PS: Keep up the good work...It's great to have a forum for one's ideas, comments, etc.
