- Report: #39471
Complaint Review: AOL - AOL.com Internet
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AOL
AOL.com AOL.com, Internet, U.S.A.
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AOL Unethical Business Practices are Making Them Big Bucks! ripoff Wilmington Internet
Several months ago, my 12 year old installed an AOL free trial disc in our PC. I told him to cancel it, when I found out a few days later, and he did. (We already have a local provider)
Last month I realized our phone bill was higher than normal and discovered AOL had been billing my phone account $28 a month.
I called AOL (from my phone) to explain. Of course I got the transfer-phone-shuffle throughout the company, but did not become alarmed; thinking this runaround was typical for many businesses.
But when, the service person at the company said she could not access my acount using the phone number billed (my phone), I began to get a sinking feeling - something was not right. I tried again a few weeks later and got a different excuse - they could not access my account this time because I wasn't at home using the phone.
I called my phone company and the attendent gave me a short rundown about practices of AOL. Apparently, I am one of many who has been trapped by their unethical schemes. Bottom line - if I don't pay my phone bill, my phone will be shut off.
My gut feeling is telling me AOL does not care how they collect money and has no ear for complaints. These practices are making them one of the biggest companies in the world and my delemma is part of their planned business strategy.
Gerry
Southport, North Carolina
U.S.A.
Last month I realized our phone bill was higher than normal and discovered AOL had been billing my phone account $28 a month.
I called AOL (from my phone) to explain. Of course I got the transfer-phone-shuffle throughout the company, but did not become alarmed; thinking this runaround was typical for many businesses.
But when, the service person at the company said she could not access my acount using the phone number billed (my phone), I began to get a sinking feeling - something was not right. I tried again a few weeks later and got a different excuse - they could not access my account this time because I wasn't at home using the phone.
I called my phone company and the attendent gave me a short rundown about practices of AOL. Apparently, I am one of many who has been trapped by their unethical schemes. Bottom line - if I don't pay my phone bill, my phone will be shut off.
My gut feeling is telling me AOL does not care how they collect money and has no ear for complaints. These practices are making them one of the biggest companies in the world and my delemma is part of their planned business strategy.
Gerry
Southport, North Carolina
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Christopher
Oklahoma City,Oklahoma,
U.S.A.
Your AOL Problem
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, December 30, 2002
Gerry, Ok there are a few key peices of information that you are missing in your statment that doesn't allow me to give you a clear answer, but I am going to try and make a dent in the issue here. From my understanding your 12 year old put a AOL CD into your computer and bam! You have an AOL account and are being billed on your phone bill for it. Ok here is the best and easiest way I can think to solve your problem. Your 12 year old is only 12 and if he did create that account using his name or your name on the account the account in void, because AOL can not create and up-hold a contract agreement with a minor. Thus if you can prove to AOL that your son made a mistake in creating this AOL account, you may be able to have the charges reversed. I worked at AOL and left for my own reasons, and I beleive that is what happend in your statement. I will say to you this, that AOL is very very "iffy" about giving money back. Anyway, need some more info, e-mail me. Good luck
gregory
redding,California,
U.S.A.
AOL ....if you'll pay their price....they will come!
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, December 30, 2002
My father-in-law gets AOL through a friend that works at General Motors and it only costs him $5 or $10 per month for unlimited use. Maybe we all need to find a friend at General Motors so we can get all of AOL's terrific services for $10 per month. Another part of the AOL scam is sending free CD's that "require no credit card". However, when you download and begin the sign-up process which includes giving your name, address and phone number the next screen asks for a credit card number. Time to take a bite out of crime as they say and boycott AOL.
