Complain about a product or service

AOL - Hard to Cancel

AOL/America Online • AOL Pays $3 Million, Promises to Clean Up Cancellation Process • AOL Settles Florida Fraud Charges • AntiSpyware Group Targets AOL Release As Dangerous • AOL Heads Roll Over Data Leak • AOL Now Free ... Sort Of • AOL Takes More Hits In Press, On Internet • AOL's Problems Worsen as Consumer Complaints Mount • AOL Embarrassed by CNBC Report On Its Business Practices • E-Mail Taxation Without Representation • AOL, Yahoo Planning Postage Charges for Email • AOL Settles With NY, Agrees to Clean Up Cancellation Process • Ohio Settles Lawsuit With AOL • AOL Abandons Broadband • Ohio Latest to Sue AOL • AOL Loses 2 Million Clients, Faces Subpoenas • Class Action Accuses AOL of Double-Billing Scheme • AOL Offers to Settle Federal Charges --- Consumer Complaints • Cancellation Difficulties • Double-billing • "Free" Hours • Unauthorized Charges • Shop-Direct Complaints • Tech Support

It's been said that canceling AOL is harder than eradicating the common cold. It seems that AOL wants to be your Internet-service-for-life.

Kathryn of Croton Falls, NY August 15, 2009

Despite cancellation of my internet service with Compuserve [aol] they continued to deduct 21.95 per month from my Mastercard for twentythree months. Phonecalls and letters were ignored. I can produce my bills, letter and conformation number. They claim that they do not have the cancellation number that I gave them.

This is a lie. The number and name of the person that took my cancellation info gave me the info I have. I am out 504.85 for services that I did receive. Hopefully, you can help me. Thanks. Loss of 504.85 for services that I did not receive.

Celeste of Canoga Park, CA August 12, 2009

I tried to cancel AOL by use of their online service. When I looked up my credit card invoice online, I noticed that it had charged me anyway. I canceled online again. When the invoice arrived I tried to dispute the charge. They conveniently had no record of either of my online attempts. I wrote a letter canceling for Feb 2010. They canceled me as of July 2009.

When I contacted someone through live help (I was hung up on when I tried to call), I was told that they can't cancel ahead. When I asked why I was not notified and advised, the question was ignored. I was also told that they could not reinstate me - I would have to begin paying again as though I was a new customer. Upshot is that I have paid AOL for services for the next five months that I'm not getting.

Christal of Hanford, CA July 29, 2009

Had America Online service for almost 5 years. The last year we had their service it was extremely slow, had problems getting web pages to come up, timed out and couldn't access email most of the time either. Made several calls to AOL tech support and they would say it was my computer, then I would call Dell and they would run thru stuff with me and in the end it was the dial up service. We unforunately live in the country and couldn't upgrade like they kept wanting me to to DSL. It was not available.

The last time I tried AOL I believe they just increased their rate, didn't notify me just took out of bank account as this is how account was set up, i tried to cancel then and they said it would be better if I would just go to Wal-Mart and get a FREE copy of the lastest version of AOL and call back. I did this as I was told that I had to do this before they could proceed with cancellation, and still wasn't better so the guy transferred me to Customer Service, they to tried to get me to continue service and I told her I want it cancelled.

After long battle and her telling me a million times what a valued customer to AOL I've been she said it would be cancelled. We started utilizing our sprint air card that we had already got for our laptop for all computers in our household. I then cancelled my debit card and got a new one after I called and told them that I cancelled. They told me at that point that i was notified by email that they weren't able to properly complete cancellation.

I told them how was I suppose to get my email when: 1.) I cancelled the account and didn't know that to check that email and 2.) One reason for cancelling was we couldn't get online to check email. So after long conversation they say they will cancel and I told her I already cancelled so what other information did she need. She stated she needed my physical address. I gave it to her and she said their is now a better version of service so she I should get better service. I told her no...I already cancelled and I hung up.

This was sometime late last year. Never heard from them again until yesterday 07/28/09 I received a phone call from collection agency indicating I was placed in collections by AOL. I was very very upset. I told her I cancelled and as always had a hard time understanding the people due to language accent. They wanted me to give them another credit card # to pay. I told them no and I argued with them that I didn't owe and they said yes. I asked them for Aol # and they said the account no longer belonged to AOL and they wouldn't talk to me. I asked if they could explain charges and they said it was for unpaid service since Dec 2008.

I said I wasn't paying for something I cancelled. They said if I cancelled I would have a cancellation #. I honestly don't remember getting such #, but since it had been sometime I honestly don't remember. I tried contacting AOL twice yesterday and spoke to supervisor got some same info and some different information, but all basically that the cancellation didn't go through, they tried to contact me via email and that I owed this money. I asked why they didn't call me or mail me a bill. They said that when I signed up for AOL I agreed to a clause that said they would only contact me via email. I said that is absurd that you couldn't call or mail anything, but you can give it to a collection agency to do that. They said that is what I agreed to.

They also tried to tell me that I had email that "I" called them on 03/31/09 and requested a free email account. That sent me through the roof. I never called them again, nor did I ever ask or even know that they offered a free email account. We set up a free hotmail email for the family as we couldn't access emails regulary with AOL nor get web pages to open timely or always. This is absolutely unbelievable!

I am very frusterated after 2 phone calls to collection agency and 2 to aol yesterday 07/28/09. I don't feel I owe the money and am having a hard time and don't know where to go to do anything about it and to I'm scared to give them another card to pay for it as they might say I signed up for service again. PLEASE HELP Sent me to collection agency for 47.61

Kevin of Cheshire, MA July 29, 2009

In May of 2007 I tried to sign in and use my computer. I was denied access. Prior to this i had to change my debit card because the number was compromised. My bank contacted me, so I cancelled the card. I have not used AOL since then. Now in July 2009 I recieve a bill from AOL for 103.60. I called them to say what happened and they told me that I should have called to cancel. I said I was cancelled by AOL so I did not think I had to cancell.

I then asked them, Why they are sending me a bill now instead of sending a monthly bill. I did not get an answer. I told them that I would make a payment for a month, but do not feel like I owe for a service that I have not used in over 2 years

Donna of Augusta, GA July 29, 2009

AOL Continues to bill our checking account after I have called and cancel the AOL account a number of times. We haven't used AOL internet service in probably 5 years. Our account keeps becoming negative. AOL will keep billing until they have their money. Sometimes the charge twice in 1 week. When I call they want info like our checking and routing numbers and SS number. We have paid them hundreds if not over a thousand dollars for services we do not have.

Geoff of erie, PA July 11, 2009

I canceled my account with AOL over the phone in 2004. After canceling the account, charges of 25.90 continued to show up on my credit card statement each month. I called back again and canceled the account and was told it was canceled. I also canceled that credit card to prevent any similar issues from occurring again. Now today, july 11, 2009 I received a letter in the mail from AOL saying I owe them payment for the last 2 months.

I called and talked with several people asking why I was STILL being charged and why it had not been canceled. The person I talked to had apparently never canceled the account, despite telling me the total opposite. The customer service supervisor said they can see that I have not used my account in the 5 years or logged in even once, but they have no record of my canceling it so there is nothing they can do about the balance on my account now. There is no record of it being canceled because whoever I talked to 4 years ago never actually canceled the account so there obviously would be no record of it. AOL is refusing the erase the balance and are threatening to turn it over to a collection agency if it is not paid in full, when it was clearly 100% their fault. Up until today, I had no reason to believe over the 4 years that I was STILL a member. This is totally ridiculous and criminal.

Dawn of Bath, MI July 10, 2009

Hello, I cancelled AOL 2 1/2 years ago. I even had gone so far as paying the bank 36.00 to block them after cancelling. Now they are charging me again. This account was not mine but, for my father who hasn't had a computer for 3 years now. I am very frustrated and have spent so much time on this in the past that I thought I would contact to you to see if you have any ideas on how to go about cancelling this.

Philip of Flushing, NY July 9, 2009

After reading about all those complaints about aol.com, I am so glad they closed my e-mail service in March of 2009.Theyresponded to any of three letters I sent to get service re-opened. That is what I get for fifteen years of customer loyalty. Since then,I have gotten better deals from their competitors.

I lost about ten days of business before I had another system upand running. I am so glad that Aol.com made the MSN list of the worst company responding to consumer complaints in America.

STEPHEN of NEW BEDFORD, MA June 26, 2009

I had cancelled AOL service back in September of 2008. A payment had been mede to keep service for one month only. An EMAIL was sent by AOL confirming the cancellation, and when the account would close. I had singed up for another ISP, COMCAST CABLE,during that month to take the place of AOL's service. I continued with FREE AOL MAIL even though the account should of ended by the end of September 2008.

AOL, WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE HAD CONTINUED TO TAKE MONEY FROM MY CHECKING ACCOUNT, CREDIT/DEBIT CARD, without permission. I had lost my card, and cancelled it in December of 08. AOL was unable to steal money from this account any longer. AOL has done this to many people according to what I have read over the internet. It must be more profitable to steal money from people than the court fines they have paid.

I have received 2 calls from AOL credit department asking for payment of 120. They refuse to listen to me. they told me they would give my name to the credit agency to give me a bad credit rating because I refused to pay them. I told them I would take care of their problem if they did.

It seems like I will be harassed by AOL unless I pay money to them. Their threats of ruining my credit rating to get me to pay, "I consider that extortion, I do not owe them anything". I am very [upset] at AOL for taking money from my bank account after they had been cancelled. If anything should be paid, it should be a refund to me for their poor accounting practices.

jackie of rockford, IL June 19, 2009

I signed up for a free 3 month trial but cancelled it in 1 month. Back in March. In May they deducted money from my bank and said I never cancelled. What a joke. So I am out the money after I argued with them and caught them in several lies. I did get them to admit there has been no activity what so ever since March..hmm... figure it out. Terrible customer service...That is if you get to talk to some one and not left on hold!!

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