Complain about a product or service

AOL - "Free" Hours

John of New York, NY February 29, 2008

Signed up for free email using AOL's Bring Your Own Domain Name feature, which allows you to set your AOL email account according to your business domain. So, I signed up using a name, and that works fine as an email account. The problem is, I didn't register my domain name first with an independent register service (go daddy, for example). Now I want to use my domain name to host a business web site I am developing, but when I go to establish this in my site, I'm booted because I'm being told AOL has a lock on the registration of that domain name.

I have tried multiple times to call and contact AOL by email to resolve this. When you call, they don't want to help because the help line only works with paying customers. (Indeed, the employees I spoke with hadn't even heard of AOL's own Bring Your Own Domain program!) I was directed to forms to complete and fax to cancel my email account, hoping that would release the lock on the domain name I created, but no action has been taken after a couple of months. It's impossible to reach someone who will help.

I have been handing out business cards with my domain name on it, so I can receive email at the AOL account. But I will not be able to set up a web site with my domain name because AOL has purloined my rights. This will cost me lots of business, and I will have to adjust to use a similar but still different name (I also own the business domain name). This is outrageous behavior.

Mary of Clinton Township, MI February 24, 2008

In Nov., 2007, I purchased a Dell computer. Through Dell I was offered six months free dial-up with AOL. I signed up and was asked to submit local #s, which I did! On Dec. 24, '07, my phone bill came from AT&T with HUGH long-distant charges for dial-up. AOL switched my local dial-up # to a long distant carrier! My phone bill for those services were 302.22. AT&T waived that amount. Then comes Jan.'08 bill. Another 506.05 that AOL made for me! I'm a 62yr. old lady with multiple sclerosis, living on a fixed disability income of a mere 690 a month. AT&T refuses to help me anymore and told me to get AOL to pay it. I've called AOL and they REFUSE to pay my bill of over 500. It was AOL's fault for sneakily switching me to a long-distant carrier. I had no idea they had done this! Plus, AOL deducted 4.99 out of my checking account without my permission. I didn't owe that to them anyway because I signed with them for 6 mos. FREE in November. I desperately need your help to get this phone bill paid. It wasn't MY fault that AOL scammed me! Thank You.

I have been very upset and disturbed by all of this. My neurologist had to put me on a 75 milligram anti-depresant (every day). I'm a nervous wreck over this!

Dana of Saint Louis, MO February 22, 2008

I bought a new computer in June of 2007 that came with 6 months of free AOL Internet service. Against my better judgment, I provided my debit card number to get my internet set up. I couldn't understand why that was needed if the service was free. Now I see.

I actually never got around to using the service because I got cable service. I removed the software from my computer and pretty much forgot about it. Then, a few days ago, I noticed a charge of 25.90 on my bank statement. I looked back and found I was charged 3 months in a row. I called AOL to cancel and the guy I spoke with said they could credit my account for the latest charge, but not the first two.

I spoke to a supervisor who said that not only would he not refund the first 2 charges, but not the 3rd that the first rep already said would be credited to my account. He told me the computer would not allow them to issue refunds and gave me some address with a P.O. Box to write to if I have a problem with what he said.

Judy of Sarasota, FL February 20, 2008

I am being billed 29.85 a month for a free service by AOL. They are charging me through a credit card that is brand new, and they do not have the authority to use it. I cannot contact them unless I start a service for 9.95. I do not know how they got this information, but it is FRAUD how they tag unto a cc without permission!

I am being charged for a free service at 29.85 a month and cannot get them to stop. I want reimbursement for the last 12 months; and it is illegal to get my credit card information without consent.

Teresa of Live Oak, FL February 14, 2008

We bought our first computer in 2006. It came with free 60-day trial with AOL--just sign up. We signed up but canceled before 60 days went out, to go with another provider. Here it is 2008 and just found out Aol has been charging my bank card a monthly fee for service never used. If you or I do this kind of thing we would be serving time for theft, so how do they get away with it?

AOL has taken money from me that should have been used at my discretion and not stolen, as it has. I have not received one piece of any information, on paper or otherwise, pertaining to AOL. I discovered this bill because I am changing checking accounts and leaving an open credit line with this bank. I have been receiving debits from my credit line to AOL, of which I had no previous knowledge. So not only am I paying for service not received, I am also paying interest on this account now.

Diana of Oroville, CA February 13, 2008

I received a charge on my credit card out of the blue for 29.95 for AOL services. I contacted credit card company as unauthorized charge so it was taken off, but now I received a bill for outstanding balance. I contacted AOL, as the only time I had an account with them was when it was free with the new computer; and we had to use them to access the internet to set up an ISP account with a server of our choice. The representative on the phone asked if I had ever called to cancel service. Well, no, but I was not notified of charges either, until it appeared about two years after our purchase of the new computer. The representative, Judy, had to talk to her supervisor. My account was terminated effective 1/31/08, but I STILL OWED THE 29.95. I opted to get an address to mail a check because I did not want them authorized to use my VISA account.

Due to the fact that I don't want onerous points as to unpaid accounts, I'm being forced to pay an account balance of 29.95 for an account I have never used except to set up my computer when the service was deemed as free.

Renee of Brisbane, CA January 31, 2008

AOL would not issue a refund for an unused account (they could tell that the account had been inactive for 3 months). They tried to tell me that if they gave a refund to everyone that asked for it that they would go out of business! Then they tried to get me to sign up for their 9.99 dial-up account and I asked them why was I being charged 25.90 for the dial-up?!

It's not an option when signing up for the free service. Of course it's not. Why have someone pay only 9.99 when you can be sneaky and get them to pay 25.90! AOL is horrible.

Anthony of Levittown, NY January 19, 2008

I had AOL for a 6-month free trail. I canceled them on 10/2/07. They said that it would take effect on 10/21/07. I have an email from them canceling the account and changing it to a free account because I have Optimum Online. AOL has continued to charge my credit card for the last 4 months. After repeated attempts to contact them via telephone, with only to have dealt with many disconnected phone calls, I feel that I have no choice but to file a complaint before it gets out of hand.

Mike of Twin Lake, MI January 13, 2008

I am being charged over 300 for what they say was an account opened on a computer with their trial software. I have never used AOL and have been an Earthlink customer for years. These charges are showing up on my Verizon phone bill.

I did get a new computer a year ago but am not aware of anyone in the household signing up for their service and know that the service has not ever been used. I have also deleted their software off my computer.

D.a. of Wadsworth, OH January 2, 2008

I downloaded the new version of AOL, and I hate the ads and all the business around the email site and everywhere. I also could get a background to add to my email, and that's gone. How do I get the old version back?

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