Posted on 04/20/2004 9:50:34 AM PDT by NewHampshireDuo
LITCHFIELD - Ken Pedersen thought running AOL’s AutoFix on his computer would help solve his connection problems.
Instead, he said, he wound up with a phone bill that was over $3,000.
Pedersen, 67, has filed a complaint with the attorney general’s office, canceled his American Online service, canceled his separate phone line for the computer, and switched to Adelphia’s Powerlink cable Internet service.
However, the town resident still faces the obstacle of paying Verizon a little under $3,400.
The problems, Pedersen said, began when he noticed a feature on his homepage called AutoFix that was promoted as a tool to fine-tune computers.
Pedersen, who was having problems with his connection breaking up, decided to run the program. AutoFix identified two connectivity problems, which he opted to have corrected.
As part of that process, the computer shut down and shortly afterward, Pedersen signed back in.
“It ran great for three weeks, then I got the phone bill,” h e said.
According to the bill, Pedersen had called a number in Alstead, more than 70 miles from his home.
The toll rate for calls to that area ranges from 15-29 cents a minute, he said.
Running the program should not have resulted in Pedersen’s access number being changed, an AOL spokesman said.
“We regret that we cannot credit Mr. Pedersen’s account for the long-distance and toll charges that he received,” said Nicholas Graham. “These charges did not originate from AOL, and, therefore, no compensation can be provided.”
AutoFix helps people troubleshoot on their computers and is a service the company provides, Graham said. One of the things the program may do is point out different access numbers, Graham said.
The company has disclaimers reminding costumers to “carefully select access numbers” and to check with their local phone companies to determine if the access number is a local call or toll one, Graham said.
“AOL does not ever select, change, redirect, reroute or modify in anyway the dial-up access choices that members alone are supposed to make,” he said.
Pedersen said he tried getting in touch with AOL and called the company four to five times after getting his phone bill April 15.
The common answer was, “it’s not our problem,” said Pedersen, who subscribed to AOL for five years.
He was told that the Internet provider does not pick the numbers that people use.
Verizon expressed sympathy but said there was nothing the company could do, since the Pedersens had made the calls.
Verizon is just the underlying provider, said Jill Wurm, of Verizon public affairs. Nothing Verizon did caused the couple to incur the charges, she said.
The company can make payment arrangements to help customers like the Pedersens, Wurm said.
Customers can also have a seven-digit toll block placed on their lines, requiring the area code for toll calls, Wurm said. Such a block might prevent people from unwittingly making toll calls, she said.
Pedersen said he has received e-mails from other AOL users saying their access number also mysteriously changed, he said.
“I’m the winner,” Pedersen said. “I have the biggest bill so far.”
Pedersen has filed a complaint with the attorney general’s office, which contacted AOL for more information.
Typically, the attorney general’s office will ask individuals and companies whom a complaint is filed against to participate in voluntary mediation, Senior Assistant Attorney General Kristin Spath said.
The office will either decide it’s satisfied with the explanation or ask for more information, she said.
As for Pedersen, he’s no longer an AOL customer.
“I’d like to nail AOL,” he said. “As much as the money hurts, the denial that something like this could happen is so frustrating.”
Kids..............!
Yes, it is AOL's fault. A bug in their program caused it to choose the wromg phone number, or present you with a list that didn't have the right number in it. Take AOL to Small Claims.
But this is too simple and would prevent "big" telephone from making obscene profits.
Almost the same thing happened to me, although I caught it right away and only had to pay about $10 in charges. I had picked up an access number that was a toll call, even thought the town was only about 20 miles from here and the area code was the same. To make it even more confusing a different area code in the adjacent city offers free service. Luckily the bad number was about 5th or 6th on my list, so the auto dialer didn't hit on it very often.
How do I do that, and what will it get me?
Amateurs! AOL-using IDIOT! Friends don't let friends use AOL, is what I've been saying for years now.
Here's a clue: DON'T USE DIALUP.
See, I've done tech support for dialup users, and let me tell you, I wonder how some of them manage to tie their own shoes! Or keep from drowning themselves by looking up during a rainstorm! In fact, I've met dogs and cats smarter than some of the dialup users I've had the misfortune of dealing with.
Yes, yes, I admit it. I have a deep, bitter contempt for dialup - not only the users, but the service itself. It's slow, clunky, and is completely dependent on the quality of your phone line. If you're in an older home, you're screwed - good luck getting ANY connection better than 24kbs.
My own PC came with a modem, and do you know what I did with it? I YANKED THAT SUCKER OUT OF ITS PCI SLOT, AND SMASHED IT WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER! Get cable or DSL - more bang for the buck by far, and it's always on.
Finally, Corporate America saw an opportunity in that.
The message is clear: get rid of dial up and send AOLes to dumpster.
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
Firefox is the name of the internet browser.
I have been using if for about 2 months on the recommendation from somebody on Free Republic.
It's awesome ! Microsoft Internet Explorer is SO SLOW, filled with pop-ups, etc.
Firefox is so much faster, easy to use, and NO POP UPS!
Hope this helps.
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