Posted on 08/06/2006 7:53:47 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Maxine Gauthier doesn't own a computer. She doesn't know the first thing about Web browsing or sending e-mail. She's not even sure where to find a computer's "on" button, as she describes it.
Yet for the past nine months, she has been fighting one of the most persistent and some say irritating institutions in cyberspace: AOL, formerly known as America Online.
"An AOL service guy told me to stop complaining and learn to use a computer," she said. "Then he hung up."
Most of AOL's $1 billion in profits continues to come from subscriptions to dial-up service, a market it still dominates.
When Gauthier's father, Melvin Berkowitz, died last summer, he was living in Florida and had one credit card. Its only charges were to AOL. Gauthier's mother, Marion Berkowitz, now 80, and still living in Florida, had her name on the account but never used it.
Gauthier discovered the continuing dial-up service charge as she was settling her father's estate. She first called to cancel the AOL account last November.
With each subsequent call, AOL became more curt with Gauthier. During one exchange, "the guy - I think it was a manager - just told me to 'shut up and listen to what I have to say or don't bother calling.' Then he hung up on me," she said.
Finally, this month, Gauthier was able to cancel her father's credit card. The AOL charges, going back to last summer, were wiped away, and she was reimbursed for both the charges and late fees.
A few days ago, Gauthier obtained a letter from AOL that was sent to her mother in Florida. The letter was addressed to Melvin Berkowitz.
"Dear Mr. Berkowitz," it said. "We hope you'll come back to AOL."
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
I've used AOL exclusively for my Internet service since 1997, and I've never had cause for a serious complaint.
I'm sure there are many other AOL customers like me, totally satisfied -- even among the notoriously grouchy Freeper community!
It's just that the whiners and complainers are the ones who always make most of the noise.
Ho-hum. What else is new?
Did you forget to your "end sarcasm" tag?
Did you even read this story? Do you think this woman was "whining"?
If you were charged over and over for something you never ordered or wanted, and you tried to stop the charges, would that also qualify as "whining".
Evidently, you prefer to just bend over and take it.
You are the perfect AOL customer.
I love my roommate's Dell. It is very user-friendy. If it gets a virus, I just reboot an older profile and the virus is gone.
But if Dell is working with AOL to link AOL subscriptions with Dell customers using the same credit card # that was used to purchase their Dell, then this is something that needs to be addressed --or at least warned about.
Hell, perhaps, but I'm sure it's HD digital satellite in heaven. :-)
AOL has very recently (like last week) switched to a "free" service, supported by advertising. They'll still offer dialup for those who have no ISP, but the service itself no longer carries a fee. You can keep your AOL e-mail addresses, and check your mail at aol.com. This is even true of accounts cancelled in the past two years; just go there, log in with screen name and password, and there you go.
As far as nuisance recurring charges, call your bank or credit union, dispute the charges, cancel the card and get another one with a different number. Most financial institutions will do this free of charge, to prevent fraud. Problem solved.
I kept my AOL account all these years, under the "bring your own access" plan at $4.95 per month, just to keep the e-mail addresses. For various reasons, it was a probelm for me to be able to get rid of them. Now, it doesn't cost anything at all, like a Yahoo address.
If that is the case I hope he has unlimited access to college football in HD.....
I went through the same thing when I wanted to cancel my late father's account. AOL was demanding a certified copy of his death certificate (which I would have to buy from the state) in order to cancel the service.
They were the most unpleasant people I had to deal with during the entire process. They finally cancelled when I informed them that the credit card account had been closed and that they couldn't get any more money.
They may a good company for their customers, but try and cancel. Then you can watch their fangs come out.
I despise AOL and look forward to their eventual demise. I hope every single investor loses every stinking penny.
I'd kinda like to believe that there is cable in Heaven. Preferably, high-definition widescreen with free HBO.
:-)
I would NEVER use a debit card. The amount comes out of your account immediately.
"The guy on the "customer service" line laughed and told me that no credit card number was ever really canceled and if a merchant had the number, they could continue to send merchandise and bill the account"
If this were the case, expiration dates would be unnecessary. Sounds like this CSR was compensated based upon "retention," and was taking a little creative license to prevent cancellation. I've cancelled VISA cards on three different occasions in the past five years, but I wasn't closing out the account, just getting a different number because of fraudulent activities, or the fear of that potential. Never had a problem.
Why would you want a bank to remove money from your account anyway. We check charges, and if correct, pay our off credit cards on a regular basis. I've heard horrible stories about people getting fleeced by crooked merchants.
Yes, I agree. I have never had a problem before or since when I have closed an account, mainly just to decrease my own ability to accumulate debt.
As on of the previous posters, obviously a discerning man, mentioned, AOL ruined the internet. Anyone with an AOL address is immediatley suspect and should only be allowed to post to other AOL customers. Seriously. I'm glad you had a good AOL experience and am sorry you can't read. Now go back to sleep like the rest of your tribe.
index for later
Finally, this month, Gauthier was able to cancel her father's credit card.
I've used AOL exclusively for my Internet service since 1997, and I've never had cause for a serious complaint.
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