Back in the early nineties, AOL skimmed money from my checkbook when I ordered services for $9.95 per month. At that time, they hit my checkbook up fraudulently for over $200. They never apologized, and I never saw a dime of that money they took. I had to close my account and pay $140 in bounced check fees due to their dishonest practice of disregarding customer contact regarding billing.
AOL became synonymous with foul company tactics and I told everyone I knew.
Fast forward to 2001. My son decides to try AOL, against his mom's protests.
It appears, my protests were well - founded.
I'm sorry to say AOL has not changed a bit in 10 years.
They are still luring in new business with promises of great service and low cost, only to have these folks ripped off while they happily pay their stockholders many dividends gotton from the accounts of the trusting consumers they claim to "service".
Long story short - Son loaded AOL on computer for about a month, then removed it from his hard drive. Checking account was charged one month, then two, then three months!!! All the while, AOL was told via their customer "service" reps that the withdrawals would stop and they didn't.
Finally on March 1, he spoke to an intelligent individual who processed the paperwork properly and he was refunded 2 months.
Happily, we decided perhaps give Time Warner another chance - Get Road Runner, perhaps Cable TV. Maybe AOL-TW is not such a bad company after all.
Wrong!: (
Today in his bank statement he finds he has been charged another $28.90 on March 12. This *after* the refund.
AFTER we thought things were fixed and AOL was a well-run company, we are again disillusioned.
Ever wonder why companies choke on profits eventually??? Lawsuits. Lots of them.
Although our complaint is small dollarwise - multiply us by several million subscribers and realize eventually this little scam creates big money for the greedy individuals who profit from it.
Sad.
Donna
Malta, New York
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