I received a postcard thanking me for joining America Online. I suspected identity theft, as I would go without internet service before stooping so low as using AOL. The real problem came when I flipped the card over and read that my phone number would be automatically billed for their service. My full name and address was on the card, so I thought it was not a simple advertising scheme. I WAS WRONG, read on!
AOL is fraudulently claiming that you signed up already, and you will be billed, when in fact they do not even know who you are. They simply want you to call and listen to their advertising.
Upon calling the number on the card I had the person ask me for not only the reference number from the card, but also asked for my full name, address, and telephone number. Seems that if I had signed up for their service and was sent a confirmation card that they would have some record of me. This was not the case. I politely said goodbye and called the customer service number listed on their website.
The gentleman on the phone also had no record of me, but he would be happy to connect me to their marketing department so I could hear about all of the great things I would get if I signed up. At this point I decided to see if anyone else online had gotten these "Welcome" cards.
I found out it was simply another mass-marketing scheme from AOL, and they really had no grounds to bill anyone. The good news is, if you throw the card away, you cannot be legally billed. The bad news is millions of people will be duped into calling AOL's advertising department for a heavy dose of high-pressure sales. If this is not illegal, it should be.
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