Trying to cancel AOL

[Markbnj]

Not sure if this is OT, so I opted for the software forum. A friend sent me this today, and I thought you guys would get a kick out of it. The original blogs on which this transcript and mp3 file appeared are getting hammered, so I have put the transcript and file on my site, with links to the originals. Enjoy .

http://www.modalogica.com/default.aspx?mode=postview&tid=344

[Edit: there was a problem with the mp3 link that only allowed downloads if you are logged in. It's been fixed.]

 

[GotGoose]

At least Vincent got the account cancelled. (if this is real) :/

 

[Markbnj]

From everything I can see it's real, including an official response from AOL. The customer service rep in question was apparently fired (damn straight).

 

[MrChad]

He was interviewed on NBC's Today Show this morning. The played a good portion of the transcript on the show.

 

[Markbnj]

Oh man, now that's what you call bad publicity. Well, AOL is about as close to the definition of useless as I can imagine. Their time has come and gone, so this is just a nail in the coffin.

 

[sonoma1993]

that was some funny stuff.

I cant stand companies, when you call them to cancel. They do as much as possible to keep you a customer. When I call and tell them I want to cancel my account. I want them to go ahead and cancel my account. I dont want to hear this 20 min speech why I should stick with this company, why am I canceling the account. Just cancel the account at my request, no questions ask.

 

[elkinm]

Glad he got fired. I would like his full name released so all people be spared from having him as their customer support. AOL did get off easy though. They have to pay 22Mil for cases like this. With millions of AOL users, some of whom have been unable to cancel for a very long time whether because of this or other reasons like their emails, AOL got much mo;re then $22 mil in revenues from these customers.

Just wondering, is there any legal coverage for this. I don't care to much, and if I can't cancel, I just cancel the credit card (I don't think I can get the credit card to refuse charges). They can't charge me so they try something else like a collections agency to which I explain what it going on or just ignore if they don't listen.

I've had bad issues about this with MCI phone service and Columbia house, and those not so free magazine subscriptions.

Is there a better way to force an account cancellation this that just cannot be canceled any other way?

 

[Markbnj]

I don't know the specifics, but I am pretty sure there are strong consumer protections in place regarding recurring agreeements for services. Would ultimately depend on the contract though.

--Mark

 

[40Hands]

Reason number 425,305 that AOL sucks.

 

[imported_Ned Flanders]

I don't think the rep should have been fired. It sounded fishy when Vince said he didn't use the net, but the usage logs sid otherwise. I'd have asked the questions.

 

[thebigdude]

That would have pissed me off like crazy.

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: Ned Flanders
I don't think the rep should have been fired. It sounded fishy when Vince said he didn't use the net, but the usage logs sid otherwise. I'd have asked the questions.

No way. The problem with that outlook is that the answer to the question had zero bearing on the matter at hand. The guy made it clear he wanted to cancel. If he was demanding a credit for the last six months because he didn't use the service, that would be another story. The rep was way off base pushing a line of inquiry that not only was meaningless, but clearly was irritating the customer. Let me put it another context.

Customer: I want to cancel my New York Times subscription.

Rep: Ok, sir, I'm sorry to hear that. Was there something wrong with the paper?

Customer: No, I just don't read it.

Rep: Hmm, really? Our records show that you read each issue for an hour on average.

Customer: Look, I just want to cancel the subscription.

Rep: Does your Mom read the paper? Anyone else in the family?

Customer: Look, I ....

Rep: Because I'm showing that several individuals read the paper.

Tell me you wouldn't get pissed at a rep that pulled this.

 

[Maxspeed996]

The funny thing is , I know what it's like to get a customer service rep on the phone from AOL. And MAN they don't like to lose customers. I remember a few years ago , when my wife and I bought our first house , when I was setting up my office I had one of those "AOL free trial" CD's. For 90 days.. so I'd log in and use my firefox to surf the web. It was nice for a bit since we were there working on the house before we totally moved in. Well , when my 90 days was up , I called to cancel my trial deal. They wanted to know why. I didn't want to go through the whole "dance" with someone on the phone. So I told them my cat knocked my drink over , and ruined my computer. Instead of letting me cancel. They extended my free trial another 30 days. So I used it up , and called back to cancel and what happened , another 30 days free. I was like hell ya, I can just keep using their stupid internet for free , all I've got to do is keep calling them!!
Needless to say at the end of that trial period , I cancelled it , and they didn't put up much fight.

 

[papaschtroumpf]

It's not just that one employee. I signed up for AOL free trials a few times (they had incentives like free DVDs....) and it was always a pain to get them cancelled.
In fact, one time they started charging my credit card again 6 months after I cancelled.
the conversation with my credit card company went something like:

me: I want to contest some charges for fraud
visa rep: sure, but you'll need to document the fraud for us, what charge is that?
me: AOL charges, one this month, one last month
visa rep: ah, never mind, those $24.99 charges right? yeah, we 've been getting a lot of calls about those
visa rep: did you try calling them about it?
me: I called when I cancelled 6 months ago. the y gave me a cancellation confirmation number, so I refuse to spend another 20 minutes on hold for those charges
visa rep: OK, send us those confirmation numbers for documenetation of why you contested the charges.
visa rep: I'm sorry, but wwe need to handle this month and last month's charge as two seprate claims
me: will that double their penalty?
visa rep: sure will
me: I hope they charge me again next month then!

... took AOL another billing cycle before they stopped charging me.

 

[Markbnj]

visa rep: I'm sorry, but wwe need to handle this month and last month's charge as two seprate claims
me: will that double their penalty?
visa rep: sure will
me: I hope they charge me again next month then!

Hahaha.

Yes, the card issuers are way too familiar with AOLs recurring charges. AOL probably comes second or third after porn and gambling sites.

 

[imported_Ned Flanders]

Originally posted by: Markbnj

Originally posted by: Ned Flanders
I don't think the rep should have been fired. It sounded fishy when Vince said he didn't use the net, but the usage logs sid otherwise. I'd have asked the questions.

No way. The problem with that outlook is that the answer to the question had zero bearing on the matter at hand. The guy made it clear he wanted to cancel. If he was demanding a credit for the last six months because he didn't use the service, that would be another story. The rep was way off base pushing a line of inquiry that not only was meaningless, but clearly was irritating the customer. Let me put it another context.

Customer: I want to cancel my New York Times subscription.

Rep: Ok, sir, I'm sorry to hear that. Was there something wrong with the paper?

Customer: No, I just don't read it.

Rep: Hmm, really? Our records show that you read each issue for an hour on average.

Customer: Look, I just want to cancel the subscription.

Rep: Does your Mom read the paper? Anyone else in the family?

Customer: Look, I ....

Rep: Because I'm showing that several individuals read the paper.

Tell me you wouldn't get pissed at a rep that pulled this.

To me, it would have sounded like someone else was trying to cancel the subscription that doesn't have authority. Someone playing a prank etc.

I stand by my opinion.

 

[Markbnj]

I stand by my opinion.

Like any good middle manager . Remind me not to buy anything from you.

 

[erikistired]

this again?

 

[duragezic]

Ehhh wtf? Funny, but the rep said 545 hours last month.

545 / 31 = ~17.5 hours a day! I don't get it.

 

[imported_Ned Flanders]

Originally posted by: Markbnj

I stand by my opinion.

Like any good middle manager . Remind me not to buy anything from you.

I'm a....student....

 

[Markbnj]

Just kidding man, but I really don't understand your position. So the CSR was justified in asking all those questions because he should have been suspicious of the caller's identity? They use confirmation questions to verify the owner of an account, and could have asked for something like the credit card number used for billing, etc. It's pretty routine.

So tell me again why the CSR was justified in grilling the customer for five minutes over whether he really used the account he wanted to cancel?

this again?

Is this a repost, fisher? I searched for it before posting and didn't find it. Or are you just saying that the subject of really crappy AOL service comes up regularly?

 

[Regs]

When I contacted AOL on fraudulent accounts they had no problem canceling and even crediting me on the charges. At least that was my one and only experience with them.

Just seems like that customer service rep went beyond his profession and got personal with the client. Which is likely the main reason why he got fired and ticked off the customer.

 

[fishbits]

From everything I can see it's real, including an official response from AOL. The customer service rep in question was apparently fired (damn straight).

I'm not sure the rep deserved to be fired. Yes, what he was doing to that customer was absolutely crappy, but is that what he was expected to do by his boss? "Every customer that cancels reflects badly on you, I don't care what you have to do to keep them subscribed!" If so, the person(s) who instituted that approach are the ones who should be canned, not the poor sap whose job it was to carry it out. Seen it before, management institutes a crap policy, then blames it on the representitives when customers are upset by said policy.

Anyhow, glad that lately I've not had any probs cancelling/suspending any subscription accounts (haven't dealt with AOL though). Guess most have wised up and realized that the customer is gonna cancel one way or the other soon enough, and if you don't piss them off they may come back one day and won't tell their friends and family to avoid you like the plague.

 

[Markbnj]

Guess most have wised up and realized that the customer is gonna cancel one way or the other soon enough, and if you don't piss them off they may come back one day and won't tell their friends and family to avoid you like the plague.

Word of mouth is everything in a business like AOL's. You can argue with a customer about cancelling, but it's unlikely to lead to retention, and will do far more damage than the retained account is worth.