AOL Hell - how do I get out?

31 Aug 2004

I tried a search of previous threads and it's just too much for my little brain to cope with. rolleyes

If someone finds something that answers my questions, then I'll be happy to delete this.
OK. I've been on AOL dial-up on my BT phone-line for about 5 months. Of course, the 60 day free trial was fab; no connection probs, no crashing - great stuff. So I signed up. As a single parent - and full-time student the monthly fee was just about all I can afford anyway.
Since I've signed up proper, I've had nowt but grief. It's getting worse every day. It can take 20+ attempts before get online - IF I get online - and then it won't open any links, let me onto any site other than aol and then it crashes. Mail sent to anything but AOL takes so long to get there I could've hand-delivered it. Everything I attempt to do takes so long, it just gives up. mad

I've rung their so-called 'help-line' and all I get is a mail-order bride telling me what I already know - access numbers, blah blah...She gave me access numbers I already have and obviously don't work. My phone-line is fine, so that's not the problem. I want to talk to someone for whom English is their first language (not 'cos I'm racist - 'cos I want us to be able to communicate effectively!!) and doesn't keep asking me if I want Broadband. If I could've afforded Broadband at the time, I'd have it wouldn't I??? And it wouldn't be AOL!!!
The dilemma is this - I want to change to ntl but how do I get out of AOL?I'm on a 12 month contract. It has been suggested that I just tell AOL I don't want them anymore, and why, and then just cancel my DirectDebit - but what are the legal implications of this? could I end up being taken to the small claims court? :shock:
Please, please help me. I don't know what to do and I'm getting so pissed off about it.
I think there's a thread that Jags has posted on regarding a similar situation but I don't know how to add a quote to this from another thread confused

Like I said, if this topic has been done to death already, please post a link and I will delete this one.
Many many thanks to anyone who replies. If I don't respond, it's 'cos I can't get online!!! :x

31 Aug 2004

OK I've had the same problems with Tiscali. (I later discovered I had a faulty modem).
Re the contract, can you switch between Fixed Rate and Pay-as-you-go?
I switched my account with Tiscali from Â£14:99 a month anytime to PAYG and then installed my new dial up number for Tesco (Â£12:50 ish per month).
Once I'd got the modem problem fixed I settled back to enjoy browsing using Tesco as the primary dialer and didn't bother using the Tiscali one anymore.
I've never had a problem connecting to Tesco, connection rates usually pretty good (indicated 52k almost every time as opposed to my Dads Wannado rolleyes

So fecking slow).
Check and see if you can switch between the types of connection any time you like.
If you can't I'd say try installing a PAYG dial-up and see if the connection stays on, you can browse etc.
If it does contact AOL and tell them that they have failed to provide a reliable internet connection, they've broken their terms of the contract and as such you want to end the contract and go to another ISP. I doubt that they will try and take you to court if you can prove they provided an unsatisfactory service.
You'll need to check it's not a problem with your equipment first and I suggest, if you don't have any problems with another ISP, you put your grevancies in writting. wink

31 Aug 2004

Sounds like a nightmare situation Marya ... I've never used AOL or NTL before but stay clear of those type of ISPs personally - just don't like the fact that they have their own crappy browser.
If you've been having the problem consistently for some time and it sounds like you do - you could tell AOL that you've given them N months to resolve the problem which they've failed to do, say that it's cost you a small fortune in phone calls and your time and that as a result, you wish to terminate the contract immediately. Send them written confirmation of this too if you can.
Not sure if they are regulated by OfTel, the telecoms watchdog, but if they are, put in a formal complaint via OfTel as well since this often gets them moving if they try to wriggle out of it.
Incidentally, where broadband is concerned, Wannadoo now do cheaper packages which start from about ... think BT do as well. Would be worth considering since it's usually free to get the connection set up and the bb modem comes free also.
Easy ... 56k? Move up to broadband mate, ... you may even get the faster 1M version too, you'd be able to do it without it costing you anything more ... unless you can't yet switch from Tesco and they may have their own broadband package to match anyway.

31 Aug 2004

Quote by J3diMast3r
Incidentally, where broadband is concerned, Wannadoo now do cheaper packages which start from about ... think BT do as well. Would be worth considering since it's usually free to get the connection set up and the bb modem comes free also.
Easy ... 56k? Move up to broadband mate, ... you may even get the faster 1M version too, you'd be able to do it without it costing you anything more ... unless you can't yet switch from Tesco and they may have their own broadband package to match anyway.

I'd love to get broadband, but the packages that are available cheaply I either can't get, or wouldn't want (can't get 512k from Tiscali for some reason and I don't want anything to do with Wannado). Plus the fact that most of these packages are restricted to a certain amout you can dl.
I'll just wait another few months until Christmas when all the ISP's clamour for new buisness. biggrin

31 Aug 2004

Quote by easy
I'd love to get broadband, but the packages that are available cheaply I either can't get, or wouldn't want (can't get 512k from Tiscali for some reason and I don't want anything to do with Wannado). Plus the fact that most of these packages are restricted to a certain amout you can dl.
I'll just wait another few months until Christmas when all the ISP's clamour for new buisness.

True, the package is limited to 2G ... but that's 2000M ... unless you download loads of movie trailers, would probably be ok ... and if anyone jumps in to say 2G is 2048M!!!
Xmas is only a few monthsa away, so as you say, may be worth holding on for a bit longer.

31 Aug 2004

Marya,
Bit of a problem.
If you read the Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) they have you by the short and curlies (regardless of whether they are trimmed or not smile

).
The Legal Beagles on this site (if there are any) will be able to give you more help but I would do the following:
Write a letter (not an email) to AOL (I usually write to the Chairman or MD rather than the minions) explaining all the problems you are getting. Preferably with documented dates and times that you had or are having the problems. Inform AOL that you have contacted their Technical Support (again dates & times would be useful) and that they have been unable to resolve the problems. Be firm but pleasant and polite. Send the letter Recorded Delivery.
Wait 14 days and see if they reply. If they don't reply within the 14 days send them a second letter, again by recorded delivery. In this letter advise them of the 1st letter and inform them that unless all the problems are resolved within the next 14 days you will hold them in breach and that you will require that they cancel your contract without penalty as they are in breach of the T&Cs.
If they refuse, take the copies of your letters and their replies (if any) to Trading Standards and let them deal with it.
It's amazing how quickly large companies respond once Trading Standards get involved :) . But Trading Standards may not get involved unless you have some sort of documentaty evidence of the steps you have taken etc.

31 Aug 2004

Quote by JQL
Marya,
Bit of a problem.
If you read the Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) they have you by the short and curlies (regardless of whether they are trimmed or not ).
The Legal Beagles on this site (if there are any) will be able to give you more help but I would do the following:
Write a letter (not an email) to AOL explaining all the problems you are getting. Preferably with documented dates and times that you had or are having the problems. Inform AOL that you have contacted their Technical Support (again dates & times would be useful) and that they have been unable to resolve the problems. Be firm but pleasant and polite. Send the letter Recorded Delivery.
Wait 14 days and see if they reply. If they don't reply within the 14 days send them a second letter, again by recorded delivery. In this letter advise them of the 1st letter and inform them that unless all the problems are resolved within the next 14 days you will hold them in breach and that you will require that they cancel your contract without penalty as they are in breach of the T&Cs.
If they refuse take, the copies of your letters and their replies (if any) to Trading Standards and let them deal with it.
It's amazing how quickly large companies respond once Trading Standards get involved :) . But Trading Standards may not get involved unless you have some sort of documentaty evidence of the steps you have taken etc.

Yep. Thanks JQL. That's the correct way to do it. IIRC the most important bit is the deadline date (I've highlited it in red). This then gives them a set amount of time to solve the problems you're having and informs them about what you are planning to do. You will need to be able to prove that you ahve a) sent the letters and that b) they've recieved them so Signed For delivery id the way to do it.
J3diMast3r I've just had a look at the Wanadoo site and the cheapest BB they're offering is Â£17:99 a month. sad

Is there a promotion on or something I've not seen?

31 Aug 2004

AOL are WANKERS!!!!
I had a go with their free trial and once it was up I rang them to say that I no longer wanted their connection. It was clear from their introductory info that it was OK to do this. When I rang up the person on the other end of the ophone was very rude and accused me of not understanding the brilliant service AOL had to offer.... yeah right! I said politely and consistently that I did not want the service and in the end she ended up putting the phone down on me rolleyes

Charming!
In answer to the legal point, if you have entered into a 12 month contract you will be expected to pay the monthly subscription whether or not you are using the service. Judging by the amount of problems you have had I think you going straight to Trading Standards with a list of your complaints is justified. You could also tell AOL that you have contacted trading standards and that you are prepared to go as far as you need to with the complaint if they don't sort out your problems. You might find that they magically forget you have a contract with them!

31 Aug 2004

Quote by easy
(can't get 512k from Tiscali for some reason and I don't want anything to do with Wannado). Plus the fact that most of these packages are restricted to a certain amout you can do.

Likewise. Plus, the cheapest BT Broadband package is which seems a lot, especially on top of my phoneline costs.
I hate ntl - I've had problems with them in the past (phone and TV) but they seem the cheapest that's available to me.
I'm honestly so frustrated by this, I could cry.

31 Aug 2004

Marya
Some good advice given above. Try going to this site to find out about other people having problems with their AOL and how they are dealing with it.
Hope you can get onto NTL. I've got unlimited dial-up and it only costs me around Â£12 pm.
It's an excellent service, no problems at all.
Good luck!
LC

31 Aug 2004

Thankyou, thankyou all.
So, basically, I need to ensure the problem isn't at my end, eg: Modem. If all is well, then I can start my letter-writing stuff, in the meantime, documenting any evidence. If I don't get any joy then I can take it further until I do.
Right. *sigh*
Arseholes OnLine.

31 Aug 2004

Arseholes OnLine.

31 Aug 2004

I may get nailled by the mods for this post as I am an agent for an ISP (not AOHell) but here goes.
There is cheap and there is good. There are very few cheap and good ISPs available.
Most have bandwidth restrictions and/or throttled connections. These are OK provided they fit your surfing needs, otherwise they are just a gimmick that will cost you in the long run.
You really need to gather together all the information about the various packages that are available, then sit down and work out which one fits your current and future surfing needs at a price point you are prepared to pay or can afford. Oh, and you need to make sure they, the ISP, is not going to go tits up so check the boards like
I will not post again about ISPs.

31 Aug 2004

Quote by easy
[ J3diMast3r I've just had a look at the Wanadoo site and the cheapest BB they're offering is Â£17:99 a month.
Is there a promotion on or something I've not seen?

Sorry Easy, my mistake there!

31 Aug 2004

KL,
I really, really must get a life one of these days...
but not today lol

31 Aug 2004

Quote by J3diMast3r

S'ok mate. :cheers: :beer:
Just goes to show though. Offers that are too good to be true (BB for Â£12) usually are.
So anyone recommend an ISP (by PM if they don't want to post about ISPs on the forum).
I've been looking at Pipex, but the Wanadoo offer is pretty good providing they don't package thier own browser or anything in with it all.

31 Aug 2004

Quote by easy
So anyone recommend an ISP (by PM if they don't want to post about ISPs on the forum).
I've been looking at Pipex, but the Wanadoo offer is pretty good providing they don't package thier own browser or anything in with it all.

Not sure, they certainly never used to which is what I prefer - hate those clunky browsers companies like AOL and NTL force onto people. My sister's on Blue Yonder - not sure what the cost is but there's no proprietary browser anyway.
Possible way round it is not to use any installer and just set up a new dial-up connection for the account. One thing I noticed on my sister's setup is that broadband with cable companies is an 'always on' connection - didn't see a new dial-up connection in there whereas with wannadoo, I still click on 'connect' to log on ... which I think is better and a bit more secure .

31 Aug 2004

Kinky!!!

at guru of the BIOS!
not sure John would appreciate you posting his photo all over the net tho ya know! just a thought! he does that yogic flying and everything! that's why his roof's fecked! levitating ain't all it's cracked up to be i can tell you! ;-)
AOL are truly shite but i'm stuck with 'em cos i don't know anyone better i can actually be bothered switching over to? does AOL try it's best to hog your Internet experience? download stuff without asking that i don't want? ((( realplayer! aaarrrggghhhhh how many more times do i have to uninstall and change prefs again ))) do the tech support have a clue about anything whatsoever in the Whole Wide World??? assholes indeedy!
neil x x x ;-)

31 Aug 2004

:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :laughabove: :laughabove: :laughabove:

31 Aug 2004

Watch the Smal Print :small-print:
If you are paying less than Â£20 per month what you are probably getting is not your 100% kosher broadband but something with strings attached.
The cheapest, 100% kosher (i.e. no strings attached re bandwith, speed, contract etc.) Broadband available at the present time is , available, as far as I'm aware, from only two companies (not the big boys either as they all include "strings").
Proviso: It could be cheaper if bundled as part of a Telephone/TV deal e.g. via a Cable provider.
Read my previous post on the subject as what is suitable for one person isn't suitable for someone else. Sorry folks, but you do need to do some homework to get the best deal for you.

Quote by JQL
There is cheap and there is good. There are very few cheap and good ISPs available.
Most have bandwidth restrictions and/or throttled connections. These are OK provided they fit your surfing needs, otherwise they are just a gimmick that will cost you in the long run.
You really need to gather together all the information about the various packages that are available, then sit down and work out which one fits your current and future surfing needs at a price point you are prepared to pay or can afford. Oh, and you need to make sure they, the ISP, is not going to go tits up so check the boards like ADSLGuide

I promised I wouldn't post any further as I could be in breach of the AUP so this is the last time on this subject. I'll answer PMs.

31 Aug 2004

KL,
Now there's an idea...... rotflmao

31 Aug 2004

Quote by easy
So anyone recommend an ISP (by PM if they don't want to post about ISPs on the forum).
I've been looking at Pipex, but the Wanadoo offer is pretty good providing they don't package thier own browser or anything in with it all.

As a Pipex Broadband customer (for over a year) , i can honestly say they are the mutts nutts. The service is reliable , with no d/l limits or other small print loopholes.
From memory u get something like 50 email addresses and more webspace/bandwidth than i will ever need. But by far the biggest plus is that there is no software bloat that takes over your pc , unlike AOHell . From what I have seen at adsl guide and a few weekly PC mags most people seem pretty chuffed with the , and the important bit , per month.
Just my two cents worth
Cops

9 Sep 2004

I'm resurrecting this thread 'cos I need a bit more advice and I don't want to start a whole new thread for what could turn out to be just 1 reply.
I've spoken to the AOL 'help' line and they reckon it's not their end that's the problem (well, they would say that wouldn't they?)
I've rung BT and they have done several checks on my phone-line that all came back OK.
It took 16 attempts to get online this evening. Each time, I got the message "the number dialled is busy". In the meantime, my phone rang :shock: and the person on the end said her phone had rung twice and when she dialled 1471 my number came up.
Call me thick, IT illiterate, whatever... just help me! Does this mean the problem could be with the modem?
If so, what now? Is it something I can sort myself or does it mean carting it round to a repair shop? More importantly; how much is it going to cost?
Thankyou, in advance xxx

9 Sep 2004

Quote by easy
I've been looking at Pipex, but the Wanadoo offer is pretty good providing they don't package thier own browser or anything in with it all.

Mentioned this on another thread, but with regard to Wanadoo - NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. Their customer support is non-existent, the contract stops short (just about) of requiring the sacrifice of your first born child, but you're tied into something you might well find yourself wanting to escape. Nobody seems to get close to the advertised speeds either mad

I've found Pipex* hard to beat. Excellent support, from real human beings, in the UK, for the only problem that arose - which was BT's fault.
*No affiliation whatsoever

9 Sep 2004

I've been with them for 3 years now.
Never had any probs with dial-up, and less with broadband.
Had a problem with a modem once, kept dropping the connection, but a new modem only cost a tenner and slotted in ok. Look for some software to check the modem.
Try re-loading the aol software, using the transfer favourites and files option.
I don't mind the crappy browser, it only front-ends IE anyway, and it stops me getting all those re-directed homepages that MSN is fond of telling IE to bugger off to.
You may also like to consider that some people are finding that the fly-by-night telephone companies they went to instead of bt are limiting the amount of time you spend connected anyway...since the 0800 aol numbers cost you nothing, but mean they are providing a line to you for next to nothing...
And ntl isn't better anyway:

9 Sep 2004

xx
D & G

9 Sep 2004

Dundeecpl - my sentiments precisely
However, more helpfully, Marya YHPM smile