Consumers Still Find It Hard To Leave AOL

It is supposed to be easier than it once was to cancel America Online (AOL) service. But not all consumers are finding that to be the case.

“I have tried to cancel my AOL account for over five years,” Thomas, of Grand Terrace, Calif., told ConsumerAffairs.com. “I set it up years ago and never used it. I don't even own a computer any more.”

Thomas says he has called AOL “for years” without result. Other consumers in recent months have voiced similar frustrations.

In 2007, AOL paid $3 million to settle complaints that it made it extremely difficult for consumers to cancel its service. Highly publicized consumer encounters, such as the one documented in the Today Show segment below, preceded the settlement.

In the 2007 agreement with 48 states and the District of Columbia, AOL promised to make a number of improvements including: easier cancellation procedures, improved billing disclosures and commitment to refunding unauthorized charges.

But the cancellation process, it turns out, still isn't exactly simple. According to AOL, here are the steps for cancelling an account:

• You must cancel your billing and convert to a free AOL account in order to cancel your paid account. If you want to cancel your free account, read the help article How do I cancel my free AOL account?
• If you cancel in the middle of your billing cycle, you’ll have access to the service until the end of the cycle because payments are made a month in advance. Once the billing cycle is over, though, you’ll no longer be able to access your address book, unless you reactivate your AOL account within 90 days of cancellation.
• You will need your password to sign on to your AOL account. If you forgot your password, refer to the help article "Reset my forgotten AOL password."
• You will also need the answer to your Account Security Question. If you don’t remember the answer, read the help article "I forgot the answer to my Account Security Question."
• If you subscribe to any AOL Premium Service, you must cancel your subscriptions to those services before canceling your AOL account.
• AOL reserves the right to charge and collect any fees, surcharges or costs incurred before your cancellation takes effect.
• You can also cancel your account by calling the phone number listed on your credit card statement.
• If you want to cancel an account on behalf of a deceased AOL member, please refer to the help article "Deceased billing contact."

However, the “help article” doesn't really address cancelling the deceased person's account, but rather how to transfer the deceased person's account to someone else's name.

Perhaps the best way for Thomas to cancel his account is in writing. He should send a letter to:

AOL

P.O. Box 65100

Sterling, VA 20165-8800

Specify that you're cancelling, give your full name, phone number, address and signature, and either the primary billing contact's AOL screenname or the last four digits of the current payment method. It's a good idea to send it registered or certified, and retain a copy for your file.

To be on the safe side, send the letter certified mail, return receipt requested.  Keep a copy of the letter and, when you get the delivery receipt, keep that together with the letter.  If that doesn't do the trick, you can sue the company in small claims court, complain to your state's attorney general and to the Federal Trade Commission.