
AOL Reviews
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About AOL
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AOL was founded in 1985 and develops online services and digital media content. Originally an internet service provider, the company now offers email services, news, entertainment and online advertising solutions.
- Reliable email service
- PC protection features
- Good value for paid support
- Poor customer service experience
- Unauthorized charges persist
- Technical issues with software
AOL Reviews
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Reviewed Feb. 26, 2025
I have had this account for 20+ years. I am 30. My ex-stepdad created this account for me back when I was in like 4th or 5th grade. Now because I cannot remember my password and I no longer have access to the phone number on file they won’t help me. I tried to get in on my own a few times today and when I would call I kept getting their automated system. I am beyond frustrated with this. DO BETTER!!
Reviewed Jan. 27, 2025
Locked my wife out of her email account when she didn't sign up for multi-factor authentication, their automated recovery system didn't work to reset the password, now they want to EXTORT money out of us to unlock her account or wait 24 hours. This is completely unacceptable.
Reviewed Jan. 27, 2025
AOL Mail is dishonest. I have been with them for over 30 years. I was disconnected twice. The same issue keep reoccurring. I lost all my kids' pictures and videos that I had saved for the past years. I hate you. I paid for a plan last year for things like not to happen and now I lost a lot more. I am angry. I lost all of my kids' memories.
Reviewed Dec. 8, 2024
Had AOL for years. Locked out of account. Family member created it for me over 25+ years ago. Took almost 2 weeks to get someone on the phone from 'customer service". Would not help - exceptionally rude representative. When I finally hear from the 'concierge-help' from AOL. They want a copy of trust, will, drivers license, etc. The creator has been dead for years. Died penniless, on Medicaid, had nothing to warrant a will and/or trust. I live across the country and am not going to get a court order. The phone number on file is older than the AOL account but never get a text giving me the 'special code' to reset password. And received nothing through the additional email for getting this type of item. AOL is the worst customer experience I have ever had in my 60+ years on this earth. HORRIBLE.
Reviewed Dec. 1, 2024
AOL recently asked me to reverify my account, but I can not recall the answer to the security question that I likely set up over 30 years ago. They now want me to pay for customer support to access the account again. Judging by the number of negative recent reviews on this subject, it seems to be a money grab.

Reviewed Nov. 29, 2024
So I have had AOL for. Years now all the sudden my password won't work and they want me to pay for help to get in my account. Does anyone else have this problem and can help me? It's scam to get money now.
Reviewed Nov. 22, 2024
I just call their customer support team to help me reset my password and they could not do it because the name on the email acct Was different than my name, so now I am permanently locked out of my AOL account. There 1 agent that was willing to help me, but my phone hung up on her, when I asked to speak with a supervisor for the other 2 agents, the supervisors were busy taking phone calls and I was not going to give them my phone number.
Reviewed Nov. 4, 2024
They locked me out of my account and won’t let me back in. They sent me a link to verify who I am by scanning my driver's license and taking a picture of myself. That wasn’t enough to verify cause the address is different. They said a supervisor would call me back and that never happened. The calls are in the Philippines and I was on hold over an hour. A poorly run company. Do not use them.
Reviewed Oct. 29, 2024
Aol Mail SUCKS Big time FOR FREE ACCOUNTS. They won't help you get back into you account UNLESS YOU PAY FOR IT. BIG SCAMMERS. Been with them from beginning? Has now become the very worst email account EVER!!!
Reviewed Oct. 28, 2024
The outage has been a problem with email so you can't speak with anyone to help you. For a tech company the support center is terrible. Why they can't reverse the problem is crazy. Been waiting hours on the phone.
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2024
Echoing Bernice of Bayside, NY. I am locked out of my email. For whatever reason I can't remember the password and the other email is another AOL email that I also don't remember the password to. And I no longer have access to my old phone number. My accounts is 30 years old. AOL is basically I telling me I must purchase a membership plan in order to unlock my account. In a sense my account is being hostage.
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2024
Like many others on here, I too got locked out of my email. For whatever reason I can't remember the password and the other email is another AOL email that I also don't remember the password to. And I no longer have access to my old phone number. I made this email when I was in jr high school---25 years ago. And I was willing to pay them but after them getting so much into My personal life with sending my license over to them, (which my last name has changed as well since I got married) they said "sorry we can't verify you and we can't help you". All of this over some email account??? Are they joking???
Reviewed Aug. 14, 2024
AOL refuses to help customers with their free email account unless you pay for a subscription service which is absolutely absurd. I tried to help my grandfather access his email account, after receiving a new phone number, and could not access it because the verification code was sent to his inactive number. Since this is the only way you can log in to your email, I called the customer support line thinking that it should be an easy fix. I was very much mistaken. They require text message identity verification, which is impossible when a senior citizen does not have a cell phone. They have absolutely no alternatives to this and forced me to give my own personal cell number to verify his identity.
After forcing me through this long verification back and forth, only then they inform us that in order for them to help me, I HAD to pay for a subscription to their customer service. They said they ONLY help customers who pay the minimum of $15 a MONTH despite their email service being FREE. I verified with the woman I spoke with that even though the email is free, the only way I will be allowed to access my own account through customer service is by paying and she said yes. An absolute waste of time. AOL is nothing more than a cash-grab scam.
Reviewed July 20, 2024
So if you get a new phone and a new number. So to get my Email. I need the my old number. I didn't have it. The way they identify you is a joke. You're supposed to remember a email you sent to someone I don't send emails with text messages, Facebook and Instagram. I mean, come on, that doesn't make any sense or an alternate email that I've never used. How am I going to remember that? I told him I can give you my plate number. My Driver's license number.
There's so many more safer ways to identify someone. The questions they ask you a spouse could know them, questions and they told me. Well you know it's a girl and I know you're a man I'm like. Well, they could get a guy to do it and get all my stuff and also the person who gets my old number could get access to my old email. They said, "Oh, it's really safe." To recognize another device that is a joke. With today's technology? That's ridiculous. This customer service is a joke. I couldn't even pay to get my email back. I'm sorry. How am I supposed to remember a email? I never sent. I mean with text messaging. Instagram Facebook TikTok. Who does The WHO sends emails anymore or an Alternate email, I never used. That's stupid. Customer service is a joke
Reviewed June 14, 2024
For years I have been dealing either with a group of individuals or one individual. I am not sure I have been getting porn, all kinds of scamming emails, bitcoin, PayPal, Cash App. All scams. When you try to unsubscribe from the email they end up in your contact list, apparently a back door in Google security. Common name is me@aol.com or mailtome@aol.com show up in the TO: line. Senders' names are always new email addresses as I block and delete each one that comes in but the above mentioned are always in the TO: line.
My phone security has been compromised at least twice that I know of. At one point I had over 250 contacts in my contact list to which I did not know these people or their email addresses. I have filed a report with the FBI but no one ever contacts me back, if you ask me maybe people shouldn’t be using email anymore. I mean gosh we have other ways communicate. Now I refuse to change my email address or change my phone number again because that solution doesn’t work. They found me again. I don’t know what they want with me. I don’t have any money. My credit is shot, so what the hell they want with me is beyond me.
Reviewed May 13, 2024
If you access your email on your phone, it will delete it from you computer-accessed software. It does not save it in deleted emails, so it is not retrievable in any way. In a time when most people are accessing email with multiple devices, this is a major flaw in the AOL software.
Reviewed Dec. 13, 2023
STOP THE SPAM. Give me a block button.

Reviewed Nov. 12, 2023
Could not download new emails from the AOL server to my Android phone and Outlook on my PC. AOL blamed Outlook. There was an error code from Outlook. I figured it out; my the server inbox was corrupted.
Reviewed Oct. 30, 2023
Lately Aol has been changing my password and I can't change it either b/c aol has me locked out. Of course we can PAY to reset it which it won't let me do without the pay part. Not being able to log in means I'm dead in the water. How can I reset the password if I can't get into the account settings with my p/w ? BTW resets don't work either. Good question huh?
Reviewed Sept. 30, 2023
I, like the majority of the other complainants on this website have lost access to an AOL email account due to secondary verifications that are being sent to old phone numbers and emails addresses I no longer have access to. Before AOL and Yahoo merged it was fine. I could always deal with the verifications. Now that they are on the same server, they keep looping from one account to the other with no way for me to receive my code. What's worse is that even after I call into customer service and have identified myself over the phone, the agents claim to be helpless to release my account unless I buy into a subscription. Which is tantamount to extortion.
Today I have spent four hours on the phone with foreign speaking persons who are rude and have a different story as to why they can't help me get into my account. If AOL wants to play this game, perhaps if consumers begin boycotting AOL and the companies that advertise with them, maybe they will change their ways.
I for one have been locked out of my account for over a year,, despite the fact I have working passwords for both my AOL and Yahoo account. So starting today, I will not only STOP buying products and services from advertisers on AOL and Yahoo, but I will continue my boycott until 1-year AFTER I regain access to my account. If and whenever that happens.
I will also be adding AOL and Yahoo to my VPN and browser's block list to make sure no advertisements can populate my screen ever again. As of the posting of this complaint it has been over an hour since I was promised a call back from an AOL customer service manager. If they don't call, then I won't buy anything seen on my screen powered by AOL ads again. Please click the "Thumbs Up" button below if you agree.
Reviewed Sept. 12, 2023
I noticed yesterday that the last 3 years of my sent emails were missing. Checked multiple devices and folders. I called AOL c/s and they said they should be able to find the emails but I must sign up for their service to get a tech to fix the problem. They said if I didn’t do it within seven days my emails wouldn’t be able to be recovered. I paid $15.99 for the monthly service. She said it could take 24-48 hours for them to figure it out. Miraculously.
Reviewed Aug. 13, 2023
AOL is blocking me from logging in unless I get a paid service. There is an old landline associated with my account and customer service is refusing to update the ph number without soliciting me with a paid account. No other way to describe this except to call it extortion.
Reviewed Feb. 9, 2023
When Verizon transitioned all e-mail service to AOL, I was ok for a few years. But then AOL "enhanced" their e-mail security so I must generate a password on the AOL Security page for to use Outlook in Office 365 to open my e-mails. That was fine for a while, a few extra steps to access my e-mail was OK. However, I recently purchased a new laptop for my wife. When I attempt to generate passwords now, I receive the message "Sorry, this feature is not available right now". I called AOL help, and the representative guided me through several paths to the same page, which gave the same result each time.
The rep then told me that the Generate an App password feature has a very high demand and becomes overloaded. I was to try again in a few days - which I just did. The result was the same. Seems like my only alternatives are to use the AOL app and live with all the associated junk - or change our e-mail service. That will be my choice if AOL doesn't clean up its act soon. I also will probably dump Verizon FIOS since they own AOL and closed a fine E-mail service.
Reviewed Jan. 23, 2023
Great email client if you enjoy being HACKED, SPAMMED, RIPPED-OFF and SCREWED. I receive warnings, notifications, and alerts nearly EVERY DAY. I've been hacked and had all my contacts and old mail deleted. AOL email is the W-O-R-S-T!!!
Reviewed Jan. 9, 2023
I have had accounts with AOL for years. I have iPhone which keeps you signed into your email accounts automatically. I have one email that I don't use often & so I had no idea that my iPhone was no longer giving me access. Once I found out, I called customer service because I could log in but no longer had that phone number to verify my identity; which in turn didn't allow me access to my emails. They said they'd have to charge me for basic customer services & also asked for copies of ID which I've personally never had to do. Long story short, I was hung up or "disconnected" FIVE times. I called back a 6th time & was told they made too many attempts & can't access my account. SO, 2 hours of wasted time. This is basic stuff. Now, I will delete every account & move on. Customer Service is greedy & garbage even to loyal customers.
Reviewed Dec. 13, 2022
AOL’s recovery process sucks, the worst of the worst, you can literally verify everything from your social security number to the birthmark under your left butt cheek and they will still deny you access to your account. That’s the most absurd thing I ever heard especially when you’ve had the account for 10 or more years and everything important goes there. So just get a Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, anything but AOL. ANYTHING #AOLisathingofthepast #leaveitinthepast.
Reviewed Nov. 30, 2022
AOL provides no support to consumers for reviewing, saving or eliminating New and semi new-Old- email. How is it possible to have amassed 25K which cannot be accessed? I gave up entering random addresses into Search or Find after paring down to 16K New or Old Email. It's archaic that aol *still* provides no means nor methods for reviewing older emails listed as New. Evidently, AOL doesn't care. Probably because it's on its way out to the pasture of where things go to die.
Reviewed Nov. 1, 2022
I have had my AOL email address for over 20 years. While their site had little bugs, I haven't had problems often. The problems I have had, were very big problems. I contacted AOL support about the issue, and they will not contact me back. I tried to call, and they dodge the issue. The issue is I receive a large percentage of automated emails fine. Yet, some from certain sources will not make it to my inbox. I've been locked out of an important exchange, and other accounts. Currently, I am dealing with a return and the company keeps trying to send me the mailing label.
What's so annoying is no matter how many times I try, if the email is from same source, it will never work. It's not a widespread issue either. When I got locked out of the large exchange because I could not receive reset password emails, no other known users were experiencing this. I've used this email my whole life and it is important to me now. I don't want to change it, but with AOL's horrible platform and service I will slowly work on changing providers..
Reviewed Sept. 14, 2022
I couldn't get into my AOL mail account because I using a different device other than my usual one and had to change my password. When I got back to my regular PC I naturally had to change it again because the other computer assigned me a password and I couldn't get back to it to read it. After a few attempts at changing my password, the web page stopped me from any chance of getting a password change online and forced me to call customer service. I jumped through all the hoops and dotted all the i's and then they tell me it will cost $4 to get access to my account. I told the that is ransomware and that I would post this review. Funny thing, as soon as I hung up I was able to get my password changed online. Whatyaknow!!!!
AOL uses techniques that feel a lot like ransomware under the guise of security to stop patrons from signing on and to charge you to get back online by shutting down all possible ways of accessing a legitimate password change unless you call their customer service number. AOL farms out their customer service to mumbling foreigners whose English is almost entirely intelligible. I intend to post this message everywhere I can. AOL makes enough money from the ads I have to suffer through when I check my mail. Shame on you AOL!! You used to be top-notch!! Not anymore!
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2022
For several months, the usual number of SPAM has gone from a few to over 60 /day. Several times a day, I am forced to to delete dozens of SPAM. Of particular concern is the number of sexually explicit ones which are readily available to family members who have access to my email account. AOL seems to make this MY problem rather than theirs.
AOL Company Information
- Company Name:
- AOL
- Year Founded:
- 1985
- Address:
- 770 Broadway
- City:
- New York
- State/Province:
- NY
- Postal Code:
- 10003
- Country:
- United States
- Website:
- www.aol.com