AOL and Ageism

[kc4610]

I recently discovered that my aging parents have been paying over $20 per month to keep their aol.com email addresses.  The monthly charges dates back over a decade when they were being charged for dial-up modem service.

When AOL became a free service and not an internet provider AOL never offered them the free account option and in fact suggested that they upgrade to a $26 per month package so that they could have "enhanced internet security" and advanced firewall options!  My parents don't even know what a firewall is much less need to have advanced options.

I plead to AOL customer service for a refund of 2 of the 10+ years of fraudulent, predatory billing.  After an hour they said they could only refund 3 months... $60 of the $3000+ that AOL sold them bogus service.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with America Online/AOL.com?

Check your accounts please.  Email is FREE and has been for years.  No one can threaten to take away your email address unless you pay for it except in certain close service situations.  Don't let AOL take advantage of their older customers!

-Kirk

[CharlotteW328808]

I hope this is OK to post here. I'm a freelance journalist working on an article on legacy email providers and the fact that they still rely on dial-up/email subscribers who may be paying for services they no longer use or that are now available for free. Several of the anecdotes shared in this thread are very much in line with what I'm writing about. I've talked to several people who are paying for email because they prefer the service, but I'd also love to talk to folks (or their children) who were paying for dial-up they weren't using or who have just been paying for services they don't need due to recurring billing. 

[sharonv311]

We have been using AOL for years for free and now AOL wants us to upgrade to AOL Gold and start charging.  From what I can determine, unless we pay we will not receive new emails or be able send emails..which basically holds us hostage.  

Since other services are free I certainly don't mind switching but how on earth, with all the contacts we have, either billing, friends, purchases, banking do we make the switch?

If AARP could somehow help with some tech knowledge you would be helping millions in the 50+ range.  

Thank you!

[cat0w]

@sharonv311  You are in the Computer Questions and Tips forum here. If you have a question or need help ask here.

You may want to check this out too, 

http://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/?intcmp=GLBNAV-SL-HF-TECH

I have spent most of today changing my email address on my important accounts. This has to be done by going to each ones site and finding where to change it. This is usually found under your profile, account information, or settings for the site.

[kmszakacs]

The same thing just happened to me. On my desktop I can't log on anymore. I have been receiving AOL free for years now this.  I can still use my phone and iPad though.  Looking to find it free somewhere.

[cat0w]

This is true but I was able to view my email and understand I will be able to do this for 30 more days according to email I received from AOL on 7/10/2017.

I just opened up AOL and signed in and had the following pop up come up, see image below, click on, tap or activte image to be able to enlarge it.

When I clicked on Not Now, I was able to continue with the use of AOL.

[sscott3699]

Contact the BBB on AOL or even better the Federal Trade Commision and report all of this to them, hopefully your parents will get a big refund.

[cat0w]

AOL members have to sign in and change their billing plan. I finally dropped paying AOL a few months back. I bought my own McAfee Total Protection and installed it.

AOL Members should look under Help>Manage My Account to make changes or drop their account.

AOL does offer McAfee for a small fee per month. I still found it cheaper to buy my own.

Posted by,
cat0w
Texas (USA)

[Chris7715]

Does AOL even offer dial up anymore? When I first got on the internet, I used them as my ISP but there was no local number so usage was limited unless I wanted a huge bill. Soon I began reading about bring your own access and got a local ISP. By the time they did away with their message boards (the only good thing about AOL), I was on Comcast high speed and went free. I knew others who were paying when they had other means of access, educated them about going free and they passed it on to others. I would not swear to it since it has been a while, but I think AOL sent out emails when subscribers were offered free accounts.

[cat0w]

Yes they do, I used it for my old Apple computer until I dropped AOL a few months back.

If you do not have local numbers available you may end up paying extra to connect. Amount of time you can use the dial up depends on your plan. I had unlimited and there are several numbers for AOL dial up in my area.

Posted by,
cat0w
Texas (USA)

[drawpoker]

I can sympathize with this one.    Nothing to do with computers or ISP  -  just old folks who need some help.

When I moved to MD in the early nineties I couldn't understand why my very elderly parents' monthly phone bill was so high.   Particularly after my very tightfisted mother was boasting she had signed up for the special,  el cheapo plan of only 35 or so calls allowed per month,  instead of the usual unlimited local calling that most everybody had back in the day.    This was not long after they moved from Leisure World in Montgomery County to here on the Eastern shore.   

Well,  lo and behold,  after I got a look at a bill for 1st time  turns out they were still paying "rental" charges for their old-fashioned (non-wireless)  telephones!   Apparently they didn't understand the notice (back in the '70s, wasn't it  ?)  Or just ignored it when the phone companies were required to tell customers they could just pay like $10 or $15 and be done with the monthly rental equipment  fees.  

Yikes.  All those years of paying bull**** charges they didn't have to.   I don't know who I was more ticked with.    The phone co. for ripping seniors this way,  or my folks for slipping in their old age.