The Computer Is Your Friend: The only way AOL can still make money

[athelind]

AOL threatens former users with mystery bills

The link is to the BoingBoingGadgets article, but the original story is from the Wall Street Journal.

Apparently, AOL is "upgrading" customer accounts, then sending the bills off to collection agencies -- without actively notifying the customers in question.

This, it seems, includes people who have signed up for nothing more than AIM service.

Hooray. =P

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Comments

[baphnedia.livejournal.com]

I can't wait till AOL stands for "America Off-Line"...

[svashtar.livejournal.com]

Seems a strange way to make a buck, because when you send someone to collections, it costs YOU money to do so.

[mocha-mephooki.livejournal.com]

You'd think, but that's been AOL's primary means of getting money for years, now... hidden charges and fees on credit accounts without letting the user's know they've been charged until after the billing.

Apparently, the words "cancel my account" translates into gibberish in oversea-call-center speak.

[drakegrey.livejournal.com]

Utterly amazing.

I dealt with Steve Case, their former CEO years ago and the "sleazy used car salesman" vibe he gave off was heavy. As with a certain other media company I could mention, I think that kind of lowlife behaviour always comes down straight from the top, and oozes into every nook of the company.

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

I'd be amazed (and disappointed) if this were actually legal - yes, they may claim the right to charge you any amount whenever they feel like it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't fall foul of legislation against unrequested services.

How much fun it'd be to see this come to court, and have the genius who authorized such malfeasance appear in public!