Just for fun, I recently signed up for an AOL account through one of those ubiquitous free CDROMS, and now that I’ve poked around a bit, I’ve decided to shut it down. It’s time to return to the real Internet. But I’m a bit stymied. How do I cancel my AOL account?
My first words to you are: good luck. My experience in this regard has been terrible. For what are obvious reasons AOL doesn’t make it easy for you to quit their service. For example, there’s no “Cancel My AOL Service” option on the “Help” menu. Probably too many people would use it!
To answer your question, I thought it would be fun to share exactly how I tried to cancel my own AOL account. Fair warning: it’s not a pretty story…
I started out by logging in to my AOL service. The logical next step would be to try Keyword “cancel” or “quit”, but “cancel” pops up a “not yet available. Come back soon” message (which is weird) and “quit” produces a full blown search of the Web.
Buried in those search results, however, is what I seek: Cancel AOL Account. Click on it and — amazingly — “The area you have reached is not yet available on this version of AOL. Please try back again later.”
Which leads to the question: how do I cancel my $#&@*$(& AOL account??
My next attempt at a solution is to use AOL Help, then click on “Chat With Us: Billing Support”.
Five minutes of seeing a “Loading Java Applet…” message later, I’m convinced that it’s another dead end and quit.
So how about the “Billing” area? Nope. No way to quit through that avenue, but I am prompted to create a “security question” which I do so by indicating my favorite film.
To heck with it! I’ll call them on the phone and cancel my account the old-fashioned way, since it appears there’s no way to accomplish it electronically. But that’s not so simple either. Look at how they cunningly word their phone help information:
To speak to a customer support consultant or use our automated telephone system, please choose a toll-free telephone number from the list below. Selecting the most appropriate number will help you get the support you need as quickly as possible.
- To get an access number to sign on to AOL: 888-265-8005
- Help with your AOL account, connection or other technical issues: 800-827-6364
- Customer and technical support en español: 866-885-5117
- AOL TTY service for the hearing-impaired: 800-759-3323 (to use this service, you must have TTY-enabled equipment)
What don’t they tell you that they offer? You guessed it: billing support via telephone.
Since I don’t need an access number, I’m trapped having to call the second number, 800 827-6364. I call in at 7:07pm and meet their automated attendant. First step: I have to state what I want from a small list of options (access numbers, billing, support, cancel, …). I say “cancel” and then get a 60 second advert for all the new AOL features, then it asks me for my phone number, my account name and the answer to my new security question (which I had to set up while logged in, trying to cancel in the first place. Makes me wonder what would happen if I didn’t have a security question set up). After all that “your wait will be greater than ten minutes” for a task that should take their operator about 15 seconds once we’re connected.
Ah, welcome to the electronic age.
While I’m on hold, I’ll observe that smart companies recognize that a departing customer is still a potential customer and that if you make the cancellation process easy and offer a final “don’t leave us” special bonus then maybe they’d be able to hold on to more customers. If an operator came on 20 seconds after hearing this terrible hold music and said “Looks like you’ve only just joined AOL, Dave. We hate to see you go. Can I offer you an additional three free months of service?” I might well say yes. But if I have to just sit on hold for ten minutes, I guarantee that they’d have to pay me to stay a member after wasting this much of my time doing something that should be pretty darn easy, all in all.
Ah, an operator! 7:24pm. He has a thick, difficult to understand Indian accent and the first thing he asks for is my screen name. Typical lack of information coordination: why did the automated attendant ask for all of this information if I’d be asked for it again as soon as I was connected to a customer service representative? First and last name, and my security question. Asks from a script “What is causing you to give up this account” at least four times. I finally say “I don’t want to go through your questions. I want to cancel my account.” and he skips ahead and gives me the all important cancellation confirmation number: “426167951-43”.
I’m not quite done, though: “To finalize your process, please listen to the following legal disclaimer about canceling your account.” and I’m off to one final waste of my time, a recording that informs me that “We’re sorry you have chosen to cancel your account. Your cancellation is effective as of today. You are responsible for all accumulated charges, however, and we’d love to welcome you back to AOL. For a limited time you may reactivate it, keeping your current screen names, by clicking on AOL and signing back on. Thank you for choosing America Online”
Done. Elapsed time on the phone: 22 minutes. Time actually talking to someone: 73 seconds. Overall elapsed time including trying to cancel my account through AOL’s software or help system: 50 minutes. Likelihood that I would reinstate my account after that terrible customer service experience? 0.
And that, my friends, is how you cancel your America Online account. Save yourself the effort and just don’t sign up in the first place…
Additional helpful AOL tutorials, in case you decide to stay with them:
• Get rid of AOL popup ads!
• How to create new AOL screen names
• How to delete an AOL screen name
• How to change your AOL account password
And a final tip: if this feels like too much hassle, you can also cancel your aol account by using the cancel wizard service. Just click on “cancel your aol account” to learn more.
i want to delete this account
After 12 yrs of having AOL, I just canceled and it only took 10 minutes. They guy was very nice. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Maybe that was because I was geared up for a battle that never happened!
I just closed (rather, I think i did) my aol account by using keyword ‘cancel’ and changing my account to ‘free’ service. Then i clicked on the FAQ to cancel my screen name, and sent an electronic form to have my old account screen name removed. I received a confirmation, stating it will take up to 3 days to process… We’ll see how this turns out. [fingers-crossed]
I have also had the worse luck cancelling Aol….not only do i get an automated system…every time i call i get hung up on. This has been an on going problem for three days now…i am so tired of messing with them that i just want to scream. If anyone know an easier way to contact them please post it….i am
tired and disgusted with them.
iam tring to cancel my account but they don’t really give you the right information to cancel it on the internet. so if anyone can help me i would really like that. thank you
****************************
“CANCEL AOL”… Making a “Request Migration To Free Service” and continue using some features.
****************************
This is what I did:
-Sign In: Screen Name or E-mail and Password (on some cases they need your Account Security Question)
-Go to keyword and enter: billing
-On “My Account – AOL Help” go to menu on the left and select: Account Status
-If your account is active with no issues, then you would see on the next window:
“Your account is active, with no issues.
Have a question about your account? Please speak with a Member Services Representative.”
-Click on link: Please speak with a Member Services Representative.
-On the next window:
–(From option 1.) select: Live Help (Immediate answer via chat)
–(On option 2.) write your name and Email address
–(On option 3.) select from menu: Cancel Account
Next window comes with the explannation that they can’t cancel your AOL account through live chat or email. But, they can provide you with some information on how you can continue your AOL account using differents price plans, including the option “Free AOL/Cancel My Billing”
-Select link: cancel.aol.com
-On the next window look for “Free AOL/Cancel My Billing” on the left side and select: Continue
-Next window is the “Confirmation Page” where you can insert an alternate Email address, then click: Save
**************************
I just received my confirmation email with some information related to my last charge on the next billing statement due that my cycle is always on the 4th day of the month; after that I’ll need to connect to the Internet through my own high-speed, broadband or dial-up provider.
I’ll hope that this help somebody, after all you cancel the bill and still using some of theyr features. Thx!
********************************************
***** Now, this is the msg they sent to me:
Dear Member,
Thank you for being a valued AOL member and for contacting Member Services about your AOL® account! This email serves as confirmation that we canceled your paid account and converted it to a free account on 02/07/2008. You will have access to your AOL Internet connection until 03/04/2008, at which time your Free AOL plan will take effect. This plan does not include dial-up access or live technical customer support from AOL. However, you can continue to use AOL over any other Internet connection by following the instructions below about how to access your Free AOL account.
You will not be charged any additional monthly membership fees, but you will be responsible for any other charges you might have incurred since your last billing date 02/04/2008.
PLEASE SAVE THIS CONFIRMATION EMAIL AS YOUR RECORD OF THE CANCELLATION AND CONVERSION OF YOUR PAID MEMBERSHIP AND FOR FUTURE REFERENCE ON USING YOUR FREE MEMBER ACCOUNT.
What Your Free AOL Account Includes:
Once your paid member account is converted, you will still be able to use your account over an Internet connection of your choice, continuing to enjoy the content and many of the features that you currently use, such as:
✓ Your current AOL screen name for communicating via email and instant messaging
✓ Your familiar AOL software for quicker and safer Web browsing
✓ Safety and security software to help protect you from viruses, spyware, and more
✓ Your photos, emails, address book and everything else you’ve saved to your AOL account
✓ Great broadband content like AOL® Radio with XM, videos, news, sports and more!
How to Access Your Free AOL Account:
First, you will need to connect to the Internet through your new high-speed, broadband or dial-up provider. Then select one of the following ways to access your account:
✓ Using the AOL software (e.g. AOL Desktop), follow our step-by-step instructions to set up a new connection. Please note: If you previously chose to block pop-up offers while using AOL’s software, your preference will be reset to allow pop-ups once you activate your Free AOL service is activated. Please visit marketingpreferences.aol.com to review your preferences and set them to meet your needs.
✓ Using a web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Firefox), go to http://www.aol.com and sign in to access your email, send instant messages and more.
For more information on our free features and content, please visit discover.aol.com. If you have a technical or billing question, or need help accessing your account, please visit help.aol.com.
Please note: AOL membership and use of AOL’s free services remains subject to the AOL Terms of Service. For complete details click here.
Account Billing Details
Account Number: xxxxxxxx
Transaction Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Last Cycle date: 02/04/2008
Because your cancellation request was made after this date, your last charge will appear on your next billing statement. After that, you will no longer be charged any monthly membership fee, though you will be responsible for any other charges you might have incurred since your last billing date.
Please review your billing statements carefully and contact AOL if you have questions at 1-800-827-6364.
Thank you again for being a valued member. We hope you continue to take advantage of your free AOL service for a safer, more secure and hassle-free online experience — no matter who provides your Internet connection.
Sincerely,
AOL Member Services
P.S. If you feel you have canceled your Internet access with AOL in error, or want to explore other low-cost service plans, go to myaccount.aol.com, or call an AOL Member Services representative anytime at 1-800-381-4006.
*********************
CANCEL.AOL.COM <<<——- go there… choice to switch to free (cancel billing)
I want to cancel my AOL account effective immediately,as of today 2/06/08
Thank you,
CYNTHIA R. FREMONT
I cancelled my AOL account rather easily, you can too. Buy a prepaid Visa and make sure there is not enough money in it to cover the monthly bill. Then, simply change your payment method on line. AOL will cancel you.
I WANT TO CLOSE MY AOL ACCOUNT
Right on, everything that was described was the same experience I encountered. Thank you for your assistance. I won’t use AOL ever again as a provider.
Mike P.
Thanks a bunch for the help. I was going around in circles, trying to figure out how to cancel AOL.
I don’t know why I’m still being billed by aol. I now have broadband service and am being billed by IO and aol. AOL should not be billing me.
To cancel AOL, you simply go to cancel.aol.com
Just went thru it again.. Having cancelled one account.. and just noticed(4-5 mos) i was still being billed I went back to cancel Again and realized I was down for two accounts.YIKES!!!
I hope to save my confirm # this time .. in case I see it charged again on my acct.
We got the AOL subscription while buying a laptop for my daughter 2 years ago. I forgot all about it till I saw it on my Visa bill recently. We never even used the AOL account even ONCE! Now I have no idea how to cancel it because I don’t know what our username is!!!!! How can I cancel without knowing that? 🙁
I just went and called AOL about 5 minutes ago and it only took me 9 mins and 45 seconds.
The man I spoke to was very polite and helped me through the whole thing. I will say they go on a tangent trying to keep you from cancelling but they are just doing their job so that they will not get in trouble. I will still be on the look out to see if they bill me for january or the months to follow but I’m hopeful that maybe they arent the tyrants we think they are. GOODLUCK future members of AOL who choose to cancel =)
this must be a record then 4 minutes to cancel AOL.
use the phone when you get through tell them you are about to become a bankrupt and the phone line has been disconnected.worked a treat got my number straight away.
I also tried to cancel online, but for some “odd” reason, they say my answer to the security question of where I was born isn’t correct, so my account has now been locked for 24 hours. REALLY? Because I think I can remember where the hell I was born.
I have now decided to make cancelling a crusade.
MoFos
Aol is easy to Cancel, If you “Members” would simply listen to what the aol reps are offering it would actually be of great benifit to you. Those of you who have walls up, are to stubborn, and dont have their own information, are the ones who have a hard time. Come on How hard it is to call the toll free number, or go to cancel.aol.com COME ON PEOPLE!!! Dont make life so hard on yourselves!!
I used to work for them doing technical support. Even we made fun of the cancellation process.
They ask you all those questions after you just answered them to the automated machine in order to 1) verify that the information the popped up is correct (lets face it, those machines screw up) and 2) to verify who YOU are so that no one is going to retrieve any personal information about you. I know that sounds a little messy, but believe me we had a ridiculous number of social engineers (people who call in to get information) call us with real information pretending to be someone else so that piece by piece they could steal YOUR identity. It was able to happen due to people not following procedure, so in a way, be happy that they ask all those questions.
Dave, if you hadn’t had a security question, they have other ways to verify your account. If you didn’t have the answer to those however, you were pretty screwed because once you fail to answer them correctly, we couldn’t help you anymore regarding your account (I could still provide technical support, but i wouldn’t be able to change passwords or release screen names or anything like that).
The hold time is so long because we honestly had wayyyy too many calls in queue all the time. If there was a system issue, we could be looking at over 200 calls on hold at a time. If not, regular business hours were usually something like 50 calls at a time. And I wasn’t at the busiest call center. Other centers are worse. They give you a certain call time that you are allowed, if your average is higher than that time, you have to start ditching people early and rushing them off the phone. Then they would realise they didn’t have what they wanted, and call back, and oops, another call on hold. It’s a catch-22. If we handle calls quickly, you don’t get what you want, but theres less hold time. If we do what you want, theres a LOT of hold. That counts for ALL call centers. Take it with a grain of salt.
As far as cancellations dept, they have to rebuttal 3 times. If they care to continue or if they think you’ll still stay (if you sound unsure) they can continue to rebuttal until you hang up on them. People who enjoy their commission always let you hang up first! My tips for cancelling;
1) be confident sounding.
2) don’t fall for free time, it’s not going to get you anywhere but stuck on the phone again 3 months from now
3) be speaking to the correct person. You may have to wait on hold for a long time, but you get one of those people who simply WILL NOT cancel your account, hang up and call back or demand a sup (although, that’s hard to get there).
4) Be careful. I know from personal interactions that sometimes people will tell you they are cancelling your account but then they don’t. They say your call may be recorded, and a lot of them are, but if you are speaking to someone who can tell when they are being monitored and when they aren’t you might get scamed. They can tell you it’s cancelled, mark it as a SAVED CALL in the system, make money off of your time, and you have no proof that they lied to you. Double check everything.
All in all, working there was hell. I enjoyed some of it, like the people I worked with were fantastic, and I enjoyed helping people, but there were flaws in the system. Big flaws. Some of which I worked hard to change, but alas, AOL is still AOL. The program itself is really picky and needs to be installed on a pristine computer in order to function properly, and the service, well, obviously everyone already knows about that.
Good luck.
I just canceled my free-trial of aol. It took a total of 8 minutes. All you have to do is keep hitting zero, then the option to add services. You will always get a rep quickly for that. Easy as pie!
Try this URL https://bill.aol.com/changePlan/changePlan.adp
And read good.
I’ve just tried the online cancellation process to cancel my free account and found that the links take you to a copyright infringement form. I’ve tried this several times and each time the same thing happens.
AOL sucks more than dyson and hoover put together.
You don’t have to call anymore… you can do it online:
http://cancel.aol.com
I have called my credit card co. to not honour the deductions Aol are making to my credit card. I cancelled 7/07 & am still getting billed!!
This is total highway robbery. my opinion
LB
Just type live help in the aol search bar and talk to them live to get the account canceled…
I accidentally found this page. My god this is hilarious…I just read most of the comments in this page and I can’t believe there are so many people out there that got rob. I thought I was one of the few naive fools that got trap with aol.
Seven or eight years ago I tried cancelling with them and it was hell. Every time I cancelled, the following month I got billed. This went on a few times. I was using my former gf’s computer at that time. When we broke up and no longe live together, she would probably accidentaly hit the aol icon and reactivate my account. I know it wasn’t her fault. She doesnt know much about computers. I called aol to expalin the situation with them that I don’t even have a computer and why charge my account. Obviously they had my account the first time I signed up….
To make long story short, the last phone conversation I had them them ended up in a shouting and cursing match with one of the customer service manager. I knew I would’ve gone postal with them if I lived a few blocks away. I would’ve pleaded temporary insanity in my defense in court.
After reading all the postings, I feel so much better knowing in my heart they are the worst company in America.
pleases cancell this service for me, i never ask.
THANK
pleases cancell this service for me, i never ask.
THANK
I called that number and after going through all of the steps and then gettting through to an operator with a thick Indian accent I told her I would like to cancel and she said ” I am sorry to hear that mam” and then silence!!!!!!!! SHE HUNG UP ON ME!!!!!!!!!22 minutes that took!!!
i just called back and they switched me to a free account…I will see how that works…
TO THE GUY SCOTT ABOVE JUST CLOSE OUT YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT OR GO TO YOU BANK AND TELL THEM AOL NO LONG HAS ACCESS TO YOUR ACCOUNT
UMM ALL I DID WAS CALL 1-877-773-4462 AND GAVE MY HOME NUMBER AND AOL S-N AND IT CANCELED IT. TOOK ALL OF 1 MINUTE AND 51 SECONDS!!
I recieved 6 months free AOL when I purchased my computer. A month later I went with ATT. So after a half hour with AOL I was told it was cancelled.Today I received a billing on my card.I called 800-827-6364.It took a long time to get a human, with an accent I couldn’t really understand.After I explained my situation,he tried to reduce my payments to 9.95. I reminded him that I just told him I don’t need you or I’ve never even used you.He asked for my screen name. Which I told him I do not know.Since I never used you.He said he can give me free AOL,{that i will never use] and my billing on my card is a legal matter that he can’t take care of because I don’t have a cacellation number that was sent to a e-mail that I no longer exists. My matter is still not taken care of.Iv’e got to find another way of taking care of this….
im wondering how to change my aol account screen name wothout deleting my aol account i have no idea how to do that ?????????????????? please help me
I just called the 877-773-4462 and took less than 5 mins. good luck all
Hello again, guess what? I’ve just managed to get AOL to issue my MAC refernce number. BUT, it will take 48hrs to arrive!!! Surely the Scottish call centre (was an Irish call centre guy, who I spoke to, earlier today) woman could have given me the code over the phone or e-mailed it straight away?! The Irish guy tried hard to belittle and undermine my post-graduate brain by saying “Why, after 4yrs, was I suddenly wanting to move providers?” Cos, as I put it “AOL is rubbish.” (translation – garbage) Then, he got agressive so I hung up on him.
The key to getting AOL to cancel your account is this… Maintain the fact you just want to leave. Don’t get aggressive, be polite, don’t answer their questions as it will open you up to all sorts of other ‘begging’ questions relating to free/low cost upgrades or extentions. The least you can get away with saying, the better. This is what happened:
Female Scottish accent – “How can I assist you today?”
Northern English accent, not Liverpool or Manchester, but Sheffield in South Yorkshire (me) – “How do I cancel my AOL Broadband account?”
FS accent – “You have been with us for four years, why do you want to leave now?”
(me) “I want to try a new provider.”
FS accent – “Why, what’s wrong with the service we provide?”
(me, lying through my teeth) “Nothing, I’d just like to try a different provider.”
FS accent – “Would you like to cancel immediately or be sent your MAC reference number?”
(me, astonished that there might, soon, be a light at the end of the tunnel) – “Yes, I’d like my MAC please.”
FS accent – “You’ll receive it in 48hrs. Can I assist you with anything else?”
I said no, hung up and then realised I may have to buy myself out of my current contract. Though, it will be well worth the loss of money just to say “So long, farewell, asta la vista, goodbye” (as Julie andrews might have sung, in the Sound of Music) and move to the top British ISP bt.com
I’ll try, where possible, to keep you all up-dated on my progress to become Carbon (erm, I mean AOL) neutral by 2008.
John.
Hi Dave, I live in England and have been with AOL for four ‘very’ long years. I, too, am now ripping my hair (and finger nails) out, desperately trying to move to a better, faster, Internet Service Provider.
Over here, a new ISP requests a MAC (migration access code)from the previous provider before allowing a new customer to join them. Well, AOL is making it very difficult for me to get hold of my MAC reference number! It is UK law that I can ask, and they cannot refuse, but all AOL does is suggest up-grade packages and extentions to my contract. I want OUT!!! Also, AOL has sold its dial-up and broadband ISP status. From now on, it cannot charge a subscription fee or block users from accessing ‘any’ websites they choose to view. It’s got so bad, for me, that AOL is even blocking me from using Windows Internet Explorer! I have had to download a programme called Mozilla Firefox to use Java powered websites/pop-ups/chat rooms BUT, after 1hr, AOL blocks Mozilla and I have to close down my pc and restart it.
Any suggestions greatfully received.
John.
Hey Dave,
Thnaks for the information. I seriously had trouble with AOL before and could not get in touch with them. I appreciate this thourough analysis. Thanks a lot.
Your full of it you and like alot of others are trial abusers trying to get free service AOL does not give out free months like it use and has not for the last 2 years. People who try to get something for nothing make me sick
I used the # above 1-877-773-4462 and it took me about 5 minutes to cancel!!!!
I have been with AOL for some 6 or 7 years now.
signed on. I even reverted back to AOL 8.0 thinking pe Dave, they will not let me finish this they keep stopping me, with this insane aggressive way of trying to get me to download some security peeping toms or some such thing. I am loosing my mind and not getting my work done because of their constant interuptions … This is absolutely ludadcrice and I am going out of my mind trying to work and keep them off of my screen …. Between AOL shutting me out all the time and the windows people or whoever they are bugging the hell out of me to do this and do that…well what can I add to this?
Thank You for allowing me to speak
Respectfully,
Ralph G. Mancuso
mancu63@aol.com
any help you can throw my way would be greatly appreciated Dave.
I tried cancelling my AOL account for 4 months, with no success.
In frustration, I contacted the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (State Attorney Generals Office). They sent my complaint to the AOL legal department and told them to take care of it.
AOL closed my account and issued me a 4 month credit on my credit card.
Anyone having trouble cancelling AOL may want to try contacting their states attorney generals office.
Dave — I was having the same frustrations as you in trying to cancel my AOL. After reading your article, I called the second number on your list (800-827-6364), and one of the choices was “cancellation”!!! Wonders never cease! I called it and got an overly friendly automated system and then an EFFUSIVELY friendly actual person, who finally cancelled it after MUCH extra verbiage! Thanks for the phone number!
Nancy
thanks to the helpful information and numbers on how to cancel aol service. i had no problems canceling service like all the other three times i tried. thanks alot!!!!
sir
how i can safely send my mails to given destination
I just found this page, I dont know how new it is, but it makes it much easier to cancel your AOL dialup account:
https://bill.aol.com/changePlan/changePlan.adp
That number 877-773-4462 is a phishing scam. Looks like they ahve been working this site hard for a few years now.
Don’t call it.
http://www.millersmiles.co.uk/report/408
I called the 800-827-6364 number and told them that i had unauthorized charges, that way they would take me off of any account created. Supposidly that will be done within 24 hours.
I need to cancel my AOL account by the end of this month 9TOMORROW) How do I do thqt???