Comments on: AOL Now Free For Broadband Users http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/ Aha! moments from a ho-hum life Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:23:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Marie Braden http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-21 Fri, 15 Sep 2006 15:57:47 +0000 http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-21 Hmm, maybe it was done as a staggered rollout. I know I had "heard on the Net" for a few days before the notifications started. Not that I'm an AOL apologist--a lot of their practices give one pause--but I got the feeling (just from things others have said) that they wound up actually rushing their rollout because of the publicity that ensued when the new business model leaked. Hmm, maybe it was done as a staggered rollout. I know I had “heard on the Net” for a few days before the notifications started. Not that I’m an AOL apologist–a lot of their practices give one pause–but I got the feeling (just from things others have said) that they wound up actually rushing their rollout because of the publicity that ensued when the new business model leaked.

]]> by: lori http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-20 Fri, 15 Sep 2006 04:12:35 +0000 http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-20 Hi Marie -- I made the change the very day the free plan was made available. On that day, the only way to change the plan was to call, according to the FAQs. It wasn't available in the online billing area, and it's a billing plan. When I read the FAQs about the new plan, the answer to the question "How do I change to the free service?" the answer was to call the toll free number. That's it. I'm sure AOL eventually got its act together, but that night, they were not ready to let users make the change online. Hi Marie — I made the change the very day the free plan was made available. On that day, the only way to change the plan was to call, according to the FAQs. It wasn’t available in the online billing area, and it’s a billing plan. When I read the FAQs about the new plan, the answer to the question “How do I change to the free service?” the answer was to call the toll free number. That’s it.

I’m sure AOL eventually got its act together, but that night, they were not ready to let users make the change online.

]]> by: Marie Braden http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-19 Fri, 15 Sep 2006 04:04:52 +0000 http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-19 Weird. As an AOL subscriber, I received MANY notifications that one could change rate plans by going to keyword "CHANGE PLAN". No call was necessary. Then again, I don't consider it egregious to charge a fee for dialup access or live(phone) customer support, because those are areas where the corporation does still incur costs. Weird. As an AOL subscriber, I received MANY notifications that one could change rate plans by going to keyword “CHANGE PLAN”. No call was necessary. Then again, I don’t consider it egregious to charge a fee for dialup access or live(phone) customer support, because those are areas where the corporation does still incur costs.

]]> by: lori http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-16 Fri, 04 Aug 2006 02:18:26 +0000 http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-16 Thanks for your comment, Shahzad. I hear you about the phone menus -- I didn't mention how to navigate them because I didn't do it very well. After getting stuck in the pricing plans submenu, I finally just pressed 0 on my phone in frustration, which put me in the queue to speak with a live rep. It never occurred to me to select the cancel account option -- I didn't want to cancel the account, just switch to the free price plan. In any case, I'm glad you navigated the system so easily. Thanks again for stopping by. Thanks for your comment, Shahzad. I hear you about the phone menus — I didn’t mention how to navigate them because I didn’t do it very well. After getting stuck in the pricing plans submenu, I finally just pressed 0 on my phone in frustration, which put me in the queue to speak with a live rep. It never occurred to me to select the cancel account option — I didn’t want to cancel the account, just switch to the free price plan.

In any case, I’m glad you navigated the system so easily. Thanks again for stopping by.

]]> by: Shahzad http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-15 Fri, 04 Aug 2006 01:39:00 +0000 http://www.lorimortimer.com/blog/2006/08/03/aol-now-free-for-broadband-users/#comment-15 Hello Lori, I've been trying to get my dad away from AOL and paying $26 a month for dialup he never uses (though he still wants the account), and thankfully, AOL has finally given us both a solution. I just followed the steps you laid out on your post - they were really helpful. I was actually able to get my account cancelled in about fifteen minutes. And they didn't try to sell me on anything except a quick explanation of how to setup AOL HiSpeed and the AOL Security Center (and even though I said I had both, the CSR finished reading her little blurb about how it saves the world, etc). They also asked me to take detailed notes...a bit weird. Anyway, I'm really glad I found this blog! My only nitpick is that you didn't mention how to navigate the menus - I had the best luck when I told the menu system I wanted to cancel my account, and that support person did the job very quickly. Hello Lori,

I’ve been trying to get my dad away from AOL and paying $26 a month for dialup he never uses (though he still wants the account), and thankfully, AOL has finally given us both a solution.

I just followed the steps you laid out on your post - they were really helpful.

I was actually able to get my account cancelled in about fifteen minutes.

And they didn’t try to sell me on anything except a quick explanation of how to setup AOL HiSpeed and the AOL Security Center (and even though I said I had both, the CSR finished reading her little blurb about how it saves the world, etc). They also asked me to take detailed notes…a bit weird.

Anyway, I’m really glad I found this blog! My only nitpick is that you didn’t mention how to navigate the menus - I had the best luck when I told the menu system I wanted to cancel my account, and that support person did the job very quickly.

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