more AOL hell

more AOL hell

March 30, 2006

On Black Friday 2005, the Friday after Thansgiving, I received an offer from CompUSA of a $250 CompUSA gift card in exchange for signing up for a year of AOL. The CompUSA rep explained that the first 3 months were free and the monthly charge was $9.99, so in essence for less than $90 I would receive $250. I replied that I HATE AOL, several of my friends and employees struggle with their AOL accounts, but in the end I accepted. I chose a screen name and received a receipt listing that screen name and the above conditions. The CompUSA rep also wrote her work phone number on my receipt

saying that I should call her if I experienced any problems with AOL. Within a short time AOL deducted $14.95 from my checking account. I called AOL and explained all about the free 3 months and $9.99 monthly charge I was promised by CompUSA. The AOL rep and the supervisor I insisted on speaking

with when she was of no help both denied having charged my account. When I refused to give up, they finally located a duplicate account in my name that they said was set up by CompUSA the Monday after Black Friday. This unauthorized duplicate account had some funky screenname that I did not even know about. I insisted they cancel the duplicate account as I did not authorize this second account and most certainly did not authorize this second use of my credit card. After arguing for quite a while, the supervisor finally agreed and stated that there would be no further charges associated with this duplicate account. A short time after that, AOL deducted $179.40 from my account which they called a "termination fee". I called AOL and got absolutely nowhere. So I called the CompUSA rep but the phone number she wrote on my receipt was to some other department where I was never able to locate a live person. So I paid a visit to CompUSA, where I was told that approximately 20 people had duplicate accounts created for them by AOL. AOL continues to insist that my duplicate account was created by CompUSA. Some manager at CompUSA explained that the rep who had set up my account would be in the next evening and I should bring back all my paperwork and they would call AOL while I was there and would take care of the $179.40 bogus charge as well as the $14.95 that should not have been charged because it was within the first 3 months free period and was in excess of the promised contracted monthly $9.99. I did return the next evening with all my documents but now the manager denied that he had told me they would take care of the $179.40 charge that evening. They would call AOL and talk to them about it, which they did. CompUSA then promised that their general manager would take over the discussion with AOL and would secure my refund within 5 business days. When over a moth passed without another word from CompUSA despite my frequent phone calls and emails, I threatened a fraud claim and finally got a reply from yet another sales manager. It is now about another month later and there is no refund. By now, AOL has deducted another $14.95 from my checking account. I have assured CompUSA and AOL that I will absolutely not stop pursuing this matter until it is resolved. I am filing a fraud claim with my bank. My bank tells me they receive frequent fraud claims against AOL. I will never spend another cent at CompUSA and will certainly never again have anything to do with AOL. Consumers beware!

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