AOL - can't cancel service online - unable to reach cancellation department via phone

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on January 6, 2003:

From: Email User

RE: AOL - can't cancel service online - unable to reach cancellation department via phone

I tried to cancel my AOL online account. I called 1-800-827-6364 and had to wait five minutes to get a customer service person. The customer service person then transferred me to their cancellation department. I then waited another five minutes. Finally, the person in the cancellation department was available, but he hung up on me, or we were disconnected, and it was not my end.

I spent at least ten minutes and didn't get this done. The automated phone system said I could cancel my account online at "AOL Billing," but when I got to the site for cancellations it only had to options: call their 800 number or mail in the cancellation.

I could not cancel my account from their site, but could do just about everything else in the world on their site. I had already done the 800 number bit only to get hung up on. Please let whomever should know about my complaint and my bad experience with their customer service. Also, I use the AOL 8.0/Explorer browser to access sites.

One time I was on ESPN sports and tried to access ESPN's basketball site, only to find out when I clicked on ESPN's link, it instead took me to an AOL/CNN/SI sports cite, not the ESPN basketball site I had clicked on.

Why this happened I don't know, but it was annoying. It hasn't happened again, but if AOL caused that to happen then it makes me want to cancel there service even more. I have tons of free trial CD's from them. This AOL company has irritated me one too many times. Greg King

Everett, WA 98204-9333