AOL - cancelled free trial service before it expired to avoid paying money - charged anyway

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on October 8, 2002:

From:

RE: AOL - cancelled free trial service before it expired to avoid paying money - charged anyway

After the ordeal I had with AOL I have lost complete faith and respect in the company and I plan to tell everyone that I know not to use the AOL service. I signed up for the free trial of AOL in early August. Before I initiated the program, I called the technical support to find out when the trial would expire in order to avoid the predicament that I am currently in.

The man specifically told me the free trial would expire on OCTOBER 5. I took note of this and canceled the service on SEPTEMBER 29, only to receive a charge on my credit card bill for the AOL service on SEPTEMBER 21. I called the AOL's technical support expecting my situation to be handled in a civil manner because it was obviously their mistake. Instead, the blame was put on myself.

The man said that their records show that my trial ended on SEPTEMBER 21 and was therefore charged on that day. I was absolutely appalled. I informed him of what the previous consultant told me, yet he disregarded it because there was no proof of it. I'm young; I'm not deaf. OCTOBER 5 sounds nothing like SEPTEMBER 21.

In addition it would be absolutely illogical for a person the cancel their membership to AOL only a week after they paid for it. I was obviously misled and I firmly believe that I am a victim of fraud. I had no power in the situation whatsoever.

I did my part in finding out the expiration of the free trial, but I was given false information and my money was stolen from me. Furthermore on the cover of the free trial CD, it clearly states "no credit card required" when in reality one is needed to run the service. As you can see I am extremely upset and will do everything in my power to get my money back.