Is AOL a good broadband provider?

I am writing this post for the records, in case anyone wonders if AOL
is a good internet service provider or is looking for the best
broadband provider in London.

Here is what you get from AOL:

When you call them and ask them to do a smooth transition to another
Internet Service Provider (several months after your contract ended),
they will tell you that it is impossible, and that you must resign you
current contract, wait 20 to 30 days and then only you can sign in with
another internet service provider.

When I told that to the customer service of my new ISP, the guy laughed
and advised me to threaten them to fill a complaint if they do not
comply, since it's a regulatory obligation. That's what I did and
AOL customer service suddenly became more cooperative and provided me
with the right reference to pass on to the new ISP.

The very same evening the internet connection was cut. I called AOL
(actually a call center somewhere near Bombay) which told me it
couldn't be them so I should talk to BT. I called BT who sent me back
to AOL and finally AOL admitted they cut the connection and put it back
the next day.

A week later AOL cuts the connection again and refuse to put it back. I
therefore wait one week without connection. That's the "smooth
transition".

Well one week later I was with Homechoice and enjoying a faster and
cheaper broadband. I soon forgot AOL.

Four months later, AOL gets back to me with a letter threatening to go
to court if I don't pay them something (they also told me they
already tried to contact me which I am certain is wrong). I make a few
checks and I discover that they continued to charge my credit card
after I cancelled the subscription, until the credit card expired and
then threatened me.

Well, if after having read that you still want to sign in with AOL, I
must acknowledge your courage

Charles

> When I told that to the customer service of my new ISP, the guy laughed
> and advised me to threaten them to fill a complaint if they do not
> comply, since it's a regulatory obligation.

As far as I know, there's no 'regulatory obligation' for an ISP to transfer
your broadband to another provider.

If you want to end your contract and the old provider doesn't follow the
migration process then it's a case of having ADSL switched off, waiting
until BT have cleared the ADSL service from the line and then putting in a
new application with a new service provider.

There's a voluntary code that some IPstream providers have signed up to
which allows you to move without the problem above but it's not obligatory.


--
Regards

John Lyons
Netserve Consultants Limited
www.netserve.co.uk

"Charles" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
>I am writing this post for the records, in case anyone wonders if AOL
> is a good internet service provider or is looking for the best
> broadband provider in London.
>
> Four months later, AOL gets back to me with a letter threatening to go
> to court if I don't pay them something (they also told me they
> already tried to contact me which I am certain is wrong). I make a few
> checks and I discover that they continued to charge my credit card
> after I cancelled the subscription, until the credit card expired and
> then threatened me.
>

Well if you are too dumb to check your credit card statement every month ...

"Kevin Lyons" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
newsccmf3-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> When I told that to the customer service of my new ISP, the guy laughed
>> and advised me to threaten them to fill a complaint if they do not
>> comply, since it's a regulatory obligation.
>
> As far as I know, there's no 'regulatory obligation' for an ISP to
> transfer
> your broadband to another provider.
>
> If you want to end your contract and the old provider doesn't follow the
> migration process then it's a case of having ADSL switched off, waiting
> until BT have cleared the ADSL service from the line and then putting in a
> new application with a new service provider.
>
> There's a voluntary code that some IPstream providers have signed up to
> which allows you to move without the problem above but it's not
> obligatory.
>
>
> --
> Regards
>
> John Lyons
> Netserve Consultants Limited
> www.netserve.co.uk
>


Its a voluntary code of practice, and overseen by OTELO. However, they
toothless as you have to have reached an impass with the ISP and they have
to have written to you to this extent.

However, the ISP's are wise to this so they refuse to escalater your dispute
to to the complaints departments or put barriers in place. This way they
never have to issue that letter and you cant get OTELO to mediate the
dispute.

How many ISP's say you can only deal with their Complaints Department by
Post. Apparently Tiscali have no email link between the Customer and the
Complaints department nor between their Customer Support Team and the
Complaints Department.

Simon

Kevin Lyons wrote:
> > When I told that to the customer service of my new ISP, the guy laughed
> > and advised me to threaten them to fill a complaint if they do not
> > comply, since it's a regulatory obligation.
>
> As far as I know, there's no 'regulatory obligation' for an ISP to transfer
> your broadband to another provider.
>
> If you want to end your contract and the old provider doesn't follow the
> migration process then it's a case of having ADSL switched off, waiting
> until BT have cleared the ADSL service from the line and then putting in a
> new application with a new service provider.
>
> There's a voluntary code that some IPstream providers have signed up to
> which allows you to move without the problem above but it's not obligatory.
>
>
> --
> Regards
>
> John Lyons
> Netserve Consultants Limited
> www.netserve.co.uk

Its a voluntary code of practice, and overseen by OTELO. However, they
toothless as you have to have reached an impass with the ISP and they
have
to have written to you to this extent.

However, the ISP's are wise to this so they refuse to escalater your
dispute
to to the complaints departments or put barriers in place. This way
they
never have to issue that letter and you cant get OTELO to mediate the
dispute.

How many ISP's say you can only deal with their Complaints Department
by
Post. Apparently Tiscali have no email link between the Customer and
the
Complaints department nor between their Customer Support Team and the
Complaints Department.

Simon

On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 06:46:13 UTC, "Simon" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> Its a voluntary code of practice, and overseen by OTELO. However, they
<snip>
> Simon

Yes, you said that.

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

Simon wrote:
> Its a voluntary code of practice, and overseen by OTELO. However, they
> toothless as you have to have reached an impass with the ISP and they have
> to have written to you to this extent.
>
> However, the ISP's are wise to this so they refuse to escalater your dispute
> to to the complaints departments or put barriers in place. This way they
> never have to issue that letter and you cant get OTELO to mediate the
> dispute.

AOL isn't on the Otelo member's list. Plenty of other ISPs are, which
is a pretty good sign of a positive approach to settling customer
complaints:

http://tinyurl.com/m5sfe

For an Otelo member, it's mandatory to send out a 'deadlock' letter in
the event that the customer is not satisfied with the supplier's
proposed solution.

Well, legal or not, these business practices are outrageous.

If in the company I am working we were treating customers like that we
would go bankrupt overnight

Charles

(E-Mail Removed)



"Simon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Kevin Lyons" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> newsccmf3-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> When I told that to the customer service of my new ISP, the guy laughed
>>> and advised me to threaten them to fill a complaint if they do not
>>> comply, since it's a regulatory obligation.
>>
>> As far as I know, there's no 'regulatory obligation' for an ISP to
>> transfer
>> your broadband to another provider.
>>
>> If you want to end your contract and the old provider doesn't follow the
>> migration process then it's a case of having ADSL switched off, waiting
>> until BT have cleared the ADSL service from the line and then putting in
>> a
>> new application with a new service provider.
>>
>> There's a voluntary code that some IPstream providers have signed up to
>> which allows you to move without the problem above but it's not
>> obligatory.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Regards
>>
>> John Lyons
>> Netserve Consultants Limited
>> www.netserve.co.uk
>>
>
>
> Its a voluntary code of practice, and overseen by OTELO. However, they
> toothless as you have to have reached an impass with the ISP and they have
> to have written to you to this extent.
>
> However, the ISP's are wise to this so they refuse to escalater your
> dispute to to the complaints departments or put barriers in place. This
> way they never have to issue that letter and you cant get OTELO to mediate
> the dispute.
>
> How many ISP's say you can only deal with their Complaints Department by
> Post. Apparently Tiscali have no email link between the Customer and the
> Complaints department nor between their Customer Support Team and the
> Complaints Department.
>
> Simon
>

"steeler" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:0_0Wf.101187$(E-Mail Removed). ..
>
> "Charles" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
<snip>...
>> I make a few
>> checks and I discover that they continued to charge my credit card
>> after I cancelled the subscription, until the credit card expired and
>> then threatened me.
>>
>
> Well if you are too dumb to check your credit card statement every month
> ...

Dumbness aside, if the arrangement to pay by CC is a Continuous Authority
neither the OP nor his CC company can cancel it - it can only be cancelled
by the company that takes the money. Little wonder that ISPs and other
service providers (Green Flag for example) like to use such an arrangement.

Oh, just a little OT, and just in case anyone is wondering if GF are rogues,
the answer is no they are not. They stopped the continuous authority on my
CC without any hassle when I moved to another motoring rescue service.


--
Peter