I would like to discontinue AOL which is shoved down my throat every
month. With their never ending hold on times  and uncooperative
attitude when finally somebody connects - this has turned out to be an
impossible task. Any advice? Is there any consumer protection agency I
could complain to?

---

Request for Question Clarification by darrel-ga on 19 Feb 2004 10:15 PST

Hello Vaac--

Could you please clarify: You've contacted AOL via telephone and they
won't let you cancel your subscription?

darrel-ga

Hello vaac-ga,

As you?ve found, AOL is notoriously difficult to part with. They offer
you three options for discontinuing their service. Be sure to read the
whole page because there are some legalities about when you?re no
longer liable for payment. I?ve also included a couple of sites to
help you with following through on making sure your account is
terminated as well as suggestions for how and where you can complain.

Good luck.

~ czh ~


http://www.aol.com/support/index.adp?toc=billing&page=23
How do I cancel my AOL account?

If you wish to cancel your account, there are three ways to do so: 

1) You may discuss your membership with one of our representatives by
contacting us at US 1-888-265-8008. Our representatives are waiting to
assist you.

2) You may mail* your cancellation request to us at:
America Online
PO BOX 17100
Jacksonville, FL 32245-7100 

3) You may fax* your request to us at US 1-904-232-4879. 

Your cancellation request will be effective within 72 hours of
receipt. AOL will send you written confirmation. You will not be
liable for any additional membership fees after cancellation (although
you will be responsible for any other charges you may incur should you
access the account prior to account deactivation).

If you cancel near the end of your billing period, you may be
inadvertently charged for the next month's fee. In that event, please
contact AOL at 1-888-265-8003 to have the charges reversed. No other
refunds will be provided, and AOL reserves the right to collect fees,
surcharges or costs incurred before your cancellation takes effect.


http://consumeraffairs.com/internet/aol.htm
Nothing is easier than signing up for AOL. Conversely, nothing is more
difficult than getting rid of AOL once you have it, as the
complainants in this section will tell you.

http://consumeraffairs.com/internet/aol_cancel.html
AOL - Hard to Cancel 

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6536_7-726615-1.html
The long good-bye


SEARCH STRATEGY
cancel AOL account

Thanks. I will try it by regular mail and if they will ignore it I will have to
send it by certified return receipt requested or hand it over to a lawyer.

unfortunately not...the only way to cancel is to pick up the phone and
call.  when you say you wish to cancel, they will give you a spiel
with why you should stay with them, possibly offer a discount, and
make it VERY hard.
=====
To cancel your AOL account, call AOL Cancellations at 1-888-265-8008.
(An alternative number is 1-800-827-6364. This may be the best number
if you are calling from outside the USA. For AOL Canada use
1-888-265-4357.) You can also get aol cancellation information by
going to AOL Keyword: CANCEL, but you cannot cancel an AOL Internet
account online.

I finally cancelled my AOL account a couple of years ago. The
procedure may have changed since then, but my experience was that it
was extremely frustrating. After much digging for instructions on how
to do it, I discovered that you had to request the cancellation in
writing by postal mail. They would not cancel by e-mail or phone.

Good luck.

~ czh ~