is this a scam (aol)?

Factual Questions
1

I got one of those free aol discs at Tops in October.
(a friend sent me a computer)
I figured today was the last free day (45 days) but it woulnd’t let me uninstall online.
My friend said I can sign up on his account, my password and username are already there.
So I called 1-888-265-8008 the cancellation number for aol.

They said I was on free til Dec. 9.
I told them I have no money and no intention of getting aol.

He then said he could offer me 2 extra months, til Feb.
I think this is a lie.
Is it?
Or would they actually do that?

2

Could be a sales tactic. . .

Actually, it sounds like a sales tactic. . .

Tripler
I don’t use AOL. But I know what telemarketers would say. . .

3

I don’t think it’s a scam. Customer retention is a big thing for them.

4

It is not a scam in that AOL should not charge you for those extra two months (barring clerical error). Wall Street has been worrying about AOL’s customer retention rates (as GMRyujin alludes). “Too many” customers sign up for just the free trial period and then drop the service. By giving you two more months (which now seems to be standard for the CSR’s to offer when a trial-period customer calls up to cancel), AOL does two things:

  1. raises the average retention period and modifies the retention rate @45 days
  2. lengthens your exposure to AOL, thus (they hope) increasing the chances that you will use services like AIM and your e-mail address that you might be hesitant to change.

There’s nothing secret in any of this. It’s been discussed in the trade press.

5

Note that AOL has gotten into to trouble for continuing to bill customers’s credit cards after the customer has asked their account to be closed.

Be extremely careful about AOL trial accounts. Did you give them a credit card #? Do you have proof you requested dropping the service, etc.?

Repeatedly extending the free period is one way to increase the odds the customer will forget to cancel, allowing them to bill your credit card.

6

I certainly wouldn’t forget.

And I have no credit or credit card for that matter.
They just used my phone number as reference.

7

They did the billing after cancellation thing to me. Ooh, was I mad.

That being said, yes, they’ll give you more time. I’ve heard of people who had free AOL for months and months because every time they call to cancel they get more free months.

I’d try Earthlink if I were you, though; they’re all right, or have been where I’ve used them.

8

It’s math. You say you won’t stay, and I believe you.

But everyone who buys a gym membership says they’ll come 5 times a week, too.

We >KNOW< that’s not the case.

What Paperbackwriter said…