Complaint Review: AOL - Gateway Computers

I bought a Gateway computer in March of 2002 which came bundled with a one year free trial of AOL. I already had an ISP and had no intention of swithching to AOL (IT WAS THE COMPUTER I WAS INTERSTED IN NOT THE AOL -

The AOL added absolutely no perceived value to my purchase). Yet I made the mistake, when I got the computer set up, of allowing myself to set up a username and password in AOL thinking my husband might be interested in using the e-mail address (since it was "Free", why not use it?).

He and I logged in not more than 2-3 times, found it was totally not to our tastes, and prompltly forgot about using it ever again. I was never prompted to enter a credit card number and I didn't see any warnings that suggested that I must cancel the AOL if I didn't plan to use it so I didn't cancel anything.

Now, a year, later I have been billed twice on the credit card I used to purchase my computer for a total of $47.80. I called AOL right after I received the first bill (April 25, 2003) and asked them to cancel the billing and return the $23.90 I had been charged on March 21. I explained that I had not used the service more than the first couple of days and that I never really wanted it. After some sales pitch attempts, which I resisted, they told me they would cancel the billing and gave me a confirmation number.

Yesterday, I received my credit card bill again and there was another monthly AOL charge dated April 21, 2003. The first charge had not been deleted. When I called the credit card company to tell them I had cancelled with AOL and that I would not be paying any AOL charges they confirmed tha AOL had cancelled the account (on May 19th!) but told me that unless I had cancelled before the end of the trial period that AOL would not remove the charges and I would be liable for the earlier charges. I was furious, and I called AOL back to inform them that I wanted full credit for all charges to my credit card bill.

AOL was totally uncooperative and informed me that I had agreed to being billed a year later as soon as I signed up for the account. Because I didn't contact AOL to cancel the account they could charge me for any amount that had been billed to me before I had a chance to know I was beig billed!

This is THEFT BY DECEPTION. I should not have to cancel something that I tried out for "free" and abandoned long before the "free" period was ended. I wonder how many others are out there who have fallen into this trap.

I would be happy to join a class action suit. I will be filing my complaint with Gateway computers as well! They will NOT keep my money just because they have already stolen it!

Leslie
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.