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Yeah, I can see that logic, but it doesn't make AOL's stance less redonkulous, and it doesn't make there an easy way to deal with them. What else was she to do? She couldn't access her e-mail, and all because what, she sent an email to too many people??
Stick with gmail, it kicks ass.
Interesting theory, DeeJayQueue, but people shouldn't have to say they're dead to cancel the account. If AOL weren't asses about retention (as shown in recent stories), no one would have any reason to lie about it AOL employees could respond appropriately to someone who's suffered a loss.
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Morgan, I agree, people shouldn't say they're dead to cancel an account. I mean, is it really any secret that AOL has pitbulls working for retentions? It's gaining limelight because of a few incidents that have been recorded and captured media attention, but it's not a new thing.
If I wanted to get out of my cell phone contract withough paying the term fee, it'd be easy to \"lose\" the phone and then say it was stolen, file a police report and then take it to the store and cancel the account. Most places used to let you get away with that, but it's dishonest, prone to abuse, and some companies don't want to hear it anymore. How now for the people who get mugged on the subway and have their RAZR stolen, only to have to fork out for a new one just to keep a phone plan?
Same applies here. AOL needs to stop being a pain in the ass to cancel. People need to stop lying in order to cancel AOL. AOL can then go back to making it a little easier on the loved ones of lost people by letting them easily cancel on account of death. In that order.
My sincere condolences on your loss.
I agree that AOL are scum. How they've stayed in business this long is beyond me. Impersonating your mother got you the result you wanted, but it wasn't the smartest move, and really only helps cement AOL's position on their cancellation/reactivation policies. To them, they don't know the difference on the phone between you, your mother, your sister in law or the lady who delivers the mail.
Once you told them your mother had died, and then had 'her' call back to fix things, they had a record that you lied about her death. If people start to use the \"the account holder died\" line to get out of their accounts because it works then AOL gets jaded to the line, thinking it's just an excuse. Then when people actually DO pass on they don't want to hear it.