AOL price increase*check your emails and action within 30 days*

nilrem_2

This is the wording of the email that I received -:

As you may know, from 4th January 2011, the government is increasing standard VAT from 17.5% to 20%. This change will be applied to your monthly package fee, any call charges you may incur and all other VATable charges. Your monthly package fee will also change to £19.99 a month including the new rate of VAT.

When I spoke to AOL originally and they agreed to charge me £14.99 per month on an 18month contract I just assumed that they would not be increasing my charges for 18 months. after all what is there to stop them from phoning people up offering them a rate of £9 per month for a 18 month contract then doubling the charge after 2 months?

Seems like a dirty trick to me, especially doing it to loyal customers (been with them for 10 years).
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nilrem_2

Would any posters here who have had notice of a large increase in charges notified be good enough to advise on any action they have taken up with AOL and whether they got anything from AOL? It will be useful to others in the same situation.

What is the best way of getting AOL's attention is it by Letter, email or a phone call.

It might be useful for this thread to list AOL's postal addresses, email addresses and phone numbers to assist dissatisfied customers to complain.

FWIW I have just sent an email complaint to billing about this issue, I will advise if I get any reply!

nilrem_2

This is AOL's registered office address -:

TalkTalk Telecom Limited (trading as AOL Broadband)
11 Evesham Street
London
W11 4AR

dodger1

Angelic wrote: »

I''ve not received an email about costs going up other than a VAT email but does this mean they'll contact me shortly? I wouldn't pay £20 to stay with them because they offer a bilge service and I only renewed due to anxiety issues.

Mine says-


As you may know, from 4th January 2011, the government is increasing standard VAT from 17.5% to 20%. This change will be applied to your monthly package fee, any call charges you may incur, and all other VATable charges. We will not be applying this increase to your line rental though; this will stay at £11.99.

I got the same email as you. Strange that some customers are being charged more and some aren't.

dhbhde

g0bgb wrote: »

Even worse than I Thought :eek:

Absolutely agree with this.... :T

DAVEM_2

After being a member for over 10 years and being advised of a 50% + rise in my price plan I intended to write to The Vice President of Member Services and enclose copies of the contract renewal confirmation emails I had received four months ago. One from the gentleman who originally set up the package and the other from the AOL Broadband Team. However having read the small print the following statement is present on both "Nothing in this E-Mail shall bind the company in any contract or obligation". I may be nieve and such statements may appear as a matter of course on all company mails but as stated by a previous subscriber it appears that you can be told anything over the phone, receive confirmation in writing and it does not mean a thing. Regards DAVE M

bobsmith50

I also got the AOL price increase e-mail headed SERVICE UPDATE with the following:
As you may know, from 4th January 2011, the government is increasing standard VAT from 17.5% to 20%. This change will be applied to your monthly package fee, any call charges you may incur and all other VATable charges. Your monthly package fee will also change to £19.99 a month including the new rate of VAT.
Basically AOL are trying to hide a massive price increase under the guise of the VAT increase. I am horrified that their contract terms (yes I'm on a 18 month contract also) allow them to increase prices at will and your only recourse as a customer is to leave (or pay the new rate). Surely under law this would (should) be deemed an unfair contract. Martin Lewis should take this up!
Now the good news, after some daft conversations with AOL customer services in India and some even dafter e-mail replies I have today been put through to a Member Service Agent in Waterford, Ireland who eventually confirmed both verbally and in writing via e-mail that my £14.99 will only increase by the difference in VAT. My contract with AOL is for Broadband + Unlimited Calls (I pay BT for line rental separately) and apparently because of this and something to do with the exchange I am on I am exempt from the price increase. NB: I only got through to the helpful person in Ireland after being transferred when I said I wanted to make a formal complaint and wanted my MAC code as I was going to leave AOL so goodness knows what is going on at AOL. There is clearly lots of confusion there. Good luck to the rest of you!

Badonde

I called AOL earlier. George Adbdgvbgdgdgwingo reassures me that it's just a standard email I got and that my monthly charge will remain at £12.99. Hmm, we shall see.

DAVAL

I also received email to in effect increase my 18 month contract from £14.99 to £19.99.
I have had a reply from them (surprise surprise). My charge is increasing as above due to 'the increasing cost of maintaining a broadband network in my area'.

They then point me at section 3.3.9 of the contract AOL Access Agreement with a provided link which does not work!

I will email back tomorrow because surely they could have increased my payment to anything they wanted and still got me in the original contract (which they point out still finishes on 28/9/11)
In my view this is completely wrong and any increase should nullify the original contract.
Is there anyone out there who is a solicitor who can answer this?

nilrem_2

nilrem wrote: »

FWIW I have just sent an email complaint to billing about this issue, I will advise if I get any reply!

Still no reply from AOL other than the std email saying that they had received my email! :mad: