Help please - cancelling AOL

JenniMc

I'm out of contract with AOL and I'm moving home soon.

I don't want to stay with them so called up to cancel today and spent nearly 20mins on the phone insisting I wanted to leave whilst the call handler kept talking over me trying to insist that I HAD to give a reason why I didn't want to transfer my account to the new house and demanding to know what provider I was going to go with. I was starting to feel like it was a wind up!

He genuinely kept ignoring me when I was telling him that I was cancelling and didn't want to discuss it. He eventually agreed to cancel it and said I had to give the disconnection date. I was surprised by this as thought it would be 30 days notice but he said that this was too far in advance and I'd need to phone them back to cancel nearer the time so I finally got him to say that they could do 2 weeks in advance and he insisted that I needed to tell him what that date would be as it had to come from me. So I told him that would be the 13th and asked to get a letter out to confirm.

I am now confused however as I read tonight that they should give you a 4 digit code when you cancel and he didn't do this. I also don't feel confident that it's correct that it's 2 weeks rather than a month.

The customer service was genuinely shocking. It was like getting blood out of stone to get him to agree to put the cancellation through and he claimed there wasn't a supervisor/manager to speak to when I was getting annoyed over him demanding that I had to tell what provider we were going to go with instead.

Anyway, I'm now worried that he has told me some nonsense and may not have cancelled it properly. I tried phoning again but they are closed so will try tomorrow. Can anyone shed any light on what the cancellation process should be?

Thanks for reading.

bod1467

Are you on a LLU connection (actually a TalkTalk connection, since TT bought AOL UK broadband)? (Dial 17070 from your home phone ... if you only hear back your phone number then you're on LLU; if you get other options then you're on a BT IPStream connection).

If you're on IPStream then they MUST give you your MAC code (17-18 digit alphanumeric code) on request. A MAC code has a validity of 30 days ... when it is used this informs the existing ISP that the customer is moving to a new ISP, and serves as notification of cancellation from the date the new ISP takes over. (You do not need to give separate notification of cancellation).

Things are somewhat different though if you're on LLU, or depending on who you are moving to. (An IPStream MAC code only works properly if you migrate to another IPStream ISP).

http://www.maccode.org.uk/

macman

Asking for a MAC is not the same as cancelling, a MAC is simply an option to cancel that expires after 30 days.
If you don't specifically request a MAC, then you won't get one.
However if you are not remaining at the property, the a MAC is irrelevant.
You are not 'out of contract', you are in contract but out of minimum term, so 30 days notice is still required.
You will also be hit with a cease charge of around £30.

bod1467

macman wrote: »

Asking for a MAC is not the same as cancelling, a MAC is simply an option to cancel that expires after 30 days.

As I said, the IPStream-IPStream migration (using a MAC) does count as notification of cancellation. Yes, there may be a short period wherein you end up paying 2 ISPs (new one plus remainder of notification period of old one), but cancellation has been correctly given.

But this is only relevant for such migrations. When LLU is in the mix then things can be different. The maccode site I linked has useful info for many types of migration.

macman wrote: »

If you don't specifically request a MAC, then you won't get one.

OP asked for a MAC but AOL were reluctant to give one?

macman wrote: »

You will also be hit with a cease charge of around £30

Not if the MAC code is used for a compatible migration.

PDC

I used their email cancelation service when I left them http://help.aol.co.uk/help_uk/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=27084

Having read lots of posts similar to yours I was surprised, and quite relieved, that it was quite straightforward.

macman

bod1467 wrote: »

As I said, the IPStream-IPStream migration (using a MAC) does count as notification of cancellation. Yes, there may be a short period wherein you end up paying 2 ISPs (new one plus remainder of notification period of old one), but cancellation has been correctly given.

But this is only relevant for such migrations. When LLU is in the mix then things can be different. The maccode site I linked has useful info for many types of migration.


OP asked for a MAC but AOL were reluctant to give one?


Not if the MAC code is used for a compatible migration.

Nowhere in his post does the OP say that he asked for a MAC. He phoned up 'wanting to cancel' and 'asking to leave'. The TT CS rep would have no means of knowing if he wanted to migrate, or was leaving the property, unless he asked, and that won't be in his script.
Since the O is leaving the property anyway, a MAC is irrelevant, as it's only used for migration to another ISP on the same number. So a cease charge should apply.

bod1467

JenniMc wrote: »

I am now confused however as I read tonight that they should give you a 4 digit code when you cancel and he didn't do this.

Granted I am inferring, but I take that as the OP requesting a MAC.

macman

The OP was not apparently aware of a MAC, just a '4 digit code' (PIN no?).
They're not going to voluntarily offer a MAC unless it is asked for by name.

JenniMc

Thank you for the replies. I wasn't aware of the code previously but was just concerned I hadn't been given one and as I'd had such a awkward phonecall, I was worried that they wouldn't actually follow through cancelling!

I did call the number above and we are on the BT IPsteam. I called AOL back today and spoke to someone else who told me that they don't need to give me a code when I'm cancelling and they confirmed that it is on record to go through.

I thought that the code would have been a reference that I would have quoted if needing to contact them again and that was something I would have liked as I wasn't convinced that they'd follow out the cancellation going by the bad service I received on the phone.

Thanks again. It does look like it's all sorted now and I'll just be keeping a look out for my final bill.

macman

No a MAC is purely for use when migrating to another provider. You give it to your new provider within 30 days and then they process the switch.
You are cancelling your service, not migrating, so a MAC is not needed.