Free Laptop with AOL now! (merged)

AliceBanned

AMH82 wrote: »

I phoned my order through on the 5th but have not recevied myu welcome pack yet
One thing, for all those that keep harping on about paying for the laptop over the 24 months, has everyone forgotten that you are getting broadband, a call plan, a wireless route and a laptop for £19.99 a month? I currently pay £17.99 a month to NTL (now virgin), never been that boterhed about shopping around, but coming to the point that I want a new PC/laptop, so for an extra £2 per month for 24 months (£48) I get a new laptop that is better spec than I have now. Sounds like a good enough deal to me!

From one of the "harpers on" as you so kindly refer to us: I was quoted "£24.99 per month from AOL for the laptop "offer", over the phone, and you have not included BT line rental cost - this would surely add about £120 a year on top?. This amounts to almost £300, which probably is the true value of this laptop. AS a previous poster probably rightly suggested, the laptop is unlikely to be worth as much as they claim. If you want to fall foul of a sales technique without delving further then go ahead, but i don't welcome being described as "harping on" when this site is really about people sharing information to help one another. I certainly haven't harped on, I merely added my opinion, once. I entered my posts in the first place to try and suss this out and find out where the catch is, because there has to be one from a profit-making company, they're not really going to give stuff away without their returns being greater! £19.99 a month is quite a lot when you have very little to spare, and I think it is unfair if AOL are dangling a carrot to pressurise people to spend more than they can afford at the time.

pink_phantom

AOL are crap. I cancelled with them in june and they are still sending me bills and saying I owe them money! I have just had an invoice for phone calls for the month of august and I moved out in june and took the phone number with me so i'd like to know how they justify that?

peterbaker

pink_phantom wrote: »

AOL are crap...

You are not far wrong.

I've been paying £9.99 per month for my AOL for the past year. That is I understand their rock bottom charge. Anyone know different?


As we know, CarPhone Warehouse are AOL UK's parent. They too have deteriorated to little above crap status in the past year or two. Charlie Dunstone wouldn't get any honours based on current showings.

I pre-registered for the laptop deal long ago but have not been contacted.

I was curious, but would not buy the base laptop for any money. I might only consider it if the net cost was significantly less than the (artificial) pricepoint for the cheapest current laptop.

Question is, is it?

I believe CPW offer another no frills all-in deal at £16.49 including telephone line rental?

That would broadly imply that the hidden charge for the laptop is actually around £15 per month i.e. 24 x £15. No way does this laptop at £320 sit well with market laptop pricepointing generally.

Personally as I am out of BB contract now, I think I will either go for the £16.49 deal or ditch the landline and go for T-mobile's Walk n Talk special deal as mentioned earlier on MSE or sit tight out of contract a little longer to see what else materialises e.g. if mobile internet becomes even more competitive...

VIJAY_FROM_KENT

So many people seem to criticise AOL but are still with them! I am with AOL and find them a little more pricey but their service and reliability of connection pretty good... I am pondering currently TalkTalk's BB v this laptop deal. If people don't like AOL, don't stick with them!

AMH82_2

AliceBanned wrote: »

From one of the "harpers on" as you so kindly refer to us: I was quoted "£24.99 per month from AOL for the laptop "offer", over the phone, and you have not included BT line rental cost - this would surely add about £120 a year on top?. This amounts to almost £300, which probably is the true value of this laptop. AS a previous poster probably rightly suggested, the laptop is unlikely to be worth as much as they claim. If you want to fall foul of a sales technique without delving further then go ahead, but i don't welcome being described as "harping on" when this site is really about people sharing information to help one another. I certainly haven't harped on, I merely added my opinion, once. I entered my posts in the first place to try and suss this out and find out where the catch is, because there has to be one from a profit-making company, they're not really going to give stuff away without their returns being greater! £19.99 a month is quite a lot when you have very little to spare, and I think it is unfair if AOL are dangling a carrot to pressurise people to spend more than they can afford at the time.

First off, I apologise at the term 'harping on', it was nothing personal and I am sorry if anyone took it that way. Well my post was in reference to those that accepted the deal at £19.99 a month. If you read my post, in my circumstance it is costing me an extra £2 per month, nothing more, so how am I falling foul of a sales technique? If you can find me an equivalent PC/laptop for £2 a month for 24 months I'd be happy to see it. With reference to BT line rental, I already have to pay BT line rental so again, no further cost incurred? If I am missing anything feel free to mention it but as I say in my circumstances and I would think many others, I am getting a better broadband service and a laptop for an extra £2 a month. Depending on what you pay for broadband already you may be paying more or less, but over 24 months it will most likely still be less than the price of a laptop.For exisiting AOL users who have been offered the deal at a higher fee, then yes, it does seem like you could get a better deal if you saved the difference and bought a laptop yourself.

spiderman95

Does anyone know if you have to stay with a BT landline once you recieve the free laptop with the AOL deal? Im thinking of swopping over to Virgin as they have an offer on with free TV channels with their line rental and also free evening and weekend phone calls for £11.00 per month.I am already with AOL but have been with them for about seven years and still on dial up for £12.99 per month. Been looking for a new broadband package for a while now but because I now have no contract as such with AOL I have been reluctant to comit to anything else.

Aiadi

spiderman95 wrote: »

Does anyone know if you have to stay with a BT landline once you recieve the free laptop with the AOL deal? Im thinking of swopping over to Virgin as they have an offer on with free TV channels with their line rental and also free evening and weekend phone calls for £11.00 per month.I am already with AOL but have been with them for about seven years and still on dial up for £12.99 per month. Been looking for a new broadband package for a while now but because I now have no contract as such with AOL I have been reluctant to comit to anything else.

With virgin you can only have virgin's BB as it is cable phone. with the rest you would need a BT line (including AOL who wouldn't give you BB if your phone is on TalkTalk -which is the same company as AOL!!!)

VIJAY_FROM_KENT

I'm confuzzled...

I currently use a BT landline, AOL BB and 18866 to make my calls by adding that number in front before each call...

Please could someone help answer my questions?

• If I stay with BT and dont take AOL's call package what will the AOL laptop deal cost me?
• If I change to the AOL Talk package can I still use 1886 before calls and what will the AOL laptop deal cost me?

Thanks! :beer: :j

lyns_2

vjain wrote: »

I'm confuzzled...

I currently use a BT landline, AOL BB and 18866 to make my calls by adding that number in front before each call...

Please could someone help answer my questions?

• If I stay with BT and dont take AOL's call package what will the AOL laptop deal cost me?
• If I change to the AOL Talk package can I still use 1886 before calls and what will the AOL laptop deal cost me?

Thanks! :beer: :j

Yes you can still use 18866 or any other pre number and bt will give you a pre number so you can use them for calls as well.If you click on the cpw link and put in your post code it will give you your prices.I am doing the same as you a the minute contract will end on tuesdays then i shall see if i take up the offer

Aiadi

vjain wrote: »

I'm confuzzled...

I currently use a BT landline, AOL BB and 18866 to make my calls by adding that number in front before each call...

Please could someone help answer my questions?

• If I stay with BT and dont take AOL's call package what will the AOL laptop deal cost me?
• If I change to the AOL Talk package can I still use 1886 before calls and what will the AOL laptop deal cost me?

Thanks! :beer: :j

My question is do you have the choice??