To all AOL users

vinylmusic

If you've been with AOL for a while and still pay £17.99 or more a month you could get it reduced:j
I recently helped someone switch providers (Its part of what I do for a living).
Shes old and hates Indian call centers and can't handle all the hassle switching involves so she identified herself as a customer and passed the phone to me to deal with it for her.
I asked AOL for a MAC key and they straight away started making offers of a reduced rate of £14.99 for life unlimited broadband + free evening and weekend calls.
The lady I was helping didn't want any of it so after much insisting they finally agreed to issue the MAC key.
Well from all this I figured that anyone who's with AOL and pays £17.99 or more could benefit just by calling AOL and requesting a MAC key.
A MAC Key is a code that you need to get from an ISP if you want to migrate to another ISP. They have to give you this by law within 5 days and you need it when applying for your new service. Just by asking AOL for it will get them into a frenzy and they will bombard you with offers. I cut them short at getting the reduced rate for life + free phone calls. Who knows how much further they'd go if I'd let them
So even if you want to stay with AOL its worth trying it
Remember, the magic word is "MAC Key" I think its the 3rd option to choose once you get a response on the phone
They'll ask you why you want to switch and who you will switch too. In my case it was Plus.net but you can say anything other than AOL
You may need to play them for a bit so act like your minds made up about switching and slowly and tactfully soften to them as the offers get better
I dare anyone to try and get a free month into the bargain:D:D:D:p
Please let me know how you get on

Drunkstar

They have to give you this by law within 48 hours

Incorrect. Its 5 working days.

vinylmusic

Drunkstar wrote: »

Incorrect. Its 5 working days.

well does that really matter. It's not the point I was making

Drunkstar

It matters if someone rings up for a MAC and gets shirty with an unsuspecting advisor because 'someone on a forum said it was 2 days BY LAW'. That could lead to customers looking and feeling stupid while the poor fool takin the call has been yelled at for no good reason.
So yes, it matters.


However, the general advice is good and applies to ALL ISPs as far as I am aware. In fact, I am sure there is a thread about it here.

vinylmusic

Drunkstar wrote: »

It matters if someone rings up for a MAC and gets shirty with an unsuspecting advisor because 'someone on a forum said it was 2 days BY LAW'. That could lead to customers looking and feeling stupid while the poor fool takin the call has been yelled at for no good reason.
So yes, it matters.


However, the general advice is good and applies to ALL ISPs as far as I am aware. In fact, I am sure there is a thread about it here.

Well sorry to blast off since it seems you have a point
I edited it now so people wont get mixed up.
I's probably true what you say. I got a free month last year when I asked Metronet for a MAC key. I did change from Metronet to Plus.net when I moved house but then they are one and the same provider. And a great reliable one too.
Btw, they are now owned by BT.
When all these companies finish buying each other out I wonder how many there will be left to choose from.... hmm, bad news for the consumer

Drunkstar

No worry, I could have phrased my correction better anyhow.

dynamicdawg

I'm paying £24.99 at the moment so after reading the O.P I've just phoned AOL customer services. I'm still on contract with them until the middle of Feb, but I said I wanted a MAC code for when my contract ends. He then asked me if I was planning on switching to Sky, I said I was, he then offered me 3 months free broadband after this contract ended and then they are going to charge me £9.99 a month. I'm well pleased:cool:

gazza975526570

dynamicdawg wrote: »

I'm paying £24.99 at the moment so after reading the O.P I've just phoned AOL customer services. I'm still on contract with them until the middle of Feb, but I said I wanted a MAC code for when my contract ends. He then asked me if I was planning on switching to Sky, I said I was, he then offered me 3 months free broadband after this contract ended and then they are going to charge me £9.99 a month. I'm well pleased:cool:

£24.99 per month?! Now thats expensive even for AOL!

rosiedee

Have just phoned AOL to ask for a Mac code, as you said vinylmusic, straight away they launched into the speil. We've been with AOL since 1999 and are currently paying £21.99 just for broadband. They've offered us a package at £14.99 which also includes a telephone call package free for 6 months, no subscription and all local and national calls free. They said at the end of the 6 months we would just have to ring up and ask them to repeat the package. It also includes free calls to AOL which currently cost 5p per minute. Is this a good deal? This also comes with 1 month free. I tried for a lower price just for broadband but wasn't getting anywhere.

gazza975526570

You should be able to get £9.99 for broadband only

Give them another call explaining that you can get internet access for free but your happy with the service from aol.

RaceyRichard

Hi,

I have been paying £9.99 a month for nearly a year now, its the package that currently 14.99 with wireless router. I managed to negotiate this some time back as i was an existing customer. I did find 6 months after negotiating the price it reverted back to £14.99, but a quick phone call to mention we had a verbal agreement giving the name of the person i agreed it with initially sorted this out, I also managed to get the overpayment credited back.

Keep an eye on your account for the first six months after negotiating as they may do the same to you.

Ever since my phone call i have been paying the agreed price.

My dad who is on aol has been paying the higher price of 14.99 and the other day i negotiated the same price of 9.99 for him as his contract was up.
I managed to do this within 5 minutes without any problems.
Initially they tried to offer him it for 9.99 for the first six months then 14.99 thereafter with a free wireless router. I pointed out that he already has the router and all he wanted in order to stay with aol was the same price as me 9.99.

The only other thing i mentioned was that he was happy with aol and wanted to stay with them as long as they did it for 9.99.

If you have been with them for even a year and your contract is up for renewal you have nothing to loose!

Good luck