Changing ISP's and My Email Address

loveandlight

I am seriously considering changing my internet service provider (I'm currently with AOL) to a much cheaper one. However, I am worried about what will happen to my email address as so many people have it and it would be a massive task to go around telling everyone about the change. Is there an easy way around this or am I stuck with AOL forever? (I've never had any probs with them though, just looking to save some money). Thx for any replies.

BillScarab

When you close your account with AOL the chances are the email address wil be close dto. It may still be there for a short while though. This is why people recommend using webmail like gmail or hotmail or having your own domain name (the method I prefer). If you ahve a domain name you just give an email address there to people and redirect it to whatever ISP email address you have at the time.

timbim_2

You can also open an AOL email account without being a customer, once you have closed your account with AOL, go to their website and open an email account with the same name. That way, even if people send an email to your old name you can still collect it.

robt_2

timbim wrote: »

You can also open an AOL email account without being a customer, once you have closed your account with AOL, go to their website and open an email account with the same name. That way, even if people send an email to your old name you can still collect it.

Do they recycle email addresses that quickly?

Quite shocking if they do.

loveandlight

Posted by timbim
You can also open an AOL email account without being a customer, once you have closed your account with AOL, go to their website and open an email account with the same name. That way, even if people send an email to your old name you can still collect it.

That's a fab bit of info timbim, thanks!

miamistu

AOL provide a free email service that anybody can use so I don't see why they'd delete your old one. Have a root around on their website or drop them an email to find out.

superscaper

Personally I think anyone who uses an ISP's email address as their main one is a fool to themselves. You should get an address independant of ISP and start using it as soon as possible. It saves the hassle when changing ISP and you're not subject to the change in terms and condition whims of the ISP (like Orange suddenly deciding to scrap freeserve addresses without notifying the owners). You should ideally be in a position where changing ISP doesn't make the slightest difference to your online habits or require not a single change in software or settings on your PC.

loveandlight

Posted by superscaper
Personally I think anyone who uses an ISP's email address as their main one is a fool to themselves.

With an attitude like that, I couldn't care less what you think.

superscaper

loveandlight wrote: »

With an attitude like that, I couldn't care less what you think.

I meant it in the light hearted way, such as shooting yourself in the foot or cutting your nose to spite your face I wouldn't mean someone actually performs acts of physical violence on themselves, it's just an expression. It was simply a turn of phrase, an idiom. Same thing I'd say if you didn't back up or didn't update the security. I wasn't intentionally calling anyone a fool, just using a colloquial expression I use all the time. Wasn't meant to be offensive so I'm sorry you took it that way. I was just meaning that you're unnecessarily causing yourself grief by doing so. Probably a regional thing, I don't know.

tyroneshoelaces

i switched from aol to bt last june and i am still using my aol email account. i think they give you a few weeks to carry on using it then they give you a notice to say that its closing but you can also then apply to keep the email address.

timbim_2

Sorry, I may have spread some misinformation. If they keep your email account, then all is well and good, you can access it online, through POP or IMAP. If they don't, then you have to open a new one in the same name. Simple as that. In fact, as far as I can remember, they don't recycle them very quickly, but in the end they do, ore something like that.