As you all know if you are reading this Xombyte, you have had trouble quitting your AOL Internet provider. You call and cancel, and the charges against your credit, or debit card keeps coming, and coming, and coming...

You have problems cancelling AOL! Well, this is how I did it. I went to my bank, and I told them the number to the credit card was stolen! It was too, after I told AOL to cancel it. It was canceled for one month, and then someone from AOL customer service called to talk me into starting it again. I said no way! Lo and behold it was on my credit statement without permission again. I called AOL back and told them I was going to make out a police report about how they hijacked my number if they didn't give me a credit. I also told them I was reporting the nonauthorized use of my Visa card to Visa in writing, and to my bank. By the way Visa doesn't take kindly to any company using stolen Visa cards. When they get enough complaints Visa cancels the company's contract with the company. By law Visa cannot charge interest on a disputed amount, if you notify them about your problem in writing. In the meantime, I went to my bank, and told them to cancel the credit card because it was stolen, and reissue me a new number, and card, which they did. In the meantime, AOL gave me a credit on my Visa before the card was cancelled, and I waited 3 weeks to get a new card, and a new number. Next month, lo and behold, I get a call from an AOL representative trying to talk me into signing up again. I said no, and I also said that I realize that you get a bonus for any account you save, but if you elect to charge the old number which I reported as stolen by AOL, you will just make my police case against you stronger, so go right ahead, and try it. (I was bluffing, I never actually made out a report, but I could have.) I also mentioned that I informed Visa in writing about their shenanigans, and at this rate their contract with Visa was in jeopardy! I'm sure AOL decided to try to charge the old number anyway, but it was flagged as stolen on the Visa records, and a stop was put on it.

You can do this with Visa debit cards also.

AOL offered 2 months free that's why I did it. Sixty-Minutes highlighted the problems surrounding the cancellation of AOL. Moral of the story is don't sign up for AOL to begin with. Oh, and always use a Visa credit, or debit card for on-line transactions, or any transactions that may be disputed in the future. Credit cards give you an additional protection because of that credit law over disputed amounts, but I still would use a credit card with a very low credit limit, say $500.

If you use your bank account number(bad idea always use a credit card, or debit card), you will have to report to your bank in writing the unauthorized use of your bank account, cancel the account, and reopen a new one to get out of it. Oh, if you really want to make a statement to AOL, make out a police report and snail mail AOL a copy of it. Instead of a credit made to your bank account, have them send you a check instead. You don't want to give them any "new banking information"!

Oh, and thanks to XHellcatX, and his informative, amusing xombyte entitled "Quiting AOL Is Easy" for the idea for this xombyte!