Off Topic: AOL question

[Doug Kanter]

Just got done reformatting a friend's machine, reinstalling XP Home, and
setting up the security she should've had 6 months ago when she allowed her
low-life teenage son to be a user. He managed to disable every level of
protection the OS offered, leaving the machine with a half dozen
viruses/trojans, and pretty much unusable. Called the mom yesterday to tell
her the computer was done. She said "I would've called you back earlier, but
'Joe' (name changed to protect the guilty) was online all afternoon". I know
she dumped her ISP when she realized the computer was crippled, so I asked
"Huh? Online how?" She said the kid had dredged up her old Pentium-2, and
was using AOL. She went on to say that when he gets past however many hours
the AOL free-CD-of-the-day includes, she finds charges on her phone bill.

I always thought you had to give AOL a credit card number, which is where
the charges would end up after you used up the free hours, so I wondered if
the charges she's seeing were the result of the rotten kid using a non-local
access number. But, she swears it's AOL, not phone charges.

Is this true? AOL can charge fees against your phone bill???

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Q. "Is this true? AOL can charge fees against your phone bill???"

A. Yes, if that is how payment was arranged by the person who signed up.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.mspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Just got done reformatting a friend's machine, reinstalling XP Home, and
| setting up the security she should've had 6 months ago when she allowed her
| low-life teenage son to be a user. He managed to disable every level of
| protection the OS offered, leaving the machine with a half dozen
| viruses/trojans, and pretty much unusable. Called the mom yesterday to tell
| her the computer was done. She said "I would've called you back earlier, but
| 'Joe' (name changed to protect the guilty) was online all afternoon". I know
| she dumped her ISP when she realized the computer was crippled, so I asked
| "Huh? Online how?" She said the kid had dredged up her old Pentium-2, and
| was using AOL. She went on to say that when he gets past however many hours
| the AOL free-CD-of-the-day includes, she finds charges on her phone bill.
|
| I always thought you had to give AOL a credit card number, which is where
| the charges would end up after you used up the free hours, so I wondered if
| the charges she's seeing were the result of the rotten kid using a non-local
| access number. But, she swears it's AOL, not phone charges.
|
| Is this true? AOL can charge fees against your phone bill???

 

[Vagabond Software]

Just got done reformatting a friend's machine, reinstalling XP Home, and
setting up the security she should've had 6 months ago when she allowed her
low-life teenage son to be a user. He managed to disable every level of
protection the OS offered, leaving the machine with a half dozen
viruses/trojans, and pretty much unusable. Called the mom yesterday to tell
her the computer was done. She said "I would've called you back earlier, but
'Joe' (name changed to protect the guilty) was online all afternoon". I know
she dumped her ISP when she realized the computer was crippled, so I asked
"Huh? Online how?" She said the kid had dredged up her old Pentium-2, and
was using AOL. She went on to say that when he gets past however many hours
the AOL free-CD-of-the-day includes, she finds charges on her phone bill.

I always thought you had to give AOL a credit card number, which is where
the charges would end up after you used up the free hours, so I wondered if
the charges she's seeing were the result of the rotten kid using a non-local
access number. But, she swears it's AOL, not phone charges.

Is this true? AOL can charge fees against your phone bill???

It sounds like it has to be out of area calling. I can't find anything on AOL's site that suggests that AOL will add its own charges to the phone bill. I'd find out what is happening. If the child is using an out of area phone number, her bill could get HUGE.

carl

 

[Doug Kanter]

Just got done reformatting a friend's machine, reinstalling XP Home, and
setting up the security she should've had 6 months ago when she allowed
her
low-life teenage son to be a user. He managed to disable every level of
protection the OS offered, leaving the machine with a half dozen
viruses/trojans, and pretty much unusable. Called the mom yesterday to
tell
her the computer was done. She said "I would've called you back earlier,
but
'Joe' (name changed to protect the guilty) was online all afternoon". I
know
she dumped her ISP when she realized the computer was crippled, so I asked
"Huh? Online how?" She said the kid had dredged up her old Pentium-2, and
was using AOL. She went on to say that when he gets past however many
hours
the AOL free-CD-of-the-day includes, she finds charges on her phone bill.

I always thought you had to give AOL a credit card number, which is where
the charges would end up after you used up the free hours, so I wondered
if
the charges she's seeing were the result of the rotten kid using a
non-local
access number. But, she swears it's AOL, not phone charges.

Is this true? AOL can charge fees against your phone bill???

It sounds like it has to be out of area calling. I can't find anything on
AOL's site that suggests that AOL will add its own charges to the phone
bill. I'd find out what is happening. If the child is using an out of area
phone number, her bill could get HUGE.

carl

This particular "child" is 16, and needs a little tuneup with a baseball
bat.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I always thought you had to give AOL a credit card number, which is where
the charges would end up after you used up the free hours, so I wondered if
the charges she's seeing were the result of the rotten kid using a non-local
access number. But, she swears it's AOL, not phone charges.

Is this true? AOL can charge fees against your phone bill???

Probably. All of the most recent free AOL CDs I've discarded say "No
credit card required." on the case.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Doug Kanter]

Probably. All of the most recent free AOL CDs I've discarded say "No
credit card required." on the case.

Same thing at the web site. Unfortunately, you don't get to read ALL the
terms of the agreement until you've provided lots of personal information.

 

[Tom]

Same thing at the web site. Unfortunately, you don't get to read ALL the
terms of the agreement until you've provided lots of personal information.

AOL (mail/free) install CDs always state "no credit card required", which is an outright effin' lie! When one installs the software (I wouldn't let it within 100yds of my PC), and then when they get to setup the connection, it asks for your credit card number. It does this by saying you "won't be billed" during the trial, but that you use it in case you want to continue service, but must cancel before the trial period is over to avoid any charges. They still charge, and when you complain, it takes weeks to get it cleared, and then in the meantime, try to offer you more *free* hours if you stay on. It is really sorry assed tactic that AOL has to resort to, in order to increase their clientele.

I know this from experience when all I had was dialup at one time, and they were the cheapest. But also, I have set it up for a few people I know who think they are the best, but are unfamiliar with setting up a dialup connection, and most of their chat buddies do AOL. AOL, IMHO, is the biggest written virus ever!