Overview: America Online's poor resolution of billing errors when dealing with recycled phone numbers.

Yes I know there are a bazillion websites out there bashing AOL. This is another one of them, but it's based on something I've not seen mentioned anywhere else.

In the fall of 2002 received an AOL bill, forwarded from her previous address. She did not have a computer and had never signed up for AOL service in any phone. The phone number was disconnected in her name 6 months prior, and she had not lived there for quite some time as well. She called up their support number, and the service rep supposedly could tell right away what the problem was and assured her it would be fixed.

The problem is that AOL used the phone number of the caller to determine the billing name and address. Current and accurate phone records (phone books) are not available to the general public or other companies. Only every so often (quarterly, yearly) are updates released, and then it depends on whether or not companies quickly update those databases on their end! If the phone company gives an old phone number to someone else, that new entry may not show up on public record for quite some time. Meanwhile that person signed up for an AOL account supposedly (AOL claims) through a service run by Bill-Me-Later.com. This company denies ever having an account under that phone number, and their account numbers don't match the bill we received, which was direct from AOL.

So....AOL's procedures allow for one person to be billed, and another person to have the Internet signon information. Their privacy policies also prevent a representative from giving out any information regarding the account, even to the person being billed for it! Someone could be billed for something but can't access the information or use the service. A quick reverse lookup at AnyWho.com of her old phone number showed who the new owner most likely was.

One month later and she received a second bill. This time they had updated the mailing address, which was NOT given to them! They had also changed the billing name from her first initial and last name (how it was listed in the phone book) to her FULL LEGAL NAME, again information that was NOT given to them! This indicated to us that they were not interested in fixing the matter, only in collecting money from someone who did not owe it! Another phone call and again were we told it would be cleared up. However, AOL would not give any written confirmation that the billing was incorrect and that she wouldn't be held responsible for it.

Yet another bill arrived and yet more phone calls. She even spoke to a nighttime supervisor in Washington who basically shrugged it off saying "That's the way the world is these days". I hope this individual isn't paid more than minimum wage with that kind of attitude towards customers!

Finally I made several calls myself and was directed to the fraud department where something could actually be done. I described it as an incorrect bill due to a recycled phone number and gave the name and number on the account.

AOL says that the recycled phone number was released too early, trying to put the blame on the phone company. The problem is that this billing method is grossly wrong and error-prone. I almost wish it had gone to court so their business practices could have been brought out into the open! If anyone else has experienced this please speak up. Considering that AOL has a common term to describe to the matter tells me that it does occur regularly.