View Full Version : AOL broadband bargain.
A friend of mine who was with AOL dial up rang for a quote for broadband and was given the 27.99 a month option he told them no way he was paying that much and unless they coulddo it cheaper he was gona switch isp`s he was put on hold for a minute and then ofered the same deal for £20 still with free modem and connection!
theoriginalsparky
30-01-2004, 10:10
good deal, just goes to show what you can acheive when you haggle!
But AOL! :thinking:
Barge: Pole: Not touch
SpankySpanky
30-01-2004, 10:38
Yeah, I can back this up! My mate was paying £15.99 for 56k AOL dial up. I told him for the same money he could have 150k 'broadband' with Tiscali. He rings AOL the day after to genuinely cancel them and told them why. AOL bod put him on hold, came back with 512k BB for £19/mth for 12 months with free connection and modem. He's completely made up with it!! However, he has been paying AOL's crazy dial up prices for 4 years, so this may have had a bearing! In my experince, it's always best to tell AOL that you are going to a rival ISP, they hate someone else getting their business (think it's the Yanks in em!). Before I got BB, I once got 10 months free unlimited surfing with them just by ringing to cancel the free trial and saying I was going to NTL because it was effectively 'free' even tho' I preferred the AOL service (I didn't, but they love you to compliment them!)
SS
I thought swearing wasn't allowed here… Can you please stop saying the A*L word as it offends my delicate ears…
jediross
30-01-2004, 11:27
AOL and bargain in the same sentence???????
Again bargepoles come to mind
thescrounger
30-01-2004, 11:35
It's not really a certified bargain though is it? It's just a bit of luck for a few people that already happen to be AOL customers that might be feeling lucky when upgrading to broadband.
SpankySpanky
30-01-2004, 11:47
Can't believe the whinging going on, tbh! If you are AOL 56k dial up at £15.99 you should get Tiscali 150k, anyway, no question. BUT, if you ring em up and tell em what you are going to do, it seems like they have a 'plan' to keep you by giving you a discount of about £11/mth on their BB. What's the problem?? For all the talk of AOL being carp etc, I reckon many of the dissenters on here, if they could have got AOL for £19/mth when they were in the market for BB, would have joined no question. So, in my book it's a bragin, and one that serves as a bit of info to AO: punters, ring em up and see if you can get it( bet u can, cos these things will be on the AOL bod's script!!) and if you can't then you really should be migrating to Tiscali 150k BB...
SS
it would seem that Tiscali 15k Boradband is only available in certain areas....
Originally posted by SpankySpanky
For all the talk of AOL being carp etc, I reckon many of the dissenters on here, if they could have got AOL for £19/mth when they were in the market for BB, would have joined no question.
sorry, I disagree and would glady pay my extra £4 a month to pipex in order to get the real internet, instead of some homogonised cut down intranet that aol is.
or £18.99 for a 512k connection at Plus.Net
Originally posted by SpankySpanky
For all the talk of AOL being carp etc, I reckon many of the dissenters on here, if they could have got AOL for £19/mth when they were in the market for BB, would have joined no question.
Not at all. I had some problems with NTL when I moved house but once those were sorted my service has been exemplary. If I was interested in saving a few quid I would phone up AOL and say I was thinking of changing ISP but they were too expensive, gaining a new customer is just as much incentive as keep an old one. However, I don't want AOL even if it is £5 a month cheaper, they are pants, nuff said :D
Originally posted by bumfrog
instead of some homogonised cut down intranet that aol is.
Exactly :thumbs:
maledave
30-01-2004, 12:03
I'd rather use dial-up than any AOL service...
SpankySpanky
30-01-2004, 12:04
Originally posted by bumfrog
sorry, I disagree and would glady pay my extra £4 a month to pipex in order to get the real internet, instead of some homogonised cut down intranet that aol is.
But AFAIK you don't have to use their version of IE, do you? I never used it when I was on FREE 56k with em, just dialled up, let it load, minimised it and loaded up IE....
SS
Originally posted by bumfrog
sorry, I disagree and would glady pay my extra £4 a month to pipex in order to get the real internet, instead of some homogonised cut down intranet that aol is.
How exactly is AOL Broadband's internet 'cut down' then? ;)
A friend has AOL broadband, it's fine for absolutely everything, and all this talk of AOL being crap just seems to be a result of some form of 'elitism'.
If the £20 offer was offered to new customers, I'd seriously consider it.
Originally posted by smiffy
or £18.99 for a 512k connection at Plus.Net
This restricts file-sharing apps, and doesn't come with the modem unfortunately.
paulclissold
30-01-2004, 13:16
You don't have to use any of the AOL software - I have removed mine as it slowed done my 1Meg connection a fraction. Check out ASDLguide.org.uk for details on an easy removal. You can also use a router now and all that stuff.
Rock steady connection, mega speed,no cut offs and a stupid customer service "programme" and generous offers that have meant I'm paying £28.99 for 1meg - first two months have been free. See previous post somewhere on these forums. Before that I was 512k and never had a problem. Free modem,etc.
I just collect my mail via aol communicator and don't bother with anything else.
Looking forward to 2meg when they offer it up - if you act as one of their guinea pigs for it and take the odd "customer survey" telephone crap call they'll treat you like a God and discount or freebie you.
Can you log on with more than one user now? You never used to.
I know thats why i plumped for Pipex.
Jason
wallofbeans
30-01-2004, 14:06
they dont have broadband for macs either so that cancels me out..
but if people are happy with aol (and i know people who are) then paying £19 for broadband rather than £16 for 56k seems a pretty good deal..
paulclissold
30-01-2004, 14:30
Just done one of them speed test thingys and it came out with;
Downstream 930kps (116.3KB sec) 1004 kbps (inc.overheads)
Upstream 237kps ( 29.6Kb sec) 255 kbps (inc.overheads)
Not too shabby?
Yes, I have never had any problem whatsoever with aol and am amazed that people seem to diss it all the time. As someone said, load it, minimise and use IE.
drphibes rides again
30-01-2004, 16:35
Originally posted by maledave
I'd rather use dial-up than any AOL service...
Yet another idiotic statement :oh-hum:
Drphibes
ive never had a problem with aol either. and i dont use their browser.
SeeWolfe
30-01-2004, 21:26
try sharing AOL around your house and you'll see why its pants. And yes, I know you can use software proxy servers but thats just a bodge.
Retronana
30-01-2004, 21:32
If you want a plug and play ADSL deal, this is not a bad price :)
Although if you want to share your ADSL line with anything other than one PC, give this a wide berth.
I tried to sign up for the Tiscali 150K service today and got a msg stating that it wasn't available in my area, but I could have the more expensive service if I wanted.
What a bunch of arse. Suffice it to say I won't be going with Tiscali. :nono:
I'm curently paying £9.00 a month for a dial up with AOL, really looking to get broadband though so this is of great interest, only been with them for a couple of months, might try ringing them and saying that I want to go broadband with someone else and see if they offer me this deal... for £19 that sems like a good deal...
I will be getting broadband soon with aol dial up at the mo but need to run on three pcs and don't think it that easy with aol plz answer questions HERE (http://thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=263310) if you know more about it :)
Thanks shane :D
512k, No connection fees, Free Modem and Free microfilter for £19.99 a month.
That must be a bargain.
tim allen
06-02-2004, 19:38
had a months free trial on 56k canceled it said i will be going to tascali 150k bingo 19.99 per month got this offer 3 weeks ago:)
no problems
Bapapapa
06-02-2004, 19:56
Does AOL work with Xbox Live yet..?
:dork:
Why do people dislike AOL so much, they are the only ISP I have ever used and I find them just fine?
I have no complaints at all except maybe the price.
Originally posted by Grumpy
Why do people dislike AOL so much, they are the only ISP I have ever used and I find them just fine?
I have no complaints at all except maybe the price.
I don't like the idea of not running more than one connection without a proxy !
They do take over your pc with there software :(
There price is not that bad !
shane
DeadKenny
06-02-2004, 20:51
Originally posted by RonnyJ
How exactly is AOL Broadband's internet 'cut down' then? ;)
A friend has AOL broadband, it's fine for absolutely everything, and all this talk of AOL being crap just seems to be a result of some form of 'elitism'.
Try installing their software and see it screw up your PC (in the old days they used to replace parts of your operating system with their own versions. Don't know if they still do but I've heard a lot of bad things about their latest software).
Why do AOL users have to be given a special link to web pages when sent in emails? ;)
Why pay money for AOL's "content" when it's freely available on the Internet anyway?
You have to remember that AOL come from being a separate network that later got pushed into "supporting" the Internet. Eventually they switched properly but they still try and force their junk on users.
I don't know about support but when AOL and NTL are mentioned together, AOL is often described as worse than NTL... and that's saying something considering how bad NTL are for customer service!! :eek:
Also, AOL are unfairly operating a UK Internet service without paying VAT which is damaging the decent UK ISPs who do have to pay VAT.
SpankySpanky
06-02-2004, 22:08
DK, sort of take your pont about *some* of AOL's bad points, but as a former user (I mean that in ever sense of the word as I got about 10 months of free surfing out of them in my 56k days!!) I have to say their support is absolutely second to none...and TOTALLY FREE (freephone number). How many other ISPs use freephone numbers? No matter what many ppl on here say, I STILL think £19.99/mth for 512k BB with NO set up fees and freephone support is a bargain of the highest order...
SS
The Grateful Ghoul
06-02-2004, 23:30
I have to agree, I swallowed my pride and signed up to AOL for the deal last year.
I cannot find any other ISP who will give a free modem, NO setup fees and only £19.99 a month for 512 speed adsl.
I simply minimize the AOL browser, open up IE and tell myself that I'm with Eclipse Internet :lol:
Call me crazy but it works for me
Originally posted by SpankySpanky
DK, sort of take your pont about *some* of AOL's bad points, but as a former user (I mean that in ever sense of the word as I got about 10 months of free surfing out of them in my 56k days!!) I have to say their support is absolutely second to none...and TOTALLY FREE (freephone number). How many other ISPs use freephone numbers? No matter what many ppl on here say, I STILL think £19.99/mth for 512k BB with NO set up fees and freephone support is a bargain of the highest order...
SS
I agree! It's the best priced Broadband nternet Service in the UK.
SeeWolfe
13-02-2004, 20:42
Originally posted by SeeWolfe
try sharing AOL around your house and you'll see why its pants. And yes, I know you can use software proxy servers but thats just a bodge.
Bit of an update - AOL now support router sharing - I've installed 3 this week for AOL clients. They only support the Alcatel series of routers but the setting are the same, so others will work just don't expect AOL to help.
However - bit of a gotcha - your password MUST be 6 chars and all lowercase.
AOL are still pants though.
Originally posted by seagull
Yes, I have never had any problem whatsoever with aol and am amazed that people seem to diss it all the time. As someone said, load it, minimise and use IE.
Yes but other ISP's are cheaper and you don't need to go through this hassle...
Why should any ISP force you to connect with their cut-down browser ?.. This is why myself and so many others dislike AOL.
Oh, and when i tried their free dial-up trial, after i phoned to cancel they still charged my card ( then claimed it would take up to 20 days to refund my money). On talking to a friend at work it seems they had done exactly the same thing to him :nono:
If this £20 broadband deal was generally available then it would be worth the hassle , but it isn't !!!!
StuBruise
14-02-2004, 11:30
Originally posted by DeadKenny
Also, AOL are unfairly operating a UK Internet service without paying VAT which is damaging the decent UK ISPs who do have to pay VAT.
But you could say the same about Jersey-based DVD suppliers... ;)
~~stu
agent007
14-02-2004, 13:04
They stopped the VAT thing some time ago, didn't they? They don't bill me from Ireland anymore, anyway.
Not everyone has to connect using the AOL software; some setups have ways around it.
Nobody has to use the AOL software after connecting with it.
The trial needs to be cancelled before 3pm on the last day to avoid being charged in advance for the following month.
just been offered 600kbps free modem, free firewall, free instalation with aol for £19.99, said that tiscali were offering 500kbps, so i wanted a better deal than that.
Originally posted by bigjon
just been offered 600kbps free modem, free firewall, free instalation with aol for £19.99, said that tiscali were offering 500kbps, so i wanted a better deal than that.
Erm, 600kbps is better than 500kbps?? Anyway, only ADSL option that is around that speed is 512download and 256upload (although Windows may report differently), so there may be some confusion about that (maybe AOL are offering you cable, not ADSL?)
DeadKenny
14-02-2004, 14:50
Originally posted by StuBruise
But you could say the same about Jersey-based DVD suppliers... ;)
Who pay VAT for us when they import R2 titles. i.e. they pay VAT on a UK product or service.
AOL are providing a UK product or service, so... :suspect:
Originally posted by agent007
They stopped the VAT thing some time ago, didn't they? They don't bill me from Ireland anymore, anyway.
They might have sorted it now. I think new EU rules came in that forced them to pay anyway, however not before the high court ruled in favour of an immensely big and powerful corporation... AOL (AOL is part of AOL/Time Warner who own major chunks of Hollywood), over a smaller UK ISP, leaving Freeserve a big bill for costs and AOL getting away with not having paid £100s of millions in VAT for years.
Still wouldn't touch them with a bargepole, and I wish they'd stop polluting the environment with millions of CDs that most people chuck in the bin which just goes into landfills :oh-hum:
thanks to original poster
as i have got them to offer me the £19.99 deal for 512k today will be set up in a weeks time.
SeeWolfe
21-02-2004, 22:16
Originally posted by vinmin
thanks to original poster
as i have got them to offer me the £19.99 deal for 512k today will be set up in a weeks time.
But....why? Please don't - go to a proper ISP
Originally posted by DeadKenny
Who pay VAT for us when they import R2 titles. i.e. they pay VAT on a UK product or service.
AOL are providing a UK product or service, so... :suspect:
They might have sorted it now. I think new EU rules came in that forced them to pay anyway, however not before the high court ruled in favour of an immensely big and powerful corporation... AOL (AOL is part of AOL/Time Warner who own major chunks of Hollywood), over a smaller UK ISP, leaving Freeserve a big bill for costs and AOL getting away with not having paid £100s of millions in VAT for years.
Still wouldn't touch them with a bargepole, and I wish they'd stop polluting the environment with millions of CDs that most people chuck in the bin which just goes into landfills :oh-hum:
i "saw" a royal mail prosecution last week. the postman had stolen 4 AOL cd's - all were in his flat and he had opened them instead of delivering.
sent down for 6 months.
doesnt anybody know that aol is not an isp but an osp
so you cant be on aol and thinking of changing to a rival isp,aol is maybe the only osp about so they "in affect" have no rivals.
Originally posted by jamie1c
doesnt anybody know that aol is not an isp but an osp
so you cant be on aol and thinking of changing to a rival isp,aol is maybe the only osp about so they "in affect" have no rivals. osp
:confused:
DeadKenny
23-02-2004, 09:46
Not sure on the term "osp", but if you mean they're a complete content provider, then there is a rival... it's called The Internet... and their content is free ;)
But some people like AOL's sugar coated watered down, suitable for 2 year-olds only, version of the Internet ;)
Has anyone got this offer and only been a member for a few days and if so what did you say ?
Originally posted by DeadKenny
Not sure on the term "osp", but if you mean they're a complete content provider, then there is a rival... it's called The Internet... and their content is free ;)
But some people like AOL's sugar coated watered down, suitable for 2 year-olds only, version of the Internet ;)
Since AOL has direct access to "The Internet", what exactly is your point? It might mislead people into thinking that they restrict access to the internet, and this isn't the case. Anyway, every ISP provides some sort of content to users, it's not as if you're forced to use it.
Also, if anyones interested in the speed of AOL broadband, heres an example (results of a friends speedtest from www.adslguide.org)
Downstream 442 Kbps (55.3 KB/sec) 477 Kbps (inc. overheads)
Upstream 229 Kbps (28.6 KB/sec) 247 Kbps (inc. overheads)
Dogbreath
23-02-2004, 11:45
Originally posted by DeadKenny
But some people like AOL's sugar coated watered down, suitable for 2 year-olds only, version of the Internet ;)
Rather a lot of people. I don't use it and probably never would, but my partner does and to be honest I can see why people with little internet experience like it. The "all in one" access software works well, as far as it goes and provides a friendly interface.
That said I deplore that fact the AOL use non standard protocols for email, meaning you have a very limited choice of email clients.
Grandmaster
23-02-2004, 12:36
Can you use a router/wireless router with AOL? Surely not!
Originally posted by Grandmaster
Can you use a router/wireless router with AOL? Surely not!
Think so, think someone mentioned it earlier. Also, my friend got a new pre-release version of their new software through (he's beta-tested stuff for them before), and apparently "it just uses a normal dialler now".
You get a free web cam with the deal, now, too.
I've agreed to sign up. What the hell. You only live once...
sportsmimic
23-02-2004, 23:46
Anyone have a number to speak to AOL?
Want to upgrade.
silmonli
24-02-2004, 08:49
Yes you can use a wireless router for AOL BB.
Have a look at this:
http://www-stg.aolsvc.co.uk/help/Speed570.htm
I've heard that you can use other ones, but this is the only one that AOL offers support on.
Or if anyone does have Dial-up AOL, type in keyword: Home Networking
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Sil :)
Originally posted by sportsmimic
Anyone have a number to speak to AOL?
Want to upgrade.
0800 376 4407
I signed up for this and the service is very good.
I dont browse the internet with their software I just use it to connect.
It's a good deal and it works.
As I stated in an earlier post £19.99 a month, with free modem and free connection and 3 Micro filters is the best in the country.
Are you telling me I should pay £25 a month + £50 activation fee + £50 ADSL Modem + £10 for Microfilters to someone like ZEN Internet just because they are a soo called proper ISP!?
:searchme:
I think not!
I go with what works. As much as Bill Gates is taking over the world and everyone hates his software, it does the job reasonably well( kinda. he he ). But I'm not gonna buy Linux becasue its a "proper" Operating System, that's soo called more reliable or more stable.
The simple fact is Linux will take me 2 months to get the thing working which to me is completly pointless when all i want to do is check my email, look at a few web pages and download some files.
So, to all you soo called computer and Internet savy users who paid over the odds for your "great", "real", isps I say : :razz:
because you paid too much!
ha ha ha
It's even worse if you have only one computer in your house because AOL would have been fine for you!
:lol:
agent007
24-02-2004, 11:31
Couldn't agree more, I've been on the £19.99 pcm + the works FREE deal for nearly six months and it's been absolutely fine.
I'd like to stop using the AOL software alltogether, but none of the guides I've seen match what I see on-screen, so I haven't got that to work yet -- but I'm sure I will!
Has anyone had success using routers other than the two which AOL recommend (the Alcatel & Thomson ones)? Is the AOL sign-on mechanism now sufficiently generic to work with any?
Originally posted by agent007
Couldn't agree more, I've been on the £19.99 pcm + the works FREE deal for nearly six months and it's been absolutely fine.
I'd like to stop using the AOL software alltogether, but none of the guides I've seen match what I see on-screen, so I haven't got that to work yet -- but I'm sure I will!
Has anyone had success using routers other than the two which AOL recommend (the Alcatel & Thomson ones)? Is the AOL sign-on mechanism now sufficiently generic to work with any?
Have you tried the following to not use the software, no idea myself yet.
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=aol&Number=1031358&page=7&view=expanded&sb=5&o=0
willng88
24-02-2004, 15:23
Has anyone on here got BT to match the AOL deal, as their still dead expensive at £27
DONT USE aol SOFTWARE
Heres what to do:
See those twon green arrows in your systray - go in - goto connect - username is yr master email address - password is first8 letters of yr paswd.
Download or request CD for AOL Communicator for your email.
enjoy faster connection.
enjoy no resets.
enjoy normal bb connection.
enjoy only £19.99 per mnth!
Originally posted by sho
DONT USE aol SOFTWARE
Heres what to do:
See those twon green arrows in your systray - go in - goto connect - username is yr master email address - password is first8 letters of yr paswd.
Download or request CD for AOL Communicator for your email.
enjoy faster connection.
enjoy no resets.
enjoy normal bb connection.
enjoy only £19.99 per mnth!
Yep yep! That works! Cheers sho! :clap:
agent007
24-02-2004, 18:20
Originally posted by sho
DONT USE aol SOFTWARE
Heres what to do:
See those twon green arrows in your systray - go in - goto connect
Thanks. I've read this in many forums, but the "connect" bit throws me. I've got no such button (instead I have Test1, Test2, Status, Configuration and Uninstall). Advanced mode (Ctrl-F1) doesn't bring one up either.
This is with the latest version of the BT Voyager 100 drivers (October 2003, 1.04.0010E-ELD-A). Do I need to downgrade to an older version or something?
If I run either of the Tests and click 'Cancel' then I get a BT screen with a 'Connect' button but clicking that fails with 'no dial tone'. There's nowhere to put a username or password. Any clues?
THanks OP,
that's a great bargain
agent007
24-02-2004, 22:46
Oh, wow, just got AOL working without the software!
Not the PPPoA way same as everyone else, but I did what the Americans do for PPPoE and that worked! Why? I've no idea! I simply went to 'Network Connections' and manually created a new Broadband connection, put the details in, and that was it! Magic! :clap:
I see the procedure is actually documented here if anyone else wants to try this route:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,6332885~root=aolplus~mode=flat;start=0
Note: this requires Windows XP (but might work on older O/S if a PPPoE dialer such as RASPPOE is installed). Erm... maybe! :searchme:
SpankySpanky
11-03-2004, 14:58
Just bumping this because my sis in law has been with AOL 56k precisely 3 months, I told her to ring and say she was going to Tiscali 150K BB, and lo and behold, the £19.99/mth 512k BB offer was presented to her immediately! So, it would seem that it's of no concern to AOL how short a time you have been subscribing to qualify for this. She also gets free connection, free modem and free webcam. Billy bargain!!
SS
I got it after being with AOL for three days, but I had to keep asking and was first offered it for 6 months etc before being offered the whole 12 months.
I would think a lot depends upon the operator, but I can't fault the customer service.
If I wanted wireless, how would this work with AOL ? Can AOL provide the wireless kit at extra charge, and would it be VFM from them ?
Or would I take the wired freebie from AOL and buy my own kit ? (In which case, being a total wireless newb, I've another question looming ... !)
TIA for any advice/experiences.
paulclissold
11-03-2004, 17:16
Originally posted by driver8
If I wanted wireless, how would this work with AOL ? Can AOL provide the wireless kit at extra charge, and would it be VFM from them ?
Or would I take the wired freebie from AOL and buy my own kit ? (In which case, being a total wireless newb, I've another question looming ... !)
TIA for any advice/experiences.
Got myself a D-Link DSL 604+ Wireless ADSL Router for £99 notes at PC World on Tuesday. Hooked it up to the Front Room Laptop via Ethernet, easy enough. Then wirelessly connected my other laptop from the bedroom, made a few setting changes and it all works well. Wires and extension cables all gone. You can even surf from the toilet!!. Kids have played on the laptop downstairs whilst I've worked on the other in the front room. So far, so good. Coverage seems fine, reception either excellent or very good. Fast surfing. This is all on AOL I should mention (1meg). You do have to fiddle with a few settings (and there is a helpful forum over at Expansys) but, even for a gormless novice like myself, it has not been too hard.
By all means go for the Thompson route as per Aol advice but you can do it with any other router now.
I have now been with aol for over 2 yrs now and called to get the £19.99 offer but was told they could only do it for 3 mths then back to £27.99 so the offer has either ended or i got a bad operater!
So i then tryed the live help but they only offered the same so canceled the lot now and going with pipex :)
shane
SpankySpanky
14-03-2004, 22:32
Originally posted by BICCUS1
I have now been with aol for over 2 yrs now and called to get the £19.99 offer but was told they could only do it for 3 mths then back to £27.99 so the offer has either ended or i got a bad operater!
So i then tryed the live help but they only offered the same so canceled the lot now and going with pipex :)
shane
Approached it all wrong IMHO, BICCUS1! What you simply have to do with AOL is say you are definitely going to a competitor and want to cancel. AOL hate losing a customer to a rival, but they also hate people asking them for a reduction. Weird, I know, but that's how it is with these people. I reckon if you ring and say you're off to Tiscali, you will get the 12 months at £19.99/mth offer, no sweat!
:thumbs:
SS
Originally posted by SpankySpanky
Approached it all wrong IMHO, BICCUS1! What you simply have to do with AOL is say you are definitely going to a competitor and want to cancel. AOL hate losing a customer to a rival, but they also hate people asking them for a reduction. Weird, I know, but that's how it is with these people. I reckon if you ring and say you're off to Tiscali, you will get the 12 months at £19.99/mth offer, no sweat!
:thumbs:
SS
I told them i wanted to cancel after they said only 3 mths and he recomended i have a look at bt broadband and keep away from Tiscali so i took his name and have sent an e-mail to them asking to be canceled!
shane
I think i will be beter off with pipex i was just be lazy about changing e-mails etc :)
If you have sent an email off to them why not phone up and do it instead. It is very surprising you weren't offered it. Try again. :)
VERY surprising.
first rule of dealing with OCS tubbies - do not be afraid to put the phone down and speak to another tubby as eventually you will find a happy one with a belly full of tubby custard.
:)
agent007
15-03-2004, 07:12
paulclissold thanks for providing that information. I'm also now looking to go wireless with my laptop, so that's nice to know.
I've a "10% off" voucher for PC World so perhaps I'll finally get to use it before it expires! :)
agent007
15-03-2004, 07:21
Oh, http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=274896
vickykienic
15-03-2004, 08:24
my husband did the same rang aol up and said we were going onto something else they offerd us the aol broadband plus free connection and modem plus free web cam for 19.99 a month bargain if you ask me
SpankySpanky
15-03-2004, 08:31
Originally posted by vickykienic
my husband did the same rang aol up and said we were going onto something else they offerd us the aol broadband plus free connection and modem plus free web cam for 19.99 a month bargain if you ask me
Now, THAT'S the way to approach it! And don't be critical of AOL in any way. Say you really like them BUT Tiscali is the SAME PRICE for BB as what you are currently paying for 56K with AOL. I'd be very very surprised, if using this approach you weren't offered 12 months at £19.99. After all, the AOL staff work on a script, a bit like a flow chart and usually follow it to the letter! I reckon it goes summat like this:
The unsubtle way:
Caller: Can I have BB for £19.99/mth?
AOL: Yes, for 3 months.
The subtle way:
Caller: I'd like to cancel, please.
AOL: Can I ask you why?
Caller: Yes, I'm off to Tiscali BB for £15.99, because that's what I'm currently paying you for 56K and I need to have my phone line available while online. A shame because I really like AOL....
AOL: What if I offered you our 512K (not 150K) BB for £19.99/mth for 12 months with free modem, set up, connection and a webcam? Would you be interested?
Caller: Err, yes...
THE END.
;)
SS
Dustybin
15-03-2004, 08:39
^^^
Now thats a bargain!
DeadKenny
15-03-2004, 13:06
Originally posted by Dustybin
^^^
Now thats a bargain!
Not that much of a bargain. There are others with similar prices, and at least they're not AOL.
Check http://www.adslguide.org.uk/
SpankySpanky
15-03-2004, 13:21
Originally posted by DeadKenny
Not that much of a bargain. There are others with similar prices, and at least they're not AOL.
Check http://www.adslguide.org.uk/
DK, where are you looking? I can't see any for £19.99/mth with free modem, free webcam, free connection, free set up and freephone technical support?? Am I looking in the wrong place??
;)
SS
wallofbeans
15-03-2004, 14:10
im on aol 56k now.. getting broadband'd asap and was gonna run from aol as fast as i could.. this offer is tempting.. but im a mac user and if i remember correctly they dont do broadband for mac (yet)?
anyone know for sure?
locust64
15-03-2004, 16:03
does tiscali restrict p2p
thanks
Originally posted by SpankySpanky
Now, THAT'S the way to approach it! And don't be critical of AOL in any way. Say you really like them BUT Tiscali is the SAME PRICE for BB as what you are currently paying for 56K with AOL. I'd be very very surprised, if using this approach you weren't offered 12 months at £19.99. After all, the AOL staff work on a script, a bit like a flow chart and usually follow it to the letter! I reckon it goes summat like this:
The unsubtle way:
Caller: Can I have BB for £19.99/mth?
AOL: Yes, for 3 months.
The subtle way:
Caller: I'd like to cancel, please.
AOL: Can I ask you why?
Caller: Yes, I'm off to Tiscali BB for £15.99, because that's what I'm currently paying you for 56K and I need to have my phone line available while online. A shame because I really like AOL....
AOL: What if I offered you our 512K (not 150K) BB for £19.99/mth for 12 months with free modem, set up, connection and a webcam? Would you be interested?
Caller: Err, yes...
THE END.
;)
SS
Called them again today to be switched off and they gave in and gave me it for £19.99 for 1 yr :)
shane
SpankySpanky
15-03-2004, 18:10
:clap: :clap: :thumbs:
SS
Cancelled my broadband.
I couldn't access ebay or cdwow with it and couldn't be asked to faff around with their technical support team.
Originally posted by nmirza
Cancelled my broadband.
I couldn't access ebay or cdwow with it and couldn't be asked to faff around with their technical support team. :searchme:
DeadKenny
15-03-2004, 21:21
Originally posted by SpankySpanky
DK, where are you looking? I can't see any for £19.99/mth with free modem, free webcam, free connection, free set up and freephone technical support?? Am I looking in the wrong place??
E7even for the equivalent of £16.66 a month with free "install" (though including a membership fee:confused: ). You have to pre-pay for two years though ;). However there's a package that works out at £19.66 if you pre-pay for 6 months.
Apparently there are no restrictions on use.
Charges for connection/set-up/install are a con anyway as there really is nothing to set-up beyond the user plugging in the stuff.
The modem you pay for but you can get them so cheap that even if you average it out over the year the monthly charge is still cheap. Tech support by email is free, by phone is £1, but to be honest you're better off with almost all ISPs by reading a Dummies Guide of some sort, which will sort out most problems and stop people wasting the tech support lines with silly "have you plugged it in?" issues (and not to mention you'll probably know more than they do in the end) ;)
Webcam... :lol:. I bet AOL ship some budget junk worth about £5 :D. Whatever the case they're notorious for crashing when connected via USB together with something like a USB ADSL modem.
I believe Pipex have packages around the £20 mark too.
If you look at the total cost of ownership and average it out monthly there are plenty of cheap options.
Of course, whether they're any good is another matter ;)
SpankySpanky
15-03-2004, 21:45
Originally posted by DeadKenny
E7even for the equivalent of £16.66 a month with free "install" (though including a membership fee:confused: ). You have to pre-pay for two years though ;). However there's a package that works out at £19.66 if you pre-pay for 6 months.
Apparently there are no restrictions on use.
Charges for connection/set-up/install are a con anyway as there really is nothing to set-up beyond the user plugging in the stuff.
The modem you pay for but you can get them so cheap that even if you average it out over the year the monthly charge is still cheap. Tech support by email is free, by phone is £1, but to be honest you're better off with almost all ISPs by reading a Dummies Guide of some sort, which will sort out most problems and stop people wasting the tech support lines with silly "have you plugged it in?" issues (and not to mention you'll probably know more than they do in the end) ;)
Webcam... :lol:. I bet AOL ship some budget junk worth about £5 :D. Whatever the case they're notorious for crashing when connected via USB together with something like a USB ADSL modem.
I believe Pipex have packages around the £20 mark too.
If you look at the total cost of ownership and average it out monthly there are plenty of cheap options.
Of course, whether they're any good is another matter ;)
DK,
I'm reading between the lines here, but I think what you are really saying is 'I hate AOL, that's why it aint a bargain', cos tbh all the options you have come up with here are in no way 'equal' to the £19.99 AOL bargain, mate! Would YOU pay 2 years upfront to a company I suspect less than .000005% of the population has ever heard of?? Connection fees may be a con, but it's a BT con! And how many 'average' users would rather email tech support for free as opposed to talk to em for free?? Cheapest Pipex package (my ISP, btw) is IIRC £23.49/mth, btw, and I think you have to pay a connection fee plus buy a modem.
Sorry, DK, you're gonna have to come up with a lot better argument than that one, mate! I would like to make it clear that I'm NOT an AOL customer, but if this offer had been available when I was looking, Pipex may have come second!
SS
<\monotone>I used to think AOL were not for me, but now I am reformed. I like AOL. I am one of the one of the pod people.<\monotone>
Besides now you don't have to use their software it is an excellent offer.
trying my best to get this £19.99 deal as i type
it' a no-go.
been told that the £19.99 offer is at the discretion of the ADSL team but i was not going to be offered it :(
Originally posted by moko7t8
it' a no-go.
been told that the £19.99 offer is at the discretion of the ADSL team but i was not going to be offered it :(
Call the cancellation team and they will ask why you want to cancel tell them you know a few hundred people who have been given it for £19.99 and they seem to give in then worked for me :)
shane
will try later, their phone lines are ""experiencing high traffic""
Does this £19.99 offer apply to those wanting the 512k BB on ntl lines or is it just adsl?
for anyone not wanting to sell their soul to AOL - sorry i mean not wanting a 12 month contract with AOL:
virgin.net (http://www.virgin.net/customers/internetaccess/broadband/index.html?buspart=157)
do broadband for £24.99 a month WITHOUT any 12 month contract
(modem @ £9.99 too)
If you read on some of the message boards on the ISP reviews, virgin have one of the worst records of service I have seen.
here we go again. wish me luck
Originally posted by Choccy
If you read on some of the message boards on the ISP reviews, virgin have one of the worst records of service I have seen.
i'd rather that than AOL - and not committed to AOL for a year!
got it this time round :)
I really don't understand peoples problem with AOL.
you can connect without using their software now and there is no download limit
paulclissold
19-05-2004, 12:04
1meg Broadband reduced from £34.99 to £29.99 for all users with immediate effect (received an email from them).
And no "usage limits".
That's £29.99 for my 1meg. I've had no dropouts or stoppages since taking up broadband. I network via Dlink G604T three computers, two of which DO NOT have the bloated AOL 9 (the kids like parts of aol so I keep that for them). Speeds consistent and always well up with "the top ten" (using the speed test via adsl guide forum).
The stigma of aol not being a "proper" provider may well remain with some. I'll just sit here and enjoy the service.
DeadKenny
19-05-2004, 12:29
and NTL see fit to put their 1Mbps price UP! (from £35 to £38) :oh-hum:
(okay they've since agreed under pressure from Telewest to match Telewest and provide 1.5Mbps but they won't provide a cheaper 1Mbps option :oh-hum: ).
agent007
19-05-2004, 12:45
Yep, from today:
AOL Gold now £24.99 (was £27.99)
AOL Gold+ now £31.99 (was £34.99)
AOL Platinum now £29.99 (was £34.99)
djblamire
19-05-2004, 16:52
is it possible to use AOL with a standard ADSL router, or do you still require their 'software' ?
Thanks
Daniel
nope - you don't have to use the bundled BT-Voyager-100 or stick to the Thomson branded wireless stuff, it's just that their support is geared up for these products.
I'm on a wireless Dell laptop that hasn't seen a whiff of the AOL software, connected thro belkin kit. :) And I only use the AOL software now on the PC as an email client (again not necessary, but works fine for me.)
djblamire
19-05-2004, 21:13
Originally posted by driver8
nope - you don't have to use the bundled BT-Voyager-100 or stick to the Thomson branded wireless stuff, it's just that their support is geared up for these products.
I'm on a wireless Dell laptop that hasn't seen a whiff of the AOL software, connected thro belkin kit. :) And I only use the AOL software now on the PC as an email client (again not necessary, but works fine for me.)
Are you doing the Credit Card thing too, or just paying for the service?
Do they supply you with all the connection details that can be used on your own router ?
Thanks
Daniel
i have a second PC networked to my own but it's a pain to change the network settings so that my wife can browse on the second PC each time i have to reboot. Is there anyway to permanently keep the settings so that windows remembers them all the time?
AOL users should undertand what i am asking (hopefully)
Originally posted by moko7t8
i have a second PC networked to my own but it's a pain to change the network settings so that my wife can browse on the second PC each time i have to reboot. Is there anyway to permanently keep the settings so that windows remembers them all the time?
AOL users should undertand what i am asking (hopefully)
Do you mean so you can connect to AOL without having to set everything up each time?
If you do and I am not sure, you can set up a dial up connection with the connection wizard and connect as you would to any ISP.
sounds good, i'll give it a go.
i have to connect on the 1st PC, go into network connections, select 'the internet' connection and enable it to share internet connections. Change the IP etc.
Try these, as it's where I got my info from.
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,6332885~root=aolplus~mode=flat;start=0
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=aol&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=0
paulclissold
20-05-2004, 07:40
Also, you can now pay via Direct Debit (used to insist on a credit card but they changed that a while back).
Very good networking advice here;
http://www.the-scream.co.uk/forums/f7.html
This ain't working for me guys!! :(
I've phoned AOL twice threatening to cancel and haven't been offered the lower rate. The second time I called I asked for my CBUK number so that I can migrate to another ISP, they gave it to me and still no offer to reduce my sub to £19.99 a month. I'm currently signed up to their 512kbps Broadband package. Am I approaching this wrongly? I may have to leave AOL after all coz I cannae justify paying them the extra fiver a month.
Is there anywhere I can get cheap reliable dial up access to the net in the meantime? What other good broadband deals are there out there?
i think they wont reduce the package, the only increase from a 56k to a 512k
Originally posted by Herbal
i think they wont reduce the package, the only increase from a 56k to a 512k
Hasn't anyone who's been signed up to AOL Broadband for longer than 12 months managed to get the £19.99 rate from AOL when they called AOL's cancellation line then? :(
Grandmaster
25-05-2004, 15:28
Originally posted by Herbal
i think they wont reduce the package, the only increase from a 56k to a 512k
Exactly, they're looking to attract new broadband customers, not give discounts to existing ones!! :doh:
They wouldn't offer me a cheaper broadband package, so I'm now looking elsewhere.
Originally posted by SuperPP
They wouldn't offer me a cheaper broadband package, so I'm now looking elsewhere.
Have you cancelled with them already SuperPP? They didn't try and keep you on when you cancelled?
What AOL broadband package were you on and how long have you had it for?
dunkieboy
26-05-2004, 00:10
My company has AOL dialup at the moment, If they can blag this upgrade what modem will they get, is it a BT Voyager 100?
If so can anyone confirm the connections/options for this modem to connect it to 3 other computers via Ethernet. Would the main PC have to be on and connected for the other PC to access the net.
I can't find proper technical information on the modem anywhere.
Maybe the cheap routers from Ebuyer would be a safe bet as I've read they work with AOL now.
Thanks.
Cheap modem/router here:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3Jldmlld3M=&product_uid=48449
Confirmed as working with AOL BB here:
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=aol&Number=1041980&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=0&fpart=all&vc=1
agent007
26-05-2004, 01:37
There are no "connections/options" at all for connecting it (BT Voyager 100) to other computers. It's a basic USB modem - the only connections it has are for the USB cable and the telecom cable. If you wish to network your computers you'll need to make your own arrangements, as now.
dbrownybeer
26-05-2004, 15:49
Is tiscali 150k BB any good then? considered changing from ntl but wasnt sure of the quality!
Originally posted by IzNorty
Have you cancelled with them already SuperPP? They didn't try and keep you on when you cancelled?
What AOL broadband package were you on and how long have you had it for?
Only 2 weeks (dial up). so maybe not suprising.
All they would offer me was the 256 for £19.99 (normal price). I said tiscali was a better deal and they went on about the free customer support with AOL, but wouldn't offer me a better deal so lost my custom.
It now looks like they are no longer offering this now that they are launching AOL Silver! I have been with them for over a year and tried to get 526 for £20 but no joy!!
i have just signed up for the £20 512kb service. i was on a 2 month trial with them (although 2 months before i was with them for about a year or so). at the end of the trial i rang to cancel and the lady told me that they had the £20 offer going until the end of may (i think). when i tried to get the offer before i was told it had to be noted on your account that you could get the rate at the time.
Originally posted by fatguy
i have just signed up for the £20 512kb service. i was on a 2 month trial with them (although 2 months before i was with them for about a year or so). at the end of the trial i rang to cancel and the lady told me that they had the £20 offer going until the end of may (i think). when i tried to get the offer before i was told it had to be noted on your account that you could get the rate at the time.
Kewl! :clap:
Were you on a dial up trial or broadband trial? Any idea what AOL meant exactly when they said "it had to be noted on your account that you could get the rate at the time"? :confused:
Has anyone who's been signed up to the 512kb AOL service for over a year been offered the £19.99 rate for 512kb broadband when they tried to cancel their AOL Broadband?
Grandmaster
26-05-2004, 19:49
Honestly IzNorty, give it up! ;) AOL is looking to upgrade dial-up customers, not give discounts to existing broadband customers. I don't think you can get 2 month trials on broadband, so I'm guessing fatguy's on dial-up.
Originally posted by Grandmaster
Honestly IzNorty, give it up! ;) AOL is looking to upgrade dial-up customers, not give discounts to existing broadband customers.
I have absolutely no intention of giving it up Grandmaster. :)
AOL give discounts to existing dial-up customers to keep them on when they try and cancel their dial up account (£6-£9pm for dial-up as opposed to the £15.99 they normally charge). I've been with AOL for four years now and it's not beyond the realms of possibility that AOL have similar retention offers for customers signed up to their broadband service.
Thanks for your thoughts on the subject though.
@IzNorty. i was on dial up. but as i had cnacelled my aol to take the months trial offered by freeserve, i explained to them that if they could match that i would be interested. (the declined).
i had the feeling that only a selected few were to be offered the £19.99 deal at that time but when i got it they had an ad banner for it.
Grandmaster
26-05-2004, 23:16
Originally posted by IzNorty
I have absolutely no intention of giving it up Grandmaster. :)
AOL give discounts to existing dial-up customers to keep them on when they try and cancel their dial up account (£6-£9pm for dial-up as opposed to the £15.99 they normally charge). I've been with AOL for four years now and it's not beyond the realms of possibility that AOL have similar retention offers for customers signed up to their broadband service.
Thanks for your thoughts on the subject though.
I want a gold house and a rocket car, but that's not going to happen either!! :lol:
Seriously, the strategy is fairly straightforward. They offer an enticement to get more money out of dial-up users, and presumably after a year they ramp the cost back up or downgrade users to the 256kbps Silver service.
The argument can be settled very easily - if any one here has managed to get £19.99 512kbps access when they've already paid the standard broadband rate, post here.
*watches tumbleweeds roll by, a church bell tolling in the distance*
agent007
27-05-2004, 04:53
Not likely; at this time most AOL BB users will still be within their initial 12 month contracts. AOL have no reason at all to give discounts to such members.
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