So Long AOL, It Was Fun While It Lasted

We've made the decision to become upstanding citizens and stop mooching off AOL. For almost three years we've had free internet service thanks to AOL's ubiquitous free trial offers, but the time has come for us to part ways. Once in a blue moon we'd forget to cancel our free trial and get charged for a month and that was okay. We figured we probably owed them something. But the last few months we've been getting a crazy number of charges from multiple accounts we didn't have and it all added up to over a hundred and fifty dollars. That was not okay.

Because I'm a wonderful husband and provider for my family I sorted it all out with AOL and the bank. Our money will be returned and now I am a hero. But all this has tarnished our relationship with AOL. Things have become complex. It's no longer the trusting, they give while we take relationship that we've nurtured all these years. They want money up front now for their free trials and that's just not the kind of friendship I'm into. Love is unconditional and if AOL can't see that then it's time for both of us to move on.

The woman on the phone said that AOL changed their free trial system because people were actually using the free trials and then canceling just so they could start another free trial. I said, "Yeah, I'm one of those people." And she quickly said, "No offense." And really I wasn't offended. What did they expect me to do? Pay 25 bucks for dial-up every month out of my pathetic student's income when I could get it for free? Come on, I tried to cancel and for a straight year they wouldn't let me. No, no, no--we have really great services, don't cancel, we'll give you another two months for free. What was I supposed to do? Those call service people work hard, I didn't want to hurt their feelings so I (reluctantly) accepted their generous offers.

But now they collect their money up front and then return it after you've cancelled. If you're one day late canceling you could be out 75 bucks for a "free" three month trial. Even though AOL and I have worked long and hard at our relationship, it's just too much to risk. So I have decided to start anew with yahoo high speed. For 12.99 a month we'll have a chance to forge a new relationship of faster internet service that won't take up my phone line. It's not free, but it will have to do. And the cheap price only lasts for a year so I can only see more cancellations in our future.

Unfortunately, all this has made me fear commitment and expect rejection and betrayal. I'm looking over my shoulder now. Everything feels temporary. I'm a drifter in this world--no internet home, no more safety and stability. I've been burned and it's going to take a long, long time to get over this.