AOL pays $1.2M to State of NY

[PrntRhd]

AOL customer service reps were getting big bonuses if customers were talked out of cancelling the service. This led to the reps simply ignoring the requests to cancel and continue billing.
:mad:
The Attorney General of NY sued and AOL now has to pay $1.2M and change the practices causing this problem.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=4B5HPRQTNPAMMQSNDBCSK HSCJUMEKJVN?articleID=170000142

[pop pop]

Former customers in NY may also seek damages for such nasty conduct and recieve up to the equivalent of four months of AO-Hell charges in compensation. They (AO-Hell) pulled exacly this crap on my wife when she tried--for hours--to cancel her son's AO-Hell account. Unfortunately, we live in NJ and do not fall under the benefits of the decision rendered in NY.

Although the practice by AOL call center employees was repugnant, I almost--almost--find it difficult to blame them. Management implemented the stupid policy whereby a call center employee could get a substantial bonus ($10K, I think) if he/she could get 50% of the callers who requested cancellation to change their mind. Now I ask you, if you were making what a call center employee does (minimum wage?) and you had a chance to get $10K, what would you do?

[123456]

Woo hoo! My state's richer!

[Chick N Egg]

I work at a call center for a major credit card company and I can't begin to tell you how many call we get about cancelling AOL off credit cards. Good news. It certainly explains a lot of things.