I have just replied to AOL/dept collection agency in similar situation.

I said in written letters of complaint to AOL (check their website - they do have an address that they try to hide) that I would take AOL/dept collection agency to court of breach of contract, adverse effects of my credit rating, legal fees, harrassment, loss of earnings and seek further substantial personal damages through the courts.

Complain to Ofcom (looks to be no use) - I have. Citizens advice is useful to have independent record of complaints.

They also have a website for complaints that they link to http://www.otelo.org.uk .

I don't know if that will help but I will be using it shortly.

I have no intention of paying - I have no intention of paying for what I haven't contracted for. I don't know about all the other people who have been treated in an outrageously crooked fashion by AOL but I have no intention of paying them a penny. I will go to court and sue them afterwards for damages.

I moved from AOL to another broadband provider because my router broke and another provider gave a better deal.

I was out of my 18 month contract period, but am now being pursued by dept collection companies for a 'disconnection' fee of £175.

I would advise that AOL is to avoided at all cost.

Talking to them over the telephone is pointless - they have agreed 3 times that I owe them no money, but I still am receiving threatening letters from AOL and their dept collection agency after 8 months and still may end up in court.

To everybody out there - NEVER use AOL without taking legal advice first.

maxsteam and tardbaz are quite right here: be firm and spell it out in no uncertain terms - you are being charged (and now chased) for money - it appears - you do not owe.

When my first broadband contract came to and end, I obtained my transfer code and switched without trouble - until I realised a month or so later that the original direct debit was still being taken from my account. After several fruitless phone calls, I wrote a strongly worded letter to the effect that if they continued to take money from my account for services they were not providing - and I had cancelled a couple of months earlier - I would take them to court to recover the money plus costs.

You've never seen a company move so fast! The important thing to note though is that I didn't cancel the direct debit first - I put the responsibility firmly on the company to sort it out. To be honest, I wouldn't have known where to start with the legal issue - but that wouldn't have stopped me.

It shouldn't come to that, of course, but as maxsteam and tardbaz point out, sometimes you have to put it all in writing and make sure it gets to the right people.

Hi,

Too late now but when you asked for your MAC key you should have also asked for a cancellation code. (if you did??? just quote it.)

(I would) send your debt collectors letter back to them with a solicitors address & state all future dealings be sent there & do not contact me again

You should write to both the debt collector and AOL giving the dates of phone calls, the date you got the pac code and any other relevant information. The letter should make it clear that you have cancelled the service and you nolonger are using it (they might keep adding a monthly charge to the account). You should send the letters preferably by recorded delivery (if not, ask the post office for a free proof of posting) and keep copies. You should only pay if you agree that the charges are right (or if you think that a court will agree that the charges are right). With a letter or two, you would have something to show to a court. You may get the dates and times of your calls from a phone bill.

Hi all

had a 18 month contract with aol which was due to expire in july 2009,so i went searching for a better package (and a faster one). i got a good deal with bt and the new homehub i was impressed with but i needed a code from aol to switch so i called them ended my account (which was now payed into the 19th month) got my mac code and was about to switch online when the fone rang, here was aol asking why i was leaving and giving us a better deal, the man was hard to understand but very persistant, still not impressed with the speed of there service i declined saying no thanx i was going with bt and i didnt want there package.

my DD was set up for BT, while i was at the bank i cancelled my DD for aol. AOL the following month rang saying they couldnt get money from my account "of course u cant" i said " i am no longer with u " full of apologies they hang up. this happened a few times.

i now have a debt collectors letter in front of me demanding £145..

ive tried calling aol a few times, they say all there calls are recorded yet they cant find the one which we said" no we dont want it thanx but no thanx" they want e mails of confirmation that i signed up to something that i never did,

god knows what i should do, any suggestions anyone ???? besides paying !!!