3 Ways To Cancel AOL Account in 3 Minutes
By Angsuman Chakraborty, Gaea News NetworkTuesday, August 8, 2006
Cancelling an AOL account can become a royal pain. As easy as it is to get an AOL account, they make it extremely hard to get out of it. This article lists three sure-fire time-tested methods of cancelling your AOL account in three minutes or less, one of them using the web. A fun bonus method is provided at the end.
How painful is cancelling an AOL account?
It took Dave Taylor 50 minutes. You can hear about Vincent Ferrari’s painful experience in WNBC interview below or just listen to recording of his painful phone conversation to cancel AOL account.
If you are still not convinced you can read some testimonials.
How to cancel your AOL account?
Method 1: Cancel AOL by Phone - Sold computer and moving out of country
Call 1-888-265-8008 (Direct number of AOL Cancellations Department)
Say: “Cancellation.” You’ll need answer to your security question.
Now convey to the live attendant that you have sold your computer and moving out of the country.
Him: Why would you like to cancel your account?
Me: Uh, I sold my computer, and I’m not getting another one.
Him: So…you just sold your computer, and you’re not going to go online?
Me: I’m also moving to Europe.
Him: You’re moving to Europe?
Me: Umm, yep, that’s it, I’m moving to Europe.
Thanks to Seth Bokelman for this method. It took him 3 minutes to cancel his AOL account. It worked for others too.
Method 2: Cancel AOL by Phone - Say “no thank you” to everything
Call 1-888-265-8008 (Direct number of AOL Cancellations Department)
Say: “Cancellation.” You’ll need answer to your security question.
Then a live attendant. They ask why you’re cancelling the service. Just repeat: I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it. Don’t be any more specific, or they’ll go off into a tree.
Then they’ll ask, are you planning to go on highspeed? Do you want high-speed?
No. No. No. No thank you. No thank you. Just repeat. You’ll have to do this about five times. Amazing. Like talking to an automated attendant who can’t understand what you’re saying.
Don’t explain anything, or it just takes longer.
Source: Comment by Nick at LifeHacker
Method 3: Cancel by FAX
If you prefer sending in your request through fax, please send it to us at 1-703-433-7283.
Notes:* If you choose to write or fax us, please include a brief note stating the nature of your request, the primary billing contact’s full name, phone number, address and handwritten signature.
* In addition to that, for account security purpose please provide any one of the following:
o The master screen name of the AOL account
o The last four digits of the current method of payment (for your security, please include only the last four digits)
o The answer to the account security question of the master screen name.
* Cancellation will take effect within 72 hours of receipt of your request and AOL will send you a written confirmation. Please note that AOL LLC reserves the right to charge and collect fees, surcharges or costs incurred before your cancellation takes effect. Thank you for using AOL.
via Ao(Hel)l
You can also use this web form to send AOL a fax.
People had mixed successes with this method. mailman-zero commented at digg about his repeated success at using FAX to cancel AOL. It shouldn’t take you more than 3 minutes to FAX this information to AOL.
Method 4 (Bonus): Swear in AOL Chat Rooms till they cancel
Here is the algorithm:
enter chat room
swear up a storm
get booted
enter chat room
swear
get account suspended for an hour
enter chat room
swear
“YOUR ACCOUNT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED INDEFINATLY”
This method was successfully used by digg user dgen_x.
Note: If you are still unable to cancel your AOL account I strongly suggest that you file a complaint with Federal Trade Commission (FTC). They are there to protect American consumers. Visit their website and click on File a Complaint link to file your complaint. It shouldn’t take you more than 5-10 minutes to file.
Let me know about your experience in cancelling AOL.
Tags: Aol, Cancellations, Federal trade commission, Nick, Say, Why
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September 24, 2010: 11:17 am
Hi and thanks, just got off the phone took about 5 Mins from the time it rang to completion, for people who do automated payments, all I did was tell them I was moving and shutting my bank account down. Thanks again |
 Scot Cerullo |
July 29, 2010: 9:46 pm
Thank U so Much!!!!! OMG!!!!! I tried SOOOOOO hard to cancel this stupid account, but your post made it happen in less than 2 minutes. U Rock!!! God Bless. Scot |
 Michelle |
July 2, 2010: 9:52 am
I WANT TO DELETE MY ACCOUNT AND WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD DO THAT FOR ME BECAUSE I DON’T USE IT ANYMORE. |
 RL |
June 25, 2010: 8:43 pm
May take more than 3 minutes (just did it and it took about 5-6, No real hassle. |
 jomac66 |
June 10, 2010: 4:44 pm
I tried to cancel Aol and got nowhere…fast. I told them I was emigrating and they wanted to know when, where and if I planned to return, doh !! I usually paid by my bank account card automatically online. I ended up telling my bank I had lost my card (to be on the safe side) so the bank cancelled it and sent me a new one with a different number(which they do in the UK)just to make sure they took no more money. Aol soon sent me an e-mail saying I had not paid, so after all that Aol still had not cancelled. The lengths you have to go to just to cancel. What part of NO does Aol NOT understand? |
 naiser |
 edr23r23 |
June 3, 2010: 12:39 am
It’s sad how many idiots have posted comments here asking to have their accounts removed as if Angsuman worked for AOL. You people are why the planet is F’ed. |
 george |
May 23, 2010: 8:35 pm
Greetings, I am George Morina of the Loana House Limited. We are a registered private financial Firm specialized in offering Loans of various Are you financially bank-rupted? |
 Hiedi Bonner |
 jeffrey cosma |
April 25, 2010: 1:20 pm
i dont want using aol email no more and i want all delete it all and close aol email i m prefer using yahoo email from now on and i dont like aol email and please delete it all .. thank you ,, jeffrey cosma |
 Chris Hernandez |
 bbk |
 BBK |
March 27, 2010: 7:53 am
I tried to cancel my aol by phone and no help was available. This is another reason I want out NOW!! |
 mhayha |
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February 27, 2010: 12:41 am
i want to no if u can delted this account becuze i dont need it no more thank u bill black |
 kerry kestner |
 Darjon Thayer |
February 20, 2010: 4:52 am
I would like to cancel my membership due to my son entered my information without my knowledge. He is 10 Years old. Thank You |
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January 26, 2010: 1:33 pm
I had a free account - how frustrating to cancel! |
 Andres |
January 25, 2010: 7:54 pm
Completely right. I said that I was going to Europe !!for good!! and they cancelled the account with no further questions. Thanks for your advise: Andres |
 gina |
January 21, 2010: 6:51 pm
Thank you! I went to their web-site and no ending in sight for 2 days don’t know what to do until I google cancelling account on AOL and saw this. Soon after I called AOL and got a “HUMAN BEING” on the phone 2-3 minutes later, AT LAST! canceled! wooh hohh!!! |
 John |
January 15, 2010: 2:57 pm
I used method number two, and it works!!! I followed it to the letter, and I got my cancellation within a few minutes. (I am keeping my cancellation confirmation number handy until my new credit card statement comes through, just to make sure they actually follow through.) Advice: DON’T waste time with the aol websites; they are designed to prevent you from getting a phone number or accomplishing a cancellation. |
 Ray |
January 7, 2010: 2:38 am
OK I tried swearing in AOL chat room to get canceled. No one would report me. I even tried swearing in the religious chat rooms. Nothing! What does it take to get my AOL account canceled???? |
 Tammy |
December 4, 2009: 4:37 pm
Thanks so much. I just called to cancel my AOL account and can’t thank you enough for the help. I forgot to look at the timer before I hung up but it couldn’t have take more than 5 minutes. The unemployed card works pretty well too. |
 Shaun |
November 28, 2009: 9:23 am
Sign in, click settings, enter answer to security question, click billing, click change plan, click cancel/free plan, click $0.00, enter alternate email address for confirmation (optional). Done in 1 minute, nothing to it. |
 Karen |
 shayal |
 flora |
 Justin |
October 24, 2009: 8:18 am
I went through with all their questions and billsh*t, call was still under 3 minutes. |
 van tran |
October 4, 2009: 2:23 pm
dear aol, i would like to close my account with aol, please do it for me thank you |
 linn |
September 23, 2009: 6:03 pm
Hey I tried to cancel my aol account via the phone initially and was told they were experiencing technical difficulties accessing my account eventhough I went through all of the verifications they asked to pull up the account, anyway I was told to call back later or go online to “aol keyword cancel”, that didn’t work either. After reading your suggestions here, I called back and used the sold my computer and moving out of the country scenario and IT WORKED! I was able to have my account cancelled immediately. THANKS!! |
buck