Sorry folks, but steam is coming out of my ears.
My provider is AOL and I have not been happy with them for some time, in fact, as soon as my contract with them is up I shall be switching PDQ. The last time Sazzie was here she tried to get us the whole package from Sky, I think [I know...but as long as I can remember the REALLY important things...] but AOL said no, the penalty for breaking the contract would be quite a lot, so she fixed our Sky package and we decided to wait, till September I think [she is down in four weeks so I think we might cut our losses then].
For the past few days, after logging on to AOL for my mail - the only thing I use it for now since Sazzie fixed me up with a Google thingey - it has been presenting me with a blank box each time I try to log off. It is the usual box with 'Are you sure you want to log off?' at the top, but the 'close' button is not there. Aware of my predilection for tying to solve my own problems with disastrous results I went on to what I believed to be AOL's problem solving website. Typed into the box provided that 'you are showing me a log off box which is blank and I am having to close down my system each time'...or words to that effect.
Up came another site with a lot of reassuring signs, like 'Here to Help' '14 years experience' '11324 satisfied customers' and 'write your question here' So I did.
Up came another box- 'I can answer your question: how much are you prepared to pay...£28 ?'
Excuse me?
I'm looking everywhere for the 'Piss off' button, or another box where I might vent my spleen into but up came another box.
'Are you hesitating?'
No matey, I'm switching you off.
So...I'm guessing that wasn't AOL
One good thing...when I lost him I lost AOL as well.
Good luck with this. Haven't ever had AOL but have heard a lot of complaints. Can't believe you have a contract for internet server. Guess I move around too much for that.
ReplyDeleteGGGGrrrrrr....technology can make me grind me teeth in frustration....good luck with ridding yourself of AOL, hope you get it all sorted out.
ReplyDeleteSorry for laughing but when you mentioned a piss off button that just set me off. Thanks for cheering me up with your dodgy internet service provider story but I do feel your pain. Get rid asap :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you have still got a sense of humour even though the button is pissing you off.
ReplyDeleteHope you get fixed you with something better.
Maggie X
Nuts in May
I have a theory, Moannie. The reason this happened was because you were saying last post that your muse wasn't working, or had left, or otherwise you had nothing to write about. Voila! Something to write about!
ReplyDelete:-)
All of these providers are turning into nasty companies with no desire to provide service. I am dreading any changes we may make.
ReplyDeleteI have Time Warner Roadrunner service and I love, love, love them!!! Anytime I have any kind of problem, I just call them up and they will sit on the phone with me for hours, if necessary, to rid me of whatever problem I have. I don't know if it is available to you in England, but if it is, switch pronto! Also, I have a yearly subscription for Norton Internet Security. Anytime you "google" a question or thing, the sites that are suggested are approved or question marked by Norton, saying they have been proven safe or they have not. I never enter a site that hasn't already been proven safe. It is worth the $48 a year for virus protection and whatever else these services protect. Good luck finding a better internet service. I know how frustrating it can be for boxes to disappear! (I told my mom, who will be 77 on her birthday in a few weeks, that she needs to come read your blog. She gets so frustrated with technology, too!)
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem with new technology designed to save you time and money is that when it goes up the spongo it ends up costing you more of both.
ReplyDeleteInvariably the solution lies with a mis-ticked check box hidden deep within the bowels of Windows' throbbing belly which takes some hapless fool on the other side of the world three weeks to track down.
I miss those days when things could be fixed by giving them a good kick (children excepted).
AOL=Anathema-on-Line. It is a horrible service -- in fact it's an error to use that word 'service' applied to them. Your description of the boxes sounds almost like it might be some kind of malware. We have used Talktalk as our service provider since the beginning and while there have been problems from time to time, the value for money can't be topped.
ReplyDeleteStupid idea, maybe, but wouldn't it be possible to let run the AOL contract out without using their services? Meaning, you could start life with a new service provider immediately, not logging on with AOL anymore? You'd have to pay double for a couple of month, but wouldn't it be worth it?
ReplyDeleteDo hope your internet woes get sorted satisfactorily
ReplyDeletehow horribly frustrating all round!
Such is life --- in the US too.
My brother-in-law's house in Minot North Dakota was submerged by the recent flooding. FEMA --Federal Emergency something or other --wanted to 'see' the house before giving him any compensation.......
unfortunately.......the house was UNDERWATER!
Don't even get me started on FEMA - the comment box isn't large enough.
ReplyDeleteSame goes for internet service - they're all about making you happy, until you sign up. Once they've got your cojones in a vice, you can't find a phone number that works. Ay yi yi!
I had AO Hell once upon a time. Had a devil of a job trying to remove the program from my laptop when I finally stopped using their services.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I thought I had uninstalled the program, there were bits of it lurking around in my computer registry. That was a few years ago now. Hopefully it is easier to remove the whole shebang now.
I hope you find a new provider soon. Or at least the 'piss off' button.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, Moannie - you have become entangled with (IMHO) one of the very worst 'providers' in the business! I think the worst thing about AOL is that they tie you in so tightly it's hard to escape! We took out a short term contract for some reason.. I think it was while we were on holiday and needed internet access, and they were atrocious.
ReplyDeleteThen we couldn't extricate ourselves. They provide you with no way to do it! We actually had to cancel our credit card and take out a complete new one to get away from them!!
We wanted the 'Piss off' button too!
I hope you sort it out. Good luck!
Hello, Moannie!
ReplyDeleteHow are you? Were you able to get rid of the lousy provider?
Thinking of you,
Merisi xxx