Comments on: AOL Adding Ads to Subscribers’ Email

By: Bridget Kelley-Dearing

Bridget Kelley-Dearing — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:24:42 +0000

Like others here, I too have been with AOL for years (approximately 10 years) and I HATE their banner ads. I don't recall ever being surveyed on the topic, either. The banner ads lock up my system and I either have to exit AOL altogether or click on the banner ad and exit it in order to read email. I concur that there is absolutely no information on AOL as to who to contact to complain about the issue. (Lately, their HELP keyword leads mostly to error pages: URL not located on this server!!!) I, too, am going to finally leave AOL. I was only keeping it because of my email address being tied to many genealogy sites. Oh well.. I will finally have to start over with it. Good Riddance AOL.

By: Roberta

Roberta — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 23:20:40 +0000

we should organize a boycott online and threaten to quit AOL if they don't get rid of the ads on email. As paying customers, we should not have these ads to deal with. In my case, I have to wait for the ads to load before I can open any email, or everything goes slower or freezes until the ads appear.

By: Larry Pate

Larry Pate — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:38:29 +0000

I am so mad at AOL that I could spit nails! They enticed me with a DSL option with the idea that I would pay only $5.00 more for DSL and the subscription to AOL would be free. THEY DID NOT tell me about pumping banner ads at me! Even when I am on wireless or on high speed cable, they pump animated banner ads at me so fast that I cannot open email downloads from people sending me files! That is with broadband!

It is INFURIATING!!!! It locks up my entire emails system! I minimize all windows with banner ads and never look at them. IT DOES NOT HELP! Sometimes it will lock up my email for minutes at time while successive banner ads load. With broadband, no less!

Do the idiots at AOL understand what they have done? I have been with AOL for about 12 years! They are about to lose me forever! I HATE THEM FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE! HELL WILL FREEZE OVER BEFORE I EVER RESPOND TO A BANNER AD ON AOL EMAIL. THEY HAVE INVADED PRIVATE SPACE. ADVERTISERS, DO YOU GET THIS?!!!~!!

By: Paul H.

Paul H. — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 15:15:45 +0000

If you are thinking of switching to AT&T Yahoo DSL service to escape the banner ads, DON'T !!! Three weeks ago, AT&T Yahoo DSL started putting banner advertisements in my email and it's bugging the crap out of me. I have complained by email and threatened to switch to a new service, but the ad's keep coming. I guess it's time to find a new provider, any suggestions?

By: Cathy

Cathy — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 23:13:43 +0000

AOL is lying about surveying their customers. I have yet to hear of anyone who was surveyed, and there isn't anyone who would ever opt for these obnoxious memory eating ads. I've been a member for 11 years, and I will be canceling if these ads are not gone very soon.

By: B. Scholz

B. Scholz — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 14:17:16 +0000

Like others here, I am a long-time AOL subscriber that HATES the email ads and I don't recall ever being surveyed on the topic, either. I suspect the AOL “survey” took place around a Time-Warner conference table. To make matters worse, there's absolutely no information on AOL as to who to contact to complain about the issue. (Lately, their HELP keyword leads mostly to error pages: URL not located on this server!!!) I, too, am about to leave AOL's walled garden. Didn't they read the recent BusinessWeek article about customer satisfaction?

By: H. Lucas

H. Lucas — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 22:24:01 +0000

Their ads drive me nutz. It bothers my mind when trying to read some important mailings. Also with the lists I'm on, it requires animation usuage and seeing movement on all areas of the email is retarded. The bottom ad animation crap is unwanted. They used to ask for spam to be sent to 'em to fight off the crap. Now they do, but in turn, simply post back and return it to us. If there was another server that could handle what I use, I'd change in a heartbeat. AOL is going down the drain, with their own garbage.

By: Dee

Dee — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 08:21:58 +0000

When did AOL do the survey that we took that says we WANTED these ads????

By: Linda McCarty

Linda McCarty — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 07:16:10 +0000

I too have been with AOL for well over 11 years. I like some of their services, however the latest crap with the ads on emails is a bit much. I pay a monthly fee and shouldn't have to put up with this garbage. My software is already screwed up as I can't click on links and go to the site its suppose to take me to. I too know that their techs know nothing about what they are doing as I was on the phone with them for 3 hours one night, and went through 5 people. Finally the last person, apparently a supervisor, or someone that actually had education in computer information systems, fixed my problem. How much more do they want? We already pay a fee, now we have to see these stupid ads everytime we open an email. GEEZZZZ I can see doing this to the AIM people that just want a free service but to paying customers, its a bit much.

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 15:10:03 +0000

I sure as hell don't like it and I have been with AOL over fourteen years. I also don't remember ever getting a survey like they said so who are they lying to? I have had nothing but problems with AOL email with them blocking web site urls or links in email that they don't agree with. I also have a web site that has member and I fought them for two months because just the mention of the url without a link was being blocked. They tried to blame it on Comcast, Yahoo and MSN but after doing some research the techs at AOL postmaster had to admit it and clear up the problem. Half of the techs there don't know what the hell they are doing. That is the problem with farming out help. America online is not America online anymore.