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Securing an escape from the net

Jun 7 2009 by Ian Robson, Sunday Sun

JACQUELINE COOMBS was caught in a Catch 22 situation when she cancelled her subscription to AOL.

She no longer had a computer so she sent a letter saying she wanted out of the contract.

But AOL said they needed an e-mail instead.

And Jacqueline couldn’t send an e-mail because she no longer had a computer.

Jacqueline, 49, of South Hylton, Sunderland, asked for my help when she realised AOL were still taking money out of her bank account.

She said: “I asked AOL why they had not told me what I needed to do to cancel. They said everything is done by e-mail but this was impossible in my case.

“I cancelled the direct debit but AOL said I was in arrears of £39.80.

“They demanded the money in 10 days or they would hand the account to debt collectors.”

I passed her complaint to AOL where a spokesman said: “We have no record of receiving a letter but on this occasion we are happy to waive the bill.”

Jacqueline later told me the bill had been scrapped.

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