My AOL Hell!

I got home from work yesterday and the first thing I always do is turn my computer on so I can sign on. Not sure why cause I don't have any pressing emails, but its habit. Comfort if you like, the gentle hum of my computer brings me comfort. Lulls me to sleep. Well, I can't get online. What the heck is going on!?

I turn off my comp and start from the beginning. Still the same thing. I turn off my netgear router that AOL gave me, again nothings happening.

I'm starting to panic, the fear of not being able to get online surges up inside me. I'm sure you've all been there, just 24 hours without being able to get online brings the panic attacks for me.

When I spoke to customer services earlier and she said, "I'll have to re-order your broadband and I won't lie to you, it might take up to 10 days", I did shed a tear. 10 DAYS WITHOUT INTERNET!  I'd be climbing the walls, I know the new season of Americas Next Top Model just started back but that only provides me with an hours distraction.

Well, today from the moment I woke up to about 10 minutes ago I've been dealing with the incompetence of AOL representatives. Somewhere during that period I did go to work for 4 hours but as stressful as work is AOL has the art of stressful and annoyance down to a T.

I spoke to 4 different AOL LiveHelp Representatives, I wanted to reach my hand into my computer and stangle all but 1 of them. They didn't seem to understand that there was nothing wrong with my phone line since I could connect via dial up but got nothing when I connected my router.

They asked me to do the same thing that the person before them asked me to do. I kinda did have a hostile typing tone when I spoke to the last guy but by then i'd lost all patience. He said that since I could only talk to him via dial up I needed to call in and get help.

Ok, so why couldn't the three other people before you tell me that???

Course calling AOL will cost you a small fortune these days as you get passed from department to department at the cost of 5p a minute. 15 minutes later i'm being passed back to the technical department but having to wait in the que again! Sure, singing along to The Son of a Preacher Man distracts your mind for a moment. Until you glance at the clock on your comp that tells you you've been singing your AOL karaoke for 47 minutes and you won't be spending your over time money on dinner and a movie but on the phone bill.

I'm being told my broadband has been cancelled...so it was working yesterday morning but not yesterday evening, why would my phone service provider cancel my broadband in the middle of the day and on a Sunday...ok, wait, its active on your other screen name...well, that's the screen name i'm trying to use so why's it not working...oh thats a technical support question i'll try and contact them and find out...back to Marvin Gaye; Heard It Through The Grapevine & back to India I go...FINALLY...after a day of HELL, I get through to Dhawan (I like it when they use their real name, I know I'm talking to you from India so why pretend your name is Tom or Dave). He takes me through the same steps as the other useless LiveHelp techs but this time he asks me to make different selections??? huh? wa? why different. I'm thinking he doesn't know what he's doing since 4 other people have told me to do something different. I'm thinking he's wrong...wait or could he be the only bright spark in a very dark and dim room known as AOL technical support representatives??? Yes. He is. He fixes it all for me. Cue the fireworks, orchestra and loud Herbal Essences orgasm. I'm back online the broadband way.

If you've an AOL Hell story that you'd like to share, contact us free on 0800 AOL SORT YOURSELVES OUT!!! or visit us on our website at:

www.I'dLeaveAOLifIdidntHaveA12MonthContract.com