Aol
Aol Overview
The generated data is based on reviews and questionnaires provided by PissedConsumer.com users.
1.5 star rating from 235 customer reviews with 19% saying they would likely recommend Aol; consumers are mostly dissatisfied, with an unfavorable rating skew and frequent reports about customer service, billing and forced Aol Gold/membership transitions.
Key Takeaways for Future Customers
- Read recent Aol reviews to see repeated account access and verification problems.
- Expect difficulty reaching support and possible requests to pay for premium phone/subscription help.
- Consider alternatives if billing clarity, refunds, or reliable customer service matter to you.
Negative Feedback / Risk Areas
- Frequent locked accounts and broken verification processes causing permanent access loss.
- Long hold times, unresponsive or hard-to-understand agents and unresolved Aol customer complaints.
- Billing errors, unexpected charges, and pressure to join paid membership or subscriptions for support.
- Poor spam filtering and data/privacy concerns reported by users.
Positive Feedback
Some users praise older desktop versions and ease of using longstanding email accounts, and a few report resolved sign‑in issues after support intervention.
The generated data is based on reviews and questionnaires provided by PissedConsumer.com users.
1.5 star rating from 235 customer reviews with 19% saying they would likely recommend Aol; consumers are mostly dissatisfied, with an unfavorable rating skew and frequent reports about customer service, billing and forced Aol Gold/membership transitions.
Key Takeaways for Future Customers
- Read recent Aol reviews to see repeated account access and verification problems.
- Expect difficulty reaching support and possible requests to pay for premium phone/subscription help.
- Consider alternatives if billing clarity, refunds, or reliable customer service matter to you.
Negative Feedback / Risk Areas
- Frequent locked accounts and broken verification processes causing permanent access loss.
- Long hold times, unresponsive or hard-to-understand agents and unresolved Aol customer complaints.
- Billing errors, unexpected charges, and pressure to join paid membership or subscriptions for support.
- Poor spam filtering and data/privacy concerns reported by users.
Positive Feedback
Some users praise older desktop versions and ease of using longstanding email accounts, and a few report resolved sign‑in issues after support intervention.
Media from reviews
This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ
Verified Reviewer |
Palm Harbor, Florida
Cant access email
Can't sign on to AOL email. Have been trying for over an hour.
Have never had a problem before. Please help me.
Preferred solution: I want to be able to sign on to my email
Aol gold is rip off
- - Fee is $4.99; user dislikes AOL Gold and ads that appear.
- - Crashes and slower performance; send-to-later broken; unread/group email issues.
I was told that the fee was $4.99. In plain language the New aol gold sucks.
If I have to pay I don't want to see ads all over my mail, reading or when I'm writing. Send to later folder is all messed up. It seems to crash more & runs slower. After using aol for 26 yrs I have a problem , all of my important banking, govt, insurance,& social connections only have my aol email address.
I can't even imagine trying to change all those connections. UGH. I read an email & clicked on 'mark unread' when I tried to pull it back up I only got the heading but NOT the info. Trying to send email to a group of friends & being told there is a problem, but no idea what is wrong.
I always used this group in my 9.8 desktop with no problems. I can't tell you how disappointed I am with this aol gold.
Besides having the audacity to charge for what is free on so many other levels it just doesn't work. I'm starting to change all my aol correspondence to another outlet.
AOL Gold
- - Forced upgrade to AOL Gold; fee.
- - Sign-in slow; emails blank.
- - No private viewing; top speed removed.
- - Java not supported; leaving AOL after 14 yrs.
Aol Gold is a new aol service that I was forced to give up my old aol account and get the new AOL for a small monthly fee. Unfortunately I am very much disappointed.
It is very slow to sign in, emails open as blank and it freezes up all the times. I am very much disappointed. I be leaving Aol after being a member for over 14 years. Also there in no private viewing and the top speed that was on the old Aol is eliminated.
The function of adding unwanted emails to a block list is not there anymore and most importantly is this.
Aol Gold does not support Java. It does not allow the users to play Java games that is used by so many to plat with their friends on line.
I agree with the man about AOL Gold. It really sucks.
Replying to
This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ
Verified Reviewer |
Bedford, Bedford
Limited accessibility for Email Verification
UK User. I have used AOL Mail very happily for very many years.
Altho I am 91 years old, my hearing is very reasonable.
Recently, on logging on, Aol Mail has been insistent on verifying my ID, possible because of the odd typo.
One option is to listen to a synthetic voice providing a validation Code. On my landline, this is very faint, and far too rapid, even in the repeat.
Needs to be louder, and better uttered - more separation between code digits. The Gmail alternative is more fiddly.
Thank you Geoff Pickerell
User's recommendation: A good service, good spam filtering, some improvements required
This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ
Verified Reviewer |
Hohenwald, Tennessee
Lost email
Read the email. Closed it.
Tried to find it again. It is not there. Looked in trash, spam, and archive. Not there.
There is a glitch in their system. Not the first time this has happened.
- Presence
- No customer servicd
Preferred solution: Fix the system and find my email
User's recommendation: Use yahoo or gmail
This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ
Verified ReviewerCan’t access emails
- - 83-year-old brother locked out of AOL after 40 years, weeks of calls, no help.
- - After his death, codes go to AOL, blocking closure.
83-year-old brother locked out of AOL mail account. Has had the account for 40 years.
Tried to rectify since September 2025; apparently, they did some updates. Many calls, hours on the phone, no help. He had his landline phone as backup, now disconnected. I even scanned driver's license to rep; she quoted doesn’t match.
Hangs up. How's that possible on this old of an account?
He passed away in December; now I can’t access accounts to close, tell of passing, all say sending code to AOL account! Utterly unacceptable!!!
Preferred solution: Access to emails, making transitions impossible without getting 6 digit codes
This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ
Verified Reviewer |
Woodbine, New Jersey
- - Signed out of AOL mail on all devices; 2FA asks for a code I never set.
- - Support asked for ID and husband’s docs to verify, then more steps.
Somehow I am signed out of my AOL email on all devices. It happened on the same day, and I never log out so that is already fishy.
I know my password, but it still wants 2FA which I never set up, but I let it text me a code anyway. I got the code, then the next step is some imaginary 6-digit code that I do not have and never had. So I tried logging in via my recovery email; yet it still brings me back to this 6-digit code. So I called customer service.
Here's where the fun begins. The agent wanted me to prove my identity—makes sense—so I sent a pic of my photo ID. She said she can't verify my AOL account because my address on my ID is different than it is on my account. Well, people move, don't they?
So I tried my phone number and, of course, that is different too. Now, I know the old address and phone number; seems I should be able to rattle that off and be done. Nope, not acceptable. After maybe a half-hour of playing this game, the agent said she would have someone higher up call me.
Days later, I did get a call, and that person asked to talk to the other person on my account. There isn't anyone else on my account, but she asked if someone helped me set it up. That would be my husband, so I gave her his name. Then she wanted to talk to him.
When I said I was at work, she said I need to have him upload a pic of himself holding his ID and a bank statement. What the heck? Who is gonna do that and to what end? Every piece of info she asked for in order to verify my account was rejected even though I know all the answers.
Goodbye AOL! But this is frustrating because I know there's stuff in there I'd like to retrieve.
How on earth they can get away with this absurdity is beyond me. Someone should investigate their scam-like practices.
- Email is extremely user friendly
- Type information they require to help you is ridiculous
Preferred solution: I’d love to get back into my email account without having to send them so much personal information that it feels like a scam
User's recommendation: Look elsewhere
This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ
Verified Reviewer |
New Baltimore, Michigan
Terrible, terrible terrible customer service. Tried calling today, put on hold for over an hour, no one ever answered.
Called AOL customer service several times, put on hold each time, some for over an hour; still, no one answered.
- Long standing
- Poor customer service
Preferred solution: Cancellation of one of their services now still within trial period.
User's recommendation: Choose another email provider.
Silver Spring, Maryland
I was unable to signin.
AOL solved my problem. I had been unable to signin to my email. They were able to guide me through the process.
Jackson, New Jersey
Issues changing password
- - You could reach out by phone to help solve this issue.
- - I cannot reach you.
- - Here are the minimum 100 symbols you require.
- - Something else annoying!!!
You could reach out by phone to help solve this issue! I cannot reach you.here are the minimum 100 symbols you require.
Something else annoying!!! !!!vbyfddhjcdrjvdryjvdtubnitfhufdtgvjutdvuiygffffdsddfg
Preferred solution: Change my password without two step because your information is incorrect.
Exmouth, Devon
Resolved: Should have received a email about my order
Ordered a dish washer and was told I would receive a e mail about delivery and invoice but have not received it yet !
User's recommendation: Get a proper phone number that you can speak to some one
This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ
Verified ReviewerLocked out of email for over 1minth
- - I called to change my hacked number; it was elevated to New York and voicemail was removed.
- - I am not getting calls from New York to resolve this.
Contacted New York customer service but have not responded to my correspondence
I called to change my cell phone number because my number was hacked. For whatever reason, it was elevated to New York.
The phone number from New York went directly to spam. I finally got voicemail removed from my phone.
I am not getting any calls from New York to resolve this issue.
HELP
- When you can finally get to real teck service they are helpful
- Dealing with incompetence among the company
Preferred solution: My email restored
Greenwood Village, Colorado
Bad service
- - Sept 20: 90-minute call ended with no resolution and dropped.
- - Sept 24: On hold 2h38m with no solutions and repeated attempts to reach a supervisor.
Sept 20: 90 minutes on one phone call, no resolution of my problem, call dropped. Wasn't even given a case number.
If your call gets dropped (which it always does) they DO not and Will not, call you back. Time and effort down the drain. Saturday night, Sept 24: I have been on the aol tech support line for 2 hours and 38 minutes. The last 30 minutes I have been on hold.
I asked 3 times to speak to a supervisior. She was always "on another call". None of my problems have been solved.Frustrated beyond belief.
I don't dare hazard another try-it looks like they are "done" with you after 120 minutes, regardless of whether they helped you or not.
I am letting the call stay "live " i.e. myu
AOL was done in the 90s, good luck.
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I need my email NOW
- - AOL email used 30+ years with password login.
- - Now I must enter password, solve a puzzle, and get a code.
- - I won't provide more private information.
I've been using aol email for over 30 years by using my password. Now I have to enter password, solve a puzzle, get a code - and STILL can't get in because they want more private information gathering.
I NOT giving any more private information. I ABSOLUTELY need to access my email NOW!!
This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ
Verified ReviewerThe AOL desktop gold
- - User seeks steps to install ADG on a laptop.
- - They request guidance for basic account type.
- - Thanks and best regards.
Dear Customer Service,
Trying to install the ADG on my laptop; please send me info advising on how to proceed with it in case of basic account type.
Thank you very much.
Have a nice day.
Kind regards,
TW
- Many
- Fast access and settings options
- Eas of use
- I do not now of any
User's recommendation: Contact CS
Issues w my email
I contacted customer service only to be told my a recording that my call could not go threw at this time so another Day w o E mail thanks a bunch
About
, , , ,
AOL is a leading global advertising-supported Web company. AOL operates one of the largest Internet subscription businesses in the US. The company provides advertisers with access to the widest display advertising network in the United States. The company launched portals in Austria, The Netherlands, India, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and Belgium.
AOL offers some of the best tools to target and measure online advertising campaigns with the AOL's Platform-A business group, consisting of Advertising.com, TACODA, Third Screen Media, Lightningcast, Quigo as well as ADTECH. AOL merged with HP to include localized versions of the AOL.com portal and some other AOL services as the default setting on HP computers.
Aol is ranked 496 out of 6647 in Media category
1985
USA
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The new format totally sucks! I send a lot of emails to groups of people by saving them in drafts.
You can no longer simply copy a group of 10-30 people off the drafts I save and paste in a new email. Pasting doubles ALOT to the new email so I spend minutes deleting the damn doubles.
WHY can’t AOL fix this after I reported it within days of this terrible format? What a sad change!!!
THIS IS THE WORST COMPANY ON THE INTERNET......THE WORST!!!!.......A MEMBER FOR YEARS AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE......I DON'T KNOW HOW IT COULD GET MUCH WORSE!!!!.......MESSAGES ON THEIR CALL CENTER DON'T WORK FOR YEARS.......NO TECH SUPPORT WHATSOEVER....INCOMPETENT IDIOTS!!!!.............WORST SOFTWARE.......AM GETTING RID OF THEM PERMANENTLY!!!!! THEY SHOULD GO OUT OF BUSINESS AS THEY ARE WORTHLESS AND USELESS!!!!!
aol app on android is horrible too many stories too much worthless news and I can,t use anything else but the AOL app.Total money making mess, I have had AOL for 20+ years. As far as AOL gold forget it. SLOW
I agree 100%. I have had aol since the dial up days.
It has gotten worse. I receive nothing but spam. You cannot get rid of it.
They add their bias opinion news (so called) articles which is false lies or scams. I'm leaving aol with no regrets.
WTH DID YOU REMOVE MY COMPLAINT AOL? DIDN'T LIKE ME TELLING THE TRUTH??
I have been a member of AOL for over 25 years. I want to express that I am highly offended by the biased censoring of your comments on the Public Comments on the very biased AOL HUFF post stories being published.
This is a free world guaranteed by the first Amendment and that includes whether you are a liberal, conservative or independent. This is not meant to give AOL or HUFF POST the right to censor anyone's comments if THEY do not agree with them. You have offended me and taken away my first amendment right.
I am reporting you to the FCC as I personally feel this action is in violation of the standards and regulations of public commentaries. Linda (Lin) D Ford linsapco@***.com
Good luck with your FCC complaint but AOL is a private company just like Facebook,, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc.. They own the companies and set the rules.
Depriving you of your first amendment is not on top of their list. Guess what? Just like you, they also have first amendment rights. That includes censoring harmful misinformation and disinformation or posting derogative and harmful content.
Don't know what you posted but apparently you're miffed that your post was deleted. It couldn't have been in the company's best interest to allow it.
ads everywhere , loading is slow, can't block 20-30 filthy emails everyday because aol took away the allow only feature, when chatting it freezes up then you get booted..after a minute a white screen brings you back " i've warned aol 10's of times about this and they do nothing or it goes away for a few weeks and comes back, racism and flthy chatting and threats like someone is gonna boil you in boiling water or they wanna suck guys d---s happens always and when reported TOS and aol they do nothing, the notify aol feature in chat is useless and works maybe 3 times then does nothing, half naked pictures on the news page and now a advertisement for brousing half naked women, you try to read news stories and you are blasted with ads flashing in your face..I pay for a internet service..not for a trash service
Yeah, AOL has really gone downhill. Website incompatibilities are everywhere and I was surprised to see that despite needing to pay to use their browser now (who even does that nowadays?...), the browser's quality has not improved and integrated ads are still rampant despite paying.
So they are double dipping. That all being said, you could get another browser that is actually good and free such as Firefox then put an adblocker on it (AOL doesn't even allow browser extensions like that, probably so they can keep showing you ads of their own) then just go to the AOL mail website and log in because even if you cancel the gold browser subscription, you should still be able to keep your Email as it's free. But make sure to manually copy over your favorites before cancelling if you have any because they seem inaccessible if you can't use the browser. Why I say manually is because unfortunately other browsers can't seem to be able to import favorites from AOL like they can from each other.
Yet another bad oversight on AOL's part... The fastest method I found is to have both browsers open side by side, open a favorite in AOL, then copy the URL to Firefox or whatever other browser you would like to migrate to and bookmark it. Yep, it seemingly has to be one by one... You can organize your bookmarks on the new browser as you see fit after that or as you go though.
So I hope you don't have many bookmarks. How do I know all of this? Because I dropped AOL after all the issues they had and had to do all of that myself.
However, I never regretted the decision because other browsers just run better. It may take a little work to get yourself set up on another browser, but it's certainly a lot less work than trying to get AOL Desktop Gold working on a regular basis.
AOL was my first introduction to the www. I had them for years and I still use a part that doesn't cost anything.
I have DuckDuckGo, the chrome browser, and even Safari because it is built into my iPhone and I can't get rid of it and it's intertwined with the many iPhone features that don't work properly if I deleted it. I tried with no luck so I tend to use the other two. To recover my Google account if I get locked out I put 3 ways to recover that account. I use my AOL email, my phone number, and device I use all the time like my iPhone model.
I have the BRAVE browser and OPERA browsers on stand by. I don't know if I have it set up right because I'm constantly bombarded with a notification bubble bar across my screen Everytime I get sent a message through spam at times. Or a political message ( Once you donate to your favorite party, the messages to donate again start coming alot as well as email too. AOL usually sends me the a lot of Daily Kos messages.
( A left wing news magazine).
I must have set it up to do that as I am proudly a democrat. Anyway, you have choices.
It seems that after AOL merged with Verizon they have gone it *** in a hand basket . I can't get on long enough to cancel my account .
AOL is one sorry company, after years of use it's worthless now!
AT ONE TIME AOL WAS VERY GOOD BUT NOW I CAN'T USE UNLESS I BUY AN ACCOUNT. COPORATE GREED AT ITS FINEST.
NO WARNING I JUST COULDN'T GET INTO MY MAIL ACCOUNT. UNABLE TO ACCESS MY ACCOUNT.SWITCHING TO ANOTHER PROVIDER THAT IS MORE RELIABLE !!!
DON'T FALL PREY TO AOL AND THEIR TACTICS !!! THEY ARE NOW THE WORST E-MAIL SERVICE AND I PREDICT THEY WILL SOON BE NO MORE !!!
AGREE and the customer service is AWFUL!!!!
ditto
NEVER give your credit card number to AOL. The charges never stop.
I had to cancel my card even though I called AOL Desktop Gold.
Spoke with Charm - no supervisor available - no corporate telephone number. What a rip off company!!!!!!!
What an abortion AOL turned into! Turns out, they couldn't care less about their paying customers.
Such a slap in our faces. Their email software is a virtual nightmare. My important mail goes to my spam folder, my superfluous mail ends up in my regular box. My saved email will be there one day and then in cyberspace the next day.
Thanks AOL, I'll be using another browser very quickly. Thanks totally to your non caring attitude.
The monthly FEE for aol GOLD is $7.99 a month. That $4.99 is for System Mechanic.
I pay for both. Call and set up for the GOLD and if you pay the $7.99 you'll be glad you did. I've been doing it for a long time now.
Nothing is ever completely FREE.................like it used to be. Enjoy.
I have AOL GOLD. I pay $4.99 monthly for it, not $7.99. Apparently they screwed that up also.
hi dooooo