You’ve got pink slip! AOL plans to reduce its workforce by a third as it prepares to be spun off from its ill-fated Time Warner marriage. Who will be left to “cancel the account?” [AP] (Photo: RogueSun Media)
vincent ferrari
Vincent To Get Car He Wants
By 3.4.09
Yesterday we brought you the story of Vincent who got “gold misted” at a Chevy dealership. After his story went up he learned that his brother-in-law’s cousin works at a Chevy dealership and will get him the car he wanted. “Life is good :-)” announced Vincent.
Chevy Takes Time Away From Failing To Try To Rip Off Customer
By 3.3.09
UPDATE: Vincent To Get Car He Wants
Not Canceling The Account Costs AOL $3 Million
By 7.12.07
AOL has avoided what was certain to be an entertaining court battle by settling with 48 states and the District of Colombia over allegations that it made it, uh, difficult to cancel for the many customers who were fleeing to broadband.
Happy Birthday To Cancel The Account!
By 6.12.07
Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Vincent Ferrari’s famous “Cancel The Account” recording of his attempt to cancel AOL.
AOL Already Planning To Go Free Well Before Vincent Ferrari Came Along
By 4.20.07
This gut-spilling from a former AOL employee helps confirm what we suspected all along: While it definitely spurred them to action, AOL already had the plan to switch over to a free, browser-based, ad supported system well in hand before Vincent’s call blew up.
AOL Changed Policy On Customers Recording Calls 10 Days After Vincent Ferrari Uploaded His
By 4.19.07
Vincent Ferrari uploaded his famous AOL cancellation call on June 13th, 2006. A screenshot from AOL’s internal database shows that 10 days later AOL revised its policy for what reps should do if a customer says they’re recording the phone call.
Ex-AOL Employee Releases "F*** AOL" Rap Song
By 2.14.07
A former AOL employee laid down a diss rap on America Online and wants you all to hear it. Because it’s mad funny. It uses a sample of Vincent Ferrari saying “cancel the account.”
Broadway Photo’s Sheisty-Looking Business Addresses
By 1.25.07
Broadway Photo is a New York area camera cabal infamous for ripping customers off. First they lure in people with camera kits below market value. Then they try to upsell customers on all sorts of accessories and try to make them believe their gear won’t work without it. People have experienced unauthorized charges and report being verbally abused when they try to dispute the charges.
Welcome New York Times Readers
By 12.30.06
Salutations. Here’s the Top 10 Biggest Business Debacles 2006 mentioned in, “The Lazy Top 10 Anything.”
FedEX Loses Vincent Ferrari’s Package
By 12.21.06
Vincent ordered two scanners from CDW. One arrived, the other didn’t.
Top 10 Biggest Business Debacles 2006
By 12.18.06
Welcome, New York Times readers. Here’s a bit of an intro to The Consumerist, if you’re curious and want to learn more.
Florida Sues AOL And Wins
By 12.12.06
The Florida Attorney General successfully sued America Online for their abusive customer billing practices. The State’s Attorney office received over 1,000 consumer complaints about cancellation requests being ignored, erroneous charges and unauthorized account reactivations.
Welcome NY Times & NY Daily News Readers
By 12.9.06
To readers coming from the New York Times or the NY Daily News, thanks for visiting The Consumerist!
Vincent Ferrari Interviews The Consumerist
By 11.2.06
Vincent Ferrari interviewed us a few weeks ago for his new Side Salad podcast. We talk for 53 minutes about exploding batteries, Mike Krempasky, why blogs are neat, and why companies need to listen to their customers better.
EXCLUSIVE: AOL’s John Not Paid Hush Money
By 8.8.06
Remember John? He was the other man on the phone in the AOL cancellation call heard round the world. Despite his voice being played, without his permission, over the internet, on radio and nightly news, no one’s heard a peep from him.
We (Maybe) Called The Guy Who Didn’t Want to Cancel Vincent’s Account
By 8.4.06
We think we just called up John, the AOL rep fired after giving Vincent Ferrari a hard time when he tried to cancel, a rough time that was company policy. John ain’t saying much and didn’t want to talk to us. He wouldn’t even verify his identity, but the pauses are a dead giveaway.
TimeWarner Dissolves AOL Retention Centers
By 8.3.06
TimeWarner announced yesterday an AOL makeover ot make more money with less subscribers. The profit hinged on $1 billion in cost cuts mainly coming from, “the company’s extensive marketing effort to attract new customers and retain old ones,” NYT reports.
