What will they charge to unsubscribe?

From AP

NEW YORK - AOL LLC may give away even more of its services, including its vaunted AOL.com e-mail accounts now limited to paying subscribers, to boost ad revenues and offset declines in subscriptions, a person familiar with the discussions said Thursday.

One proposal under consideration among top AOL executives calls for Time Warner Inc.'s online unit to stop charging subscription fees to users who have high-speed Internet access or even dial-up service from a rival provider.

The person familiar with the talks said a major strategic review over the past several months sought to identify additional ways to keep users within the AOL family regardless of whether they want to keep paying monthly fees of as much as $25.90 a month.

Under the plan, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the company would continue to charge the fees for those needing dial-up access through AOL.

Over the past year and a half, AOL has been making more of its articles, video and other services available for free on its ad-supported Web sites. But some features, including AOL.com e-mail, remained available only to paying subscribers.

AOL offers free e-mail services, but only through its Web site and with an AIM.com address. AOL offered to forward former subscribers' AOL.com e-mail to AIM accounts, but many didn't bother because they had to give friends new e-mail addresses anyway.

If the proposal is adopted, those subscribers would be able to keep their AOL.com address and use the AOL software with which they're familiar.

Nothing is free, and I'm always wary of anything that looks too good to be true. I recall the 'free lunch' on F Troop costing a dime.

I think AOL may be realizing they have a serious customer service problem. Like this for example. People are quitting the service and AOL wants to lure them back. The way customers are treated when they try to unsubcribe makes it hard for me to believe this offer will ever work.

Open Post- Jo's Cafe, Basil's Blog,
Cross Posted to Bullwinkle Blog