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The Pitch – When Online Companies Rip You or Someone You know Off!

Jeremy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:33:58 +0000

Are you being ripped off by an online company?

Question:

In 2006, AOL announced that it would stop charging for @aol.com email addresses. Since then most of the customers have been switched to the free service, however there are still a few less internet savvy users out there that are paying for email service that is supposed to be free; many of them not even noticing.

This is just one example of how people are being ripped off every day from online companies. Are you being ripped off? How about someone you know?

Answer:

While I am not currently being ripped off by AOL’s shady business practice of continually billing someone for something that is free, I think I might know someone who is. And all I have to say is: If this person is paying for this service than he/she is less internet savvy than I could have ever imagined and he/she deserves it.

Other than that, I am not currently being ripped off by any online company to my knowledge. There was a time a few years ago, however, that “someone” I know was being ripped off by a company who cheated him out of a couple hundred dollars…he has not seen that money to this day.

Have an idea or want us to use your pitch in the next issue? Then, make a submission on The Pitch Page.

The Pitch – Is AOL still ripping you or someone you know off?

Jeremy — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:32:58 +0000

Is America Online charging you or someone you know for free e-mail?

Question:

Are you being ripped off? How about someone you know?

Answer:

Have an idea or want us to use your pitch in the next issue? Then, make a submission on The Pitch Page.

Time Warner may spin off AOL division

Jeremy — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:59 +0000

AOL and Time Warner merged about 8 years ago and ever since the merger has seemed like a bad fit and a failed attempt at a merger to make an entertainment giant. Today Time Warner disclosed plans to spin off AOL in an attempt to get rid of the sagging division.

If it does spin off AOL, it will likely buy back the five percent stake in AOL that Google purchased in 2006.

“Although the company’s board of directors has not made any decision, the company currently anticipates that it would initiate a process to spin off one or more parts of the businesses of AOL to Time Warner’s stockholders, in one or a series of transactions,” the company said in a regulatory filing.

“Based on the results of the company’s review, future market conditions or the availability of more favorable strategic opportunities that may arise before a transaction is completed, the company may decide to pursue an alternative other than a spin-off with respect to either or both of AOL’s businesses.”

Source

AOL shutting down AOL pictures, BlueString, and XDrive

Jeremy — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:58:04 +0000

AOL will be shutting down AOL pictures, one of the oldest photo sharing sites on the web, BlueString, a service that stores photos, video, and music, and XDrive, a site which AOL bought in 2005 where you can backup information from your computer to the internet. While AOL is trying to sell at least XDrive, they are all expected to be shut down by the end of 2008.

AOL is shutting down these services to focus AOL as an advertising business rather than a business that offers several different services. According to Executive Vice President Kevin Conroy, AOL wants to make sure every product impacts their bottom line.

AOL should shut these services down if it isn’t doing anything for them. With other hosting sites like Photobucket or Flickr for pictures and with the cost of portable data storage (like flash drives) coming down, these sites are becoming obsolete.

*Image courtsey of BlueString.com