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AOL Wireless Broadband & Phone BundleIndependent review with up to date prices, details and special offers for this package...
AOL broadband review: WirelessAOL Broadband's 8Mb Wireless package is the company's middle-of-the-road broadband connection, but combined with the heavy discount added on for taking a call plan, is exceptionally good value. AOL Wireless Broadband AOL Wireless broadband offers a mid-market up to 8Mb broadband connection. There is a 10GB monthly usage limit which, for the price, is actually rather generous. 10GB should allow you to download around 3,000 songs OR watch around 20 mid quality 45-minute BBC iPlayer programs. Anyone who simply surfs and emails is unlikely to ever come close, even if you spend all day surfing! Is it any good? Most noticely, AOL offers good value for money - mostly down to the inclusive call plans. For families, AOL scores high on the customer satisfaction front by offering unique family-friendly features. Undeniably, AOL does have it's negative user reviews - but for a company this large, it's user rating scores are actually on a pretty even keel. AOL 9.0 AOL is most famously known for it's bundled software, which offers a tailor made way to browse the Internet and check emails. AOL 9.0 software is not necessarily for everyone though, and luckily it's not a requirement to get online - you can use IE or Firebox browser and your own email or web based mail client. However, many people do like the software, and it does come with additional features such as security and parental controls, which certainly give added peace of mind and make the Internet a safe and useful tool. AOL has even catered for the flaw of bypassing parental controls by simply launching an external browser - there are now 'Internet Access Controls' which prevent the use of non-AOL browsers too. If you're a family, like to talk a lot, want a fast and reliable connection, but aren't going to be downloading serious amounts of web content - then AOL Wireless package could be a good fit. AOL Broadband Upgrades If you're looking for a broadband connection with a little more punch, AOL do offer two other broadband packages - however you do need to be within the AOL network area to receive them. More downloads with AOL Platinum 2 - 50GB broadband usage & UK anytime calls. Go faster with AOL Platinum 3 - up to 24Mb broadband with unlimited usage & anytime UK & International calls. Local Loop Unbundling AOL broadband is an LLU broadband provider, this means they have installed their own systems in some of BT's exchanges - and where they have done so, can offer lower prices and faster speeds. However, LLU providers don't "unbundle" every exchange in the UK and this creates a 'network' divide - those customers within AOL's network and those customers outside of AOL's network. Not all LLU providers offer broadband to those outside of their network. However, AOL does - but the downside is an additional £5 per month charge. Everything else is identical though - including the broadband speed, monthly download usage, contract options, set up costs, free wireless router and choice of call plans. You'll even still get the same value discounts applied when you take AOL Talk. AOL Talk At first glances, you wouldn't be blamed for feeling confused. AOL's Wireless broadband package comes with a discount if you opt for one of the AOL Talk call plans. However, AOL Wireless broadband actually comes with Talk Unlimited free anyway - just without the discount. Confused? Yup, we are. Briefly put, it seems AOL has a couple of double offers going on - one obviously a little older than the other - causing a somewhat confused - and potentially costly - package descrepancy. If you want AOL Wireless broadband make sure you sign up through the "Broadband + Calls" side menu link (on the AOL website), where you'll then be presented with several Wireless + 'call plan' options - pick the one you want and sign up there. Do this and you'll save yourself £2 a month if you choose Talk Unlimited. Or, save even more and get AOL Wireless for just £9.99 with a Talk Evening & Weekend call plan. The same is true for the Wireless Flexi 1-month contract options. Best AOL Talk plan? AOL Talk Unlimited (which AOL says comes free - but actually invokes an extra £3 per month over the Talk Evening & Weekend option) - does offer a considerable saving each year, especially if you're prone to a natter. Amazingly, it truly is an unlimited call plan and you don't have to hang up every 60 minutes to 'reset the clock', so if you're about at home during the day Talk Unlimited definitely seems worth the outlay. Don't feel too bad about the cost though, technically speaking, it actually costs -£2 (it's only that Talk Evenings & Weekends costs -£5). New AOL Line Rental AOL is now owned and operated by Carphone Warehouse (TalkTalk), in short this means AOL can now offer line rental seperately to BT. AOL's new ability to provide line rental alongside their broadband and call plan packages means you can move all your bills to one place and save a little money in the process - not much, but 75p a month is 75p not wasted. 
A little more detail...
AOL Wireless package options...
User RatingsUser CommentsAdd your own review of AOL broadband... 
Remember, the customer reviews below are subjective (and are not the opinions of ChooseISP.co.uk).  Dissapointed from Slow Ville writes... 14/12/2008 "Avoid at all costs. I took the 8Mbps service thinking 'how bad could it be, aren't they all the same nowadays?' What a mistake. The line runs at less than 1Mbps (previous ISP on the same line was 8Mbps). The support in India are rubbish and unable to offer useful advice or even elevate your problems to somebody who does know what they're talking about. If you need a laptop then other ISPs also do offers. Or take a loan. Put it on your credit card. Go overdrawn. Beg family and friends for money. Sell your car. Sell your grandmother. Do whatever it takes but do not sign up with AOL. " zoe from wales writes... 12/05/2008 "I have been with AOL for a while and already had wireless Broadband. I saw the offer and decided to see if i qualified, i did, so on the 12th April 2008 i took up the offer, What a mistake! I received a letter asking me for a MAC code, so i phoned AOL and told them im already with you, I got an apology and they re-processed the order, the next thing i know i get a letter, your order has been cancelled, i phoned AOL and asked Why? we need a MAC code, and there is broadband on your line, I spent 3 HOURS on the phone between BT and AOL, AOL said it was BT's fault And BT said nothing to with us. AOL eventually put a tag down the line and said you already have AOL wireless broadband, AOL will sort it. The following day my broadband went down so i phoned AOL and asked why my original package £14.99 has gone down. I was told it had to be cancelled to allow broadband to go down the line. AOL then tried to hook me up on AOL Dialler, it didn't work so i phoned and said its not working, AOL dialler team tried everything, they then put me through to customer services who said you cannot have AOL Dialler as your account has been cancelled so you will not have internet. Yet in there documentation it states they will contact you when you are to cancel. I was not contacted. I was then told i had to reorder with the carphone warehouse so i did, carphone warehouse also asked for my line to be cleared so no problems arose. ok i said. I phoned AOL Saturday 10th May 2008, i spent 3 hours going backwards and forwards between customer services and technical. my order had been cancelled due to no MAC Code being provided and was told Carphone warehouse should of put me down as an upgrade customer. I am now waiting still i have been told i go live with broadband 10th June 2008, the Laptop arrives 21 - 28 days later. i would of been off line for 5 weeks when i eventually go live. In theory this is a brilliant offer a £450-£500 laptop for £220, but the fuss and confusion that goes with the offer, and the lack of knowledge at AOL is disgusting. More training should of been done to execute this offer in a professional manner. 'The left hand doesn't know wat the right hand is doing'" Digby Davies from Powys writes... 22/04/2008 "I am a ten year customer of AoL, I already have broadband and AoL Talk and decided in March to switch to their wireless router - they confirmed by e-mail on 28 March and by letter on 31 March but it still hasn't arrived despite a series of delivery dates and promises of 'it will arrive in 3-5 working days' but no result. The really annoying thing is that every person in their Indian call centre takes at least half an hour to deal with a query and can never do any more than the old '3-5 days' stuff... I think it is time to say 'Goodbye' to AoL..." Jon from Chesterfield writes... 13/03/2008 "I left BT Broad Band for AOL, due to BT's awful customer service. Unfortunately AOL are worse, rude, long hold times, poor English and lack any ability to sort out problems. Called Carphone Warehouse to set up the deal, they then pass my details on to AOL, call AOL with my MAC code and was told they didn’t want it yet and to wait for the welcome pack and router. 3 weeks later nothing has arrived, call AOL and they tell me Carphone Warehouse has cancelled my order as I haven’t provided my MAC Code, so the whole process starts again. 3 weeks after the restart, still nothing except that I now have no internet, no welcome pack, no router and no laptop. Have contacted Carphone Warehouse to complain about the late laptop but they will not refund the deliver charge. There are other ISP with offers of free hardware eg set top boxes, digital recorders, so it depends what you are after. In theory you could buy the laptop for £350 - £400 and spend £10 per month on Broad Band so we thought it was worth it as we could do with a laptop. " John Williams from Portsmouth writes... 29/02/2008 "We signed up to AOL at our local Carphone Warehouse, who own AOL. The process took about ten minutes. We had our wireless router within 10 days, online four days later and have just got our new laptop. A very nice package." Jenny from Tamworth writes... 04/02/2008 "I ordered this AOL free laptop deal on 17th December last year. Ok, yes, I understand there has been Christmas inbetween but my broadband wasnt connected until 30th Jan 08 despite first being told it would be connected on 7th Jan then being told the 15th! As promised I received the free AOL router 2 days later. I opened the box to find the "easy install" CD was missing. After contacting AOL and being told I'll have to go into a branch of Carphone Warehouse to sort it out, which somehow didnt sound right to me. I contacted carphone warehouse by phone and they said they would send me a CD out within 5 working days, so will have to wait and see if it turns up. Also I have never received any info of a username and password so also had to call AOL for that. I cannot say that the AOL staff are impolite - far from it. In fact they are very curteous, but I think they just haven't been trained very well. I'm hoping when I finally receive my free laptop and get my router up and running I will be writing a review saying how great the offer is, but I'm feeling a little unconvinced at the moment!" Karen from Manchester writes... 03/12/2007 "OK if you can get it. I also was a loyal AOL broadband customer out of contract. I applied and was accepted for the AOL free laptop package but later realised I had inadvertantly given them the wrong telephone number, as I have 2 lines coming in. But this was "too difficult" for the monkeys at AOL customer services to amend so I migrated to Sky.com and am now paying £5 per month for 8Mb. And with the £20 per month I am saving can easily afford a laptop of my own." Lin from Cumbria writes... 19/10/2007 "I've been an AOL customer for over 5 years and was offered the free laptop package which we agreed to. We received the router after about a week, and received a letter to say the free AOL laptop would follow. After waiting approx 5 weeks, we got in touch with AOL to ask where the laptop was and was told we weren't on the list for a free laptop and if we wanted one we would have to pay £32.48 a month and not the agreed amount of £22.48 per month. If this is how AOL treat their loyal customers they can stick their package!" Colin from Fife writes... 15/10/2007 "I was an AOL customer out of contract . I contacted AOL about the free laptop offer and was told I could qualify for the offer. I took the basic free laptop model along with the AOL Talk Unlimited package at £24.99 per month. The whole process was painless and after approx 5 weeks, delivery of the new Dell laptop came. This product is excellent , the whole package is a genuine value deal with the added plus of a free wireless router inc. Talk unlimited package cost £24.99. " |
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Platinum 1
