Class Action Accuses AOL of Double-Billing Scheme

“A consumer class action lawsuit accuses AOL of deliberately double-billing hundreds of thousands of customers through a deceptive scheme involving multiple screen names. The suit also names ICT Group, which operates customer service centers for AOL, a division of Time Warner.

The lawsuit alleges that over the past two years, AOL has regularly double-billed many of its subscribers by creating what it refers to as ’spin-off sub accounts.’

‘I noticed in Feb., March, April, 2003, I was getting double-billed for one account. I contacted AOL, told them of the problem and was told that I could only be reimbursed for 2 of the months,’ a consumer from Michigan told ConsumerAffairs.Com recently.

The spin-off accounts are created for subscribers who maintain multiple screen names in a deceptive manner that’s intended to deter customers from realizing they are being billed for two separate accounts, the suit charges.”