Be Prepared (phone list at bottom)

Some service providers give you the run-around when you try to discontinue service, offering several months of free service if you continue. Many customers report accepting this offer only to find that they get billed for the extra months and have to go through the process of calling again to get disconnected. Be firm the first time and don’t accept any offers of free service. Remember that there’s a reason why most of them only let you cancel over the telephone. They want you talking to one of their sales representatives.

For users who have monthly fees directly debited from their checking accounts, be sure to notify your bank to not accept any more debits from your old service provider.

Make sure you send a general email notice of your new email address from your old service to everyone in your address book that you want to continue contact with. Also, be sure to copy yourself at your new address. If you are using Outlook (Express) or Eudora your address book should remain intact with your new service. If you are an AOL customer you will need to copy the addresses from the notification email described above to your new email address book. This process has taken as little as 8 minutes to as long 20 minutes for an address list of 50 names.

Quickest Way To Cancel

What’s quickest way to cancel your existing Internet service? Pick up the phone. In fact, in most cases, it's the only way. We've put a list here of the major Internet Service Providers, along with their phone numbers and other information you need to cancel your account. When you contact your old provider, be sure to have the following information available: User Name (email address)

Password

Mailing address and/or phone number

Number of the credit card that you charged the service to (sometimes the last four digits are used for verification purposes)

Here's a list of phone numbers (and other information) for the major Internet Service Providers to let you cancel your old account:

America Online (AOL): AOL lets its members cancel by phone, fax, mail or by Keyword.

• Phone: 1-888-265-8008
• Fax: 1-801-622-7969 (include your full name, phone number, address and either your screen name or the last four digits of the credit card you billed the account to)
• Mail: America Online, P.O. Box 1600, Ogden, UT 84401 (send the same information required for a fax) For additional information, go to Keyword: Cancel.
• Point your AOL software to AOL Keyword: Cancel. Follow the onscreen instructions.

NetZero: NetZero will allow users to cancel online or over the phone.

• Call 1-866-841-1442 and have your member ID and credit card information ready, for verification purposes.
• Cancel online at http://account.netzero.net/orw/, and follow the directions.

CompuServe: Phone only 1-800-292-3900

Earthlink: Phone only 1-800-890-6356

Microsoft Network(MSN): Phone only 1-800-386-5550

Prodigy: Phone only 1-800-213-0992

Worldnet (AT&T): Phone only 1-888-613-3064

If your provider isn't listed here, contact its customer service department.