Reported: buy a PDA, get signed up to MSN or AOL without choice (and getting charged for it, too)

[davidspalding]

Automagic MSN signup at Best Buy? AOL signup at CompUSA?

... Not so funny is the apparent collusion between service providers and chain stores. A few weeks back, I tipped off the scam Microsoft has going with Best Buy, in which customers are automatically signed up and charged for MSN. AOL and CompUSA are practicing similar tactics. One of my spies rushed in a pinch to buy an exec a PDA at CompUSA, learned of the arrangement between it and AOL, and spoke with a manager to get a special code to cancel AOL. Alas, a direct call to AOL was required. "According to the salesman, an AOL account is established upon purchase of non-CPU devices as well, such as cameras and scanners," my mole murmured....

Anyone actually encountered this? Have a story like this when you bought a PDA at a retailer recently?

[Enderet]

:bad-words: I would be very mad if this happened to me....im glad I buy my comps through small buisnesses online.

[Mitch D]

I'm glad this only seems to happen in the US (for now at least), I work in the computer department of a Western Canadian retailer and I think my whole staff would either refuse to sell computers and related stuff or quit if this was happening here. No matter what kind of spiffs AOL or MS where offering, plus I doubt they (MS/AOL) could convince my H.O. to do such a thing anyway.

As far as I am concerned it is bad business to do this... But then again when your big I guess it doesn't bother you to loose a few customers huh?

[Sslixtis]

There has got to be some kind of catch to this, like you get X product for x$ when you sign up for MSN/AOL. These I have seen at the above mentioned retailers. The MSN/AOL requirement is usually in the small print. Anyway, I'd think that if they didn't tell you about the MSN/AOL sign up it would be actionable. :twisted: