Digging a tunnel

The escape is on. I'm finally out of contract and heading away from AOL for my web and email needs.

Cost and their desire to clog up my PC with tiresome proprietary software made the decision an easy one. My new BT hub's installed and, while BT has a few drawbacks of its own, it'll suffice for what I need.

Getting out of AOL wasn't, of course, easy. First, it's not at all clear on their website what you have to do to cancel your account. Finally, after going in circles a few times, I tracked down what I needed to know.

The guidance told me I could cancel by email although it would take longer than the phone. Fair enough, but I've a lot of BAD experience of hanging around on a premium charge line waiting for AOL's call centre inmates to get to me. So email it was.

Two days later I got an email reply telling me I'd have to call their premium rate number to get my migration code....... The email said I could call anytime from 7am to midnight. I read it shortly before midnight so picked up the phone.....Only to find out that AOL's account cancellation team was open only 'til 9pm.

Next day I called, sidestepped the flannel, and cancelled. I got my MAC and set up with BT - £10 a month cheaper, a £50 cashback - and soothing voicetexts with the voice of Tom Baker telling my my hub was on the way.

I'm set up now, keep hitting the wrong buttons on explorer and am rapidly dumping AOL applications from the PC. Email's a bit quiet - for some reason my company 'cover' email hasn't yet pointed at my new BT address, and I'm sure some people have ignored my reminder and are still mailing AOL.

Still, there's light at the end of the tunnel....I just hope it's not an express train heading this way!