The Sticky Thorn:: AIM Mail

See, even the AIM Running Man is lost and despondent, with no one to turn to for help…they’re in the hills far away beckoning him forward. Poor guy!

Today was going to be a relaxing day. I was going to post on Backseat Writer, do a little bit here and there, maybe take some pictures outside….

THUS FAR, TODAY HAS BEEN ANYTHING BUT RELAXING!!!!

You see, dear friends, I’ve discovered that my amy@backseatwriter.com e-mail address, which runs through AIM e-mail (not AOL e-mail; this is an important distinction) has not been giving me all my messages. If you e-mailed me and I didn’t respond, now you know why. Therefore, I decided to fork over $20 to set up an e-mail account through the company in which I own my domains (this one and Backseat Writer). I set up the e-mail (amy@amysondova.com went through flawlessly), but I’ve been having difficulty with the new amy@backseatwriter.com. I called tech support at the new e-mail company–everything’s super on their end. And it could take 24 hours for my new account to activate. OK, fine, ironically it took all of 24 seconds for my other account to activate…

I decided that deleting my AIM-based e-mail address would be the best way to go. I mean, there can’t be two amy@backseatwriter.com’s floating around, can there? Well, friends, good luck if you ever want to delete your AIM e-mail address…because not only is it IMPOSSIBLE to find any information on how to do it, there is not one to contact for support. This is the e-mail version of “Hotel California”–you can get in, but you can’t get out.

Should all else fail, I have a GMAIL account set up, which doesn’t look as professional or suave…yet it’ll work. I think GMAIL is owned by AOL, too. For some reason, having my name at backseater.com is really important to me, and I am frustrated. Plus, I called AOL Customer Support (hey, that’s what it said to do) and some Indian guy was really mean to me on the phone. I still don’t think he knew what I was talking about. He told me to contact AIM Customer Support, but had no number (because there is no number).

Apparently, if I don’t use my account for 6 months, then it’ll be deleted…but what to do until then? If anyone knows how to remedy this problem, please let me know. In the meantime, I hate you AIM mail. I hate that you promised me the world and now you wouldn’t let me go.

I found this awesome information under the TOS agreement:

“No Support by AOL

You understand that your use of the Software is at your own risk and that AOL provides no assistance other than the information posted on the AOL Web site located at http://www.aim.com/help_faq/starting_out/getstarted.adp. AOL is under no obligation to provide you with any error corrections, updates, upgrades, bug fixes and/or enhancements of the Software.”

And this…

AOL has the right to terminate your Screen Name, your registration, the Software license or your access to AIM Products for any reason, including, without limitation, if it, in its sole discretion, considers your use to be unacceptable, or in the event of any breach by you of the Terms of Service (either directly or through breach of any other terms and conditions or operating rules applicable to you). AOL may, but shall be under no obligation to, provide you a warning prior to termination of your use of the AIM Products.”

The good news is that if you do something unlawful or send a bunch of spam, your account can be deleted without your notice. Hmm….