It is very bad service compared to other ISPs (both in terms of what you have to pay and what they give you), yes, but it also install lots of other crap as well, like it's own browser and is very difficult to remove completely unlike well-behaved ISPs when you decide you no longer want to use AOL. Also, I can't remember if it's AOL itself, or it's default IM client, but one of them does come bundled with spyware and installs itself without telling/asking you. Not that it matters which, it's the same company - if they bundle spyware with one product, why trust the other?