Earthlink is big all right. By most reckonings, it's the second largest Internet service provider after AOL. Unfortunately, it shares many of AOL's bad habits -- the most notorious being the near impossibility of cancelling the service.
Below is a sampling of recent complaints. Click the links to the right for more.
Ilona of Pittsburgh, PA February 21, 2009
Ilona of Pittsburgh PA (02/21/09) I am trying to cancel an Earthlink 3.95 charge that shows up on my credit card since months!!! I have not used Earthlink in years and cannot remember any passwords. If I call their phone line they claim that they cannot find me in their computer. They cannot even tell me which one of their services is supposed to cost 3.95. And the next month I find another 3.95 charged to my credit card. Getting those charges reversed is a very cumbersome process. My
The 3.95 have been charged for years! Because both my husband and use this credit card we thought the other one was the one using some service. My next step will be to simply cancel the credit card. The company was not willing to simply stop payment but i s making me fill out a lot of paperwork for EVERY MONTH CHARGED! I hate Earthlink
Melissa of Willingboro, NJ February 18, 2009
Melissa of Willingboro NJ (02/18/09) I am taking care of my mother's business affairs for the present because she has been suffering from a serious knee injury which she finally had replaced. So, I notice on the statement there is a charge for Earthlink ISP services in the amount of 21.95 and I am stymied; my mother has Verizon DSL - HAS HAD DSL for over a year with them! I personally canceled that account myself! I called the number listed on the bank statement straight away and was argued with for a few moments, put on hold, argued with some more, put on hold some more, and then was told there was nothing they could do. Well, I said, I have no idea how it is in India (which I'm SURE is where this call was routed) but we here in Jersey don't take no for an answer so easily - certainly not when innocent older people are being ripped off without their knowledge and only find out when someone like an adult child or friend notices - its an outrage!
I was then put on hold some more, to which my reaction was to disconnect the call. I then called back, and to no one's surprise, there was no record of my call - nor any of the other calls I had made to Earthlink EVER - including the ones I made to cancel the account (there were three, IIRC). Speaking with a woman called Lila, I explained again what my problem was. After several minutes talking with her (and patiently waiting through another period on hold), she came back on and told me that she had pulled up the info on the account and said she would be refunding my mother's bank account for 60-some-odd dollars. I politely thanked her but asked her why only three months' worth of charges when the account had clearly had no activity for over a year since it had been canceled. She then checked and confirmed that there had indeed been a huge period of total non-use for a year or so, but told me she could only refund me three months' worth and if I wanted to persue the issue, I would have to 1) visit their website and 2) use their 'contact us' link to do so.
After hanging up, I went to their site and used their link, where I was rudely informed, twice - by template response from Ross I - that it was their perogative to only go back 30 days, and if I didnt like that, it was too bad, because that was their policy. That was all well and good, I said to this guy, but considering they were deciding to go against their own policy by paying me back for 90 days, their policy was, for all intents, flexible. Furthermore, if they were admitting they failed to cancel the account, which the Lila I spoke with DID, and then they were willingly going back on their own 'policy', it stands to reason they know full well they were responsible for the entire years' worth of charges they had taken without my consent. I explained about the health problems and the hospitals and how they were taking advantage of a senior citizen and knowingly stealing money for services they had not been providing, or authorized for that matter, and this 'Ross' told me to take the money or not, but there was no other recourse.
Well, I beg to differ. I called their corporate headquarters today - four times. Each time I was re-routed and then disconnected. I called from a landline and a cellphone, just to be sure it wasn't my technical problems. I will continue this quest tommorow and intend to inform them I have both posted my complaint here and will be forwarding a tip about their scams on old people in our ever-declining economy to the top three local news stations as well as their national affiliates. I have no intention of allowing them to steal over a year's worth of charges for services they couldn't fully provide even DURING the time period they were actually contracted for. I'm glad to see there is at least a site like this where people can let other 'little' people know what the big bad faceless corporations think they can do to us. Thanks for this service...you guys are doing a good thing.
So far, my mother's bank account has been charged 21.95 a month for approximately 14 months, I've spent two hours on the phone today, about 2 hours going over bank statements, and I plan to spend an unlimited amount of time on this in the coming days because I have HAD it with seeing people get stepped on. I cant even imagine how many overdrafts have occurred because of this...I usually blindly transfer money into the accounts when I need to use them to pay bills or for services, but its potentially 30 bucks a month for over a year (I remember at least three ODs). And I already know that until I fix this, I will spend countless hours of my life, which I will never get back, listening to my mother rant. I deserve a medal as it IS!
Connie of Pasadena, CA February 9, 2009
Connie of Pasadena CA (02/09/09) My DSL did not work all over suddenly. I have had no trouble before, this was the first time. I had to call support everyday for 30 days in the evening after work with no result. I spent between 1-2 hours on the phone each day and then chatted with Customer Service during the day. No resolution at all. Finally I decided to close my account and get a different service. I can't close my account because I am yet again put on hold for a long time.
Finally I got through today and asked to close my account. The rep. disconnected our call, I am assuming she closed my phone line right there and then while I was telling her that I am calling from home. I made another call via my cell, but I was put on hold again. I still need to closeout my account with a confirmation. I will keep trying....it has been an absolute nightmare. I really believed that sending calls abroad worked, but in reality it does not. They hang up the phone on you, they put you on hold (at one time for 30 minutes and I had to hang up) forever. You ask for a Suervisor, they don't transfere you call. What a nightmare!!!!
I could not complete my class online I had to re-register again. It cost me 600 dollars and 40 for books.
John of Bartonville, IL February 2, 2009
John of Bartonville IL (02/02/09) I applied for internet service from earthlink some months back.On dec 22,2008 293.40 was taken from bank account, which the only money to be taken was monthly bill.On my email with them they stated the charges was disconnect fees and reconnect fees, which I never was without the internet.I tried to contact these people even CEO and no-one got back to me. I want my money back for those fees, because i never was diconnected or reconnected.Those are bogus charges.
Anna of Azusa, CA January 28, 2009
Anna of Azusa CA (01/28/09) I started to have problems with my internet about 1 1/2 months ago. when I finally called about the problem on Jan 16th the rep had me trouble shoot with my computers and I did. The internet came up but went right off within five minuets. I called back and the phone calls would take 30 min or longer. the problem still persist. I then ask to have the service turned off and they refused saying I was under contract and I would be charged a 150 fee. I have not been able to get internet connection on a daily basis now for about one month. They claim a technician was sent out to check the line and he reported nothing was wrong. the only way for them to wave the early disconnect fee, that the tech had to say there were problems with the line.
I have consistantly called earthlink and no one has been able to help me. I am forced to pay them even though I cannot get internet service. They have attempted to call me but I was not available or missed the called I feel I have dine everything possible to resolve the problem. Not to mention the language barrier because there call center is located in India. The problem has gotten worse since I started to call on Jan 16. this is the first time in the last five days I was able to get on. It kicks me off after 10 minutes. I have been a customer with them for 7 years.
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