Starlink customers cannot contact customer service after they have made a deposit several months ago.
Insider was told by four people that Starlink does not have a phone number or an email address.
Starlink stated that they would receive the kits by mid to late 2021. However, customers have requested more details.
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Starlink customers are unhappy with Elon Musk’s internet company.
The customers paid $100 for high-speed satellite broadband and claim that Starlink is not able to contact them to tell them when it will be available.
Insider spoke with four people who made a $100 refundable deposit seven months ago in order to secure Starlink’s Better Than Nothing Beta. This satellite orbital network has 1,639 active satellites.
Insider received email confirmations from them about their Starlink purchases made between February and may.
Starlink informed them in a confirmation email that the service would begin in their area mid- to late 2021.
Starlink will send an email to those who have made deposits, asking them for a new order for the $499 kit. It includes a tripod, WiFi router and terminal. $100 is required for the monthly subscription.
Customers are still not sure when they will be connected to the network as the end of the third trimester approaches.
Keith Bosse ordered Starlink February 25, but has not received any updates or can't locate a customer service contact.
"If they can send rockets to space, then why can't we figure out how to offer customer service?" He said. He added that a deployment map would be helpful to determine when Starlink will arrive.
Starlink doesn't offer customer service for deposits. Corey Gordon is based in Alberta Canada and paid 129 Canadian Dollars ($103) for the May deposit.
Insider reported that he left several detailed voicemails to SpaceX's answering service over a month back and has not heard from them.
Gordon stated that streaming video and working online during the pandemic is "next-to impossible" due to his internet speed.
Starlink customer service is available for those who have received the kit.
Insider was told by a Starlink customer from Berkshire County, Massachusetts that he could email Starlink to report a problem once he received the kit. He said that they fixed it in a matter of days.
Starlink customers' long waits are not surprising, Rich Leshner (vp for consulting at BryceTech analytics and engineering company) told Insider.
Leshner stated that "we have heard from many, diverse players in the space industry that supply chain problems are hurting them in terms delivery schedules, product quality, and just generally in terms the dependability their supply network."
Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX, stated during a Space Symposium panel about how the global chip shortage has delayed Starlink user terminals and that rocket launches have been affected by a lack liquid oxygen.
Insider reached out to SpaceX for comment but they didn't respond immediately.
Brad Stuart from east Texas told Insider that he had made a $100 deposit to Starlink in February.
Stuart stated that Starlink was "missing in action" and didn't know when it would turn up. "This is a terrible treatment of their paid clients, and supporters."
Daniel Martin from Santa Cruz, California also paid Starlink at February's beginning and is unaware of when it will be available in his area. He said that Starlink has not communicated with him at all.
These customers aren’t the only ones. Reddit users also complain about Starlink's poor customer service.
Starlink's website stated that the service is only available to a "limited amount of users" within the area it operates, and that orders will be fulfilled according to a first-come basis.
