After paying a deposit months ago, Starlink consumers have no method of contacting customer support.
Customers say they can’t get in touch with Starlink to find out when the high-speed satellite internet service will be available in their region or if the kit is on its way after paying $100 for it.
Insider talked with four customers who paid a $100 refundable deposit to secure Starlink’s Better Than Nothing Beta, which has 1,639 operational satellites in space, up to seven months ago.
Between February and May, they issued Insider email confirmations of their Starlink purchases.
Those who made deposits will receive another email from Starlink at some time, inviting them to buy the $499 package, which includes a tripod, WiFi router, and terminal, as well as the $100 monthly membership.
Customers still don’t know when they’ll be linked to the network as the third quarter comes to a close.
Keith Bosse placed an order for Starlink on February 25, but has yet to get a response and has been unable to locate a customer care representative.
He asked, “If they can send a rocket into space, why can’t they figure out how to give customer service?” He noted that a deployment map would be helpful in determining when Starlink will arrive.
According to Corey Gordon, who lives in Alberta, Canada, and paid 129 Canadian dollars ($103) for the deposit in May, the Starlink app does not include a customer support option for customers with deposits.
“I left a couple of lengthy voicemails on an answering service at SpaceX over a month ago and have yet to hear anything,” he told Insider.
Working online and streaming videos during the epidemic, according to Gordon, is “almost impossible” with his present internet.
Contacting Starlink’s customer support does not appear to be an issue for individuals who have already received the kit.
One unnamed Starlink client in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, told Insider that after receiving the kit, he was able to contact Starlink about an issue. He said that it was repaired in a few of days.
Starlink customers’ high wait times aren’t unusual, according to Rich Leshner, vice president of consulting at analytics and engineering firm BryceTech.
“We’ve heard from a number of different companies in the space industry that supply chain issues are causing them problems in terms of delivery timelines, product quality, or simply overall supply network reliability,” Leshner said.
During a Space Symposium panel, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell claimed that a worldwide chip scarcity has delayed new Starlink user terminals, while a paucity of liquid oxygen has hampered rocket launches.
SpaceX did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Insider.
In February, Brad Stuart of east Texas informed Insider that he had obtained a $100 deposit for Starlink.
“Starlink is missing, and we have no idea when it will be found,” Stuart said. “This is a disgraceful treatment of their paid clients and supporters.”
Daniel Martin of Santa Cruz, California, paid for Starlink at the beginning of February and is unsure when the service would be available in his region. “At this point, my concern is Starlink’s complete lack of communication,” he added.
These four customers aren’t the only ones who have experienced this. In the Starlink community group on Reddit, individuals have also complained about bad customer support.
Meanwhile, Starlink’s website states that the service is only accessible to a “limited number of users” in the region where it is now functioning and that “orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.”
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