Earthlink does not care about you; only your money.

Does this surprise you? Earthlink is a big business. Most big businesses have a faceless non-caring feel to them. I dared to think Earthlink was different. Tonight, I found out I was wrong. They have taken care of me favorably in the past but that's because I found out that I'm paying way too much for my service.

My modem went on the fritz about 5 years into my 6 years with Earthlink. My original modem was free/gratis/etc from the company complimentary with my 12 month commitment for DSL service. The Indian tech support was very difficult to understand but he was friendly. Language barriers aside, we had a good conversation. He said he'd replace my modem. When it arrived, it came attached with an $80 bill. It was a surprise because he NEVER MENTIONED that part of it. For someone living check to check or anyone else $80 is a hell of a surprise. I called and complained. Thankfully, they erased that ammount as they never informed me of the price. I was expecting it free as the first one.

Tonight, 6 years into the service and 4 months away from buying my first home, I decided to call and ask about my account. My friend noticed Earthlink's website gives cheaper rates and wondered why I'm locked into $49/mo. I'm moving in 4 months and liked Earthlinks service. I wanted to keep using them in my new house provided that they can service that location (wherever that may be).

Before I really get going with the conversation, Here are some reference pictures. The night of the phone call is 03/13/08. That's the date this info is on Earthlink's main site.

<<<---- O.o Holy shit AND PHONE? why am I getting crappy 1/2 speed for this ammount?

That is what was on the first page. Did you see that "AND PHONE" part? Wow. I'm getting a raw deal with 3.0Mps DSL @ 49.95 a month and nothing else. I just chalked it up to the fact that mine is an old account and nobody bothered to let me know I was overpaying.

So curiously, I click "Learn More" under the 12.95 High Speed picture. I wanted to see how much I'm overpaying. Here's the pic. (a few clicks in...)

Wow! I'm paying $5 more than the 6.0Mbps??!!?? Sign me up, or not... This gets good (for Them)

The Phone Call (paraphrased convo. from memory)

I called. I get a god-damned computer.
Computer: "Please say what you need and I'll direct you" (paraphrased)
Me: /sigh
Computer: "Please say what you need and I'll direct you"
Me: ...
(presses 0 repeatedly)

Eventually I get a real guy; half way around the fucking world... AGAIN. This guy was nice. I'd have to say he was nice all the way to the end with his tone anyway. He was very difficult to understand and didn't listen a lot of the time. Mainly, he was concerned about trying to get more money.

Hard-to-understand-EL-guy: (usual, 'what is your account info so I may access it' stuff)

Me: (provides info)

EL-guy: "Ok, I'm in. How can I help you?"

Me: "I'm concerned I may be paying too much. I've noticed your ADVERTISED PRICES are lower than I'm currently paying."

EL-guy: "Yes, I see you are at 49 dollars a month."

Me: "Yes. That's right. I was wondering at what speed/service my account currently has."
(I should know what I pay for, I felt dumb.)

EL-guy: "I'm showing 3.0Mps on your account."

Me: "Wow. So I'm wondering why I'm at $49 when your advertised pay ranges are from $34.95 - 44.95 for both 3.0 and 6.0 speeds?"

EL-guy: "I see where you may be confused. We charge based on distance from our (nerve center)."
(I forgot what term he used but I know what he meant.)

Me: "Oh so I must be really far out there."

EL-guy: "I don't know, yes you might."
(Really? He can't get my address and tell me how far away I am? Pfft Please.")

Me: "So, what can you do for me here. I believe I'm paying too much for 3.0."

EL-guy: "I can give you my special promotional rate from here. ... about $39/mo."

Me: "That's great! Thanks." (here comes the hidden crap along with it)

EL-guy: "I'll set you up on this new plan..." (What new plan?) "...and you should know if you cancel early there is an early termination fee of 149.00 (something)"

Me: "What new plan? I thought you were going to adjust my rate to something more fair. You know; what new customers are actually paying."

EL-guy: "Yes, that's right." (it is?) "and the early termination fee.."

Me: "no..."

EL-guy: "..is 149.00"

Me: "No, I'm not doing another probationary period. I'm moving in 4 months and I like Earthlink. OBVIOUSLY, since I've been with you guys for 6 years. I've put in my probationary time."

EL-guy: "It is standard with a new plan."

Me: "I don't want a new plan. Just adjust my rate to that $39 thing you mentioned."

EL-guy: "Sir, you will be only saving $10 a month and you are moving in 4 months. I can make the early termination fee be $39.00."

Me: "ABSOLUTELY NOT. I know why companies put in the early term. fees. That is to ensure a customer remains your customer for a given time. In this case it's 12 months. I think I've proved that I'm a loyal customer and not going anywhere. I've been with you guys for a long time and want to use Earthlink at my new home if you service that area."
(after tonight fucking bet me that I am moving to someone else.)

EL-guy: "So...You want me to give you the new plan @39 and it's ok because if you move and we can't service your new area, you'll only owe us 39 for termination."

Me: "NO! (is this guy fucking listening or what) This violates my personal stance on extra crap like "this fee" and "that fee". I will not be subject to an Early Termination Contract as I've done my time in my first of the 6 years. NO; final."

EL-guy: "..."

(at this point we went round and round over the termination fees. He kept trying to stick them to me and I was having none of that.)

Me: "I would like to know one thing. Why am I paying $5 more per month than the 6.0Mps and getting 1/2 the speed? (a very valid question)

EL-guy: "I could research the price of 6.0 in your area. Would you like to convert to that plan?"

Me: "No. just...no... (losing steam and giving up)... I can tell it would be a long and fruitless conversation. I don't want it. Don't change anything. I don't want to see that I've been signed up for another plan and subjected to some Termination Contract I didn't agree to."

EL-guy: "Ok. Anything else I can help you with?"

(he helped me with something??)

Me: "No but thank you."

EL-guy: "Thank you. You have a nice evening."

Me: "You too..."

Ok that was my phone call. It was paraphrased to the best of my memory. I was so mad over that conversation that I went to Earthlink's website to see what manager, executive, ect. that I can reach and express my displeasure in the form of a scathing email. I found only SALES SERVICE SUPPORT.

So you can only contact them if you want to give them money or fix a tech issue. There is no human factor other than the very nice tech support. They really do a good job in that respect. So I jumped onto my PC and am updating my website for the first time in about 3-4 years.

The purpose? I get to get this off my chest. I get to write my "scathing email". You the reader get to see how Earthlink really feels about GENUINE LONG TERM CUSTOMERS. I guess I'm not that valued to them.

That's ok Earthlink. I liked a lot of what you do but I think your inability to respect a long term customer is apalling. I'm moving onto some other service. I'll take a poor service with bad tech support as long as the employees, business model, and mission statement put customers FIRST.

Earthlink is evil and I can prove it. Don't bother with these jokers.

(note: I'm still on Earthlink at the moment. After 4 months when I move, I'm off to a different faceless corporation that will dehumanise me in different ways. At least it keeps things interesting. This will take me a short while to get various services transferred over so there may be a blackout period where you cannot reach me via the CONTACTME links. Post move, I'll try to update the links as fast as possible.)

Here's the Updates; again >< I overwrote this file accidentally and lost my updates. Luckily I had it on a text file. So here it is raw and unrefined. Copy and Paste job. I'll sort through it later and fix it up. I can't believe I did that.

Earthlink part 2

2 calls
1st call: not listening, upselling, denial of upsell, agreement.
2nd call: found out first call signed me up for some email acct.

Update:
I've updated as I said I would. I believe my website contact info. is properly forwarding mail. There's more about this Earthlink business. I thought I might have overreacted but am now convinced Earthlink is Evil; or possibly under the control of a 'challenged' hive mind.

I resolved the issue after the move to my new house via two phone calls to Earthlink.

Prior to moving day, I called AT&T since I found a good deal on their site. I tried to bundle my phone and net with them but for some reason, it would cost more and I'd get crappier slower internet. So I left it unbundled and got 6mb/sec DSL for $35 a month. I Knew I made the right choice.

I have to say the PRODUCT from Earthlink is phenominal but the PEOPLE are fucking retarded. They never listen and try to upsell, they fail to inform MINOR details such as my $80 tagged to my modem replacement.

The PRODUCT from AT&T is great too; only the internet part of it.

So Earthlink People : SUCKS BEYOND SUCK reason this page was created.
Earthlink webmail: Easy to access non complicated url
Earthlink DSL : Hardly any problems

AT&T People : Great but you have to jump through TONS of fucking
hoops to get one. Once you get one, they listen and
seem much more focused on the issue than trying to
upsell.
AT&T webmail : SHIT. complicated url as it's not simply ATT.net or
something easy. Nope. You gotta remember whatever
company currently has a partnership with them. Today
it happens to be Yahoo! I fucking hate Yahoo and
for that reason alone would've passed on AT&T's DSL
service. Yahoo and AOL can just die. AOL deserves
a grind my gears and it'll get one soon. That incident
is years old but still worth a read.

Focus on the subject Bill, yeah shitty email from AT&T.
I keep getting messages from Yahoo saying SSL must be
enabled on my email client or goodbye client privledges.
So my WORKING client no longer works now that I enabled
SSL according to their instructions. Great now I'll be
forced to use their shitty webmail instead of Outlook.
...thanks, I guess.
AT&T DSL : Reason I bought in on AT&T. It's good, no drops that I can
tell. They said I'm close to one of the main nodes so it
should be blazin' fast. So far so good.

So back to Earthlink's crap. I just moved in and now have AT&T. Actually I had
nothing at that point. The service was turned on but I had no jack where my PC was.
I thought I remembered the layout of the house but I've only been in there about 2 times
prior to ordering the new service. I ordered a new jack installation and even though I
requested the guy arrive between 6-8pm (work order is for all day long) he shows up while
I'm still at work. So I pretty much say "Fuck you Mr. can't read a work order" and cancel
my jack installation request and purchase a wireless N router and USB ethernet adapter.

Problem Solved.

The connectivity issues actually took place AFTER my two calls to Earthlink. I called them
to cancel my account. Now, after so much backstory, we get to the meat of the Earthlink page's
update. The two calls.

Call #1
This time an Indian woman. The convo is heavily paraphrased as I'm updating the page about a month after this occured.

EL-gal: "Earthlink may I help you?"

Me: "Hello, yes I'd like to cancel my account."

EL-gal: "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is there something we can do?"

Me: "No, but thanks. I already signed on with someone else."

EL-gal: "What is the reason for cancelling?"
(I know she said something here but I'll just paraphrase it to this particular filler material. Somehow I
got to telling her about the previous encounter.)

Me: "I got a little pissed at Earthlink the last time I called. The guy wouldn't listen to me. ..."
(I fully explained the last encounter when trying to get my rates reduced.)
"...so I got AT&T DSL service 6.0Mbps for $35 a month."

EL-gal: "I can give you 6.0Mbps for $35 if you'd like change your account."

Me: "I'm sorry, it's too late. I've already said that I am with AT&T now."

EL-gal: "It's only $35 for you..."

Me: "I said it's too late. I've already tried this with the first guy and he was uncooperative. This offer
should've been made before he pissed me off and I went to another company."

EL-gal: "Ok. You want to cancel your DSL service?"

Me: "Yes, please."

EL-gal: "I see you've been with us since 2002 is that right"

Me: "yes"

EL-gal: "That qualifies you for a deal on service for..."

Me: "no thank you."

EL-gal: "ok. Would you like to keep your email account with Earthlink."

Me: "No, but thank you. I'd like to close everything please."
(yes, /sigh I really talk like this. Oh and this pleading and 'don't-break-up-with-me-girlfriend'
scenario really reminds me of a long time ago when I cancelled my AOL account. I'll post that soon.)

EL-gal: "Have you used your email recently."

Me: "Yes I have."

EL-gal: "You may have replies on the way. If you cancel, you won't receive them."

Me: "That's ok with me. Please close the account."
(through my work account, I can and did let people know my addy was changing.)

EL-gal: "Your email only account will cost $??? if you'd like to keep your address."
(It was a nice low ammount but I want the hell away from Elink as fast as possible.)

Me: "I said NO! Now your pissing me off too. You aren't listening to me just like the guy before.
and that drove me off to another company. CLOSE EVERYTHING!!!... please."
(yeah I was shouting and somehow tossed in a please.)

EL-gal: "I have to inform you that your emails will be lost. If I didn't inform people of that they'd get upset."

Me: "ok. I understand. It really is hard to please everyone. Just please shut down my DSL service AND my email account."

EL-gal: "ok. I will do that. You can access your email until June 20th." (this was May28th maybe?)

Me: "Great thanks!"

EL-gal: "I'd like to extend our offer of $35/month DSL service since you were a member since 2002."

Me: "(shouting) NOOOO! No! God! Your actually WORSE than the first guy who wouldn't listen to me. Turn off my DSL and
Email. Sign me up for NOTHING!"

EL-gal: "but your account.."

Me: "SHUT IT OFF, SHUT IT OFF, SHUT IT OFF, SHUT IT OFF!"
(The whole house can hear me and I'm wondering what they are thinking)

EL-gal: "ok, I will turn off your DSL and email account."

Me: "Thank you. (sigh of relief)"

EL-gal: "You have a second email address too (my wife's account) that will be turned off as well."

Me: "Yes, I'm aware of that. Shut it down please."

EL-gal: "ok it's done. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Me: "No. you've done enough. thanks"

EL-gal: "Ok good bye and have a nice day."

Me: "ok You too. (yeah I really did mean it)"

That was call 1. Fun huh? I think she was MILEs worse than the first guy. If he didn't make me leave Earthlink, she definately would. I'm almost upset with myself for chosing that moment to leave. I'd like to have saved it for that call.
Seriously Earthlink(Staff), TRAIN your people to LISTEN, and INFORM. Use Indian labor forces, that's fine. Just make sure things are in order. This shit is unacceptable.

So before I give you Call 2, I have to tell you about the Bill I received. That spawned the second convo. I received a bill from Earthlink for $21.00 ??? It could've been $20, $2, or $.002 any
amount is an insult at this point. The letter (I guess it wasn't really a Bill) said my new ???? account (forgot the name, some sort of email account) will be turned on June 20th when my DSL/email
accoutn ends. I'd be charged $21 ? per month for this new email service.

Super fucking pissed now...

I really hope they do record the phone calls like they claim they do.

call #2
This call was another gal but she sounded non-indian. This was a more pleasant call. I know what some of you are
thinking. "Racist" well you're wrong. It is what it is, and all my unfortunate encounters with Earthlink staff have
been Indian. Cry me a river but what's true is true. I think these call centers are either poorly trained, or they read
STRAIGHT from a call reference book, or there is a language barrier, or a combination thereof.

This call happened to be a non-Indian woman and it went smoothly. I'd like to send a big "Thank you" to her as she was
helpful and even refunded my money since I wasn't using the account that month.

EL-gal(the good one): "Thank you for calling Earthlink, this is ??? how may I help you?"

Me: "Hello, I just received a letter explaining that I've been signed up for some email service. I didn't
want that."

EL-gal(the good one): "Oh I'm sorry to hear that. (she pulled up my account to check it out)"

Me: (I explained the very long story starting with the first guy and ending with the cancellation call. I told her that I asked for EVERYTHING to be shut down and she signs me up for some email service.)

EL-gal(the good one): "Wow, oh I'm sorry to hear that. I've removed that from your account. Everything
has been turned off. You won't be billed for anything. I'm showing your month ends
June 20th. You can access the internet and email through Earthlink until that date."

Me: "Thanks. I won't be using it though. I'm on a different service and living in a different location. That service is linked to apartment. I just moved."

EL-gal(the good one): "I show your account made an automatic payment of $49 a few days ago."

Me: "Yes."

EL-gal(the good one): "I can refund that to you since you won't be using our service for the last few weeks.
Your account will be credited in several working days."

Me: "Thanks!"

EL-gal(the good one): "You're welcome and I hope this helps change your mind about Earthlink."

Me: "Thanks again."
(It doesn't change my mind. Sorry. You were helpful and I still thank you whoever you are but it doesn't
change my mind. That high price, and terrible quality of call center personnel has done it for me.)

EL-gal(the good one): "Anything else I can help you with?"

Me: "No that's all. It's all shut off right?"

EL-gal(the good one): "Yes"

Me: "Thanks."

EL-gal(the good one): "Goodbye and have a nice day."

Me: "you too."

Ok everybody. That last call, though paraphrased, is how it should be. She was to the point. She listened. It even helped her. It made her time on the phone shorter so she can help someone else. So, pretty nuts huh?

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