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Business Profile

Internet Services

Earthlink, LLC

Headquarters

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Earthlink, LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 602 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 256 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/06/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      It's been two days since Earthlink has been able to fix my fluctuating internet and it does not seem to end there. They have not provided an ***, and it does not seem to be fixed anytime soon. The internet is so slow that I can't even process a customer's wire online. This has to be fixed asap as I cannot operate my business like this. I am livid and am seeking some kind of compensation for this outrageous issue. This is costing me a lot of money not being able to operate normally.

      Business Response

      Date: 06/09/2025

      06/09/2025
      ******* ******** BBB 23436388
      EarthLink Acct #: None

      The consumer states that it has been two days since EarthLink has been able to fix the fluctuating internet. It is stated that the internet is slow and has to be fixed. It is further stated that the internet cannot be operated normally. The consumer is seeking a compensation for this issue.

      We would like to apologize to you for any inconvenience caused. We regret to inform that there is not enough information provided to adequately locate the account. Moreover, we are unable to find an address that cross-references with the name.

      EarthLink would need to be provided with more account specific information for further assistance. Ideally, we would require any of the following:

      a.The EarthLink email address listed on the account
      ************************ account number or invoice number
      c.The phone number that is being contacted for the account

      Without this information, it is impossible to determine which account in our database is the correct one. We will be happy to address the complaint once we are able to locate the specific account. Our customer support number is ********** and LiveChat ****************************************** (9:00 AM to 10:00 PM ET, 7 days a week). For Wireless Home Internet technical support please contact at ************, Monday- Sunday, 9am to 10pm EST. The confirmation number for this response is 651372978286.

      Please accept my apologies on behalf of EarthLink for any difficulties the consumer may have experienced.

      Respectfully

      ***** ****
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      ************************************** | 30328  
      [email protected]

      Online Internet Service Agreement:
      *************************************
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/06/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I have had an internet account with ******************** for almost 30 years. I keep it going so that I can use my old email address.I have just discovered that I was paying for dial up service as well as an email account. That's my bad, I guess, for not checking.However, Earthlink stopped providing dial up service on Dec 30 2023. Since then they have been charging me for a service they no longer provide.I assume I am not the only person they have been charging for services they do not offer This seem flat out wrong

      Business Response

      Date: 06/09/2025

      Date - 06/09/2025
      ****** *******- ***** BBB # ********
      EarthLink Acct # *****
      Acct status: Active


      In the complaint, the consumer states that he has been a long-time customer with **********************.  The consumer states that he continued staying with EarthLink as he had an email address with EarthLink.  The consumer states that he just discovered that he was paying for dial up service as well as an email account.  The consumer states that EarthLink stopped providing dial up service since December 30, 2023. Since then, he has been charged for a service that was no longer provided.  The consumer has mentioned his dissatisfaction with EarthLink in regard to it. The consumer is seeking a billing adjustment from EarthLink in this regard.

      On reviewing the account, we do see that the consumer has been a long-time customer with **********************.  The consumer had started his account by signing up for a dialup service.  We would like to inform the consumer that when a dialup service is used, there is a local access number which is required to get the internet started. The consumer had to call up his local phone provider to get this local access number in order to connect to the internet.  At that time high speed was not available and the only way to get connected to the internet was dialup.  But during a course of time later high-speed service was introduced. The copper wire was replaced by fiber optic wire in certain location.  So therefore,EarthLink had stopped providing dialup service to new customers. However,continued to provide technical support for existing consumers who use to get the local access number from their phone provider to connect to the internet.  Therefore, EarthLink did not cancel the consumers having a dialup service.

      In regard to the billing dispute,we would like to inform the consumer that as per EarthLink policy, all charges are considered valid unless disputed in writing within thirty (30) days of the billing date. Adjustments will not be made for charges that are more than 30 days old. However, as a courtesy, as per the consumers request we have offered a six-month credit billing adjustment towards the email service to the consumer.We have changed the bill plan from dialup to email only service for $5.95 a month. The consumers billing cycle is the 15th of each month.  The consumers free month would start from June 15, 2025, and will end on December 14, 2025. The regular bill would resume from December 15, 2025, for $5.95 a month.The confirmation number for this response is 204017673.




      Respectfully
      Roiden
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      ****************************************
      *********** | 30328 
      ************************************
      EarthLink ************** Agreement:
      ***************************************
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/06/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      ResolvedMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My father, ****** ****, had an email account with ******************** (originally ************) for years.****** passed away last June, and we are now closing out his affairs.Trying to cancel this account has been extremely frustrating. First, there is ZERO information on the Earthlink website about how to do this - I found some links to a 'KnowledgeBase' in the main search bar of the site, but those links are all dead/blocked by *********** There are no articles or links about this process anywhere on the site.I opened a chart on the site, but it took almost an hour before anyone responded. When they did respond, they told me they could not cancel directly but instead this had to be referred to the executive relations department, which would review my request and respond, I should expect to wait at least 72 hours for this ***********'s just ridiculous that it should take this much effort to process a simple cancellation.

      Business Response

      Date: 06/09/2025

      06/09/2025
      ****** ****-BBB # ********
      EarthLink Acct # ********
      Acct status: Inactive

      The consumer states that his father had an email account for years and he passed away. It is stated that they are trying to close the account but there is no information on the EarthLink website about how to do it. The consumer tried to chat with the customer service but was referred to Executive Relations and he would have to wait for 72 hours for a response. The consumer has expressed dissatisfaction and wants to cancel the account.

      On reviewing the account we see that the service was active for Premium email and Perks. We are sorry to know that the consumer would like to cancel the account as the account holder passed away. Please accept our heartfelt condolences. We apologize for the difficulties experienced while trying to cancel the account. The procedures are mentioned in our Terms of Service available at ************************************. It is very important that we verify a cancellation request is authentic. In order to reduce any unintended service interruptions we prefer to limit avenues of cancellation to Telephone. When the consumer contacted EarthLink by phone the account was inactivated as requested. The current status of the account is inactive as of 06/09/2025. We would like to assure all our consumers that EarthLink always strives for better customer experience and we take feedback's positively to improve our services. The confirmation number for this response is *********.

      Please accept my apologies on behalf of EarthLink for any difficulties the consumer may have experienced in bringing this to a close.

      Respectfully

      ***** ****
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      **********************************************************************************; 
      [email protected]

      Online Internet Service Agreement:
      ************************************/

      Customer Answer

      Date: 06/09/2025

       
      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

      Sincerely,

      ****** ****
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/31/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I have been attempting to cancel my service with our internet service provider Earthlink for over a month now as of May 2025, due to us having moved and getting a new provider. Through repeated attempts over the phone with their automated system, every single time I inform it I'm reaching out to cancel service, the automated system immediately hangs up. They began sending numerous texts and emails concerning a late fee that is only late because I could not cancel the service before the fee was due. Finally, today as of May 31st 2025 I was able to reach a human and communicate my concerns. I was put on hold for about 15 minutes while they "transferred me to the correct department." Someone eventually picked up, told me they have someone on the line who can help me with my issue, then they hung up. I literally cannot reach them to cancel my service. I would like them to rescind the bill I received because they made it impossible to cancel before it was due, and properly cancel my service.

      Business Response

      Date: 06/02/2025

      Date - 06/02/2025
      ***** ***** BBB # ********
      EarthLink Acct # ********
      Acct status: Inactive


      In the complaint, the consumer states that they are having difficulties getting their services canceled with EarthLink.  The consumer states that they have moved, so would not be requiring the EarthLink services.  The consumer has mentioned her dissatisfaction with EarthLink as she is unable to reach anyone to cancel her services.  The consumer in her final resolution would like EarthLink to cancel her services and waive her last bill as there was delay in getting the services canceled.

      We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to the consumer in regard to difficulties canceling her account. ********************** takes feedback like this seriously and we will address any failing to the people responsible allowing them to help improve our EarthLink services to more closely align with what our consumers expect. We would like to assure all the consumers that EarthLink always strives for better customer experience and takes every opportunity to improve its staff and services. 

      On reviewing the account, we see that the consumer had signed up for HyperLink internet service. Currently the consumers account had got canceled on May 25, 2025, due to nonpayment of $******** order to bring this matter to a close, as a courtesy we have waived this last outstanding balance of $81.13.  The account is inactive and there would be no further billing on the account.  Please accept my apologies on behalf of EarthLink for any difficulties the consumer may have experienced in bringing this to a close. The confirmation number for this response is 204004283.




      Respectfully
      Roiden
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      ****************************************
      *********** | 30328 
      ************************************
      EarthLink ************** Agreement:
      ***************************************
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/28/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I called Earth Link, they never disclose to me that they was **** and they told me that i have fiber in my area and that's what i was under the impression that i had. I told them that i needed wi-fi, internet so i can use phone, tv, and computer. I did not get that, the service is so slow, i am having trouble with my phone, tv , and computer freezing up. I called them the first week, they came out and replace white box. It did not do any good. i did a speed test and found out that i am only getting 29.9 mbps which is not enough for a phone not alone my tv and computer. I called them about the situation, but all they did was threaten me and said if i cancel that i would have to pay 100's of dollars because i was under a contract that i did not know i was under. It should be against the law to tell customer one thing and end up doing something completely different. I want out of this mess, its been a nightmare. I am 70 years old and i have never witness to so much untruth. i was looking for something from my initial call to confirm what i would be getting in my services, but i never received any thing. I never knew that they had to take out my account without authorization. I am on a fix income and do not want anyone taking anything out my account and i will not knowing aloud them to put me under a contract. I would like to resolve this terrible issue as soon as possible.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/29/2025

      05/29/2025
      ******** *******-BBB # 23388152
      EarthLink Acct # ********
      Acct status: Active

      The consumer states that she called EarthLink and it was not disclosed that it is AT&T. It is stated that she was informed it is fiber in her area. The consumer wanted internet for phone TV and computer but the service is slow. The consumer states that when she called tech support, the box was replaced but it is still not good. The consumer states that the speed test shows 29.9 MBPS which is not enough. It is mentioned that she was told that if she cancels there will be a termination fee because the account is under a contract. The consumer states that she is 70 and on a fixed income. It is also stated that she never knew that the account would be charged without authorization. The consumer wants to be out of contact as she was not aware of it and did not know it was AT&T.

      On reviewing the account we see that the service was set up for high speed internet access. We are sorry for any confusion or misunderstanding that may have happened at the point of sign up. While EarthLink partners with AT&T only for installation, billing and support is handled by EarthLink. EarthLink makes all reasonable efforts to provide high quality service with award winning support. However the complex nature of the internet service depends upon various factors some of which are beyond EarthLink's control. As per the policy, If you provided EarthLink with a valid credit card or debit card, you agree to maintain valid and current credit or debit card information with EarthLink at all times. You acknowledge and agree that you authorize EarthLink, and that EarthLink does not need to obtain any additional authorization from you for any recurring payments or automatic billing options.

      When the consumer contacted EarthLink on 03/17/2025 for tech issues, a dispatch was scheduled and the device was replaced. The current line test result shows that the modem is in sync with uptime of 10D 19H 54S and two devices connected. The speed test result is 130 MBPS/128 MBPS which is much more than the registered speed of 100 MBPS. As per the policy, If you have a Term Plan and your Service is canceled by you or by EarthLink for cause prior to the end of the fixed period in your billing plan and your billing plan includes a fee payable in the event of such termination (an Early Termination Fee),EarthLink will bill you the Early Termination Fee set forth in your billing plan. In certain situations, EarthLink may waive the Early Termination Fee, at its discretion, if (i) EarthLink no longer provides the Service to your current location, (ii) you live in an area currently deemed a weather or war disaster area, or (iii) you were deployed for active military service. If the consumer decides to cancel for technical reasons or no service then EarthLink will waive the Early Termination Fee. The current status of the account is active. The confirmation number for this response is *********.

      Please accept my apologies on behalf of EarthLink for any difficulties the consumer may have experienced.

      Respectfully

      ***** ****
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      ************************************** | 30328  
      [email protected]

      Online Internet Service Agreement:
      *************************************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/29/2025

       
      Complaint: 23388152

      I am rejecting this response because:
      When I ran the speed test it was only 29.9 Mbps also I never was asked to allow them to use my acct. other than for installation. Nothing was disclosed to me. They never mentioned a contract. I have had constant trouble with my phone, television, Computer.  will take pictures of the service they provide. It freeze up. terrible services. They never disclosed to me that their product and services come from at&t, I would have never excepted auto taking out my acct, I am on a fixed income. Also I would never have accept a contract on anything. They said I have fiber but that's not the truth because they said on 800 number that they do not have fiber service in my area *******


      Sincerely,

      ******** *******

      Business Response

      Date: 05/30/2025

      05/30/2025
      ******** ******* -BBB # ********
      EarthLink Acct # ********
      Acct status: Inactive

      The consumer states that she is rejecting the response because when she ran the speed test it was 29.9 MBPS and also never allowed to use the account other than for installation. It is mentioned that the contract was never mentioned. It is further stated that she has constant trouble with the phone, TV and computer. It is stated that the service is terrible and freezes up. The consumer states that it was never disclosed that the product was from AT&T and would never accept taking out from her account. It is stated that she was told it would be fiber but the service in her area does not have fiber.

      In the previous response it was stated that the installation is done by AT&T but the service, billing and technical support is all provided by EarthLink. The line test result shows the modem is in sync with good speed. We did a line test again and found the modem Uptime is 11D 19H 43M 43S with two devices connected. The current speed is 130 MBPS. EarthLink service prices are based on a model that includes the use of an automated form of payment. While we permit certain customers to choose to be invoiced and pay using manual checks, high speed services are not eligible for non automatic method of payment. The consumer states that the service is terrible and freezes and has constant trouble with the phone, TV and internet. The consumer also states that she would have never accepted auto payments and was not aware of the Early Termination Fees. Based on the situation we are inactivating the account as of 05/30/2025. As designed by the system the account was charged Eartly Termination Fee of $200. As a special consideration the Early Termination Fee of $200 has been refunded. The refund will reflect in the credit card statement in up to three days. The confirmation number for this response is 204001294.

      EarthLink apologizes for any misunderstanding that may have occurred and for any inconvenience it might have caused.

      Respectfully

      ***** ****
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      **********************************************************************************; 
      [email protected]

      Online Internet Service Agreement:
      *************************************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/30/2025

       
      Complaint: 23388152

      I am rejecting this response because:
      They said that they charged me *****, but I was charged ******. Something is truly wrong.  I will accept resolution when they refund all that they have taken out my account. Thank you soon much.
      Sincerely,

      ******** *******
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/23/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      ResolvedMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Signed up for internet service and was promised ****** giftcard which I never got even after calling about it 3 times. Had nothing but problems with their service constantly going in and out, I work from home and cant have those issues. I called them several times they sent someone out but issue was never resolved so i cancelled and got another service. Now they claim I owe them ****** early termination fee that they claim I agreed to. The way I see it is they broke the contract by not giving me the giftcard so Im not paying them another dime. Also every time I call and ask to speak with a Manager they sat one isnt available but will call me back and they never do. ********

      Business Response

      Date: 05/27/2025

      Date: - 5-27-2025
      **** ******* BBB # ******** 
      EarthLink Account # ********
      Acct status: Inactive

      In the complaint the consumer states that at the time of signup, he was promised that he will get a $100 gift card.  The consumer states that despite of calling 3 times he did not receive it. The consumer states that he had internet connection issues with EarthLink, so had to cancel the account.  The consumer states that now he has been billed a $200 as an Early termination fee.  The consumer states that he was not aware of the contract. The consumer states that he is not willing to pay the Early Termination fee as he has not received his $100 Gift card. The consumer has mentioned his difficulties reaching a supervisor.   The consumer would like EarthLink to look into this matter and accordingly resolve his billing issue.

      We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to the consumer in regard to difficulties speaking to a supervisor and in getting the gift card. EarthLink takes feedback like this quite seriously and we will address any failing to the people responsible allowing them to help improve our EarthLink services to more closely align with what our consumers expect. We would like to assure all the consumers that EarthLink always strives for better customer experience and takes every opportunity to improve its staff and services. On reviewing the account, we see that the consumer had signed up for HyperLink internet service. The ***************** comes with a one-year contract with an Early Termination fee up to $200.   The EarthLink policy states, if the account is cancelled within the first year of service, the consumer is liable to pay an Early Termination Fee. This term commitment is applicable to all our Hyperlink customers.  In regard to contract acceptance,when the customers connect to the ******************** for the first time, the terms and condition are accepted by the customers to access the ********************.  Therefore, the consumer was billed $200 as he was under a contract. The account has been sent to collections due to nonpayment of the last outstanding bill of $200.

      However, as a courtesy since the consumer did not receive the $100 gift card and in order to bring this matter to a close, we have decided to waive the Early Termination fee of $200.  Please allow up to 45 days for this account to be removed from collections.   Please accept my apologies on behalf of EarthLink for any difficulties the consumer may have experienced in bringing this to a close. The confirmation number for this response is 203992595.





      Respectfully
      Roiden
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      ****************************************
      *********** | 30328 
      ************************************
      EarthLink ************** Agreement:
      ***************************************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/27/2025

       
      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

      Sincerely,

      **** *******
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/20/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I have been trying to cancel for over a week. Every time I call I get put on hold for ***** min. Then they come back saying just a few more minutes. It's usually 35 min before they get back on the phone and tell you that there isn't a supervisor available. They put you back on hold. And in my situation they hang up . So I have to start the process all over again? This is the absolute worse company that I've ever had to deal with. Why would I spend $96 a month for internet when I'm a disabled senior, and I can get internet for $15 a month.. The employees at EarthLink can not seem to understand why I don't want their service. Do the **** math!! STAY AWAY FROM EARTHLINK!!

      Business Response

      Date: 05/21/2025

      Date: - 05-21-2025
      **** ******* BBB # ********
      EarthLink Account # ******** 
      Acct status: Inactive


      In the complaint the consumer has mentioned her difficulties getting her internet service canceled with EarthLink. The consumer states that the price is too high, so therefore tying to cancel the account. The consumer states that she is a disabled senior and would have got the same internet service for a cheaper rate. The consumer in her final resolution would like to cancel her account and be refunded that amount that she paid to EarthLink.

      On reviewing the account, we see that the service was set up for Wireless Home Internet service. We apologize for the inconvenience caused while she was trying to cancel her account and for the long hold time trying to reach our support team. We continue our efforts to reduce the hold time but due to the nature of the service, some factors are beyond the control of EarthLink. 

      Upon receiving the consumers complaint, we escalated it to the concerned department. As per consumers request the concerned team has inactivated the account. We have received a confirmation that a full refund would be given to the consumer. For now, we have decided to refund $96.48. Please allow up to 3 business days for this refund transaction to complete.  We have also decided that once the consumer returns the router back to EarthLink, we would refund the remaining amount of $79.95 processing and handling fee. For this the consumer needs to contact us after a week when she returns the router.    The account is inactive and there would be no further billing unless the consumer does not return the router.  We have also emailed the return label to the consumers contact email address. We would like to inform the consumer that she will have 30 days to return their router. If fail to do so, the consumer will be billed a Non-Return Hardware fee of $400.    The confirmation number for this response is 626266723397.





      Respectfully
      Roiden
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      ****************************************
      *******, ** | 30328 
      ************************************
      EarthLink Online Service Agreement:
      ***************************************
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/20/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On April 14, 2025 I called ******* attempting to do a simple service transfer to a new address I was moving to. The *** who answered my call to ******* told me over and over again that ******* did not service my new house and that I had no choice but to switch providers. He told me he looked at the providers in my area and matched me with EarthLink as the most comparable provider in the new area. He promised me that I would get a $200 gift card for the inconvenience since its not my fault I had to switch. He also told me not to pay any balance or future bills I had with ******* because Earthlink would take care of it for switching over. This *** then transferred me over to earthlink and gave them all of my info to switch to them. I never received the gift card. A ******* tech came to do my install for earthlink and was so early no one was home. He never stepped foot in my home but he marked the installation as complete. While I was moving into my new home I found a card for ******* to call and set up service. Since then I have found out that the *** from ******* also works for EarthLink and completely scammed me to set up new service with his other employer. I have called EarthLink to explain the entire situation and they keep telling me its $200 to cancel when Ive never once used their service at all and tried to cancel it within 2 weeks of being it being set up. Now theyre automatically debiting my bank for the monthly bills and promising me a supervisor will call back after they review the sales call, but theres no way for them to hear that since it was on *******s phone line. EarthLink wont have access to it. ******* also confirmed that they would NEVER allow one of their ***s to look up other service providers and transfer a customer to them. They told me they found out who the *** was that did this from the cancellation he put in their system and escalated the matter to management for disciplinary actions, but now EarthLink will NOT help me at all.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/22/2025

      05/22/2025
      **** **********-BBB # ********
      EarthLink Acct # ********
      Acct status: Inactive

      The consumer states that she contacted ******* on 04/14/2025 to do a simple service transfer and since they did not service the area she had to switch providers. It is stated that she was offered EarthLink and was promised $200 Gift card for the inconvenience. A tech from ******* came to install but did not step inside the house and marked the installation as complete. The consumer states that she got a card for ******* to call and set up the service. It is mentioned that the *** from ******* also works for EarthLink and scammed him to set up the new service. The consumer states that she called EarthLink to cancel the service and she was told that there was a charge of $200 for cancelling the service. The customer wants to cancel the service without Early Termination fee and wants refund of the monthly payments. The consumer does not want the account to be ***orted to the credit bureaus.

      On reviewing the account we see that the service was signed up by our business partner for high speed internet access. We are sorry for any miscommunication or misunderstanding that may have happened at the point of sale. EarthLink always strives for better customer experience and we take feedback's positively to improve our services. EarthLink offers gift cards to qualifying customers depending on the speed of the service.The first $100 Gift card after 60 days of good standing and the second $100 Gift card after 120 days of good standing. The service is under a term commitment and as per the policy If you have a Term Plan and your Service is canceled by you or by EarthLink for cause prior to the end of the fixed period in your billing plan and your billing plan includes a fee payable in the event of such termination (an Early Termination Fee), EarthLink will bill you the Early Termination Fee set forth in your billing plan. The amount of the Early Termination Fee, or the method such fee is calculated,are included in your Term Plan and vary from plan to plan.

      We are sorry to know that the consumer decided to cancel the service. Based on the situation the account is inactivated as of 05/21/2025. As designed by the system, the account was charged an Early Termination Fee of $200. The Early Termination Fee has been refunded back to the card on file. The charge of $73.80 invoiced on 04/20/2025 and $73.80 invoiced on 05/20/2025 have been refunded. The refund will reflect in the credit card statement in up to three days. A return label has been sent to the email address on file. The consumer needs to use the return label to send back the device to avoid un-returned hardware fee of $300. The current status of the account is inactive as of 05/21/2025. The account is resolved so there is no reason to ***ort to the credit bureaus. The confirmation number for this response is *********.

      Please accept my apologies on behalf of EarthLink for any difficulties the consumer may have experienced in bringing this to a close.

      Respectfully

      ***** ****
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      **********************************************************************************; 
      [email protected]

      Online Internet Service Agreement:
      *************************************
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/19/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      ResolvedMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      1. Original installation date was changed at the last minute after I already took off a days worth of work and I was contacted via text to just tell me I wasnt it wasnt discussed with me or and I wasnt given an option to change it to something else.2. after they were there for like six hours installing the lines they never bothered to bury them. I have small children as well as pets that go outside and was hazardous to have all these chords running across a very large property of three lodge which is approximately half an acre of lines that were exposed. 3. I called multiple times to find out when they were going to come back and bury the lines of which it took them at least 2 to weeks before they even came back to **** the lines 4. when they finally came back to bury the lines at 9:30 in the morning I received a text that the person bearing the lines literallybroke the main waterline into my home and he asked me via text which Im going to upload basically if I had a husband, they could fix it and that he plugged the pipe. He did plug the pipe with a stick from the mango tree in my yard and basically that waterline until 5:30 pm when I got home at that time I had to call an emergency plumber who then came out and charged me $1300 to fix the pipe 5. when I called EarthLink, they told me that it would be ************************************************* regards to fixing the pipewhich is unacceptable because the water is just spewing out of the pipe and so then I had to file an insurance claim with another company apparently insurance company for the $1300 in order to get reimburse which I had to wait another three weeks for and Im a single mom and when I called that day the girl on the phone told me that because I had such a horrible experience with earth length that I be credited for a month worth of service and when I woke up this morning, my Internet was off and no supervisor called me back

      Business Response

      Date: 05/20/2025

      Date: - 05-20-2025
      ***** ***** BBB # ********
      EarthLink Account # ********
      Acct status: Active


      In the complaint the consumer has mentioned the difficulties she faced due to installation. The consumer states that, as a compensation she was offered a free month by an EarthLink. However,later she found out that the credit was not applied and her account was inactivated due to nonpayment. The consumer therefore is seeking help from EarthLink in this regard. She wants to get her account reactivated by waiving the one-month complete bill.

      We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the consumer due to installation. On reviewing the account, we see that the consumer had signed up for HyperLink internet service.  The consumers billing cycle was 7th of each month. The bill, which was generated on May 7, 2025, for $68,95 was not paid.  The payment was rejected by the consumers card and the account got inactivated due to nonpayment.  As per our records we do see the consumer contacted EarthLink on May 19, 2025, requesting for a compensation. On this day our representative offered a 50% waiver on the May 2025, bill. However, it seems as per the records the consumer did not accept this offer. The account is currently inactive with outstanding balance.  Incase if the account needs to be reactivated then the consumer has to pay the outstanding balance of $68.95 as well as a reactivation fee of $25.


      However, as a courtesy we have decided to waive the complete bill for the month and also the reactivation fee.The account has been placed for reactivation, and it may take 24 to 48 hours for the service to be reinstated.  Please accept my apologies on behalf of EarthLink for any difficulties the consumer may have experienced.  The confirmation number for this consumer's complaint is 203979961.




      Respectfully

      Roiden
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      ****************************************
      *********** | 30328 
      ************************************
      EarthLink ************** Agreement:
      ***************************************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/20/2025

       
      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

      Sincerely,

      ***** *****
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/18/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      ResolvedMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I am a LONG time customer of ******************** for home ******************** and my recent dealings with them have made me regret that. I have been trying to get in touch with someone at Earthlink by phone, text, and chat. None of those situations has put me in touch with anyone who can understand a simple billing dispute and what needs to be done to resolve it. Trying to deal with anyone by text or chat will leave you hanging there for a prolonged time with no updates as to how long before someone will be available to help. For all you know, no one is ********* problem is this; invoice number ********* dated 8/27/24 was in the amount of $91.01 as it had been for the recent ********. Beginning with the 9/27/24 invoice number ********* my total invoice due amount jumped up to $100.91. I had not made any changes to my service at all and this was not due to any price increases. The reason was that I was suddenly being billed $4.95 for 3GB email a total of 3 times for the month, instead of only one. UP to this point all my monthly invoices only billed for $4.95 one time, not 3. This pattern continued all the way through to now, from my 9/27 invoice up to and including my 3/27/25 invoice. Beginning with the 4/27/25 invoice #********* the problem corrected itself and there was only 1 charge for $4.95 on the 4/27/25 invoice. back down to a total of $94.01 due. I had tried intermittently during all those months to try and resolve the issue over the phone with no luck. Somehow my issue was passed to someone named ******** who said she was an ER Specialist III. She claimed to have looked at all of my invoices and she said I had only been charged $4.95 a month, not (3) $4.95 for 7 months as I explained. So she refused to issue a refund. I don't know what she looked at but it was clearly NOT all my invoices.Bottom line is, Earthlink over billed me by $9.90 a month for 7 months. I am due a refund of $69.30 for this error. Current inv.# ********* dated 4/27/25 is CORRECT.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/19/2025

      05/19/2025
      ***** ******** -BBB # ********
      EarthLink Acct # ********
      Acct status; Active

      The consumer states that she is a long time customer of ********************** and recently has been trying to get in touch with someone by phone text or chat. It is stated that none of them would understand a billing dispute to resolve it. It is stated that the invoice dated 08/27/2024 was $91.01 and the invoice of 09/27/2024 was $100.91. The consumer states that the sudden increase was due to $4.95 being billed three times instead of only one. It is mentioned that there were no changes to the service. The consumer states that the pattern continued till 03/27/2025 and it got corrected from the invoice dated 04/27/2025. It is stated that she was billed $9.90 extra a month for seven months. The consumer is seeking a refund of $69.30.

      On reviewing the account we see that the service is active for high speed DSL internet access. We are sorry for any miscommunication or misunderstanding that may have happened. As per the records we see that the account was charged $4.95 each for two MailBoxes. The consumer had free email service with the internet. However, due to certain billing issues the account started getting charged for the two MailBoxes. The account has an outstanding balance of $*****. Based on the situation this charge of ***** has been waived. The account is active and the next bill date is 05/27/2025. We want to thank the consumer for being such a loyal customer for so many years. We would like to assure all our consumers that we take feedback like this positively and would imply it positively to help improve our services. The confirmation number for this response is 203978506.

      Please accept my apologies on behalf of EarthLink for any difficulties the consumer may have experienced.

      Respectfully

      ***** ****
      EarthLink Executive Relations
      EarthLink
      **********************************************************************************; 
      [email protected]

      Online Internet Service Agreement:
      *************************************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/19/2025

       
      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

      Sincerely,

      ***** ********

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