Internet access via satellite has been possible for years, but it was Starlink who revolutionized the concept with its (increasingly) gigantic satellite network. Access from remote locations has made this service a fantastic alternative, which is also becoming sadly popular in armed conflicts such as the war in Ukraine or the war between Israel and Hamas.
Starlink’s approach has traditionally been enthusiastically received wherever it has been used, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t perfect. In fact, a recent problem has generated a significant number of complaints and frustrations among the service’s customers.
As Ars Technica points out, the problem that affected a number of – unspecified – customers resulted in their accounts being reset without warning. They all received a message from an e-mail address called “no-reply@starlink.com” informing them that their accounts had been “reset” and that all outstanding bookings and deposits associated with these accounts had been refunded.
People who tried to recover their accounts using the account recovery option typical of so many other services found that the system didn’t work. One of those affected reported that when he tried to retrieve his account, he received the message “User not found”. When he tried to enter his phone number, he received a secret link allowing him to continue, but again the link didn’t work: all he got was another error telling him that the user had been deactivated from the service.
Many people have reported the problem on the /r/Starlink subreddit, and it seems that the problem is affecting new users. One of them told that two days after installing the system, he received the mail. According to him, the internet was still working, but he couldn’t log into his Starlink account or send a message to support.
Another affected person confirmed that it was not possible to create a support ticket without logging into the system, and complained that it was impossible to contact anyone to find out what was going on. “There also appears to be no technical support … or FAQ?
Although, as PCMag explains, there are a few other options for trying to contact Starlink, it doesn’t seem easy to write and receive a reply, and the US contact number isn’t the right one either: “this is not a Starlink-affiliated number,” the article explains, “but a technical support line for Subaru Starlink, that manufacturer’s infotainment system of the same name.”
Starlink has not yet clarified the situation, and it could be a temporary problem: Internet access still seems to be working for those concerned, but the lack of information and the impossibility of logging into their accounts on the service don’t help to reassure them.
