Starlink Customers Who Made Changes in the Site's Map Saw Their Order Was Delayed by Years, No Fix Yet

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 03 November 2021, 10:11 pm

SpaceX — (Photo : Unsplash/ Alexandr Bormotin) Satellite

Starlink had rolled out preorders for its satellite internet service back in February, and it was an exciting time for customers who were waiting for the launch of the service.

Starlink has been advertised as a service that can give faster speed and a better internet connection, especially in rural areas or places with spotty internet access.

However, a single feature on the official site of the company is causing preorders to be delayed by years, and there is no fix for the bug yet.

Starlink Site Issue

According to Ars Technica, some users on the r/Starlink subreddit moved their service area just a couple of feet using the digital map tool on the company's site. Unfortunately, they ended up having their preorder dates moved from late 2021 to 2023.

A user wrote on r/Starlink subreddit that he moved the service area from the end of his driveway to his house. When he checked on the site again, he saw that the preorder date changed to 2022-2023.

Also Read: Elon Musk: SpaceX Starlink Internet to Roll Out Nationwide This Month! What to Expect

In the same thread, another user said that he moved the location from his barn to his house, which is only 13 feet in real-time, and now his preorder is in mid to late 2022.

The Verge reported that the map tool was always on the website, but Starlink recently made some changes to the layout and also removed the mention of Starlink being in beta.

The recent update may have pushed the digital map tool to a more prominent location and also gave the user a notification to check their location for accuracy.

Naturally, those who excitedly checked the status of their Starlink preorder would feel included to change the service location if they noticed an error.

Starlink Issues

Apparently, this type of preorder delay with the company is not a new issue, it has just become more common because of the new map location.

Another Reddit user stated that people have been warning others about it for almost a year now. If you do not already have service and you move your address, you go back to the end of the line.

SpaceX's CEO and billionaire Elon Musk is the owner of Starlink, and his vision for the company and its service is a grand one. However, it is small issues like these that undermine the potential of the service.

Customer service issues are not a new thing among brands that Musk owns, Tesla is known for having very poor customer service, and Starlink is not following far behind.

In September, Starlink customers stated that they were not able to reach the company to check the status of their orders months after they've purchased it.

Customers who have fallen victim to the temptation of moving their service area in the digital map have been contacting Starlink through email, but there has been no response.

Musk wants to expand space exploration and define an era of electric vehicles, yet some of these customers said that it is better that he focuses on the customer service part of this business.

Musk had tweeted that Starlink will arrive in October as the beta phase starts.

In March, SpaceX's Starlink was sent into space to begin the trial of the service, and the company will include the Philippines in the list of areas that it will cover. Yet, there has been no follow-up on how the service has been doing in terms of speed.