Earthlink. Questionable Ethics?

[Tavis]

I'm sorry to put this here, I know this is probably going to be locked before too long, but I must know something. Has anyone here recently been signed up for an Earthlink account without their approval? I ask this because a credit card of mine recently was and the only time I ever use my credit card is when I see a good deal on these forums. I believe Earthlink may have bought my credit card information from some company that someone posted here in the past, and if I jumped on the deal, I'm sure others must have as well. I know this isn't just some random case of fraud, because the only thing purchased with my card was an Earthlink account that was not even used (I spoke with an Earthlink rep who gave me this information). They had all of my address information (to an old apartment no less) and they signed the account up under wjbrisky@earthlink.net. When I called Card Services International they told me it is a common, but ILLEGAL, practice that major companies purchase credit card information and use it hoping for people that do not check their balances to sign them up for an account without their knowledge. The account at Earthlink was created on August 16, 2001. If anyone else here has had this happen to them, please provide any information you can.

Please don't lock this mod, I really need to collect this information. If I get any others, I plan on going to court with this.

Tavis

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Moved from Hot Deals by AnandTech Moderator

 

[Healey]

I doubt that Mindspring/Earthink would unilaterally open an account using info they knew was bogus.

A company like Earthlink has too much to lose by such patently illegal practices.

A much more likely scenario is that some scammer got ahold of your info and opened an account for their own nefarious purposes. I'd have a new acct number assigned now.

 

[Zwingle]

I can't see Earthlink or any other reputable company making a charge on your credit card without your consent unless it was an honest mistake. Credit Card info is sold....but it is only name, address, and risk. It is against the law for any other info to be sold, and again I can't see Earthlink or any other reputable company buying this info. You may have made a purchase or signed up for something using your credit card and the account may have been a prerequiste of some sort. Try calling Earthlink and tell them you never signed up for the service and where they got the information from that you did want to sign up for service. they will be more than willing to give you the info.

 

[mozaix]

Card Services International just wants to sell you there $100 a year fraud protection. So don't listen to them. Probably just fraud on some individuals part and not Earthlink - they are too big.

 

[fr]

<< for their own nefarious purposes. >>



Someone stole his CC number and created an Earthlink account so they could NEF in OT?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[BlueIce]

So did they credit you back and close out the acct in question?
You might want to look into getting a credit card with those 1 time use numbers for the hot deals forum....

 

[aceO07]

Wow. Shocking! I had a similiar fraudulent charge on my american express card. I called earthlink and cancelled it. It was started on 7/16/01 or something. Wasn't thinking clearly enough to ask for other information about the account, had to wait for over 20 minutes on the phone. I then called amex and told them about it. They said they will look into it and told me to take 42.90$ from my current cc bill.

 

[Kaieye]

I am from the SF Bay Area and first used JPS.net for an ISP. They were latered swallowed up by Onemain.com. Now Earthlink took over Onemain.com and the dial-up connection is the pitts... I only have a few more months left and I am gone.

I am sure Earthlink got all the info from Onemain.com about my credit report, history,etc.etc. Earthlink s*cks!

 

[FinalLastz]

damn.. it happened to my friend.. what is Earthlink thinking?

 

[travws]

Well, i'm currently fighting with earthlink. I used to have a dial-up account with a free isp. Then i got cable and just ignored that account. Later earthlink sends me a letter saying something like....We just bought that free isp...don't worry we will give you the same great service...we will automatically sign you up for an account...oh, and , btw...it will be $21.45 a month. They didn't even ask if i wanted to have this account. First thing i knew of it was when i got the first month's bill.

I think they are total bastards!!!

trav

 

[KBTibbs]

Guys, I just gotta stick up for Earthlink. It is successful enough to tell me they aren't complete morons. Useing fake/stolen CC's is VERY traceable and the company would be in huge trouble if they did. I hate to say it, but it is most likely someone got the CC no. with a packet sniffer on an unsecure web page, or (much harder) from the companies d-base itself. Rest assured, if it is Earthlink, CC companies (specially AmEx) go to bat for their card holders. They don't like to loose money, so if it keeps happening AmEx and Visa and the like will most likely pull out da big guns.

 

[TaylorD]

Yeah, I very much doubt that Earthlink would do what you claim they may have done...

I once had a charge on my card from a Staples in Arizona. Well, I have never been to Arizona, so I called and disputed the charges. As it turns out, there was some glitch in the system (no, I don't think Staples illegally obtained my credit card info and charged something in Arizona, it was just a glitch. My guess is that your problem was a glitch or miscommunication of some kind as well.)

 

[XFreebie]

I SIGNED UP FOR &quot;60 DAYS for $1&quot; promotion, but after 30 days they charged me $19.95! must dispute

 

[Kilocomp]

Earthlink buys many local dial ups and takes them over. Did that happen to you? I know in Colorado it happened to some people.

Nick

 

[apoppin]

I doubt that EarthStink would deliberately steal your CC info and bill you.

However, they have got really sloppy in the last few months. (begin rant/)

I changed from Onemain.com (when their service got crappy) 11 months ago (and got the free cheapie camera from EL). EarthLink had great tech support and customer service back then.

Unfortunately, a few months ago I recommended 2 of my (former) friends to switch to EarthStink. Tech support was all but gone and customer service waits grew to 45 minutes average. I got 2 months of free service from them (and P.O'd my friends for recommending them). Well the last two months, EarthStink connect speed slowed by at least 33%.

Worst of all they had the nerve to announce an INCREASE to $21.95 a month (I could now get 8 e-mailboxes -wow) and service got worse and worse - it took 55 minutes on hold to CS to cancel (and I bet they were sorry they asked me &quot;why&quot.

I got BlueLight now - slightly better connect speeds, AWESOME customer service (crappy tech support) for only $6.95 a month.

(/End of rant)

 

[Cybordolphin]

I can vouch that Earthlink Customer service sucks as well. They activated my DSL a month ago, and shipped my equipment to the wrong address. Now after 6 phone calls and 13 emails.... I am still not able to get them to ship out my equipment. If the equipment was not free... I would have dropped them a long time ago. They indeed suck. Too bad..... I like the hot dsl deal they have going right now.

 

[Mileback]

Seems to me you all just want to bitch about earthlink. Just a new guy around here but I don't see the deal in this.

File a disputed claim with your credit card company. They will hold up payment and the company will have to fill out a bunch of forms and pay for each one.

Just cancel the account earthlink still has a 30 day trial. At least I believe this is true.

 

[apoppin]

<< Just cancel the account earthlink still has a 30 day trial. At least I believe this is true. >>



Just remember when you sign up for the free month, you MUST cancel WITHIN 30 days - one day over and you get charged $21.95 for dial-up.

Also, you may NOT cancel by e-mail or letter. You MUST call customer &quot;service&quot; and the average hold time is about one hour.

 

[Tavis]

So in answer to my question, this has not happened to anyone else here? Thats all you had to say (or didn't have to say as the case may be), I've done everything I've needed to with Earthlink and my CC company. Called up Earthlink and told them I never signed up for this at ALL and they told me I would have to call my credit card company because they cannot refund any money only mark the account as fraudulent. Turns out I have to wait 45! days until I can get my money back. Also, I have never signed up with any little ISP either, the only ISP I have is At&amp;t Broadband. There is no way whatsoever Earthlink could have gotten my CC number and I still don't believe this was the work of a hacker either because they did not sign up for anything BUT Earthlink. Oh well, can't say I didn't try.

Tavis

 

[Bigdude]

Earthlink charged me $708.33 for my monthy ISP charge! They said I used my ISDN line for 450 hrs, I don't have ISDN!! After 6 weeks of phone call's, they removed the charge and gave me 3 months for free.

 

[Miramonti]

That hasn't happened to me Travis but what I suspect happened is that your cc info was stolen somehow, from a hacked site or a paper receipt, and someone opened an earthlink account with it. It would be interesting to know from earthlink if anyone has been accessing that account and where they are calling from etc.

 

[Dunbar]

A more common practice with ISP's is to not cancel your order when you cancel it. I got charged like two monthes worth with Ameritech when I was in college. I had it on my dad's CC so I didn't notice it and he only noticed like three monthes after I left school. You should really insist on a faxed confirmation when you cancel.

 

[Tavis]

jjsole, I actually did call Earthlink to find out any information I can. The account has NOT been used at all... it was only signed up for 2 days ago though, so maybe they didn't have time. But if my theory is correct, I think Earthlink did this themselves. I contacted Earthlink trying to find out if they recorded the IP that signed up for it so I could possibly do a TraceRT on it and see if I could find a general area the person signed up from, but Earthlink just told me they would have someone from their Fraud department give me a call.. Guess I gotta wait till Monday...

Tavis (no r damnit... common mistake )

 

[apoppin]

You really do need to post this in OT. Also, it will be seen by another audience.

Don't complain about your responses when you break the rules by posting OT in HD.

EDIT: Ah, it DID get moved from Hot Deals. Here is where it belongs.

 

[Tavis]

apoppin. The reason I put it in the Hot Deals section was so that I could find out if it happened to anyone else that had bought anything from any of the web pages that had the hot deals. If it had happened to anyone else, I could possibly have found out who Earthlink bought the Credit Card information from (if they did). When did I complain about people's responses? I didn't. I thank the moderators that they let me have it there that long, I got feedback, but not exactly what I was hoping for.

Tavis