Global Tel Link
Reviews and Complaints

My son came from a prison from out of town i haven't talked to him in four years so when he got here on 02/12/2011, i put money on my home phone through Global Tel Link on 02/13/2011, and as of this day 02/18/2011, i have not talked to him yet, they tell me he keeps hanging up the phone before the call goes through, then they tell me to tell him just to keep calling and today i talked to a supervisor and she tells me to tell him to wait 15-20 min between calls, but thats not working either, they also tell me they have a tec support team working on it it will take up to 3-5 days, i told them he may be gone back by then, they also told me at first there's nothing wrong with either lines there's at the jail house or mine at my house and what ever they did he should be able to call you now, but iv'e talked to five people in two days including a superviser, not one person could tell me what the problem is not even the superviser, don't get me wrong everyone was very very nice to me including the superviser. when setting up the account you get a recording and it tells you that you can put $25.00 with a non refudable fee or $50.00 and the non refudable fee is included it dosen't tell you how much the non-refudable fee is, it dosen't tell you the name of the company or a phone number i had to go to my bank to get that information and then come home and call Global Tel Link to find out why my son has not been able to get through to me in a phone call and to this night at 1:00 am i still don't no why he is not getting through maybe Mr. Jeffery Haldinger President of Alabama-based Global-Tel Link Company can call me and tell me why i payed $25.00 two times and you'all took out $4.75 a non-refundable fee two times why should i have to pay a non-refundable fee and i can't even talk to my son.I have more to say, but i don't think it will matter one way or another!

My son has been unable to call me. I have put money into my account both on 1-7 and 1-12. I also have called 10 x's in the past week and was told I was put in que and would get a return call, which I did not. I would really appreciate some customer service here so I can find out what the problem is. Unfortunately, I believe that you feed off of people's desperation to speak to their loved ones who are incarcerated so you feel it doesn't matter wheter or not your service is good. As much as I want to speak to my son, I'll be glad to just quit feeding you obscene amounts of money if you don't even care to get in touch with your customers. Which one is it?

I tried using the automated calling system to place money on the system for my son to call and the phone system did not take it. Now I am concerned that my credit card information has been comprised.

i AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS COMPANY. i AM A aRMY WIFE OF 34 YEARS AND i FEEL LIKE I AM THE INMATE. MY SON VIOLATED TRUST WITH ME AND MY MOTHER THATS WHY HE IN LOCKED UP BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE DON'T LOVE HIM. SINCE MY SON HAS BEEN LOCKED UP, I HAVE PUT WELL OVER TWO HUNDRED ON CALLS WITH IN A TWO- WEEK PERIOD. JUST LAST WEEK WHEN HE CALLED OUR CALL DID NOT GET CONNECTED BUT I GOT CHARGED FOR THE CALL. THEY CLAIM THAT CALLS TO CELL PHONE ARE A RISK AND NOT CREDITED IF DROPPED. 1ST OF ALL MY CALL WAS NOT DROPPED...IT WAS CONNECTED BUT ON HIS SIDE THE CALL WAS STILL CONNECTED BUT WE WERE NOT. THEN I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OR IT MEANTION ON LINE THAT CALLS ARE NOT CREDITED TO CELL PHONES. THIS IS A DISCRACEAND SOMEONE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS AS EVERYONE USES CELL PHONES. I CAN SEE THEM CHARGING ME FOR THE COONECTION BUT THE WHOLE CALL OF$7.00 DOLLARS THATS JUST WRONG AND A THIEF IF I NEVER SEEN ONE. I CAN BE CONTACTED BY [protected]@YAHOO.COM OR [protected]. iF YOU CAN NOT ASSIST THEN I WILL TAKE THIS MATTER FURTHER. i WILL PROVIDE A PRINT OUT OF MY CALLS AND PAYMENTS.

This organization is ran by crooks! I set up services for my fiance who was an inmate in the local county jail. Because of that I had to speak with a live operator because advance pay was not an option. Each time I was limited to 50 dollars that I could send allowing them a service fee each time. Had I gone over my time I would have to pay that balance off each time before I could put more money on it due to the fact that it was a cell phone. When he was transferred to state I was then transferred to the advance pay system. Almost 2 years later I start receiving a bill tell me I owe them 56 dollars. When I called they said I owe them money and what not. I then went to my bank and had them fax global tel everytime they charged me while on the old system. I then called and they told me that they will review it. Someone then called me back and left a message. I called back and requested a call back and I get nothing. I ask to speak with a supervisor since everyone is too dumb for their own good and after 10 minutes on hold I get sent to voicemail? When I try to leave a message before I could get out my name it cuts me off. If you ask me they should be the ones in jail. They are crooks and they take advantage of those who are in difficult situations.

I spent an hour today on the phone with the companies rep that aren't knowledgeable at all. I supervisor so they say got on the phone and still didnt assist me correctly or answer questions I had. I really wish this is addressed and the prison switch companies again or go back to CBS or MCI. This company is so unprofessial in everyway. I dont have to call much but when I do its a bad day. Everytime you call they transfer you to a automated system that dont call back until hours later and they say high call volume everytime you need to speak with rep. Its a lot of people looking for jobs ### hire some more reps they dont seem to have much edu about them anyway

In December I had a friend pay this company with his bank card, in order for me to be able, to recieve collect calls from a local county jail. All calls made by inmates, are through this company. They only offered the option to pay either 25.00 or 50.00 with a bank or credit card. My friend authorised a $25.00 payment on December 30th, 2009. I recieved several calls during the month of January, 2009. Each time I was told the remaining balance at the beginning of the call. I had to contact the company to find out exactly how much they charged for calls. I was told that, from that facility, each call was $3.38 for the first minute, and .08 cents for each minute after that. The last call I recieved was on January 26th, 2010. At the time I had around $10.00 at the beginning of the call. I estimate that the balance left was around $4.00. On February 5th, 2010 I put another $25.00 on the account with my roommates bank card. I did not have any more calls until February 26th, 2010. I did not however accept or answer that call. Then in April, my fiance was incarcerated at the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County. Unbeknownst to me, this company had put a block on my phone, making it impossible for me to even known that he was in custody or trying to contact me. Upon his release ten days later, he informed me of the block. I attempted to contact the service and was forwarded to a message saying they would return my call within two hours. they never responded and the issue slipped my mind. Then on April 26th, 2010, my fiance returned to that same jail, and I again tried to contact Global Tel*Link. They have an automatic system that informs you of your account status and ways to rectify any issues. Going to Western Union and making a payment for what I was told I owed was the fastest way to fix the issue. It cost me 10.95 just to put $10.00 on my account. I owed $4.71, according to Global Tel*Link. The next day when my fiance attempted to call, he finally got through to my phone. However I was told that due to insufficient funds, I would not be allowed to get his call, but to make a payment to fix the problem. Frustrated I contacted their service again and waited two hours, again. They called back and informed me that at some undetermined time they had done a "charge back" to my credit card, and blocked my service, without informing me. I had know idea what a "charge back" was, and had to fight with the person just to get a vague description. I was told that because I had not used their service for 30 days, they had "put the money back" on the credit card. However the agent had stated that the payment was made from a card ending in 8190, but stated the charge back was put on the card ending in2515. I again had to argue for a while about how they could, one, make decisions regarding my money with them without informing me; and two, how they could then take the money that was paid with one card, and credit it back to another card, and again not inform anyone of those three parties. I asked for a supervisor and was asked to wait. He put the phone down fgor a few minutes, then put me on hold, and the line disconnected. I attempted to call back, but conveniently they had closed, so I couldn't even attempt getting anyone. The next day the same run around. no one but a message queing service that stated retun calls within 2 hours. The agent that called back, had a new story line. This time she stated that I had had my bank request the charge back. I had to fight again, and the story changed again. Now it was because I had gone over my balance. I pushed the issue of the fact that they had charged the money back to a bank card that it had not come from. she tried to manipulate that some more, before I finally stopped her and said I wanted a superviser. The person who came on stated she was an "escalation representative". I had to fight just to recieve an explanation of what that was. I had to fight to get an accounting of monies recieved monies spent, contract rights and responsibilites, even a paper bill sent to me in the mail. None of their math, or reasons or answers has been right or true. She didn't even want to confirm about sending the bill, stating that since it wasn't her department, how could she know. I'd just have to wait and see if one came. I refused to accept that from her, and forced her to get confirmation from her boss. I also wanted confirmation that they had recieved the payment from Western Union. Finally she said it had come through, that I had a credit balance of $5.00 and some odd cents, which meant that, yes, I would now be able to accept his calls. But once again, it did not happen. once again the call was not allowed because of insufficient funds. Over the next week I contacted this company everyday, several times a day begging them to fix this problem. Everytime, I was told it was my fault his fault, but never there fault. They say he can only try to call me once, if it doesn't go through, he cant try again for twenty minutes or and hour or ten hours, or else it makes the computer system think I have no funds available. They say its my responsibilty to inform him of this, even thought I cannot speak to him. they say that even though I will only get the first call, and it says I have no funds, that really he has tried to call me 5, 7, 11, times; and messed up, so its his fault.
This company is the ONLY collect call service for jails in Ca. This company is run by a Texas Sheriffs Association, it has anywhere from 7 to 13 different business names. Not one time that I have spoken with any of their employees have I been treated with any form of respect, none. I have been lied to, yelled at, told I am wrong, rude, an idiot, and lastly, hung up on.
So far I have not gotten to speak to my fiance at all. I have also learned from my friend who's card I used, that in reality this all stems from them charging his card twice, $25.00, each time. Of course he contested that, and recieved the charge back from Global Tel*Link for that $25.00. If they were never wrong for their accounting methods, they would never have been legally required to honor the charge back rules. They paid it, then blocked my account and stated I had a debt to them, further recieving monies from me through fraud. I have no way of speaking with my loved one, because, they are the only company allowed by the California Department of Corrections. If there is anything that can be done to stop this company from dominating and ruining this part of the penal system, please do it now.

I pay $25.00 about every 4 days in order to receive calls from a inmate at the clay county jail at : 901 orange ave green cve springs florida and a recording has come on 4 times in the pass month 1/2 saying 3 way calling alert, then the call is disconnected. I do not have 3 way calling on my phone. I did call the jail tonight and I was told that they have been having problems with the phones and for me to call-[protected] and I tryed this nunber tonight and no person answers this number at all- the number I do call to add funds is [protected] and also this number is just a recording and I can not get a person at all. I spoke to others with the same issues and something must be done.

I would appreciate any help
my name is : christina Bonner
[protected]
Green cove springs Florida 32043

GLOBAL TEL LINK HAS TAKEN MY CREDIT CARD INFOMARTION, THEY HAVE MY # ON AUTO CALL & NOW THEY WILL NOT TAKE MY CALLS OR RETURN MY MONEY. I SENT THE PAYMENT FOR MY HUSBAND TO CALL ME FROM A IMMAGRATION CENTER & NOW THEY ACT LIKE I NEVER SET UP AN ACCOUNT & EVERYTIME I CALL THERE IS NO-ONE THERE TO ANSWER THE CALL. NOW ALL IT SAYS IS THEY ARE EXPERIENCEING HIGH CALL VOLUME & AND IT KICKS ME OUT OF THERE SYSTEM. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY CELL SERVICE THIS IS ALL GLOBAL TEL LINK DOING DIRTY BUSINESS.

I set up an account on [protected]. I told them my name Glenna Warwick-Johnson. They charged my credit card with minutes. Now they tell me I'm not the person on the account. My Father-in-law tried to set up two different accounts. one on [protected], but they never would set that account up. So he transferred the money to [protected]. He also set an account for [protected], but he never could get calls from that number. They were supposed to put that money on [protected], but as of yesterday they told him he could not transfer the money because his name was not on this account. Well if my name and his name is not on this account. Whose name is it supposed to be in?
Everytime my husband calls from jail it has been $3 + taken from my account [protected], but yesterday they took $9 +. Can't you help us to resolve this problem this is the only way we have to talk to my husband.
Thanks Glenna

THIS COMPANY CHARGES SO MUCH, WHEN AN INMATES CALL IN THEIR LOVED ONES, THEIR CHARGES IS OUTSTANDING RIDICULOUS. THEY ASKED FOR A PRE-PAID PAYMENT OF AT LEAST $25-$50, THEN THEY TAKE OUT AUTOMATICALLY 4.95 FOR A TRANSACTION FEE, THEN ANOTHER $5.00 FOR CONNECTING FEE, THEN CHARGED YOU .90 CENTS PER MINUITE. I NEED TO CONTACT A CNN TO INVESTIGATE ON THIS MATTER... I HAVE PROOF OF ALL MY CHARGES, BUT THEY CAN'T PROVIDE EXCTLY THE MINUITES, WHEN YOU CONNECT, A 2 MIN CONVERSATION USED UP THE $25.00. I WANT TO FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST THIS COMPANY, THIS IS A BIG SCAM TO FAMILY OF INMATES WHO CONTROLLED TO USE THIS ONLY PROVIDER FOR SACRAMENTO COUNTY JAIL..LOOKING FOR A CONSUMER LAWYER ON THIS AND WILL CONTACT CNN OR NBC TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER ON THIS TELEPHONE COMPANY...

I called global tel link was told that a representative will call me back because they are extremely busy...i recieved a callback and ask the lady about my account and why is the amounts not adding up? she then explained to me but was not clear and was not helpful and placed me onhold and never came back to the phone i heard silence for a a few minutes then there was musice and i waited on the line for 52 minutes before hanging up and i think that is ridiculous..because every one has a family member or friend in jail and its just very sad that you can treat people like this why because we are getting collect calls..come one now you are a buisness and needs to know how to treat customers...

My name is Michelle Lell. My husband is incarcerated at Kilby RCC in Alabama. Normally when he calls me I put 25.00 in the account. I get a full 15 min. to talk to him. Last night (New Years Eve) I put 50.00 in the account...I talked to him appx. 16 minutes because I had to go out with my parents. He called me later that night and it said I "had to add more funds". I added yet another 25.00! We talked for 14-15 minutes and hung up. Today I called your company and it says I only have .21 left. This is totally disgusting. I am 0n disability & that was my last 25.00. Now I can't even tell him what happened. How can 25.00 be a fifteen minute call while 75.00 be none? I am reporting this company to the BBC. I want my money returned to my account immediately. This is nothing but a scam. I will warn everyone I know not to use your system. http://www.complaintsboard.com/thumb.php?src=compl_72_188_233_244-MzExMV8xMTQwMzU2NjI5OTYwXzEyNTg3Njc5MDdfMzAzODg2MTdfOTc5NjM2X24uanBn&wmax=65&hmax=65&quality=100Answer me ASAP

i use my cell phone for my boyfriend to call my phone through global tel link... yes they did advice me that if a call is dropped they will not refund the call, but what about when their system says i attempted a 3 way call so they disonnect my call after 5 minutes? when i first called to make the complaint about the disconnected call the lady told me that they would more then likely refund it because they have been having this issue with alot of customers being disconnected for this reason. so its been over a week and it happened again i got disconnected cause they said i was trying to issue a three way call so i call global tel link and they tell me they will not refund my calls because its on a cell phone and thats considered a dropped call, no where in their policy does it state that if THEY disconnect your phone call because they SAY you are attempting a 3 way call that it is considered a droppped called simply becasue you are on a cell phone, what would they said if i had that happen on my house phone ? i have went through their policy online and remember the phone call where she stated their policy and no where does it state that they cant refund me for their companys mistakes and i am very dissapointed to have to give them money for my boyfriend to call me.

I have a BIG problem with Global Tel Link. My poor son is in jail and so sick. I waited all day for his call.He called me today and said the last few calls he made to his girl had been disconnected within the first minute or two. So he called her back. again disconnected in the first minute of saying hello. he tried again they got the full 15 that time.
So then he calls me..says.. hi mom..I just was talking to my girl and it got disconnected twice in a row. so if it does it again..click..it disconnected! one minute 3 seconds!
I had no more money to put on the phone. I called GTL only to get the recording they would call back in 2 hours that they were having unusualy high call volumes. (I bet they are!) FINALLY..Someone calls me back..I told him exactly what happened. He said he would try and see if he could issue me a credit. I was on hold for the next 25 minutes. he finally came back to me and said these exact words.."I listened to your call to your son and since you gave me fraudulant information you can never ever receive any credit for dropped calls. I SAID WHAT! FRAUDULANT INFORMATION! I DID NOT GIVE YOU ANY FRAUDULANT INFO. HE SAID WELL I LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND YOUR SON HUNG UP ON YOU! AND STATED THAT I WAS LYING JUST TO TRY AND GET A CREDIT! YEAH LIKE I AM GOING TO PUT ALL THIS MONEY ON MY PHONE TO TALK TO MY BABY AND HE IS GOING TO SAY ONE SENTENCE AND HANG UP ON ME! MY SON IS VERY SICK RIGHT NOW..SWINE FLU IS GOING AROUND IN THE JAILS. AND I COULD NOT EVEN TALK TO HIM. NO THAT IS NOT THE WAY IT GOES..WE ALWAYS TALK FOR THE FULL 15 MINUTES. I am really pissed! Class action law suit!
If there was another company we could use I bet they would be a bit nicer. They wouldn't want to lose customers. but they know they are all we have. so I guess they can just take your money. give you 1 minute phone calls and charge for 15 min. calls. and then turn around and ask you for more money. This has happened to me so many times you can not even imagine! I have been doing this for a year and a half now. I am a good paying customer! WTF! I will just take that 25 bucks and go visit my son and quit using GTL!

Over a dozen times and ten different people have told me do many different policies and procedures. This last one really tops the cake. According to the customer service department I can only pay my bill with a credit card thats billing address matches the address on the phone bill that I had to submit to open the account in the first place. Since my bank uses my po box address for my protection and the phone bill Global Tel Link insisted on says my home address they wouldn't allow me to pay my bill. Apparently the only way I can pay my bill is with a credit card that matches my Global Tel Link info. exactly. So this doesn't allow anyone else like my family or friends to pay my bill or in my case myself! I think this is just another GTL policy that's meant to screw us consumers over! It's so unfair that they are the only company there is and I have to go thru them to talk to my loved ones. The lady actually said "well if you dont want to talk to him (my loved one) then close your account with us!" How dare they manipulate the system and force us to do business with them in order to talk to our loved ones! It feels like this should be against a law!

i had an account with them for over 3 years with a phone number at my old address. i had to move this past jJuly of 2009 and that is when the night mare started. it is now sept. 6 2009 and i still do not have a phone account with them. they said to send them a copy of the phone bill with the new address and phone number on it. i have sent them 3 faxes and they state that they still have not recieved them. my husband is getting very pissed offf and i am stressed out tot he max. i had to move and do everything myself and they are not helping me their reps are very rude and obnious and they hang up on you in middle of a conversation.

IM PISSED WITH THIS COMPANY AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE FCC TONIGHT ABOUT GLOBAL TEL LINK.. THIS IS DEFINATELY THE WORST COMPANY I HAVE EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH. I HAVE PAID THIS COMPANY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS SO FAR TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO MY HUSBAND IN PRISON. BEFORE I REACHED MY HUNDRED DOLLAR LIMIT I SENT IN A PAYMENT ( BEFORE BILL EVEN CAME) SO SERVICES WOULD BE ON. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY PHONE WAS BLOCKED AND MY CHECK WAS CASHED ON 6-26-09 TODAY IS 7-9-09 AND IT IS STILL NOT APPLIED . I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO HIM ALL THIS TIME DUE TO THEIR MISTAKE. I ALSO WENT TO THE BANK PAID THEM A FEE TO GET THE COPY OF THE BACK OF THE CHECK TO SEE WHO CASHED IT..WHAT A SURPRISE GTL DID.. SO I CALLED THEM 3 TIMES ALREADY.. OF COURSE NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THEY SENT ME A BILL TODAY IN THE MAIL. I REALLY DONT WANT TO SEND PAYMENT IN RIGHT AWAY DUE TO THE FIRST ONE NOT BEING APPLIED. SO WHO IS SUFFERING IN THE LONG RUN.. ME AND MY HUSBAND. WE NEED A MORE RELIABLE COMPANY THAT WILL GIVE US EXCEPTIONAL SERVICES TO KEEP IN CONTACT WITH OUR LOVED ONES. AND ACCORDING TO SOME INMATES IN THIS OHIO PRISON I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT IS HAVING THIS ISSUE OTHER BILL PAYERS ARE . I LIKE IT MUCH BETTER WHEN THE BILLED IT TO MY HOUSE PHONE. I VERY MUCH DISLIKE GLOBAL TEL LINK AND FEEL THIS COMPANY NEEDS SOME MAJOR IMPROVEMENT.

Have had a credit on account set up to Augusta Correctional Facility, Craigsville, Virginia. Credit amount if $100.00. Account #6365-[protected]. Due back to me since February of this year. Have called numerous times, did letters also. No response to letters, or phone calls saying a credit would be issued.
Request help in obtaining this refund.

I WAS RECECIVING COLLECT CALLS FROM MY BROTHER WHO IS IN PRISON THRU MY PHONE COMPANY AT LOWER RATE, GOLBAL-TEL LINK, HAS NOW BLOCK HIS CALLS TO TELLING ME THAT UNTIL I SIGN UP WITH THEM AND HAVE THEM SEND ME A BILL, THAT MY BROTHER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CALL ME.

MY HOME PHONE COMPAY ATT WAS BILLING ME FOR THE COLLECT CALLS AND NOW GLOBAL-TEL-LINKS STATES THAT THEY OWE THE PRISON PHONE AND THEY WILL BLOCK HIS CALLS TO MY HOME UNTIL I EXCEPT BILLING DIRECT FROM THEM AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I CAN DO ABOUT IT