Global Tel Link review: I work at Global Tel Link 123

First off u are getting our money so its not like yall doing us a ###ing favor. you are providing a service a sorry ### service might i add. I pay yall muther###ers alot of money so dont act like u doing ### for me wat yall need to do is get together and figure out how to make the company alot better cuz yall are sorry ### hell.

This is a business that only likes to scam people. For the person that posted that ### at the top about people spending their food money and child support money on this is full of crap. You can call with your child support money to pay, and guess what, I don't need to pay child support as I am the person that takes care of my child. Any how, global tel should not even be in business. They should be ashamed of themselves for being greedy and taking peoples money illegally I might add. You have to pay 25.00 to your inmate and you are lucky if you get 6 minute phone calls. When you are in the middle of talking before your 20 minutes is up you get disconnected or when you say hello it kicks you off. So I have paid 50.00 dollars and was screwed over on 5 phone calls. I call the company to see if they can give me my phone calls back. Rudely they say no we don't do that. We don't give refunds, or give you calls back. You are ###ing all scammers, you should be shut down by the BBB (Better Business Bureau). You all will be burning in hell as you have a fraudulent business. you people that work for global tel probably pocket the money for your self too. You pre-judge people that are calling your system. You do not know anyone's background. People that use this system have good jobs and have gone to college. Myself and many others, shame on you for judging us as low life people that live off the government. You guys that work there probably live off the government. People that work for global tell are money grubbers. They probably spend our money on drinking and smoking. The business sucks monkey balls!

You should be ashamed of yourself as a employee of globel tel . stereotyping people.with family's who are in jail.i am not receiving and goverment assistant I work very hard for my money. I don't mind paying for service with my credit card. Not food stamps or child support card. Which is crazy for you to say. I just want better service from your company better phone connections. So I can hear my love one clearly. Paying for good service is what I want not nonsense .

I got a phone call from global tel link saying that i had reached the maximum number of collect calls from my telephone provider and that my loved one that is incarcerated can't call anymore until i prepay my account why should i prepay when i pay my landline phone bill every month. This place is a rip off and they charge an arm and 2 legs for the call. So i checked with my carrier and i do not have a block on my line to accept collect calls.

I am dealing with that right now and regardless to losing your rights, family should NOT have people blocking/limiting your acceptance of calls. This is a money grab and a cash cow. I don't feel comfortable knowing that people are limiting my ability to deal with issues regarding a family member. Granted, they should stay out of trouble, but families should NOT be gouged out of money. They should've NEVER changed it; it worked fine the way it was. Seeing on here how people filed for refunds before the deadlines and they STILL didn't get their money back ... BIG RIPOFF! How people sleep at night, I'll NEVER understand.

The calls automatically takes $10 off when my husband calls then it disconnects so he has to call back then it cost $5 for the call and keeps disconnecting in the middle of our call which in turn he has to call back. Now I ran into the problem where they put a hold on my card because I've used too many prepaid cards that o have purchase from qt or Dillons with the money i work hard for. And their system will only allow you to use so many cards so they have a hold on my card and will not put the funds on the phone so that my husband can call. They claim this can be up to 10 days... I do not believe that this company cares and they know that they are the only company that these County Jails can use. I don't think they realize that the people that are in jail are our loved ones they have no reason to do this they don't know why they are there they don't know the situation they don't know the story and they're making a lot of money off of us. And in the end they keep disconnecting calls so they make more money this is uncalled for and they're doing it to 1000s of people everywhere. This hurts my children when I struggle to make money to put on there so their father can call and the company screws us. :-(

I am right there with everyone complaining. I think a class action law suit is in need! I gave them alot of money too on the prepaid but since I am fighting cancer and can't work right now, I called my local phone company and GTL to see if there is a cheaper way. They both told me verizon and GTL have a contract to allow collect calls if I have a land line. I called numerous times to double check before getting a land line hooked up. Once it was installed in my home, it took 30 days for it to start working and then she only got to call 3 times. It stopped working. When I called customer service I was told there is a 25.00 limit then it is blocked forever and you have to go back to prepay! I do not have money due to my cancer and now have a house phone that I had to pay for that is useless! Nobody ever told me there was a limit or I never would have paid to get a house phone. When I asked where headquarters is they wouldn't tell me, I asked who the president of the company is, they didn't know. I asked to speak to a manager, I was told NO. I am furious! It is extortion in it's fullest and they should not get away with it! They are a third party and should be banned! My house service accepts direct collect calls so the government should put regular pay phones back in with a local number at the jail so they can call out collect. The employee saying all her/his crap of how they are doing us a service is bollocks! We are not the criminals just innocent people trying to make sure our loved ones are ok but even the jails treat us like criminals when we call them! They are taking advantage of everyone for their own pockets for sure. They should be arrested themselves for what they do!

Although I am sure the government is in on it as I do believe they get kick backs for having the contract with Globaltel, we all need to write your own congressman and get news channels involved for investigations. Anyone heard of any class action lawsuits we can join in on? I see other telecommunication companies have taken up law suits but haven't found one from all of us customers yet. Anyone know of any? If not, we need to get one started!

Ok I have A LOT to say about all these comments. First thing first, the representative you are talking to and being EXTREMELY rude to, does NOT I repeat does NOT make the policies. The person you talk to is trying to help you but it gets very frustrating when time after time you are getting chewed out for something the rep can not control. Also, I understand you are mad because your love one is in jail/ prison but no reason to take it out on someone that is doing there job. If a customer calls in and is nice and respectful the rep could try and give you tips or try different ways to save money. But a lot of customers just want to take there yelling and cussing in your ear non stop. The reps did NOT lock up your love ones. The reps are trying to do the job to get paid so they can provide for the own love ones. And trust me the reps DO NOT make the money you think, it's close to minimum wage. So next time you call and speak to ANY kind of rep just remember would you want someone talking to your mom/dad/sister/ brother or any of your love ones how you talk the reps.

GTL is a HORRIBLE "SERVICE PROVIDER" & a HUGE RIP OFF! There has to be a better way! Everything posted from customers above is 100% true! How is this allowed? We're at the mercy of these ###ers at a very difficult & stressful time. How else can I get through to an inmate at Chesterfield county jail? Please let me know.

I was to the representative and his manager when making my complaint. I put $25 on a prepaid acct., and rec. a 15 minute phone call from my loved one, the next day they said I needed more funds on the acct. When I asked fees they said $6.95 service fee, $3.85 for the first minute, $.35 each minute after that. On top of that is taxes, and $.56 validation fee, and $1.12 FCC federal fee. The math still didn't add up. After four phone calls I was finally told that the call was for 30 minutes, we are only allowed 15 minute phone calls and then it cuts out. They have sent my complaint to the resolution department, I am not holding my breath. Also, I asked if on my prepaid acct., which shows my balance, but NOT my used amount or the break down of all the fees, I just have to take their word for it, or call after every call and ask for it to be mailed to me. They also stated that they could not send me a copy of their policies, I could go and look at it online. The service is terribly expensive, and is my choice to use it, but the billing and service should be accurate, and have some accountability by making it available on our "account". My husband is an attorney, and unfortunately has a lot of time on his hands. I hope he is successful in finding a way to have a class action suit, I don't think there will be any shortage of people who have been cheated out of money because they lacked the time, because of working and children, to follow up on their tactics of billing and accountability.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 does not allow exclusive contracts between building owners and carriers of any kind. Most people do not know this, but since prisons are multi-tenant, multiunit facilities, GTL is not allowed to have an exclusive contract.
Can you say "class action suit"? This also applies to government facilities, as you can read below.
http://tradeshowinternet.com/about/consumerrights
I hope you guys can use this to your advantage to protect yourselves and your loved ones against this tyranny. Best of luck.

My phone service DOES allow me to accept collect calls! Global Tel Link is the one that cut off the collect calls my daughter was making to me and her children. To force me to get an account with them so they can rip me off! I don't think so. I have already written 2 state representative and contacted a local news station on the matter. I plan on making a big stink about this . They should be held accountable! And I agree with Susan about it being a civil rights violation. Preventing her from calling her family so they can rip me off! My taxes pays for the prison phone system and I pay my own phone bill monthly! This will not be the end of this.

I cannot believe this person actually believes their own words its a laugh. Have you ever heard of a Collect Call? What a joke--this service is 70% up-marketed. Are you kidding? What a NUT! Do some research on why the poor continually get ripped off.

I set up a phone account and received a local phone number [protected] however it doesn't work.

I am having similar problem to all of you. In the last 9 days I have put $100 dollars on my GTL account yet every time I do I am charged a different amount for the same phone call duration. I am not stupid. I understand talking to an inmate is basically a luxury but it is one I pay for, therefore I should get a consistent product for my money. Here in lies the problem...GTL gets to decide on a per phone call basis what to charge you, we have no access to fees or limitations on those phone calls or how much we are charged when we put money on our accounts. I say we need to stand up to this company. I know we all want to talk to our loved ones in jail but a stamp is WAY cheaper if we all quit using this bogus system they will fail. Its about demand, in this day we are so used to hearing our loved ones voice but take note from our own military when abroad, those letters mean everything. Start using our postal service again inflate jobs that really count and spend your money on your loved ones defense in a court of law, and let the little people like GTL die off...

To the person who says they work for Global Tel Link. You either think the friends and family members of inmates should be punished or you just like ripping people off. The companies fees are excessive as are their phone charges. The do not disclose the fees and phone charges unless you create an account. I was actually told that by a Global Tel Link customer service employee! So you cant find out what it will cost until you create an account and deposit money. The you will be charged the $6.95 deposit fee. If you decide not to continue you will be charged a $4.95 refund fee and it remains to be seen whether you will actually receive the refund.
My disabled granddaughter put $25.00 into an account. Global Tel Link takes out $6.95 to deposit money (each time). 4 phone calls later (3 under 30 seconds, one of which inmate could not hear and 1 @ 1 minute and 26 seconds). The balance is now $1.05. That comes to $5.9875 per call including the deposit fee and $4.50 per call if you don't count the deposit fee. It is NOT long distance, though it is a toll call (35 miles away). That is outright greed and taking advantage of people who did nothing wrong other than knowing someone who winds up in jail!

The employee is incorrect about the phone company not accepting collect calls to bill to the account, AT&T allows it but GTL will not let you charge over 20.00 on the bill even if you pay it off. I have checked with my phone company which is AT&T and the block is on the GTL side not the phone company so PLEASE KEEP THE LIES.

The worst service ever! Website is absolutely horrible. Customer service is in a foreign country and they aren't able to give any advice about the website. If you happen to enter the wrong facility on the 'make a payment' page you can not change it. I've never seen a website where you can't correct an error. I've contacted my state rep and the BBB.

Nicnic and tiffany, you guys are truly amazing. My guess is that your trust in the system means you're getting screwed over left and right by big business and don't even know it.

It's obvious the person defending this company so much is as slow as the company's process when it comes to accepting money .People we are nothing but dollar signs to the corrupt government and always will be payment declined I say we decline anything associated with this lame company.

Rip off. Hope this company go to trash and all the consumers complain should listen.

DSI will charge you $1.20+ for the 1st 15 minutes. If the phone call drops before or after 5 minutes they charge the $1.20 and the review department won't do anything about a problem that is their fault. Phones were invented in 1876 and all have improved over the 140 years except DSI's. The sound quality, when it does work, sounds like your under water. The have telephone repair technicians but apparently they don't do their job and fix the broken phone system to do anything more than get the phone call through long enough to collect the $$$$. I understand that I receive the call on a cellphone, their rules, not mine, but my cellphone sounds perfect on every other phone call I make or receive throughout the day. They have a monopoly on the phone system which last I heard was illegal in the United States. They answer to no one and send a poor customer service representative to receive the frustrated phone calls and tell customers trying to talk to loved one that they are out of luck but they would be happy to take your next payment. These are all the reasons that MONOPOLY's were deemed illegal. As for the person giving me their welcome for ### service, you are an idiot. Do you really think that no other phone company's could provide better service if DSI/ GTL/ Connectnetwork didn't have an earmark on the contract(monopoly) then you will have confirmed and earned the nickname you have officially been given. I spend over $150 a month on your service and lose a good portion of that. No government funds in my life except the VA money I get for being a disabled military veteran. Feed me your next lie now.

This is copied from a complaint to a recent "GLOBAL TEL LINK" supporter who had the audacity to come on here and support their so-called great service. Yet, accuse the people complaining about everything being their fault in someway! and yes even the FALSE CHARGES TO CREDIT CARDS! Here is my response...

You are needing to reread the customers complaints a few more times since you are obviously not understanding the on-going problems with "YOUR COMPANY"!

For ONE: I do not have children or have a prepaid child support card!

TWO: I have lived at the same address for 20 years- don't think I "fumbled" and put in the incorrect address!

THREE: After 3 weeks of NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS DAILY TO MY PHONE COMPANY questioning them on their end, they've become so frustrated with YOUR COMPANY, ABUNDANCE OF PHONE CALLS AND COMPLAINTS (with similar cases to mine), they've decided to begin a case against your company, THE SERVICE AND SO-CALLED "CUSTOMER SERVICE/SUPPORT" that you are falsely advertising!

---I don't believe my PHONE COMPANY has prepaid child support cards or several addresses they provide to YOUR COMPANY for a supposed "call-back or reply"! and how amazing, they didn't receive a response either!?---

So in response to your main idea of supporting a company who is in every way, A LIE, to say the very least, A GOOD BUSINESS MAKES THEIR CUSTOMERS HAPPY AND KEEPS THEM HAPPY! "CUSTOMERS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT" (that quote being the NUMBER ONE rule every company knows about)

I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I AM A BUSINESS OWNER! GLOBAL TEL LINK AND HOW THIS COMPANY WORKS IS IMFATHEMABLE TO ME! I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD COME ACROSS A BUSINESS RUN LIKE THIS ONE WITH THE NASTY REP'S I HAD TO DEAL WITH 2WEEKS LATER AFTER MY INITIAL CALL-IN FOR A REPLY!

...AND NO MY CREDIT CARD WASN'T DECLINED!

So just because your company is the ONLY ONE people like me have the option to use for speaking with a loved one, DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET AWAY WITH PROVIDING TERRIBLE SERVICE! So check the many more complaints and blogs and websites online... this is one of 17 I have found so far. I know their isn't ONE complaint website, etc. online with my company. Don't you think something might be wrong with GTL? Think it over...

Therefor will NOT be "Appreciative for your so-called 'service'" you claim we would be miserable without! I have never in my life been so MISERABLE WITH a company before! ...that is, if you are one!? Added, after THREE credit card cancellations with FALSE CHARGES BY YOUR COMPANY I ended up having to make,

I WISH TO GOD I HAD PICKED UP A PEN TO WRITE MY LOVED ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE! I will never get over understanding how people like you make a living off people like me that are already in pain with our loved one's gone, no matter whats involved or type of situation and have the audacity to sit there at YOUR HOME AND BLOG BACK with your copped attitude!?

Well, i hope you remember that what goes around comes right back around, and when you are in a situation similar with feelings like ours and the added "responses" like yours right now, you will maybe think twice about this COMMENT you posted!

I HAVE CONTACTED THE BBB WITH MY COMPLAINT OF GTL..I HOPE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE THAT READS THIS WILL DO THE SAME

I have been speaking to my incarcerated son by way of Global Tel Links. This company has had my direct line through Verizon, closed to direct calls from my son, not because I didn't pay my bill, but because I went over thier limit of how much I could spend, even though I paid my bill in full, throughVerizon every month. By closing my direct call abilities, I am forced into a pre-pay account in order to speak to my son. No choices, no exceptions. GTL charges for this service, they do not tell you how much, thay just inform you there is a charge. I do not receive any accounting at all in reference to this account. The minimum you can put on your account at one time is $25., the maximum is $50., and from what I can figure out they charge 20% of the amount for performing this service, not once, but everytime you put money on your account. Again this charge is mentioned when you put money on your account, but the actual amount of the charge never is, on the phone or in any of their publications. I write this because I think this is wrong, we are informed from everone else as to the amount of charges we will be charged, after we choose to deal with them, I don't know what kind of a kick back Verizon get from GTL, and can't believe they allow this to happen to their paying customers. The only way I can speak to my son is through this company, I have no choice, and if you are in my position, and many people are, we are all getting taken advantage of, all over the US, or maybe the world since they are global. If an attorney reads this and finds it illegal, as I think it is, I can be contacted at jerridickens@yahoo.com

I'm a 30-year Telelcommunications Tech with experience working for some of the Biggest Telecom corporations in the Nation. I have NEVER, in my long experience, encountered a WORSE telecom company than Global Tele Link. I became acquainted with these VILE people as my sister's fiancee was incarcerated on an outstanding traffic warrant and they are the ONLY ones who have a contract with the jail system. They charge over 10% in fees off the top for their service and their long-distance charges are in the neighborhood of $1/minute when EVERY other telecom charges 4 cents/minute or less. What this does is gouge the poor and unfortunate souls caught up in the "justice" system. Their customer service is atrocious, their crediting of charges for inmate calls are slower than cold molasses and their rates are a total rip-off. So here's MY solution. I plan on investigating their contracts WITH the jail system, applying for a telecom resellers license and going into competition WITH Global Tele Link for their jail service with the aim of DRIVING THEM INTO BANKRUPTCY. I KNOW I can provide a better service for lower costs with ACTUAL polite customer service and STILL make a tidy profit for myself. Needless to say, I will NOT be hiring ANY of THEIR Customer Service Reps even if they PAID ME to do the crappy job they do now.

I had same problem with phone being blocked. Not a very good company and RUDE!

has anyone tried to or had any success with getting this damn block removed?

That is so true a [censor]ing rip off right alone with smith county jail

I agree with his assessment of Global Tele. I wish he is able to compete and get them out of business. I received two collect calls from a town about 40 miles away. $39.95 for each FIVE minute call plus the next month on my AT&T bill there was a monthly statement charge for $2.99. The FCC isn't interested.

THIS COMPANY NEED TO BE CLOAED DOWN DUE TO SCAMS ON THE PHONE LINES PUTTING UNTHORIZED BLOCKS ON PHONES THEN LYING STATING NOT THERE PROBLEM HOW CAN WE START AN SETTLEMENT.

This company has monopolies in certain areas and ripes people off as they are hostages to Global. There telephone service stinks as it rarely work an takes then forever to restore. There costumer service reps are the worst i have ever encountered. This company should have its communication license permanently revoked.

This company has monopalies in certain areas and rips people off as they are hostages to Global. There telephone service stinks as it rarely work an takes then forever to restore. There costumer service reps are the worst i have ever encountered. This company should have its communication licence permantely revoked.

Perhaps if the Government did it's [censor]ing job we wouldn't have to go through these idiots to contact our loved ones.
The Government used to do it's job, but now it's a piece of [censor].

You should be ashamed of yourself as a company especially in the state that our country is in right now and families are out here grieving for their loved ones who are in jail some of who were tried unfairly Ben are seeking remedy for that. Do you think it's easy for a wife or child or a mother or any other family member to have to talk to their loved one so expensive lie when they're already paying a high enough price being in jail and then you have to pay for everything in the jail for them which is insane. So all of this adds up to being more of a penalty to the family and to the loved one then it really is not fair. And for you to sit here and say you wonder why we have comments When Calls never go through and calls cut off after 2 minutes when the calls are supposed to be already with the covid crisis free for so many minutes in the federal prisons a month and yet you act like you're providing a service by charging an arm and a leg to be able to talk to somebody you love. Global Tel Link and JPay are just flat out scamming the American love ones who are the only support that some of these inmates get. How about you try and living there for 10 or 20 years for something you didn't even do to start with but we're at the wrong place at the wrong time and then you can make a snide comment like that. Nobody should have to pay to speak to their loved ones who are already suffering from depression and high rates of suicide and abuse in the prison system from Corruption of guards and and the loneliness that comes with nobody to speak to. All the gang violence has got to stop and end but it seems like the Virginia prison system does not give a crap. The less people they have to deal with the better for them and yet guards are bringing drugs and all other kinds of stuff and they're not held accountable. They're causing the problems with your loved ones who are suffering because they can't talk to you. When you go to jail you are paying a very extensively high price in Virginia more than is necessary and I hope Senate bill 378 passes with flying colors. Joe Morrisey is on the advocate team as well as every family member of an inmate in the Virginia prison system I definitely encourage you to write the governor and to write your senator about supporting this bill. Some people have been reformed and been in there way too long. Some of them for crimes that are just ridiculous. Like now they would just get a slap on the wrist and be sent home in a day but back in the 80s or 90s they made examples of people who were very extremely young and did not deserve the sentence they received. So I encourage everybody to write their senator about this and ask them to support the bill. As for Global Tel Link JPay whatever you want to call it the service sucks you can barely hear your loved ones sometimes and then it just cuts off with no notification other times even though you have put plenty of money on there and they always provide a high [censored] price service that nobody needs to have to pay in order to speak with their loved ones who are already paying their debt to society. How do you think this is fair to the inmates or the families and why do you think there is so much suicide and riots and people who eventually do not get reformed but go back in? You make them lonely and dependent on a system that is broken and does not help to reform the inmates but only to break them instead and that is the cruelest thing you can ever do to a human being. Most of these people can appeal and actually win their case and get out but they're so down and depressed because that's the way the prison system has treated them like they're garbage but everybody makes mistakes and God always forgives. And do you think the guards give a crap either no. I've gotten phone calls from loved ones as late as midnight because the guards incompetence. Do you know what this does to do an inmate sanity? I guess you don't unless you're in there. And you wonder why you have a lawsuit against your company? There should have been one years ago for the fraud and scam and everything else that you do two families and inmates. You don't bring them together you actually separate them. Everybody at this company should be bowing their heads and disrespect.