GTL Reviews
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About GTL
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GTL offers communication services for correctional facilities. The company provides inmate calling solutions, video visitation and messaging services. Offering communication between inmates and their families, the company also integrates monitoring and compliance features to meet regulatory standards.
Visit www.viapath.com- Affordable communication options
- Frequent call availability
- User-friendly account setup
- High service fees
- Poor customer service
- Frequent call disconnections
GTL Reviews
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Reviewed Aug. 5, 2026
I absolutely get so frustrated with the phone service. It's literally every call the inmate and I get hung up on, or we cannot hear one another. Sometimes it won't even connect to begin with. So a 30-minute call usually ends up to us get an understanding of what we are saying finally & ends up being about 7- 10 min call. I feel what a waste. But we keep hoping the next be better, but usually it's the same.
Reviewed July 30, 2026
The GTL corporation provides horrible service for inmates, friends and families. When I had a serious problem with this company, I called the fraud department of my credit card. Then I filed a fraud complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CPFB) in Washington. Their phone number is (855) 411-2372. Filing out the complaint form is not difficult and it’s worth aggravating the company employees. If you are not being treated well by GTL, tell the employee you’re contacting the CPFB and listen to them freeze up. If you read the CPFB website, you will find they sued this dysfunctional outfit as did the Federal Trade Commission. Fight back! These jerks hurt inmates and others. When I filed a complaint, my problem was quickly solved.
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Reviewed July 15, 2026
Beginning in April 2026, I was trying to establish phone communication with an inmate. I contacted ConnectNetwork/GTL for assistance with setting up an account because the inmate's name appeared in the system, but their facility did not. The representative instructed me to simply select any facility and location, assuring me that I would still be able to receive calls. I followed their instructions exactly as I was told. After three unsuccessful attempts, I contacted customer service again to explain that the account still wasn't working. That was when I was informed that ConnectNetwork/GTL was not even the authorized provider for the inmate's facility.
Since I had followed their instructions, I requested a refund. The representative collected my information and advised me that I would receive a refund check in the mail. After two weeks had passed without receiving anything, I called again and was then told that refunds actually take six to ten weeks to process. When I finally received the refund, it was $5.00 less than the amount I had originally deposited. When I called to ask why, I was told that the $5.00 had been applied to a phone number for which I was supposedly not the account holder. That made absolutely no sense because the account belonged to me.
What followed was over three months of dealing with some of the most frustrating customer service I have ever experienced. I was repeatedly transferred between representatives who either lacked the training to resolve the issue or provided conflicting information. Rather than focusing on finding a solution, I was consistently told what they could not do instead of what they could do. At one point, I was instructed to submit screenshots proving ownership of my account. I promptly sent everything requested, but no one ever contacted me. Seven days later, I called to follow up and was told they had received my email and were opening another support ticket. I was assured someone would call me back. That never happened.
Nine days later, I called again only to be told that my detailed email supposedly didn't contain the information they needed. No one had ever reached out to let me know there was a problem. I only learned this because I took the initiative to follow up myself. I eventually spoke with a supervisor named Alex, who seemed more frustrated than interested in helping. Instead of providing direction or attempting to resolve the issue, the call ended abruptly after he disconnected the conversation, forcing me to call back yet again.
The next representative had me send another email containing only a few lines of information—essentially the same information I had already provided in my original, much more detailed email. I was promised another follow-up email, but based on my experience, I have little confidence that it will ever arrive. My issue remains unresolved to this day. The most disappointing part of this experience is that what should have been a simple account correction turned into months of unnecessary frustration, repeated phone calls, broken promises, and a complete lack of accountability. If management or the company's leadership is unaware of how customers are being treated, they should take a closer look at their customer service operation. There appears to be a significant lack of training, communication, and ownership, resulting in customers being left to repeatedly chase answers on their own.
I rarely leave negative reviews, but after spending more than three months trying to resolve a straightforward issue that was created by incorrect information provided by your own representatives, I felt compelled to share my experience. I sincerely hope this company invests in better employee training, stronger accountability, and improved customer service so others do not have to endure the same experience. This company needs to deconstruct and reconstruct.
Reviewed May 21, 2026
If you can find another way to talk to your loved ones while they are incarcerated then you might want to. This company is horrible and they sit back and laugh at you while you are wanting to talk to your loved one.

Reviewed May 1, 2026
This company charged me for two calls that never connected, $10.20 twice, for a grand sum of $20.40. Never talked to the inmate. Called company and I was brushed off and told to call my bank. Need to make a formal complaint with BBB.

Reviewed April 29, 2026
This company is trying to scam me out of money by saying there’s no calls when there are calls trying to make me put money on the phone. This place needs to be investigated ASAP.!
Reviewed April 16, 2026
If I could give a negative zero I would. DO NOT use this company. I googled a company and although I accidentally used them since they pulled up first, it was not the company I googled. I requested a refund and they are keeping $25 of my money. I never used their service. They basically said Good Luck with a refund, we are sending you a full refund. They said it doesn't matter if I contact the BBB, it does not to them.

Reviewed April 8, 2026
This company does not have good service in any department, they will send you on a wild goose chase in hopes that you give up and they don’t have to pay. Many good companies out there, GTL is not one of them. Go shop elsewhere.

Reviewed March 26, 2026
I have messaged them SIX times to say I live in the UK and can't call them, can they either call me or give me a jon toll free number I can call. Every time I get the exact same worded emails, just from different agents saying to call them. It is infuriating. I have $100 on an old number I need to transfer and I simply can't get them to actually read my messages and not just send a generic email. I even said I now want this logged as a formal complaints. They're the worst company I have ever come across. I am trying to find out who is above them to complain to.
Reviewed March 21, 2026
I signed up for this service and added 4 additional Family Members to my account so that they could speak with our Family member that was behind bars. The first egregious thing that was done was they transferred money around from the accounts, with about $50 disappearing. When I called to ask about why they told me that even though I paid for these accounts and could access all of the information associated with them, that I could not be told why. They told me that each person whose number I set up would have to call to inquire about the missing funds.
I bailed my Family member out after three weeks so I requested a refund and was told it would take 6-10 weeks but would only refund my number, but not the others that I set up. They said they could not simply charge it back to my card but would not tell me why. They are extremely rude and speak to you as if you are some sort of trash that's inconveniencing them. There are several other equally egregious issues that occurred as well. If you can find another service, I would strongly recommend that you use it. These people are rip off artist. LOOK UP THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU order for Global Tel Link (GTL), They had to pay $3 Million for Illegally Freezing and Draining Payment Accounts for People who are incarcerated. The attached pictures will provide enough information for you to do a simple Internet search to find out who you're dealing with.

Reviewed March 13, 2026
This is the worst company ever. Charge you 25 cents a message and the messages pend forever. Picture messages take days to go thru but yet I'm forced to use this app because it's the only way I can talk to my boyfriend. Phone calls I can't hear him and the calls hang up. All this money they make and they can't get it right

Reviewed March 5, 2026
Dozens of times I tried to deposit money into an account so that I could send a message to my incarcerated daughter and finally I put in $25 for her, $75 disappeared, but my credit card was charged, and $25 showed up as successfully deposited. However, I tried dozens of times to write a message and then send it and I get a message that there are insufficient funds and then my message disappears. It has been over a month and I've had no luck getting through. I had to post photos of me and my ID multiple times as well. I emailed about the service and received no response. This is the worst!!!
Reviewed Feb. 25, 2026
They want to charge when their website is down. It is illegal as hell and has been reported to the United States Attorney General. I want this place closed or somebody else to take over.
Reviewed Feb. 22, 2026
This company is nothing but a scam. They will overcharge you every chance that they get and you will never get a refund for anything. They do not care about you, the consumer, and they do not care about anyone that is locked up. This is a cash cow operation for them. Millions and millions of dollars a year off the weakest members of society. HORRIBLE PEOPLE.
Reviewed Feb. 6, 2026
So before you download this app, they will have you create an account and save your banking details where after you save your banking details it will automatically charge your account $54.99. I had the opportunity to speak with one of their representatives by email prompting her that I would love for my money to be returned and what makes them think that I want to pay $54.99 the audacity for 2026 must be on sale because the woman said the 5499 is to give me a number that can be used for three months but I still need to add more money to be able to accept calls. The system is fraud and I will do everything in my power to research a company that can get them investigated immediately. They definitely need someone slow and grain. I’m a human not a turtle. I’ve been asking for two weeks for my money to be returned. I have yet to see it being sent back.
Reviewed Jan. 26, 2026
Global Tel Link is BEYOND trash! I have included an attachment of what I am saying, but they give you the option to optimize your deposit, but they just told me they give you no money other than what you paid.
Reviewed Jan. 17, 2026
GTL phone service in Ohio prisons is terrible. Constantly calls get dropped out. This been going on forever, are they doing this on purpose. I mean if they know they have a issue wouldn't you fix it. This has been going on I know for 2 years.

Reviewed Jan. 12, 2026
Absolutely HORRIBLE. Been trying for over a week to schedule a visit with my son and every time you try it says server down. Called in to GTL, lady says it's an ongoing issue since end of November in York County. Don't you think you could have it fixed by now instead of saying "Well there isn't really anything we can do at this point." Pathetic!!! How are we to communicate face to face with our loved ones. Your video calls are ridicules. We pay for this service, PROVIDE US with what we are to get, or maybe refund us our money for all the stress you're causing.

Reviewed Jan. 5, 2026
I deposited funds to an Advance Pay account because THATS THE ONLY OPTION I HAD! Well, wrong type of account. I called 1st time 12-18-25 and talked with a Joshua, although I doubt that's his name and he said he issued me a refund and I would get an email. If I had questions just call again. So I called in 1-5-26 and spoke to a man named Eunice...lol...he said my refund was confirmed and I would get it in 8-10 WEEKS! He/she said I would NOT get an email confirming my refund and feel free to call back every day, he/she didn't care! Now I have filed online for a refund BUT they won't let me set my state name, I have to put my city name and it self puts in DC! What a joke, I have dealt with these thieves for 28 long years! They are the biggest money thieving liars in this business!!! BEWARE!

Reviewed Jan. 4, 2026
This place needs to revamp. Shut down and fire all employees and restart. Rude would be a compliment to give them. Disgusting on how they treat people who pay this company to speak to loved ones is more defining and fitting. Hector should be terminated first for leaving customers on hold for hrs due to them asking for a supervisor. His condescending demeanor is trifling to say the least and considering I can’t get a hold of a supervisor, I can only assume the reps here act this way due to their higher-ups allowing it. This then turns to left due to not being able to get a refund from this place. They’re getting over on customers same wanting to speak to people they love and you can’t even get a hold of them, thanks to this place.

Reviewed Dec. 22, 2025
No good, the facilities should care enough to use a different company. These people really suck. They are absolutely not trustworthy at all, wouldn't leave a 2. If I had the choice to put 0 stars that's what I would do

Reviewed Dec. 10, 2025
This app kept my money. They are scammers. Don't trust this company. They told me that I couldn't get my money. My loved one was transferred to a different facility. He never even got the chance to use the funds. Don't trust this company.

Reviewed Nov. 23, 2025
They blocked my credit cards from being used asking me to use money gram. Now I need to drive to the USA and pay for the money gram and call them to give them the reference. I was never charged a fee from GTL but now for some reason I am... They are stealing my money. The customer service refuses to help. I tried to make a formal complaint against the guy who charged me and then hung up on me when I asked why and that I wanted my money back. Maria her so called name was refused to help and gave me excuses. I requested to speak to her manager and was just put back to the main line. This place is a bunch of scammers on top of charging $0.50 cents for a single message. Disgusting and unethical.

Reviewed Nov. 17, 2025
GTL’s customer service leaves much to be desired. Employees often seem poorly trained and uncooperative, and callers receive different answers on different days. Wait times are excessively long, and representatives are generally unfriendly and ineffective. The system is overpriced and continually plagued by issues.

Reviewed Nov. 15, 2025
Calls won’t go through your call and all they say is we have to send a ticket. It will take 72hours so I’m suppose to not have contact with my love one cause of a technical error on their end. Get it together. You take our money within minutes so problem should be corrected the same way!!!!
Reviewed Nov. 12, 2025
This group is a fraud and are somehow linked themselves to the service that you are really trying to sign up for which was IC Solutions for me. They automatically charged my card and only gave a partial refund saying they were keeping $19.99 for processing and giving me a special phone number. I didn’t even know I had linked up to them. This was total fraud
Reviewed Nov. 3, 2025
Let me just say that they have the worst customer service. I feel like they are just. A complete joke.. after asking for a refund because they don’t actually service the gel that I needed. I asked for a refund they must have sent me 20 responses to my emails asking me to reply once again that I wanted a refund I don’t know how many different ways you have to say I want a refund then they say that they did refund me the money and it’s nowhere on my account as a credit nowhere and here I am arguing with them again because their response is keep telling me to check my bank account between such and such dates which I have 1 million times and there is absolutely no credit. This company is a joke. They don’t even deserve a rating.
Reviewed Oct. 7, 2025
This has been a total sh*t show. My son has been calling me for years, since switching, his calls no longer go through. It keeps saying “promotional call” and will not go through. It’s been going on for close to a month. I’ve called customer service at least 6 times, still no fix. We can message and video chat, but no calls. I’ll try calling customer service again tomorrow, maybe 7 will be my lucky number.
Reviewed Sept. 25, 2025
This company is and always has been a joke. Whoever hired them to manage communications for the jail obviously thinks very low of their inmates to use this system. It had never worked, and their customer service team is dumber than a brain dead patient on life support. I have never talked to a stupider bunch of people. They are not Americans, and their accents are sometimes impossible to understand, but it doesn’t matter if you can understand them. No one has been trained to do their job and no one wants to do their job.
This company should NOT exist but they do only on the grace of whatever heartless bastard decided to use this incompetent company to handle inmate communications. Like having a loved one in jail isn’t stressful enough, just trying to fund the account is enough to send someone over the edge with this company. Like why is the jail systems punishing the families more by using this company? I think it’s ridiculous they only provide one option for service. If this company had a competitor run by kindergartners they would lose and go belly up to just one competitor. No one likes them but yet we are forced to use them. For the love of god, can we start a petition to have GTL kicked out of prisons????
Reviewed Sept. 8, 2025
Somehow I get a bill or statement for $238.50, do not know how they have my information but I did not request a policy nor want one with their company. I tried to call and she wanted me to verify my day to birth which I do not give out over the phone. So she said she could not help me and hung up. I do not owe anything to this company nor have I asked for them to have anything. It should be a crime that they falsely get our information.
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2025
This company states when you first sign up that calls are .02 cents a minute. What they fail to tell you is that they also charge a .17 cent tax for a .30 cent phone call. I have been charged anywhere from .77 cents to 1.54 for one phone call and they refuse to fix it. You are also charged full price for phone calls even if they do not go through because their system is very unstable and has a ton of issues! Something needs to be done with this scam of a company
Reviewed Aug. 25, 2025
Every time I add money to the phone, whether it is online or over the phone there are unmentioned fees. I put $25 on the phone less than 24 hours ago and when my husband tried to call me, I had to pay for the call because there was no money on the phone. The people are also ignorant, rude and have very thick accents. Also, the wait time on the phones are ridiculous. I’ve waited more than 15 minutes to reach someone on the phone and when they finally answer, they either don’t know how to help you or give you no options. I don’t understand how they’re even in business. They’re awful. The company is awful. I will give them less than one star if I could.
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2025
I put $25 on my husband's account. It says declined. Went into my bank app and it says it came out. Have been fighting with customer service to get it back. Sent back statements and still not enough. You should have option to use other companies. Now I am out of $25 because they keep saying they didn't get it. Plus the stories change Every time you call customer service. The phone be calls sucked when you did get to talk to an inmate they would hang up or you couldn't hear them. They got in trouble for this but still doing the same thing. It's not far for them to take people's money.
Reviewed Aug. 16, 2025
Same as most complaints. They checked box, took $$ and this not the site I want and reps **. And beg you to stay when saying "You came to our site." Lol. But I'm on this situation like pockets on Levi's... Do not go online to set up Global Tel... Call ** and add as less as you like without being swindled. This is the real site.
Reviewed Aug. 6, 2025
This is a reference to Gettingout Telmate, which is a sister company to GTL. What a rip off avoid it. I called the number online for Telmate & can’t get through their automated system to speak to a live representative. Itwants to take money and have youset up an account. I called GTL they will transfer you to a live agent at GettingOut Telmate.
Beware of the fraud the reps at Telmate are saying. They will tell you this money that you deposit will cover messaging video calls, video visiting phone calls, and letter writing. All they cover is messages at the Miami County Ohio facility. But they will tell you they cover everything and try to take your money and don’t worry how the app don’t work where you can’t deposit the money on the app they’re more than happy to help you on the phone. They will also tell you you have to put money on the inmate side for them to respond to you. But the inmate can move his money around and call anybody where the money you put on for yourself. You could only call them. It’s bogus bull crap.
I don’t know if GTL said this company up to rip people off or if the company is ripping people off themselves since it’s a sister company to GTL. It’s absolutely disgusting. What I found out is it only covers messaging for this facility and I have to put money on it for him to message back, but if he chooses to call somebody else with my money, it’s OK. The person in jail is the criminal who gets to do whatever he/she wants with your money. But you pay you can only communicate with them. Ohio is a democratic state so let’s go ahead and bring politics in. Apparently they are all for the criminal doing whatever the hell they want and the ones who are righteous and not criminals you get screwed.
I don’t know why GTL has this company. I’m very familiar with GT and I like GTL but I am disgusted with Telmate and how the rapper representatives lie to hard-working people trying to get in touch with their loved ones are incarcerated. Their FAQ on the app is vague very vague. Something needs to be done with this company. You are wasting your money on your loved one who is the criminal who is pissed at you and only wants your money so they can call their drug dealer, their girlfriends their boyfriends instead of responding to you. Absolutely wrong and the CEO or whoever decided that this was a great software to program it that way that dingdong needs to be fired. That dingdong proves greed for the company.
The company is greedy as hell they don’t give a crap about you. They care more about the money you given how the criminal spends it. They will take it from the criminal so that tells me that this company it’s a criminal company. They're criminals themselves so don’t waste your time doing that crap. Read the reviews, there’s no resolution. In my opinion some ex junkie CEO had this crap set up for Telmate to steal from you so they can make money. After all, it’s not about your hard-working money, it’s about how the criminal spends it. And they know the criminal will screw up. That’s why they’re incarcerated.
Reviewed July 22, 2025
Since 2024 I have been calling customer service, and complaining about how when our love one calls, we hit "1" to accept the call, and nothing happens. The prompt just keeps on, as if I didn't hit 1. I have no spam block, I've received call back in order to do dial test... Those were passed EVERY TIME! I called my phone provider (Metro PCS), nothing is blocked through them, I've reset my phone from time to time, NOTHING IS WRONG WITH MY PHONE! I ONLY have this issue with GTL. I call & pay bills over the phone, I call customer service for other businesses, everything goes through fine! Hell, I call GTL's customer service & hit the prompts to get to a live agent, that works fine. So this issue is not my phone. It's GTL. This is our only means of communication for our loved one, & this is unacceptable. This has been going on for a year, and by now, something should have been resolved. Please do something.
Reviewed July 16, 2025
To Whom It May Concern at GTL / ViaPath Technologies, I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with the ongoing issues I’ve experienced with your phone service. I’ve received multiple incoming calls from an incarcerated loved one, and nearly every time, the call has dropped unexpectedly. This has happened five or six times now, and it’s emotionally exhausting and unacceptable. Communication with incarcerated individuals is already limited and precious. When your system continuously fails, it not only causes stress and heartbreak but also shows a serious lack of reliability and care for families who rely on your service.
Please resolve this issue as soon as possible. These constant dropped calls are causing unnecessary emotional pain and making an already difficult situation even harder. Families deserve better. I expect better from a company that profits from such a vulnerable population. Please address these technical issues immediately and provide a clear solution so that families like mine can maintain vital connections without disruption.
Sincerely,Ms. Virgenmina
Reviewed July 16, 2025
Doesn't work. I can't add any contacts. So if I can't add contacts, I can't use the app. Completely useless. How do I message someone if I can't add them to contacts? This app actually worked at one point, it just doesn't now.
Reviewed June 29, 2025
It’s bad enough when a loved one is in jail pretrial. It’s outrageous that Lake County jail doesn’t allow in person visits. And it’s despicable that the phone service GTL charges inmates and callers for calls and the call quality is so incredibly poor. You can’t hear because of garbled static more than half the calls. Calls come in and then the system won’t let us accept them. It’s an injustice within the justice system. And surely a lucrative contract for GTL. Disgusted.
Reviewed June 10, 2025
When you register your account and add your card information, they automatically sign you up for a three month service that they charge you $49.99 for without informing you that your card will be charged that amount right then. Asked for a refund because I wasn’t even on the correct website and they told me that in the “terms and conditions” they indicate a $19.99 non negotiable fee. So they wouldn’t even give me my full money back even though I never utilized the service. Then to even chat with someone online they want to charge you 5 dollars. Absolutely sneaky and deplorable. Let’s rip off people, My mind is blown. Buyer beware!!!!
GTL Company Information
- Company Name:
- GTL
- Website:
- www.viapath.com