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Review by andyd 
Posted: 66 days ago
member for 66 days, 0 visits, last login: 66 days ago
 Anchorage,Anchorage,AK
 $114 per month
 "only effective coverage of Anchorage"
 "over charge, hidden fees, POOR customer service"
 "the grab you by the balls and squeeze if you try to make a fuss"
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I've had GCI off and on since I was about 16 and my parents first got internet. I'm now 22 and I have not seen a noticeable change in the manner in which they treat their customers, the service the provide, or the amount of BS they spew.
For about a year and a half I was using MTA's DSL service at my apartment on Spenard and I had unlimited internet access at about 1Mbp/s, which was not good but it only cost 83$ a month and splitting that 3 ways worked out nicely. Unfortunately when I moved to the west side of town MTA could no longer provide the same service and I had to switch to GCI.
When I originally switched I read the online site that boasted "69.99 a month for unlimited internet" but that actually meant 69.99+99.99 for the Cable tv, phone line, and other unnecessary features. I ended up going for the only "internet only" package available that came with a bandwidth cap at 20gb's. I work with large raw image files that I must transfer a lot of data. Luckily they had a deal going on for the 4Mbp/s 30gb cap. I setup an installation date for 8/05. They had to reschedule after showing up and not finding the cable. It was a new apartment and I ended up finding it under the couch coming out of the carpet, not out of the wall. I found the cable WHILE THE TECH WAS IN THE HOUSE, but he still canceled the order. Finally they came back on 08/15 and installed.
internet worked fine and bill came for 09/12. On the bill they attached SO MANY EXTRA CHARGES. 10$ access fee for 08/05-08/20 + 19.99 PRORATE for 08/15-08/20 + 69.99 internet charge + 15$ access fee for 08/21-09/12.
I called GCI to find out why they were charging me so much for the 4.5 days that I had the internet before the new cycle and waited 20 minutes before talking to someone despite the fact that I had called 2 minutes after opening. The girl said "well that's just how we setup billing" when I asked her to explain she hung up on me.
WTF?!
Angered I called back, and of course was put on hold for another 20 minutes, before getting the same girl, I asked to speak to a manager and I waited 25 more minutes before getting the "lead" who agreed to remove the overage charges I had accrued. I didn't realize I had accrued them, but apparently the 30gb bandwidth cap extended from 08/05-09/12 even though that was technically 2 billing cycles. I know what you're thinking "don't use so much bandwidth" but I don't see why I should be charged for 2 billing cycles but only recieve the service of one.
Regardless the "lead" said she would take off the charges.
this was 09/10, I ended up having to pay the full 115$ and the overage charge, but they said I would be reimbursed next cycle. It is 09/18 and I have not recieved the new billing cycle, and I'm apparently STILL accruing internet bandwidth usage for the last 2 cycles.
I HATE THIS SERVICE
but because we live in alaska everything EVERYTHING about GCI's service has to be jacked up.
I think if you own all the cable lines coming in and out of the state you should have a little control over pricing. Not to mention everyone I know uses GCI, which only feeds their greedy coffers even more and makes them think people love their service even more.
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE service, if Alaska ever gets another cable company that can match their speed and availability and offer a modicum of better customer service GCI will have a rush of users leaving them.
But the likelihood of that is slim to none
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