GCI

Very Deceptive.
My wife already wrote a Unilocal review but she attached it to a specific GCI location. Since this continues to evolve it deserves a review attached to GCI’s general profile.
Long time GCI customer (10+ years) with a bundled home, internet and wireless package.
My wife received a message from GCI offering free early upgrade on her iPhone 5 wireless service. Immediately after she picked up her new phone we received an email from GCI alerting us of our high internet usage. The «early upgrade» resets your other services in your bundled package. THEY DON’T TELL YOU THIS! We lost 25 gb of home internet along with a host of new new wireless charges. We immediately returned the Galaxy with in hours, not days, and went back to her iPhone 5.
Now the first bill has arrived since we though this was sorted out. Here’s the new developments warranting an additional review.
$ 74.16 2-​Year Contract Termination Charge (the iphone contract is not terminated)
$ 25.00 Samsung S6 24 Month Device Finance Fee (the returned phone)
$ 15.00 Roaming Data Charge (The S6 roamed in the store while they were setting it up!)
If you are a GCI wireless customer and receive an offer of an early free upgrade BEWARE!

GCI has a veritable monopoly on the cellular, phone and cable TV industry here in Anchorage. Sure there are a few fringe competitors, but by and large they operate as a monopoly and do not have much, if any true competition. I initially signed up for both 50mbs cable Internet, along with a TV/​DVR package. When I called the deal sounded a little too good to be true, and sure enough when I got the bill there were some additional charges that had not been discussed. I called and tried to straighten out the issue as I had written and saved the notes from the previous conversation. Unfortunately I was told something else, so I asked if they could pull the recording of the previous call to see exactly what was said and was again told no, so I promptly returned the overpriced, low quality DVRs back to them.
The Internet has been great, as far as speeds go. There has been zero downtime and the speeds are consistently 40−50mbs as advertised, but there are two issues I have. First is the exorbitant price, at $ 85 a month for 50mbs this is $ 30 a month more than I was paying in the lower 48 where I got 100mbs speeds and UNLIMITED data… GCI gives you great speeds, but essentially useless amounts of data, 150GB, which is my second complaint… It would be like your rich uncle giving you a sweet Ferrarri, but then telling you that you can only drive it on your street. Cool, but almost useless right? Perhaps in 2008 150GB a month would have been generous, but here in 2016 where everyone in the family streams Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Spotify as well as updating anti-​virus software, apps, operating systems etc, this is basically a giant ripoff. Further, you do not get any roll over data month to month, data that you pay for but don’t use is taken away. Hell, even AT&T lets me roll over my unused data every month!
I recently saw a thread on Reddit where people were complaining to the FCC about their local ISPs so I did the same. I did not know at the time, but the FCC takes the complaints very seriously and requires a written response from GCI about the above Internet concerns. Today I received their reply and it’s golden! I have attached it to this review, in it (paraphrasing) Phil Lielasus, GCI «customer advocate» (LOL WTF) basically tells me to fuck off and go elsewhere if I don’t like them. What a prick.
I really do understand things cost more here, and I do expect to pay more, I do not however agree that getting totally screwed and happily going along with it every month is acceptable. I encourage everyone else to also file a complaint, maybe that will get Mr. Lielasus down from his high horse.
Incidentally, I see that Unilocal has filtered 28! other reviews of this company, reviews which are obviously legitimate, most of them should also be included here.

After one month of switching to GCI as our new internet provider because of the new no worries plan (the other company was charging us $ 89 for less than 3 Mbps speed with no plan int the near future to upgrade speed to our neighborhood) we are pleased. The speed is as promised. The young guy who came and adjusted our existing cables to work for internet (we had GCI for TV a long time ago) was fast and efficient. The 4 star is because (we kind of expected this) HD streaming like from Netflix uses a lot of GB. Around 4−5GB for one hour of HD. So we need the 300GB plan. So we are paying $ 14.99 more than what we would pay for the 15Mbps service that is unlimited data from the competitor. On the other hand speed is 95Mbps (though in practice you are limited by the speed of the modem, the sender etc. so unless you are wired directly above 50Mbps won’t matter much.)
GCI does let you see online daily breakdown of data use so that is a HUGE change. The other company when asked said «we don’t track your data usage) which is absurd. So with GCI we can diagnose who and when is the data hog in the house.
But if you watch a real lot of Netflix and other online video in HD think carefully about it. I think the data caps are a bit low. We did get an email warning at 80% like promised.

My main complaint is with the DVR box they provide. What a piece of junk! It freezes all the time and I’ve had to change DVR boxes several times over the past 18 months. Also I’ve had to restart/​reboot them countless times. Why would they use such garbage? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to use better equipment and not have to replace it so often? Does customer satisfaction not matter?

If I could give this business less than one star I would. I feel sorry for the people up here in Alaska who done realize just how bad they are getting ripped off. We only use GCI because we can’t get dish or directv where we live. Their technology is so behind compared to the lower 48, I seriously feel like I’m paying almost triple for technology I used ten (yes you read that correctly… TEN) years ago! In addition to that, this company is constantly changing their channel line ups and prices just keep getting higher and higher. We have six months left up here and I’ve been told we should close our account way sooner so that everything gets settle because they can’t figure out their billing either. I’m not holding that against them though, but I’ll update this review as necessary. SUCKY!

They sure like to lie at this company they also have NO people skills and do not follow thru on what they say they are going to do I wish this company would close down NOT A GOOD COMPANY. So I called these monkeys yesterday and I think the guy I was talking to «Kevin» was stoned out if his mind. He ranted and talked BS. So I hung up and called back and got a guy who was sober and he told me a complete different story and my issue was resolved

The only reason I signed up with GCI is because they are the primary provider in Alaska with cell towers in the bush villages. Their customer service is horrible! And they have hidden contingencies within their contract that they do not explain to their customers before they sign up. Took several hours just to get started and adding a line was such as hassle.

They rip you off REALLY GOOD! Impossible to save money!!!
No matter which way you change your plan, you can’t save money.
Oh you could get the house phone bundle, totaling at $ 150+ a month.
Or you could go with the Triple value pack bundle, totaling about $ 140+ a month.
Which is better? Which will save you money? Neither. They raise and lower the cable bill for each plan.
And then… their Prorate charges. They completely rip you off and it doesn’t make sense when you ask about it.
But, they did give me an awesome surplus of miles, so I give them 2 stars for that.

Okay I have finally written a star review. I feel I take a lot into consideration when posting reviews and never felt a place was bad enough to rate one star, well I have had enough for me to rate them one star. It all started when I wanted to get an internet bundle at my house so I decided to go with GCI because I had AK digitel. I had to switch over from my current provider to gci for the package, which would have been okay since it was coming with a snazzy new phone and internet on the phone. I asked if my phone service would change if I cancelled the home internet… And thereis the beginning of this terrible saga that I’ve lived through this past year.
Since switching I’ve been lied to, stolen from, and had insanity seep it’s way into my cerebellum at the mere mention of «stupid GCI.» I am going to pay to end my contract early, I cannot stand this company. My phone plan changed, I had been charged long distance minutes (in alaska), I didn’t get the courtesy call or text promised if I was near my overage, and the list goes on and on…
All my friends have left and gone to ATT or ACS, and I will too. I’m thinking ACS…