In this section we deal with blueyonders's 'SurfUnlimited' product. Launched on 14 February 2000, this was the first offer of 'unmetered' access in Britain from one of the UK's big telecom companies.

blueyonder's official Site can be accessed at: :- www.blueyonder.co.uk

Topics covered in this FAQ :

1. Description
2. The Small Print
3. Other telcos & Services
4. Billing: General
5. Billing: DirectDebit
6. Connecting to blueyonder

1. Description

   1. What is SurfUnlimited?
      SurfUnlimited is Telewest's new billing system for people who want unmetered access to the internet. In other words, in return for paying £12 per month (inc VAT) to be on the scheme, all call and subscription charges to their ISP (internet service provider), blueyonder, are quashed.

   2. Do I have to pay anything extra?
      Providing you already have a phone line with Telewest then you do not need to pay anything extra. However, if you want a dedicated line for SU then you will have to pay extra for this.

      Should you ever have a reason to call blueyonder Technical Support you have to pay a premium rate call charge, see blueyonder Contact Details for details.

2. The Small Print

   1. Why only unmetered calls to the ISP 'blueyonder'?
      This is because blueyonder is Telewest's ISP. Because Telewest is the telephone company, they won't lose out so much by tying the deal to blueyonder. With other ISPs, telecom companies have a deal where they share part of the call profits with them. With unmetered access there are no such profits and so nothing to share.

   2. What else is in the small print?
      All ISPs have an acceptable usage policy, as well as terms and conditions etc. These can be read from the Rules page on the blueyonder site.

3. Other telcos & Services

   1. Can I get SurfUnlimited with BT or another phone company?
      No. To be able to benefit from SurfUnlimited you must be in an area where Telewest have phone lines and be the proud owner of one of them. You can check whether you are in one of their areas at Telewest's website.

   2. Can I use another ISP, but keep my Telewest Line?
      Yes, as these days there are many other companies that offer a SurfUnlimited type package. However not all will work via a Cable connection. Make sure you check this out before deciding to move away

   3. Can I have ISDN with SurfUnlimited
      No, because ISDN is a business only product and SurfUnlimited is only available to Residential Telewest telephone customers. However, Telewest do offer access via its high speed Cable Modem service (check availability in your area), and this should provide an alternative to ISDN.

4. Billing: General

   1. Who do I contact if I've been overcharged for calls to blueyonder/SurfUnlimited?
      Well, we've heard enough stories about overcharging to believe that it's not uncommon. The first thing to do when you think you've been fleeced by Telewest is to make doubly sure that you have been overcharged.

      It's fairly easy, when looking at an itemised bill to jump to the wrong conclusion. So, we'd advise you to grab your calculator and go through that bill systematically. Better to do it before calling Telewest, otherwise you could suffer the ignominy of sounding like a fool to a customer services rep. Things rarely get lower than that. If you still find you've been overcharged once you've done you sums, your first port of call should be your local Telewest office's customer service department. Explain the problem to them. If you find that the person you're speaking with is unresponsive or trying to fob you off, keep your cool take their name and ask to speak to a supervisor. Customer service can be contacted by dialling 150 from any Telewest line.

      If the supervisor does not resolve the matter there and then, state to them that you want this matter investigated fully and that you wish to raise this as an official complaint. A brief summary of your problem will be passed to the Customer Complaints Group.

      This department has 20 working days (OFTEL rules) in which to resolve the dispute and get back to you. However, most franchises will respond to you within 7 working days.

      Depending on the outcome of the dispute, you may wish to contact Ofcom,(was Oftel) the UK telecoms regulator. Check their site for information on the procedure for submitting complaints about overcharging and other matters.

      If that fails, post a message to blueyonder.feedback and/or blueyonder.discussion.general and, although it's not strictly anything to do with blueyonder, you should find others who can give you some tips on how to deal with the problem.

5. Billing: DirectDebit

   1. Why does Telewest make me pay my bill by DirectDebit if I want to use SurfUnlimited?
      

      Let's say you decide to buy a new telly for your family. Do you go for one with a remote control? Of course you do. Why? Because then you wouldn't have to waste time getting your kids to sit in front of the telly to change channels for you.

      It's roughly the same with Telewest's idea of making you pay by DirectDebit. It's easier and more profitable for them to getting your money via a largely automated system. It's no secret that Telewest have been trying to shift more customers onto this payment scheme for that reason. The bottom line is that it's more profitable for them.

   2. What if I can't pay by DirectDebit?
      

      Well, Telewest's policy tarnishes the idea that SurfUnlimited will solve everyone's billing concerns. The very people who might need unmetered access most - those on low incomes - are excluded if they don't have a bank account, because no bank account means no DirectDebit, and no DirectDebit means no SurfUnlimited.

      So far, Telewest have been lenient with people who've signed up for SurfUnlimited and pledged to pay their bills by DirectDebit. However, they're not obliged to do this so be sure that you're not being billed for your internet calls, or you might be in for a nasty shock when your next bill arrives.

6. Connecting to blueyonder

   1. Do I have to use the software supplied to access blueyonder?
      No you don't. You can use whichever software you wish. If you're a beginner we recommend that you use their software to set everything up for you. However, if you have some knowledge of setting up an account manually, you'll find a useful guide at blueyonder's help site

   2. Why all the different dialup numbers?
      In the days before SurfUnlimited, you had to access blueyonder via a series of local numbers to pay local call rates.The situation with SurfUnlimited is that the numbers still have local dialling codes and in theory you can now dial any SurfUnlimited number. eg. call the London number from Liverpool.

      However blueyonder are trying to encourage you to use your local number or local Dialup POP (Point of Presence) and have introduced a facility to check which it is, available on their Tools Site. Occasionly these will be unobtainable or engaged, then it is usually suggested you try outside of your area, though it is not guaranteed you can connect because of a system called Call Gapping or Digital Dorothy, which limits a Dialup POP to just 10 people from outside of that area.

   3. Is it true that some dial up numbers aren't covered by SU?
      Yes. At the moment, we're aware of three blueyonder numbers that aren't covered by SU: Falkirk (01324 881000), Manchester (0161 9329320) and Woking (01483 250250). However, check blueyonder's POP page occasionally in case there are any changes in this.

Last Amended : 2004-03-13 by elfin
Original Author : Unknown