Blueface changing terms of service

Mr. G

Hi guys,

Just thought I'd let you know that Blueface are changing their terms of service for both new and existing accounts. It was done a few years ago and no notice was given by them, as far as I remember

It was mentioned in their newsletter, which probably hardly anyone reads but will come into effect from 12th of October 2013 which is why I said I'd post it here. Because they are changing their terms, you have the right to cancel your contract without penalties or opt out.

Click here to see our updated Terms and Conditions of Service effective from 12th October 2013. If you have any queries or a request to opt out of these new terms, please email us within 30 days to
accounts@blueface.ie. Please note after this period, they will become effective on your account.

Hope this helps

Johnboy1951

Except for reading through the terms and making a comparison, is there a page giving the changes so one could short-cut the comparison process?

Mr. G

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Except for reading through the terms and making a comparison, is there a page giving the changes so one could short-cut the comparison process?

Not that I'm aware of

nava

Hi

According to the Terms website new terms only affect customers who sing up after 1st August 2013. In above link they also have terms for customers who sing up before August 1st. But no info on what change between the terms

Mr. G

nava wrote: »

Hi

According to the Terms website new terms only affect customers who sing up after 1st August 2013. In above link they also have terms for customers who sing up before August 1st. But no info on what change between the terms

I saw that too, but it said in their newsletter (copied above) that new terms will come into being from the 12th of October.

ocomaingf

Eh I signed up with them today in my stupidity. I got excited with the Ireland and "UK" offer as I'm from Derry so for the first time ever I wouldn't be charged 25 c to text up north. Little did I know that if you happen to head up over the border to roam, they want €250 of a deposit off you. I went berzerk and started emailing saying that they couldn't possibly charge this for people travelling around Ireland, even Europe. I was told they'd lower it to 150 as I was unaware and that that's what they charge for going "abroad". Like seriously listening to Irish companies going on about "abroad" is sickening. They don't seem to know what I've signed up for, I bought the 30 euro a month bundle AND ten euro to do me for ringing non-UK and for the bimonthly trip up home. Surely roaming should come out of this??? I am sickened seriously. Anyone else have any clarification?

Mr. G

Since the beginning of July, comreg introduced a roaming regulation to reduce the cost of roaming within the EU.

http://www.askcomreg.ie/news/reduced_roaming_rates_from_1_july_2013.7.1082.LE.asp

• Voice price cap - 1 July 2013, calls made 29.53 cent/calls received 8.61cent (including VAT)

• SMS price cap - 1 July 2013, 9.84 cent (including VAT)

• Data price cap - 1 July 2013, 55.35 cent (including VAT)

Note: Some mobile operators provide alternative roaming plans/bundles when roaming in the EU or outside the EU that may be more beneficial to your particular requirements when roaming. If you have chosen an alternative package the “Eurotariff” rates will not apply.

I've seen Meteor set a minimum deposit also, and haven't seen any regulations against the practise of deposits.

Blueface's billing methods are dizare. They don't do proper direct debits and while they used to be clear on how they bill their customers, its not so transparent anymore.

Mr. G

You could make a complaint to Comreg...

ocomaingf

I will follow up on it, they can't do this to domestic customers, like Newry is up the road so I can't even use it up there! I am able to top up extra credit with them so I don't know why this can't be used for going "abroad". It'll be so strange when i head over the border from Derry to do the lotto in Bridgend of a Saturday to find a blank no-mans land screen. Modern business practice in a small Island economy within a greater European Union. Dumbfounded.

0lddog

So, do these new Ts & Cs constitute reason for penalty free brake of a Blueface mobile contract ?

Mr. G

0lddog wrote: »

So, do these new Ts & Cs constitute reason for penalty free brake of a Blueface mobile contract ?

You don't have to accept them so I'm not sure. They are changing their terms on the contract so in normal circumstances you would be able to cancel it, but you can opt out..

bceltic

0lddog wrote: »

So, do these new Ts & Cs constitute reason for penalty free brake of a Blueface mobile contract ?

Mobile service is just a 30 day rolling agreement so you're not locked in.

0lddog

bceltic wrote: »

Mobile service is just a 30 day rolling agreement so you're not locked in.

Thanks for explaination. Wasnt clear on this - was asking for a friend who is using Blueface for mobile.

Are the mobile handsets that BF sell locked ? - If so what hurdles have to be jumped to get unlock code from BF ?

Mr. G

0lddog wrote: »

Thanks for explaination. Wasnt clear on this - was asking for a friend who is using Blueface for mobile.

Are the mobile handsets that BF sell locked ? - If so what hurdles have to be jumped to get unlock code from BF ?

I'm not too sure, I don't think they lock them. The best way to check is to try it with another network SIM card.

They do lock down their panasonic equipment however.

Mr. G

bceltic wrote: »

Mobile service is just a 30 day rolling agreement so you're not locked in.

At one stage it was 3 months. That's obviously changed since.

Ironically, their main site is down at the minute, Controlpanel isn't though.

https://customers.blueface.ie

bceltic

0lddog wrote: »

Thanks for explaination. Wasnt clear on this - was asking for a friend who is using Blueface for mobile.

Are the mobile handsets that BF sell locked ? - If so what hurdles have to be jumped to get unlock code from BF ?

All mobiles are sold unlocked or you can use your current unlocked phone with the service.

Johnboy1951

The Blueface site says all its hardware is locked to Blueface

All hardware purchased through Blueface is configured to work with Blueface only and cannot be configured to another provider or setup.

http://www.blueface.ie/products/product.php?product_id=7

I saw nothing specific about the mobile phones ......

0lddog

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

The Blueface site says all its hardware is locked to Blueface

http://www.blueface.ie/products/product.php?product_id=7

I saw nothing specific about the mobile phones ......

Thats how I read it too.

Is it the most restrictive mobile hardware offer in the country ?

Mr. G

0lddog wrote: »

Thats how I read it too.

Is it the most restrictive mobile hardware offer in the country ?

I don't think that applies to mobile phones. They do restrict the Panasonic SIP phones so you don't get admin web access.

If you own the mobile phone, surely that's anti-competition forcing you to stay with a certain provider?

I used to really try and support them. As a company, they've changed. They haven't gone down in a while, but there's always a bug. Albeit minor, such as the change in voiceovers in the voicemail menu prompts to their status site not functioning (or not telling you they'll delete your call history after two months).

They are excellent to deal with over the phone I have to say and are very prompt, and far better than Eircom for customer service but some of those terms I just can't get my head around.

Sorry for the rant. It wasn't intended to be one. I think we'll all agree on the above though

bceltic

Mobiles supplied by Blueface are not locked to the network like other operators.

The Panasonic SIP phones supplied by Blueface are locked to the Blueface network.

RoryW

bceltic wrote: »

Mobiles supplied by Blueface are not locked to the network like other operators.

The Panasonic SIP phones supplied by Blueface are locked to the Blueface network.

Can you buy the same Panasonic SIP phone elsewhere and use with blue face and not have the locked issue or will you be unable to configure it ?

Mr. G

RoryW wrote: »

Can you buy the same Panasonic SIP phone elsewhere and use with blue face and not have the locked issue or will you be unable to configure it ?

Yes.

Blueface say in their Terms and Conditions that they don't support other devices to work with their service, however since they use SIP, any Panasonic SIP phone that isn't locked down will work. Most of their customers I'd imagine have their own equipment.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=250586

SpaceTime

I think when they say they don't support it, they mean they don't offer technical support for it if it goes wrong?

We've been happily using an ATA on Blueface for years.

Mr. G

SpaceTime wrote: »

I think when they say they don't support it, they mean they don't offer technical support for it if it goes wrong?

We've been happily using an ATA on Blueface for years.

Its not very clear. I thought it was technical support, but I'm not lawyer.

bceltic

SpaceTime wrote: »

I think when they say they don't support it, they mean they don't offer technical support for it if it goes wrong?

We've been happily using an ATA on Blueface for years.

Yes this is exactly it. Technical support is given if there is a problem with a phone supplied by Blueface but if you're configuring a phone bought elsewhere then it's not something Blueface will help you troubleshoot.

rovoagho

Whoever runs their network is a moron. Their name servers are a single IP address apart, when any network engineer with half a brain knows they should be on separate netblocks, and ideally geographically diverse. This was directly to blame for elements of the severe outages they suffered a while back, and was notified to them, yet still remains the case. I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole these days. They're all marketing and no networking.

Mr. G

rovoagho wrote: »

Whoever runs their network is a moron. Their name servers are a single IP address apart, when any network engineer with half a brain knows they should be on separate netblocks, and ideally geographically diverse. This was directly to blame for elements of the severe outages they suffered a while back, and was notified to them, yet still remains the case. I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole these days. They're all marketing and no networking.

I agree. I highlighted this to them also, and there's no redundancy. Even their NS servers are in the same location.

I would not recommend them. Their market is mainly small business, who rely on a stable telephone connection.

They do lock down the Panasonic phones and do not allow you access the administration section, now from a support point of view it makes it easier for them - fair enough. But for a technical person like myself, I prefer having complete control over my network and keeping it secure. I also like to have the latest security patches and firmware installed on the equipment, something I have no control over if using their Panasonic range.

For this and their convoluted billing system I would stay clear of them.

Sorry for the rant.

domeld

Mr. G wrote: »

I agree. I highlighted this to them also, and there's no redundancy. Even their DNS servers are in the same location.

I would not recommend them. Their market is mainly small business, who rely on a stable telephone connection.

They do lock down the Panasonic phones and do not allow you access the administration section, now from a support point of view it makes it easier for them - fair enough. But for a technical person like myself, I prefer having complete control over my network and keeping it secure. I also like to have the latest security patches and firmware installed on the equipment, something I have no control over if using their Panasonic range.

For this and their convoluted billing system I would stay clear of them.

Sorry for the rant.

They have very close relationship with Panasonic, this is a reason why they are locking devices - it is very interesting how it is looked.

Mr. G

domeld wrote: »

They have very close relationship with Panasonic, this is a reason why they are looking devices - it is very interesting how it is looked.

Locked you mean? Damn predictive text

domeld

THX Mr.G

Mylow

A couple of years ago Blueface could do no wrong....how times have changed.

rovoagho

Any good alternatives? I'm with Goldfish and they have great pricing, but I don't think they have full control of their operations, they come across very much like an MVNO.

domeld

Goldfish is using Digiweb trunk + another 2 UK trunks.

Mr. G

rovoagho wrote: »

Any good alternatives? I'm with Goldfish and they have great pricing, but I don't think they have full control of their operations, they come across very much like an MVNO.

Goldfish use Digiweb, so to a certain extent they are very much like a MVNO in the sense that the numbers they allocate to you are resold. They do not have an operations centre as such since they do not physically control their network or their infrastructure or their physical connections to the PSTN. They would probably not have full control to the physical side of things.

Digiweb is probably the best alternative I'm afraid to say, some may think I rave about them all the time but there really is no other provider offering IP telephony backed by their own network in Ireland. You would probably find that they are cheaper then Goldfish, however Goldfish do provide you with PBX capabilities.

However, Goldfish do have their advantages. They provide a pbx service, based on their own custom made software, and use Digiweb's numbers. It just means you have one extra person to have to rely on to keep your phones working, which is obviously not a good thing.

domeld

Digiweb had problems but now it seems to be fully working. What kind of service digiweb is selling? It is only trunk or hosted PBX as well?

Mr. G

domeld wrote: »

Digiweb had problems but now it seems to be fully working. What kind of service digiweb is selling? It is only trunk or hosted PBX as well?

Going a bit OT but do you have any more information on that outage domeld?

I know Digiweb sell sip trunks but they also sell regular sip accounts for residential, usually used for the voice service with their Metro broadband service. I enquired about this when I had no static ip and they had no problem setting up a regular sip account that would register instead of a sip trunk. I am not sure if they offer a hosted pbx service however.

According to their website they do:
http://www.digiweb.co.uk/?page_id=78
http://www.digiweb.ie/wholesale/products/hosted-voice

I think their main business in VoIP is Metro and sip trunks though

dvd

i signed up to vomino.ie 2 months ago. they sent me out a box to connect to my phone for free. also kept my number. very happy with service , paying 10€ a month.