Subscriber Notification
Installation and Service
SureWest may require a payment in advance as a condition of installation,
based upon a customer's credit rating with an independent agency. The
advance payment will be applied toward services as reflected on the customer's
first bill.
SureWest performs standard installations, located up to 125 feet from
the existing distribution system, within a maximum of seven (7) business
days of an order being placed. For business day purposes, Sundays and
holidays are excluded.
Installation and service-call appointments are scheduled within a fourhour
time block during business hours, Monday through Saturday. An adult needs
to be present during all in-home visits to provide access, verify that
the service is working properly and to sign the installation service agreements.
SureWest will not cancel an appointment with you after 7 p.m. on the
day before the scheduled appointment without your permission. If our representative
will be late for an appointment, every effort will be made to contact
you. The appointment will be rescheduled at your earliest convenience.
SureWest will strictly abide by the Letter of Agency processes to change
a customer's preferred telecommunications carrier, ensuring we have the
proper consent and customer knowledge. To do this, SureWest will obtain
the subscriber's written authorization with the date and the telephone
line(s) to be changed.
Excluding conditions beyond our control, SureWest will work on loss
of service reports within 24 hours of notice. Other types of service problems
will also be made a 24-hour priority, but may be forced to wait until
the next business day depending upon available resources. The SureWest
systems will be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by our operations
staff.
How to Use the Service
Television - SureWest provides you with one digital cable settop box
along with one remote control device free of charge as long as you subscribe
to the Basic Cable Service. To view programming coming from the digital
cable set-top box, your television or VCR must be tuned to channel 3.
SureWest digital cable set-top box will allow you access to the LocalSource
channel, Digital Music channels & Pay-Per-View as well as authorizing
subscription-based programming of the premium channels, and the 45+ channel
tier of digital cable channels. The digital cable set-top box is also
a secure way to parentally control viewership of channels in your home.
If you would like access to any of these services on televisions other
than your primary connection, you may rent additional digital cable set-top
boxes. Otherwise, only the Basic Cable Service (75+ channels) will be
available on your additional outlets. The digital cable set-top box can
be temporarily moved from outlet to outlet. Please review proper wiring
diagrams prior to moving the digital cable set-top box. It is important
that no additional equipment be placed between the digital cable set-top
box and the cable wire coming from the wall plate in order to maintain
our superior picture quality.
Many channels are available to you in stereo if your television or VCR
is equipped with an MTS stereo decoder. Some stereo programs are additionally
available in Spanish if you have a digital cable set-top box or if your
TV or VCR is equipped with a Second Audio Program (SAP) decoder.
Phone - A complete telephone guide to additional calling features will
be provided at the time of installation. A user guide to SureWest Trail
NotesSM electronic voice mail will also be provided.
Internet - High-speed Internet service installations include a private
consultation with an SureWest representative in order to demonstrate the
service and answer questions. SureWest staffs a help desk 24 hours a day,
seven days a week to answer customer questions concerning the Trailblazer
service. To reach this help desk, customers may call 816-714-2981.
Equipment Compatibility
Cable television services are delivered via cable on a composite signal
called "RF broadband." Older TV receivers cannot tune to all
of the channels delivered on this broadband. Although many "cable-ready" televisions
and VCRs can receive these channels, some may experience interference,
as they are not adequately shielded.
In cases where a television or VCR on an additional outlet cannot clearly
tune to all of the 75+ channels provided on the Basic Cable Service, an
extended tuner, called a converter, can be used to receive the channels.
These may be purchased at retail stores.
To help ease confusion about whether a television or VCR is "cable
ready," the Federal Communications Commission has for several years
prohibited the importing or selling of televisions and VCRs to be marketed
as "cable-ready" or "cable-compatible" unless they
meet certain performance standards.
For delivery of digital services beyond Basic Cable Service, SureWest
employs scrambling technologies to ensure secure signals to authorized
homes. Customers will need to use the digital cable set-top box to gain
access to these services, even if the television is "cableready." We
provide one box and one remote control device to every Basic Cable customer
free of charge. Additional digital cable set-top boxes may be rented on
a monthly basis.
By using only one digital cable set-top box, you will not be able to
simultaneously watch one scrambled channel while recording another scrambled
channel, or access features on two scrambled channels such as picture-in-picture.
The digital cable set-top box has only one tuner, and two tuners would
be necessary for these operations. Therefore, two digital cable set-top
boxes are needed for simultaneous use of two scrambled channels. As long
as at least one of the two channels is not scrambled, you can simultaneously
watch or record by using a special bypass switch, commonly known as an
A/B switch. SureWest makes bypass switches available for purchase, or
you can obtain one from a retail store.
Digital cable set-top boxes for use on our system can only legally be
obtained from SureWest. Advertisements for cable converters selling descramblers
to obtain services from cable operators for free are deceptive, as the
sale and use of these devices are illegal under Federal and State laws.
SureWest encourages customers to allow our representative to connect
VCRs to their cable service. We perform this service on a complimentary
basis during normal installation of service, and will do so for a minimal
charge if requested to perform this connection exclusively. We use properly
shielded materials, unlike the jumper provided by most VCR manufacturers,
and we therefore urge customers to consider employing our services to
retain the high quality of SureWest pictures.
SureWest has selected remote-controlled digital cable set-top boxes
that work with a number of remote controls sold with popular televisions
and VCRs. Universal remote controls that are compatible with our converters
can also be purchased at local retail stores. Some of the universal remote
manufacturers compatible with our equipment are Magnavox, RCA, Sony Electronics,
Zenith Allegro, Phillips Electronics, Radio Shack, and Universal Electronics.
SureWest provides enough signal to your home for at least three Cable/Internet
connections. If you would like more outlets connected, you may need to
obtain a house amplifier. A house amplifier will provide extra signal
to your home, enabling you to have more than three outlets. The amplifier
can be purchased at a retail location of your choice.
We are committed to helping you maximize your voice, video and data
experience. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you are experiencing
equipment compatibility problems, as we'd like to work with you to provide
the best solution possible.
We publish PC specifications that are compatible with our Trailblazer
high-speed Internet service. Our Web site, www.everestkc.net, has all
the necessary information, or you can call our local office for clarification
at 816-268-3000.
Billing and Complaint Procedures
We bill for services one month in advance, and ask for receipt of payment
approximately 21 days after the bill is mailed. All bills are fully itemized,
and rendered on a cyclical basis on or about the same day of each month.
Customers with account balances of zero are not sent bills. When service
does not begin on the first day of the month, or end on the last day
of the month, the charge for the fraction of the month in which service
was furnished will be calculated on a pro rata basis. For billing that
is based upon customer usage, usage charges will be billed monthly for
the preceding billing period.
Customers will have at least a 21-day period to remit payment to SureWest
once the bill is mailed. Customers are expected to pay amounts due by
the date indicated on the bill. Charges not paid on or before the due
date will be subject to a late payment penalty of 3%.
If you have questions regarding your bill, questions about your service,
or wish to make changes to your service, please call our Call Center at
816-268-3000, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For service outages, we are available after
regular hours, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We will ensure the prompt
resolution of inquires.
Your basic phone service can't be shut off for failure to pay unregulated
telephone charges you are disputing as long as you notify us about the
problem immediately and pay for the part of the total bill not in dispute.
Optional telephone features and other services such as cable entertainment
and high-speed Internet can be suspended until the charges are settled.
Customers with past-due balances who fail to make an effort to pay may
be disconnected. Customers will be given at least seven days notice prior
to disconnection. Once disconnected, Customers may then be subject to
paying the full amount of late charges and a reconnection fee. For these
reasons, we urge you to call us as soon as possible if the bill payment
will be delayed.
Billing disputes resolved in your favor will be credited back to your
account. If we do not resolve cable-related problems to your satisfaction,
you may direct inquiries to your local franchising authority displayed
on your monthly bill.
Customers can register complaints concerning phone services with the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Consumers can also directly contact
their state's Public Service Commission to register an informal complaint,
as the Public Service Commission regulates telephone service. Contact
information for the Missouri and Kansas Commissions are as follows:
Missouri Public Service Commission
P.O. Box 360
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0360
Telephone: (800) 392-4211
Kansas Corporation Commission
1500 SW Arrowhead Road
Topeka, KS 66604-4027
Telephone: (785) 271-3100
Following is a brief explanation of some taxes and surcharges that may
appear on customer bills:
End User Common Line Charge:
The FCC allows a local phone company to charge to recover a portion of
the costs of completing long distance calls on its local network. These
charges apply to each access line to which a unique telephone number
is assigned. The FCC caps the charge that phone providers can charge.
Universal Service Fees:
These fees are charged by most local and long distance providers as part
of a federal program to subsidize local telephone service for low-income
consumers or those who live in areas where the cost of providing telecommunications
service are exceptionally high. These fees also help cover discounted
communications services for schools, libraries and rural health-care
facilities.
Kansas Universal Service Fund:
These fees are collected to help cover Lifeline, Kansas Relay Services,
Telecommunications Access Program and to support network enhancements
and upgrade to the phone service in rural areas.
Local Number Portability:
This fee allows the phone company to recover the cost of making changes
to the equipment and software in order to provide consumers with the
option of keeping their phone number even though they change carriers.
Excise and Sales Tax:
The federal government charges an excise tax on telephone service, and
you are also charged state, city and local county sales taxes on phone
service. Some state and local municipalities also charge sales tax on
cable services.
911 Surcharge:
A fee is collected on behalf of local governments to cover the cost of
providing 911 emergency services.
Telecommunications Relay Service Fee:
Relay fee is collected from all customers to help cover the cost of providing
a translator service for hearing-impaired callers making calls between
a special type of text telephone and traditional voice telephones.
City Franchise Fees:
These fees are collected to offset the cost of regulating the public
rights-of-way used for telecommunication and cable services. |
