Zen Internet Reviews

I have been with Zen for over 15 years and have always rated their technical support and was prepared to pay extra for that benefit. Over time that support level deteriorated to be the same as most ISPs. Not an issue while the service is good as you never need them. Then an issue arose. I was on the FTTP 900/100 package and started to see speeds of 20/100 there was is issue somewhere. I checked all my cables and equipment but as I was seeing the speeds fluctuate I was confident it was external. Called support and they made me do the standard checks despite telling them I'd already done them. Reset ONT, connect directly to ONT with PPPoE etc. They kept claiming it was my side. Took 3 weeks of pushing before they finally admitted an issue with packet loss at the exchange with their equipment. They sent an engineer to do a "fibre Clean" no idea what that is but the issue did go away for 5 days. In the meantime, I had already decided to cancel and move away. I asked to speak to the cancellation team as I still had 4 months of 18 month contract to run hoping to have a conversation about some compensation. 15 minutes on hold before I hung up. That sums up the end of my Zen experience. Message to Zen don't forget what got you 5 stars in the past because they are slowly dropping off your rating. Roll on my exit to a more customer focus ISP.

Zen Internet led me to financial distress, marking one of my biggest regrets in switching ISPs without thoroughly examining their contract terms. Initially, I was with Cuckoo Internet, renowned in my area until I was switched to Home Telecom in February 2024. Preferring not to use Home Telecom, I researched and chose Zen Internet based on positive reviews, subscribing to their 900mbps plan. However, a change in my living situation required a move just three months later. At the new location, Zen could only provide a maximum of 70mbps due to the absence of optical fiber, inadequate for my work-from-home needs. Upon deciding to switch ISPs again due to this limitation, Zen informed me of a GBP 828 early cancellation fee—asserting it was due regardless of their inability to provide the initially agreed-upon speed. I initially negotiated to settle this fee monthly via direct debit over 15-16 months. Yet, in June, they reversed this agreement, demanding immediate full payment, which starkly contradicted their prior commitment. This situation has strained my finances significantly, as I now need to cover a substantial fee for a service that Zen cannot provide at my new residence. I strongly advise against using Zen Internet. There are other ISPs available through Openreach that might offer more flexibility and transparency. Always read contract terms closely and be prepared.

The best

Speeds are faster that advertised, support is spot on, and even though Openreach delayed activation due to an issue that wasn't Zen's fault, they automatically credited my account with a refund. The router is absolutely brilliant and they've always been amazing when I've needed to contact them.

Yes, they are slightly more expensive than the other ISPs out there - but with no mod-contract price rises, a spot on router, rock solid connection & superb support - you most certainly get what you pay for.

Sabotaged our current network cable and left us without any internet access.
So disappointed after reading amazing reviews about this provider. The engineers visited us to install their network. Not only were they unable to connect us, but they also shredded the cabling laid by our previous provider, which left us with no internet access at all. Accidents happen, and if Zen had then prioritised reparations for the damage caused by their engineers, I wouldn't have left a negative review - but they have scheduled us for the middle of next month leaving us with no internet access for several weeks. I have communicated with them the urgency of the situation given that we work from home and need internet access for our livelihood. The only acceptable response after causing damage to a customer's property is to immediately fix the damage they are accountable for and I am deeply shocked at Zen.

Really pleased with my switch from BT GFast 300/50 to Zen 900/900 via CityFibre. It is both a major cost saving plus a considerably better service. I did initially have a 24 hour delay in my connection being activated after the install but credit to Zen who gave me a credit on my first bill as compensation. There tech team were also very helpful when I made a configuration change to the router which ended up reducing my download speed. I would definitely recommend them.

I chose Zen because of their high rating with customer service. I have to say I have not been disappointed so far. The service has been without issues, especially since going to full fibre a couple of years ago.
The only disappointment (which is not really down to customer service, and which affects the value for money rating), is that their digital voice requires (officially at least) to have the Fritz! router they send you, as the first device connected to the OpenReach modem (instead of giving out your SIP credentials, so that you can use the VoIP service with whichever phone/app you want, like almost every other SIP provider). This meant that I had to switch my landline to another VoIP provider (which turned out to be cheaper).

Worse support then BT, people on Tier 1 support are clueless and its impossible to get to anyone past T1 support.

Was without internet for 1month due to lack of competence and 3 engineer visit's for the wrong thing.

Speed was fine but its fine with any provider.

Stay away from the new Zen

Totally incompetent, cannot be contacted. We have been Zen customers for several expensive years. They are probably the slowest Broadband provider, and the most expensive, but their reputation for customer service was once good. Once our broadband speed fell below 5meg download, 0.2meg upload, we complained. No reply after a week. So we went to Sky - half the price, around 10x the speed. But they couldnt supply on the date agreed, or give a date in the future. So back to the fools at Zen. These incompetents have now accidentally cut off our phone and lost our phone number. Still no way to contact them. They dont respond - but they do send us spam marketing emails. Surely no other provider is this hopeless?

Communication prior to installation 4/5: a lot of the communication was automated. I required a IPV6 address, they got back to me within 48 hours. Confirming whether the engineers were still going to install on the planned date was a hit and miss. I emailed Zen a day before the installation to confirm and had no response from them. I had to call them to get a confirmation.

Installation 5/5: not carried out by Zen, but can easily affect a customer's experience. Kelly Communications Group engineers carried out the work and the process was rather painless. Their engineers were clear what had to happen after the installation was complete.

Product 5/5: Couldn't be happier. As someone who was forced to use cheap and buggy routers from my previous ISP, I could finally use my own. It does take some technical know-how (especially if CityFibre provides the internet infrastruvture), but I am very happy with the end result. The Fritzbox router that they provide is no slouch though as it boasts Wi-Fi 6AX capability and is easier to setup for those who would rather have the process more automated. The service seems stable so far and I am happy with the speed.

Price 4/5: Not the most affordable, but not the most expensive either when compared to providers such as Virgin Media broadband.