Zen Internet Reviews

I was with Zen for about 1.2 years and decided to upgrade to their 900 Mbps package mid-contract. According to the contract, there's a 14-day cooling-off period. However, just two days after upgrading, I called to revert back to my old package—but they refused, saying that since the new speed had already been activated, it couldn’t be changed.

I spoke to multiple representatives, all giving me the same response, despite me still being within the 14-day cooling-off period. I ended up having to file a formal complaint. Thankfully, one of their staff members was helpful and eventually called me back, confirming that I could leave the contract if I wanted—so I did.

But even after I left, Zen continued billing me. I contacted them again and was told I’d receive a refund. Then, three months later, I received a letter saying I owed them money. I called them again, and they finally applied a credit to the account and assured me it wouldn’t happen again.

zen was good but i do not know what happened to the

Selected Zen due to better uplink speed 500/250 as we need UL. In fact we see 500/990 (CityFibre) so all good.
No problem with install or setup. Tech support answer phone, and know what they are talking about.

They could not tell me how to have my Cisco rv345 as router with ppoe settings, while still have Fritz box as digital voice hub, and the answers on the forums are poor.

The answer however is to configure the Fritz box as a router with the WAN set as simple ethernet, connect it anywhere in your network on ethernet and the digital voice works fine, without the Fritz box being involved in any internet activity at all (other than a router dedicated to digital voice). So now sits in network rack acting as DECT gateway.

If you never have any issues with your connection and do not mind very high prices then I expect you will be happy with Zen.

The test, however, is what happens when things go wrong, and that is where Zen repeatedly fall down in my experience. For example, they mishandled a VDSL migration, leaving me without a connection for nearly a week; and I had numerous problems with their e-mail service, including when it rejected one of their own technical support e-mails as spam (!). Technical support is atrocious, and front-line staff lack even basic IT knowledge.

More generally I have experienced a refusal to accept responsibility or apologise for technical failures, alongside a willingness to lie to (or at least gaslight) customers. Perhaps this reflects a cultural problem within the company.

Zen are more than happy to withdraw services included as part of a broadband bundle without notice, compensation, or offer of an equivalent alternative.

I could go on.

Zen have now declined to the point where (for DSL services at least) they offer nothing more than any other OpenReach reseller. Given that, the only requirement is an ISP that will understand and promptly pass on any fault details and chase OpenReach on your behalf. In my experience Zen fail utterly at this and I cannot see any reason why anyone would want to become a new customer of theirs.

This company used to be superb now they do not answer action complaints nor fix issues with pphone / internet.

Signed up to Zen back in 2016, with no issues in tow. Was your typical 70/20 FTTC connection, but kept my eye open for development.
Then in 2021, they called up to enquire about FTTP (after I asked for such a call when FTTP became available) and I had an engineer booked for the next week.
The install went fine. The lad asked where I'd like the line to come through and bob was the uncle in a couple of hours. 914/110 connection was live and has been uninterrupted since. There's really not much else to say, no drama's or anything.

However, Trooli have now gone live in my area (Cupar, Fife) offering a synchronised 2Gbps connection. I called up Zen to see if there were any updates about the use of Trooli's lines after reading about the wholesale deal, but (understandably so) there were no further details.

So, whilst Zen have been nothing but reliable these past years, I'm going to switch over and have a shot with Trooli.

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.