Sometimes the best way to get a feel for a broadband provider is to read what those who are already customers think of the service they're receiving. Below are all the reviews we've received for Zen.
Ratings are left by users of our speed test as well as by reviewers. Recent star ratings summarise the last 12 months of ratings or the last 100 placed, whichever is largest.
We changed from Virgin Media and the difference in Customer service, broadband reliability is brilliant. Would completely recommend Zen. They actually have a Customer Service number who answer within 5 minutes. Very pleased we changed.
Satisfaction
5 stars
Customer Service
5 stars
Speed
5 stars
Reliability
5 stars
L wheeler
Wisbech
Zen
2021-04-11
Absolutely awful service from start to finish. no proactivity on their part at all. I ordered a boradband line. i moved in and had no service. Only then do they tell me that their supplier messed up the order. so another 10 days go buy for them to then tell me that nope, the order cant go through because their is some kind of block on the line. i speak to the landlord, she speaks to her provider and they confirm there is no block on the line. I email this through to zen and get no response for 10 days. I ring up and they tell me that they can no longer see the block on the line, but ill go to the back of the order queue again. i asked for a manager. after a ten minute wait, no manager was available. so what I infer from that is that they are all just level one call centre staff that are unsupervised and grossly incompetent. 2 months since my order and I have no internet still.
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
1 star
Reliability
1 star
nick
surbiton
Zen
2021-03-30
If you want to pay £30 a month + £90 installation whatever, for 3 Mbps download and 0.5 Mbsp Upload in the year of 2021. This is for you!
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
1 star
Reliability
1 star
Beniamin Sinca
Newcastle
Zen
2021-03-23
Simply put this is the worst broadband provider in the UK.
My internet stopped working, so i called the technical support team. There advice was, "try turning it off and on again." Then they said I'd need to agree to be liable pay up to £160 for an engineer to come to my house. When I didn't agree they told me I needed to speak to their loyalty team, the loyalty team then told me I needed to speak to their technical team.
I've been without internet for 5 days, and their complaints policy states that a team leader will contact you within 2 hours, and that a department manager will contact you within 1 day, yet i've had contact from neither.
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
1 star
Reliability
1 star
Simon
Ipswich
Zen
2021-03-16
Please please do not use this internet provider and put yourself through what we have had. At no point during the course of our contract did they ever provide the speed which they claimed. We paid for 80mbs and 90% of the time the actual speed was below 20mbs, it was often as low as 7mbs. The upload speed is even worse, so anything like zoom meetings or online gaming is almost impossible, at one stage our upload speed was 0.07mbs! On top of the speed being dreadful the connection was not very stable even when using a wired connection and the Wi-Fi didn't reach all areas of a 3 bed terrace. You then have to go through a very lengthy process to get out of the contract even though they are breaking contract by not providing the service you have paid for. This is essentially a stalling tactic so they can take more money from you before you are able to switch. They "run tests" and send out a new router, pretending that is going to make any difference. They are also hard to get hold of on the phone, the ques are very long. What they are doing is bordering on fraud and at the very least a shambolic level of customer service.
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
2 stars
Speed
1 star
Reliability
2 stars
Jack Shewring
Leicestershire
Zen
2021-02-26
JUST PERFECT..!! Fast totally reliable...includes all services...get the best forget the rest...
Satisfaction
5 stars
Customer Service
5 stars
Speed
5 stars
Reliability
5 stars
greg holliday
Sussex
Zen
2021-01-28
Spot on stnadard of service and great technical support.
Satisfaction
5 stars
Customer Service
5 stars
Speed
5 stars
Reliability
5 stars
Paul Langdon
Dorset
Zen
2020-12-08
Three weeks ago our landline telephone stopped working, together with the broadband service. Last week we were told BT issues meant that it may remain unfixed until the middle of January 2021. We have had to chase Zen Customer Services for updates from the very beginning. We’ve been very patient up until now, but two months to restore even a basic level of service seems extraordinary in 2020. We live in a rural area with poor cellphone coverage, and here we are in December having to go out into the garden to make a phone call. Zen seems to have no way to get the repair expedited, and the Customer Services Department seems to have little interest in either keeping us appraised of progress us or suggesting an interim solution. Very shabby all round.
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
1 star
Reliability
1 star
Jackie
Brecon
Zen
2020-12-05
I've just booked the 4th engineer visit in a month. Internet is intermittent which makes working from home impossible. case number 01608109
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
1 star
Reliability
1 star
Jacob Nelson
Newquay
Zen
2020-12-04
After a awful lot of trouble with BT infinity dropping out every day for 1 to 2 hours coupled with bad customer service I decided to go with a new provider. After searching around for about three weeks I decided to go with Zen Internet. After all I was out of contract with BT. I decided to go and get ultimate fibre 2 with every room included. I placed my order on the 27th of October. I was provided with an activation date for the 10th of November. Four days prior to my activation date my equipment arrived. One times fritz Box 7530+1 times fritz repeater 3000. Due to Covid no engineer would be installing the equipment I had to do that myself. It was very easy to install the night before BT was to be switched off I just plugged everything in place by the next morning my Internet with a Zen wasn’t activated it went seamlessly. At the moment speeds are very good although it is explained that he can take some time to settle down we are happy with the speed we are getting now and that May improve even more overtime. Most of the communication with them has been done via email they are very prompt in sending information which was all easy to follow and understand. I am current getting speeds off Download 115.5Mbps Upload 55Mbps. Which for some people may not be amazing but for us that is amazing considering with BT as speeds were nowhere Near the speed we were paying for. The average speed we received with BT was 17.5Mbps download and 10.0 Mbps upload. This is very bad considering we was paying for 34 meg Internet. Zen Internet for us is the best Internet we can get in our area good customer service good reliability top speeds. There’s nothing more we could ask for.
The reviews published on this page are those of the individual authors who have warrantied that they abide by our review guidelines. Reviews are not the opinion of Broadband.co.uk.
If there's one thing we recommend above everything else it's that you should never stay on your old broadband deal once your contract has ended.
Now a new study from Zen Broadband has shown that people over 55 are the most likely to do exactly that - and they're leaving themselves open to being hit with massive price hikes.
The survey shows that 83% of over-55s haven't switched broadband providers in the last year, and in some cases have never switched at all. This contrasts to the under-24s who are much happier to shop around for a better deal - over half have moved to a new provider in the last 12 months alone.
Data from industry watchdog Ofcom shows that some 25 thousand people come to the end of their broadband deal every day. Anyone who remains on that same deal will be hit by an immediate price rise of as much as 60% as the introductory price they were offered comes to an end. And that's followed by further annual - and sometimes even mid-year - increases.
If you don't take action when your contract ends you can easily wind up wasting hundreds of pounds a year. It's estimated that as many as nine million of us are paying too much.
Ofcom changed the rules earlier this year to try and address the problem. Your broadband provider now has to contact you when your contract is coming to an end to let you know how much the price is about to go up, and to show you what better deals they've got to offer. The changes came into force in February, so it's still too early to know what impact they've had.
So why aren't people switching? The Zen survey shows that apathy plays a part for around a third of people. But the biggest worry for non-switchers - 43% of the over 55 group - is that they'll end up with a worse service if they move to another provider.
If you share this concern, it's worth remembering that you don't actually have to change ISPs to get a cheaper deal. At the very least you should give your existing provider a call to negotiate a better price. Have a look at what other providers are offering first, so you know the going rate, and you'll find that they'll be more than happy to give you something better in return for you committing yourself to them for another year or two.
You can also check out our customer reviews to get an idea of the kind of service you'll receive from all the main broadband suppliers.
You'll get the best deals if you're willing to change broadband suppliers, and switching is a lot easier than you might think. In most cases (the main exception being if you're moving from or to Virgin Media) your new provider will handle the entire process for you. The survey revealed that nearly half of those asked found the process easier than expected, and a huge 89% believed they had benefited from making the switch.
Are you coming to the end of your contract soon? Why not use our postcode checker to find the best broadband deals available in your area today. In just a few minutes you could easily save yourself £150 or more this year.
For lots of us, the internet is a major source of entertainment, or a tool that enables us to work from home. For millions of older people it's a lifeline, the main way to keep in touch with the family, and interact with the outside world at a time when this is otherwise not possible. A good broadband service is vital.
So whether you're shopping for yourself, or seeking out broadband for an elderly parent, what are the priorities you need to look out for?
Reliability and support
We're all a lot more reliant on online shopping at the moment, especially snagging those all too scarce supermarket delivery slots. For a lot of older people renewing prescriptions, managing state pensions, paying the TV license, and lots of other things are important online activities, too.
For this reason, reliability is perhaps the most important point to consider. You need a broadband service that works whenever you need it, and also one that won't cut you off when you hit a data limit. These limits are fortunately quite scarce now, though if you're shopping at the budget end of the market you might still encounter them.
Customer service is also important. If you do experience any problems you need to be confident that your provider will fix them as quickly as possible.
Our Customer Reviews page contains feedback and ratings from thousands of broadband users. It's an ideal way to find out what kind of service each provider offers, and what problems you might face with them. Right now, Zen Broadband top the list for customer satisfaction, although if you'd be more comfortable with a mainstream brand EE rate well, gaining the lowest level of complaints according to a recent Ofcom study.
Speed
Speed might be less important for a lot of older users, but it really depends on what they want to do online.
There's no one-size-fits-all solution. For every older person who is a reluctant technology user, you'll find others who are enthusiastic online shoppers and Facebook posters, alongside those happily working their way through the Netflix catalogue.
There are options for all groups. Anyone who receives pension credit and has minimal internet needs can apply for the BT Basic + Broadband plan. It's cheap, but comes with a very low data allowance so isn't suitable for anything more than the absolute basics.
Beyond that, a basic standard broadband package - which uses a BT phone line - will usually work out the cheapest. It's fine for simple things like email, browsing and shopping, as well as for video calls with the family. It's worth considering if you're in a one computer household. A basic fibre deal, which is faster and allows for a wider range of uses including watching TV, as well as more simultaneous users, typically starts at around £5 a month extra.
Phone calls and TV
The extras you can take with a broadband deal are also important to consider. Most broadband services need a phone line - with line rental included in the price - and many providers give the option to buy a call plan as part of the deal. The plans on offer usually allow a choice of either unlimited calls during evenings and weekends, or unlimited calls anytime.
These can be tempting during a time when staying in touch with family is so important, but don't assume it's a must-have. If you don't take a call plan you'll still be able to make calls. You just pay for them at a rate of a few pence per minute, just like we always used to.
Some providers, especially Sky, also offer pay TV as well, include sports and movie channels. In some cases, though you might be able to get these channels cheaper elsewhere.
Price and contract length
And then there's the price and contract length, and the two often go hand in hand: sign up to a longer deal and you can shave a few pounds off your monthly bill. Anything shorter than 12 months is likely to cost you quite a bit more, while longer than that leaves you at risk of being stuck with a service you're not totally happy with.
Our price comparison guide will help you find the best broadband prices, and identify those deals that are within your budget. Make sure you check the 1st Year Cost column to see how much you'll pay in the initial 12 months - this includes those easy to overlook extras like postage or a setup fee.
Zen Broadband Buyers Guide - Is Zen right for you?
Can I get Zen Broadband?
Zen Broadband runs on the Openreach network, so their superfast fibre plans are available to over 95% of the UK population. If you can get the internet from providers like BT and Sky, then you'll be able to get Zen.
Use our postcode checker to make sure Zen is available where you are. You'll need a working phone line to sign up, and Zen are quite unusual in that they'll allow you to keep your line with a different provider (although this is likely to be more expensive). Should you only have basic internet needs, Zen also still offer a slower and cheaper standard broadband package.
For their ultrafast services, Zen use a combination of full fibre (also known as fibre-to-the-home or fibre-to-the-premises) and G.fast, both of which go up to a top speed of 300Mb on average. G.fast is available in upgraded street cabinets, while full fibre requires an extra installation step as the fibre cables need to run right up to the outside of your house.
Both are only available in select areas, although the latter is the focus of the Government's planned infrastructure investment - and should mean Zen will be able to offer much faster speeds in future.
What packages are available?
Zen Broadband offer one standard broadband plan, two superfast plans and two ultrafast plans. Your options may be limited depending on where you live.
For most users, the main packages to choose from will deliver superfast internet. These are:
Unlimited Fibre 1 - unlimited internet with average download speeds of 35Mb and average upload speeds of 6Mb. Includes a £19.99 set up fee.
Unlimited Fibre 2 - unlimited internet with average download speeds of 66Mb and average upload speeds of 17Mb. Comes with a £19.99 set up fee.
The two ultrafast packages are:
Unlimited Fibre 3 - average download speeds of 145Mb and uploads of 30Mb, with fully unlimited usage. The setup fee is £55. There's a 10-day cooling off period.
Unlimited Fibre 4 - the average speed is 300Mb for downloads and 50Mb for uploads, and includes a £55 set up fee. There's a 10-day cooling off period.
All four of these plans are fully unlimited and come on a 12 month contract. You can choose to take the plans with or without a phone line from Zen. If you choose to go without, you'll still need a phone line from another provider and the combined price is likely to work out more than getting it all from the same company.
You get a free router when you sign up, as well as a free static IP address. If Wi-Fi coverage is a problem in your house you can add the EveryRoom plan for an extra £7.99 a month, which includes a Wi-Fi extender to help make your signal reach further.
If you're happy to go with something more basic you can opt for the standard broadband package instead:
Unlimited Broadband - an average download speed of 10Mb and upload speed of 1Mb.
This plan is fully unlimited and, as with the other deals, you can get it without or without a phone line from Zen. You can get the package on a 12 month deal, with a £19.99 set up fee and a free router, or on a rolling one month contract. This has a £78 set up fee, and you have to supply your own Wi-Fi router.
Which package should I choose?
Zen have a range of broadband packages catering to their users' different needs. Given that all the plans come with the same length contracts and benefits, speed, price and availability will be the main factors in your decision.
The Unlimited Fibre 3 and 4 plans are ideal for more demanding households, with lots of people streaming 4K video, downloading large files, and maybe uploading large files, too. If you work from home, especially, this may be what you're looking for, although the speeds don't reach the lightning fast rates you can get from the likes of Virgin Media or the full fibre providers. Availability is also limited, so use our postcode checker to see what speeds you can get where you live.
Away from that, you've got a choice of which fibre speed you prefer. Larger, busier households (especially with kids) are likely to benefit more from the faster service, while those with only one or two people might be happy with the slower plan.
If you aren't a heavy internet user and only need a basic service, then you might be tempted to consider the slower Unlimited Broadband plan. However, it's hard to recommend over the Unlimited Fibre 1 deal given that the price difference between the two is so low.
Unlimited Broadband does come with the added option of a one month rolling contract if you aren't able to commit for a longer spell. Just make sure you factor in the high set up fee when you're deciding if it will actually save you any money.
On the question of whether to take Zen with or without a phone line, the only issue is whether you've got a phone deal elsewhere that's still mid-contract. If you haven't, you will almost certainly save money by switching your phone line to Zen when you sign up.
Points to consider
Do you need speeds beyond what you can get with a normal fibre deal?
Do live in a Zen ultrafast area?
How many internet users are there in your house, and what do they use it for?
Do you need a short term contract?
What do I get when I sign up?
Zen offer a range of interesting features when you choose one of their broadband packages.
FRITZ!Box 7530 router - a wireless AC-rated router worth £130, and comes as standard with all 12 and 18 month contracts. It includes Guest Access, parental controls, and even telephony features.
Static IP address - all Zen deals include a free static IP address. This won't mean much to most people, but for those who work from home and need to remotely access their computer or host a website it's a welcome extra that you'd normally have to pay for.
Award winning customer service - available over the phone or online between 8am and 6pm on weekdays, and 9am to 5pm on weekends.
Auto compensation - if you have faults that aren't fixed within two days you receive £8 a day in compensation; you'll get £25 if an engineer misses an appointment or cancels less than 24 hours before its scheduled time; and if your service doesn't go live on the agreed date you'll get £5 a day for each day it's late.
Benefits
The benefits offered by an ISP may be what seals the deal in your decision to buy a package from them.
Ultrafast packages available in some areas - you can get speeds up to an average of 300Mb in some postcode areas.
UK-based customer service - if you need help you can get it over the phone or via the website seven days a week. It's based in the UK, too.
Free static IP address - Need a static IP address for your home business? You get one included for free with Zen Broadband.
Truly unlimited service - there are no limits to how much data you can download, so it's ideal to keep the whole family up online.
Drawbacks
Let's face it, not everything can be perfect, and even the best deals may have a downside.
Not the cheapest - Zen prioritise things like stability, performance and support over cheap prices. If cost is your main consideration you might want to look elsewhere.
Short contracts only on slowest plan - all deals require a 12 month contract. The only short contract available is on their 10Mb standard broadband package.
Some deals only available over the phone - if you want one of the full fibre options you might have to give them a call instead of signing up online.
