Taking a break from Zen?

I'm a Zen home 512k ADSL user. I've had a happy 6 months with them. My issue
is that I'm off travelling for 2-6 months and I'd like to put my account 'on
hold' or 'low usage' or similar tariff until I return.Having spoken to Zen's
Customer Services it appears no such tariff exists. This is

a) a shame, as I've had good service and don't want to cancel,
b) a pain because *if* I sign up with them again on my return I'll be
allocated a new account/email address etc, and
c) somewhat surprising as I can put both my BT phone a/c and my mobile a/c
on hold/low usage until my return.

I've recommended Zen to several friends who are equally happy with them and
it's now somewhat ironic that Zen advise me I should cancel.

Are all UK ISP's like this ? Thoughts anyone ?

Geoff

In message <3fafade6$0$12690$(E-Mail Removed)>, Geoff
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>I'm a Zen home 512k ADSL user. I've had a happy 6 months with them. My issue
>is that I'm off travelling for 2-6 months and I'd like to put my account 'on
>hold' or 'low usage' or similar tariff until I return.Having spoken to Zen's
>Customer Services it appears no such tariff exists. This is
>
>a) a shame, as I've had good service and don't want to cancel,
>b) a pain because *if* I sign up with them again on my return I'll be
>allocated a new account/email address etc, and
>c) somewhat surprising as I can put both my BT phone a/c and my mobile a/c
>on hold/low usage until my return.
>
>I've recommended Zen to several friends who are equally happy with them and
>it's now somewhat ironic that Zen advise me I should cancel.
>
>Are all UK ISP's like this ? Thoughts anyone ?

Annoying yes, and most likely all ISP's except Metronet would say the
same.

Metronet are the only ISP, to the best of my knowledge, who charge on
usage. Basic cost 11.75 per month with the first 200MB of data
transferred free, thereafter a few pence per MB. The charges, however,
are capped at 28.19 per month.
--
Malcolm

Geoff wrote -

> I'm a Zen home 512k ADSL user. I've had a happy 6 months with them. My issue
> is that I'm off travelling for 2-6 months and I'd like to put my account 'on
> hold' or 'low usage' or similar tariff until I return.Having spoken to Zen's
> Customer Services it appears no such tariff exists. This is
>
> a) a shame, as I've had good service and don't want to cancel,
> b) a pain because *if* I sign up with them again on my return I'll be
> allocated a new account/email address etc, and
> c) somewhat surprising as I can put both my BT phone a/c and my mobile a/c
> on hold/low usage until my return.
>
> I've recommended Zen to several friends who are equally happy with them and
> it's now somewhat ironic that Zen advise me I should cancel.
>
> Are all UK ISP's like this ? Thoughts anyone ?


If you'd signed up with most other ISP's for ADSL, you'd have been
paying full whack without the option to cancel.

> I'm a Zen home 512k ADSL user. I've had a happy 6 months with them. My
issue
> is that I'm off travelling for 2-6 months and I'd like to put my account
'on
> hold' or 'low usage' or similar tariff until I return.Having spoken to
Zen's
> Customer Services it appears no such tariff exists. This is
>
> a) a shame, as I've had good service and don't want to cancel,
> b) a pain because *if* I sign up with them again on my return I'll be
> allocated a new account/email address etc, and
> c) somewhat surprising as I can put both my BT phone a/c and my mobile a/c
> on hold/low usage until my return.
>
> I've recommended Zen to several friends who are equally happy with them
and
> it's now somewhat ironic that Zen advise me I should cancel.
>
> Are all UK ISP's like this ? Thoughts anyone ?
>
> Geoff
>

The problem I would guess is because most of the fee they charge goes to
paying BT for the connection, so it would be BT that would need to have the
low usage tariff or something similar.

Something else to think about is that I had ADSL, cancelled it to upgrade to
a faster package, and now can't get ADSL as BT now insist that my line isn't
good enough to be able to get ADSL. A real pain in the arse as I know it is
from having had ADSL for 6 months.

HTH

Bugs

If you let Zen know in advance, I'm sure they can banish your previous
account and add it as an alias to your new account so all your mail etc.
still works. I've had to change account twice now (cos of BT f*ck ups) and
both times Zen have added my old account as an alias, but let them know
before, rather than after the event.

I'd give them a call, I tihnk they can do it.

Steve
--

"Geoff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:3fafade6$0$12690$(E-Mail Removed).. .
> I'm a Zen home 512k ADSL user. I've had a happy 6 months with them. My
issue
> is that I'm off travelling for 2-6 months and I'd like to put my account
'on
> hold' or 'low usage' or similar tariff until I return.Having spoken to
Zen's
> Customer Services it appears no such tariff exists. This is
>
> a) a shame, as I've had good service and don't want to cancel,
> b) a pain because *if* I sign up with them again on my return I'll be
> allocated a new account/email address etc, and
> c) somewhat surprising as I can put both my BT phone a/c and my mobile a/c
> on hold/low usage until my return.
>
> I've recommended Zen to several friends who are equally happy with them
and
> it's now somewhat ironic that Zen advise me I should cancel.
>
> Are all UK ISP's like this ? Thoughts anyone ?
>
> Geoff
>
>
>

"Twinkletoes" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> If you let Zen know in advance, I'm sure they can banish your previous
> account and add it as an alias to your new account so all your mail etc.
> still works. I've had to change account twice now (cos of BT f*ck ups)
and
> both times Zen have added my old account as an alias, but let them know
> before, rather than after the event.
>
> I'd give them a call, I tihnk they can do it.
>
> Steve
> --
>

Thnx for replies, people. I do like Zen and intend to stick with them. The
1-month rolling contract plus only 14 days notice does it for me

So, as suggested, I'll call them in a couple of weeks and see if I can
'reserve' my existing Account and have it back on my return from travels.

My guess is that despite the so-called 'open' telecoms market BT still have
a stranglehold and a prohibitively large slice of Zen's monthly fee goes to
BT. Consequently the ISP's have to bear BT costs even if the customer is not
using the connection. I'll make some more enquires and if this turns out to
be the case then a note to OFTEL may be in order...

Geoff

"Geoff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:3fb0432c$0$12685$(E-Mail Removed).. .
> My guess is that despite the so-called 'open' telecoms market BT still
have
> a stranglehold and a prohibitively large slice of Zen's monthly fee goes
to
> BT. Consequently the ISP's have to bear BT costs even if the customer is
not
> using the connection. I'll make some more enquires and if this turns out
to
> be the case then a note to OFTEL may be in order...

Zen will pay BT £13 ex VAT for each 512K line per month which is included
in the sum they charge you and is the same as all the other ISP's will pay
for the same wholesale product

As a sidenote, ADSL lines are not supposed to be installed/operate on BT
lines that benefit from the Low User Scheme though I imagine a few people
have managed this in the past.

Regards
Sunil

In article <boqbcf$1hdaiv$(E-Mail Removed)>, Sunil Sood
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>
>"Geoff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:3fb0432c$0$12685$(E-Mail Removed). ..
>> My guess is that despite the so-called 'open' telecoms market BT still
>have
>> a stranglehold and a prohibitively large slice of Zen's monthly fee goes
>to
>> BT. Consequently the ISP's have to bear BT costs even if the customer is
>not
>> using the connection. I'll make some more enquires and if this turns out
>to
>> be the case then a note to OFTEL may be in order...
>
>Zen will pay BT £13 ex VAT for each 512K line per month which is included
>in the sum they charge you and is the same as all the other ISP's will pay
>for the same wholesale product
>
>As a sidenote, ADSL lines are not supposed to be installed/operate on BT
>lines that benefit from the Low User Scheme though I imagine a few people
>have managed this in the past.
>
In that case the OP needs to watch out that he does not end up with the
ADSL being cancelled on this line. Certain changes to a line result in
the ADSL being "ceased".
--
Les Desser
(The Reply-to address IS correct - hope Swen ignores it))

In article <3fafade6$0$12690$(E-Mail Removed)>, Geoff
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>b) a pain because *if* I sign up with them again on my return I'll be
>allocated a new account/email address etc, and

Why don't you buy your own domain (£5.99 for 2 years for .co.uk from a
reputable company) and never be bothered about loss of email names.
--
Les Desser
(The Reply-to address IS correct - hope Swen ignores it))

"Les Desser" <leslie@[127.0.0.1]> wrote in message

> Why don't you buy your own domain (£5.99 for 2 years for .co.uk from a
> reputable company) and never be bothered about loss of email names.

I found http://www.easyspace.com/main.html to be very good

Steve