Zen Internet - residential landline cut off for non-use

Oldwonam

My residential phone line has been disconnected by Zen for non-use and without my asking.

It seems I missed an email from Zen, just over a month back, the subject line being:

Important update: We’re updating your service – no action needed

except that is truncated, and on opening the email it reads:

Important update: We're updating your service - no action needed (unless you use your phone line)

A second email today finally caught my attention - a credit note for unused residential line rental.  Which was kind of confusing, and upon checking indeed there is no dial tone.

The line is principally for emergency calls inbound and outbound, and as a backup during power outages.  I do not pick up for unknown numbers.  It's untrue to say that it's unused though.

The first email is overly wordy with techno marketing mumbo jumbo IMHO.

I'll ask Zen to reconnect it.  Yes I know eventually we'll all be Voip, but I think Zen are jumping the gun.

Summary disconnection and loss of phone number for non-use, can providers really do that?

As it currently stands, does a switch to digital require customer opt-in?

Oldwonam

Here's the email which unfortunately I either missed or failed to grasp the significance of. 

Subject: Important update: We’re updating your service – no action needed (unless you use your phone line)

Order ID: xxxxxxx

Please be aware that there are universal changes to the UK telephone
network which will impact every home and business throughout the
UK. Everyone must act, and as a Zen customer we will support you
through the process.

The traditional copper telephone lines that have served us very well
for many decades are being retired and replaced with a new digital
fibre network. Every home and business will need to switch from the
old infrastructure onto the new digital network.

With these changes coming to the UK network, we’ve reviewed your
service and found your landline isn’t currently being used to make
calls. This means we will move you to a simpler data-only service in
around 30 days, without affecting your broadband. We’ll be moving your
broadband service to a data-only service (SoGEA) – this removes the
unused phone line element, while keeping your broadband running over
more future-proof technology.

What is happening?
This is your notice that we’re moving your Unlimited Zen Fibre 1 to a
data-only connection in around 30 days. Your monthly rental, contract
terms, and broadband speeds will remain the same, and there should be
no disruption to your service.  An order will be placed circa 30 days
or more after you receive this notice. You don’t need to do anything
further – an automated email will be sent once this order has been
confirmed.
We’ll also port your phone number, xxxxxxxxxxx, to a digital voice
platform and hold it for 30 days in case you change your mind and want
to keep making calls. If we don’t hear from you, the number will be
released.

As part of the process, we have two important impacts for your
consideration.

1. Reporting a vulnerability
Do you or anyone in your household rely on a telecare device or have
any vulnerabilities?
If you report a vulnerability, we will not make any immediate change
to your service and we will get back in touch when it is time to
proceed. This is to ensure the new network has been further tested
with the wide range of equipment such as enhanced care alarms and
monitoring systems that are in use today.

To report a vulnerability please reach out to our live chat team
>zen.co.uk/live-chat/ quoting your Zen account details.

2. Want to keep a voice service?
A modern digital voice (VoIP) service is available if you’d like to
keep making calls. This works over your broadband and replaces the
traditional landline.
Find out more about digital voice. >zen.co.uk/phone/digital-voice

Where can I learn more about these changes?
If you have any questions about any of these changes, we recommend
that you visit our dedicated hub, or speak to our live chat team
>zen.co.uk/live-chat for further assistance. 

Thank you as always for being a Zen customer,
Your Zen Team

Sandbrook Park
Sandbrook Way
Rochdale
OL11 1RY
zen.co.uk

You are receiving this email because you are a Zen customer. We are
obligated to contact you regarding changes related to your service.

If you have multiple services with Zen you may receive multiple copies
of this email. 

If you’d like to contact us, you’ll find details of the ways you can
get in touch with our teams here zen.co.uk/contact-us.  Replies to
this marketing message won’t reach our sales or service teams.

Ayr_Rage

Oldwonam said:

My residential phone line has been disconnected by Zen for non-use and without my asking.

It seems I missed an email from Zen, just over a month back, the subject line being:

Important update: We’re updating your service – no action needed

except that is truncated, and on opening the email it reads:

Important update: We're updating your service - no action needed (unless you use your phone line)

A second email today finally caught my attention - a credit note for unused residential line rental.  Which was kind of confusing, and upon checking indeed there is no dial tone.

The line is principally for emergency calls inbound and outbound, and as a backup during power outages.  I do not pick up for unknown numbers.  It's untrue to say that it's unused though.

The first email is overly wordy with techno marketing mumbo jumbo IMHO.

I'll ask Zen to reconnect it.  Yes I know eventually we'll all be Voip, but I think Zen are jumping the gun.

Summary disconnection and loss of phone number for non-use, can providers really do that?

As it currently stands, does a switch to digital require customer opt-in?

You think incorrectly, many ISPs are currently migrating customers from copper in advance of the death date, it depends on where your exchange is in the program.

The email is as clear as it can be, you needed to be proactive and request to keep the phone service.

If anything comes to my inbox with "Important Update" It gets read carefully.

It wasn't a summary disconnection, you could've been moved over on the day specified and they are even holding your number for 30 days should you require the service reinstated, hopefully you are within those 30 days and can keep your number.

iniltous

Strange approach taken by Zen , a BT customer in the same situation would be advised that they are being moved to Digital Voice , if they didn’t have the correct type of router with a built in telephone socket , one would be supplied , and a date given for the customer to connect their phone to the router (disconnecting it from the wall socket ) DV is the name of BT’s proprietary IP telephony service , but it seems to have become the label attached to many providers telephone service delivered via their  broadband router.

 From what you have posted it seems Zen are using the ‘national’ change to IP telephony to ‘dump’ some telephone customers like you if you have to be proactive to keep the service, ( the Zen default being it’s being removed )  , that is the exact opposite to BT and most others that assume you will want to keep telephony, not that you want to remove it .

 BT do include an offer to drop telephony rather than move to DV in their communications advising the migration date , but the default is if you have a telephone service now the assumption is you will want to keep it .

As far as why Zen are doing it this way , perhaps its the cost to them of supplying you with a router capable of telephony , or you use the phone so little that they don’t make any money out of you , or they don’t want the expense of supplying the size of network required to simply provide all their customers a telephone service , or a combination of these (and probably other reasons as well) but as far as can they arbitrarily remove the telephone service …clearly they can , as that’s what they have done 

littleboo

I suspect that if they do reconnect the service, it will be delivered as VOIP

iniltous

littleboo said:

I suspect that if they do reconnect the service, it will be delivered as VOIP

That goes without saying 

Ayr_Rage

littleboo said:

I suspect that if they do reconnect the service, it will be delivered as VOIP

Which is EXACTLY what it says in the email, LOL

2. Want to keep a voice service?
A modern digital voice (VoIP) service is available if you’d like to
keep making calls. This works over your broadband and replaces the
traditional landline.

littleboo

Ayr_Rage said:

littleboo said:

I suspect that if they do reconnect the service, it will be delivered as VOIP

Which is EXACTLY what it says in the email, LOL

2. Want to keep a voice service?
A modern digital voice (VoIP) service is available if you’d like to
keep making calls. This works over your broadband and replaces the
traditional landline.

Yes, thats what the email says, but the OP says:

"I'll ask Zen to reconnect it.  Yes I know eventually we'll all be Voip"

They may believe that they can get the analogue service re-connected.

LOL