Moving from BT to Zen Internet

FlatFour

giraffe69 said:

I've just switched from BT to Zen. BT acknowledged end of contract. Start date for Zen complied with this but BT still charged, for an unfathomable reason, 4 extra days. I paid Zen a month ahead of time and the direct debit did not start until month two. So far impressed with Zen.

BT Followed up with a more detailed eMail (first contact was via text) clarifying if I left today there would be a charge. *Sigh* I hope I'm wrong, but I do expect BT to do something.

BT actually say - in my account details - that my current contract ends on the 1st Feb.  Does that mean I'm still covered by BT on the 1st or it actually ends on the 31st.  With other stuff, it'll say ends last day of the month and I'm still with them on that last day for example.  So, basically, depending on how BT does things, I might have to pay for ONE day of BT...

Stompa said:

I seem to recall that a few days before the second payment was taken I got an email from them telling me it would be taken as a recurring payment from my credit card. I had to phone them to get it switched to Direct Debit.

During the process, there was no option to pay monthly via credit card.  ONLY a direct debit option was offered.  When I got to the end of the process, it then asked for a CC for the initial payment.  So, a month up-front plus a £15 set-up fee.

In the old days, you'd likely get a slight discount for not using a credit card, but that became illegal.  I.e. if it's £100 it's £100 regardless of payment method...

FlatFour

*sigh* what's with BT?  Contract with Zen is signed, yet now they send me decent deals?  They're offering £30.99 PCM for the same 900 mbps internet.  They weren't even close to this before, being basically DOUBLE the cost.  Last time I spoke to them - me calling them - they "couldn't do anything" as I still had "too long" to run... only for them to call me not long after.

However, this price increases by £4 in March, so it's actually £35* PCM...  I just get ONE payment at the offered rate, same as a prior time they did this (3 years ago) £15 cheaper than Zen, which is a lot over the year.  They do want to lock me in for two years though, so that's two such increases.  It's too late, contract signed with Zen.  If they'd sent me this deal proactively, rather than reacting when I finally left (they were already well aware I planned to leave) I'd certainly have considered it.  However, when combined with a Phone line, the prices get closer.

* Edit: this isn't actually correct.  BT do a price increase per product not overall.  So, the Broadband will get an increase, as will the "line rental" (really?  It's VOIP !!!!!!!) and as will the included minutes package.  For me, last time I renewed, the cost of just having a Phone line (still VOIP!) and a call package went up more than the base product.

It's funny, if I do a quick Google search, it says you can get 700 Minutes for £7 with BT... that's an ancient deal!  I had that, it turned into £12 or there abouts with BT yearly inflation.

Despite several contract renewals over the years I've been with them, they've never once offered to drop the price like this at renewal - even after saying I was considering other options.  Perhaps it's not even true and they just do it as a final dig to make you feel bad as you're leaving lol.

I was feeling all warm and fuzzy having finally got things moving.  Considering BT's prior unwillingness to lower the price at all for me to stay with them, to do this after I've committed to leaving actually makes me dislike them.

So, current customer, BT refuse to give a deal.  Say I'm leaving, BT refuse to give a deal.  Leave and BT go "here's what you could have had".  I call BS lol.

Stompa

FWIW I think Zen have a 14 day cooling off period, though you'd need to check.

littleboo

Its not unusual for suppliers to make an improved offer when order is placed, until then they don't know you're serious about moving. Its all part of the dance.

FlatFour

Stompa said:

FWIW I think Zen have a 14 day cooling off period, though you'd need to check.

Yeah, I think you're right, though I've no intention of taking advantage of that.

littleboo said:

Its not unusual for suppliers to make an improved offer when order is placed, until then they don't know you're serious about moving. Its all part of the dance.

Only one of us is dancing... I'm on my way out of the venue lol.

I guess lots of people play the "Imma gonna leave!" game and not actually mean it, just to get an improved deal.  Fair enough.  However, BT act like they're the only player out there and not give options until it's too late.  At least in my case.  They were the only player for a short while, fibre infrastructure is relatively new around here, but now others are using the same Openreach Network yet offer lower pricing for the most part.

Hopefully everything goes smoothly.  I already have separate confirmation that my Phone number will be transferred on the 2nd Feb.  Just need to wait for the new router, perhaps configure it for my network, then do the swap on the 2nd Feb.  Will be checking BT doesn't try to take another month from me.  I suspect they might, only to refund it may days later...

iniltous

Although I can see why asking if a deal can be made on price with BT and being told ‘No’ , and changing provider in part because of this lack of a deal in price , and then when you leave BT a deal is offered that may have been sufficient to make you stay is frustrating but hardly unique to BT .

As far as Zen pricing and the assertion they are cheaper , really ? , a quick look in my area shows  Zen 500Mb at £42 a month , BT 500Mb is £31 , even with a £4 increase in March 2026 and in March 2027 , BT would still be less at £39 at the end of the minimum term compared to  Zen at £42.

The annual increase doesn’t apply to telephony if broadband is the primary product so someone taking telephony with BT 500Mb broadband and paying £3 for PAYG doesn’t also see that £3 increasing as part of the broadband annual increase , just the broadband, I’ve went through a renegotiation and still pay the same £3 for telephony it’s never changed price .

JSmithy45AD

FlatFour said:

Stompa said:

FWIW I think Zen have a 14 day cooling off period, though you'd need to check.

Yeah, I think you're right, though I've no intention of taking advantage of that.

littleboo said:

Its not unusual for suppliers to make an improved offer when order is placed, until then they don't know you're serious about moving. Its all part of the dance.

Only one of us is dancing... I'm on my way out of the venue lol.

I guess lots of people play the "Imma gonna leave!" game and not actually mean it, just to get an improved deal.  Fair enough.  However, BT act like they're the only player out there and not give options until it's too late.  At least in my case.  They were the only player for a short while, fibre infrastructure is relatively new around here, but now others are using the same Openreach Network yet offer lower pricing for the most part.

Hopefully everything goes smoothly.  I already have separate confirmation that my Phone number will be transferred on the 2nd Feb.  Just need to wait for the new router, perhaps configure it for my network, then do the swap on the 2nd Feb.  Will be checking BT doesn't try to take another month from me.  I suspect they might, only to refund it may days later...

I do the same as yourself, I give them a chance to offer something close to the best deals from the mainstream suppliers and if they don't I initiate a switch. I've had plenty of offers after the fact but I ignore them as I do tell them once I've started, that's it.

FlatFour

iniltous said:

Although I can see why asking if a deal can be made on price with BT and being told ‘No’ , and changing provider in part because of this lack of a deal in price , and then when you leave BT a deal is offered that may have been sufficient to make you stay is frustrating but hardly unique to BT .

As far as Zen pricing and the assertion they are cheaper , really ? , a quick look in my area shows  Zen 500Mb at £42 a month , BT 500Mb is £31 , even with a £4 increase in March 2026 and in March 2027 , BT would still be less at £39 at the end of the minimum term compared to  Zen at £42.

The annual increase doesn’t apply to telephony if broadband is the primary product so someone taking telephony with BT 500Mb broadband and paying £3 for PAYG doesn’t also see that £3 increasing as part of the broadband annual increase , just the broadband, I’ve went through a renegotiation and still pay the same £3 for telephony it’s never changed price .

For the products I have, 900 mbps Fibre + phone line - Zen are over £20 cheaper.  Phone line + Calls went up significantly over the past several years, so much so I dropped the included calls and paying full price (like 29p a minute with minimum of 1 minute billed) as covering call costs per month actually worked out cheaper.

For me, just having a line was £3 but is over £4 as of now, as shown in the price I've been paying.  I could go and check all the exact prices, but I'm sort of over it at this point.  BT's "deal" offered to me prior to the last one was the same as I'm on now pretty much.  Bear in mind that any "deal" only lasted a month before the price went up.

Up until their "too late" offer, BT is a lot more expensive per month.  I now get the same 900 mbps + phone line + 1,000 minutes (overkill a bit) for less than BT's initial offer excluding the increased call costs.  Looking at my historical bills, Zen's offer was far cheaper.

iniltous

Unless you got a deal from Zen the ‘savings’ don’t bare scrutiny, the list price on the Zen website shows 900Mb £50 , and £7.50 for their version of digital voice admittedly with some calls included, plus £15 set up , BT website the BT 900Mb is £35 , PAYG £5 no set up fee , but as stated no calls included , but that’s £40 against Zens  £57.50 , the list price for BT Anytime calls is £18 , so that’s increases to £52.99 , although there will be increases in March and the following March , so I can’t see how you get to £20 cheaper , unless that’s the saving over 24 months it can’t be per month saving , because for the first year BT with Anytime is cheaper not more expensive, it’s only from March 2027 when Zen are £2.50 cheaper , (after the two £4 BT increases are applied ) , that’s assuming Zen don’t increase their prices after the 18 months .

FlatFour

iniltous said:

Unless you got a deal from Zen the ‘savings’ don’t bare scrutiny, the list price on the Zen website shows 900Mb £50 , and £7.50 for their version of digital voice admittedly with some calls included, plus £15 set up , BT website the BT 900Mb is £35 , PAYG £5 no set up fee , but as stated no calls included , but that’s £40 against Zens  £57.50 , the list price for BT Anytime calls is £18 , so that’s increases to £52.99 , although there will be increases in March and the following March , so I can’t see how you get to £20 cheaper , unless that’s the saving over 24 months it can’t be per month saving , because for the first year BT with Anytime is cheaper not more expensive, it’s only from March 2027 when Zen are £2.50 cheaper , (after the two £4 BT increases are applied ) , that’s assuming Zen don’t increase their prices after the 18 months .

You're getting a very different quote from BT than me then.  £67.72 PCM is what I was quoted - same as I've been paying - just for 900mbps.  That's not including the phone line.  It's ~£72 with VOIP land line service added, no calls.  Typically been about £77 PCM paying for the odd call.  Why we're more expensive here I cannot tell you.  It used to be that we'd get a lesser service for the same amount.  I.e. friend paid an amount and got 40mbps ADSL back in the day, I paid the same amount for that rubbish barely 2 mbps service.  We both had ADSL, same tech, same modem etc. but due to our distance from the box (1.6km) we had a bad service for that price.  When Fibre was laid here, I thought things might be different.  We now get, I assume, the same speeds as anyone on 900 mbps but, from what you're saying, we're paying a lot more for it through BT.  As the Fibre here - several miles of it to the exchange - is fairly new, have they bumped up prices to claw back costs perhaps?  The thing is, the Fibre was laid as part of the government's Rural Broadband initiative from a while back... so it's, at least in part, been paid for.

So, outside of that too late offer from BT, Zen are cheaper.  £17.72 PCM for just the 900 mbps broadband, and significantly cheaper for the phone line + 1,000 minutes.  More minutes than we'd normally use by a long way typically, but it makes those we do make at no extra cost.

Basically, your numbers do not match mine directly from BT.  Not saying you can't get a better deal with BT than Zen where you are.  However, that's not true here.

Is they any explanation why our address pays more?

Edit: don't give any details of course, but where abouts in the country are you?  I'm in the Oxfordshire area.  Somewhere where Fibre is still very new and nearby (ish, under 10 miles) areas are still having Fibre rolled out.  Lots of stuff is more expensive here vs. other places I've been...