Hi

Finally had enough of Plusnet's appalling service and their non-existent customer
support.

Eventually got my Mac code (after they initially read "I want to migrate" as "cease
my account")

I hardly ever need to use tech support, but if I should need to I'd like to be able
to phone and get through, and either get an answer, or set things in motion.
Currently Plusnet are unable to offer this service.

The ability to resolve issues quickly and without fuss is important to me, so I can
have a reliable and seamless service. A news server that is reliable is also an
important consideration. Although cost is an issue, in my case I'd rather pay a
little more and know I've got the facility to contact my provider should the need
arise. (and have them respond effectively).

Looking at Zen (whose phone support I used for a friend and was totally impressed)
and Nildram who I've heard good things about.


Anyone got views?

TIA




--

Andrew Sayers

Andrew Sayers wrote:
I'm with Zen, moved from Plusnet about a year ago. Support is good but
hardly used it TBH. I also find Usenet (including binaries) excellent. I've
had a completely trouble-free service.

The bad news: I'm on a 2Mb unlimited account which is fab. But they've
introduced MaxDSL now and that's capped at 50GB if you're concerned about
download limits- and they're not offering the 2Mb uncapped service to new
subscribers (and indeed, were I to "upgrade" there'd be no downgrade
option). Personally I think this MaxDSL thing is a swizz and I wish it had
never been introduced- besides the fact that it's all dependent on living
next door to your exchange, there simply isn't the infrastructure to support
higher speeds in terms of bandwidth. Anyway, wandering off topic.

Like I said, other than the capping being introduced, they're pretty good,
if not cheap.

After the horror of Plusnet and their ever decreasing T&Cs, moving to Zen
was a walk into the broad sunlit uplands.

Ian

On Sat, 08 Jul 2006 02:14:25 +0100, Andrew Sayers <none@all.invalid.com>
wrote:


Either or, I've been on Nildram for the past 3 years and their service has
been exemplary.

That said, I've heard that Zen are pretty good too.

A trawl around the forums on adslguide.org.uk should give you an idea of
what their offerings are like.



greg
--
If you want venality, if you want ignorance, if you want drunkenness,
and facility for being intimidated; or if, on the other hand, you
want impulsive, unreflecting, and violent people, where do you look
Do you go to the top or to the bottom?

"Greg Hennessy" <me@privacy.org> wrote in message
news:tlrua2th4brc3m0triev7kmj9uln9f8fgu@4ax.com...
I am also on Zen fixed 2 Meg unlimited (pity they don't still do it)
although I do not go over the Cap set on the new product (50 Meg download) I
would not change to Max at this time.

I have no problems with the service and on the very few occasions I have
contacted support they have been excellent not that you have to do it very
often and sometimes seems a waste of the extra expense of Zen, so if the
cost does not put you off give them a try, as its only 1 month contracts
what do you have to lose?

I would point out one thing if you are comparing other ISP's the 50 Meg
download cap is the only restriction on the service i.e. No traffic shaping
no port blocking and no cap on uploads, yes you got it just downloads.
Isn't that great?

On Sat, 8 Jul 2006 03:07:29 +0100, "Jaxtraw"
<jax@knickersjaxtrawstudios.com> wrote:

Plusnet in disgust 2 months ago.

Nildram are probably cheaper than Zen and a similar price to Plusnet.
I pay £23/month for up to 50 gigs on a 2 mB connection which includes
a partially resticted Giganews service. Another great saving with
Nildram is that if you transfer your phone billing to them (line lease
remains with BT) you get up to 500 minutes of FREE phone calls/month
(i.e. free to land lines, not to mobiles) - I reckon that saves me
around £8/month.

So far problem free. I even got through to a human in service after a
2 minute hold to sort out a password problem (-my fault!) during
initial setup.

Totally recommended so far. You are on a monthly contract anyway, so
if it all goes pear shaped you can easily vote with your feet.

In article <221ua2tbng5hb5qlkjqionu4afvu13shhd@4ax.com>,
none@all.invalid.com (Andrew Sayers) wrote:

You could also look at us

www.icukhosting.co.uk/internet_home.asp

FWIW, excellent phone and email support is something we pride ourselevs
on, so consquently we're not the cheapest provider as a result.

Leslie
ICUK

In message <49rua25e3ioe2c4g5ul2gubuekmpa26rs4@4ax.com> of Sat, 8 Jul
2006 09:44:12 in uk.telecom.broadband, root@localhost.?.invalid writes
In spite of anything suggested by my headers, Zen has been my first
broadband ISP since 2005/12/28. They seem expensive with activation
charges of 47UKP including VAT. I was luckily able to change my 256kb
uncapped service to a faster uncapped service when they quietly
introduced capped maxadsl and withdrew uncapped faster services.
Telephone support is available 08.00 to 20.00 Monday to Friday and 09.00
to 17.00 at the weekends on 0845 058 9009.
<http://www.saynoto0870.com/numbersearch.php> says the corresponding
geographical number is 01706 902009. <http://support.zen.co.uk> does not
make obvious that geographical number nor public holiday hours.

I just spoke to Nildram Sales on 0800 197 1474 where a lady speaking
standard English said telephone support is available 24/7 on 0870
0946000. She did not have the geographical number which saynoto0870
reports as 01296 300400. She was courteous but slightly baffled by my
questions.

I did a cursory check that both those geographical numbers work.
Nildram's background music was less offensive than I met in recent calls
to Zen. I got through to Ravi when I tried Nildram software support. I
did not make a fair test of his English.

I am paying over the top for a reliable, uncapped, low bandwidth service
with good support on the rare occasions I have needed it. I suspect that
anyone starting now without my antipathy to capped services and 0870
numbers would prefer Nildram to Zen.

Meanwhile I put up with Zen where telephone support has always been
provided in either standard English or Lancastrian. YMMV.
--
Walter Briscoe

Nildram let you carry over any unused allowance over on to the next month
(only). You can also download unmetered after midnight.

www.icuknet.co.uk wrote:
I'm probably moving soon and since I doubt I'll be able to move my 2Mb
account with Zen- they only offer MaxDSL now, I may well be interested in
your service. Are you planning to stick with offering a 2Mb unlimited
account? (I'm not a heavy downloader, but I hate caps on principle Do you
provide usenet?

Ian

In article <f5uua2l6o2ravrg05su1o9838lp93218lf@4ax.com>, Phil_B> says...

[...]



Do you have the details for this?

I'm on the same package as you, but I can't find anything out about the
configuration for my news client from the Nildram site. I don't want to
tie up a support op on the phone if details can be had here... :-)

TIA

"Andrew Sayers" <none@all.invalid.com> wrote in message
news:221ua2tbng5hb5qlkjqionu4afvu13shhd@4ax.com...
happy customers that know how to use their own computer.

You shouldn't need it. If there is a problem with the ISPs equipment they
will know and fix it. If you have a problem with your computer that's down
to you.

Well i would rather pay less for a provider with 0870 number knowing I would
never need to contact them. I bet you're the type to buy extended
warranties that run in parallel with the manufacturers.
It depends what you'r downloading from newsgroups, most are on the CLEANFEED
system now. Others with naughty groups are logged and have details passed
to police.
Most problems are caused by people poking about with computers or routers
and not reading the instructions or knowing what to do - so they blame the
ISP.


things about loads of companies, but they could be as invalid as your claims
that a compny was rubbish.

Shop around, use price comparison websites, have some idea of what you want
and don't listen to other people too much. You find some people only
suggest one company as that is all they have heard of, others go with a
company as they are a "brand snob" but forget about re-sellers. Then you
get people that will suggest certain companies or equipment so they can
impress their friends by copying settings and saying "look how clever I am -
I have got your computer working" when really they know bugger all or what
the settings are for.

I get the feeling you fit in to a certain "group".

Dave wrote:
Clearly you've never experienced Plusnet's "service".

Ian

It's Me wrote:
I think you mean 50GB, 50MB would not go far.

The 50GB is for the more expensive "Pro" product. The cheaper "Active"
product has a cap of 20GB. I believe the business packages, much more
expensive, are still unlimited.

--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you can make people
believe has happened. [Janet Daley 27/8/2003]

On Sat, 8 Jul 2006 13:41:11 +0100, Tx2
<this.is.an.inv@lid_email_address.com> wrote:

Point your newreader to news.nildram.co.uk
Use the Login name of your full email address eg
fred_bloggs@gotadsl.co.uk and the same password as your login.
You are allowed up to 5 gigs a mionth (I think) and can download at a
maximum rate of about 60kb/sec from up to two simultaneous
connections. Not fast but infinitely superior to Plusnet's offering!
It doesn't actually say anywhere you are connected to Giganews but I
have just downloaded some binaries which are 75 days old - so it must
be G/news!
I buy another 7 gigs/month from Forte for just $3 (£2.65) which allows
me to download at the max speed of my connection but doesnt have such
good retention.

Hope this is the info. you wanted.

Phil

Dave wrote:

<A load of cobblers culminating with:

Most of us fit into a group somewhere but I think I know the type of group
you fit.

--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you can make people
believe has happened. [Janet Daley 27/8/2003]

Jaxtraw wrote:
<AOL>

Moved from PN to Zen at the end of last year. Had a problem just as I was
starting to move. Once the move was complete took it up with Zen. Straight
through on the phone and they accepted what I said I had done. A couple of
further checks were suggested and when these came up clear the problem was
immediately passed to BT. Zen kept me informed throughout. Excellent
service.

--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you can make people
believe has happened. [Janet Daley 27/8/2003]

On Sat, 08 Jul 2006 13:28:06 GMT, "Dave" <dave1@ntl.co.uk> wrote:

...and I get the feeling you are a pompous whatsit

"Jaxtraw" <jax@knickersjaxtrawstudios.com> wrote:

and Zen - looks like there is little to choose between them. (I'll have a look at
icuk too out of interest).

I don't know what is going wrong at Plusnet, but it looks to be increasingly serious.
Whether it is a management or an investment issue I don't know, but I'm beginning to
wonder where their problems are going to lead. Hopefully not to a company collapse.

*with the exception of "Dave" of course, but trolls pop up from time to time.

--

Andrew Sayers

Why do you think that?

Lots have moved house with Zen and no problems. I think you can keep the
same account type too.

It's Me wrote:
They've stopped offering the fix rate, unlimited download accounts to
all new customers, or else I would have been off to, but I had more
important things to do & by the time they were sorted it was to late..