In reply to a post by professor973:

Here we go again �Sigh My post is nothing to do with Plusnet........

My point exactly...............you were stirring the pot.

You may note I suggested that you "use your ISP of choice"...whatever that is....but you are the one who posted about Zen, so any implication was provided by yourself.

In reply to a post by professor973:

Anyway nuff said.

Yep!

Well....hello....nice to see you contributing the the debate as usual

Well I notice both of your contributions were over the top. You even managed to make the posts you complained of into something that obviously wasn't intended.

Not to worry, old habits die hard.

I would like to add my congratulations to Plusnet. The customers I recommended are very happy with their service.

In reply to a post by lisaj:

I would say well done Plusnet too, we where with AAISP before, we are now paying half as much as we where before, and we are now allowed to use the internet between 9-6.

I for one am glad we made the move

Actually, I think you chose AAISP without reading what they are actually offering, so you can't really blame them! At the end of the day, you read the contract, the small print, etc yourself so you got yourself to blame, really.

I signed up to AAISP, knowing fully what they are offering. I went with them becuse I use the Internet mostly in the evening & weekend and rarely during the daytime (I use around 1GB a month during daytime), so they worked out much cheaper than others. 50GB between 6pm - 12am during the week, 50GB during the weekends and 1TB between 2am - 6am which works out that I have access to 2TB a month. Wonderful!

So are you holding up two other awards that disagree to say the ISPAs are wrong?
Who is not to say the others are wrong?

Did Zen even enter the ISPAs? Which include a technical testing phase, rather than just a judge of panels as many others do, which can result in an entry with the best written entry winning.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

So are you holding up two other awards that disagree to say the ISPAs are wrong?
Who is not to say the others are wrong?

Did Zen even enter the ISPAs? Which include a technical testing phase, rather than just a judge of panels as many others do, which can result in an entry with the best written entry winning.

I am just saying that I don't see how PN can be best ISP compared to a top ISP like ZEN that have been top rated by Which? for thirteen years on the trot, and based on actual user opinion.
When it comes to ISP performance ratings, I find ones that reflect what I come across to be more believable. A look here:- http://www.dslzoneuk.net/isp_ratings.php (28,985 actual ratings) will show a Freeola customer rating of 8.88, Zen at 8.80 and Plusnet 6.95 � Just about right in my book. Of course others will disagree, but I am as entitled to my opinion, even if not allowed to express it everywhere.

Edited by professor973 (Thu 05-Jul-12 11:12:25)

Zen did not say they wanted to be technical tested or considered for the award, so thus cannot win. Simplez

Entry process for ISPAs is well publicised on the site.

If you feel an ISP that should have won did not, then take it up with the provider and ask why they did not enter? In Zen's case while they sell consumer services, it is more of a SME/home worker service.

BTW how are the Which awards decided?

BTW how are the Which awards decided?

The survey was based on results of an online survey of nearly 12,000 Which? online panels members about their broadband experiences to find the best providers. The customer satisfaction score (as a percentage) is based on overall satisfaction and their likelihood to recommend the ISP to a friend.

In reply to a post by professor973:

I am just saying that I don't see how PN can be best ISP compared to a top ISP like ZEN that have been top rated by Which? for thirteen years on the trot, and based on actual user opinion.
When it comes to ISP performance ratings, I find ones that reflect what I come across to be more believable. A look here:- http://www.dslzoneuk.net/isp_ratings.php (28,985 actual ratings) will show a Freeola customer rating of 8.88, Zen at 8.80 and Plusnet 6.95 � Just about right in my book. Of course others will disagree, but I am as entitled to my opinion, even if not allowed to express it everywhere.

If costs vs product delivered are included in reviews/opinions, Zen don't come close to many other providers. Their monthly charges are ex-VAT, indicating that they aim for business contracts, rather than residential ones, and as such will have a different ratio of customers which don't use the network in the evenings, and the residential customers they do have will be paying more than double for the same service.

Zen are a good provider, but what can Zen give me that Plusnet cannot?

More uptime? No.
More GB? (100 vs 60, and I use less than 30GB in a month).
Less cost? No.

It is each to their own when it comes to choosing an ISP. Your experiences may have been less than you would have liked, but comparing Zen to Plusnet and trying to equate those comparisons to justify validity for awards is rather pointless.

My personal method? Make a list of your requirements. Make a list of ISPs within the requirements and your budget. Check recent reviews for issues or not. Read the small print of the shortlisted candidates. Post around asking for IPS vs ISP in places such as this forum.

BTW how is the technical testing carried out? And what conclusions can be drawn from such tests?