The Lowdown
XLN has a clear, well laid-out website that’s fairly easy to navigate. The products being offered are very apparent from the outset so you can quickly see what you’re getting.
However, customers frequently complain about issues related to contracts and unexpected cancellations without proper notice. Many reviews also highlight dissatisfaction with the customer service experience, including unresponsiveness and poor handling of issues.
Customers also report unexpected increases in rates during the contract’s term (under the agreement they can change the charges as they want). Customers are then finding their bill has doubled after just a few months of being in contract.
Finally some customers have reported that answers to queries about their accounts can be evasive or misleading, particularly around penalties for termination. Customers are misled by contract conditions and threatened with exorbitant cancellation fees, even if they are not under contract. It’s also apparently not unusual to be bombarded with calls and text messages.
Looking at 1-star reviews on Trustpilot (which make up 13% of XLN’s total of just over 21,000 reviews), it appears there are issues related to billing and unexpected charges are common, with some customers feeling deceived by hidden fees.
When it comes to negative feedback, users don’t mince their words. Strong negative language is used by customers to describe their experiences, highlighting severe dissatisfaction. Some customers have even mentioned taking or considering legal action and seeking refunds due to their poor experiences.
According to several other of these 1-star reviews, you may find extra charges being added unexpectedly. Customers also complain of frequent price increases.
What they offer
- Unlimited broadband
- Fibre broadband and phone packages
- Cloud Voice (VoIP)
- 4G mobile broadband
- Business mobile
- Business payments
VoIP packages comparison
| bOnline | XLN | |
| Price / mo | Starter
£7 a month Digital phone line & number Unlimited inbound calls 100 outbound landline minutes 40 more features Unlimited calling £13.95 a month Digital phone line & number Unlimited inbound calls Unlimited UK landline & mobile calls 45 more features Unlimited calling (Includes IP phone) Digital phone line & number Unlimited inbound calls Unlimited UK landline & mobile calls* Included desk phone 45 more features |
£15 / mo
Unlimited UK Calls (landline & mobiles) Free mobile & desktop app Free auto-attendant feature Keep your existing number |
| Contract length | All contracts 12 months | 24 month contract |
4G mobile broadband comparison
| bOnline | XLN | |
| Price / mo | £19.95 / mo (one-off activating fee of £49. Delivery £12) | £29.95 / mo (active broadband service required) |
| Contract length | 24 month contract | 18 month contract |
| Speeds | Up to 300mbps | Varies |
Business fibre comparison
| bOnline | XLN | |
| Price / mo | 160Mbps Unlimited fibre
£32 / mo Up to 160Mbps Download, Up to 30Mbps Upload 330Mbps Unlimited fibre £37 / mo Up to 330Mbps Download, Up to 50Mbps Upload 550Mbps Unlimited fibre £40 / mo Up to 550Mbps Download, Up to 75Mbps Upload 1GB Unlimited fibre £48 / mo Up to 1000Mbps Download, Up to 115Mbps Upload All bOnline packages come with: Nextgen wireless router Fibre direct to the router Unlimited downloads Guaranteed speeds |
£27.95
80Mb Fibre Broadband Minimum speed guarantee Plug & Play Router Included (£9.99 P&P) |
| Contract length | 12 months | 24 months |
| Activation / delivery fees | £45 activation
£99 Openreach charge (if new line required) £12 router delivery |
£9.99 router configuration and delivery charge applies
£99 Openreach charge (if new line required) |
Bundles
| bOnline | XLN | |
| Price / mo | Super saver bundle – 5G mobile broadband + VoIP
£19.95 / mo Fixed Price Guarantee. Keep your number or pick a new one. 5G business broadband Unlimited downloads Speeds up to 300Mbps & AVG 150Mbps 5G business modem Unlimited calling to UK landline & mobiles Make & take calls with app Digital phone line Call forwarding Call recording Voicemail-to-email Plus 45 more features |
Superfast Fibre Broadband & Phone
£32.95 / mo Superfast 80Mb Fibre Broadband Minimum speed guarantee Free plug & play router (£9.99 P&P) Free mobile & desktop app Unlimited UK Calls (landline & mobiles) Keep your existing number 50+ exclusive free features IP handset available (+£5.00 per month) |
| Contract length | 24 months | 24 months |
| Activation / delivery fees | £45 activation
£99 Openreach charge (if new line required) £12 router delivery |
£9.99 router configuration and delivery charge applies
£99 Openreach charge (if new line required) |
Summary
The key areas in which bOnline excels include the provision of shorter contracts and no in-contract price rises. Indeed, 24 months can feel like a long time to commit to a service provider especially if you make the wrong decision.
Based on our research, XLN may not be the best decision when you factor in the “stealth” charges and difficulties with customer service as described in the reviews.
If you’re considering using bOnline for your VoIP service then please contact the friendly customer service team via their contact page who will be more than happy to give you a like-for-like comparison.
