A neutral, platform-by-platform read of what Direct Save Telecom customers actually say in 2026. Trustpilot, Reviews.io, the gap in the Ofcom and Which? tables, the forum consensus and a Selectra audit of Direct Save’s online presence. We show every score we could verify and explain what each one really means for a smaller, budget-focused ISP.
Headline score
3.6/ 5
Sample
~9,500 Trustpilot reviews
May 2026
Reviewed
19 May 2026
Platform by platform
What every score actually means
Different review platforms attract different audiences. For a smaller ISP like Direct Save, the absence of a score is sometimes as informative as the presence of one. Below is every public review pool Selectra could verify, with a neutral read of the main opinion on each.
Trustpilot
3.6/ 5
~9,500 reviews
Slightly positive
The largest public review pool for Direct Save. The dominant positive themes are very low headline prices on entry tariffs, friendly UK call-centre agents and a willingness to negotiate on renewal. The strongest recurring complaints are mid-contract and end-of-contract price hikes, refunds taking weeks to land and the customer journey feeling dated compared with mainstream ISPs.
A much smaller pool than Trustpilot but the tone is broadly the same. Reviewers praise the low prices and the UK call centre, complain about price rises after the minimum term ends and about the website feeling clunky on a phone. Useful as a sanity check on the Trustpilot picture rather than as a primary score.
Ofcom only publishes quarterly complaint figures for ISPs with more than ~150,000 broadband customers (BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Vodafone, Now). Direct Save falls below that threshold and so does not appear in the league table at all. The absence is a function of size, not of quality, and should not be read as either a positive or a negative signal.
Which? publishes annual broadband customer-satisfaction tables for the major and mid-sized providers. Direct Save is too small to feature with its own row, so there is no published satisfaction percentage or speed-reliability score to quote. Customers seeking an independent third-party score have to rely on Trustpilot and Reviews.io instead.
The MSE consensus is that Direct Save is a credible "cheap and cheerful" pick for older customers who want a landline and basic broadband on one bill, but that it is not the right ISP for anyone needing Full Fibre, modern self-service or mobile/TV bundling. Several threads warn specifically about the post-contract price jump.
Google Reviews aggregates a small and inconsistent pool because Direct Save’s Companies House listing and trading address are separate Google places entities. The tone matches the negative end of Trustpilot, weighted toward people venting after a price-rise or refund delay. Not a reliable primary score.
What customers most often praise and complain about
When you read enough reviews, the same words come up over and over. These are the four most recurring positive themes and the four most recurring complaints, synthesised across every platform above.
What people praise most
Low headline prices
Entry ADSL and FTTC tariffs are among the cheapest in the UK during the minimum term, a real saving for households on a tight budget.
UK-based call centre
Reviewers consistently note that the agent who picks up is in the UK, speaks plainly and tries to fix the issue rather than read a script.
Simple bills and bundles
Broadband + landline on one bill with no upsell wall. Particularly valued by older customers who prefer one product line, not a marketplace.
Reasonable wait times
Because Direct Save’s customer base is small, phone queues are noticeably shorter than at BT, Sky or TalkTalk at most times of day.
What people complain about most
Post-contract price rises
The default end-of-term increase is around £4/month and is buried in the small print. Customers routinely report being surprised by it on month 13.
Phone-only cancellation
No clean online cancel button. You have to call, navigate the IVR, give 30 days notice and document everything to avoid stray charges.
Dated brand and website
Reviewers describe the directsavetelecom.co.uk website as functional but visually behind every mainstream ISP, with a clunky callback pop-up and a thin self-service portal.
Slow refunds
When refunds are due (overpayment, contested charge), they often take two to four weeks to land, sometimes longer if escalation is needed.
Selectra audit
Direct Save’s online presence, channel by channel
Customer satisfaction is shaped as much by the website, the customer portal and the live-chat experience as by the phone line. Selectra audits each channel directly and Direct Save’s digital footprint is its weakest area by a clear margin.
Channel
Selectra verdict
Detail
Website (directsavetelecom.co.uk)
Mid
Functional but dated. Pricing is clear, the postcode checker works, but the layout feels closer to a 2015 ISP than a 2026 one. Mobile experience is the weakest part.
Customer account portal
Weak
Thin self-service: you can see basic bill and usage data, but key actions (cancellation, plan changes, refunds) still bounce you to the phone.
Mobile app
Weak
There is no Direct Save Telecom customer app on the App Store or Google Play. All account management has to go through the website or the call centre.
Social customer service
Weak
Social presence on X and Facebook is sparse. Replies are infrequent and most queries are pushed back to the freephone line. Not a viable support channel.
Live chat
Mid
Available as a pop-up on the contact page but only after a multi-minute wait for the widget to appear. Routes existing customers to a callback request, not to instant chat.
Phone line
Good
The strongest channel by far. UK call centre, short queues, clear IVR with three options. The freephone 0800 0 30 60 90 line is the front door to every department.
Selectra verdict
Aggregated from all platforms above
Direct Save Telecom scores roughly 3.5 out of 5 on Selectra’s aggregated read. The phone line, the UK call centre and the entry-level prices earn it more than three stars; the dated website, the thin self-service and the post-contract price-jump pattern pull it back below four. It is a credible default for a very specific reader: an older customer, a customer in a Full-Fibre not-spot, or anyone setting up a relative who wants one bill for broadband and landline and nothing else.
The single piece of advice that comes out of every platform is the same: set a calendar reminder one month before your contract ends. Direct Save’s default roll-on price is around £4 a month higher than the introductory rate, and customers who call in to renegotiate are routinely matched (or close to it) to the new-customer offer. Treat the renewal call as mandatory, not optional, and the value picture stays sound. Skip it and the deal that looked cheap on day one quietly stops being cheap from month thirteen.
Pros
Among the cheapest ADSL and FTTC tariffs in the UK in the first 12 months.
UK call centre with short queues and friendly agents.
Simple bill, broadband and landline only, no upsell wall.
Free Loyalty Discount Club included for the first year.
Cons
No Full Fibre (FTTP) option, speeds top out at around 63 Mbps.
Post-contract price hike of about £4 a month, easy to miss.
No customer app and a thin self-service portal.
Phone-only cancellation, no clean online cancel button.
FAQ
Direct Save Telecom reviews, your questions answered
Are Direct Save Telecom reviews trustworthy?
The Trustpilot pool of around 9,500 reviews at a 3.6 / 5 average is a large enough sample to be broadly representative, although Direct Save does email customers after positive interactions, which gently lifts the score. The Reviews.io sample (~500 reviews) is too small to be definitive on its own but useful as a cross-check. Treat the Trustpilot score as the headline and the recurring complaint themes as the more useful signal.
Why isn’t Direct Save in Ofcom’s complaints table?
Ofcom only publishes complaint figures for ISPs with more than around 150,000 broadband customers. Direct Save is below that threshold, so it is not in the quarterly league table. This is a function of company size rather than performance, and should not be read as either a positive or a negative indicator. There is no independent regulator score to quote.
How does Direct Save compare with Plusnet, BT and Sky?
On price, Direct Save’s entry ADSL tier is cheaper than the equivalent from BT, Sky or even Plusnet. On Full Fibre, there is no comparison, Direct Save does not sell FTTP at all, so the big three (and dozens of alt-nets) win by default for anyone who can get fibre to the home. On customer service, the picture is more even, all four sit roughly mid-table, with Plusnet usually rated best of the Openreach-based group on Ofcom complaints.
Does Direct Save raise prices mid-contract?
The bigger price-rise pain point with Direct Save is at the end of the minimum term rather than mid-contract. The default roll-on price is around £4 a month higher than the introductory rate, and most negative reviews on Trustpilot cluster around month 13 to month 14 when this lands. Under Ofcom rules (January 2025 onward), any mid-contract rise must be a fixed pound-and-pence amount written into the contract on day one and you can leave penalty-free if it exceeds that amount.
Should I leave Direct Save Telecom?
If your minimum term is ending and you can get Full Fibre at your postcode, almost certainly yes. The same Openreach copper or FTTC line you have today is sold by Plusnet, BT, Sky and others, usually with a stronger app, a stronger website and at most £5 to £10 a month more for a much faster fibre tier. If you cannot get Full Fibre and you are happy with the current speed, renew on the phone and negotiate the post-contract price down toward the new-customer rate before you sign anything.
Convinced or curious?
Compare Direct Save’s current deals with the rest of the market
If you can get Full Fibre at your postcode, almost every alternative gives you a faster, more modern line for similar money. If you cannot, Direct Save is still a credible budget pick, just renegotiate hard before the minimum term ends.
