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Who owns the router?

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Hi all

Last September me and 3 other students moved into a student house and took out broadband with o2 (which was super fast and reliable by the way!). It was a 12 month contract so obviously runs out next month. We're not renewing as we've all moved out and are going our separate ways.

The issue is this. The general Ts and Cs for Home Broadband say that when the contract is over they send a pre-paid envelope for you to send the router back to them.

However when we started the contract last September we paid a £50 up front fee for the router, which I had to go and pick up from an o2 store (as opposed to them sending it to us). This £50 was on top of £30 p/m for the broadband and phone line itself.

So is the router ours or are o2 going to try and ask for it back when I tell them we're not renewing?

Basically my argument is that we paid for the router and I had to pick it up so it belongs to us?

Thanks for any help

Helen
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on" - Winston Churchill
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Comments

  • spike7451
    spike7451 Posts: 6,944 Forumite
    You'll probably find that the £50 was a connection fee & not for the router.In which case you'll have to return it or be billed for it..
  • Buzby
    Buzby Posts: 8,275 Forumite
    It is only a deposit for service. The router can only be used with O2, so has no open market value, and as they are paying for the return it seems reasonable to comply!
  • Edinburghlass_2
    Edinburghlass_2 Posts: 32,680 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I just received a new o2 router and they sent a prepaid bag for the return of the old one, £20 charge if I didn't return it.
  • Usually the company still own the routers they send out, exactly the same way BT own the Homehub they send you, and Virgin own the Superhub they send out.

    If you break it you pay for a replacement, if it becomes faulty on its own they replace it.
  • Naf
    Naf Posts: 3,183 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    The routers are almost invariably (these days) owned by the ISP. Is been a while since anyone sent out free routers for you to keep.
    This is why I only use their equipment in 'modem mode', but use my own router to host my local network etc.
    Never lose my settings :-P
    Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.
    - Mark Twain
    Arguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.
  • MarkLS12
    MarkLS12 Posts: 243 Forumite
    If you get a new broadband supplier they will give you a new router.

    What would you use the O2 router for if you kept it?
  • shadowspy24
    shadowspy24 Posts: 238 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    I've had internet from Plusnet and TalkTalk in the past and I've never had to return them when I cancelled. Routers nowadays become outdated techology very quickly nowadays, why would they even want an old router back, what would they do with it? Also what would you do with it as if you sign up to any broadband companies now you will get a free new router. I would just send it back as it isn't worth the hassle.
  • Helen_J_3
    Helen_J_3 Posts: 205 Forumite
    MarkLS12 wrote: »
    If you get a new broadband supplier they will give you a new router.

    What would you use the O2 router for if you kept it?
    I'm not getting a new broadband supplier as they place I'm moving to already has broadband.
    Naf wrote: »
    The routers are almost invariably (these days) owned by the ISP. Is been a while since anyone sent out free routers for you to keep.
    This is why I only use their equipment in 'modem mode', but use my own router to host my local network etc.
    Never lose my settings :-P

    This is my point exactly. The router wasn't free. I paid £50 for it. No mention that this was for service/connection or anything else. £50 exchanged for one 02 router.
    "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on" - Winston Churchill
  • spike7451
    spike7451 Posts: 6,944 Forumite
    I've had internet from Plusnet and TalkTalk in the past and I've never had to return them when I cancelled. Routers nowadays become outdated techology very quickly nowadays, why would they even want an old router back, what would they do with it? Also what would you do with it as if you sign up to any broadband companies now you will get a free new router. I would just send it back as it isn't worth the hassle.

    They'll reuse them & send them out as replacements (after they've been screened & cleaned) to customers whose routers have gone faulty
  • squeek31
    squeek31 Posts: 15 Forumite
    Hi helen
    I got an email from vm today asking for their superhub back. I hope this helps.

    Fred would wear his cap in bed if he were allowed;)

    Thank kindness.
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