BEWARE - Hive Smart Hub for Active Lighting & Heating!!!

FrankRizzo

BEWARE!!!! These can't be re-sold, so do not buy second hand from eBay or Gumtree. This also applies to the Active Heating.

The hub will not work as its flagged as being registered with someone else.

If you contact Hive Help they will tell you its tough as its in there T&C's however they acknowledge "THIS ITEM CANNOT BE RESOLD" is not printed on their packaging or product label - this is where i really feel aggrieved.

They do not offer a gesture of goodwill even if like me you are a BritishGas Dual fuel & Homecare customer.

Shame the not so smart hub is going to have to be binned - and there was me trying to help save the environment

General Terms on page 7:
https://www.hivehome.com/attachment/78/download/hive-terms-and-conditions-for-home.pdf

System

I would have thought that you might have had some comeback against the seller (or the site). BG's terms and conditions do make it clear that:

Personal use only

All Hive products are sold for personal use only and must not be resold.

I would check the listing.

FrankRizzo

Yeh it was sold as seen. I checked the box, instructions and product and nothing stated as "NOT FOR RESALE".

I should have checked the terms & conditions but I've never came across electrical products before that you are not allowed to re-sell?

Raxiel

So if you buy one of these, say alongside a new boiler, and then move house?

You have to take it with you and install it yourself (or pay to have it installed) in your new property, while leaving your buyer with no thermostat?

Sounds pretty consumer unfriendly to me.

FrankRizzo

Me (25/04/2017, 15:02:09): How much is the Hive heating to purchase the equipment and do I need to get British gas to install it or can i get a third party to do this?

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:02:36): Hive Active Heating costs £249 with installation by a British Gas engineer, or £179 without installation

Me (25/04/2017, 15:03:38): Is there any disadvantage of not getting British Gas to install?

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:04:02): No, as long as you have a qualified engineer carry out the installation.

Me (25/04/2017, 15:04:37): So I won't be breaking the guarantee or the terms or anything by getting a third part to do this?

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:05:07): No, as long as they're a qualified engineer there won't be any impact on the Hive guarantee or the terms and conditions

Me (25/04/2017, 15:05:14): If I move house can I take it with me?

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:05:49): No, Hive replaces the existing controls so the boiler receiver and thermostat need to remain in the property, to allow manual control of the boiler.

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:06:14): https://www.hivehome.com/faqs/Featured/Featured_Articles/If-I-buy-Hive-and-then-move-home-what-should-I-do-new

Me (25/04/2017, 15:07:16): So do you get a free one when you move into your new home?

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:07:39): No, if you take the hub with you the cost is discounted to £149 and includes installation by a BG engineer

Me (25/04/2017, 15:09:14): That is crazy? I can't think of any other domestic electronic product that I can't take with me when i move house.

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:09:44): Hive Active Heating isn't just an electronic product, it's replacement controls for your boiler.

Me (25/04/2017, 15:10:34): So is the person moving into my house going to be forced to buy a Hive hub to get the heating to work?

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:10:59): No, the thermostat allows manual use of the boiler, and the schedule can be set up through the thermostat

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:11:12): The new owner would only have to buy a hub if they wanted remote access

FrankRizzo

So basically £250 to purchase and install Hive smart heating, then if you move house its a further £150 to purchase and install Hive smart heating. Theres no way I would buy a Hive if I was considering moving within 8 years to at least break even on the £400 return on investment.

teddysmum

That seems straight forward. I wouldn't move house and take our wi fi thermostat with me, as the person moving in would have no temperature /timing control.


Hive is the same item ,but with the added advantage of being accesses remotely. (We don't have need for one, as the boiler is a combi and the heating has 5 settings for weekdays with 5 for weekends ).

Raxiel

FrankRizzo wrote: »

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:09:44): Hive Active Heating isn't just an electronic product, it's replacement controls for your boiler.

Me (25/04/2017, 15:10:34): So is the person moving into my house going to be forced to buy a Hive hub to get the heating to work?

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:10:59): No, the thermostat allows manual use of the boiler, and the schedule can be set up through the thermostat

Colin (25/04/2017, 15:11:12): The new owner would only have to buy a hub if they wanted remote access

So you can't take all of it with you? But you do have to take part of it with you, since you can't leave the hub for the new buyer? :eek:

And the bit you take with you is useless without paying extra?

Glad I bought a Worcester Wave instead.

My parents have the 'pre-Hive' British Gas connected thermostat, and have been approached about an upgrade. They aren't planning on moving but I'll be sure to point this out to them before they part with any cash.

FrankRizzo

Yip thats correct. Its crazy.

How have you found the Worcester Wave?

Raxiel

FrankRizzo wrote: »

Yip thats correct. Its crazy.

How have you found the Worcester Wave?

Had it a year and a half now. A few teething problems with home presence detection that eventually turned out to be down to the mobile network/tower causing location glitches.

Other than that, pretty happy with it. We have erratic schedules so programming timers without constant fiddling would be difficult. The wave keeps the house warm when we're in, doesn't waste gas heating an empty house, and instant hot water for showers ready a couple of hours in the morning without wasting energy without having the pre-heat on all day.

Once it was set up, pretty much never need to touch it or the app.

Needs smart phones to control it though, which is why I've not recommended one to my parents. They have a compatible boiler but they like a web interface.

Mine came from the company that fitted the boiler, but I wrote quite an in-depth review on Amazon that gets into the individual features.

Lgas

Unfortunately this is the case. However with house selling, all the new home owner would need to do is to buy a new Hub which is around £80.