BT refused to replace failed smart hub due to 'out of contract'

priorslee

During the storms last week a nearby lightning strike took out numerous BT hubs/routers in our area,  I was fortunate to quickly get an engineer visit booked to confirm the fault was in the hub itself, not the line/socket etc.  That's when the BT games started ...

Had to call up BT faults number to order replacement hub, but was told that, as I was "out of contract" there was no guarantee provided on their equipment, so they refused to replace it unless I signed up for a new contract.  I spent some time protesting and escalating, but to no avail, so with great reluctance, had to sign up to a new 24 month deal to get my service restored.
I knew that the contract term was coming to an end but hadn't had time to check out new deals at BT or elsewhere, so took the hit on the inflated BB cost for 1 month until I could sort it out.  The new contract has a 14 day cooling off period which is very likely to be invoked.

I am furious that I was held to ransom on this and I'm drafting my formal complaint, but would be interested to hear if anyone else has come across this scenario.

One of the BT bods I was arguing with claimed that this was set out in the T&Cs, but I can find no trace of it. 
The thing that really annoys me is the "out of contract" claim.  Whilst I was 7 days outside the original 18 month contract term, I had paid the latest bill which included advance payment for services until mid-September, so as I see it, this is still a legally-binding contract.

JJ_Egan

I did not know that BT are responsible for lightning damage as opposed to your insurance company .

Are the hubs not available to you  from Ebay ?

Highland76

You were not "out of contract". You were simply out of the minimum term period, ie on a rolling 30 days contract. Your options moving forward now:

1) Stick with the new 24 months contract, if you are happy with the (lower?) price.

2) Cancel the BT service under the 14 day cooling off period, return the router and move elsewhere

3) As 2) but ask BT to put you on the rolling 30 day contract if they can and use your own router. Plenty of decent routers out there which will work with BT, such as the TP Link VR900. You are not forced to use BT's router...

cajef

priorslee said:

so they refused to replace it unless I signed up for a new contract.  I spent some time protesting and escalating, but to no avail, so with great reluctance, had to sign up to a new 24 month deal to get my service restored.

No need to sign a new contract with BT there is nothing stopping you from buying your own router there are plenty to choose from, in the many years I have been using the internet I have never used an ISP supplied router. 

littleboo

It's quite normal for an ISP to provide a router while you are in a minimum term, beyond that its your responsibility.

priorslee

Thanks for the comments.  I must admit it hadn't occurred to me to go out & get my own router.  Kicking myself for being so naive, but also annoyed that the BT fault team didn't bother to advise me of this.