In reply to a post by R0per:

Ah okay, thanks.

Still seems a bit wrong to me, it�s one thing to say you have to use their own router but if they won�t let you buy a replacement elsewhere they should at least replace it regardless. But anyway, I won�t go on, the worlds not fair.

No different to sky boxes. You can only buy them from sky and if they go wrong after the first year you have to pay for them. Just the way they work.

Various consumer acts would disagree, particularly if you pay £300 for a Sky HD box and it failed in month 13. A reconditioned box costs £65 from Sky.

On the routers a little different due to lower cost, but again, it can be contested. Alas firms will often just shrug shoulders

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Various consumer acts would disagree, particularly if you pay £300 for a Sky HD box and it failed in month 13. A reconditioned box costs £65 from Sky.

I'd probably side with the consumer acts on this one. Also interesting to see a top EU lawyer say it's perfectly legal for a UK pub to receive Premiership football from a Greek broadcaster, Sky might need all the money they can get if that opinion is ratified...

Edited by Oliver341 (Fri 04-Feb-11 10:41:53)

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Various consumer acts would disagree, particularly if you pay £300 for a Sky HD box and it failed in month 13. A reconditioned box costs £65 from Sky.

On the routers a little different due to lower cost, but again, it can be contested. Alas firms will often just shrug shoulders

But, a line has to be drawn. The post I responded to suggested that sky should replace no matter how old it is. So, if a router/sky box is 3 or 4 years old would you expect sky to replace for free under their current terms?

Each piece of equipment has an expected life period, this is set by the manufacturer on how long the equipment should last before breaking down. I think you have six years to claim anything under consumer law but I may be wrong....

My understanding was that it should last a reasonable length of time, which is what makes it more complicated. If there was a definite time period it would be rather straightforward.

In reply to a post by shaneosborne:

I think you have six years to claim anything under consumer law but I may be wrong....

If you can find this "six year rule" in consumer law I'd be absolutely amazed!

I would expect a £300 device doing the same as a £50 device to last longer, now sometimes this is reflected in the warranty.

Sky TV is a complex one, as without box you cannot receive service, which you pay for on top of the cost of any box. Similar with the routers - if provider supplied then it could be suggested that unless the fees are less after a period of time, that you are 'renting' the box.

Yes a line has to be drawn. Is a £300 or more device breaking after 13 months just weeks out of warranty to be expected? Maybe if said device was overheating, subject to moisture, but if otherwise in good condition should it not have continued to work.

Sky claims green credentials with its boxes, but the fact that so many end up breaking probably negates any power saving from the overnight standby

O2 take their loaned routers back, presumably for reuse or recycling, which is fine. The Sky model of giving out locked routers which are then useless for the customers next ISP is just creating a waste problem, and I think the EU should address this.