"Return your youview box or you will be charged"

[sirjamesp]

Hi all,

I renewed by BT contract today as I'm at the end of my current contract - but declined to renew BT TV as I don't watch the extra channels or BT sport. It was fine for years, but Netflix pretty much makes it redundant.

I've received the infamous email saying I need to return the box, but having searched these forums it appears that this is misleading - the box is mine.

But... on the MyBT account homepage there is a message saying "Please ensure you return your equipment to arrive by the 08/05/2019. Otherwise you will be charged."

This doesn't seem to tally with what I understand about ownership of the box. No options presented or careful use of "you may return it" - just a black-and-white "return or be charged".

So is the box mine or not? And if it *is* mine, how do I get this notification cleared and avoid being charged for not sending BT my own property?

[Keith_Beddoe · Accepted solution]

If you have completed your initial BT YouView contract with your original box, then the box is yours to keep. Just ignore the messages.

[JohnC2]

Hi @sirjamesp  welcome back to the forum and thanks for our feedback about the letter about the return of your Youview box. What @Keith_Beddoe  says is correct and they equipment is returned for recycling. You will not be charged. I'll feedback your comments on the letter. 

thanks
John

[sirjamesp]

Thanks.

BT really need to sort this out. The "you can return your box" email is misleading enough - but the "return by date xxxxxx or you will be charged" is downright fraud.

[Andy_N]

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@JohnC2wrote:

Hi @sirjamesp  welcome back to the forum and thanks for our feedback about the letter about the return of your Youview box. What @Keith_Beddoe  says is correct and they equipment is returned for recycling. You will not be charged. I'll feedback your comments on the letter. 

thanks
John

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The same thing applies to emails sent to those cancelling their service after contract date - an acquaintance of mine had this, though I'm not sure what they did.

The email and online systems should say "If you're out of contract, you may return your BT Youview for it to be recycled, or you may keep it for your use with Youview".

Why is the implication that if the box isn't returned the user will be charged? Why don't BT get these easy things correct.

[TimCurtis]

@sirjamesp 

Ok your broadband contract was up but was your BT TV contract inline with it or was it still part of a 12month contract?

Just be sure that your BT TV contract has run it's coarse and that you are on a rolling 30day contract for it.

[sirjamesp]

Yes, my TV contract was up as well as my broadband contract.

[sirjamesp]

"Why is the implication that if the box isn't returned the user will be charged?"

It's not just an implication - the notification on my order tracker says that I *will* be charged if I do not return my equipment by a given date.

Checked with customer services via online chat, and they said that I can ignore the message - returning the box is optional.

The message seems to be deliberately misleading.

[gg30340]

As you are no doubt aware, because you have posted about this previously, it is an automatic computer generated message to all BT customers who want to end their contract regardless of whether they are in the minimum term contract or on the 30 day contract.

The computer system would appear not to be set up to differentiate between those in the minimum term or the 30 day contract which is probably the reason you received it. I doubt that the intention is to "mislead" the customer more likely to save the customer from unnecessary charges should they still be in the minimum term contract.

As was pointed out on the previous threads and by the moderator on this thread, provided you have completed the minimum term contract you will not be charged for the equipment.

The moderator has mentioned that he will feed back to the relevant department so hopefully they will change the content of the automated message to differentiate between the two possible contracts/customers.

[sirjamesp]

It seems to have been going on for years. The automated emails (which BT haven't reworded despite this being flagged up for several years) are one thing. The notification on the account (which states unambiguously that you *will* be charged) seem to be new.

Either way, even if the computer can't tell whether you are out of your contract (which seems unlikely), it would be a simple matter to amend the automated message to clarify that you only need to return the box if you are cancelling your contract before your term is up.

The fact that nothing has been changed about the automated emails - and now additional messages are saying you will be charged (which is new to be) - does seem to me to be deliberately misleading.