- A router non-return charge should reflect the provider's genuine loss, not be a disproportionate penalty.
- If you did return the equipment, proof of postage or a drop-off receipt is your strongest defence.
- Disproportionate or unfair charges can be challenged, including under Consumer Rights Act fairness principles.
- If the provider will not back down, escalate through complaints and to the ombudsman.
A charge for a router you believe you returned, or one that seems disproportionate, is not something you simply have to accept. Non-return fees are challengeable, both on the facts, did you actually return it, and on fairness. Knowing how to dispute one, and the routes available, often gets an unjustified charge reversed.
When a non-return charge is and is not fair
A non-return charge is reasonable when you genuinely did not return equipment that you were required to. It becomes challengeable when you did return it, or when the amount is disproportionate, out of line with the actual value or the provider's genuine loss. A fee that functions as a penalty rather than a reflection of real loss is the kind of term that fairness rules look at critically.
If you did return it
If you returned the equipment and are charged anyway, your proof of postage or drop-off receipt is decisive. Present it to the provider, ask them to trace the return, and request that the charge be removed. Providers' returns processes are not infallible, and equipment can be received but not logged, so your evidence that you sent it shifts the burden back to them.
Consumer Rights Act considerations
Where a charge is disproportionate, the fairness principles of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are relevant: a term imposing a charge out of all proportion to the provider's actual loss can be challenged as unfair. You can put this to the provider, stating that you consider a disproportionate non-return charge unfair and unenforceable, and asking for it to be reduced or removed.
Dispute process
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Establish the facts: did you return it, is the amount proportionate |
| 2 | Gather evidence: proof of postage, receipts, correspondence |
| 3 | Raise a formal complaint, asking for removal or reduction |
| 4 | Cite fairness if the charge is disproportionate |
| 5 | Escalate to ADR after six weeks or at deadlock |
Escalating if needed
If the provider will not remove an unjustified charge, raise a formal complaint and, if it is unresolved after six weeks or you receive a deadlock letter, take it to your provider's approved ADR scheme such as CISAS. The ombudsman can order the charge removed where it is unjustified or unfair. Your evidence, proof of return or the disproportion of the charge, is what wins the case.
Frequently asked questions
Can my ISP charge me for not returning a router?
If the router was supplied on the basis that it is returned and you did not return it, the provider can apply a non-return charge. But the charge should reflect the provider's genuine loss, and if you did return the equipment or the amount is disproportionate, it can be challenged.
How do I dispute a broadband router return charge?
Establish the facts and gather evidence such as proof of postage or a drop-off receipt, then raise a formal complaint asking for the charge to be removed or reduced. If the charge is disproportionate, cite fairness principles, and escalate to the ombudsman if it is not resolved.
Is a router return fine enforceable?
A non-return charge that reflects the provider's genuine loss for equipment you did not return can be enforceable. One that is disproportionate, or applied when you did return the equipment, is challengeable, including under the Consumer Rights Act fairness principles.
What evidence do I need to dispute a router return charge?
Your strongest evidence is proof that you returned the equipment, such as proof of postage or a drop-off receipt, plus any correspondence. If you are challenging the amount as disproportionate, the value of the item and the provider's actual loss are the relevant points.
How long do I have to return a router after cancellation?
Providers set a return period in their terms, so check what yours requires and return the equipment within it, keeping proof of postage. Returning promptly and keeping evidence is the best way to avoid a non-return charge in the first place.
