Faulty router: who replaces it?

[This is both an IT and a contracts question, but my guess is that people who read this section of the forum might be more likely to know the answer.]

I was a BT customer for broadband, and the contract has passed to Vodafone. When I signed up, part of the deal was the provision of a router that remained the property of BT.

Tech support in Vodafone have determined that recent problems I have experienced are due to the router being faulty. They asked if I had another router that I could plug in. I don't. So it comes down to a simple question: should I go out and buy one, or should I ask them to send me one?

Supplementary question: I am told that a possible contributor to the failure of the router was that my line quality is marginal for broadband, and that might have caused it to overheat. If I am to buy a router, is any model particularly suitable for always-on with a marginal quality signal?

If the router remains the vendors property then it would be normal for them to replace it.

But if you own the router it's your issue (normal warranty periods should apply).

jhegarty said:

If the router remains the vendors property then it would be normal for them to replace it.

But if you own the router it's your issue (normal warranty periods should apply).

Click to expand...

That's my view, and BT made it clear in the agreement that they retained ownership of the router. I have a recollection that they trumpeted the provision of a router as a special offer, and I wonder if they might take the position that I have got the value of that special offer (about 30 months) and that from here on I am on my own.

It's not a biggie. Routers are not that expensive. But if it is correctly their responsibility, then I don't see much sense in my going out and buying one.