Chorus ONT for sale

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Chorus ONT for sale

RunningMan

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#323610 21-Dec-2025 11:15

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/building-renovation/electrical-lighting/switches-switchboards/switchboards/listing/5688522730

@ChorusNZ @Wheelbarrow01

Anyone else that should follow this up?

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#3446182 21-Dec-2025 11:40

I've reported it to Trademe, but I don't have much faith that they'll do much.

It's wild that people think they can sell an item which clearly states "PLEASE LEAVE UNIT AT THIS PROPERTY - DO NOT REMOVE".

Behodar

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#3446189 21-Dec-2025 13:07

It's been withdrawn by the seller (presumably in response to the comments).

BMarquis

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Chorus

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#3446198 21-Dec-2025 20:54

In the past, Trademe has been pretty good at removing them to be fair.

Dynamic

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#3446199 21-Dec-2025 21:15

While it's not an excuse, the seller looks like they might be a demolition company. I suspect this has come out of a house that is no longer with us.

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Wheelbarrow01

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#3446216 21-Dec-2025 22:19

Dynamic:

While it's not an excuse, the seller looks like they might be a demolition company. I suspect this has come out of a house that is no longer with us.

Yea - after a little digging it looks as if the house this ONT was installed in was one of a group of 10 adjacent houses purchased by Nelson Council and subsequently demolished due to unacceptable land slip risk following the weather events in the region in 2022 and 2023.

We see people attempt to sell ONTs from time to time, usually because they are mistaken for modems etc, and the sellers genuinely have no idea that they cannot be used for any practical purpose unless returned to Chorus.

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Chorus NZ Ltd

k1w1k1d

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#3446237 22-Dec-2025 08:56

Perhaps the wording on the sticker needs to be changed to make it more explicit that the unit belongs to Chorus, not the property it is installed at, and must be returned to Chorus?

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Chorusnz

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#3446240 22-Dec-2025 09:10

Looks like the listing has been withdrawn already.

Thanks for the heads up. We do see people on trade-me and FB marketplace trying to sell these from time to time. Most are pretty good about removing the listing when we reach out.

k1w1k1d:

Perhaps the wording on the sticker needs to be changed to make it more explicit that the unit belongs to Chorus, not the property it is installed at, and must be returned to Chorus?

The wording is pretty explicit with its "do not remove" message in my opinion. Not sure changing that is going to stop people any more than it does already. Perhaps we aught to try shackling it to the wall. Then maybe people will get the message 😅

^Richard

freitasm

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#3446241 22-Dec-2025 09:15

Wheelbarrow01:

Dynamic:

While it's not an excuse, the seller looks like they might be a demolition company. I suspect this has come out of a house that is no longer with us.

Yea - after a little digging it looks as if the house this ONT was installed in was one of a group of 10 adjacent houses purchased by Nelson Council and subsequently demolished due to unacceptable land slip risk following the weather events in the region in 2022 and 2023.

We see people attempt to sell ONTs from time to time, usually because they are mistaken for modems etc, and the sellers genuinely have no idea that they cannot be used for any practical purpose unless returned to Chorus.

Sorry, a bit off topic, but I find it interesting, if a demolition company gets a contract from the council, and allegedly proceeds to get things out of the house and put for sale. Is this standard contract? Did the the owner (council) tell the demolition company they can take anything from the property, or are the companies just taking property it's not theirs?

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#3446244 22-Dec-2025 09:45

freitasm:

Did the the owner (council) tell the demolition company they can take anything from the property, or are the companies just taking property it's not theirs?

Property probably sold on an ‘as is, where is’ basis.

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freitasm

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#3446245 22-Dec-2025 09:51

eracode:

freitasm:

Did the the owner (council) tell the demolition company they can take anything from the property, or are the companies just taking property it's not theirs?

Property probably sold on an ‘as is, where is’ basis.

That is one possibility. We don't know the whole thing though. Was it council owned (as they seem to have bought it) and the company was contracted to demolish it, or the council sold it to the demolition company?

It's not clear from the info provided.

Not a big deal for this thread, just curious.

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Behodar

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#3446246 22-Dec-2025 09:58

freitasm:

Sorry, a bit off topic, but I find it interesting, if a demolition company gets a contract from the council, and allegedly proceeds to get things out of the house and put for sale. Is this standard contract? Did the the owner (council) tell the demolition company they can take anything from the property, or are the companies just taking property it's not theirs?

It's an interesting point. I suppose it must have come up before, e.g. if an appliance on hire purchase is left in the house.

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cddt

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#3446504 23-Dec-2025 08:13

freitasm:

That is one possibility. We don't know the whole thing though. Was it council owned (as they seem to have bought it) and the company was contracted to demolish it, or the council sold it to the demolition company?

It's not clear from the info provided.

Not a big deal for this thread, just curious.

I imagine the council would not want the hassle of getting rid of the material from the house, so probably contracted a demolition company to demolish and dispose of the house. Demolition company will then try to recoup costs or improve margin by selling anything saleable... some of those old hardwood doors and floors are valuable!

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#3446506 23-Dec-2025 08:21

i wonder what's happened to the fibre that was run to the house. Disconnected by the demo company and just left somewhere. In situations like that, i would hope there is a large reconnection fee.

sqishy

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#3446511 23-Dec-2025 08:45

At some point we have to be selective about what we escalate. This seems trivial in the bigger picture, and focusing on it doesn’t really benefit the industry or the forum.

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#3446513 23-Dec-2025 08:49

sqishy:

At some point we have to be selective about what we escalate. This seems trivial in the bigger picture, and focusing on it doesn’t really benefit the industry or the forum.

domt think anyone was focusing or escalating….from reading the above, the seller removed the listing after seeing the “questions/comments” on their listing advising this ain’t what they think it was.

Etc etc.

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