How overlock works

If you've been told your unit is "overlocked", this article explains what that means, why it happens, and how access comes back.

What overlock means

Overlock is a temporary suspension of access to your unit. It's applied when a licence fee has been unpaid for a period without resolution, after earlier reminders — it's never the first thing that happens when a payment is missed. It doesn't affect ownership of your goods, and it isn't the same as your agreement ending.

Why it happens

Your agreement gives your operator the contractual right to suspend access if payment falls into arrears. Overlock protects the operator's position while giving you a clear, fixable path back to normal access — it's a pause, not an escalation to losing your goods. Before it's applied, you'll have had reminders about the overdue balance; overlock is what happens if those go unresolved.

How access is restored

Access is restored once the overdue balance is paid. Depending on your site's access system, restoring access can take a short time to take effect after payment clears — if you're paying by Direct Debit, that means waiting for the collection to clear (see Understanding your first Direct Debit collection), not just for it to be submitted. Paying by card is typically faster to reflect.

If a Direct Debit payment that cleared your balance is later reversed by the bank, overlock can be reapplied — but always with the same advance notice as the first time, never without warning; see What a late Direct Debit reversal means.

What overlock doesn't mean

Overlock is not the start of your goods being sold. That's a separate, much later step with its own strict legal process and notice periods, used only for long-standing arrears — overlock on its own never leads there without a great deal of further notice first.

Who to contact

If your unit is overlocked and you've already paid, or you think it's been applied in error, contact support straight away with your payment reference so we can check it.