Voided Manufacturer's warranty
Long story short, Casati installed our AC unit incorrectly, voiding the warranty.
The details....
We noticed that the unit wasn't cooling as well as expected. When we contacted them, they said because we didn't sign up for their annual maintenance (which they didn't mention at the time, and you'll see other people on here with complaints that they cite the same excuse) they couldn't help us.
Turns out, even if we had done annual maintenance with them it wouldn't have mattered. Upon calling a different service company in, they've told us that the installers didn't change the copper when installing the new unit, which means that both connections were out of spec for the new unit. This overloaded the coil, causing it to blow and leak coolant. So in fact, it was their poor installation which caused the problem, and I now have a unit that is still in warranty period, which has been voided because they didn't follow the manufacturer's installation requirements.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $2,700.00
- Company Response
On May 16, 2016, Casati installed Dan's air conditioner (8 years ago) and the customer, Dan, did not maintain his equipment with Casati since installation. The contract between Casati and Dan clearly specifies the requirement for annual maintenance to uphold the warranties from both Casati and the manufacturer. This requirement is explicitly stated where the customer signed the contract (a copy of the customer's signature on the contract with these terms stated can be provided if required). Furthermore, Casati customers have the freedom to decline annual maintenance (they are not mandated to sign up for any maintenance plan as implied by Dan, nor are customers refused additional services by Casati if they haven't done their annual maintenance); hence, if customers opt out of annual maintenance like Dan did, they are informed that they will bear the full costs of any future diagnostic/repair services on their HVAC equipment installed by Casati. In this case, the customer is responsible for voiding his warranties.
This incident dates back two years (in 2022, as per Casati's records).
In June 2022, six years post-installation and two years ago, Casati was contacted by Dan's wife reporting issues with their air conditioner. The customer was informed by Casati about a diagnostic fee of $149.95 for the company to conduct a diagnostic service on their air conditioner. Typically, if customers undergo their yearly maintenance service, no diagnostic fee is charged. Nonetheless, since the customer had not had any maintenance service done by Casati since installation (for 6 years at that time), a diagnostic fee was applicable. Dan's wife scheduled a service with Casati for the earliest available date.
On June 6, 2022, Dan called Casati to mention that he had hired another HVAC Contractor for the diagnostic service and expressed his intention to continue working with that contractor if repairs were necessary, as he refused to pay Casati for any services. Dan conveyed his disappointment that these services were not covered by the warranty. Casati clarified to Dan that just like car manufacturer warranties do not cover oil changes or yearly vehicle maintenance unless stipulated in contracts, HVAC warranties do not cover maintenance services unless expressly specified in the contract. It is the homeowner's responsibility to ensure the annual maintenance of all equipment to maintain the validity of their warranties, as most issues over time stem from inadequate equipment maintenance.
Had the customer conducted their annual maintenance service with Casati, they would have been eligible for a 10-year parts and labour warranty on their air conditioner (as per the limited terms and conditions of the warranties).