“Misleading warranties” warning issued to installers

Managing director Colin Gardner has issued a statement saying: “Every year around 1.6 million people need to replace their gas boiler and a genuine extended warranty not only provides valuable peace of mind for homeowners, it also enables installers to profit from a ‘fit and forget’ solution.

“Extended warranties are now common place in the boiler market and, with no risk and no worries for up to five full years, it’s a great incentive to purchase a particular boiler.

“However, as with many pie-crust promises, the devil lies in the detail.

“Despite headlining with a five-year offer, the sad reality is that the warranty is sometimes actually only made up of a three-year guarantee on parts and just two years on labour. And, considering that the price of the boiler may have been over inflated in the first place, it’s totally misleading and confusing.”

Mr Gardner went on to say that manufacturers should be “totally honest” about what is included to demonstrate commitment to quality.

“It means that the manufacturer is prepared to forego any additional revenue that could be generated from after sales and spares, in a bid to create such reassurance,” he said.

Installers were also urged to check the terms and conditions attached to warranties, as some require membership to a loyalty scheme, while others require attendance at training courses or certain sales volumes to qualify.