What to do when an installer refuses to fix your system
Installers sometimes abandon a defective unit after multiple failures by claiming they no longer service that specific brand. When this happens, you are left with a broken system and must either demand a full refund or ask the distributor to refer you to a different contractor.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
What to do when an installer refuses to fix your system
- 1Hiring an attorney to draft a demand letter to both the installer and the distributor/manufacturerDid this help you?
- 2Filing formal consumer complaints with the state attorney general, state licensing boards, and the Better Business BureauDid this help you?
- 3Bypassing the installer and going through the manufacturer's warranty to find a new, competent contractor to take over the repairsDid this help you?
- 4Testing the damage with a fingernail to prove it is a structural crack rather than a surface scratchDid this help you?
- 5Withholding final payment until the issue is properly resolvedDid this help you?
- 6Getting the contractor's diagnosis and a workmanship warranty for the spot in writingDid this help you?
- 7Refusing a cosmetic resin repair and demanding a full replacement or refundDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The system has failed entirely 3 times in that time period with multiple parts having to be replaced. Yesterday installer said he no longer works on this brand and won’t do any more work on my system. I want it removed and the purchase price refunded.”source ↗
“The installer came out, conferred with the distributor rep, and said there’s likely a refrigerant leak. He said he no longer works on Samsung units and won’t do any more work on my system. He said the rep would refer me to other contractors.”source ↗
“We just had quartz countertops installed and noticed this mark on the island (link attached). The fabricator inspected it and says he doesn’t believe it’s a crack, but possibly a scratch or small divot.”source ↗
“Would you accept a repair on a brand-new countertop, or ask for replacement?”source ↗
“He’s insisting it’s a deep scratch that can be filled with resin and UV cured. I’m not accepting that though.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 5Clients who refuse to fix underlying problems before repairs
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- 2Am I responsible for fixing plumbing work I didn't do?