February 23, 20224 yr Hi All, Is it normal for a solar installer to charge a call-out/labor fee for the removal and re-installation of a battery (under warranty)? Thanks!
February 23, 20224 yr 42 minutes ago, mocodo said: Hi All, Is it normal for a solar installer to charge a call-out/labor fee for the removal and re-installation of a battery (under warranty)? Thanks! Yes it is normal, but he can't charge you for the repairs of the battery.
February 23, 20224 yr I would say it depends....Did you buy the battery that he then installed or did you pay him for the battery + installation. If you paid him, and the installation is still under warranty, then there should be no charge. If you paid for the battery and he installed for you then yes, he should charge you.
February 23, 20224 yr IMHO, think we are asking too much from the installers. These guys have to make a living and expecting them to collect the faulty battery and take it in for exchange/repairs without paying, is a bit unfair. The guy might have supplied and installed the equipment for you and you have paid for the installation and supply of the said equipment, not for endless/future call out fees. You equipment has roughly 5 years warranty, will you expect this guy to come out for free for the five years that you still have warranty? Installation guarantee is for workmanship, if there are any loose hanging cables or loose connections, trunking falling off the wall etc, then yes, he has to come out and do the repairs for free. Not take your batteries in for repairs for you for free.
February 23, 20224 yr 21 minutes ago, hoohloc said: IMHO, think we are asking too much from the installers. These guys have to make a living and expecting them to collect the faulty battery and take it in for exchange/repairs without paying, is a bit unfair. The guy might have supplied and installed the equipment for you and you have paid for the installation and supply of the said equipment, not for endless/future call out fees. You equipment has roughly 5 years warranty, will you expect this guy to come out for free for the five years that you still have warranty? Installation guarantee is for workmanship, if there are any loose hanging cables or loose connections, trunking falling off the wall etc, then yes, he has to come out and do the repairs for free. Not take your batteries in for repairs for you for free. I think not, you have over-simplified the warranty issue down to "we must be fair".....Your battery warranty is held by the purchaser, the installer, yes/No? So who is responsible for managing the process of replacing a battery? It depends on the battery warranty and who purchased it.."must be installed by approved/authorised/competent" installer etc. otherwise even the battery manufacturer/distributor would not honour the warranty. So if the installer offers you a battery (specced to cater for charge/discharge rates etc) and the "installation" and all its component parts are still under warranty he is obliged to honour the warranty..."not for endless/future call out fees." Obviously, the "installation" warranty period should be specified in the purchase agreement upfront. Mechanics provide warranty on workmanship and parts (if they provide). If your mechanic installs a water pump he recommended and charges you for, today, and in 2 months time it fails are you really going to pay for the labour rate of removal and refitting of the pump? I think not, unless you are trying to be "fair" to your mechanic. If an electrician installs a breaker in your DB and if fails after 2 days are you going to tell me you have to pay him a call out fee to replace faulty equipment he installed? The same principle applies to a solar installer warranty..... That is my view. I legal perspective would also be interesting.
February 23, 20224 yr Usually, terms and conditions for warranties are clearly written and we must be informed about them before purchasing. Many companies offer limited warranty covering only the replacement of defective goods. Removal, transport and installation can be excluded and we must be aware of it.
February 23, 20224 yr 2 hours ago, FixAMess said: I think not, you have over-simplified the warranty issue down to "we must be fair".....Your battery warranty is held by the purchaser, the installer, yes/No? So who is responsible for managing the process of replacing a battery? It depends on the battery warranty and who purchased it.."must be installed by approved/authorised/competent" installer etc. otherwise even the battery manufacturer/distributor would not honour the warranty. So if the installer offers you a battery (specced to cater for charge/discharge rates etc) and the "installation" and all its component parts are still under warranty he is obliged to honour the warranty..."not for endless/future call out fees." Obviously, the "installation" warranty period should be specified in the purchase agreement upfront. Mechanics provide warranty on workmanship and parts (if they provide). If your mechanic installs a water pump he recommended and charges you for, today, and in 2 months time it fails are you really going to pay for the labour rate of removal and refitting of the pump? I think not, unless you are trying to be "fair" to your mechanic. If an electrician installs a breaker in your DB and if fails after 2 days are you going to tell me you have to pay him a call out fee to replace faulty equipment he installed? The same principle applies to a solar installer warranty..... That is my view. I legal perspective would also be interesting. we have different views on this one, so lets agree to disagree. @mocodo be grateful that the install is upfront about his call out fees. One day you will get one that will take your batteries, send them for repairs and collect them, then send you a bill before delivery and if you do not pay, you will not get your batteries back. Please pay the guy 😉
February 23, 20224 yr I had a chat with my legal "guru"....Unfortunately if there's no written warranty there is not much one can do about it..Kak and betaal! The lesson here is that one should always make sure there is some written warranty period on the installation and its components...
February 23, 20224 yr 1 hour ago, FixAMess said: I had a chat with my legal "guru"....Unfortunately if there's no written warranty there is not much one can do about it..Kak and betaal! The lesson here is that one should always make sure there is some written warranty period on the installation and its components... And then the installer can charge accordingly, this sounds fair 😉
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