Angies List and various sources, September 2016
You’ve just bought a home. The previous owner replaced the entire HVAC system three years ago. They assure you they purchased a 20-year extended warranty, so you should be covered, right? Not necessarily.
Most major HVAC manufacturers warranty their work and offer extended warranties for five, 10 or even 20 years. But when you purchase a home and the HVAC system with it, you need to take steps to properly transfer the warranty to your name. Otherwise you could be in for some unpleasant and expensive surprises a few years down the line when your air conditioning or heating system develops problems.
“The biggest ramification could be that you’re not getting your warranty repair,” says Jeremy Anderson, general manager for Aire Serve Heating & Air Conditioning in Henderson, Nevada. “The warranty company isn’t obligated to honor that warranty at all if the paperwork isn’t up to date. Manufacturers don’t want to give away money, so they’re becoming sticklers on this more and more. I’ve seen this happen with clients who ended up having to pay out of pocket on equipment they thought was under warranty.”
Here is a direct quote from the Trane website. Trane is one of the most expensive HVAC units on the market. There are many reviews on the internet about how unreliable the systems are but Trane will not transfer their warranty without paperwork and money. “Your reliable Trane system may help you sell your home. During either the 60-day Product Registration Period or within ninety (90) days following the sale of the home (if such 90 day period is still within the Registered Limited Warranty period) you have the opportunity to purchase a Registered Limited Warranty Transfer Option** which may allow the balance of your Registered Limited Warranty to be transferred to a subsequent homeowner. **The Registered Limited Warranty transferability option is available for a $59 fee during the initial 60 day Product Registration period. If purchased outside of the Product Registration Period, but within the 90 days from the sale of your home when the Registered Limited Warranty period is still in effect, a $99 fee will apply. Regardless of when the transferability option is purchased, either you or the new homeowner must notify Trane of the transfer within ninety (90) days of the home sale for the transfer to be effective. Failure to complete the limited warranty transfer by such notification within 90 days of home sale will result in the limited warranty expiring on the date of home sale. Transferability restrictions may vary by state.”
Shame on Trane for being one of the highest priced HVAC manufactures trying to weasel out of covering the system if the seller sells the house and doesn’t do the proper notification and pay more money. Goodman is another one that will not transfer the warranty. According to local HVAC companies several HVAC manufacturers will not transfer the warranty or will charge to have it transferred. I am appalled at the lack of confidence the HVAC manufacturers have in their own products. Would consumers put up with this from auto manufacturers?
Before you buy a new HVAC make sure the warranty is transferrable. Otherwise the installation of a new HVAC unit will not have the added value you thought it would have if you have to sell your home during the warranty period. Instead it could be a total waste of money.