Why Your Commercial Appliance Repair May Not be Covered Under Your Warranty

We know the circumstance well, within the last year you have purchased a new piece of equipment for your commercial kitchen, it is working well and has become critical to your operation. Then out of nowhere, it stopped working as it should, now you need to set up a service call with an Authorized Service Agent for your foodservice equipment warranty repair. How can you be best prepared when you need commercial appliance repair – General Parts Group has created this helpful list to ensure you are.

When Purchasing the Product:
• MOST IMPORTANT: Keep your receipts and paperwork from the purchase in a safe and retrievable location.
• Require that all agreed-upon warranty items are outlined in your equipment owner’s manual.
• Review the warranty to ensure understanding of what is and is not covered.
• Understand what your responsibility as the owner is, by the manufacturer. As an example – does the manufacturer’s warranty require an Authorized Service Agent installs the equipment?
• Register your equipment with the manufacturer.

Before Calling the Manufacturer:
• Get the model and serial numbers found on the sticker inside each unit.
• Have your business contact information ready for scheduling service and/or parts delivery.

How to Avoid a Claim Rejection:
Each type of equipment is built with its purpose in mind; therefore, each contains its own distinctive components. Because of these differences, a manufacturer’s warranty will differ from one piece of equipment to the other. It is important to understand each warranty you own for the equipment in your commercial kitchen. There are many instances where manufacturers’ warranty coverage typically does not apply. They include but are not limited to:
• Failure by the customer to identify the warranty claim at the time of service request.
• Failure by the customer to provide valid proof of purchase.
• Operator error, misuse or abuse
• Water-related issues.
• Improper installation (electrical, water, drain, etc.).
• Lack of routine cleaning and maintenance.
• Adjustments (calibration, leveling, etc.).
• Replacement of consumable parts (gaskets, lights, knobs, etc.).
• Freight charges for warranty component parts.
• Travel charges & overtime. Manufacturers set an “allowable time-frame” to complete the job.
• After hours or weekend service.

Who to Call for Warranty Work & Commercial Appliance Repair:
General Parts Group represents most major food equipment manufacturers for warranty service and agrees to submit warranty claims on your behalf. However, General Parts Group makes no determination in the validity of any warranty claim we submit. Manufacturers solely decide whether to honor any warranty claim, in part of in full and do not have to honor verbal promises.

If a manufacturer offers a longer warranty period on a specific part, General Parts Group will extend that warranty to the customer. In addition, General Parts Group does guarantee its work for 90 days from the date of the original service call. General Parts warrants its parts and services for these 90 days if the defect is related to the original repair service, the equipment has been used in accordance with manufacturer guidelines since the original repair, and no other person has attempted repairs on the unit.

Warranties are a good thing to have and do protect the owner of commercial kitchen appliances when something goes wrong with the unit itself. It is important to understand that the warranties do have conditions and as the owner, it is important to know what they are. Contact General Parts Group for warranty work, and further questions regarding commercial appliance repair.