That's an interesting situation. Clearly the manufacturer is well within its rights to refuse service if the customer violated the warranty with an improper installation. On the other hand, the customer is free these days to say anything they want online. That's why consumers need to take online comments with a grain of salt - every product/manufacturer has some bad comments written about them. There's no product (including Bluestar :-) that's universally praised. Manufacturers are also free to post their rebuttal online and consumers can choose to believe what they want. I'm not sure the selling dealer has any responsibility in this other than to choose to make the customer happy with some kind of reduced re-installation cost for example.

Don't libel and slander still apply?

I'm sure libel and slander do apply but it's very difficult to sue an anonymous poster on a web site and I'm sure manufactuers aren't anxious to track down and sue customers. Also, it really depends what the person says - if they say they were denied service, well that's the truth - and truth is the best defense against libel and slander.

Slander wouldn't apply here since the "slight" was written, not verbalized.

The hurdles to overcome a libel claim would be steep considering the Manuf. did deny service under warranty. Lot of grey area here. Facts would be good as I've seen Manuf. deny claims for chicken s*$%^ reasons that have nothing to do with the actual problem.

Lupe - you should rebut the clients claims if you happen across them in print, and know the facts.

Freedom of information on the internet is a blessing and a curse. The ability for anyone to pay less than $20 a month and put up an official looking website (with just a bit of knowledge and time) makes it difficult for the casual reader to distinguish a single individual with a unfair gripe vs a real pattern of dissatisfaction. What I do and tell some of my less technically savvy friends and family is if you read something that is too positive or too negative about any subject, then it's likely to have some specific bias that may be unfair. Always look for the motivation behind things is my advice. Just like if any email says to "send to everyone you know" then it's probably a chain email and a hoax. I think on forums like this, it's the responsibility of all to voice opposing views on subjects so a balance is achieved. I am sure those that post continuous tirades against a specific vendor or brand will very quickly lose credibility. Personally, I've had a bad experience with Viking but I always say that my experience is based on my personal preferences and priorities. These may not be the same as any other person that is reading.

That said. I am not beyond flaming a company for bad service and my viewpoint is not necessarily going to be completely unbiased but that's just my experience. No body can tell me that my experience is invalid because they had a better one.

In the situation that you outlined, I can see an argument on either side depending on whether the damage or repair was due to the poor installation or not. If the poor installation caused stress on the cooktop that resulted in failure, then that can be pushed back to the consumer. If however, the part that failed or problem that occurred is not related to the installation at all, then I can understand the frustration of the consumer since it's the manufacturer that's using the self install as an excuse not to take responsibility.

When I had my Bluestar cooktop installed with their "white glove" service, they installer didn't pack my gas connection correctly. He didn't use any sealant which resulted in a strong smell of gas the next morning. *I* found the joint that was leaking in about 5min even though I asked the installer if he had done a leak check and was told he had. Obviously negligent installation. I called the store I purchased it from and told them I didn't want them to send out the same guy. They were apologetic and immediately called an authorized Bluestar service tech who came out the same day. So, it's not just customer self installations that go wrong. All of the other finger pointing is irrelevant. If a company takes their reputation online seriously, then they'll realize it's worth a service call to repair minor defects or issues even if it's due to a bad installation just to avoid the bad first impression.

................wish my internet was $20/month !

The website is $20/month. Internet access is extra. :)

The website is $20/month. Internet access is extra. :)

Wow, that's high. I get six websites for $5 a month. :-)

I'm sure libel and slander do apply but it's very difficult to sue an anonymous poster on a web site and I'm sure manufacturers aren't anxious to track down and sue customers.

It isn't difficult at all. Lawyers do it for their clients all the time. Virtually every post leaves an electronic bread crumb trail of who, what, where, and when.

It is possible to post truly anonymously (unless somebody like NSA horns in), but the number of people that know how to do it is minuscule in the scheme of things. If you want to know how, Google the term "onion router."

in my area, standard broadband internet via DSL is well under $20. Most start at around $15/mo. Of course if you want faster than 1Mbps or static IPs, it'll be more. Internet web hosting is even cheaper.. godaddy.com has plans starting at around $5/mo with an additional domain registration cost of $10/yr which equates to about $6/mo to run your own website. So both for right around $20/mo. :)