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.

Actually davidandkasie, British law requires that any "arisings" from trimming a tree which originate on someone else's property must be returned to them, if they wish it, without damaging that person's property: "The owner of a tree is not obliged to trim his trees or hedges to prevent them from crossing over a boundary. If they were, they would have a right of entry on to neighbouring land. Whilst the tree owner is not obliged to cut back overhanging branches, the person whose property is overhung has the right to cut back the branches to the boundary (providing there are no planning restriction on the trees such as TPOs). The resulting debris remains the property of the tree owner, but you must not cause any damage to their property when returning it back to them and you do not have a right to trespass on the tree ownerÂs property in carrying out the works. In the interests of good neighbourly relations, however, we would encourage neighbours to discuss their intentions with each other before carrying out works." This is also the case in Canada. US law seems to stop at the remedy of "self help"- a person whose property is being encroached upon by a neighbour's tree may remedy the nuisance by trimming away those portions of the tree which encroach on his land, as long as such trimming does not damage the tree, but I can find no reference on a legal site as to the disposition of the trimmings. The OP's local government may have stated rules for this, however.

oo Kitchen A contracts the repair people - they are the ones responsible - did you advise the repair person of damage at the time? if you post a pic may be better able to tell you how a repair can be done. If it is stained wood - a stain pen usually does the trick good luck

GINA REID INTERIORS: "Who is responsible here?" Clients can have a very unrealistic "retail" version of who is responsible and what the remedies are. They are used to taking the item back to the store and getting their money back. Whereas that's not really reasonable in a remodel job. It's your responsibility as the professional to define roles, what services you are providing, what are the limits of your responsibility, etc. Also know that when you blur those roles and responsibilities, it makes it hard to extricate yourself later. Indeed I think you blurred the roles and responsibilities quite a bit -- and that's why you are in this situation. Legally, who is responsible for the leaky filler? Delta has a very clear warranty, I'm sure. Beyond that, I'm not sure. You received a fee for overseeing the project. Does "overseeing the project" include overseeing warranty issues and callbacks? Did you spell that out in your contract? If you didn't, why didn't you? Either you are working as the GC, the homeowner is, or another party is. If you are working as the GC, you need to be clear about your role, what you are providing, and the limits of your liability. If you are simply a consulting designer and the homeowner is the GC, then you need to be clear about that up front. Don't mix those two roles. If you are acting as the GC, then you need to have a markup on things that you supply (faucets), because you are going to have to deal with the callbacks and warranty issues. Here's what I really think: I think you need to say to the client "Hey, I don't think I was as clear about my responsibilities as I should have been from the beginning. I am a consulting designer and my responsibility for this job stops when I have provided the agreed upon services and/or you have signed off on the completion of the job. However, I'm going to work with you to oversee this warranty issue. I'm not going to be responsible for the cost of the parts or labor, but I will facilitate this specific repair." Note that this is a repeat client and that it sounds like you, as the professional, didn't spell out roles and responsibilities and at what point your role stops. You should take your lump and look at it as a cheap lesson (and hopefully retain the client).